It was a rough morning all around. The cat had a seizure. I had a dream I was rolling and rolling and rolling. I looked in the snow and found I'd been trying to make a snowman by rolling a kid's plastic playground ball. And it was a small ball too. But a ball filled with air is not exactly reality. That dream was too harsh. Geez, with dreams like mine, who needs nightmares.

I've been making good headway on a whole bunch of paperwork that is not due anytime too soon - thank goodness. It's a lot better then last time. But is it good enough, that is the question? I had a last minute change of heart and completed and shipped out Plan B. Hey, what the heck, I've nothing to lose except maybe a half days worth of effort. Can't say I'm not trying. Oh, you DEFINITELY can't say that.

I was at Cabela's today buying some mace. Better safe then sorry. Mine went through the washing machine. It doesn't work, but it's clean. Anyhow, since it was a different model I asked the lady at the register if she knew how this one worked. She explained that she used mace on a bear when she lived out in Montana. Whoa. This is CT. You don't hear stories like that. I wanted to hear the whole story, but a lady got in line and I didn't want to hold her up. I left the store thinking that cashier was no pansy.

I was pretty pleased with myself for putting a lot of irons in the fire during the past three months. But boy oh boy, they cool right off. Recognizing that Plan A was the stronger of the two, I don't think I'm wasting my time with Plan B. Humph.

A friend emailed today:

I was reading an article about male fish that are taking on female characteristics, they think it is something to do with what is in lakes and streams. I didn't quite get it. Could you please write an article for ChemMatters so I can grasp it?

My reply was "DON'T go in the water!"

REJOICE!

Today President Obama overturned Bush's last minute changes to the Endangered Species Act!
HALLELUJAH!!!! Here's the CNN article. That was such a flawed piece of legislation it wasn't funny. Let's just remove from the process those people (i.e. scientific reviews) that are in the way of development. Major audit check. Envisioning the fast destruction of land and sea from oil hungry companies was enough to make one sick. I was so happy to read this bit of news.

Well laid out steps are destined to be trampled. I'm off to do some snowshoeing in the woods - this time with hiking boots, not snow boots. Hopefully, I won't get a bad blister. Time to hatch another plan.

Upon my return, from a couple of hours snowshoeing, in regards to a glacier video I added to WWF, I received this nice email from the WWF:

Hello Linda

This is great and sorry for not getting back sooner but have been travelling
for work. I have added this to our favourites list on the Climate Witness
YouTube site.

Thank you so much for sending us this link and for making something that the
kids will love.

Many regards Claire

Claire Carlton
Manager Climate Witness Programme
WWF International
Australia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wwf_climate
website: www.panda.org/climatewitness
facebook: http://tinyurl.com/53wbt8
flickr: www.flickr.com/climatewitness/
youtube: www.youtube.com/climatewitness
www.earthhour.org.au - Saturday 28 March 2009

I just returned from the Banff Mountain Film Festival and enjoyed it very much. Although they say it's their 12th year in CT, it was my first time attending. The auditorium was sold out. The speaker from Alberta Canada said they stop in 275 communities in 30 countries. They tour in 7 continents including Antarctica. I was amused when he mentioned in Antarctica it sells out because there's nothing to do there. There were a couple of extreme sport films that left you wondering why anyone would risk it - biking down railings, climbing rocks that don't look climbable, and kayaking over HUGE waterfalls. Other films dealt with environmental issues. The topics were so fitting with what I write about. One film had excellent footage of grizzlies catching and chewing salmon. Another made me remember a topic that interested me, but I had forgotten about. And a third gave me a totally new idea. Yep, I'd definitely do that again!

That was a very short sigh. Yesterday I dug out some 2 year old paperwork and got working on it. I really regret that so much time has passed since I first started this. But I now realize there wasn't any time to thoroughly think it through back then. One thing is certain, it's much easier
and much stronger when one has a concrete plan.

I take such abuse. At 5:16AM, my alarm cat went off in my face - again. After getting largely ignored, it paused with it's left foot on my temple as my head lay on the pillow. Then as it strolled across my pillow, it's back foot conveniently landing on my temple too. Tell me that was an accident.

Looking back on the last 3 months, I'm really quite happy with what I have accomplished. January and February I was quite busy with a whole slew of things with deadlines. To get a visual picture of these deadlines I've created a writing calendar from a 2009-2010 planner that my aunt gave me (freebie Hallmark calendars will work too). In it I've been recording all writing related dates that I may need - deadlines, conference dates, classes I'm teaching..... It's working great. Looking at March, I realize I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yesterday, I was dismayed to realize I have to change one part of an outline. It was totally unexpected - one of those things that didn't go quite as well as I (and everyone else for that matter) had planned. Unfortunate. Oh well.

When I first started writing seriously in 2002, I was wearing rosy colored sunglasses (yes, I do own a pair). I had no idea what direction my writing was going to take nor just how challenging of a journey it would be. It was like building a snowman. You break your back rolling and rolling trying to make nothing into something, but you've no idea where this snowman will end up nor the journey you will take to get there. Through the years, I have found a direction that is perfect for me. It is in line with my interests and works with my background. Last night and early this morning I devised a little plan (that I wish I had thought of earlier). I am pursuing an opportunity. If I'm fortunate enough to obtain that piece of the puzzle it would be a huge jump start to obtaining 1 or 2 other pieces. Taken together those 2 or 3 pieces will be extremely beneficial pursuing yet another awesome opportunity. With a little luck, maybe this snowball will start ripping up the grass soon! But, if that first thing doesn't pan out, I've already got a back up plan waiting. I must say, I'm not one to pass on opportunities. But I am one to waste time blogging. Now it's back to work......but first the sunshine is luring me outside for some exercise. Charge!

Just now, I added my glacier video that I made for kids back in August 2007 to the World Wildlife Fund Climate Witness videos. I'm in the big time now. Next year, I hope I'm not overlooked for an Oscar.

Every single morning I get writers block that looks like this.........

Sea Lion

Lionfish

Beluga whale

Penguins

Since it's school vacation week, I went to the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic CT today. When my kids were little it was a full time job keeping an eye on them in the dark and busy aquarium. But now that my daughter is older, I can bring along a camera and wait out my shots.

Here's a video of a grizzly bear playing soccer with a dead salmon he's trying very hard to reach. Equally interesting is how in the world the video was filmed.

I'm currently debating what's next - continue working on something I've started, start something new, or pursue another opportunity. Hm.

KIDS HOWL!

I thought the kids howling in the woods was too precious not to pursue so I spent some time making a video out of the audio (and finding out that the microphone part of my earphones no longer work). And to think they were all standing on a fallen log howling like they were singing Christmas Carols. Too cute.

In the woods today, 12 kids followed wolf tracks and made a discovery, then they heard wolves. Shortly afterward, I recorded a pack of children howling, but unfortunately, after all my efforts getting it recorded on DVR, then onto goldwave on a laptop then transferred to this computer, I am unable to get the final upload to this site working. Grumble. And it was so incredibly cute too! I think we all liked our time out in the sunshine in the woods the best. It was a really busy morning, but I think everyone had a great time. I had 2 superb helpers - high school seniors. I received a very nice hand made valentine from one of my students that I greatly appreciated. Inside were the words "Your the best cupid I no! Have a fantastic stublastik super Valentines Day!" You too!

Yesterday, I hunted for audio and video of an event to get more of a feeling for what it was like. I was unsuccessful, but I did find a few research papers. I'm sure I'm only at the tip of the iceberg on what's out there. One recent paper appears to dispute a long held notion so I'm very interested in reading it. This could have ramifications in the next piece I'm writing.

Today, I'm baking blond brownies for my class, but I'm not cutting them in squares like the average baker. They'll be served in equilateral triangles. Hey, it works for me.

