Pica

I keep two blogs: one is a bird sketching blog (Bird by Bird, http://www.magpienest.org/birdbybird ) and the other is a blog about nature and place, baseball, the design arts, and pretty much anything that I keep with my partner Numenius, Feathers of Hope (http://www.magpienest.org/feathersofhope/ ).

I live in Davis, on the western edge of California's Central Valley. Davis is a college town and is sort of a weird cross between Berkeley and North Dakota.

I am a new and easily pleased (and easily frustrated) gardener. I love cooking things I've grown. We cook almost all summer long in a solar cooker which means you don't have to heat the house up.

I'm a calligrapher but I almost never calligraph anything I haven't written myself.

I'm an avid birder. I recently saw my 700th North American bird species (Colima warbler in Texas). I have decided, in order to spare the planet, to stop travelling in order to see birds, but sketch them instead.

I'm also a radio ham, KI6IMU. I enjoy supporting large events that need radio support.

I sketch, draw, paint, bind books, and generally dabble in the visual arts. The cats get into all of this. I don't watch TV (we don't have one.) I grew up in Spain but also lived in France and England.

I like: tea, purple, gregorian chant, salsa (the music and the food), the smell of pine needles on a hot day, really good vanilla ice cream, my commute (five minutes by bike).

I'm not so keen on: cute, neon, Disney, anime, heavy metal, sitting in traffic (ever).

No need to send me extras with ATC's -- I rate, and give hearts, based on the quality of the work.