Writing, Photography & Life

Occupy Kitty

2012-01-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

Our older cat - aka Miss Grouch - loves sleeping in a hooded bed. So, when we brought home our young cat Pocket I bought her another hooded bed. But Pocket had higher aspirations and spends many daytime hours in her new bed in the bay window. At least she did until I put up my Christmas village. Her bed had to go - somewhere. Running out of space, I put it on the floor, where it was soon occupied by Miss Grouch. I have no idea why one cat would need three beds to sleep in, but that's what happened.
Now that I have put away the Christmas decorations things are back to normal and Pocket thrones on her bed in the window. At least until next December...

Looking Back on 2011

2011-12-29T14:14:00.000-05:00

As 2011 is drawing to a close I can report that it has been a successful year. We escaped our snowy winter weather for a long weekend trip to Florida's Everglades, where I took a bird photo workshop with Arthur Morris.
Spring also brought several lecture engagements at a library and several garden clubs for me. At the Pennwriters conference I garnered a First Place in the nonfiction In Other Words contest. After that, I spent much of the summer photographing plants and wildlife in our garden.
In July I traveled to Germany to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday. Unfortunately, the already lengthy trip took 24 hours longer than expected after my plane had to return to Charlotte. When I finally arrived in Frankfurt my suitcase did not--until three days later. I have never been so glad to see a suitcase in my life.
Fall was especially eventful. I participated in my Toastmasters Humorous Speech contest and advanced all the way to the district level, where I placed third.
To sum it it, my most memorable experiences this year involved personal growth by attending workshops, conferences and contests.

How to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

2011-12-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

Supposedly, a lot of people fear public speaking more than dying. And yet, many people have great stories to tell. They never live up to their potential because of their fear.
How do you conquer a fear of public speaking? By joining Toastmasters, of course. In this great organization our members gradually learn how to become better speakers by addressing issues such as Ahs and Ums, eye contact, vocal variety, body movements, researching your topic, and organizing your speech. That doesn't mean that our speeches are boring. On the contrary: We have amateur and improv actors in our club who are giving us more than our money's worth.
You can overcome your fear of public speaking by speaking about your passion. Let's say you're an accountant and your friends roll their eyes when you start talking about your job. But your real passion is fly-fishing. By all means speak about fly-fishing, and your passion will shine through.
Giving the audience what they want is key. They have to leave your presentation with a message they can use to improve their own lives.
What are you waiting for? Go for it!

At the Toastmasters District 13 Conference

2011-11-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

On November 19, I represented my division in the Humorous Speech contest with "Confessions of a Baseball Wife." I was the first speaker, which is always a difficult position. Later, many people told me how much they laughed throughout my speech.
Finally in the evening the winners were announced. I won Third Place in the District 13 contest and took home a beautiful trophy. Will I compete again next year? I don't know yet, since it will be a tough act to follow.

The Cat's Meow

2011-11-10T17:33:00.000-05:00

Last week was a stressful week for our young cat Pocket. First, there was Halloween with a parade of oddly dressed small people knocking at our door. The next day a contractor came by to work at the ductwork in our garage. He had to enter the house and Pocket did not like it one bit. She actually hid behind a storage closet in our basement and let out a loud meow of protest while doing so. Unfortunately, that was not the end of her stress. On Tuesday evening we had a short in one circuit, which darkened a third of the house. Worst of all for my hubby, our TV was on that circuit.
The electrician we summoned could not come by until late Wednesday evening. Now there were two strangers in the house. Our cats, on the other hand, played Houdini until they departed. The short was in one of our ceiling lamps.
After all this excitement, Pocket behaved really strange and jumpy. In the meantime, she has finally recovered and has returned to her favorite spot: the bay window. From there she can watch everything--that is, whenever she isn't sleeping.

Victorious Return from West Virginia

2011-10-21T16:38:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, my husband and I ventured to Bridgeport, West Virginia, where the Division A District 13 Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest took place.

To make a long story short, I won the trophy as First Place winner and will now represent my division at the district level in November. I got lots of laughs, which is definitely the best award a humorous speaker can earn.

Wings over Pittsburgh

2011-09-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

Since I am writing an article about the Wings over Pittsburgh air show, we headed to the show on Sunday. It was, of course, the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks of 9/11. When we arrived at the base, we were surprised to see Air Force One fly by us.
The demo flights were pretty impressive - especially the only civilian owned AV-8 Sea Harrier in the world, which can hover and even fly backward. The photo above shows the North East Raiders, five of which flew a missing man formation. Among the static displays was an original C-54E plane from the Berlin Airlift, which was especially interesting for me. Inside, the plane is a museum with photographs and information of the airlift. No one knew it then, but it was the beginning of the Cold War.
The nose art is another art work by Donna Pitaro, a Moon artist who I featured in the January/February 2008 issue of Pennsylvania Magazine.
Finally, our knees could not carry us any longer. While we waited for our shuttle bus, two helicopters flew by us. An airman said to us, "You know who that was? That was the President returning from Shanksville."
Of all the flyovers we saw, those two were the most amazing.

And the Winner is ...

2011-08-26T15:56:00.000-04:00

Last Monday, my Toastmasters club held a Humorous Speech contest. I decided to participate for the first time ever with my speech "Confessions of a Baseball Wife." After all, I had already given the speech while working on my Entertaining Speaker manual and had won First Place in the In Other Words contest at the Pennwriters Conference 2011.
Indeed, I beat two award-winning speakers to win First Place in my club! I will now advance to the area contest.

At the Falconry

2011-08-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

During my trip to Germany, I wanted to do some sight-seeing. After all, I finally had wheels at my disposal. But the weather threw a wrench in my plans, especially during the first week. It rained at least part of the day, making it hard to plan any trips. The second week, my brother and I ventured to a nearby wild animal park/falconry.
Of course, I didn't take my SLR and the 400mm lens along because it wasn't a birding trip. Therefore, I only took a few photos of stationary birds with my advanced consumer camera . The raptor pictured here is a steppe eagle. There were many raptors at Wildpark Potzberg, including a Stellar's Sea Eagle and a Bald Eagle. The flight show lasted an hour. Located on the tallest hill around, the raptors took advantage of thermals to perform their flights. Raptors weren't the only attractions there. We saw elks, reindeer, pheasants, and cranes, to name a few. It was an enjoyable afternoon and - most importantly - the rain held off until we headed home.

Party Time

2011-08-15T09:56:00.000-04:00

I recently traveled to Germany to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday, which happened to fall on a Sunday. The week leading up to the event was an anxious one for several members of my family. My niece frantically studied for her final oral exam at university. My aunt was in the hospital for a heart catheder and other heart tests. My mother was undergoing skin cancer treatments. And I was fretfully awaiting the arrival of my suitcase.
Two days before the big day, my niece passed her exam with flying colors and is now a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She will go on to get her Masters degree. Way to go, Alex!
A day before the big day my aunt was released from the hospital. She was able to come to the party, provided that someone picked her up because she was not allowed to drive yet. I came to the rescue, since I happened to have a rental car.
And so we had plenty of reasons to celebrate, and neighbors and friends stopped by for a visit. Then we headed to a restaurant for a leisurely lunch before having coffee and cake at home. It was a good day to stay inside because the weather was cold and rainy.
Two days before my departure, my nephew celebrated his 24th birthday with a big bash at home. It was a great way to end my visit, but it was bittersweet for me because I had to big goodbye to my family the same day.

I Still Got It

2011-08-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

Once I safely arrived in Germany, I faced another challenge: I had a rental car at my disposal. That meant that, for the first time in 16 years, I had to navigate German roads. Not only are German roads much narrover than American roads, there are also parked cars left and right. It was not unusual to count seven cars in close proximity on the same side of the road. Add to that the traffic circles that have popped up around nearly every village and it all makes for interesting driving.
It didn't take me long to get used to it and I enjoyed the freedom that a car afforded me. I was not dependent on public buses anymore and could visit friends in villages off the beaten path. Next time, I will definitely consider a rental car again. Hopefully, the weather will allow me to do more sight-seeing than during my recent cold and rainy visit.

Something is Missing

2011-08-08T09:57:00.001-04:00

My Lufthansa flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt was enjoyable, if you can call two sleepless nights in a row enjoyable. No one sat next to me, so I could spread out my belongings and stretch my legs. Dinner was edible, the hot towels divine, and my window seat provided a view of the East Coast.
When I landed in Frankfurt, however, the carousel at baggage claim stopped without spitting out my suitcase. I had to file a missing baggage report and the clerk gave me an emergency kit with toiletries and 50 Euros to buy necessities. I also learned that another flight from Philadelphia was going to land in an hour and decided to wait, just in case my suitcase had made it on that plane. It had not.
Luckily, my family had learned my new arrival time and my ride waited patiently for me. During the next few days, I called Lufthansa twice a day to learn that "This happens frequently on this route!" Oh? This is business as usual? Finally, on Wednesday my brother saw on the Internet that my suitcase had arrived in Frankfurt. I was relieved, because I had fretted quite a bit over the thought of filing lost luggage claims. It took another day to make it to my parents' house. I was never so overjoyed at seeing my luggage. The final insult, though, was that my suitcase had a "Rush" tag on it. It is quite a stretch to call a four-day delay a rush.
In the meantime, I was washing my few items of clothing I had packed in my carry-on case. In an odd way, I was glad that airlines now charge exorbitant amounts of money for a second piece of baggage. That way, I had at least a few changes of clothes and an extra pair of shoes to wear while waiting for my luggage. And I had a lot to tell my friends at our get-togethers...

