How Do I Fly?
The stories and videos within How Do I Fly? are based on my daily observations and thoughts about a resident family of lovable Egyptian geese at Barton Springs pool in Austin, Texas. Video links of the mated pair and their goslings are embedded within this 75-page book for children, adults, and families. Their magical lives have inspired my imagination as well as the love and admiration of many swimmers and visitors.
Written by Rich Armington | 2022 armington@gmail.com
How Do I Fly? follows the protective parents with their offspring in the beautiful environment around Barton Springs, a historic natural treasure in central Austin. Photographs of these gentle geese swimming, eating, interacting with other birds as they grow up illustrate their varied experiences.
QR codes at the end of chapters present the reader with videos that capture the daily lives of Mama and Baba and their 8 goslings. You can watch the videos on a smart phone. Alternately, you can use the link at the bottom of this page to view videos on the larger screen of a laptop/computer.
Here’s a sneak peak of one of the videos for you to view – a favorite of many!
https://howdoifly.com/postscript/
Where to purchase?
Are you in Austin?
BookPeople at 603 N. Lamar Blvd.
Online:
Amazon.com
BookBaby: store.bookbaby.com
Bookshop.org
Proceeds from sales will be donated to:
• The Azie Morton Scholarship Fund@ Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, TX
(Azie’s alma mater)
• SOS: Save Our Springs
A non-profit in Austin, TX dedicated to protecting Barton Springs Pool, the broader Barton Creek Watershed, its springs & streams, as well as the natural and cultural heritage of the Hill Country region.
What is the secret of flight?
Is someone with wings born knowing how to take to the sky? Or does that knowledge come through instruction, lessons provided by experienced fliers? Or is there something else that enables a creature to leave the ground and soar?
If you’re interested in the answer, then come down to the springs. There, you’ll meet a family of Egyptian geese with an extremely curious young member who wants to learn what it will take to follow her Mama and Baba into the air.
These aren’t just any springs. All manner of creatures have been visiting them for thousands of years, drawn by their natural beauty and calm. They have a kind of magic to them, a sense of possibility and discovery. At these springs in the heart of Texas, people and animals both learn to do things that they couldn’t do before, like swim. Or fly.
In How Do I Fly?, you can find discoveries that were made by Ruby and Azie and Rich, by a gaggle of swimmers and a family of geese. You can hear what birds think. And you might even find out the secret of flight. - Robert Faires, 2022
As the story evolves, readers find opportunities to use their own imaginations to explore the learning experiences of the youngsters. Click on the “Letters” section to see comments and quotes about what kind of impact How Do I fly? is having on people of all ages!