There are a lot of new things birders love – new field guides, new birding apps, new feeders, a new birdseed blend, new field bags… But we shouldn’t forget our old favorites, the wonderful things that got us started in birding in the first place. That pair of vintage binoculars that never focused quite right, the well-thumbed field guide that is now hopelessly outdated, the feeder that a beloved grandparent always filled – those are the roots and history of our personal birding, and are things that should make us smile, no matter how old they may be.

In the past week, I’ve been back to my own personal history, which led me to one old piece of “technology” that you’d be hard-pressed to find today – a rotary phone. Not a vintage-esque shabby-chic redesign with upgraded digital quality in a retro shell, but a real, wall-hanging, corded phone that has been in use for more than 40 years. I’ve spent many an hour on that phone, swinging around the dial with nimble fingers, stretching out the cord, and whispering sweet somethings to my boyfriend, fiance, and husband (all the same man over a number of decades), as well as chatting with countless other friends and family. Which leads to this week’s Wednesday smile…

What old things – birding or non-birding – are still part of your life? Enjoy them, and the smiles they bring you!

Corded Phone – Photo by Martin Cathrae