Sleepless in Charlotte

2011-08-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

When I decided to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday in Germany, I had no idea what I was in for. After all, I had crossed the Atlantic quite a few times before without any problems. Not this time.
The flight from Pittsburgh to Charlotte was uneventful. The trouble began after boarding the flight to Frankfurt. Two hours later, we still hadn't moved, supposedly because there was an engine problem and the crew had to check off their checklist. About one hour after taking off from Charlotte, the pilot announced that we had to return to Charlotte because the air over Frankfurt was cold and the sensor of the deicer was not working properly. BUT, the plane was too heavy to land and that we had to dump fuel first. After several hours of rough flying at different altitudes we landed back in Charlotte. We were instructed to stay at the gate because the problem should be fixed in 30 minutes or so. I quickly called my husband - who wrongly assumed that I had already landed in Germany - to contact my ride in Germany before making an unnecessary trip to the airport.
After 30 minutes of waiting, we were told it would take another 45 minutes. Then, the work crew had reached their time limit and another one had to be called in. But, not to worry. They provided food (since when are pretzels a food group?) and beverages for us while we waited. And waited. Meanwhile, the last restaurant in our concourse had long closed its doors. Around four o'clock in the morning, passengers began to revolt and finally the airline decided to cancel the flight entirely. We had to stand in line to rebook flights with the promise that the airline would reimburse us for our hotel up to a certain amount. I was shaking with hunger when I finally received boarding passes for a flight to Philadelphia on the following afternoon and from there with Lufthansa to Frankfurt. In the meantime, I had to fetch my luggage and find a hotel at five o'clock in the morning for a quick nap. Then I was off to finally have breakfast before returning to the airport.

To be continued...

Survey Surprise

2011-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

Long before we bought our house, our - now deceased - neighbor planted a pear tree at the edge of his property because he loved pears. His widow did not care for pears and did not mind that her neighbors on either side picked the fruits from the tree or the fallen ones. Our resident groundhog took care of the rest of them. I was all too happy to eat pears that were guaranteed organic--and free.
The other day, a suveying team put stakes on the property and - lo and behold - it turned out that the pear tree is actually on our property! So, while we lost a corner of our garden to a hillslide, we gained a pear tree. Such is life!

Misadventures of a Shoe Shopper

2011-05-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

I was thrilled when a shoe store ordered a pair of shoes for me that actually fit. However, after I wore them once I noticed a black mark on the side of the sole. I contacted the manufacturer before trying a fix that didn't work. They suggested to clean it off with alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol not only made the black mark bigger but also removed the outer layer of the sole. I had to send the shoes back to the company, which confirmed what I already figured: The black color is the original color of the sole and the shoe color was just painted on. Since this model was the only stylish shoe in the catalog I do not want an exchange but would prefer to get a refund. Will I get it? Doubtful. They'll probably try to send me a granny shoe - in black!
Meanwhile, I am still looking for summer shoes. I am currently awaiting a shipment of a model in different colors. At least the outlet offers free shipping. I am puzzled why my size is only available in ugly styles. There must be others like me - women under 90 - who need shoes but are not employed in the health care or funeral industry. Customers usually complain about a lack of colors. Will the manufacturers ever listen? They could sell a lot more shoes if they offered choices.

Back from the Pennwriters Conference

2011-05-16T16:53:00.000-04:00

Another fabulous Pennwriters conference ended yesterday. The food was great, the keynote speakers were awesome and the workshops covered everything I wanted to hear. The best part, though, was networking with other writers and the wonderful support we all give and receive in this organization.
Since I only attend the conference when it is held in Pittsburgh, this was my fourth conference. Every time, I have submitted a nonfiction essay in the "In Other Words" contest, which is decided by popular vote. The first time I won Second Place and the second time I also won Second Place. I was beginning to feel like the proverbial bride's maid when I did not win any awards two years ago. However, I won a huge gift basket with books. Yesterday, however, a wonderful thing happened: I won FIRST PLACE for my humorous essay entitled "Confessions of a Baseball Wife." What a wonderful ending to a great conference!

If the Shoe Fits, Order It

2011-04-12T17:30:00.000-04:00

It has been years since I walked into a shoe store that actually carried my size, 6 1/2 extra wide. So I wasn't too surprised when a Facebook friend recommended a huge online shoe store and I still had a hard time finding any shoes in my size. My search was further complicated because I was not looking for black shoes. Unfortunately, black seems to be the only color that most of the shoes in my size are offered in. Shoe companies seem to confuse shoes with the Model T!
I made a trial order of two pairs and - surprise - neither one of them fit. One pair was too small and the other one was not only extremely ugly, but it was actually too wide. After searching online for hours I fired off another order for a walking shoe. Today it arrived already and actually fit! Hurray! In the meantime, I went to a shoe store that advertises wide shoes. While they only had shoes in black on display I was able to order the shoe in a nice color. Will the shoe fit? We'll see.

Breaking news

2011-03-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

During the warmer months our backyard is our sanctuary. Over the years we have added many native plants and I have taken thousands of my wildlife photos there. Our property - and our neighbors' - includes part of a hillside. This is what our yard looked like last winter:

After several heavy rains our immediate neighbor's yard began to show a crack. In less than a week our view changed into this:

Gone are all the willows and our last Arbor Vitae is leaning into the abyss. Will the drop spread? It is getting very close for comfort.

What I Learned in Florida - Part 3

2011-03-16T16:57:00.000-04:00

Another lesson I - and other people - learned during our trip to Florida: Beware of quick assumptions!
When we were stopped at an intersection a young man approached our car and motioned to my husband to roll down the window. I was suspicious because I automatically assumed that he wanted to sell us something (although he didn't have any flowers in his hand). It turned out that he saw the Terrible Towel fluttering from our window and wanted to tell us that he also was a Steelers fan.
The next day the hotel had set up a small sandwich/salad buffet for all workshop participants. As I and another female photographer entered the door an employee wanted to send us to the church meeting that took place on the same floor. I replied that there are a few women photographers out there. Granted, the majority of "students" were indeed male but in this day and age it bothered me a bit. Don't jump to conclusions!

What I Learned in Florida - Part 2

2011-02-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

During our trip to the Everglades I learned that you can't escape from Germans. In fact, the sign at the entrance to Everglades National Park showed three languages: English, Spanish, and German. Never mind that I didn't see that sign until Day 4 because it was still pitch-dark when we headed to our photo workshop.
Once I was standing on an overlook at the Anhinga Trail when I heard a German voice near me. I would have approached the speaker if I had had the time.
There was even a German immigrant in the workshop. We had a brief conversation in German and I learned that every one has a story, a story that is as individual as we all are. It is the common interests that help us cross bridges.

What I Learned in Florida - Part 1

2011-02-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

During our long weekend in the Homestead area I learned that Cuban food is very good. So good, in fact, that we returned the next day for dinner. I realized long ago that it is a good idea to ask the locals if you want to eat well during a trip. That was my experience in Greece, where a man actually wrote down instructions for the taxi driver to take us to a restaurant that was very popular with the local population.
In Homestead I asked the hotel desk clerk for a sandwich place and she pointed us to a Cuban restaurant right across from the hotel. The place was packed with Air Force uniforms, a good sign. After all, they know which eateries are good. And I think I'm in love with Cuban bread.

Out of Town During the Big Game

2011-02-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we headed to southern Florida so I could attend a bird photo workshop in the Everglades. The airport was quite busy with Steelers fans heading to Dallas. Imagine our shock, therefore, when we boarded our plane and noticed that it had a Ravens emblem next to the door. Hubby asked the flight attendant what the story was and she replied that they were going to Baltimore next [after dropping us off in Fort Lauderdale].
The next day, on the trail in the park, a ranger asked us where we were from. I replied, "Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!" It turned out that he was originally from Ohio and his family came from Pittsburgh. How small the world is...
When it was time for my husband to watch the Big Game, the cable in our room decided to die again. He ended up watching much of the game in the lobby. Well, as you know by now, the game didn't end like he had hoped for. But, die-hard baseball fan that he is, he recovered quickly. And the other day he reminded me that it is only one more week until I hear the dreaded announcement: "Pitchers and catchers report for spring training!"

Recap of a Year

2011-01-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

As the year 2010 drew to a close last night it is time to take stock. I have enjoyed several accomplishments during the year, including winning the Feathered Friends category of Birds & Blooms magazine's backyard photo contest 2009-10 and becoming a Competent Communicator and Vice President PR in my Toastmasters club. I have also begun giving presentations about backyard habitats in the local community, which were very well received.
While I did not photograph as many birds as I would have liked during the spring because of the weather, October brought two trips to Ohio where I took beautiful photos of wood ducks and raptors. During the fall we also explored the state parks at Ohiopyle, Pymatuning, Moraine, and Raccoon Creek. While the foliage was not as beautiful as in years past we enjoyed the warm weather nonetheless.
May brought sorrow to our house as our cat Roxy deteriorated quickly and we had to put her to sleep. I also learned of the early death of a friend in Germany.

In late June, we adopted Pocket from a local shelter. She loves playing with paper balls and chasing a flashlight. In fact, she is quite addicted to both. Her 13-year old sister cat is not as enthused about her presence as we are but they get along unless Pocket plays too rough.
May the new year bring many successes--and cats on my lap.

A Toastmaster's Year

2010-12-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a year for this Toastmaster. I earned my Competent Communicator award in the spring and have given three speeches from an advanced speaker manual. The title is "The Entertaining Speaker" and seems to be a good fit because my audience was clearly entertained. One of my speeches was such a success that I turned it into an essay. I hope to see it in print someday, just as one of my speeches from the CC manual ended up as a First Person essay in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this summer.
I also became Vice President of Public Relations early this year. As if that weren't enough, I was even a judge at one of our club contests. That was quite a stretch, considering that I have a hard time making up my mind...
Toastmasters has been a launching pad for me as I began giving presentations about backyard habitats at local libraries, a nursery, and at Phipps Conservatory.
What will the new year bring? The sky - or lectern - is the limit.

The Beep

2010-12-16T17:20:00.000-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that appliances never die when it is convenient for their owners. Such was the case last night when our carbon monoxide monitor started beeping between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning. Out came the instructions. We assured ourselves that the batteries were good and that the unit itself had reached the end of its life span. We headed back to bed but sleep eluded me. Luckily, I found a new unit at the local hardware store. I hope that I'll sleep better tonight, unless our appliances have it in for me.

