Pre-Ramble: Well, if you’re a huge bird fan like I am, you’re going to be miffed that you missed the latest offering of John James Audubon’s “Birds of America,” the original edition of which was sold at auction yesterday in London for $11.5 million.

The capacity crowd at Sotheby’s was all aflutter as bids flew in from all corners of the room. It took just four minutes for the numbers to climb beyond the $6-7 million amount that was initially estimated for the sale, and the gavel to fall on Lot 50. The four volume set, featuring 435 illustrations of birds drawn between 1827 and 1838, was sold to Michael Tollemache, a London fine art dealer and presumed ornithology buff. The birds are drawn to actual size. The books, when opened, have a wing span of nearly 4 feet across.

So, ok – we’ve won the golden goose … We fork over $11.5 million … Do they wrap ‘em up and put ‘em in a bag?  And, once home, where do we put the $11.5 million books?  Large hardcover volumes like these are usually classified as “coffee table books.”   I don’t know about you, but the books on our coffee table pretty much double as coasters … or placemats on a good TV night. I’m guessing this practice would ruffle a few feathers at Mr. Tollemache’s house.

The Take-Away:  Good for you, Mr. Tollemache! I totally get it. My grandparents were both avid birdwatchers and life-long members of the Audubon Society. They had a bucket stocked with binoculars, field guides, small spiral-bound notebooks and a bunch of pencil nubs wedged between them on the front seat of the Impala at all times, lest they should happen upon an impromptu bird watching scenario. They also had several sets of LP’s that featured nothing but random bird calls. In the summertime, between the humidity and the soundtrack, their house felt like a Rainforest.

Post Note: Let’s not tell Mr. Tollemache, but a collector’s edition of the Audubon “Birds of America” (in hardcover) is available on Amazon for $116.55 — on sale from $185 — you save: $68.45 (37%) … Ships within 10-11 days … there’s gift wrap.

Pre-Ramble: Mom is in the other room chopping celery, so I, the resident canine, Daisy, have been appointed as your esteemed guest blogger for today. My topic for the ramp-up to Thanksgiving Day will be the Top Ten things I am thankful for this holiday season. Between you and me, we should all be thankful that Mom is not cooking anything for the big Thanksgiving dinner beyond a couple platters of crudites and her signature/fool-proof apple cake. My plan is to busy her with setting the table and filling water goblets while the girls prepare the pumpkin pies (complete with hand-rolled crust embellished with maple leaf cut-outs and freshly whipped sweet cream). 

Turkey Talk: Before I share my list, I just have to comment on Audubon‘s rendition of the “wild turkey” (shown right). I don’t know what he was looking at, but I’ve chased plenty of wild turkeys out of my yard and I can tell you that they are not good looking birds. There is clearly some photoshop going on here, both in the coloration and arrangement of plumage, and in the fowl’s implied demeanor. Far from the picture of soft, brown, calm, coyness depicted by Audubon, in addition to being ugly, this plucky breed is skittish, ornery, and mostly grey. Benjamin Franklin however was evidently a fan, indicating in a 1784 letter to his daughter, that he preferred the feisty and courageous Wild Turkey over the aloof slacker Bald Eagle as his choice for national bird. But, enough of this turkey talk; here is the run-down of the Top Ten things for which I am thankful this Thanksgiving. I am thankful that…

1. … my family loves me and takes good care of me
2. … two rabbits live under the back porch (we’ve had endless hours of fun)
3. … rescue dogs (like me) are going to represent in the new White House
4. … nobody feeds me canned dog food (the canine equivalent of Spam, which I also wouldn’t eat even if I was sitting in a sky box at a Saints game)
5. … I don’t have to go to The Nutcracker this year (that old guy in the cape gives me the creeps)
6. … my Pilgrim hat wouldn’t stay on (so Mom had to go with that lame Audubon print)
7. … nobody makes me fetch things (a couple laps around the dining room table and I’m good)
8. … I don’t fit into a standard size roasting pan
9. … no one in my family likes dark meat (score – more for me!)
10. … no one is tracking my Neiman Marcus tab

The Take-Away: Well, I can’t sit here blogging all day… I have stuffing to do.  I hope this Thanksgiving finds you happy and healthy, and that you are able to find a warm, sunny spot on the carpet to sit and reflect upon all of the wonderful things in your life. I will leave you with this final thought on thankfulness from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

For each new morning with its light; For rest and shelter of the night; For health and food, for love and friends; For everything Thy goodness sends.

“Woof!”