I am not a one trick pony when it comes to hobbies. I do have other interests besides gardening. Not many I admit but some.
One of the other leisure activities from which I get a great deal of enjoyment is “bird watching.” I must emphasise – “bird watching” not “twitching”. “Twitching” is all about racing around the county at breakneck speed to see some rarity or other, logging the species seen, locality, date and time and then moving on. Birding, or bird watching, is a much more laid-back affair, taking your time to look at and observe birds in detail and relishing in the sheer pleasure in seeing these wonderful creatures. I have to admit, I am enthusiastic, rather than having encyclopaedic knowledge, but part of the fun and excitement is learning more each time you venture out. For me to make a positive ID the bird needs to be big, standing still and no more than 20 feet away. However, in my experience, there is always a much more knowledgeable birder on hand to help you out.
I also like a good read. Non-fiction history or a gripping “who done it” are my favourite genres. As far as history is concerned, The Wars of The Roses is an era of particular interest. I find the uncontrollable lust for power, wealth, influence and status displayed by the main players absolutely spellbinding. Then, of course, don’t forget the shifting alliances, the back stabbing, literal and metaphorical, and the unashamed treachery. The fiction series I am following at present is the Cormoran Strike novels by Robert Galbraith (in reality J.K. Rowling). Each story a real page turner.
Bread making is something I took up when I retired. Not for me a bread making machine – oh no! I knead my bread dough the traditional way, by hand. Ten minutes kneading is a great work out and it also de-stresses you. I am into sourdough. I have my very own sourdough starter which I brought to life myself – his name is Steve. “Steve the sourdough starter” has a good ring to it. Steve is a living thing and has to be fed regularly and generally looked after in the right conditions – not too hot, not too cold – so naming him makes me take my responsibilities to him seriously. I know “self praise deserves no honour” but my bread is pretty good and with just five ingredients, compared to the 14 or so in a supermarket loaf, better for me too.
I hope this demonstrates that, when it comes to hobbies, I have more than one string to my bow.
Tags: birds, books, bread, fiction