Caw-Caw-Caw-Caw-Coodle-Yah!

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the June 27, 2019 edition of the Norwood Transcript & Bulletin.

A few years ago, when our eldest granddaughter was mimicking sounds and words, I delighted both of us by teaching her to “caw-caw” like a crow. Being an ardent birder, my husband Gerry taught her to sing “fee-bee” just like an Eastern Phoebe that shares her name. Sitting outdoors in the fresh morning air, we pointed out sequences of Osprey chirps and the sing-song lyrics of an Eastern Towhee (“drink-drink your tea!”)

I’m an amateur birder, absorbing just enough to detect a cardinal flitting over the yard or an eagle’s nest high over the highway. When I had some time recently to listen to an episode of one of my beloved podcasts (Ologies with science-writer Alie Ward), I chose Corvid Thanatology. In –other-words, the study of crow funerals.

The Anti Beach Read

Kate Tigue is the Head of Youth Services at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read her column in the June 20, 2019 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. 

Summer is finally here and now is the time of year when every book-related website publishes its own spin on the beloved “beach read”. Many readers start to look for stories that aren’t too weighty or serious but still keep their attention. The plots are usually fast-moving and the ends are often happy.  These books are meant to satisfy and relax but not ruin the good vibes of your vacation.  In theory, this is a wonderful idea. In practice, I’m terrible at finding good beach reads.

Chicken Chat

Lydia Sampson is the Technical Services department head at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read her column in the June 13, 2019 issue of the Norwood Transcript & Bulletin.

A few years ago I moved into a house in the country (well, Holliston), with a bit of land, fenced in garden, and… a chicken coop. Mercifully, the previous owners did not leave chickens behind, and I convinced my husband that knowing NOTHING about raising poultry, we’d best wait a bit before starting a flock. As a librarian, I committed to doing my research before diving into a new endeavor caring for living creatures.

The Glass-Blowers

Carla Howard is the Senior Circulation Assistant/Marketing and Media Assistant at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Read Carla’s column in the June 6,  2019 issue of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

After a recent jaunt to Sandwich, I reflected back on my first trip to “Cape Cod’s Oldest Town” where I visited the famous Glass Museum.  There is a large collection of both blown and pressed glass pieces, as well as many artifacts found in the grounds long after the factory was closed.  The Museum makes for an interesting few hours, especially if you are a history buff, interested in Cape history, or blown glass, both the history of it and as an art form.  The museum also puts on live glass blowing demonstrations, and these alone are well worth the trip.  In fact, on Friday, July 19^th, the Sandwich Glass Museum will be participating in the 2019 “Free Fun Fridays.”  Admission is free for everyone!  Check out their website at sandwichglassmuseum.org for more information.  

I had first seen glass blown at the Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, in the 1980’s.  That was a wonderful first introduction to glass blowing.  The artist first heated the glass up to a temperature of about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, where it turned into molten (basically liquid) glass.  To make the process even trickier, the glass blower had to work fairly quickly, as the glass needed to remain at a temperature of at least 1400 degrees Fahrenheit in order to remain pliable.  I was soon lost in the swirl of glass colors, deft movements, and the excitement (Will he drop it?  Will he burn himself?).  I was truly fascinated by the entire experience.