Sunshine sparkled on the trail that was dusted with snow, .  Like wind tossed glitter, the ice crystals twinkled in shades of yellow, green, blue, red, and maybe even purple. It was a cold morning. My teeth tingled and the water vapor in my nose froze. When I got back home, my legs were beet red. But it was nice to get out.

Monday, I shipped out two envelopes. I've been reading research papers and hopefully, next week I can make a trip to the university library to pull a bunch more. I expect 2010 to be a year where wild cards might just get flipped at a moments notice.

I stumbled upon this slide show of snowflakes and found it fascinating. Today the temp was 53 degrees here in Connecticut, so our snow is history. I was on the trail in shorts.

I had an envelope all sealed and ready to go until I unsealed it and made some changes. Then I sealed it back up with rubber cement only to unseal it once more. I was planning to mail it in early January, but now I think it will go out tomorrow along with a second envelope. Right now, it is the best I have to give, but is it enough?

Last night I was thinking about time. Time is a good friend when it's used to craft and sculpt a piece of writing. But time is not a friend when it slips away too fast. Although I am very happy that my article is out, I don't get a sense that it represents the time and effort that went into it. Such is life.

Today, I went back into the woods for more cross-country skiing. Enroute, we saw a deer and stopped to snap a picture. I rolled down the window and leaned out to take the shot. Walt beeped the horn in hopes that the deer would turn to face us, but it did not. After 2.5 hours on the trails at Fenton-Ruby Park in Willington, we were exhausted. On the way home, we drove by the field with the deer. It was still there--in the exact same spot. It was fake. LOL. Boy did we feel stupid.

Today, I received some nice Christmas presents in the mail. My five contributor copies of the December issue of ChemMatters arrived! I also received a check for two articles that will be coming out in the January issue of Fun For Kidz! Yes!

Today, I had great fun breaking trail on cross-country skis at Gay City State Park. As I sliced through fresh powder in the silent snowy woods, I thought about an idea I had in mid 2007. It took me until early 2009 to get moving on it and I'm hoping 2010 brings it to fruition. Knowing all that time slipped through my fingertips is discouraging. At day's end, I captured the sun setting from my front steps.

Walkway over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie New York

Today I went for a hike over a new walkway over the Hudson River in New York. It opened up this past October and must have been beautiful in the fall. What a mistake it was to leave my hat and warmer gloves in the car. I was so cold from the wind whipping across the open water that I actually sought refuge in an outhouse of all places. I also sat in one of those golf cart thingies, not because it was warm, but because no one was looking and I could get away with it (snicker). I thought it was interesting that tiny glass eels from Bermuda swim all the way up the Hudson. The bridge in the picture is the Mid-Hudson Bridge.

Today, December 15th, is the mailing deadline.
The cornmeal colored envelope has been carefully addressed.
The stamps have been neatly placed in the corner.
But the contents, the clip, has not arrived.
Where is the December clip?
Aggghhhhh!
Deep breath (repeat 6 times).

As I was flying out the door this morning, I caught a glimpse of this burning sunrise and paused. Upon return from the school, the color had vanished into the clouds. It's tough in this hurried season to take the time and enjoy the moment.

One envelope is ready to fly in 2010. One more to go.

Rising from the barren soil, can a tiny voice singing its heart out get noticed or will it get trampled--by a stampede? Sigh. Well, there is only one way to find out. Yesterday, I wrote out a couple of envelopes and formatted the revised piece the correct way. Don't ask how many times I did it wrong before I got it right. Everything's going out the door in early January.

I still don't have my clip for a December article. Three more days and it will be too late to submit it to the magazine merit contest. I'm probably the only nutcase that enters ChemMatters articles.

With her classmates and some brave adults, Julia jumped in the frigid water in the town pool this afternoon as part of a fundraiser to raise money to send a kid to camp. There was a thin layer of ice in the water. BRRRRRR! The dead mouse floating in the pool was a nice touch. Ewwwww!