I'm currently exploring this question - How far can writing for magazines take me?

Today, I put another iron in the fire. It's blazing now!

I also found some iridescent jellyfish tentacle material that is perfect, long and fringy. Susan asked if I could accommodate more then the maximum in my wolf class. One student switched out, then wanted to switch back in, but in the meantime, she filled the slot. I started counting all of my materials and figuring how far the plaster would go....I personally don't have a problem with an extra kid, but the limiting factor was 2 track molds. 2 tracks/half hour x 3 hours = 12 tracks for the 12 kids.

After waiting 40 minutes for my appointment today I found out from the receptionist that my appointment is tomorrow. Good one. When I returned home, I found my little card and I was correct, it says 2/11/09. So I called to cancel my appointment tomorrow. Snicker.

Susan Meisler, head of Excursions in Learning at Manchester Community College asked me to mail out letters to the kids in my class to make sure they dress appropriately to go outside in the snow. Today, I shipped off 12 letters addressed to the kids. I put a picture of a wolf at the top of the page and made sure to mention that it wasn't a picture of their teacher.

Today, I was delighted to find some cheap clear shower caps, perfect for making jellyfish with for my second class.

A couple nights ago I had a dream I was wading in a calm ocean reaching for a warm volcanic rock. I pulled out a gift wrapped rock with the words "Linda, I told you it can happen." It was just a rock - but that's what I was looking for. I found it interesting that this definition of what an ocean means in a dream says "endless possibilities and potentiality." Yeah, I like that!

Today I found the absolute most perfect thing for my wolf class. The kids will be painting the food chain on placemats. There's nothing more fitting then heart shaped placemats for a class on Valentines Day. And they were 50% off on clearance too! I looked at the class list. The 12 kids are scattered all over the map which is kind of neat. At Joann Fabrics this AM, I noticed a large sign listing 25 (yep, I counted) different inkpads for rubber stamps. Only 3 were checked off as capable of stamping on plastic (sheet magnets). Who knew? Live and learn. More fitting would be lupine and learn.

I was up at the college today scouting out a place to put down my wolf tracks for my class on the 14th. Found an ideal spot off the beaten track, a more natural setting then a parking lot. I'm looking forward to going outside with the kids. I think they will love this part of the class - me too! Fingers crossed that it's a decent day, rain or shine we're heading out to go howl in the woods. The class is capped at 12 kids, but she said it could have gone higher to 18, so I guess it was pretty popular. The jellyfish class, on the other hand, has much less participants. I didn't have a firm grasp on the specifics when I wrote that description. Next year, I'd like to rewrite the description and mention we'll be using a black light to view glowing cells and I'll be mixing up glowing water and doing other fun stuff.

I have found that when I take something for granted, that's the thing that will get me in trouble. If I think a sentence is accurate, but don't actually check it, that'll be the sentence that is wrong. And if I think I can rubber stamp on magnetic sheets and don't actually check it, that'll give me trouble too? When I asked the lady at the store if I could rubber stamp on a magnetic sheet she said "oh I think so," checked with the manager and replied confidently, "yes." Well, guess what? I tried this yesterday on a scrap piece of magnet. Who would have guessed that the darn ink was too light,wouldn't dry, and smudges every time it's touched. ACK!!!!! Houston we have a problem. I can't have kids handling magnets and ruining their creations at the same time. No No No. I came up with two solutions - cover with paper (like mailing labels/nametag) or paint over it. I was not very happy having to do this extra step, but its done. Now I have a whole fleet of cut yellow magnet squares that are rubber stamp ready for a food chain parade!

This week, I've been playing with clay, cutting magnet sheets and recording howling wolves in preparation for the wolf class. Last night another opportunity presented itself. Hm. There is something very exciting about this one. It ties in nicely with the outline I've been working on and doesn't appear to be too much effort. I may just move on it.

I am finding it too difficult to put this project away. I keep hearing voices like when my daughter was little and needed a lift to the top of the stairs, "pick me up." But I didn't sing to my outline, "you got legs, and you know how to use em'." As usual, I'm being very silly. Today I sliced a subheader into three pieces because there was too much there and I came up with some clever titles too. I started reading "101 Things I Botched Up Writing This Outline." It's a great book, but it ended up giving me a lot of work. So I had to fix all of them. And if this isn't the best darn outline I've ever done, then I don't know what is.

And today.......it's a snowshoe day! Out in the woods, I pulled my folded 4 page document out of my pocket and read it as I walked. I just can't leave it alone. Glad I brought the pen. I had the trail to myself, but the sound of snowshoes was thunderous crunching on the frozen snow. That wasn't the only sound. Somewhere behind my left heel there was the sound of ripping - skin ripping. Naturally, I didn't turn around until my heel was killing me. At this point, I had 2.5 miles to go with a 3/4 inch blister (not that I measured). That is one big mamma blister. Anyhow, I decided that this project has to go into a file cabinet because I won't leave it alone and move on to something else and I have to get back to those 2 classes in Feb.

Today, a snow day, I was like a maniac. I spent the entire day (7-3:30) reviewing this 4 page document for accuracy and I wasn't about to stop until I was done. And I am there. YES! It's amazing how you can be so certain you got it right until you really look closely.

I noticed on the news today that John Updike had died. I'm glad I saw him once at a local college and that I purchased a book and had him sign it.

I just got done with a webinar. It was kinda cool - powerpoint slides with audio from the editor and attendees all over the U.S. I was surprised at the 25 participants. My stomach was making strange little noises that I hoped no one but me could hear. I was sweating it out in the beginning when the meeting was about to start. What! You have to be an administrator to log on? My husband crowned himself administrator long ago, so I had to go get him real fast. Phew!

This morning at 5 A.M., my alarm clock purred in my face (and you can't turn it off!). That got me thinking about the nonfiction books I used to read my kids when they were small. For the life of me I could not remember much. I do remember reading lots of Tana Hoban books and I loved this book for capturing the grandeur. The nonfiction kids books I've been reading lately are really exceptional in their own way - excellent photography, interesting stories, dramatic action, and beautiful storytelling. Did they exist back then? I would have read more if I could have found more nonfiction that was a nice read.

I have an idea for my current proposal - something a little different. But I need to think about the best way to do it. Hm.

I forgot to mention at my local library yesterday, I noticed nearly an entire shelf of brand new nonfiction! Way to go!

I just received this nice email from my friend Emily who I recently made a birthday basket for that included "Emily's Fortune Cookies."
"I just had the last of the Emily chocolate covered fortune cookies....they were delicious and I liked the fortune aspect very much. When they interview me after you are famous I can use that as an example of what a thoughtful and inventive person you are."
And my response back was that when I fail to succeed at being a science writer after flunking Webinar 101, I can make gift baskets for a living! My memories of college chemistry revolve solely around breaking a flask and having the entire class look in my direction. I'm certain my face looked like I'd just opened a hot oven.

I thought I'd pass along an interesting video of an Andean bear and cub in Peru climbing a sheer vertical cliff. Pretty amazing. The video link came in an email from Chris Morgan of Beartrek. In December I also received a disk, but sorry to say I've been so totally absorbed in a whole array of things that I have not had the time to look over the contents.

This is the week of having to redo things. After "unsubscribing" to a listserv, my inbox has been filling up with mundane emails. So I unsubscribed - again. I've just finished the first 2 paragraphs that I "finished" last week. They didn't do it for me, didn't pack enough power. I kept a lot of the phrases, but rearranged the order. I'm likin' this version even more. Now I'm on to verifying the accuracy. My new approach is to only print off one page at a time so the task is not so daunting.

