Three things meme

Have I really not posted anything in my own space for two weeks? Sounds like it's time for a meme.

Name three words/brief topics that I may or may not know anything about, and I'll talk about them.

This post brought to you by the letter B

This is for the three random topics meme. More details (such as they are) here. Want to leave me some words? Want me to give you some words? Hit me up here or there!

These words are from brightandravenous.

Birds: I don't know a whole lot about birds, although when I was a kid growing up in Iowa, my mom would maintain a birdfeeder through the winter, and we got a Peterson's Guide to Birds so that we could identify the birds that were visiting. From that, I did maintain some bird knowledge, like finches have chunky square beaks for breaking open seeds, and sparrows have longer skinnier beaks, and all the red cardinals are male. Often now when I'm out and about, I'll see a bird and be able to make some guesses as to what it is, but I miss the Peterson. I know there are various apps, but it's not quite the same as paging through the book with all it's pretty pictures.

Bats: I know even less about bats. The most up-close and personal I've ever gotten with a bat was in the Oakland Zoo, where they have a bat house. Mostly they hang around and eat fruit. They're pretty cute. The zookeepers also hang stuffed animals from the ceiling. I used to know why, but I no longer remember.

Brightness: Summer has always been my favorite season -- I would much rather be too warm than too cold -- but I can't be in the sun too long because I burn super easily. Sunscreen helps but has never been a perfect solution. So I have to spend more time hiding in the shade than I would ideally like. I have embraced hats in recent years, which also helps quite a bit.