As we move into a new year, I think about all that I left behind and all that lies ahead.  I flip through the yellowed pages of photo albums, memories of a time, a place and a lifetime.  I think about the past, the future, and the news I shared one August day, before the curtain came down, for good.  I think about the course I set in 2007.  A steadfast compass still points in that direction--destiny.  Onward I march, into a new year filled with promise.  Ring it in and bring it on!

Photo - My mother in Mexico, living life.  

The Excursions in Learning catalog is out for the K-2 classes I'll be teaching at Manchester Community College in February 2012.  We are going to learn a lot and we are going to have fun!


I noticed you can now listen to a published article in EBSCO.  I listened to my article about hiking a glacier and was quite amused at the pronunciation.  The article, by Linda Zieyack, was about a glacier in Wrangell "S" "T" (St.) and discussed fearn (firn).

I spent this past week trying to find answers to seven crit group questions.  My article is now done and I'm really pleased with it.  Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to interview the scientist.  Next up is photo research for two articles.



I took this photograph back in early October at Hammonasset Beach, but I never got around to posting it.  These plovers were scurrying along the sand as mega waves smacked the shore.

Last week, I had additional things on my task list.  As if holiday shopping and five projects were not enough, I took care of a preteen and a cat all week.   Surprisingly, I got a lot done.  Since it saved time and gas, I ended up spending the week in another house and the time there was more like a writing retreat.  I didn't do much in the way of cooking and realized that cooking related tasks chew up a lot of time.  For some unknown reason, I was able to use the internet, but I couldn't email out, so I didn't spend any time writing emails (except the one day I went to the library).   I wrote an article and made some sizable revisions to another.

On Thursday, I spoke out at an Inland Wetlands meeting.  They probably don't hear this too often, but I brought up climate change and its impact on songbirds.  
 Potential effects of climate change on birds of the Northeast
 Projected Impacts of Climate and Land-Use Change on the Global Diversity of Birds
Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment
 2010 State of the Birds
Some birds have shifted their range northward (Audubon)
In this time, when the climate is changing and carbon dioxide and temperature are rising, why do we allow proposals that hack into water resources like wetlands?  

I got a new tripod about two months ago that I used to photograph the cardinals on the back deck.  It's lightweight and portable and should easily fit in my backpack.

I'm getting very adept at working on multiple things, something I could never have envisioned years ago. In addition to some photo research, I've currently got five projects in various stages of completion. Two are large projects and two are small. Lately, I'm yearning for closure on one long article, so I'm gravitating toward short quick writing. One article I'm writing is a really cute story that I've wanted to write about for a couple of years, the other is wildly exciting.

Now that the leaves are down, I am treated to gorgeous sunsets like this one. The tree limb that was hanging over the end of my driveway has been trimmed (a little too far!). The remnants of the oak tree remind me of a towering spear of asparagus.