Birds
This is where my grandpa's influence shines bright yet again. Growing up, he was a bird fanatic. When I was a child he had a few birds, but over the course of his life he owned hundreds of birds of all kinds - doves, macaws, african greys, quail, cockatoos, peacocks, you name it. To a six year old, the birds were neat, but he had a lot of other distracting animals around the house that captured my attention. Since reaching adulthood and hoping to hone my skills at observation, I have grown to appreciate my grandpa's passion for birds, and become an avid birder. It's one of the most fun and fulfilling ways to spend time - it turns every trip to the grocery store, walk in the woods, or otherwise mundane outing into a treasure hunt. Now I see what my grandpa loved about birds so much, and it's highly likely that I might become a crazy old bird lady someday (rather than a cat lady). I hope to add more birds to my life list over the coming decade, and explore birds outside of the Pacific Northwest (gofundme Costa Rica?!). Enjoy the treasures I've found so far by using the links below.