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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2019)
18 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Sage advice With new book, former Peninsula writer Anne Nixon reaches out to younger generations By PATRICK WEBB FOR COAST WEEKEND A BS Pollard/Gettyimages.com An American robin snatches suet from a backyard feeder. American robin By LYNETTE RAE McADAMS FOR COAST WEEKEND Gettyimages.com O ne of the most familiar and abun- dant birds on our continent and a univer- sal symbol for the sea- son of spring, the Ameri- can robin ranges from the northern climes of Can- ada all the way to southern Mexico. Light and quick and in tune to the gathering length of day, it runs, hops and stops its way across lawns and grassy meadows, its famous red breast bob- bing constantly for worms beneath the surface of a sea of green. Sentimentally named after the European robin — an Old World Flycatcher and biologically unre- A robin nest with three eggs. lated — the American spe- cies of robin belongs to the thrush family, specifically the songbirds called “Turdi- dae.” Like most songbirds, robins have a specialized dual voice box, the syrinx, which allows the bird to produce two notes at once, thereby increasing the ease of its repertoire. Often the first to sing at dawn and the last to quiet down at night, male rob- ins are the music makers, offering a lighthearted mel- ody composed of about 10 whistles in a row. Pho- netically, its sound is most often described as, “cheer- ily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up.” They also employ a special call that can sound like a laugh or a quick chuckle. Male robins use their voices to proclaim territory, announce predators and, most importantly, attract a mate. Birds pair off for the breeding season with both partners contributing to nest building and the care of chicks, though the bulk of the domestic work falls to the female. One of the first breeds to nest in the spring, if con- ditions are right, a mother robin can bear two, some- times three sets of young in a year, with each brood of two to four birds taking only one month to move from fertile eggs, to fledg- ling chicks, then back to empty nest. The signature color of the American robin’s egg — that unmistakable bright blue-green — is achieved when biliverdin, a bile pig- ment, is added to the shell in the final stage of egg pro- duction; the deeper the hue, the more likely the father will be to take an inter- est in his offspring. Since 1993, “robin egg blue” has been an official color of the Crayola crayon collection. Culturally, robins have figured prominently in poetry and mythology for hundreds of years, fre- quently portrayed as guard- ians (or thieves) of fire and light. An age-old icon of the vernal equinox, one medieval Celtic legend pre- dicts that the person who sees the first spring robin will have good luck and prosperity throughout the year. CW nne Nixon has published another book. The cover of ‘To Inspire Her latest is targeted at the Young: Life Goals,” by young people, designed former Surfside, Wash., to help them through the resident Anne Nixon. pitfalls in choosing their life’s path. She writes: “Take care, in December with a book and think of your life as an adventure full of exper- titled “How I Survived: imentation and Alzheimer’s, Can- cer, Polio.” It learning, be it chronicled her professional or experiences with labor. It makes no polio, two types of difference.” colon cancer and Nixon is a coping with her 84-year-old Peta- late husband Don’s luma, Calif., res- Anne Alzheimer’s. The ident. Her new Nixon former medical book is called “To secretary wrote Inspire the Young: Life Goals,” written using that book to help others her full name, Anne Eliza- cope with serious health beth Nixon, and available issues. from Amazon.com. Her new book focuses Her motivation was on choices for young peo- ple. She seeks to encour- simple. age high school stu- “I decided to write the dents to make a plan and book because so many find ways to boost their people I hear about think self-esteem. it’s a must to go to col- lege, but either haven’t got She writes: “With your the money or don’t have entire life before you, any idea what they’d study what would you choose to do with it — computer sci- there,” she said. “Also, ence, nurse, truck driver, what would they do for a job if they don’t go to col- scientist, carpenter, sales- person, doctor, farmer, lege, they wonder.” television, teacher, musi- Before their move to cian, sports player, driver California, the couple — taxi, chauffeur? spent 32 years in Surf- side, living on 310th. Nix- “The only thing that on’s world travel adven- matters is that you are tures were published in the doing what interests you. Chinook Observer some Some people are at jobs years ago. they don’t like. Don’t let She was in the news that happen to you.” CW
