I was away these last days of the summer, braiding family time with work duties. I recorded the audiobook for my forthcoming book, THE GRASSLAND QUEEN, in Princeton University Press’ Scribner building. Thanks to Shelf Awareness for a lovely advance review of the book.

Review: The Grassland Queen: An Avian Love Story in the American Plains | Shelf Awareness

Naturalist Priyanka Kumar's luminous third book, The Grassland Queen, details her patient pursuit of the long-billed curlew, alongside which

Recording an audiobook over the course of six days is like running a marathon, and you have to care for your voice the way an athlete cares for her body. I stayed on the fifth floor of an inn near the Princeton campus and marveled at the mature trees that towered right up to my window. As usual I didn’t rent a car but walked everywhere, befriending black-eyed susans and black squirrels and gentle rain along the way. After haunting the local cafes -- Maman -- and food places -- Olive’s -- I was sorry to say goodbye, though I was glad to return home.

Returning to Santa Fe at 2 am, I was greeted by a great horned owl about a block from my home. The creature emerged from the velvety darkness and rose into the air, wings swooping within inches of my car window. I entered my neighborhood with reverence for the inky night and the attentive owl, grateful that I live near animals.

A few days later the owl materialized on my rooftop but vanished soon after he was seen; the next night, he was on a telephone pole in my backyard, no longer skittish, head rotating evenly to take in the slightest sound any critter made. There’s been a flurry of predator action here. A bull snake working terribly hard to swallow a baby packrat. A gorgeous bobcat leaving with a squirrel in his mouth. The animals, especially the bears, are undoubtedly hurting from the drought but the Microwild at times still buzzes with life.

If you missed my NPR interview, which ran a few days back, here’s a link. This one is special but might make you hungry for orchard apples.

Living on Earth: The Light Between Apple Trees