Wrapping up the year

The year is coming to an end and it's time to take stock. It has been a busy year for me and I took many photos of new species of birds. The most exciting addition to my stock photo list was a pileated woodpecker that hacked at a tree stump in our neighbor's front yard for three days in a row. Luck is a large part of bird photography. My favorite destination was the Audubon nature reserve where I recorded the year in photographs, from the goslings of spring to the goldfinch fledglings in the fall.
I am now selling my photographs and greeting cards at three stores. Sales have not been spectacular yet, but I've decided to take the plunge next year and attend a craft show. I also won another photo award, this time from Pennsylvania Magazine. They published one of my articles this year and just accepted my fourth article.
Looking ahead, I plan on attending the Pennwriters conference next May. I also aim to improve my photography sales and to add more birds to my list of photos. The stock agencies have enough pictures of the birds I've photographed so far. It appears as if next year will be just as busy for me as the past year was.
I continue to study the craft of writing and wish that all writers, especially journalists, would delete the word "well" from their vocabulary. It has been - well - overused.

The Squirrel War

My husband and I are fighting a war against squirrels. Well, if it is a war, they are winning big time. Ever since the temperatures dropped, our backyard is being overrun by squirrels. Sometimes I see six of the furry creatures out there at the same time. A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that we have five bird feeders. They find our sunflower seeds, suet, and wildbird mixture irresistible. Only the thistle escapes their attention because of its small size.
Once, I put vaseline on a metal pole to learn later that it may be harmful for birds. I am now contemplating to spray the metal pole with water during a deep freeze so that the critters slide off. However, since three of our feeders hang on a tree, this won't put a big dent in our big bird feed bill.
On a recent visit to an Audubon nature center, I looked out the picture window only to see two squirrels at their bird feeders. I commented to a volunteer, "I guess you haven't solved the squirrel problem either." She laughed and said, "Yes, and if we can't figure it out, no one can."
So I did what any sensible photographer would do: take a picture of them! If you can't beat them, photograph them. If only they weren't so darn cute...

March of the Penguins

Last week, I finally watched the DVD March of the Penguins I had bought last summer. I don't know why I didn't watch it sooner. Perhaps I thought it would be depressing. Nothing could be further from the truth. The love and sacrifices the Emperor Penguins demonstrate to rear their young are amazing. Imagine not eating for three months or more! All the while, the males have to balance their precious egg in a brood pouch while moving around and huddling together for warmth. Humans could learn something from their community spirit! Individualists need not apply.
An additional documentary features the lives of the filmmakers during the filming. At the end of the 13 months they spent there, they were sorry to leave the still world of Antarctica. It is hard to imagine a world without noise, except for the penguins.
I could never visit Antarctica (not even in the summer), yet this movie made me want to do something to protect the Emperor Penguins' fragile world. Global warming threatens their living space. A huge iceberg that broke off is already endangering some colonies. If they cannot traverse the ice and get to open water, they - and subsequently their chick - will die of starvation. Hopefully, this movie will enlighten people about the penguins' plight. It would be a shame if these amazing animals succumbed to global warming.