Hammonassett Beach State Park

At the end of the beach, near Webster Point, reddish sand was likely rich in iron.

This past weekend, I started an experiment.  I shut off the computer all day Saturday and Sunday.  Sometimes I feel so drawn to it, like there is a magnetic force luring me in front of the screen.  Often I keep on working and pushing right through the weekend.  If I'm not writing or doing research, I'm thinking about them.   I wondered how I'd feel without the computer.  Would I be frustrated at the inability to work and type?  Would not moving toward my goals make me spiral downward?  Would I become more creative?   Would my life be richer with a break?

 I found a scallop perfectly balanced on an oyster shell.

This first weekend, I found myself doodling on my brother's birthday card, turning the "O" in his name into a sinister looking Mr. Potato Head.  If it was warm, I would have gone outside to sketch with a pencil.  I picked up two nonfiction books and read quite a bit, but I didn't do anything connected to writing.  I was kind of hoping the time away from the computer would put some magical thoughts in my head about how to creatively approach two projects, but it did not.    

Driftwood that looked like an eel

I don't know whether it was pure luck or not, but I managed to nail an ending in one day instead of the three days it normally takes me.  It may have been because I started jotting down phrases and brainstorming instead of trying to write full sentences.  Next time I need an ending, I'll have to give this method another try.

Skate egg case

      
With a mother of a snowstorm expected tonight, I thought I'd better post these photographs from Hammonassett Beach State Park before the place turns into a winter wonderland.  At this time of year, skate means something entirely different.

Bolton Lake

In the past few weeks, I've surged forward on a small, but challenging piece of writing.  It has been SO much fun to put together that I've lost track of time, staying up past midnight a couple of nights.

My approach was different than it has been in the past.  Instead of writing the picture book then fitting it into the format, I designed it with the layout in mind.  Huge difference.  I definitely think this is the way to go.

It also helped immensely to be able to see what it would look like.  That old cut and paste the manuscript process was not for me--too inefficient and slow.  I started by making a little booklet and writing the story in it.  Then I had more revisions.  The thought of making more booklets and writing the whole thing again and again was not at all appealing.  I'm really pleased that I finally devised a way to make a typed book of my manuscript relatively quickly.  It helped me see the page turns and it also gave me a better perspective as far as age level, wordiness, balance, and where it fell flat. 
 
These photographs represent my "reflection collection."  All were taken at Bolton Lake.      

Enders State Forest, Granby

For a sense of scale, take a look at the umbrella on top of the falls.  Someone was under it.

I try to take advantage of conferences when they're in my area.  So, when I found out the AASL (American Association for School Librarians) was planning a November conference in Hartford, a mere twenty minutes away, I was delighted and so were my writing friends.  I think I can get by with a one-day, exhibits-only pass.  Excited!!!

The first view of the water.

The Northeast region of the American Chemical Society is also having a conference in New Haven at the end of October.  I will be checking back on that one to see if there is anything of interest.

Walt and Lola look dwarfed by the water.  Here you get a sense for how slippery it was.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Climate Literacy class that I just finished was the world map.  It had numbered pointers that corresponded to other students' written classwork.  The impacts of climate change could be seen from Kiribati to Crete to Croatia, from Bangladesh to Belgium to Bulgaria, from the Southwest to South Carolina to South Africa.  It was an eye-opening global view of how climate change is affecting the planet.  Many students wrote of drought, rising sea level and fires.

It is shameful that while we haggle here in the United States over whether climate change is manmade (it is) or natural (don't be a moron), there are other people on the planet that are suffering the very real consequences of inaction.

Another waterfall

These photographs were taken at Enders State Forest, a place where roaring waterfalls cascaded from the rocks.  The hike was short and more like a walk with an incline.  On a hot humid day, the only rain shower in the state dumped a bucket of precipitation on Enders while we were there.  We were soaked, which made the trek along the edge all that more treacherous.  Since someone had recently slipped at the park, a couple of news teams were in the parking lot.  I practiced my speaking skills by agreeing to be interviewed, dripping as I was.  They aired footage of kids doing flips in the water instead of one soggy hiker pretending she was at Toastmasters.  What a shame!