Next week I'm doing a webinar. Believe me, I didn't have clue either. I'm curious to find out what on earth this editor is going to talk about for 1.5 hours? In looking at that definition it mentions the ability to receive information from the participants. Oh no, not the dreaded "around the world" thing. Linda, please tell us about yourself. Dial tone (of course I'm laughing at the thought).

Yesterday after fumbling around on the NASW website I thought it would be a good idea to subscribe to the discussion board or so I thought that's what it was. Today after receiving all kinds email that I wasn't interested in reading I realized I had made a BIG mistake. UNSUBSCRIBE!!!

I also received the pamphlet I ordered. It looks more like a book to me. I'm eager to read the contents.

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!

Did you catch these words: "We will restore science to its rightful place."

So much for "thinking" I was done with those first 2 paragraphs. From prior experience, I have come to realize that preparing an article is like selecting the fabric, stuffing it with science and sewing up the sides. With my submissions it seems the editors are always ripping them open and squeezing more science stuffing into the corners. Then we sew them back together to get a very complete piece. So, I'm making a conscious effort to try and stuff this one full the first time. Yeah, right, just like I'm making a conscious effort to cut sugar. Hah.

I've been doing considerable work on those first two paragraphs where the action begins - moving sentences around, replacing words, and rearranging phrases. I start with a vision of the scene in my head and try to make the words exactly match the picture. It's easy to say yep, got it. Then I go back, read it again, and think it's not quite there. After revising it for a while I still have words on paper.......
but I like it, like it, yes, I do
Oh, well, I like it, I like it, I like it

I don't make New Years resolutions. I think last year's short list of accomplishments was the catalyst for this year's drive - push it, cut computer time, and cut sugar. Some time last fall I was lamenting about what direction to go in. There were two paths - look elsewhere and cut back or work furiously. For now, I'm working furiously.

Ch 1 is on paper now! It's a lump of clay that needs work, but it exists. There is so much I want to read - books for kids, a book for adults, a pamphlet that has not yet arrived, and 3 newsletters.

It's snowing here today. It's really helpful to write about conditions when you are experiencing them first hand. Without much effort, I came up with a nice analogy.

Here's the math:

1 hour = 3 lousy sentences (yesterday)
2 hours = 1 page (today)
-------------------------------------------
Total = Moving forward......slowly.

For my latest research, I've been pulling information everywhere I can get it - internet, research papers, books, Youtube videos, and today I added a webcast.

I'm happy to report that my wolf class has enough kids signed up that I'm getting a teachers assistant. I always wonder what attracts the child/parent to sign up for a particular class. Is it the hands-on activities I listed or are the kids excited about going outside and howling. Yep, you heard right, we will be howling. When my daughter left for college, she left her Sony ICD-B600 digital voice recorder here. I am going to ask her if I can borrow it (let's face it, recording college lectures wasn't a big hit with her). Tracking wolves will be that much more real if I can record the sound of a radio receiver and the sound of an actual wolf howling. Owoooooooooo!

Doesn't that figure. After calling a busy editor to pester him (in a nice way) about sponsoring me by sending an email, I find out today that I am now a member of the National Association of Science Writers! So obviously the email was sent. I looked through the roster of members and was kind of surprised there were only 3 science writers for children that I knew of. I lamented whether this was the right thing to do. After thinking about it for a bit I decided yes, I'm confident I did the right thing for me and for my future goals.

Ideas are always evolving. Nails are out for securing wolf tracks to the ground. While in the cellar browsing the glass jars filled with screws and nails, I remembered. When I was a kid, unknowingly, I stepped through the snow onto a board with a nail sticking out of it. I ended up with a puncture wound in the arch of my foot and a tetanus shot too. Walking was painful for a while.

Interesting that both classes that I'm teaching reminded me of childhood incidents. In preparation for the jellyfish class, I searched for fluorescent items in the fishing section of an fishing/hunting store. I passed fishing lures with shiny fake fish hanging from them. As a kid, after a swim, I climbed on the dock. Dangling from my knee was a lure like that. Thankfully, there happened to be a doctor nearby. He removed the hook the only way he could - forward breaking the skin again, snipping the hook, then backing out. Oh that hurt! The end result was another tetanus shot. When I hear some say catching fish and releasing them doesn't hurt them, well, I have a VERY different opinion. Been there. Rather then risk leaving one nail on the ground, I'll likely use a metal weight secured underneath with packing tape.

Yesterday, I made tracks - literally. My upcoming class about wolves and a study in Banff National Park is on Valentines Day. I really want the kids to understand what it's like to be a scientist tracking wolves so I'm hoping the weather cooperates and we can go outside. It just won't be the same tracking wolves through the hallways of a college. Anyhow, I started making plaster casts from a well-traveled bucket of casting compound (it went on a trip to AK). Although I had fun, I soon realized that I needed many more tracks and these were going to be heavy and fragile. Wind and wet surfaces were also potential scenarios. I went online to find an actual size print of a wolf using Google images. I printed it and saw how tiny it was. Was this a troll wolf? It was 1/2 actual size so I enlarged it. I ended up with laminated wolf tracks with a hole punched in them to secure them to the ground with a nail.

Two nights ago, I was at the local library scooping up some books so I could examine the layout. The librarian asked if there was anything in particular I was looking for. I told her I was looking for science books written as a story, books that had won awards. She had her pen handy and was taking all this down. I gave her one topic that I was particularly interested in. New budgets come out in January and the head librarian had money to spend.

The shelves were stacked with all kinds of nonfiction, but much of it was not something you could read. I thought it would be really helpful if libraries distinguished the nonfiction story books from the reference books that are merely collections of facts. All Y/A books have a bold "Y/A" on the spine, why don't they put a big "S" (story), "CN" (creative nonfiction) or "NS" (nonfiction story) on the spine of a nonfiction book that can be read aloud? This way parents and teachers could easily find these books.

Yesterday, I was at the office supply store making copies of clips and some other writing stuff. Here's the math:
17 pages x 4 copies of each page = 1 tree
Being intent on keeping the pages organized and making sure I copied each one, I was totally oblivious to what could have been a hugely embarrassing moment. We are not talking poppy seeds in the teeth mind you. Maybe I shouldn't even admit this, but my pants had a rip in the back of them that was horrendous - an 8 inch window into my private world and it wasn't even on the seam. I can assure you there weren't like that when I put them on. Thankfully, my coat was long enough to hide the disaster. My daughter was practically on the floor with laughter when I told her I was heading to the grocery store. "Like that?" "Yeah." "YOU'RE GOING LIKE THAT!" She must have laughed for 10 minutes. Anyhow, if my embarrassing story brightens up just one day it was worth blogging about.

I was surprised today while browsing the SCBWI Bulletin online. I came across my name announcing the July 2008 publication of "What good is the Big Bad Wolf?" in Highlights. But I thought the writer submitted their own announcements. I didn't tell them. Just because everyone else is doin' it, doesn't necessarily mean I think it's good for me. I guess for me, it seems like bragging, so I don't bother. Is this a test to see if I read the thing? OK, fess up, who did it?

After all these years, I am still learning - and doing things wrong. I know, it's hard to believe, but I'm afraid it's true. Today I was working on a short biography. I am embarrassed to say that I was pretty clueless. In fact, I looked at all my old stuff and found that I did a better job at a bio back in 2006 (but it was still pretty lousy). I am SO glad I looked up how to write these babies. Anyhow, I added a "how to write a short bio" link to my writers links in case I have a bout of ugh ugh ......what was it called?

I opted out of a New Years Eve party due to fresh snow and a strong desire to finish the book I was reading. Curled up by the Xmas tree, with a booklight and a glass of red wine I read quite a bit and was quite content to end the year at 10PM. Today I finished the book. It led me to several research papers and like an internet machine, those led me to others. The book hinted at more animosities between scientists and made me realize I needed to tweak the outline a little more. It was time well spent. Next up, I will be finalizing and testing some residual ideas for the two K-3 classes I'm teaching in February at Manchester Community College and with luck I'll have some time to keep moving forward on this.