House Broken

2010-12-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

We adopted our new cat, Pocket, in late June. During the summer she spent all her nights on an old blanket in our basement. She never came on our laps, but I blamed it on the hot weather. Who wants a cat on her lap when it's 90 degrees out anyway?
As fall turned to winter, Pocket has finally warmed up to us enough to hop on our laps. Okay, the throw rug helps. And she still prefers to lie between my legs and the arm rest.
Her favorite time of day is play time. Every evening we have to play "Chase the light" with her. And she loves playing with paper balls. No expensive toys for her. Of course, we spend the money we save on her food bill. That cat has quite an appetite! However, we have learned from past experience - and an over 14-pound cat - that it's a bad idea to give a cat as much food as she desires. So, no matter how much she begs, she gets the same measured amount of food at every meal. A lean kitty is a happy kitty!

Best Seat in the House

2010-11-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

When we got a bay window a few years ago we had no idea we were getting it for a cat we didn't even own yet, who was - in fact - not even born yet. With summer's heat gone and the blinds open once again, she can spend hours sitting or sleeping in the window. For her, it's the best seat in the house.

Autumn Impressions

2010-11-02T16:50:00.001-04:00

While I was at North Chagrin Reservation in Cleveland, I noticed the beautiful reflections of autumn trees in the Sunset Pond. I experimented a bit and was rewarded with these impressionistic shots. To take photos like these, it is essential to use a circular polarizer and a tripod. The polarizer intensifies the colors, but it will cost you two stops of light. Such slow shutter speeds require a tripod. Add to that some optimization of the colors in Photoshop and you have fall foliage photos worth framing.

Feeding Frenzy at Pymatuning Lake

2010-10-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we headed to Pymatuning Lake in search of fall foliage. Unfortunately, the trees around the lake were not very advanced yet. We stopped at the spillway first and were amazed at the amount of birds that came up close to be fed. There were lots of Canada geese - yawn! - and some mallards and ring-billed gulls. I can't get too excited over photographing geese, so I concentrated on the gulls and the gazillion carps that were looking for food. I sincerely hope that their diet consists of something else besides white bread, but it was a sight to behold. While we didn't exactly see ducks walking on the carp, as they claim in town, we had never seen so many carps so close together.

We walked on a nature trail before we had a picnic near a beach. Then we checked out the Black Swamp area, but were disappointed at the fall colors. The myriad of lilies in the water were way past their prime and the trees looked dull. We did have a great view of this huge lake. We made one last stop at the fish hatchery and wished we had gone there earlier. We admired the view from here, but didn't have time to see the visitors center. Before heading home we stopped at the spillway again and the carps were a lot more lackluster about food than they were in the morning. I guess they were stuffed to the gills.

Kitty Update

2010-10-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

I has been a while since I blogged about our new cat, Pocket. She has been with us for over three months now and has just turn one year old. That day at the shelter when I put her on my lap and she purred up a storm was also the last day she has spent time on my lap. So far, Pocket likes her independence and loves to sit on a blanket or quilt. Most of all she loves to watch the wildlife from the window. We're hoping that she will turn into a lap cat once winter comes. Right now, she is the equivalent of a teenager--at least her appetite is that of a teenager. Her favorite toy is a piece of paper rolled up into a ball. She loves to kick it around and even fetches it. Last night, we clipped her claws for the first time and she behaved very well. The clipping was necessary since she has started to claw our chairs, and the old wallpaper in our dining room. Perhaps that is her way of telling us to do some home improvements...

Misconception

2010-09-22T16:20:00.000-04:00

When I arrived in the U.S., my husband's relatives asked me for a recipe for German Chocolate Cake. I stared at them blankly, because I had never heard of it. They could not understand this, since I am German. After some research I found out that the cake is actually named after Englishman Sam German and has no connection with Germany at all.
Last week, our local newspaper published a big article about Oktoberfests and recipes, including - you guessed it - a recipe for German Chocolate Cake. Doesn't anyone do research anymore?

The Thunderbirds were in Town

2010-09-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

Living near an airport is a disadvantage for most of the year. They (and lawnmowers) provide the biggest source of noise pollution in our quiet neighborhood. But when the Thunderbirds are in town for the air show, we suddenly have front row seats. Leading up to the show we could observe their practice flights from home. And during the big event we decided that we didn't want to cope with traffic congestion, so we watched the Thunderbirds from our front yard. They did not disappoint, as one of them turned his plane around right over our house. At the end of their performance two planes flew right over us while they completed their semi-circle. We could almost see the pilots. Wow! We would have never had such a close look at the planes if we had stayed at the air show.

Wings over Pittsburgh

2010-09-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

We have spent many years working on air bases and so it was only natural that we went to see the Wings over Pittsburgh air show last Saturday. I was mostly interested in seeing the C-123K Provider "Thunder Pig" from the Air Heritage Museum in Beaver County. My article about this fascinating museum and restoration facility appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of Pennsylvania Magazine.
Of course, I was also thrilled to see another nose art by Moon artist Donna Pitaro on a KC-135. My photo feature about her awesome nose art was also published in Pennsylvania Magazine a while ago.

From Cessnas not much bigger than an SUV to a B-52, there were planes of all sizes and ages on display. Hubby, of course, knows all their names, so it was quite educational. We especially liked the aerial stunts, particularly a pilot who drew a heart into the air. We were about ready to leave when a B-2 Spirit (a stealth plane) flew by. And then we headed home to watch the Thunderbirds from our front lawn...

On the Montour Trail

2010-08-24T10:32:00.000-04:00

We have spent entirely too much time in the air-conditioned house lately because it has been much too hot to venture outside. So on Sunday, when it was cooler than it has been for a while, we decided to hike on the Montour Trail. There were plenty of wildflowers to admire. At first, we didn't detect any butterflies because they like it hot and won't come out until the temperature is really warm. Instead, two wrens and several cardinals entertained us with their songs. When we came to a wetland area we spotted not only a monarch butterfly, but also its copycat, the viceroy. It was exciting to see both of them in one place, since viceroys look almost like monarchs. Viceroys mimic monarchs because monarchs feast only on milkweed and taste terrible.
We saw quite a few people on the trail: bikers, runners, and walkers. But I doubt that any of them even saw the birds and butterflies that we admired. Instead, they played their mp3 players, completely oblivious to the beauty around them. They might as well run on a treadmill. Nature is wasted on them.

A Short Picnic

2010-08-11T17:06:00.000-04:00

In the middle of a hot and brutally humid summer we enjoyed a few days break. We took the opportunity of dry weather to head to the wetlands trail at Raccoon Creek State Park last Saturday. At the last minute I decided that it would be a great day for a picnic. I packed drinks, bread, snacks, and two small cans of lunch meat. Our walk was gorgeous and we worked up an appetite.
We found a picnic table in the shade and I unpacked our basket. The lunch meat cans did not have pullies, however, like others from the same brand. Without anything to put on them our bread slices were useless. We ate our snacks and headed home, stomachs growling. Of all the things I packed that day, a can opener wasn't one of them!
Sometimes I miss German trails. They're never far from a restaurant or imbiss stand.

Kitty Update

2010-07-25T11:42:00.000-04:00

We still don't know what ailed our older cat - Miss Grouch - but do know that she is back to her normal self after we treated her with two parasite medications.
Pocket, our nine-months old newcomer, is feeling right at home here. She is very affectionate and loves to rub herself on my legs. Her favorite activity is kicking a morsel of food around the kitchen. She has a healthy appetite and is very well-behaved. Yesterday we bought a water fountain and she has already had several drinks from it. We are happy with our choice of cat and look forward to many happy years with Pocket.

Deja vu

2010-07-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

When our older cat - aka Miss Grouch - became lethargic and there was no sign of nuggets in the litter box we thought she was constipated from overeating. But when she let us inspect her tummy without putting up a fight we became alarmed enough to take her to an emergency veterinary clinic. After all, this is the equivalent of a kid being sick on a weekend. Alarming!
Our first shock came when the veterinarian told us rightaway that Miss Grouch has fleas. Fleas! She had never had any in her life that we know of. After a blood test and x-ray we learned that MG has kidney problems, probably a kidney stone. Since our sweet Roxy succombed to kidney failure recently, we thought it was deja vu all over again. Hadn't we just been through this? Did we feed our cats the wrong diet all those years? MG has always been partial to dry food. We now learn that that is not a good thing. Even thought we introduced canned food years ago it might have been too late for her.
The hospital kept her to perform an ultrasound today (KA-CHING!) and we are now waiting for the results. We are also thinking about purchasing a water fountain to encourage our kitty to drink more. After all, we have another, young cat to think about. And we want to do things right the second time around.

New Kit on the Block

2010-06-30T16:44:00.000-04:00

Meet Pocket, the newest member of our household. We adopted her last Sunday at the Humane Society. She is almost nine months old and is a real purrer. I put her on my lap and she purred up a storm. That pretty much sealed the deal - that and the fact that she appears to be well-kept and in good health.

We were concerned how our older cat - aka Miss Grouch - would react when we brought home a much younger cat. There was hissing and even growling, of course. The next day, the hissing receded and I haven't observed any lately. In other words, our cats are settling in. Pocket is a very quiet cat. She never hisses or meows. We're still getting to know each other and I'm trying to keep her off our kitchen counter without giving her a complex. My biggest challenge right now is that Miss Grouch is on a diet and is taking advantage of the fact that Pocket's food is here for the taking, if Pocket doesn't get to it first. Oh well, what would life be without a challenge?

Weather Woes

2010-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

There are three things for certain in life: death, taxes, and weather. And we sure have had some strange weather this year. Back in February, when we (ok, my husband) were digging out from two blizzards we were looking forward to spending the summer in our backyard. But so far, I haven't had much to enjoy. First we had a cool, windy, and rainy May, which prevented me from photographing birds. And then the temperatures shot up to the mid-eighties in no time. So far, it has been such a rainy and muggy early summer that I find myself spending more time in our dark and air-conditioned house than outside. This isn't fair! I have spent enough hours in the house this year. I want to take my home office outside and watch the birds and butterflies while I am editing my writing. Some days I can't even grill dinner for ten minutes because another thunderstorm is rolling through our town. Whatever happened to spring?

