Thirty years ago my older brother who was ten years old at the time was trying to get a report on birds written that hed had three months to write It was due the next day We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas and he was at the kitchen table close to tears surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brothers shoulder and said Bird by bird buddy Just take it bird by bird
