Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Excerpt in Which I Relate to a Ground Squirrel

Petals and Thorns, 2013
"One morning I looked out the window and saw a ground squirrel draped in a coat of cotton. She was picking the cottonseeds off her arm and eating them. Suddenly a weasel emerged and began wildly chasing the ground squirrel around the yard. Just as the weasel was about to grab the ground squirrel's neck, ensuring a quick death, the squirrel made an abrupt turn, faced the weasel, and screamed. The startled weasel jumped in the air and fell onto its back as the ground squirrel ran away."

Excerpt from When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams

15 comments:

  1. A blog post for me AND my little girl. Thank you.

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  2. Wonderful (and funny)! I have to read that.

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    1. I don't want to mislead you, Jen. There are funny moments in this book, but I would not describe it as funny in general. Certainly thought provoking, but not funny.

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  3. Oh I love it. Well done little ground squirrel. I had to google the ground squirrel though as I had never heard of it.

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  4. what a great thing to read Thanksgiving morning!
    I'm off to the kitchen, now
    have a bountiful day!

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    1. Thanksgiving was a travel day for us. No turkey yet... I know yours was delicious.

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  5. Oh, this made me laugh so hard. I'll remember it next time I'm cornered! LOL

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  6. Thank you, Relyn. I hope your Thanksgiving meal was delicious.

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  7. I like Terry Tempest Williams' work. I went to a talk she gave years ago when I was just starting out as a journalist, and was impressed by her thoughtful, quiet ways -- so different than the brashness of one particular young reporter.

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    1. I've always thought of her as thoughtful and quiet, but this book also shows her feisty side. I think she would have been impressed by this brash young reporter.

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