How to Go Gray Confidently
And also migrating birds!
“How to Go Gray Confidently” is the title of the New York Times Style magazine article, which includes a link to a $590 Hermès scarf. The main secret, according to the article, is a lot of conditioner (and apparently expensive scarves). Before I laugh, let me admit:
I clicked on the article.
I love that gray is now an acceptable style option.
I love scarves. Mine are just cheaper.
I’m totally going to leave my conditioner in my hair for more minutes before rinsng, which I suspect is a good no-shopping hack.
With that out of the way, here is my list for going gray confidently.
If you want to, let your hair go gray.
Find something to laugh about every day. (That tip is from my Finnish mom, and Finns know something about happiness.)
It’s spring. Enjoy the migrating birds.
I may or may not be updating the hummingbird migration map on the daily. I live in upstate New York and the hummingbirds have reached Saratoga Springs. I’ve planted cardinal flowers for the birds, a hummingbird favorite, but they’re nowhere near blooming. So I will get my hummingbird feeder up in the next week and will use this recipe from Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation biology Institute.
Hummingbird feeders are just one way to support migrating birds.
Personal Action: Support birds as they migrate. Here are three less talked about ways:
Turn your lights out at night.
Reduce bird strikes by putting tape on your windows. I recommend CollidEscape. We had weekly bird strikes in our upstate house—once, three strikes in a single day—and since putting tape on the windows three years ago, we’ve had none.
Keep cats indoors.
Why It Matters: Birds populations are declining and need our support.
Many birds migrate at night and lights make it harder for them to navigate by stars. Birds die when they extend more energy than they need to on migration.
Sixty percent of birds die after hitting a window, including birds that initally appear stunned and fly off. A billion birds a year die from window collisions.
Pet cats are the number one threat to birds in Canada and the United States, killing 2.4 billion birds a year.
Public Action: If you live in the United States, tell your senator to vote against the Fix our Forest Act.
If you have your senator’s contact information in your phone, you can call them today. You can also click here to send a letter.
Why It Matters: The act is about logging, not fixing forests.
The bill would roll back enviromental protections and make it easier for old-growth forests to be logged. This is bad for birds. It’s also bad for climate change. We need old-growth forests. Here’s a good overview of the bill’s flaws.
Link Round-up
What I’m reading: Anima by Kapka Kassabova. Come for the stunning writing, descriptions of shepherding, and all those dogs; stay for the unexpected and complicated love story.
What I’m watching: Ludwig, a cozy mystery with terrific scenery and smart humor. Ep. 2 had one of the most hilarious observations about corporate life coaches.
Throwback: an essay I wrote in 2018, partly to add the word Boob to my resume.