Today, I moved slowly on the trail fighting a wall of wind, maybe it was the weight of Xmas or fleece. The wind threw parched leaves across the trail and one paused over my eye. For a moment, I was a pirate. About 100 yards in front of me a branch came crashing down. What if I had been in that spot? One moment you are here. One moment you are not. I learned that heartbreaking lesson when I was 5. I heard it over and over - enjoy life because you never know. So I take opportunities when I find them, seek out adventure, and work hard to pursue those things that matter. Here's to 2009, I'm raring to go!

Today I was up at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum (RISD) in Providence R.I. for the first time. They had a David Macaulay exhibit that I found very interesting. His architectural artwork was meticulous. Every brick was detailed. I could have spent more time pouring over those drawings. On the wall were pages from Black and White. I remember taking that out at the library when my kids were smaller. It was so unique, a book with four stories going at one time. That book made an impression on me because it was so different from the many other books I used to read my kids.

Outside the museum, a number of blocks away, I noticed the crosswalks didn't look like your average crosswalk instead they were fancy (Providence?) reminding me of the artwork I had just viewed. It was a good use of a dreary rainy day.

I was hesitant to crack the spine of a book I'm reading for adults. I was afraid that the outline I would find inside would be better then the one I came up with. Oh why didn't I think of that, kind of thing. I finally opened it and found tons of chapters - way more then I could ever use. The titles in the table of contents didn't really give me any great clues about the organization. Initially, I was going to do a first-person story like this book, but I dismissed that idea weeks ago. What's good enough for this author isn't good enough for me. I'm happy with my outline and I'm doing it my way.

Last night, when I should have been cleaning (maybe if I dim the lights....), I listened to a webcast. This morning, it occurred to me that I'm not done with the outline. I really need to add another category with more information about what I saw in the webcast. Meanwhile, I've GOT to focus on Xmas Eve.

Boy, when I get going, I'm consumed by my work. I was again up at 3AM with the light up pen. It seems to be a great time to come up with titles and outline sub headers. Yesterday, my mother asked me what was on the menu for Xmas Eve. Really, I haven't a clue. At her house, she sets the table 3 weeks before a dinner. So I spent 1/6 of an hour (i.e all of about 10 minutes) browsing for recipes and thinking about it and the rest of the day was spent on my outline. So it's a GOOD thing the outline is done! But I do want to read two more books before I sign off on it........

I was mighty pleased to read that Obama appointed heads for science and technology and that there will be a new respect for scientific research. Hallelujah!

Once again I was up at 3AM working. What the heck is wrong with me, can't I keep normal hours? Anyhow, at this ungodly hour I marched downstairs and fired up the computer. My outline was becoming cluttered with details. I created another copy and stripped off those details to expose the skeleton. I think I nailed it! It was like brushing away the sand to find a gemstone. When it's passed to an editor, that's when I hear the ripping sounds and realize that maybe I didn't exactly nail it.

Writing this outline is like trying to find the best way to hop across the rocks in a stream. Sometimes you can't make it from one rock to another because they're too far apart. It's also not wise to take a long roundabout route. Two nights ago, at 3AM, I got out my light up pen and started working on the outline. Wow, was I ever productive when I should have been sleeping. I came up with a new beginning that packs some power. I like that.

I've been hunting for that book I wanted. It's not in any library in my home state so I called 2 bookstores. Rather then shuttle down and order it, I ordered it from home. I'm sure I picked the "mailman can walk it here" option of shipping. It came the next day! I also mailed a request for an important pamphlet. So far, it's been a productive December. Only a fraction of the Xmas ornaments are on the tree and no one seems to mind (so why bother putting up the rest?).

I finally finished the book I was reading that was written by a scientist. Now, I'm pondering an outline. How to pack an overnight bag when you have 3 closets worth of clothes. Knowin' what to throw away knowin' what to keep. Today, in one hours time, I found some more recent material - a book so new I may have a hard time obtaining it AND a freshly written research paper. Yes!

Yesterday, I received my catalog of Excursions in Learning children's classes (K-8) at Manchester Community College. If I were a kid, I'd have a hard time choosing. It looks like a great line up of exciting classes!

On Saturday, February 14th, I'm teaching "The Wolves are Back! (pg 5) " for K-2. The following Saturday (2/21), I'll be teaching "Jellyfish Aglow Glow(pg 7)" for grades 1-3.

Last night I was at a Xmas party for the Air Management Systems of UTC (think A/C in aircraft). Anyhow, I was introduced to about 10 people out of about 250. After one woman inquired about what I do, I mentioned my tidbits about my latest article. Then she told me something even more amazing, a remarkable coincidence. A few weeks ago she went to her high school class reunion in NJ (the party was in CT) and talked to her old high school chemistry partner, none other then the Nobel Prize winning chemist, Dr. Roger Tsien. She told me she emailed him recently. We were both pretty astounded to hear each others stories. She called him brilliant and said you'd never know he won such a prestigious honor. He was very low-key.

Then I was introduced to another woman who was a writer too. She has her own column (can't believe I found this!) in a newspaper where she interviews people with a story to tell. Some were very sad, but she wrote about them to let readers know how these unfortunate folks had overcome obstacles. She talked about her DVR. She uses one for in-person interviews. My interviews are email/phone, so our needs are different, but I've been mulling it over for a few weeks now.

Who knew that in a roomful of A/C folks I'd find such a connection? And to top it all off we went home with a raffled soup basket.

Now this is cool! I found my first science article in Highlights featured as the story of the week. It was published in December 2006.

#$%*&#?#!!

I just knew these changes to the Endangered Species Act would get rammed down everyone's throat whether they liked it or not.

"The Department of Interior is ignoring the vast majority of the over 200,000 comments they got on this rule change-by moving forward. They are basically saying public be damned," said Andrew Wetzler, Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Endangered Species program.

The NRDC maintains that "absent court action, undoing this ruling could take months ... despite today's feel-good statements, we remain convinced that these changes are illegal."

The National Wildlife Federation, also voicing strong opposition, said that "in the eleventh hour of his presidency, President Bush has rammed through a sweeping overhaul of the Endangered Species Act. This action eviscerates key protections that have helped safeguard and recover endangered fish, wildlife and plants for the past 35 years.'

WHY ASK FOR COMMENTS IF NO ONE READS THEM? I wouldn't call this a democracy.

Last night I had every intention of reading further into that academic book I've been reading. I got sidetracked looking at websites on BEA, AASL, NELA, IRA, ALA, and CLA when I should have been looking up ADD. After that I listened to 3 Nobel lectures (about 1.5 hours worth). There were 4 things that pleased me:
1) Dr. Shimomura mentioned the work of Dr. Douglas Prasher. This I didn't expect since his work came before Prashers.
2) Dr. Chalfie gave credit to Dr. Prasher and mentioned that science is a sequential thing.
3) Dr. Tsien gave more credit to Dr. Prasher and singled him out of the audience.
4) Somehow Dr. Prasher got a well-deserved seat in that room!
I thought it was very cool when they dimmed the lights and Shimomura brought out his glowing tube.

I'm now well into reading a chunky book written by a scientist. It's not exactly action packed reading. The book is derived from 30 years of research. Its pages are full of collected data, charts, and analysis of this data. What amazes me most is that even one person could dispute the work of a scientist who has painstakingly recorded all this information. How could anyone even think of eliminating the input of scientists that work with endangered species under the ESA. These guys (and women) are out there in the field and know more about these creatures then anyone sitting at a desk. It's pretty obvious that the non-believers in science don't read these kinds of books. Hm. Wonder why.