      

Bryce National Park - Queens Garden/Navajo Loop

Yesterday, I found another opportunity in my inbox.  You have absolutely no idea what a pleasant change of pace it is to have these things come to me.  I will dish on those when and if they come to fruition.

On 7/15/12, I posted about the not so definite link between extreme weather and climate change.  Since then, James Hansen has published a paper where he concludes that a couple of extreme heat waves (one in 2011) are linked to global warming.  I also thought recent news that at one time Antarctica was covered with palm trees, baobab and macadamia was fascinating.

The colors in Bryce National Park were stunning, terra cotta hoodoos and deep pines against a cerulean sky.  When the morning and evening light hit those formations, they glowed a brilliant orange.  We hiked the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop.  It was one of the best hikes I've ever done.  Midway through that hike we came to a section adorned with tiny cairns.  They were everywhere.  They were piled on the ground, on logs, on tree branches.  It was the cutest thing and surely something that rangers do to occupy little ones.  What an adorable idea!  Next time, I'll post about the wildlife I saw.

I spent the week working hard revising a nonfiction picture book.  It gave me a new appreciation for nonfiction PB writers and illustrators.  It was a puzzle shaving the readability level, explaining the science, pondering illustrator possibilities, showing action, and turning words into art.  In my case at least, dropping the readability level increased the word count.  I was joyous to jack down the Flesch-Kincaid number from 5.7 to a more manageable 3.7.  Cutting sentence length worked well to a point.  I went too far and made it choppy.  To compensate for this, the number of words rose by about 500.  There was one part that dragged.  Initially (last post) I thought an illustration would fix this, but after more thought, I came up with a better solution.  I broke up the science like a pizza and evenly distributed pieces throughout the manuscript. 

My deadline to submit this for the conference is March 10th.  It's in great shape!

It's been a green winter, so when it snowed yesterday, I got the camera out.   That snow covered debris and stacked wood came from fallen trees from the freak October blizzard in 2011.    

Today, I'm posting photographs of Common Ground, Connecticut's only charter high school focused on the environment. I was there with a small contingency from the CT Climate Change Education Committee. One woman described the group as an eclectic mix and they definitely were, but they were all involved with education in one way or another.

At the school, we listened to some presentations about the place then four students stood up to talk about the projects they were working on which all centered around conservation/reduction of the school's resources, specifically water, energy, waste, and food. We applauded them on the content of their speeches and their excellent presentation skills. Then we toured the facilities. I loved the outdoor amphitheater where the drama class practices and entertains. It reminded me of something you might see at a National Park. The school runs a farm and eats, sells, and donates what they produce. It was a school vastly different than any other I've ever been to, a place where the outdoors was integrated into the classroom. In addition to passing out a few business cards, I did talk to one person who gave me a different perspective on the speaking scene from the viewpoint of a school and their needs of time and curriculum. Before I left, I gave the school one of my five contributor copies of ChemMatters (2/11 water issue) . One student and one faculty member had mentioned how passionate they were about the topic.

I thought I had pretty stylish science writing until I started reading The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. It is fiction, but the lovely lyrical writing is making me feel like the Plain Jane of writers.
In my defense, when you write for magazines, there is no room for excess words that add to the drama. They will inevitably be trimmed out and more science will be stuffed in their spot.

Next week, I anticipate making a trip to the university library for research papers. Many are online, but not all.

I submitted an online application today and early next month I'll mail the rest of the stuff that goes with it. I was getting a little anxious because I haven't received my clip for a February article, but thankfully I found a work around. At the end of February, after a webinar, the editor sent an email with THIRTY attachments. My article in the February issue was included as an example in that email, so I was able to gather all the clips I needed. Phew! I'm holding off on this mailing hoping that my resume will need modification by month's end. If not, so be it. Fingers crossed!

