What I like best about reading in the garden is being distracted by everything around me.
After initially startling all of the wildlife, they get used to having me around. This quiet reader, whose only movement is an occasional turning of the page.
So, everyone returns, and I find my gaze moving from the page to the world around me.
It’s time to put the book down and look around.
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Hello there, wild rabbit who eats my plants.
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A lovely rose, with its sweet, delicate scent.
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The adorably annoying chipmunk who visits the bird feeder, stuffing his little cheeks with seed as quickly as he can.
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The lilies trumpeting the arrival of summer.
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And this lovely couple who kept me company for a long time.
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I must say, I do admire her coiffure, don’t you?
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reading interrupted. 
Beautiful photographs and great post!
Thank you! You have a lovely garden yourself but perhaps less birds and rabbits as Mr. Bowie scares them away.
Leave it to Nature to get us to finally put the book down. Not many things can get us to do that willingly. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your lovely moments with us.
That’s so true, Carrie. It’s hard to be pulled away from a good story but the scent of a rose or a pair of cardinals are hard to ignore. Thank you, as always, for the tweet.
Such delightful distractions. And at what point does the lovely hum of summer put you to sleep in your chair?
The summer crickets have just started humming their song which is very hypnotic and, as you point out, like a lullaby putting any dedicated reader to sleep. Haha!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz …….
I am always easily distracted…I love that your book is about the intense concentration and focus on one bird and then you found all sorts of nature right in front of you when you looked up. (Did that make sense? I’m not sure it did. Oh well.)
It made complete sense! There’s a hawk that lives in the woods behind my garden and I would have loved to see him while reading this book but alas he is being shy these days and watching me from a hidden perch.
I know all these animals…. Beautifully photographed! Hope you enjoy that great activity which is reading in your own garden, today….
The rabbit says hello!
A reader after my own heart. Those of us fortunate enough to live and read quietly and share their space with wild creatures has the ultimate bliss.
This is so true. We are very lucky indeed.
Plus, you are reading “Hawk,” in the garden. A tour de force of a read and good for the garden!
It’s definitely a “garden-approved” book! Well, maybe the rabbits and the chipmunks wouldn’t like it as they are frightened of hawks…
It takes a lot to tear one away from a book but yes nature does it, it’s such a wonderful natural soundtrack as well, whether reading or just taking pleasure in the world around me. I wish there was such wildlife around here as you have, don’t be surprised if you have a bunch of us guys knocking on your door because we desire some peaceful musing.
On your world tour, you can come by in the summertime and bring a book. We will sit in the garden, read and listen to the birds.
How can I refuse such an offer, I shall bring two books, for a gift is always a pleasure for both parties.
Love the chipmunk. My girls and I have a feeder in our backyard but we only seem to attract squirrels. Good for entertainment, but not quite as cute as the chipmunk 🙂
I used to have an issue with squirrels but they don’t like this type of feeder it seems. I’ve somewhat solved the ‘chipmunk eating all of the birdseed issue’ by putting some seed on the ground for him. He’s cute but greedy!
Nice long lens work. I saw some Goldfinches on a long walk today and thought about carrying something to read in future. No connection with the book btw. Do you have any nature pocket-spotter type books?
I have a couple of birding books but am not very good at using them as I rarely remember details and the birds that do visit the garden are already familiar to me. I’d love to be able to recognize birds by their song but that eludes me. Goldfinch are lovely.
I get annoyed at not bringing my spotter book with me. It’s like binoculars.
Goldfinches, like Swallows, have a nasty habit of fluttering ahead of your car by inches. They need to read about suicide.
The swallows yes. The goldfinch, at least here, are less suicidal. I like that you often bring binoculars and, when you remember, your spotter book with you on your walks.
Oh no. I’ve not been clear: I forget. I may as well walk around with a blindfold.
Ha!
If I see those pictures, I definitely would have put my book down to. Amazing how beautiful nature can be!