Due to the holidays and the colder weather in December, I'm restructuring my day. I'm taking my two hours of research/writing time right off the top, bright and early in the morning (that means 7:30). If I'm headed to the trail, I'll do that later when the temp is warmer.

Day 1 of my new plan: It's 7:35AM. The phone rings after I've read all of ONE paragraph of this academic book written by a scientist. I decide not to answer it. Then the voice of my friend comes over the line. EEEK. She called yesterday and I forgot to call her back, I HAVE to pick it up. Anyhow, those 2 hours now start at 8, so I'm off this computer RIGHT NOW!

If you've got some time on your hands and you're looking for helpful websites about writing for children, I just added 11 websites to the "LINKS - science and writing" section of this website. Happy reading!

I've had it with this treadmill. I need to move forward. Time for plan B1, B2, and J. Charge!

I just noticed that NESCBWI redesigned their website. It looks great! I think the credit goes to Greg Fishbone, but I'm not positive about that.

The road race was great fun! It was my second fastest run in about 10 years of running that race. It wasn't easy given the record number of runners - over 11,500. Many of these runners line up in the 35-40 minute area and are walking after 1 mile (not that that bothers me at all having to go around them). I regret that I didn't start further up in the pack.

What does this have to do with writing? Maybe the record crowds. It's VERY difficult to lead the pack when there are so many people in the game. And everyone is a writer. In high school, when running was the most important thing to me, I was a decent runner. But like writing, I have had to work very hard to get where I am. And there are still miles to go......

A few quick tips:
To avoid getting your picture taken - pin your number to your back (te he)
Get revenge on the sneaks that give you blisters by donating them for playground equipment.

Today is a busy day. I'm running a road race and cooking a turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know what made me go hunting for my article, but I found it online in this months issue of ChemMatters magazine! This particular article was a lot of work, but I think it's important to get the information out there.

I was wondering what was up with the proposed changes to the ESA and found the following ridiculous statement in an online article. The whole thought of having a cramming session to read 300,000 comments is downright stupid. Why ask for them if you aren't going to evaluate them in a worthwhile manner. To know that my comments will be read by some field office employee with unknown expertise in this matter is almost belittling.

"So intent on making the changes quickly, the Interior Department called to Washington a group of employees from field offices to read through 300,000 public comments in less than a week, an extraordinary effort given the usual plodding pace of bureaucracy."

Here's another article....and another pathetic report of how much they value input from the public:
"The Associated Press has reported that the Interior Department received 300,000 public comments on the Bush-backed changes. In order to issue the final rule as quickly as possible, the department brought in 15 staffers to review all of them in a mere 32 hours. The review process usually takes months."

Sunday, I started reading an academic book written by a scientist and published by a university press. At 2:30PM on Sunday, I was asleep with the open book on top of me, if that tells you anything. I've taken this book out twice before and never got through it. Once the University Library it came from called it back early (thanks for your help). With a due date of 12/28, I WILL READ THIS BABY.

OH NO!

Despite receiving over 250,000 comments, the Bush administration may still change the Endangered Species Act to eliminate independent scientific reviews. When I submitted my 3 pages of comments to the governments comment processing system, page 3 disappeared. It took a week and half (11 days) for those comments to make it from CT to VA. I resent page 3. I can't help but wonder what happens to these comments after they are in the system. We've all heard of the black hole. Hm. It doesn't appear that anyone reads them. If they do read them, they don't seem to be considered. We are talking about over 250,000 comments. Does it matter who they are from - oil companies? Wildlife organizations? Me? Apparently it does. Disturbing to say the least.

This post goes along with my last one....... Last night I had a dream I was waking up slowly from a fog, looking around the room bewildered. The shapes of high tech equipment became clearer. Where was I? How did I get here? Well, I hate to say it, but I was in an insane asylum. And this wasn't one of those places where the people have "issues." This was a home for the totally out of touch wacked out cuckoo kind. Welcome to the world of writing! It can make you crazy.

I used to think of myself as normal, but I've stepped so far into science writing, that I'm really beginning to wonder. My accomplishments this past weekend are a little odd. First off, I glued poppy seeds to paper in a circle. Sounds impressive doesn't it? Then I had more fun. I created a 154 inch long piece of expandable portable DNA. Now that's something everyone can use. The DNA came out fantastic! It's colorful, professional and long enough to stretch across a room. What more could I ask for? Surely this is the kind of stuff other people do, but no one else admits. Yes, that's it.

This morning I did a google search that led me to fluorescent fishing items. So I drove over to Cabela's, a relatively new store in the area. It was a goldmine of fluorescence! I found a package of 300 little flourescent green balls called bait sac floaters (yesterday I knew not what they were). The clerk was so nice. I asked him if they glowed under a blacklight. He thought for a moment then led me to a different section and opened up a box containing a $50 blacklight that "sometimes they use to go fishing at night." He plugged it into this generator thing (something else he had to take out of a box) and voila - glowing cells! It took me a while to figure this activity out. I wanted kids to be able to add and subtract glowing cells inside a mouse and they had to be fluorescent. For the mouse, I considered many different materials - pinecones, plastic Easter eggs, dust masks, paper mache, styrofoam ovals.....This morning I was in our windowless bathroom with my blacklight testing different material. I settled on a flat mouse made from folding heart shaped interfacing in half and sealing it partway. The kids will insert the glowing cells in between the folds. I envision it to look something like this mouse.

More on the book fair.......Dressed as Strega, I shook Jerry Pinkney's hand and he let out a hearty laugh. Maybe my chin was falling off. At one point, a coop worker whispered that to me. At the end of the evening a woman was needling me about who I was. Are you an author? Do you work for the bookstore? Who are you? As Strega I was not supposed to talk, but finally, I admitted I was a writer and that I write science articles. Her husband had self published a book and had no idea how to get it into bookstores. Don't look at me, I haven't a clue (but I could find out if I needed the information). Anyhow, I mentioned SCBWI, NESCBWI, and google searches. Based on that conversation, I don't think I'd ever suggest to anyone that they self-publish. I feel I've learned so much over the years that if I'd have done that right off the bat, the book would likely be ok at best.

Today I combed through a hardware store and a party store in search of ways to do that last activity for my jellyfish class. I can't just do the paper/paper plate stuff that everyone else does. Oh no, that's too normal. When my daughter played soccer, all the other moms brought grapes and sliced oranges. If it tells you anything, I was the one who brought the fruit kebabs.

Volunteering at the book fair turned out to be a good time. If I'm free and I remember, I'll volunteer again next year. I handed out programs and counted people as they entered. When two guys said they didn't want a program because they were "doing something in the back of the room," I knew I tried to pawn off a program on a couple of authors. Oops. Little did I realize I'd get recruited to parade around as Strega Nona (the portly one on the right). Real attractive, let me tell ya. The job consisted of waving, shaking hands, and hugging kids. Not too tough.
Later in the event, the room emptied, so I sought out the arts and crafts table. I found that surprising a kid by tapping him on the shoulder doesn't work. The kid started crying. Oops. Some kids recognized my character and gave me big hugs while others sought refuge behind their parent's legs. When the clock struck 5:00, Strega turned back into Linda. This was not an easy transformation. The helpers were gone and I was alone with this hot costume and a myriad of hooks and snaps on my back that I couldn't reach - trapped as Strega! Finally, I got some help and went in the "makeshift changing area." I purposely waited for a guy in the hall to clear out of the way before quickly changing. Sure enough, he walks by just as I finished. Phew!

As for nonfiction books - I was dismayed to find very few being offered. I tried to find out why that was, but didn't really get a good answer. As far as science offerings, I don't believe I saw any books.