Photography Close to Home

2010-06-05T13:17:00.000-04:00

Bird photography is a lot like going to an amusement park. You wait and wait, and then the thrill is over in a few seconds. It helps, therefore, when I can photograph an exciting subject in our backyard. Right now, I have my camera ready to shoot at all times because our serviceberry has ripe berries. These berries are irresistible to all sorts of birds and I am ready to shoot when they land in our shrub.
The other day everything came together perfectly, even though I broke a rule. You're not supposed to photograph in mid-day because the lighting tends to be flat. But it was a bright overcast day and I sat waiting in my blind. And then I fired nonstop while the waxwings snatched one berry after another. You may see one of the results of my efforts on my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com/.

Confession

2010-05-17T10:12:00.000-04:00

I admit that I became a reluctant cat owner. When my husband insisted that he wanted a cat I was not enthused. I thought about the hair that would surely accumulate on our furniture and, most likely, on our bed. I had never owned a pet and didn't know what to expect. Eventually, I relented and we adopted "Chubby." She is a timid tiger tubby and, to this day, afraid of everything. She does not like people and is happy when no one comes by. A year later, we adopted Roxy as a companion for "Chubby." What we got was a companion for ourselves.
The first three months were tough. Roxy chewed on the furniture so much that even repellent didn't work. Finally, she broke that habit, but we kept covers on quite a few pieces of furniture ever since. I wasn't even sure if we should keep Roxy, but I'm glad we did. She was very friendly and well-liked by everyone who stopped by. As she filled out in weight she became very pretty. Whenever we came home she ran to the door to greet us. And when I went out of town she moped through the house looking for me.
The house is very quiet now. I miss her quiet presence and even miss having to prepare her special diet. It doesn't hurt as much as last week, but I will never forget our sweet Roxy.

Tribute to a Cat

2010-05-12T17:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, our sweet cat Roxy lost her battle with her numerous health problems. After she could not go to sleep and cried out in pain, we consulted one last time with our vet and decided with a very heavy heart to relieve Roxy's suffering. As a fairly recent pet owner she is the first pet I ever lost. She leaves a great void in our home.
Roxy was a very passionate cat and lived life to the fullest. She ate, played and ran around with gusto. She was very sociable and I remember a contractor who came by with a proposal lying on the floor and playing with her. Everybody loved her, but I was her favorite and she was mine. She waited for us when we came home and got upset if we were outside. She spent winter evenings on my lap, her favorite place besides the register.
Her weight had decreased for a few years and we noticed that she often vomited. A couple of years ago our vet suggested an ultrasound and we learned that she had kidney problems, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and Pancreas anomalities. She was treated with medication and a special diet, but grew less and less active. She even stopped playing with her favorite feather toy. Last week she suddenly stopped eating and we tried our best to get food in her with no success. She was 11 years and 9 months old. Rest in peace, Roxy.

Kitty's Health Update

2010-05-07T15:03:00.000-04:00

Last night I had to take our second cat - aka Skinny - to the vet for the second time in three week. During her annual check-up I learned that her weight was down to 4.5 pounds. The vet advised that we should give her any kind of food she likes in an effort to let her gain weight. However, she seemed to get bonier by the day. She didn't eat at all for the evening meal and ignored the dried food we keep out for her at all times. She didn't even seem to be interested in treats, which she usually gobbled up.
Lo and behold, yesterday Kitty's weight was up to 4.7 pounds. The vet concluded that she had bad breath and could use a teeth cleaning, but did not want to put Kitty through anesthesia. The next best solution is to give her antibiotics twice a day and start a teeth cleaning regimen. We're hoping that she'll start eating once the pain gets better. She does not have any weight to lose. Now, if we could only transfer a few pounds from cat no. 1 (aka Chubby) all would be well...

Women's Health & the Environment

2010-04-22T10:03:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I attended the conference "Women's Health & the Environment" in Pittsburgh. It was a sobering experience and I learned some disturbing facts:
Babies born today still have DDT in their bodies.
Chemicals we use every day have never been tested, so there is no way of assuring us that they are safe.
The following disorders have been linked to toxins: attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, diabetes, obesity, cancer, infertility, even Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Women were targeted because they make most of the purchasing decisions in a home. The idea is, of course, that we go out and use what we learned in our everyday lives, work, and our homes.
A great website I learned about is the Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org and http://www.ewg.org\women. One of the many goodies on this site is a link to a cosmetics database (www.skindeep.com) where you can search for non-toxic cosmetics. I also received a free book, "Slow Death by Rubber Duck" by Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie, who also spoke at the conference.
Because nowadays there are many more non-toxic cleaning products available than there were years ago, I have already been using them for a while. I came away from the conference with the resolve to replace our personal care products with safer ones. Some other tidbits I learned:
Buy organic
Eat low mercury fish
Filter drinking water
Avoid canned food whenever possible
One of my concerns was not addressed yesterday: If the products we use are so toxic to our bodies, what is their effect on the much smaller bodies of birds, insects, and aquatic life?

A New Officer

2010-04-19T15:34:00.001-04:00

When I joined a Toastmasters club one and a half years ago, I had no intention of becoming an officer. After all, I just joined to gain speaking experience before starting my new endeavor of giving presentations about backyard habitats. Fast forward to now, and I am suddenly the newest officer of Toastmasters Club #144, the Vice President PR. My role will be to promote our club in the media, send out newsletters, and greet guests, among others.
Are you wondering whether Toastmasters is for you? Check out www.toastmasters.org to find out more information or to locate a club near you. Whether you are a student or professional who needs to improve his/her speaking skills, or simply want to join to make new friends--you will be welcome with open arms at a club near you.
I'll see you at our next meeting!

If the Shoe Fits...

2010-03-27T14:27:00.002-04:00

Women are supposed to love shoes, right? But if your shoe size is 6 1/2 WW (in other words, if it's like mine) you probably hate buying shoes. The reason is, of course, that no one makes shoes in that size. Things got even worse for me when my doctor prescribed insoles. I recently went to a shoe store that sells nothing but shoes that fit insoles. Guess what: they didn't have my size and had to order a pair. Of course, when it arrived it was too tight and I had to order yet another pair. This time I hope they fit.
What's a writer to do when faced with such a dilemma? Write an essay about it, of course. For years, I have submitted a humorous essay about my not so funny misadventures of shoe shopping. Last week, I sent my updated version to a women's magazine and hope they will accept it. After all, we can't all be like Imelda Marcos, can we?

Snow be gone

2010-03-11T12:57:00.002-05:00

We are experiencing unusually sunny and warm temperatures. For the first time in over a month we can see our backyard and driveway again.
The sunny weather brings out some strange creatures inside our house: our cats! During the long winter they only emerged from their sleeping positions to answer calls of nature. Somehow they always managed to show up right before feeding time, but other than that I was beginning to wonder if we actually had cats. Now they are up in the windows again or staking out the sunny spots on the floor.

March 2

2010-03-02T15:54:00.001-05:00

For the past few weeks I've been posting about the wildlife in our backyard at my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com. Come on over and check it out.

Snow and Icicles

2010-02-19T13:59:00.002-05:00

We're well on our way to experience the snowiest February in Pittsburgh history. And on the weekend we can expect more snow. Getting bundled up and clearing off the cars, the walk, part of the driveway and the trail to the bird feeders takes so much time we're exhausted. And now we have to worry about ice dams as the temperature crawls above freezing during the day and then refreezes everything at night. All the salt on the roads brings an early start of pothole season. Potholes are sprouting like garlic mustard in the spring. I wonder what they do our suspensions.
There are more and more tracks in the snow. Who visits our yard when we aren't looking? A deer, a turkey, a dog? All of them? If I could actually venture out into snow that reaches over my knees I might be able to read the tracks.

Snow, snow, snow

2010-02-08T17:11:00.003-05:00

We were told to expect 6-12 inches of snow on Saturday. We got more than 21 inches. It is the most snow I have ever seen in a place I actually lived. The snow is so high it reaches my upper legs.
Worst of all, this storm has no name so far. In Pittsburgh, storms usually get colorful names, such as: St. Patrick's Day Parade Blizzard, Valentine's Day Massacre, etc. But this storm has no name. I guess "Day before the Super Bowl Storm" does sound awkward.
And now we're told to expect another storm system tomorrow. We sincerely hope that our roof and our trees can handle all the weight.
Let it snow? Bah humbug!

Critter food

2010-02-01T15:44:00.003-05:00

It is one of Murphy's Laws that no good deed goes unpunished. It is equally ironic that my last post was about being a pack rat.
For quite a while I've been buying peanuts, which my husband throws out every morning for the birds and squirrels. Those peanuts are a big hit. Even though we started putting our bird seeds into a plastic tote, for some reason the peanuts ended up on top of the tote the other day. This morning I took my car in for inspection and mentioned to the attendant that my "check engine light" came on the other day. A few minutes later she returned and told me that the light was on this very moment. I grudgingly agreed to a costly diagnostic check. She then informed me that 1. the knock sensor had to be replaced, and 2. that there were peanut shells in the engine!
I laughed, until I learned how much it would cost to replace the sensor. Those were the most expensive peanuts I ever purchased.
I guess we should have learned our lesson the first time. A couple of years ago we opened up the hood of my car and found so many peanut shells in the engine that it took us an hour to vacuum them out. The reason is probably that there is a hole between the bottom of our garage door and the wall, just big enough for a critter to slip through. And the garage is a lot warmer than the outdoors right now. So, until we can figure out how to plug that hole I'm parking my car outdoors. After all, three is not always a charm.