I found this article about 130 scientists requesting changes to the Endangered Species Act. Under the Bush administration wording was changed to limit the region of protection as that which the plant/animal now occupies versus the plant/animal's historic range. The scientists make a good point that this territory could be so small that it would be impossible to recover from.

Granted, this photograph is not going to win any awards for stunning photography, but it does make a good point. Yesterday, in the fresh air under gray skies, I was eager to test out my new pair of cross-country skis. I headed into the woods behind my house and quickly found snow-covered fallen logs, a rock wall, and all kinds of spiny shrubs. I wasn't skiing, I was maneuvering so I turned around and went back for the snowshoes. Ultimately, it was a good choice. I had a peaceful hike up and down hills in the snowy woods. Following human prints, I got lost in both time and place.

I invest a lot of time and energy in what I write so I really lament about what I'm working on next. In the past month, I've gone in several different directions only to realize that I really want to write what I "finished" earlier this year. But I knew that piece needed work because it was not placing well. Anyhow, I went back to the starting point and reviewed, revised, and refined it. Now I will retrace last year's steps in hopes of getting somewhere. My New Year's resolution: Burst out of the egg and shatter the shell!

I was stopped at a school bus waiting while this kid took his sweet ole time walking slowly while trying to zip up his jacket. I wanted to roll down my window and yell, "can you pick it up a little." Not because I'm impatient, but more because I have an important video I wanted to blog about today. This video explains the latest news about "Climategate." A computer system was hacked and climate emails were stolen, taken out of context and publicized. One comment in the video mentions how it has been "many years of scientists working against a relentless force." Other key points:
Somewhere near minute 7:45 of video - These emails were made public before an important climate conference in Copenhagen in hopes of undermining the science.

The major point:
Somewhere after 9 minutes of video - "130 different countries" and "a large number of scientists" were involved in studying climate change. THIS IS NOT A CONSPIRACY!
Also, the information for the K-2 class I will be teaching at Manchester Community College is now on the website. The information for my class is on page 4. We had a lot of fun last year!

Fingers crossed big time that if I fix last year's problem, this years entry will have the flare it needs to light the skies.

Last night, some time after 9PM, a light bulb went off in a very dense head. Euphoria. I wanted to climb a high mountain and shout at the top of my lungs
"I KNOW WHAT I DID WRONG!"
When you think something is your absolute best and no one notices, it leaves feelings of disappointment, frustration and futility. Making considerable revisions on Saturday to something else, reading "The Orchid Thief", and reviewing last year's pick made me discover what was wrong. AGGHHH! How could I have been so blind, so foolish, so stupid? Don't answer that! A wave of relief has swept over me, bringing renewed hope. Out of last year's paper, I've folded, creased, and crafted a new paper airplane. I'm waiting for the right breeze to send it aloft and hoping this time it soars!

It's a winter wonderland outside! Here's my favorite writing spot covered in snow. Someone (me) forgot to put the chair in the cellar (oops).

Yesterday, I really got rolling on revisions to a chapter I "completed" last February. Maybe it was a good thing it didn't do well in a contest. Maybe it's a good thing I put it away for months. But finding out what was wrong and how to fix it was the real problem. I think I turned regular sugar into confectioner's sugar and I'm very pleased with the results!

At 4:17AM, I was tossing words around. Funny, how you think something is done, but at night your subconscious conjures up a better way to word it. I love my subconscious, but I hate the hours it keeps.

Thanksgiving has totally derailed me. I am struggling to get back on track. I suspect packing the contents of the dining room table in the cellar had a lot to do with it.

Someday........
Someday I'll get that clip I've been waiting for.
Someday I'll get an email from that elusive editor.
Someday I'll know what the status is.
Someday I'll stop whining.
But not tonight.

I have been chasing an elusive bird. It settles down on a balcony, seemingly within reach, but the minute I stretch my arms to grab it, it's airborne, only to land again within view. This leaves me wondering whether it is the bird I really want or the satisfaction of actually catching it. Maybe there isn't just one bird, but a whole flock. Sigh.

My brother sent me an email on the cash for clunkers appliance program. You can register to get emails about the program as the information comes available.