The other day, I couldn't help but marvel at the Naples yellow golden sun that lit up the distant hills and the tops of the trees in the backyard. It put a warm glow in a stormy sky.

I am almost done filling out a biographical questionnaire for the Highlights Foundation for the Chautauqua writing workshop in July. Those things take more time than they look. It's interesting that I happen to be reading about "the dominant impression" of characters as I answer the "tell me about yourself" question. So it has got me thinking about what is the dominant impression that people get when they meet me? Maybe I'm too afraid to ask.

Here's my shot of the supermoon rising in the forest! The first sight of it was stunning, a glowing orange orb rising in the night sky. I now wish I had captured it from the top of a hill where the view was better. Next time.

I ordered new full color glossy business cards today. The old ones were circa 2002 and were missing vital information like website, facebook info and the mere mention of the word "science." I chose a background that reflects my most significant accomplishment. Hopefully, it won't make me ill to look at it if things don't pan out.

In Newport, I sat on the shore at this point that juts out right where the Cliff Walk changes direction. Water smashed the rocks at the top and it also came swirling in from the right. I was mesmerized by the waves rushing in and slamming against the boulders creating an ever changing pattern of whirlpools and white froth against a turquoise sea. I could have sat there for a long time.

Tackling a new topic reminds me of picking up a rock and turning it in all directions to try and find the most interesting angle. The subject I'm working on now is a lot simpler than the last one I did. I don't need all the upfront explanation (or so I think). It's due in four days, so I really need to get moving on it.

Speaking of rocks, earlier this week, I slipped away to Newport RI for a few fun days with friends. These two photographs of the rocky shore were taken on the Cliff Walk. The top photograph of Emily, I named Buddha on the Rocks. I made her nervous in the bottom photograph.

I've been revising the presentation, taking suggestions that were offered. It's much better now. This required moving some slides around. Now instead of me talking about a scientist, I'm going to get a student volunteer to BE the scientist and act out the part with a few simple props. I made a collection of short cue cards for the student and the audience to read. The audience will also assist by making noises that correspond to the action taking place. I also added a new attention-getter first slide that is a whole lot more impressive than what I was using. I must say I truly enjoyed smothering an old hat with glue and sticking things to it. It came out great! I know the kids will enjoy the participatory parts of the presentation, but I'm still trying to come up with a better ending. Hm.

Here's a picture of the iced Hinoki cypress tree we have out front. The poor thing looks frozen to the stem.

Today, I had some fun on the trail cross-country skiing. Conditions were excellent for fast moving. In the sparkling woods, I met an elderly gentleman and talked to him for quite a while. He was an expedition leader for the AMC for a long time and he's hiked many of the trails in CT. His efforts were incorporated in two CT Forest and Parks Association books, Connecticut Walk Book East and Connecticut Walk Book West. He told me the state purchased a chunk of land in town that may become a state forest. He also mentioned the little red barn at Valley Falls Park, where we were skiing, was slated to become a nature education center, a place to occupy camp kids on rainy days with things like slide shows. That's when my ears perked right up. "Slide shows you say?" So, I told him what I was up to and he asked me my name. It occurred to me at the time that bringing the program to camp kids would certainly be a good way to spread the knowledge.

Ice was glistening on the trees as the morning sun cast long shadows across the backyard. Unfortunately, the photograph doesn't capture the sparkling branches the way I saw them, but I tried.

Today, I shipped out what I consider the best article I've ever written. I have high hopes for this one. Since I'm demoing the presentation Thursday night, I've devoted the rest of the week to making sure it runs smoothly and it's interesting throughout.

The way this cardinal was angled reminded me of that lawn game, Jarts. I thought it was interesting how folded its legs were when it bent over to eat.