Fighting clutter

2010-01-26T10:18:00.005-05:00

January is the perfect time to conquer clutter because there isn't much else to do. It often seems as if the clutter is winning. Not only is it taking over our small house, but it also has taken over our computer. Before I know it there are over 500 messages in my e-mail inbox that have to be deleted or filed under a category. If I don't keep up with that it takes hours to do. When it comes to computers I'm a packrat. I don't want to delete anything, unless I make a copy first.
Last weekend, my husband informed me that there were only 3 GB of free space on our hard drive left and I had to delete my photos. I reluctantly did, but not before I made sure that I had two copies: one on our external hard drive and one on my portable hard drive. Did I mention I'm a packrat? I acquired a portable hard drive a while ago after hearing stories about external hard drives that crashed. Of course, in a few years I will a. probably realize that many of my photos are not as great as they once seemed and that I got much better ones now; or b. our external hard drive will be full too.

Walking down memory lane

2010-01-18T13:41:00.002-05:00

Like most serious photographers we have hundreds and hundreds of 35mm slides stashed away in our closet. We haven't looked at them in years, except for those that I had scanned into our computer years ago. However, when we bought a new computer it didn't have a connection for our trusty little scanner anymore and my scanning project came to a shrieking halt. What to do with all those slides? I would love to convert them into saleable photos and recently learned that I could get them scanned onto DVDs.
Now I am looking at all those slides, trying to decide which ones to get scanned first. It is a walk down memory lane. As I am glancing over images of city sights, fall foliage, a locked bicycle with missing wheels, a dead mouse (don't ask), flowers, waterfalls, rocks, churches, signs, palaces, street cars, covered bridges, etc. I realize that these photos are snapshots of our lives. How many of us write a journal every day? Not too many, I guess. Yet, most of us would remember a funny or sad incident connected with our photos. Whether it was that trip to Norway where I froze in July (and then ate enormous soft serves), the hike in Ohiopyle where I tripped over a root, our quest for covered bridges, our blossoming love for wildflowers, or shop signs in Germany--all of these are highlights of our lives and our photos recharge our memories about them. They are indeed photo journals.

A Fresh Start

2010-01-06T17:28:00.004-05:00

Last week, we woke up to see this winter wonderland outside our windows. Knowing it wouldn't last long before a breeze would drop the snow off the branches, I grabbed my camera and took a few photos after breakfast. In case you're wondering why our arbor is lying on the ground, it was felled by a gust of wind around Thanksgiving.
The New Year is off to a busy, if not frigid start. Meetings that discontinued during the holiday season are resuming and everyone is making resolutions. My resolutions consist of writing, photography, and networking. The order is determined by the weather--meaning, I won't do any bird photography this week since my fingers are freezing inside the house. That means buying a better pair of gloves is high on my to-do list. Therefore, I am planning on decluttering my filing cabinet and the house, so when the weather does get better I can go out and enjoy it.
Happy New Year!

Around the world in three hours

2009-12-19T12:52:00.007-05:00

One of the perks of being a freelance writer and photographer is that I can pick the assignments I would like to cover and then pitch them. And so I was happy to be able to photograph the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh while they are decorated for the holidays.
The first room I photographed was the Austrian Room with a nativity scene that was handcarved in Austria. A wreath and guitar commemorate the origin of the song "Silent Night."
The German Room looked also very pretty with its Advents wreath and Christmas tree, but then I'm biased.
My goal was to photograph holidays in different cultures. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with an elaborate display of symbols, while the African room shows a simple Kwanzaa scene. From Russia to India to Italy, I photographed traditions around the world. But a photo shoot like this does not come without problems. The French Room, for example, showed a large creche under glass--impossible to photograph, especially when there are chairs posted in front of it. If you want to see how the holidays are observed in different cultures, I suggest a trip to the Cathedral of Learning. You will never get a cheaper deal on traveling around the world.

Party Like It's 1939

2009-12-10T14:34:00.014-05:00

Perhaps 1939 wasn't the best year to choose as a party theme, but that's when my Toastmasters Club was founded. So, last Monday we celebrated our 70th anniversary with a phantastic wingding. Most of us played period roles and the illustrious crowd included Glenn Miller, Charles Lindbergh, Bob Hope, President Roosevelt, Rosi the Riveter, yours truly as John Steinbeck, and many others.
At the last minute I was asked to bring my camera to the festivities, and so I was pulling double duty as both photographer and participant. There was a lot of talent at the event - we had dancers, singers, a DJ, two photographers (Ansel Adams was the other one) and speakers, of course - and I'm glad someone recorded everything. I can't wait to see the movie, especially the parts that I missed because I was too busy.
Happy birthday, Toastmasters Club 144!

End of an Era

2009-11-18T17:09:00.002-05:00

All good things must end. For years, I've been part of a writers group that met in a church in the South Hills. I was there from the beginning and have seen quite a few people come and go. But life got in the way and "members" drifted out of it, one after the other. While it lasted, we have seen novels written and rewritten, babies born, articles published, and Christmas parties held.
Yesterday, the three people of the hard core decided to quit our group until further notice. Now, some of them are also Pennwriters and I know that I will see them again, but it was still a bittersweet experience.

An Anniversary to Remember

2009-11-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As I recall those days the first thing that comes to mind is that I was occupied with other things. As a newlywed, I had just decided to vacate my bachelor efficiency apartment. Scraping wallpaper, arranging the move of my few belongings, and finding a bigger apartment were foremost on my mind.
Disbelief was the first reaction I felt at the news that the most visible symbol of the Cold War had fallen. Just a few years before I had stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate in East Berlin--a mere two months after visiting West Berlin. The contrast between the bustling West Berlin and the almost empty streets of East Berlin (we could almost walk on the main street at night, that's how empty it was) could not have been greater. If I returned today I probably would not recognize the city.
A history buff, I have always been fascinated by castles, old houses, and museums. But back in 1989 it occured to me for the first time that I was living history. I had seen the Berlin Wall rise and fall in my lifetime.
For the first year, a shopping frenzy began. East Germans were buying cars, furniture, and traveled. They had a lot of catching up to do. And then reality set in as more and more of them lost their jobs. As with most things in life, euphoria does not last forever. It will take many years for the formerly two Germanys to be truly one. Tearing down a wall made of concrete is a lot easier than tearing down the walls in people's minds.

Work in progress

2009-11-07T16:30:00.002-05:00

For several months now we have been looking for a contractor to have a minor bathroom renovation done. After talking to two contractors (who of course had different ideas of what we needed) we researched online. Contractor No. 2 decided that we needed a complete overhaul even though we had told him we only wanted a surround and other small upgrades. Therefore, his estimate was out of this world. Back to Contractor one. We now had an idea of the surround we liked. But... it turned out that the window that is in our bathroom is a big problem, and cutting the surround might crack it. So, we finally settled on the solution we had looked at at the beginning. Did I mention that we also talked to Contractor no. 3, recommended by Contractor no. 1? Fortunately, said person can do the job very soon. At this point, we just want the project done so we can move on with our lives, even it it means painting a small bathroom with lots of corners and tiny spaces. You know you're in trouble when you check out surrounds and vanity tops in every venue you visit.

Reflections

2009-10-15T11:43:00.002-04:00

I have been very busy lately. Last weekend, I attended a wood duck photo workshop in Ohio and posted about it on my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com. Such a trip requires almost as much time packing as the workshop takes. I was grateful for packing a parka and gloves because it was about 10 degrees colder up there than here in Pittsburgh. I haven't even put away my luggage yet and am still editing almost 800 photos.
Last night, my husband and I got free tickets to see Jean-Michel Cousteau at Heinz Hall. It was a very entertaining and thought-provoking speech. He showed several clips from his DVDs about Midway, an endangered fish, and a toxic test on Orca whales and humans, including himself. A woman (a vegetarian, no less) and her 4-year old son tested the highest in toxic elements in their bodies. One reason is that they live in California, which has a law requiring many household items to be flame-retardant. Evidently, those chemicals pass into the bodies of humans. Cousteau compared Orcas and humans because they are both at the top of the food chain. Orcas absorb toxins that are released into the water over decades, such as garbage, chemicals, sewage, etc.

A Not so Perfect Day

2009-09-16T21:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, my husband and I headed to Presque Isle to see some bird migrants. At the first stop - where I expected to see warblers - we saw nothing but mosquitoes, hundreds and hundreds of them. We applied plenty of insect repellant and then declared defeat. There were no birds, warblers or otherwise. The second stop promised wildflowers and birds, according to my guidebook. What we found was a path so overgrown that we couldn't walk on it unless we wanted to get more inset bites than we already had. We retreated to the Perry Monument where I finally photographed some birds. Okay, they were gulls but I was determined to photograph something.
After a picnic at the beach - where I photographed more gulls - we walked through deep sand to the lighthouse. With camera and tripod in hand I wanted to get a better view of the lighthouse when I tripped over a sling root. The sand cushioned my fall. However, my hand was clutched to my camera and I sprained my thumb. That finally did it and I declared that I wanted to go home. I iced my hand on the drive home and my thumb is feeling much better now. At home I told my husband that, if I ever wanted to go to Presque Isle again, he should just point at my thumb.

Gearing up

2009-08-28T14:28:00.002-04:00

The end of summer is near and fall promises to be a busy one. I'm gearing up to attend some shows and a networking event. That means that I have to order prints and make note cards. I just learned that I can attend the Bridgewater Bookfest in September by sharing a canopy with a Pennwriter friend. In addition to that I have found several bookstores willing to sell my work.
After the bookfest my husband and I want to squeeze in a vacation, which means we want to go birding. Because spring was cold and sometimes wet, I haven't been able to add any new bird species to my stock photo list. I want to remedy that in the fall and do some birding between my many meetings.

Picture Perfect

2009-08-08T15:14:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the best photographic subjects are close to home. When we planted a new native garden this year we bought a Joe-pye-weed. Now it is blooming and a big draw for bees and butterflies alike. Last Sunday, for example, I saw an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the Joe-pye and grabbed my camera. I then spent some time capturing this beautiful specimen. A few days later, on a recent bright overcast day - perfect lighting for macro photography - I went ouside to take photos of our lobelias. But then I saw a Monarch butterfly landing on the Joe-pye and chased it instead. It had long been my wish to get a closer picture of one with its wings open. It was not easy. The Monarch did not like my close presence and kept flitting away to the other side of the plant, with me in hot pursuit. Finally, I decided that I must have something good on that flash card and left the Monarch alone. I was right.
People who see my photos often say, "You must be very patient!" They're right, of course. But luck is also involved. Had I not gone out at the time when the Monarch was on the Joe-pye I would have never captures this photo.

