I love watching birds, and recently the robins and varied thrushes have been rooting through the yard like packs of velociraptors. I don't keep a list or anyth

I love watching birds, and recently the robins and varied thrushes have been rooting through the yard like packs of velociraptors. I don't keep a list or anything, I just like observing the local wildlife, which makes it a really easy hobby to maintain (and I hesitate to even call it a hobby more than just something that brings me a sense of wonder, like seeing stars at night). This summer I quit videogames, thus making time for other activities like repairing my clothes, thinning our woodlot, planting native meadows in our yard, and reading a lot more again (as I did as a teenager before I had a computer). I also spend more time writing and talking with friends. Another activity I quit and reversed is acquisition of shit/stuff (depending on perspective. Thank you, George Carlin); I've sold or (mostly, because it's easier) given away a significant amount of what I now see as clutter, physical as well as mental, given how much of my attention was being diverted by all these potential things I could be playing with. I count the "Kondo'ing" as a hobby because it's been going on for the last thirteen years. I'm down to a few boxes of journals, letters, art, and photos, along with similar on my computer, which will probably take another few years to finally reach a peaceful equilibrium. Back to birds: I left a paint rinse bucket on the back porch last year and found one morning the local Pacific wren floating dead. They had been a regular visitor on the porch, and I feel sad every time I remember the harm my ignorance caused. I'm more careful about things like this now.