I holed up in my bedroom for an hour this evening and spent the time thinking. It was time well spent. I came up with two ideas for my jellyfish class. The first is a matching game where the kids will become molecular biologists. They'll find a certain glowing gene in a jellyfish's DNA, then they'll insert it into a mouse's DNA. Sounds complex, but really it isn't. The second idea will give them the capability to bring disease to a mouse, then cure it. Still thinking about how best to do this one - as in what materials to use.............

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair for a few hours. I took my kids there once and it was mobbed. I'll be the door greeter and working at the arts and crafts table. I'm actually looking forward to being among similar minded beings. After reading about the participants, I was disappointed to see there doesn't appear to be a single nonfiction author attending. I will have to find out why that is.

Yay, the phone is fixed!

If that's not enough excitement, I found three fluorescent markers and 2 containers of fluorescent paint in my cellar! I've already determined that on white paper, the markings don't look much different in normal versus blacklight. But on dark paper the paint really glows. So dark paper it is.

Dear editors,

My phone is misbehaving. The phone fixers are looking into it. If you need to get a hold of me, please email me and I'll email my cell#. Ever since my kids left for college it has been freed from the glove compartment. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I'm currently working on a jellyfish class that needs a few more activities to fill a 3 hour time span. I was absolutely delighted to find a spotlight with a blacklight in it in my cellar. I can use it for this class. A while ago, I was planning to spray paint grapevines with fluorescent paint and shine the blacklight on them Halloween night. I borrowed the idea from a huge pumpkin carving event in Massachusetts. It was probably the same year we hacked the grapevines down because the birds beat us to the fruit every year.

My neighbor had cancer surgery last Friday. Today I delivered some soup and bread. Tucked inside the bag, I stuffed my three page article on glowing proteins. It will be published in December. The proof wasn't perfect, but that's ok. If it gives them some hope that researchers are making great strides, then it was worth the small effort.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

Hallelujah!

Often, I write about wildlife. Today, I'm writing about my own wildlife - my cat. When she wants to go outside, she rings the chimes hanging off the back door or she'll ring the grizzly bear bell hanging off the front door. She's technology literate (see photo). And now I know she reads the calendar. She had a vet appointment today at 3:40PM. She pulled an all-nighter and was gone all day too. At 2:40PM, I called animal control to make sure they hadn't found her in the road. Then I canceled the appointment since I had no cat to bring. At 4:40PM she shows up at the back door.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a strange city without a map. There are so many different routes to take, it is often difficult to pick the best one. This past weekend I was working on something that made me think of my own past and how I got where I am. Aside from school, some of the first research and writing I did was to fend off development at planning and zoning meetings. I spoke out in support of my distraught mother and the "behemoth" that was destined to be built across the street from her house. There was a lot of satisfaction knowing that my research and my words made a difference. Throughout my years of writing I've sided with those that I felt were unfairly treated or unable to speak on their own behalf - namely endangered species. This doesn't help me settle on a route, but it does make me aware that I stand behind my writing and fight for what I believe in. Yeah!

Found this video today. Three cheers for Dr. Chalfie! (for the Nobel Prize)

I couldn't resist adding another comment about proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. I never addressed the impact of global warming on wildlife. Since the comment period ends tomorrow, I had to put my 2 cents worth in. I'll be watching to assure that the comment has been added to the system.

The distractions are finally easing up. The 13 miler is done and my mother moved back to her home after staying here for a week. The effects of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (a painful triple punch to the optical, auditory, and balance systems) still linger from earlier in the year.

Friday, I got the green light on 2 class proposals for elementary age kids. The classes will be held at a local college. One class will be about wolves, the other about jellyfish.

Before the race, I was amused at the song playing that applied to both writing and running "And even when your hope is gone, move along move along just to make it through."

In ideal conditions, I finished my first half-marathon in 2:17. Given the 2.5 months of prep time, I don't think I could have run it any faster. During the last three tough miles I learned some things that also apply to writing .
1) Don't make assumptions. It is very disheartening to think you only have 2 miles left when you really have 3.
2) Run your own race. This I did.
3) Get the facts. I'd hear "only 1 mile left." Then I'd run a little further and the water station would shout out "1.5 miles left." Then there was the man at the corner shouting "only a 1/4 of a mile." I'd run a bit further and the water station would yell "just a 1/4 of a mile."
4) Do your best
5) Believe you can do it. I made a tyvek sign and posted it on my back. It read "You can do it!" it was as much for me as it was for those behind me and I was hoping there was at least 1 person!
5) Don't drink gatoraid WHILE you are running. Cough Cough sputter (just want to see if you're paying attention).

Along the way I passed a young guy with one leg doing the race on crutches. He was sweating profusely. "You are incredible," was all I had to say.

I doubt I will do another one. In the future, I'm saving my joints for the mountains I love and spending my time on those things that matter most.

I found this article that exactly describes what I am thinking the day before the half marathon in Hartford. Bulls eye.

I was ABSOLUTELY THRILLED to read about the recipients of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry! It was given to a well deserving group of scientists whose research spanned many years and is now giving hope to so many people. I couldn't be happier for them. EXCELLENT JOB! What an honor.

In a sick kind of way, I'm excited about the half marathon this Saturday. I had three good runs this week - one long, one hilly, and one fast (for me). I was chased by a large dog running at top speed. I ran like a frisbee.

Today, on the trail, I thought about perseverance. It's necessary in running and necessary in writing. Did running track in high school teach me perseverance or was I born that way? I couldn't come up with any good example of perseverance before my running days so I tend to believe that distance running fostered my perseverance. I still remember the first 2 mile race I was in. My elbows swung out too far and according to those watching, I was tripped. I got up dazed, with blood dripping down my knee. I was dismayed to see all the other runners halfway around the track. I made a fast decision, got moving and finished the race. I did the best I could do given the circumstances. And so it goes with writing.

I know I've worked my "tenacity" off to get here. At the end of the race you can find me either on a stretcher or in the bear garden (no, that's not black bear).

Found this on www.factcheck.org. It's about a study I wrote about in the December 2006 issue of Highlights. I contacted Katherine Kendall in order to write the article. It does not mention that it's a great opportunity to teach kids about DNA!

Paternity Tests for Bears

The ad goes on to criticize an earmark that provided “$3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana.” This is not the first time McCain has poked fun at the bear project. He first mentioned it on the Senate floor, while discussing the 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that included funding for the project:

McCain (Senate floor, Feb. 13, 2003): Because these appropriations are never discussed with nonmembers of the Appropriations Committee, one can only imagine and conjure up an idea as to how this might be used. Approach a bear: That bear cub over there claims you are his father, and we need to take your DNA. Approach another bear: Two hikers had their food stolen by a bear, and we think it is you. We have to get the DNA. The DNA doesn't fit, you got to acquit, if I might.

Good laugh lines, maybe, but the United States Geological Service’s Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project didn’t study DNA for paternity tests or forensics. Rather, it explored a means of estimating Montana’s grizzly bear population by analyzing bear fur snagged on barbed wire. The project was funded partly by federal appropriations – about $1 million per year in add-ons to USGS in 2003 through 2005, $400,000 in 2006 and $300,000 in 2007, plus a $1.1 million earmark through the Forest Service in 2004, according to the study’s principal researcher, Katherine C. Kendall. Part of that funding was doled out as part of the omnibus appropriations bill McCain discussed in February 2003.

Despite the fun McCain had ridiculing the bear project on the Senate floor, he didn’t actually try to remove it from the bill. He did introduce several amendments, including three to reduce funding for projects he considered wasteful or harmful, but none removing the grizzly bear project appropriations. And despite his criticisms, he voted in favor of the final bill.

Due to an 11 mile run yesterday, I called in sick today. I've got a bad case of the potato virus. I'm sure this doesn't make sense to anyone, but it certainly amuses me plenty.

