Three Reasons to be Happy

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I'll be on the road early tomorrow, driving up to Burlington, Massachusetts, for Readercon. So please consider this Friday's post.

A couple of days ago, Tom Purdom sent me an e-mail pointing out that the year was half over. I immediately wrote back, saying that as an optimist I felt that the year was only half begun. Yes, believe it or not, I am an optimist. And here are three reasons to be happy.

1. If you're a birder . . .

The hot news in Delaware is that there are now two roseate spoonbills wandering about! The one I blogged about a couple of days ago was unprecedented. I believe it was the first confirmed spotting in the state. So two is even unprecedenteder.

Also, I believe that some ingenious birder found a location in Maryland from which he was actually able to spot the first roseate spoonbill. By the byzantine laws governing bird lists, even though the bird itself was in the air above Delaware, that allows him (almost certainly a him) to add it to his Maryland life list.


2. If you're going to be at Readercon . . .

You'll have the opportunity to buy a copy of my soon-to-be-fabled and sure to sell out shortly biography of Hope Mirrlees, Hope-in-the-Mist. The book launches tomorrow afternoon. I will be there. And so will the subject of my book.

Which brings us to the third reason to be happy.


3. If you're going to be at Readercon and you always wished you could have met Hope Mirrlees while she was still alive . . .

You're in luck. I'm going to interview the late authoress and poetess in person. Not just anybody could have arranged this. I'm not sure exactly when it's scheduled, nor if it made it onto the final schedule (the provisional one has it for 2:00 Sunday afternoon, at which time I'll be on the road home), but supposedly the interview will be held on Friday at either 5 or 6 p.m.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

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