Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Go west, young birder

POP QUIZ:


What do this book

and this school


have to do with this birder?
Here's a hint:
That's Dr. Matthew Callahan (aka Matty McMatterson) and our friend Christine, who lives in San Francisco, who gave me the field guide pictured above because . . .


Matty got the job at Sonoma State!

He got the call yesterday, and we'll be leaving in July 2009. It's hard to believe; it all seems so far away. But sure enough, we're packing up and moving to California.

Being the live-in-the-moment person that I am, it's hard to be sad now about leaving this place and all my friends. I'm so excited at the thought of a new beginning that I can't feel sad or wistful right now. I'm sure, however, that will come once the departure nears.

In the meantime, however, I sure do have a lot of new birds to learn. It'll be "beginning to bird" all over again! Varied thrushes, weirdo chickadees, no more Eastern bluebirds -- wow.

I'll be in the land of Earl Cootie and Matty Boy, trolley cars, and fog fog fog.

I'll be twenty minutes from Bodega Bay, the setting of Hitchcock's The Birds and an incredibly beautiful coastline, judging from the photos.

I'll see John Muir's redwoods and the Pacific Ocean.

Arnold Schwarzenegger will be my governor.

oh my god...

19 comments:

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Congrats! I'm excited for you and I'm jealous too. I'd love to see that coastline, those redwoods, and all that other stuff. Way to go Matty and Delia.

KGMom said...

Well, going to live where Ahnold rules--that can't be all bad? Can it?
Oh please stay birding and blogging!
We will miss you here in PA, but you got to go where you got to go.
You go girl.

NCmountainwoman said...

You go girl!!! And keep us informed every step of the way.

Anonymous said...

New adventures await!!! I'm glad for you and Doctor Matty. Congratulations to him!

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Yahoo Delia!! You sound so happy- I'm thrilled for you. I think you'll have to plan the next bloggy bird trip on the west coast!!

Susan Gets Native said...

Well, slap my ass and call me Shirley!

Good for Matty and for you!
Holy crap, girl. You have a whole new list of birds to learn. But San Fransisco? Wow!
(The Rice-A-Roni jingle has been ringing in my head all day...thanks a lot.)

Next thing we all know, you will begging us Midwesterners to come ALL THE WAY to California for birding festivals. I better start a savings account.

Big hug for you!

RG said...

Ah, but you will have to pass the West Coast initiation!!!! Woo Hoo ... Hey, what you talking about .. weird chickadees? Huh?

Angry Ballerina said...

TAKE ME WITH YOU!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you love the book.

My friend Mike and I accidentally recreated a scene from The Birds by leaving our backpack full of snacks unattended for a millisecond while at Bodega Bay. They tore the backpack to shreds and devoured everything inside it.

Then as we were heading back to SF, we stopped at a plaza near Bodega Bay and Tippi Hedren was there signing autographs.

Anonymous said...

Yay! You'll love California!!! And, just so's you know, Sonoma isn't the foggiest of places! California has so much to offer and I know you'll take full advantage of it! Maybe we'll meet when you venture down Santa Cruz way!

Kathi said...

Delia,

You will love Muir Woods. It is like walking into a green cathedral. A sense of awe and reverence overwhelmed me on my one visit, and I would love to go back.

You forgot to mention one thing - Wine Country! (hic-cup!)

~Kathi, who can't find "weirdo chickadees" in Western field guide

Earl Cootie said...

Wonderful news! Congratulations to Matty and good luck to both of you!

And I've been thinking that next year we should start exploring more down south.

Beth said...

Congratulations, Delia! That is exciting - I think San Franciso and Sonoma are the pretties places in the US. KatDoc is right - Muir Woods is spectacular. Don't forget to see Yosemite, too - it will take your breath away.

Beth

dguzman said...

Thank you all for your good wishes. It's hard to believe it's really gonna happen! Now I just have to find the patience to stay here until next summer! Argh!

Matthew Hubbard said...

Yay, Dguzman and Dr. Matty! Sonoma is a bit of a trek from Oakland, but I have fambly up in the area and I can definitely make the trip up, as you are welcome to make the trip down as well.

Compared to the East Coast, the weather is very mild and the bird populations are very different.

I look forward to meeting you.

Anonymous said...

You forgot the wine, the lovely sunsets, the shore birds, the raptors, the egrets and the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge at your doorstep.

Anonymous said...

Oh and you can hang with the buns at Save a Bunny!

Patrick B. said...

Holy crapoly... I missed this post. Congrats! The bay area is awesome. Oh man, pelagics out of Monterey... SWEET.

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