49 Comments
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Judi Amey's avatar

The audible is nice! I will listen again later.

Nila Vehar's avatar

I’m enjoying the audio after reading your lovely essay. Eli is very focused. He and Auggie add brighter moments to each day. Nice photo of you and your brother-in-law. The window is glorious. Enjoy a happy Sunday nap, or two.

Claudia Allred's avatar

I finally found the troublesome house wren. This year, instead of building at eyeball level in our garage, she chose the dead center of a cluster of geraniums, outside on our deck. She found me while I was watering the deck plants. It’s a really dangerous spot, easy for rat snakes, or fat bumbling raccoons, or feral cats. So now, I can’t water this arrangement. Otherwise her babies will have damp bottoms. The chicks must of hatched yesterday. I don’t hold out much hope for their survival, snakes mostly. She a “house wren”! She needs to be in the house! Oh well, try telling that to Mother Nature. Love to your Springtime biggies and all your flora and fauna. And Dave.

Denise Donaldson's avatar

About rat snakes---my friend in Atlanta tells me that the rat snakes on her property won't eat rats! How odd. Maybe they look for easier prey?

Claudia Allred's avatar

Well a rat snake is many things. Chicken snake, rat snake, bull snake. I think they are opportunists. What they aren’t is poisonous. They are really long and usually skinny, sometimes patterned some times just brown. I hate it when they raid the baby bird nests but my plumber told me once, snakes have to eat too!😬😡🐍(bastards)snakes, not my plumber, he was great.

Denise Donaldson's avatar

Yes---my friend says they kill her chickens, but then can't swallow them.

Of course, your plumber is right, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. 😉

Phyllis Stengel's avatar

Happy Sunday!!

Gina Burton's avatar

What a treat! I love listening to a writer read her own words.

Nancy Ulin's avatar

Even before listening to your reading, I could hear it as I read.

R Burtcher's avatar

More, please.

Claire's avatar

I was enthralled by that glorious window beside your piano. It must be inspiring to sit next to it and play. You and Charlie live in a magical place. Eli is indeed part cat! Both dogs are so beautiful. Happy spring!

Deb Chrystal's avatar

Happy Sunday, indeed!

“Proper” Sunday dinner of roast chicken and root mash later, then our usual PBS and Old Fashions night.

The late night dog walkie is my least favorite! Bugs in the headlamp and an ADH puppy brain who leaps after them!!

DLJohnson's avatar

A peaceful break from the daily anger, chaos and fear! You have a natural narrators voice - I trust your upcoming book will have a narration option.

Thank you!

Marilyn Dye's avatar

The experiment is a success! Very nice to hear your voice. It was just the right pitch to convey the message of a walk at night outside and with the dogs. Thanks. Marilyn

jane's avatar

Thank you, Ms. Riordan. An idyllic evening.

Drokthwart 🇨🇦💪🤛's avatar

Eli's thinking quiet wolfie things, perhaps. My daughter and her family are birding at the Spring migration through Point Pelee on Lake Erie. Going for a 100-count (she has surveyed, netted, and banded since a teen.)

Denise Donaldson's avatar

Point Pelee is a beautiful spot!

ReneeUpNorth's avatar

The audio is very peaceful and soothing. You have a lovely calming tone to your voice. It was a perfect essay to listen to for a Sunday morning. Wishing you all a peaceful day!

WolfLikeAmi3123's avatar

I didn’t know what was going on at first? I thought, “wow, Joanne Woodward… how? Must be AI, or something?” 🤭 Nope, it’s Mrs. Sykes in the flesh. 😁

Gerie's avatar

🥹 "Auggie—having apprenticed under Moses—"

WolfLikeAmi3123's avatar

At first, I thought I was oblivious. Have we always had the ability? But, then I read a few of the comments and realized the audio is a new feature. OMGOSH, Mrs. R-S… how wonderful it was to hear you read your epistle, this morning. LOVED IT! Thank you what a treat!

Auggie 💚

Eli ❤️