In the Marsh

2009-08-05T10:36:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday, my husband and I headed to Independence Marsh. Fog hung low over the valley when we arrived, but it soon lifted and gave way to warm sunrays. Bullfrogs honked from the ponds but we never saw one. A mockingbird eyed us suspiciously, with food for its chicks in its beak. While I finally got a mockingbird photo (on a powerline, unfortunately), our main goal was seeing wildflowers. A marsh is an awesome place to see summer wildflowers. We saw Joe-pye-weed, teasel, field thistle, green-headed coneflower, orange and yellow jewelweed, blue vervain, and countless others. Two hummingbird moths were fighting over a flower and a hawk flew over the lake. On the way back I flushed out a blue heron which I had not seen (otherwise I would have stalked him to get his photo). The hours flew by until the heat forced us to return home. It was a beautiful morning on the marsh.

Blazing Star

2009-07-30T16:22:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday, my husband and I headed up north to the Jennings Environmental Center near Slippery Rock for a guided walk. The occasion was the blooming of the Blazing Star. While not all flowers were blooming yet (they never bloom entirely, but bloom from top to bottom), at least 30 or more people had turned out for the walk. Apparently, they had all read it in the newspaper like we did. There was a lot to learn about glaciers, Ice Age animals, the Massasauga snake, and temperatures on the prairie and how plants and wildlife adapt to them. A breeze kept the air temperatures tolerable, but prevented me from taking many pictures.
After making a stop for ice cream, we headed home and are pretty sure that we'll plant a Blazing Star in our garden next year.

My Travel Bag

2009-07-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

When I travel overseas, I need a big tote bag. Nowadays, passengers need to bring along their own food in case the airplane fare is inedible for dietary or other reasons. I, for example, won't touch rock-hard buns or cold-as-ice desserts. So, I bring along cereal bars or a muffin. And then I need to take water, a camera, a cell phone (in case the plane is delayed), an i-pod, a book, money, boarding passes and itineraries and all the other hundred gadgets that make a long day a little less long.
For years and years, I've been taking my trusty tote bag along. It has lots of zippers and other pockets for the above mentioned gadgets. And it has lots of miles on it. In fact, if bags could get frequent flyer miles, my bag should earn me a free flight overseas.
Imagine my surprise when I walked through a sandwich restaurant at Cincinnati Airport and a woman said to me, "I like your bag!" She had the exact same bag I had. Hers was in much better shape than mine, but then mine gets kicked around airplanes a lot more than hers, I bet.
Some day I'll have to buy a new one, but I doubt it will last as long as this one did.

Lost Memories

2009-07-17T15:26:00.002-04:00

A depressing aspect of my recent trip to Germany was that my mother didn't recognize me. She seemed convinced that I had a traveling companion, a woman I met on the plane. I was never sure whether she was talking to me or my "companion." She also didn't recognize my friends who came to pick me up.
She is in the early stages of dementia and changes in her memory came on so gradually that no one noticed at first - until I showed up. I also learned that she doesn't drink much and that dehydration can cause dementia. When her doctor returned from vacation I made an appointment for her. Needless to say, her reply was something like, "I'm old. Whatever do I need a doctor for?" Did I mention that she is very, very stubborn?
But I was undeterred and my brother and I took her to the doctor. Now she'll have to see a neurologist in a few weeks (it's vacation time). I'm glad I got the ball rolling after observing my mother all day long and am anxious to hear what the neurologist will find out.

Looking back - Part 2

2009-07-15T09:47:00.003-04:00

I have already mentioned that I met many old friends during my recent trip to Germany. We had lost track of each other after school, pursuing our different career and life paths. Most of us married, some have a partner, many have children and others - like me - don't. One chose traveling over having children, having been to every continent except Antarctica. Two of us emigrated to another country. I came to the U.S. and a friend emigrated to Australia. Needless to say, she was not at the reunion.
I also saw members of the club my brother and I belonged to in the late Seventies, early Eighties. We had weekly meetings, often followed by a trip to a dance or guesthouse. I was treasurer of the club for seven years and therefore very involved in our annual ball and other fundraising activities. A core of our club was a folk dance group. We practiced and performed at area festivals and took trips to the United States, Sweden, Hungary, France and any place in between. It was awesome to see so many foreign places at little cost for me since we stayed with host families. The club disbanded eventually when everybody got married and had kids.
Now they are meeting again several times a year for dinner and reminiscences. The Internet helps staying connected between meetings. Somewhere along the way, my friends have become respectable citizens. Two are judges and township council members and another one just got elected to her town's council. Eleven of them turned out to see me, which I take as a great compliment. While we all have had our ups and downs (health problems being at the top of the list), our years together have forged a bond that lasted over decades.
I don't get to do much sightseeing, but my trips to Germany would be a lot less enjoyable if I didn't see my friends.

Looking back

2009-07-09T13:46:00.004-04:00

I've returned from Germany a few days ago. It's difficult to sum up my trip in one blog, so I'll break it up.
The best thing about my vacation was reconnecting with old friends. There were some faces that I had not seen since the early 70s and early 80s. Now that their child-rearing years are over, my friends have time to socialize again--and socialize we did. There were two "mini-reunions" from grade school, one from business school, one from a club my brother and I belonged to, and a couple of meetings with individuals. And I saw one friend (we go back to kindergarten, which begins at age 3) four times. Add to that visits to relatives and I can honestly say that I met everybody I wanted to meet. One girlfriend joked, "I'm glad you live in the States. Otherwise I would never see you!" It is gratifying to know that I brought people together, using my visit as an excuse for a meeting. Saying good-bye again so soon was the hardest part.
Another quest was visiting as many Italian ice cafes as possible. My favorite is spaghetti ice. It consists of whipped cream covered with vanilla ice cream pressed through a press, strawberry syrup and grated white chocolate. I skipped the whipped cream for health reasons, but the ice cream itself agreed with me. After I left the cafes probably noticed a dip in their profits. Ah, what would summer in Germany be without outdoor cafes?

Relief

2009-06-11T10:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I had an endoscopy done. I had to fast until afternoon. While my husband and I waited before the procedure it became clear that the office staff needed some sensitivity training. They began talking about what they had for dinner the night before, and then one of them began eating sweets. The patients - all with empty stomachs - looked at each other with disgust.
The procedure revealed that I don't have an ulcer, at least not any more. Apparently, the medicine I got at the ER, and since then, has relieved my symptoms. I have to stay on these capsules for a while and am now awaiting the biopsy results.
Now, I can finally eat again. Even though I had recently fasted for 24 hours I was incredibly hungry yesterday.
After fortifying myself, it's time to think about all the things I have to do before I head to Germany next week. After all these tests, I deserve a vacation.

A very long day

2009-06-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday was a very long day for us. My husband had to undergo a medical test at a major hospital and we had to get up way early. Then we waited, and waited, until they wheeled him down. I then went to eat something because I had missed breakfast. Hubbies test provided good news for us. Lifestyle changes and some medication should bring relief very soon.
However, during the afternoon I developed severe abdominal pain that came in waves. I managed to drive us home using backroads during rush hour. But even eating a plain meal of chicken noodle soup brought no relief and my pain got worse and worse. Finally, my husband (who was not supposed to drive) took me to the hospital where I had a CT scan done just five days before. I did not know the results yet but the ER doctor got to see them. After X-rays and blood tests etc. I received an IV with medicine to ease my acidic stomach, and a prescription. I was told to get the rest of my prescribed tests done and sent home. Apparently, it helped and we finally arrived at home after midnight. At our age, that was a long day indeed. Today I had an ultrasound test and next week I will get an endoscopy. More fasting! All signs point to another ulcer. I had an ulcer 21 years ago and learned that they can come back. Why, I don't know. It wasn't much fun the first time around.

Looking back and looking forward

2009-05-27T17:24:00.002-04:00

The 2009 Pennwriters conference is over, but my schedule is still full. Now it's time to exchange notes and ideas with other conference attendees. After that, I'll have to follow up on promised submissions and queries.
But first, I'll have to undergo some medical tests that require fasting. That means that I'll attend a lunch meeting sans food. I can't wait for that test to be over.
Doctor's and veterinary appointments are not the only things that keep me busy. We have also been planting our yard. The recent rain helped things grow a lot. Yesterday, I checked out our butterfly weed and was thrilled to count almost two dozen monarch larvae on its leaves. We have no idea where they spent the winter, and today I'm seeing only a few larvae. Where do they go?

A Successful Conference

2009-05-18T14:54:00.001-04:00

The 2009 Pennwriters conference is over, and it was a huge success. Theoretically, it began on Thursday evening - at least for volunteers. I went to the hotel to greet my editor Matt Holliday from Pennsylvania Magazine. We had a nice chat and then I helped stuffing folders. On Friday morning I helped the gift basket coordinator with the monumental task of preparing dozens of baskets for the Chinese auction. That gave me a chance to figure out which baskets I would like to win.
I was the official photographer for the event and hopped from room to room to photograph the speakers. The most important lesson I learned doing this was: Don't try to take pictures when you're laughing--too much camera shake. And laugh we did. The publishing world is not for the faint of heart, and if we didn't laugh sometimes we would pull our hair out. New this year was that several speakers rewarded audience participation with chocolate. Chocolate seems to be mandatory for writers, which was evident in the many gift baskets that were loaded with it.
Speaking of gift baskets: I finally won a basket stuffed with 14 books. Granted, many of the books have been around the bookshelf for a while. But no matter. I already gleaned some helpful advice from one book. And the basket was so heavy that I had to ask a fellow writer to carry it to my car.

