Sadly, this is NOT about the most awesomest novel in the English language, which would be To Kill A Mockingbird, nor the awesomest movie ever made, which was said title with Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. No, this is about the bird itself, who--in Mojo's cynical eyes--is not quite as innocent as Atticus insists. As in, they give blue jays a run for their money, when it comes to noisy attacks on anything they perceive as a threat. And since they are birds, with a brain the size of a thimble, their perception can leave a lot to be desired.

But before I get into my experiences with them, I must point out that I myself never once saw a mockingbird until I was a teenager, when they quite suddenly and obviously moved into the neighborhood. Our neighbors across the street had these fair-sized bushy spruce trees along their property line, and one day the mockingbirds moved in and never left. If you know anything at all about birds you KNOW there is no mistaking a mockingbird once you've seen them, and I never once laid eyes on such a bird until I was twelve or thirteen.

And yet, it appears to me that, at least historically, they have not been strangers to New England. For Mojo grew up very close (a town or two over) to the "Laughing Brook" nature sanctuary, which was originally the property of one Thornton W. Burgess, esteemed children's nature writer in these here parts. Burgess was an incredibly prolific writer of mostly kiddie stories involving his animal friends and neighbors, and while we didn't have a full set of them we did have a fairly representative sample growing up. My favorite was probably The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse, if only because this was the very first--and ONLY--children's book I have ever encountered who starred a meadow mouse instead of a regular, run of the mill mouse. And Burgess was very specific in pointing out that Danny was a MEADOW MOUSE, aka a "vole", and not your typical long-tailed deer mouse or house mouse. (Meadow mice have these tiny stumpy tails--they are shaped rather like hamsters.)  MORE Mojo! »

Okay, this has been preying on my mind. So I have to come clean.

Back when I lived with my parents once in a while--I'm guessing around college? Yeah, somewhere around there--my Favorite Mother bought these painted four wooden letters that she hung up in the kitchen to spell LOVE. Very sweet. It's the sort of gal she is.

And Mojo, being the sort of gal SHE is--meaning the neglected and forgotten Middle Child, so one who is always seeking attention no matter HOW petty or childish her intentions--would occasionally rearrange the letters on the wall so that instead they spelled out "VOLE".  MORE Mojo! »