List #15--Fun Summer Deduction Activities

It actually doesn't feel that long ago I put out Deduction #4: Summer Deductions, although it was about 11 months ago.  WoMD is, actually, a bit over a year old now!  I think I'm one of the few deduction blogs on this site that's made it this far.  (If you are a Blogspot deduction blogger and you have made it this far or farther and feel a need to correct me, please do so; I won't be offended.)

So, since it's summer where I am, here's a list of summer deduction activities:

1. Figuring out what different kinds of plants and animals are--Where I live, the weather is super sunny right now and all the plants are in full bloom, not to mention dozens of animals are running around.  Like, I saw a turtle in the middle of the street earlier today, not to mention squirrels everywhere. (The turtle was rescued from oncoming drivers by a friendly jogger.)  If you can obtain a field guide to your area, or even a printable .pdf (most American species), it's always fun to spend some time looking around at your natural surroundings, and it will increase your perception for detail.
2. People-watching during travel--Whether you're on vacation near or far, or even just in your hometown, it's always fun to watch people.  Observe beach activities, sports tournaments, or even just a community different from your own where you are traveling.
3. Family--If you're visiting family, look at their home decor a bit.  Maybe you never knew your aunt liked snails that much.  Naturally don't read their mail or anything like that, but take advantage of the opportunity to actually look at someone else's house, especially if you don't see them much.
4. Reading books--If you have a lot of free time on a plane or bus, try reading a book about deduction!  I will be reviewing a bunch soon and of course I also have that list (List #8).  Some people will probably look at you kind of funny for looking over "I Spy" puzzles on the bus, but hey, it's slightly less frustrating than Candy Crush Saga.
5. People-watching on the train/bus/plane--Anybody who's proposed that people should talk to people on the train is pretty much fighting a lost cause, because people have pretty much tried as hard as they can to not talk to each other on the train since trains were invented.  Currently, it's smartphones/Kindles/whatever but even before that people read books and newspapers and probably played with whatever the Industrial Revolution equivalent of a handheld Nintendo device was.  So if you're one of those 99% of people who doesn't want to talk to people in public but still wants to take a break from reading/smartphone/whatever, discreetly observe people.  I've seen quite a few good outfits on the Metro.
6. Going places that interest you--If you have any vacation time over summer, go to various places that you've always been curious about.  You know, like that museum in your town you've heard good things about or even some historic site a few miles out from a time period that interests you.  You can learn a lot about anything going to a new place, and who knows.  It could be useful one day.

That should be a good list to get you started.  Have a great summer!

Signing off,
SM