I have a commitment to speak at the next Toastmaster's meeting in two weeks. Now, I HAVE to practice this presentation! I am going to read the entire Toastmaster's book real soon because it has been helpful. For example, last Thursday I read that it's not a good idea to make a presentation entertaining and informative so I removed some humor that I had not yet added. I'm also removing two slides and starting with a question as has been suggested to me by the head of the Vernon Toastmasters. That will plunge me right into the topic, a better idea.

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Here's another photograph that Walt took of the female cardinal, a regular visitor.

I was thinking last night that one of the difficult things for me at least, has been deciding where best to put my time and effort. At any given time, you can write short or long pieces for adult or children and on any topic. Then of course there is the other stuff--presentations to create and practice, grants and fellowships to apply for and contests to enter. Trying to pick my way through a myriad of choices and chart a path that works for me is a constant dilemma. I look back and think about some of the duds, the things I spent time on that never got me anywhere. Time has given me some wisdom to reduce the waste, but a crystal ball would sure be nice.

I finally shot a decent picture of the bluejay that often feeds on the back deck.

I have been immersed in Powerpoint lately, adding transitions, animation, color, maps, and photographs. The presentation with hands-on science is ready to go and looks great! I'm not sure if I want to invest more time dealing with sound which I was unable to get to work. Hm.

Today, I'm diving into research papers and I think I might be able to work simultaneously on a bigger project and on a magazine article on the same topic.

Since I've been slowly adding to my favorite lines, mostly for my own amusement, I decided to add a separate link on the right for quotations and remove them from the "about me" section.

Today, I'm posting my own photographs of the cardinals that have been visiting. They make a handsome pair, him in his bright red suit and her with her fancy headpiece. The male cardinal has an expression that makes me think, "what are you looking at me for?" I love watching them.

I have a glimmer of hope that an exciting opportunity that vanished last year may reappear this year. If so, I will seize upon it with every morsel I've got. Meanwhile, I'm going to finish up two headpieces for costumes for a climate change presentation.

This morning, Walt took a bunch of photographs of a cardinal feeding on bird seed he sprinkled in the flower boxes on the deck. I have tried to capture this same bird, but by the time I get the camera out, it's airborne and I've been too busy to hang around waiting for its return.

Despite a host of unforeseen things this year, I'm ending the year feeling rather triumphant, especially when I look at the champagne cork ornament dangling from the Christmas tree.

I finally finished the nonfiction adult book I was reading and now I'm working on a presentation in conjunction with the AMC. Today, I made a prop for the presentation and reviewed their slides for the first time. I still have a few minor things to finish up and then I've got to figure out how I'm putting it all together.

Today, I am posting a photograph of my backyard where I grew up. This field is considered wetlands. In the spring, the meadow is filled with the sound of songbirds.

In some soggy years there was enough frozen water to ice skate on. When the cows came up to the fence, we'd feed them clumps of grass. On hot summer days, I caught snakes with my brothers. They slithered in the grass and startled the heck out of us.

I have been exceptionally busy lately, but I'm really happy that I've finished fact-checking one piece of writing. I've also been busy chiseling away reading and highlighting a NF resource. Today, I met with my writing friends and enjoyed their company while also reviewing their stuff.

I have some more photographs from the Connecticut Envirothon that I'm posting. The bottom photograph is of a seaweed called "Dead Man's Fingers." The top photograph is Irish Moss. Carrageenan from this seaweed is used to make toothpaste, yogurt, and other products.

This past weekend and Monday I shuttled back and forth to New Haven for the National Association of Science Writers Conference. It was my first time attending and I got a lot out of it. It was nice to run into an editor I haven't seen in a long time. It made me miss working with him.

At the social I was surrounded by science writers and dinosaur skeletons. How cool is that? The presentations were really helpful and I'm still trying to catch up on what I missed via lengthy online videos. There were lots of interesting intelligent people there. Most that I met worked for Universities. If I go again, this commuting stuff is out. A two hour snow delay on Monday loused up my schedule and left me quite stressed and short of time, but I'll be darned if I'm missing anything. I high-tailed it down there and got there right as the behind the scenes tour was starting. More on that next time.