It always fascinates me how many animals live in the garden!
Very appropriate companions for your reading matter Letizia – it’s great to be distracted by nature as it just adds to the experience 🙂
It’s the perfect book to read outside, Andrea; I agree! Hope you’re reading a good book these days.
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters – not as good as H is for Hawk but I’m enjoying it!
I just looked up the summary and it looks good!
Such beautiful pictures and colours, reading and a garden meditation with freinds, how delightful. You live in fine company 😉
I am well surrounded indeed!
Thank you for the blog share 🙂
I love this, what type of birds are they please?
They are cardinals. We have a lot of them here. So beautiful, aren’t they?
I love watching and listening to the birds while reading. We had a couple cardinals hang around for a while and they kept looking like they were kissing, but the male was probably feeding the female. The female here didn’t have a hairdo like that though! Then there’s a squirrel that lives in the rhododendrons. He comes out early in the morning and actually looks like he’s in a daze at first, like he needs some tea or coffee. I love that rascally chipmunk. Have fun with all your characters!
I love your stories of kissing cardinals and caffeine deprived squirrel! It sounds like a short story or a really odd children’s book, haha!
Your backyard is full of wonderful surprises! Do you ever get any hummingbirds passing through?
This morning while I was reading, I saw a kestrel perched on an old television antenna that my neighbors have not bothered to take down. He looked marvelous up there. He might have been a youngster, but I was a bit too far away to tell for sure.
A kestrel, how wonderful!
We do get hummingbirds (they have just started arriving a couple of weeks ago but they move too fast for me to get take photos of!). I plant flowers that they will like to encourage them to stop by the garden. Amazing little birds, aren’t they?
Yes, listening and watching. What it’s all about. I arrived at Highlights Summer Camp late last night. This morning, I took a walk and recorded the sounds of birds. So varied, so loud. Love it! Maybe I’ll see if I can figure out the different birds by their calls. Cheers!
I love that you recorded the bird songs! Wishing you a wonderful time!
I love reading outside because of this. We have tons of white butterflies in Oregon and they always stop me in my tracks.
I like the idea of reading amongst the butterflies. I now have a deep desire to read in one of those butterfly rooms, I can’t remember if they have a name. I would be reading and have butterflies on my shoulder, resting on my book, etc.
A butterfly room sounds amazing!
Letizia what a dazzling display of nature you have in your reading room. beautiful photos and yes sometimes we do have to put the book down and open our eyes to value the world around us. Happy hunting in your garden.
My reading room, I like that you call it that. I never thought of my garden as a reading room but it certainly is at times. You always have a wonderful way of viewing and putting ideas.
I always find it hard to concentrate on reading when there is so much beauty around. This is the case even in our apartment where we have a wonderful view. And of course Baffi must have been otherwise occupied for things to have been so quiet!! 🙂
Haha! Baffi was sleeping by my side. After a tour of the garden where she frightens everything in her path, she’ll settle down for a long nap and everyone resumes their activities.
I can imagine that the view from your flat must be wonderfully distracting from your reading at times 🙂
Lovely photos!
I do the same thing when I read in my mum’s yard. The book soon gets put away and I sit there listening to, and watching, all the things around me. It’s very relaxing.
Am delighted to hear that the same thing happens to you Casey! It is very relaxing I agree!
Oh, my, what a beautiful post, Letizia?! Now this is art!
And you’ve inspired me to try the same thing. (Never really read outside much, except at the beach.)
Thank you! I do hope you will try it and let us know what little creatures you see around you 🙂
Nicely captured Letizia. Those are nice and peaceful creatures and flowers, not oversized bugs and aggressive, spiky plants which I see on certain blogs 🙂 I’d still rather all nature kept its distance while I’m reading apart from the sea outside my window.
Having the windows open and listening to the sea or even just watching the waves must be quite hypnotic.
Immediately relaxing Letizia. I can’t believe a few of the residents in the block actually board up their balcony windows on a stormy night.
