Happy Birthday, Bill of the Birds!

Covered in kidflesh. His natural state, a living sofa. But ooh, that upholstery!
Christmas 2006. He loves to give more than anyone I know. I've got two new necklaces on...

For two years running, I have gotten a call from the Amish Birding Symposium in Adams County, Ohio, wanting me to speak. I had to turn them down both years, due to prior commitments. When they came to me again last summer, asking about Saturday, March 3, 2007, I went into a Boone and Crockett tizzy. I really wanted to honor their request, thinking it would be way cool to meet 300 Amish birders, and felt horrible about turning them down three years running, but that's Bill of the Birds' birthday! Arrrggh! I stalled, and asked Bill if he'd consider coming with me, and making it into a weekend. He demurred, and told me to do whatever I wanted. But I wanted to be with him, celebrate his birthday, and do the symposium, and there was NO WAY I was going to let him be alone on his birthday. So I lured him in with the promise of a fabulous dinner and wonderful night at Murphin Ridge Inn, then a trip on to Oxford to spend more time with his oldest bestest pal John Kogge, who shares Bill's birthday. When we get together with John and Heather, we play music into the wee hours, and there's nothing more fun than that. We might even get to see our crazy-a-s friend Dick Puckett (a hot contender for funniest man alive). It looks like it will all work out, and we're so happy about it. We'll make the most of the work/play combination, as we always try to do. To sweeten the deal, we'll come back Sunday in time to hear finger-pickin', song-writing blues legend Patrick Sweaney play our dear friend Dave's birthday party in Marietta. Oh, my goodness, it's going to be a musical weekend. Since music comprises at least half of BOTB's soul, this seems like the way to go.

Happy birthday, mojoest man, funniest human on the planet, musician extraordinaire, writer, photographer, Logisto Mephisto, stylish technogeek, man who loves wearing suits and ties (True!) and wears them soooo well...showing up his rumpled bride... sweet and playful father, loving husband. May your luminous life force burn brightly in 2007.

We love you more than you could ever know.

xoxoxox 100,000,000... J. P. L. and CB.