Title: Key to the symbols Written by Eva
Author: Eva Casey
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Key to the pictures                                                                       Dec. 13, 2013
Written by Eva. approved by Herman
	                                    
eva@theworld.com herman@theworld.com  http://theworld.com/~eva
     
Dear Family and Friends,

On  New Year’s Day 2013 Oakes, Herman and I made a B-line for Bridgewater State Prison where we quickly picked up Northern Lapwing, so the year started off with a bang.  Herman, Oakes and Karma (one of Herman’s three treasured Tibetan helpers) birded today, bringing Herman’s year list up to 242. Karma and Pema are getting interested in birding. Tsomo has a day job so hasn’t gone much.   

Herman’s total is  low because he was not out in the field as much as usual due to a ton of doctor’s appointments including regular speech therapy, new dentures, four  hospitalizations (pneumonia 3X and inability to swallow 1X), and 10 days in rehab. Somewhere in there Herman got a pacemaker, and broke a rib in a fall. Nevertheless, I, whose birding was also thus restricted because I do most all of mine with Herman, am at an all-time high. My 2013 birds-photographed-in-MA list stands at 160.  So we got photographable looks at a high percentage of what we saw. The red crossbill was seen Dec. 31 2012, after last year’s report in this space went to press. The black-necked stilt is the first I’ve photographed in MA. 

We did have a two-night vacation this year—Glenn’s annual June trip to the Berkshires.  

We are giving our new front-loader washing machine a workout.   

We both enjoyed the Brookline Bird Club’s 100^th Aniversary gala in September. 
Another social event was the Brickbottom  Artist’s Condo Community’s potluck supper in their garden in May.  Our former neighbor Alice Mahoney invited us when she learned Brickbottom  manager, Bob Martel, who leads a community birdwalk to Mt. Auburn every May,  knew Herman since Bob was 13 and spent a magical weekend on a BBC trip to the Berkshires lead by Herman back then.    

The three Coopers and Sheila Maudsley were houseguests over Thanksgiving.  We had a fine visit, a lot of laughs, some games,  the traditional food,  and a snowy owl.   

I directed four Go Tournaments this year.  The Fall one was an adventure. I learned at the last minute the space was double-booked and the other party had priority! I made some late Saturday night calls to the Dragon Garden restaurant across the street from the double-booked venue and arranged for us to play there Sunday morning until we could get back into our usual space. 

Herman is a hockey fan, and the Bruins made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013.  We  both watched  the Red Sox win the World Series.   
 Happy New Year!