Interesting I mostly do the same but you took a step ahead and took photos
and yes its a great relaxation that you enjoy reading and nature.
It’s lovely to hear that you enjoy it too. I wonder what kind of animals and flowers surround you when you read.
i read mostly in my room but now after reading i ll go out for reading too 🙂
Wow, what great pictures! You reminded me to read more often outside than I do. Thanks for inspiring!
You’re most welcome! It’s a wonderful experience!
What kinds of birds are they – they’re beautiful!!
I have to admit I’m the kind of reader who, once I’ve started reading, won’t hear, see, or otherwise notice anything going on around me. Clearly I’m missing out! (although we don’t have bunnies or chipmunks in Hong Kong, sadly)
They are cardinals; we have a lot of them here around NYC. I’m normally like you, completely lost in my reading, but when I’m outside, I get easily distracted.
It would be odd to see a chipmunk in Hong Kong! But perhaps some cute birds?
We get some, but where I am it’s mainly these horrid Cockatoos that screech and make a real racket!
Oh dear!
These are absolutely gorgeous creatures, Letizia. Lovely post! 😀
Thank you Dianne! You have such beautiful and fascinating critters in and around your home so that’s a real compliment.
Thanks, Letizia, for another wonderful reminder that the world around us needn’t be loud to draw attention, and we can truly unplug from our electronics while still being kept fully engaged. Happy, peaceful reading, and please say “hi” to your friends for me.
I just walked around the garden and said hello to the chipmunks, bluejays, and cardinals I encountered from you!
What a great post Letizia. Greaaat photos, I love the female Cardinal. I felt like I was there in the garden with you 🙂
Isn’t she great, Abby? I loved her plumage: she had her own style about her for sure!
I’m having one of those senior moments in thinking I had commented. I believe these lovely friends of yours are happy to have you in their space. Really nice photos, Letizia of a lovely summer garden. 🌻
It is their space and I am just visiting, it’s true. In fact, I have a hundred year old magnolia in the garden and I think of the property as hers.
What an honor to have that wonderful tree. Yes, it is hers and I hope for many more generations. 🌳
Me too, Lynne, me too.
I love writing or reading outside. Birds singing or arguing or just jib-jabbing is the best natural sound to me. That rabbit looks like he knows he’s been spotted. 🙂 Enjoy this amazing weather!
The rabbit and I have a love/hate relationship. He is cute but eats too many of my flowers!
What a delightful setting in which to read your books…and I want to read H is for Hawk too, so I would love to know what you thought of it! Gorgeous photos, the best kind of distraction any day of the week 😉
I had to take a pause from H is from Hawk to quickly read the selection for my book club but I can’t wait to get back to it!
Look forward to hearing what you think of it! Have a super weekend Letizia 🙂
Beautiful flowers and pictures. Rabbits are too pretty to hate, but they do make a mess of things
My thoughts on rabbits exactly.
Well, as you show, it’s hard to concentrate on reading outside, when there’s so much beauty to distract you. Your photos are incredible.
Thank you- with such beautiful subjects, it’s hard to take a bad photograph!
Lovely visitors to your yard. Those are interruptions I wouldn’t mind at all. 🙂
Right? Thank for dropping by!
Is nature the commercial break to the reading, or is the reading the commercial break to nature? I’m not sure which. But for me, lunch seems to trump them both.
I love your photos. Just goes to show that whether your eyes are up on nature or down in a book, there’s plenty to see. I don’t want to miss it.
Such a good point- wherever we look, there’s beauty and wonder for us to take in!
If only we look for it.
Peonies, so pretty but so fleeting 😦 Mine lasted only a few days. We had lots of rain and they drooped and never made it back up. One of my faves!
eden
That’s so frustrating! One year a frost came two days after my magnolia bloomed and I had to wait until the following year to see the flowers again. I guess that’s why nature is so beautiful- it’s fleeting as you point out.