Fame is not always fleeting

A few days ago, I went to the supermarket and the cashier asked me, "Have you been on TV lately?" I laughed and said, "No, not yet!" I was amazed that she still remembered that I was on KDKA almost a year ago. Last year, I won first place in the amateur category of Wildbird Magazine's anuual photo contest. So I sent a press release to the Post Gazette West edition to include in their people news section. They decided to write an entire, half-page article about my photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse. Dave Crawley saw the article on the internet and thought it would make a good segment for his KD Country show. I will never forget my amazement when he called me on the phone while I was fixing dinner. He and his cameraman came out the next day and filmed me for two hours in my backyard and at my computer. The segment aired four days later already, barely time enough to alert all my aquaintances. Two days after the show, that same cashier at the supermarket asked me, "Where you on Dave Crawley the other night?"
And now, eleven months later, she still remembers that show! After the magazine with the award winners was published, I received an e-mail from an ornithologist who asked me if she could post my photo on her blog. I gladly obliged and she posted it on Christmas. Her friends thought it was a "Christmas card."
This proves that a small press release can have huge consequences - and that anything posted on the internet can indeed be seen by the entire world.

Nature Walk

Today I went to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania at Beechwood for the first time in a couple of months to photograph. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my tripod along and had to rely on my unsteady arms and the sligthly better support of fenceposts and railings. I was stunned how much the nature preserve has changed since my last visit. The entire open field and meadow area is now covered with goldenrod, New York ironweed and boneset - a riot of colors with yellow dominating. When I came to the Meadow Trail, I saw a Monarch butterfly feeding on an ironweed. They seemed to like that plant and I looked out for them, hoping to take a great shot at a Monarch, but not quite succeeding. As I searched for the butterflies, I wondered how many of the people on the trails really see the butterflies, bees, and birds that catch my eye. Most visitors race along the trails as if they were being chased by a wild bear. No one actually takes the time to admire the ever-changing beauty of nature that this microcosmos offers to those who stop and search it out. They might as well walk at a mall.
In the end, I took a couple of photos of a duck and several great shots of a cute goldfinch that was taking a bath in the mini-waterfall by the Nature Center (where my photos are for sale, by the way).

Anniversary

Today is our 17th anniversary. That sounds like a long time, but it doesn't feel like it. While my husband and I live mostly quiet lives, we have dealt with unemployment, illnesses and surgeries, multiple moves (including one overseas to a city I had never even seen), the purchase of our home, and evolving hobbies. Luckily, we share the same interest in nature and often go on hikes that always end up being longer than we had planned. That's when I get cranky!
For me, nature has a way of healing when my mind is troubled. There is always something new--new wildflowers spring up while others wilt away, birds migrate and return, leafs turn green and then fiery red before they disappear for another winter. Lately, I have been pre-occupied with the death of an old friend. But watching nature's beauty in the woods and in our backyard has calmed me. It is hard to remain sad when I watch a goldfinch fledgling eating its first meal alone or observe the chickadees that have returned to our feeders.

Sad news

A week ago, I received sad news from home. One of my friends back in Germany died suddenly at the age of 46. Because she was from my hometown and also a member of my club, I had known her most of my life. Just a month before her death, we were at a "reunion" of our now defunct club at a restaurant and she had been her usual bubbly self. Without a pause, she talked about a concert she had attended and the World Cup festivities she had celebrated. When she saw me first, she joked that she saw me as often as our friends who lived there year-round.
I'm still trying to cope with her death, even though it isn't the first one for our club. Perhaps it is because she was younger than me and had never been sick. Mostly, though, it's because we were both part of the same clique and shared many memories together. She was present at every dance, trip, and party I attended before I married. We lost touch for a while, but I'm glad that I was able to see her last year and this summer. Of all the people I have met, she was the one I would have least suspected I may never see again.

End of summer

There is no doubt about it, the end of summer is near. Yet, our small wildflower garden is still abuzz with activity. Bumblebees can't seem to get enough of our lobelias, zinnias, and primroses. We also detected at least five monarch larvae so far this summer, more than we ever had before. All day long, they feast on our butterfly weeds that I planted years ago. Goldfinches eat the seeds from our many purple coneflowers and ruby-throated hummingbirds drink the nectar out of lobelias and zinnias. That goes to show: If you plant it, they will come! My husband and I are becoming more and more aware that planting native plants will increase the amount of wildlife in our backyard. While there is no shortage of birds on our property, we attract many more insects than our neighbor's wildflower-free yards.
Today, I set up an exhibit at the Sewickley library where I show my bird and autumn photographs. The first person who looked at my display asked my if my digital photographs are manipulated. People seem to have the strange idea that all digital photographs are "photoshopped." As if there has never been any manipulation done in a darkroom! If I doctored every photo I take, I would not have time for anything else. And a photograph that isn't sharp when I take it will certain not get any better with Photoshop. There are many reasons why I shoot birds digitally (Number One: it's cheap!), but doctoring is not one of them. Sure, I like the fact that I am able to check the exposure right when I'm at my location without wasting entire films only to find out later that all my photos were too dark or too light. And, I want to see my results immediately after I return home.