Busy Times

2009-05-14T10:18:00.000-04:00

To say that I'm busy this week is an understatement. I had four meetings in two days, of which three were on Tuesday. On Monday, I gave my fourth speech at Toastmasters and it was a great success. One woman said, "I can hardly wait till you're in the storyteller's manual!" Of course, speaking is a lot like writing: You need to grab your audience with your opening, support it with the bulk of your speech and round it out with a conclusive ending.
Now I'm getting ready to attend the Pennwriters Conference that starts tomorrow. On Tuesday evening, we practiced our pitches on each other and it was a real learning experience. I learn a lot from listening to other people. And it's great to have a support network of friends to help me through the setbacks and celebrate the triumphs.
In between all my meetings, I'm trying to photograph birds. I have not been too successful this spring, and the weather is partly to blame. On weekends, it is often windy and cold and the trails are too muddy to hike on. I'm hoping that will change soon and can't wait to report any new species in my bird list.

Confessions of a dog magnet

2009-05-04T11:23:00.000-04:00

Let me begin by stating that I have never owned a dog. My parents had chickens and rabbits. Nowadays, we have two cats.
But for reasons I cannot explain, I am a dog magnet. Such was the case on Saturday morning again when we went to Sewickley Heights park to see some birds. This is a park where dogs run lose and I can't even get out of the car before the first dog comes over to greet me. Later on the trail two beautiful dogs approached from the other side. One of them ran right past my husband to me. It was a beautiful retriever and I was astonished to learn that it was a five-months old puppy. It was big enough to be adult. Since I can't even lift our chubby cat out of the car I consider everything over 10 pounds heavy.
Speaking of cats: Our "Chubby" has recovered from teeth surgery like a trooper. She has lost a bit of weight but not as much as we would like. The downside of her diet is, of course, that she wakes us up early on weekends because she wants to be fed. So, perhaps I should feed her a late night snack if we want to sleep in...

Heat Wave

2009-04-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

Our new serviceberry bloomed briefly, but because of the high winds we have had I didn't even get a chance to photograph it. Oh well, I'll just wait till it gets berries and hope that I can photograph the birds that eat them. I heard that the berries taste good in jams but doubt that I will get enough to go through the trouble. After all, we planted the serviceberry to attract birds and wildlife.
Most of the trees on our hillside are still bare, which is really weird when it's 88 degrees out. I think spring happened sometime between 10 and 12 o'clock on Friday. This is unfair! I've been looking forward to spring for a while and now it's over already?

Kitty Recovery

2009-04-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

Our cat, aka Chubby, survived her teeth cleaning. The tooth fairy had to take away two of her teeth. One would think that she would eat less during her recovery, but no. The first thing she did when we brought her home was walking to the kitchen where we keep her food bowl. Reluctantly, I gave her a bit of canned food later and she chomped it down without any upset stomach. She is now on a canned food only diet for a while. However, since we also learned that she has arthritis she is on a permanent weight loss diet now. She just doesn't know it yet! Another reason we're trying to make her lose weight is that I couldn't even carry her into the vet's office but had to ask the assistant for help. You know your cat is too heavy if you can't even lift her. So, a diet it is and I'm going to be firm about it.

Take me out ...

2009-04-20T10:19:00.001-04:00

When it comes to meetings and appointments, my weeks are usually feast or famine. Last week was particularly crammed. I had four meetings (including three in one day), an appointment, and a workshop to attend. Everything was very enjoyable and instructive. This week, however, it's famine again. The only appointment I have on my calendar is taking the cat to the vet for a teeth cleaning and possible teeth pulling. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
Because the weather was beautiful on Saturday, we went to a Pirates game. Finding a park house was easy, getting out of it after the game less so. The biggest problem I encountered, though, was finding appropriate food for my sensitive stomach. My husband asked me in jest whether I wanted to buy an all-you-can-eat ticket. I replied that I wouldn't be able to eat anything but salad and ice cream. Yep, ballparks don't offer food for health conscious people and I finally settled on a grilled chicken sandwich. Our biggest challenge, however, was trying to avoid getting fried by the sun. Who would have thought that we could get roasted in April? Next time we'll sit under the roof.
Now, how was the game? I confess that, after having been married to a baseball fan for almost twenty years, I still don't have a clue what baseball is about. The reason is, of course, that I come from a country where soccer (Fußball) is king. That explains why I didn't even know which team the Pirates were playing until we bought our tickets. For the first few innings the crowd was strangely quiet until it finally got exciting. And the Pirates won!

The Estimate

2009-04-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday evening, we took our older cat, aka Chubby, to the veterinarian for her annual check-up and shots. We learned that not only does she need a teeth cleaning under anaesthesia, she might very well need to have two teeth pulled. Until now, the only health problem she had was her excessive weight and, we suspect, arthritis. In other words, she mirrors our own problems, especially the arthritis part.
The veterinarian printed out an estimate of the cost for the procedure and her assistant handed it to my husband. He studied the total amount and finally uttered, "Ninety thousand dollars?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, grabbed the paper from his hand and disappeared. We glanced at each other, wondering if the real total would amount to the price of a row of houses around these parts. It turned out that the final estimate was also a hefty sum, hefty enough for a cat with some annoying habits. For one, she has become very vocal, particularly when we are trying to sleep. Since she snoozes all day, she does not find anything wrong with meowing at the top of her lungs when we retire for the night. Another problem is that she is scared of everything. I believe the term "scaredy cat" was named after her. She is even afraid of plastic bags. As far as her diet goes, she has not lost as much weight as we had hoped. I will have to feed her even less than before. I'm sure she has a loud answer for that!

Cat tales

2009-04-03T09:41:00.001-04:00

We recently switched to corn based litter because our younger cat was always sneezing after using the litter box. Now, she doesn't sneeze at all and the scratches in her eyes are pretty much healed. To think that we used to complain about the cost of clay litter is a joke now. But we'd rather pay it instead of paying the veterinarian. It is a bad sign when your vet sends you a Christmas card...
Our older cat, also known as 'Chubby', has been on a diet for two months now and I believe she has lost some weight. That doesn't mean she likes it. This morning, for example, as I was getting the cats' breakfast ready 'Chubby' licked out her empty bowl. Who knew that cats can be sarcastic?

2009-03-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm posting on my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com

History Lesson

2009-03-21T13:45:00.001-04:00

The other day, I was on assignment to the Soldiers & Sailors Hall. To get an overview of the museum, I received a tour by the curator. He told me that they wanted their showcases to tell the human story behind the historic events. Apparently, it works because I was compelled to talk when we came to the Berlin Wall exhibit. I was shocked when my guide told me that kids nowadays ask him, "What's the Berlin Wall?" It seemed so much a part of my younger life that I never expected it to fall. I told my guide that back in the early Eighties, I had been to the wall on the West Berlin side and two months later I saw the Brandenburg Gate from the East Berlin side. Life in a divided country was certainly different than what Americans are used to. For example, there were only three corridors to drive to West Berlin. We were even told what reading material we could take along on the bus so we wouldn't get into trouble. Of course, I didn't need any reading material to go to West Berlin because I didn't go there to read. Why would I when the pubs are open all night? Nowadays, I wouldn't even make it till 11 o'clock, but that's a different story.

The days are just packed

2009-03-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

I have had a very busy week so far. On Monday, I took the plunge and booked a flight to Germany this summer. First, I had to confirm dates with my family. And because there are no more direct flights to Germany from here, I had to find connections that would neither give me too little nor too much waiting time for my next leg. I am not fond of sitting at some airport for over four hours, but I also don't want to sprint through an airport to catch my flight. So, the new flight to Paris is out because it only gives you one and a half hours to catch a connection and immigration and customs take at least one hour in a perfect world. After checking all my options I decided to use one airline for the first leg and come back on another airline. Now, I just hope that none of my flights get canceled as was the case the last time I traveled.
Yesterday, I was working on a new assignment and had a great time doing it. It was good to be photographing again and museums are always happy for the publicity. I also had a letter to the editor in yesterday's Post-Gazette and received a very positive response so far.

The eyes have it

2009-03-13T11:22:00.000-04:00

The car radio played Shout and the cat on the backseat howled. Playing the radio is absolutely essential when I take Roxy for a ride because there is only one reason I put her in a car: We're going to the dreaded V-E-T. This time, the problem is that she has two ulcers (aka scratches) in her eyes.
To help our other, big cat with her arthritis, we had put a litter box upstairs so she wouldn't have to climb stairs. That plan backfired because 1. Big cat still went downstairs most of the time out of habit; 2. The floor was a mess; 3. Roxy started sneezing soon after we brought up the litter box. Then her eyes became watery and she rubbed them. I had to get an emergency appointment at the vet to check her eyes. Now, I have to find some clay based litter so we can get rid of her allergies once and for all. Will old cats learn new litter? I'll keep you posted.

Birding

2009-03-09T09:48:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm blogging about birds at birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com

Update

2009-02-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday - again - and we went to the Amazon. Okay, so it wasn't the Amazon in South America, but the new exhibit at Phipps Conservatory. We hadn't been there in years and after we finally found a parking spot, it was a nice respite from the cloudy weather. I liked the new Amazon exhibit and the orchid show the most.
Last Saturday, I received an early gift when we went to see Topol in his going away tour of "Fiddler on the Roof." Even though we could only get seats on the second tier I enjoyed it immensely and am wondering who can fill Topol's boots now.

A New Blog

2009-02-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting on my new bird-watching blog, birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com

Outings and Outages

2009-02-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

A side effect of the recent bout of snow and ice was that many of my meetings were canceled. I'm making up for cabin fever this week. On Monday and Tuesday, for example, I attended three meetings. Talk about information overload! It was a welcome change that I had no appointments yesterday. However, due to the storm that rammed through here (there is that evil weather again!) we had two major power outages and lots of flickers. Luckily, they didn't last long enough for me to shiver, but the second one meant that I had no computer and Internet for a while. Nonetheless, I got lots of writing done and am making great progress on a big writing project. How I miss German utilities!
On the home front, I'm getting ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count which starts today. The worse the weather, the more birds visit our backyard. Yesterday, they were particularly ravenous and I had to make a run to the feeder as soon as the power came back on. That's the disadvantage of an electric garage door.

