Monday August 21, 2006 6:15 am Bloomington, Minnesota Sunrise 6:21 Sunset 8:09 Hours of daylight: 13:48 Day 6 of our trip to Virginia

A. Morning Musings

6:15 am It is + 19 C, with a forecast high of 83 F (+ 28 C). There is a 30% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Today is a non-travel day.

B. Plan

We plan to visit a bird sanctuary this morning and then go to the Mall of America, which is a newer and larger version of the West Edmonton mall.

C. Actual/Notes

6:30 PM We began the day by visiting the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge which was only a couple of miles from the Mall of America. We were able to identify the following birds:

• Downy Woodpecker (F)
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird (F) [this is the only hummingbird in this region, also the only hummingbird listed in the checklist; we did not see any noticeable coloring]
• Northern Cardinal (M)
• Wild Turkey (M)
• Red-winged Blackbird (M)
• White-breasted Nuthatch (M)
• American Goldfinch (M)
• House Finch (F)
• House Sparrow (F)

Here are the four best photos:

Downy Woodpecker (F)	Northern Cardinal (M)
Wild Turkey (M)	White-breasted Nuthatch (M)

For me the highlight was the two bookstores in the Mall. As I result I bought the following:

• The Song of Roland (2002) anonymous
  • An 11th century tale of chivalry that I have seen mentioned on numerous occasions.
• Tartuffe (2000) Moliere
  • I saw this play while at Queen's and loved it.
• The Mystery of the Yellow Room (2006) Gaston Leroux
  • a classic murder mystery, first written in 1907. The book caught my attention and I decided it was worth a try.
• In Praise of Folly (2003) Desiderius Erasmus
  • I have been looking for something by Erasmus since reading Peter Watson's book on history three years ago.
• Letters to a Young Mathematician (2006) Ian Stewart
  • I like Stewart's books, and this is an intriguing title.
• A Passion for Mathematics (2005) Clifford Pickover
  • I also like Pickover's books, and buy most that I notice.
• Leonardo's Machines (2006) Mario Taddei (Ed.)
  • The diagrams in this book are stunning.
• The Sibley Guide to Birds. (2000) David Allen Sibley
  • This should help with identification on this trip.
• The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. (2001) David Allen Sibley
  • I have been looking for a book that talks about birds rather than just helping me collect "lifer numbers".
• Emile. (1979) Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762). Allan Bloom (Ed.)
  • I have seen references to this book for the last 40 years. It is time I read it.
• The Social Contract. (1968) Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762). Maurice Cranston (Ed.)
  • Both of the Rousseau books should supplement my reading of "Citizens"
• The Art of Living. (1995) Epictetus.
  • This caught my eye while I was browsing the philosophy section.
• Unknown Quantity: A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra. (2006). John Derbyshire.
  • Another interesting book on the history of mathematical ideas. Should be interesting.

This should keep me busy for the rest of this trip. Now for a few priorities:

I want the early French books high on my list as they supplement my reading of "Citizens":

• Tartuffe by Moliere
• The Social Contract by Rousseau
• Emile by Rousseau
• The Figaro Trilogy by Beaumarchais

I also want to have a closer look at the two Sibley books on birds.

D. Reflection