The Big Year

Lew and I continue to be amazed when we learn about a new subculture.  By "new" I mean new to us.

Last night we watched the movie "The Big Year," which is about three men (played by Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Jack Black) who are avid birdwatchers.

Okay, so we already knew that there are some serious birdwatchers, but we didn't know about a "big year."  When a birdwatcher does a "big year," they try to see as many species of birds in North America as they possibly can.

In the movie, the characters hopped on a plane at a moment's notice if they heard a certain bird had been spotted somewhere.  They went to an area when a storm was expected there.  They even went to some remote Pacific island that had no plumbing.

The person who sees the most species wins the contest.  The prize?  Nothing.  Just your name in some magazine.  And pride, I guess.

I've been thinking that I should do a "big year."  Not birdwatching, mind you.  I will have to make up a subculture of my own.