Here's an email I received today from Senator Dodd:

October 2, 2008

Dear Ms. Zajac:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Bush Administration's proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

I strongly support the Animal Welfare Act and similar measures that strengthen regulations relating to the care, handling, and treatment of animals. I believe that animals should not be forced to experience needless pain and suffering and have worked to advance legislation to protect animals throughout my career in public service. I have also long supported efforts to protect some of the world's most vulnerable species from extinction.

Like you, I am very concerned about the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act recently announced by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. These draft regulations would seriously undermine the protections of the ESA by eliminating the independent scientific reviews currently required to determine whether federal construction and energy exploration projects are harmful to endangered species. The proposed changes are inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the law and are contradicted by judicial precedent. On August 25, 2008, I joined with several of my colleagues in writing to Secretary Kempthorne requesting that he either rescind this proposal or increase the comment period on these regulatory changes from thirty days to six months. While Secretary Kempthorne recently announced that he would extend the comment period on these regulations to sixty days, I believe this is an insufficient length of time to fully review the scope of the proposed regulations and I remain concerned about the possible impacts they could have on our nation's wildlife. Please be assured that I will continue to support policies that protect all living creatures.

Thank you again for contacting me. If you would like to stay in touch with me on this and other issues of importance, please visit my website at http://dodd.senate.gov and subscribe to receive my regular e-mail issue alerts. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of assistance to you in any way.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER J. DODD

United States Senator

Today, Youtube has made more changes to refine the "embedded player" origin of view counts to let me know that 84% of views came from Live search. So I wondered what you have to enter to get the video to come up. Here it is! (4th one down on the rightmost column)

Now it's back to work.

Last night, I noticed the viewcount for my seals/glacier video had gone up by about 50%. So naturally, I had to figure out why. First I looked at where the viewers were from - all over the US (with a concentration in Calif), Brazil, Oman, Portugal, Morocco and Pakistan. Interesting, but why? While hunting up the reason (or chewing up time) I found a new feature of Google called Live Search. You can search on a topic and view 20 videos at one time. If this were to explain the increase in viewcount, I would expect the viewcounts of all 4 videos to go up. They didn't. So the mystery remains, but Live Search was still worth mentioning.

I also received an email with a very encouraging comment from a scientist "This is a very cool article! It is fantastic that you are educating high school students and perhaps inducing them to go into science and make new discoveries."

Here's a day worth noting - National Public Lands Day. I was delighted to be at a National Historic site at the right time to take advantage of the free admission. Next year it will be on September 26, 2009.

I am currently revamping the school visits portion of this website. Please check back at a later date for some exciting changes.

With visions of vitamin water dancing in my head I cut myself some slack and did 10 this morning instead of 11. Yep, you won't catch me signing up for one of these again. No sirree.

This evening, I received a couple of emails from the National Wildlife Federation asking for support against proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. They didn't have to ask. I noticed they caught wind of the "we don't accept email" sentence that I've been harping about. Since they had a preprinted form, I shipped off my email to Congress. Before I did, I tacked on a few sentences about my own experiences of chewing up 1/3 (11 days) of the allotted public comment period of 30 days by mailing the document from CT to VA and losing 1/3 (1 pg out of 3) of the document when it went into the government's system.

This morning, my brother mentioned he cleaned up a torn garbage bag between his house and his elderly neighbor's house. The neighbor came out to explain that at 11PM a black bear had dragged her garbage can all the way around the house. He also offered me some bear "scat" (yeah that's the word he used) for my class. Sorry to pass up such a find (he reported a "large find"), but my class is about grizzly bears. Such a shame, really it is.

Here's where the latest viewers of my videos reside:
Seals - Germany, Dall Sheep - Italy, Sea Lions - Australia, Grizzly Bears - Australia.

Yesterday, I found some helpful information online. It energized me enough to dig up a project I spent considerable time on in the Spring of 2007. I'd buried it in the cellar in disgust. Now, with renewed hope, I will revise it, make it stronger, and ship it back out.

On the running front, 2 days ago I ran 11 without incident!!!!!! I can't help but wonder why I signed up for this? What was I thinking?

Here's an update on the study I wrote about for a December 2006 Highlights article.

I tested out a few new hands-on activities for the class I'm proposing. On the upside, my helper spent a good hour on my food chain idea - and she's not one to sit still. It was a HUGE success. I allocated only 20 minutes for this activity, so I will up that. I played with plaster and playdough. I love the fact that I can make my own playdough and it's easy to get out of these awesome molds I picked up. But my efforts to air dry and slowly bake the playdough to harden it didn't work. I ended up with a hard casing that softened and cracked in the humidity. NO GOOD. So I'm off the library to get a book called Mudworks by Bright Ring Publishing, in hopes it will have some kind of clay that will permanently keep its shape. Good luck to me.

Found those comments on this link.

Today I cut and pasted all of the missing page (#3) as a comment (Add comments) to this award winning system. The comment doesn't show up anywhere on this award winning system so I have no idea if it worked. Prior to my letter getting into this award winning system I did a search on "Linda Zajac" and came up with 23 hits. The two that I reviewed did not have "Linda Zajac" in them anywhere.

I also found out my 10 mile run was really more like 11 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I went on the award winning website, http://www.regulations.gov/ to find my letter (click views) about the Endangered Species Act. But I mailed in THREE pages, not two!

I have now committed to running a half marathon in mid October. Like writing, it's another long journey that seems to be plagued with challenges. I've been hobbled (by three blisters crowded on my pinky toe), stung (by two hornets), and sickened. Yesterday after ten miles (yippee!) the glass of tropical carrot juice didn't sit well. As I looked in the mirror at Casper I said to myself I am NOT running this half-marathon. I'm done. Then I went online and found out that after a long run you need to keep walking around afterward or you can get sick. As long as I can keep identifying the problems and fixing them, things may work out. I bought new sneaks, so the blister is gone. I was relieved the hornet's nest has been completely removed. I suspect the person that played pinata with the nest was the first to complain the hornet's were a problem. Could they have gone to science as this article makes mention of?

The Hartford Marathon is making waves with it's focus on the environment. Much of the proceeds are donated to various charities.

I have an article for high schoolers coming out in ChemMatters in December. I thought it might be an eye-opening topic for a class for elementary kids, but the content was too advanced. So I decided to create a class based on another article for younger kids.

Yesterday, I spoke to my neighbor about some of the amazing research that I read about for the ChemMatters article. Believe me, he can use a ray of hope. It has rekindled the challenge of taking an advanced topic and presenting it to younger kids in a way they can understand. Hm. This will require some thought.

Todays encounter with nature was not a pleasant one. I was out running on the trail and got stung twice by hornets. When they came after me, I screamed. My left hand now looks like a boxing glove. The knuckles and veins have been replaced by a hot itchy swollen mass. Last week, I noticed this hornet's nest hanging from a small tree like a tether ball. Today it was cracked in half. BUT I DIDN'T DO IT.

I was up at the University of Connecticut pulling 2 research papers today. One paper is not only interesting, but the most visually appealling paper that I will probably ever read. I ended up printing page 3 and 4 in color - and the colors on page 4 are just beautiful!

Ok, here's the entire slideshow of my comments about changes to the Endangered Species Act redone. I scanned the pages in with higher resolution, but I was still unable to add it to the blog even though I reduced the size. Hm.

After reviewing it without the aid of an electron microscope (oh no reason), I can clearly see that you can't read it. Stellar. An exercise in wasting time. Yes, but I learned something didn't I?

I tried it again and found that by clicking on the slideshow page it BLOWS it up. Then you can adjust the slideshow to go fast or slow. SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two days ago I shipped off a 3 page letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service about proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. I tried to get the slideshow embedded in this post, but it didn't work so here's the link where it can be viewed. It was more of a test of this slideshow feature with music then anything else. I added some photographs of endangered species. Unfortunately, the text is not terribly clear and zips by pretty fast even if it was clear. So there are some glitches I have to work on. Here's the last line "A large volume of species in danger (or paperwork) signals a larger problem that is not being addressed."