The Diet

2009-02-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of a new year many people resolve to go on a diet. I'm not sure how many cats make that same resolve. My guess is, not one. However, I know one cat who is on a diet as of now, like it or not.
For the past few weeks we suspected that our older cat - aka Chubby - has arthritis because she was having increasing difficulty jumping and climbing the stairs. So, last night we took her to the vet on what could only be described as "black dog night." One technician even complained that all she saw that day were black dogs. They ranged in size from handful to big Labrador. It was quite entertaining for us, but quite traumatic for our cat who doesn't like any change.
So, Chubby hat a hissy fit when the vet began her exam. We learned that our cat had gained one and a half pounds since last April. At one point, she (the cat, not the vet) howled, confirming our suspicion that Chubby has indeed arthritis. The culprit, however, was the food we gave her. Because our other cat, Roxy, is on a special IBS diet we decided to give both cats the same dry food so Roxy won't steal food she shouldn't eat. We learned last night that that dry food is very rich in calories and we should feed Chubby a diet of nothing but canned food sprinkled with glucosamine. Feeding our cats in separate rooms seems to be the only solution. Roxy, of course, gets her dry food at an elevated place where Chubby can't get to.
In addition to our cats, we are also feeding plenty of birds in our backyard. Yesterday, I saw to my great shock that a squirrel was on our squirrel-proof feeder not once, but twice. I wish I could catch him in the act so I can see for myself how it gets around the squirrel guard. I guess we could add another section to the pole but how am I supposed to fill the feeders then? Life with animals is certainly interesting and, at times, challenging.

Exciting Times

2009-01-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

It has been an exciting week. On Sunday night, the Steelers snatched a ticket to the Superbowl. While I don't watch sports at all I am happy when my new hometown's teams do well. I have proudly supplied my nephew (and subsequently, his younger cousins) with T-shirts and/or hats from Pittsburgh's sports teams.
On Monday, I gave my second speech at Toastmasters. The theme was "A Day of Service" and I spoke about attracting birds to your backyard. I stressed that I hope that my bird and nature photos will encourage other people to protect birds and their environment. Naturally, I took along photos of birds at feeders. The speech was well received and I even had to answer questions afterward. A friend in Germany e-mailed me that she recently put up a birdfeeder and that it was one of the best investments she made recently. She greatly enjoys watching the birds and thinks of my photos while doing it. What a great compliment!
On Tuesday, of course, was Inauguration Day. My writing critique group, which meets every second Tuesday, decided to meet at a friend's house to discuss our writing and watch the swearing in and speech afterward. Later, it occurred to me that three of us weren't even born here. Pittsburgh is indeed a melting pot.

Great Backyard Bird Count

2009-01-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

If you care about birds, please put the Great Backyard Bird Count on your calendar. It takes place February 13 - 16 this year. For instructions and checklists, read www.birdsource.org. Basically, all you need to do is to count birds for at least 15 minutes. You may, of course, count them much longer.

Squirrel Update

2009-01-11T11:25:00.001-05:00

This morning, we woke up to a sight we never expected to see again: There was a squirrel on our squirrel-proof feeder. We have no idea how it got up there, but suspect that it jumped from the ground. The neighbor's barn and pear tree are a bit too far away for a squirrel to jump over. So, we might have to add another piece to our bird feeder pole. The only problem is that, at my short stature, I might not be able to fill the feeders anymore. Oh well, those little critters sure can make life difficult.
Our bird feeders are very busy this time of winter. They have been raided by a flock of grackles this week. Yesterday, we witnessed a huge flock of red-winged blackbirds in our yard. We have never seen any blackbirds at this time of year and have no clue where they came from or where they're heading. Spring and fall are their usual migration times. Where they lost or trying to avoid bad weather elsewhere? Other than that, we see the usual suspects: lots of cardinals; chickadees; tufted titmice; downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers; juncos; finches; and, of course, sparrows and doves. Not to mention squirrels...

Published Again

2009-01-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Last summer, I sold three photo features in quick succession. The wait between contract and publication is always a long one. Finally, yesterday I received the January/February 2009 issue of Pennsylvania Magazine with my four-page article "Beaks to Bills." It looks very nice and includes some of my favorite bird photos.
Now I am waiting for the other two articles to be published. They feature, of course, more birds. One highlights the festival of the birds at Presque Isle, which will take place again next May. The other article will be published in Pursuits Magazine, a magazine issued by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.
Do you see a pattern here? Well, I'm now working on an idea that has nothing to do with birds, just to break the monotony...

End of Year

2008-12-30T16:22:00.000-05:00

The year is almost over, and I can honestly say, "good riddance." It has been a challenging year all around. The headline news kept getting worse and worse and my private life has had ups and downs too. I observed my 50th birthday in the middle of a family crisis and an overall lousy month weatherwise. Arthritis in my knee kept me sidelined for several months and I haven't been photographing nearly as much as I would have liked. A couple of close family members spent weeks in the hospital and our cat has been sickly since spring. I had to cancel a photo workshop I had looked forward to, but made an unexpected trip to New York instead.
On the plus side, I finished three assignments last summer which should all be published shortly. That gives me something to look forward to. All in all, my photos have appeared in four Pennsylvania Magazines this year. I also started working on a big writing project and am busy sending out queries. I joined Toastmasters and am looking forward to the Pennwriters conference next May. Will everything go according to plan? Probably not, but at least I have set goals for myself.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

My first Toastmasters speech is over and it went very well. Luckily, I had practiced at home. Everybody liked my cookies, and rightly so.
I finally wrote all my Christmas cards and greetings. It must be a Murphy's Law that the one person you forget to write sends you a long letter. Such was the case today when a long-lost friend in Australia send me a long chain letter e-mail. Chain or not, I was happy to hear from her and quickly wrote her back before I forgot again. She is one of only two people who went through 13 years of school with me. Apparently, we both got the travel bug because I ended up here in the U.S. and she's in Australia.
Today is Christmas Eve and we open our gifts tonight, as is the German custom. Tomorrow, we eat turkey--an international Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Water, water

2008-12-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

For years, we've been wondering how long our water heater would last. Now we know...
On Thursday morning, we discovered a puddle of water coming from our water heater. Luckily, we could get a new one installed before I even ate lunch. We shudder to think what would have happened if the heater had died when we were out of town. So, we count our blessings that we were at home when it happened and that not too much water had leaked yet. On top of the water issues of Thursday, it rained buckets yesterday. I guess the drought is over now. In other news, our cat #1 has been very friendly lately. Next week is Christmas. Coincidence?
I have been very busy lately. Between Christmas parties and baking cookies, I'm preparing for my first Toastmaster speech next Monday. My theme is German Christmas traditions. I hope all goes well. Just to be safe, I'm taking German cookies to influence the evaluators...

The Big Apple

2008-12-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, I had to attend some business at the consulate in New York and so we flew there in the early morning. The day began with an amazing experience at home when we saw a deer in our backyard, which then walked down our suburban street.
By 10:30, I had already concluded my business at the consulate and we had the rest of the day to act like regular tourists. Being in the heart of Manhattan, our first stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was truly awesome and can rival the many cathedrals and churches I have seen in Europe. After warming up at a cafe, we headed to Rockefeller Center where we had no trouble finding the iceskating rink (it was still closed to skaters, though) and the famous Christmas tree. There were tourists from all over the world, despite a freezing 19 degrees Fahrenheit. We then went to the Top of the Rock where I detected German tongues everywhere. Luckily, we experienced the only sunny day recently and it was actually warmer up there than it was at street level. Unfortunately, the sun was directly behind the Empire State Building and I couldn't take any photos in that direction. The clear day provided a terrific view in all directions, though. Back on the ground, we walked around in circles, seeing the tree from all directions, until we found a place to eat. After that, it was time to hail a taxi to the airport. Luckily, the first taxi we approached just became available and we left Manhattan before rush hour. We were beat by the time we arrived back in Pittsburgh and concluded that our airport is nicer than New York's.

Squirrels be gone - or not

2008-12-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

After spending way too much money on bird seed because the squirrels just jumped on the feeder and the seeds fell to the ground, we finally bought a post with a squirrel guard. So far it seems to be working. The squirrels can't get to the feeders anymore and resort to scrounching on the ground for the crumbs from the table - err, feeder.
Yesterday, I did have an amazing experience when I heard noises from outside our kitchen. It was a squirrel that clung to the screening outside a kitchen window. I guess it figured that's where the food is. Before I could grab my camera, it took off. There is never a dull moment when there's a squirrel in the area.

Late November Musings

2008-11-26T14:41:00.000-05:00

Pittsburgh is celebrating its 250th birthday this week. I guess that's a long time for Americans. Personally, I think that's just a drop in the bucket. In Germany there are outhouses older than that. I've been to quite a few cities that are two thousand years old and more. Even my hometown once had a Roman villa, dating it pretty far back. Anyway, happy birthday, Pittsburgh!
On the homefront, our cat has turned into a heat-seaking missile. Ever since it has turned cold, she seaks heat in front of a register or in her igloo. And whenever we try to give her her medicine, she turns into a missile who launches behind the couch where we can't catch her. We've had to forego medicating her twice in one week and have now changed our routine to make us less predictable. Believe it or not, these little creatures know our routine to a T. We are determined not to be bested by a cat. But we're thankful that she is still with us considering all her health problems. Tomorrow, we'll reward her with a bit of turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy-ness

2008-11-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a blog for a while because I have been very busy. Last week I had three meetings in two days because I joined Toastmasters. I'm hopeful that it will help me with my goal of speaking to civic groups. I also signed up for an online marketing class before realizing how much work was involved. The marketing plan is due in two days and I haven't done much yet.
I also have a craft show at the Castle Shannon fire hall this coming Saturday and Sunday. Add to this some travel planning for an unexpected trip and you'll understand why I am running in circles.