Editor’s Note by Leah Draffen
Growing up, one of my favorite humans was my grandfather. I loved sitting on his tailgate every evening after school. While he always had a story to tell, he would often get distracted by the birds chirping in the trees nearby. He had an enormous respect and adoration for nature—it was infectious. He’d smile ear to ear as he guessed an unseen bird. “‘Purdy, purdy, purdy.’ Oh, that’s a cardinal,” he would say. An avid fisherman as well, he made sure that my brother and I knew how to cast a line. And of course, set a hook. While I still enjoy time out on the water fishing and absorbing the environment around me, I truly enjoy time on my back porch listening to the birds. It always makes me grin as I hear a mockingbird in the distance or see a cardinal in our yard. It gives me even more happiness as I now get to spot birds with my 2-year-old son. He loves pointing at the pelicans on the lakefront or the ducks at the park. He’s also been known to chase a seagull or two. I hope that he and his sister grow up to cherish nature the way that I do. Someone who shares this gratitude for nature is our cover artist, Michael Guidry. I gravitated quickly to his Birds in Flight paintings. The detail of his Louisiana nature pieces stirs that same feeling of excitement that I once had while sitting on my grandfather’s tailgate. You can read about Michael’s inspiration for his work on page 14. As the hottest month of the year has arrived, grab a cool cocktail (Anna Tusa has some perfect concoctions on page 62), don your linen, and take a moment to listen to the birds. Life is too fast. May we never forget to slow down and soak in the nature around us! Cheers,
A ug u s t- S e p te m be r 2021
11