This weekend we're off to another college. When the dust settles the fog is moving in.

"Say goodbye these days are gone." .........Sigh.
(lyrics from These Hard Times, Matchbox Twenty)

Busy. Busy. Busy week - niece slept over, mother in hospital (out now!), daughter off to college(will she ever stop packing?), son needs parking practice (FOUR times). Last night while in the midst of backing in and out of spaces at a church parking lot, we were surrounded by cops. Is parking a crime? It was amusing that they kept their distance like we were really dangerous. He radioed in my license number. Meanwhile the second guy stood behind the drivers side keeping an eye on my son. Must have been a slow day at the precinct. Thank goodness I used the weekend to make good headway on some revisions.

I still can't believe I finished 8 miles on the trail today. I'm pondering whether I should run a half marathon. Running and writing both require perseverance and mental toughness. Fellow runners and writers are very supportive. My friend once told me she thought I was the most persevering person she ever met. If that was the case I'd be willingly signing up for a marathon versus being talked into a half.

The document has changed, but the link to the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act is the same. Now, it's pages 1 and 6 that are not clear. "You may submit your comments and materials concerning this proposed rule by one of the methods listed" (email or mail). Followed by "We will not consider comments sent by e-mail." Do they accept email or don't they? By listing email first it seems to me the document is inviting email, then later invalidating it. Was this a mistake (repeated twice mind you) by someone who needs to be precise? It would be interesting to find out what happens when you send an email?

I am currently on an editorial treasure hunt to find ear bones. Oh never mind.

AUDIT CHECK!

Yesterday, the public had 60 days to send their comments about proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. Today,we are given only 30 days for public comment Why not keep changing the rules so it's harder for the opposition to make a case? Well, guess what? If I was given only 5 days, I'd find the time and I hope you do too! Here's another really flattering article.

With a little digging, I found the document. Pg 2 and again on pg 23 it says submit comments/materials about proposed rule either be email or mail. But if you look closely at #2 it says we will NOT accept email. Yet email is listed first. Deceptive to the max.
(1) Through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov Follow instructions on website for submitting comments.
(2) By U.S. mail or hand-delivery to Public Comment Processing, Attention:1018-AT50, Division of Policy and Directives Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes.

November can't get here fast enough. Read this and weep.

My 7-year-old niece was over here most of the day. I put her to work testing a snack for the class I'm proposing. Amazing that what seemed so simple resulted in these changes:

1. use large pretzels not small ones
2. don't bother with gumdrops, use m+m's instead
3. break the pretzel a certain way
4. use blond brownies instead of gingerbread
5. tube frosting might be better. Test this out.

It was 20 minutes well spent. She ate one and the other she'll deliver tomorrow to cheer up her grandmother. I'm pretty confident that with a little time and a little bit of thought, I can turn any article I write into a good time for kids.

I've read about climate change causing changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and I must say this summer there has been more violent thunderstorms here in CT then I can ever remember. Driving home Friday night through busy intersections, I encountered four lights in a row that were knocked out from a recent thunderstorm. As I crested a hill, I saw fragments of a rainbow. It was enough.

After a 3AM phone call Monday morning, the midnight ride of Linda Zajac, the 911 call, and the broken hip (no, not mine), I could REALLY stand to have a dull moment or three. Despite the commotion, I managed to scrutinize a few pages worth of exciting story line.

While ice skating tonight, I ran into my neighbor and her daughter. They were both at my presentation at First Congregational Church earlier this year. My neighbor politely said to her 9 year old daughter, "you remember Mrs. Zajac don't you?" The little girl looked puzzled and shook her head. I looked at her and said "grizzly bears?" Her cute little freckled face lit up into a huge somewhat toothless grin "oh yeah," she said with a great deal of enthusiasm. That made me feel good.

I did a little test of this Insight feature on Youtube yesterday. I ran my seal/glacier video 3 times just to see what it records. Sure enough, today looking at 7/21 shows CT as viewing the video. It gives me a little hope that it is somewhat accurate and that my videos were indeed viewed all over the world.

I found a new toy on Youtube that I've been entertaining myself with. It's called Insight. It gives you geographical information about your videos. I checked all of my videos for a one year period. Here's what I found out (not a comprehensive list mind you):

The dall sheep video has been played in Alaska, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Brazil
The sea lion video has been played in India, Spain, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia
The glacier/seal video has been played in Germany, Greece and the U.K.
The grizzly bear video has been played in China, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Germany, Turkey and Argentina

Cool!

Todays excuse why I can't do any work - The cat is sleeping on my research and I don't want to wake her. Do I have to admit that not long ago I was in the same spot, asleep.

It's 3:45 A.M., I made a few blog settings changes to allow viewing more than a handful of old entries. That's when I became alarmed at all my middle of the night blog entries. Don't I ever sleep? After a quick check, I discovered the time was in Pacific time - 3 hours off. OOPS!

I found this baby leatherback turtle video today. Aren't they cute? But they grow to be enormous!

Last night I had a dream I was in the kitchen. From the window I could see a really good band playing outside. It was exciting. I was itching to get out there - my own backyard. But I didn't have a ticket.

As a writer of nonfiction, I know it brings the words to life when you do first hand research. You can see, smell and hear the action. More often then not, this is easier said then done.

Last night at dusk, I was swimming with my head out of the water. Straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, bats were swooping low over the water plucking mosquitoes out of the air - way too close. What if one of those mosquitoes landed on my head, would I have been bitten by a bat? I was not stickin' around to find out!

Recently, I've been digging through newspaper archives of newspapers from the Philadelphia area. I'm working on another animal/technology project (what else is new?). For 6 days of excitement, I found NINETEEN newspaper articles! Then I found a couple more from another newspaper. Apparently, this was big news back then. Hopefully, one of them will give me the details I am seeking.

I found the Connecticut DEP website very exciting. About a month or two ago, I sent the list of bear sightings to my brother who moved to a town with a lot of bears. At that time, there wasn't even one sighting in Vernon (nor had there been any in past years). Recently, I had heard there were several spotted and again found none on the list. Yesterday I was looking through the state parks and found the list updated. Of course now my brother is accusing me of calling in the same imaginary bear 3 times.

Found this interesting statement in the listing for wolves on the IUCN list of endangered species:

"The grey wolf is protected in various national parks and reserves in Canada and the United States. Extensive legal protection in many European countries; however, enforcement is variable and often non-existent. "

In legends and folklore, wolves have a bad reputation. For years they have been shot by park rangers. I received a comment on my June 28, 2008 blog entry from Mike Wagner, founder and director of Heart of the Wolf Organization . In his comment he mentions the existence of other methods to deter wolves from livestock that don't involve killing wolves. I have reprinted some of his comments here.....

"livestock issues can successfully be prevented through the use of livestock protection dogs, fladry, cattle rotation, and well constructed fences. The reality is most government agencies, a la the USFWS and state agencies like the Fish and Games, rarely use them and promote them. This is despite constant proof of their success."

Why aren't government agencies promoting these methods to deter wolves?

I just noticed that Highlights magazine has added an interactive version of my July 2008 article on wolves on their website, www.highlightskids.com. It's a related article about a study of wolves and moose on Isle Royal in Michigan.

Also, after two days of feeling like I wasn't accomplishing much, I actually did accomplish a lot. I came up with 6 fun activities for a class I am proposing about the wolf article. The class isn't until next winter. Although it is for K-2 it will be held at a local college. I am eager to test out these ideas to iron out any kinks. My 7 year old niece will be a big help here.