I've been busting stones all week and can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. I've been doing line by line verification of an article, interviewing a scientist (what a great interview!), raking over an outline, and making small changes to two chapters. The outline changes are going to plump up both of those chapters so unfortunately, what used to be "done" is not any more. Sigh.

Yesterday, I traveled to the Yale Art Gallery in New Haven to hear Elizabeth Kolbert speak about the climate. Although I brought my camera, they didn't allow photographs. I was very interested to read the blurb about the panelists. I was also surprised to learn she graduated from Yale.

Since climate change is a complex issue, I wondered how she would present the material and what material she would cover. Her presentation involved powerpoint slides of numerous graphs, many were familiar. It wasn't the most exciting stuff, but it sure got the point across even if it was bleak. Unfortunately, I did not put enough coins in the parking meter and had to check out early missing about 20 minutes of questions and answers.

Afterward, I drove to Guilford and took the photograph while there.

This morning I finally came up with a good ending for my article that circles back to the beginning and makes some final points. The paragraph is in good shape, but still needs some polish. In anther project, I've got outline issues to mend.

The bunny is now a frequent visitor nibbling on the grass. I have concerns it will be headed for the garden once the veggies get bigger.

I had a great inspiring meeting with my writing buddies this morning. It's amazing what a second (and a third) set of eyes can pick up. I've already made revisions to the chapter, but still need quotations and it will be done!

My work habits are starting to feel like a ping pong ball. Boing. Boing (short and entertaining video). I've been bouncing between two projects which is not the way I've worked in the past. I still need to speak with a scientist then sprinkle quotations in the chapter that is nearly complete. I shipped that almost complete piece off to my crit buddies. I'll get their input by the middle of next week. Meanwhile, I'm back at work on an article that also needs quotations added, some polishing and a better ending. I must have added at least seven sources to the bibliography, but at the same time I removed a few that I'm not using.

Kerria

A number of years ago, a friend gave me a long shoot from a kerria plant. It's grown to be a beautiful bush at the edge of the woods. When it blooms it's a cascading waterfall of golden pom poms.

I worked all weekend getting the second chapter polished up nicely, but I still have to verify the newly added information is accurate. I'm happy it's in great enough shape to email to my crit group on Wednesday.

Peonies and purple iris'

Bunny Foo Foo has returned several times and each time I run for the camera. I have a couple of other wildlife stories too.

The basement door was open all day and now there's a chipmunk in the house that is one sneaky little fella. I thought we had him cornered until he surprised me by walking on my bare feet and I..........ugh......cleared the room and he slipped away.

Two days ago, I pulled the car over after nearly driving over a huge mud-caked turtle. It was in the middle of the road so I picked it up by the shell and moved it rather quickly to the grass, in the direction of the pond. It was one feisty turtle with legs kicking and squirming. It didn't occur to me at the time that it could have been a snapping turtle.

I've been working on a chapter that I started earlier this year and I've been fact checking each sentence of the story. It's a slow process.

We returned home from a party on Saturday evening and found a bunny on the front lawn. I snapped photographs as I crept closer until a car drove by and scared the little critter.

I have more exciting news to report. Today, I found the results of the CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition online. I was totally psyched to find my unpublished chapter won 1st place in the childrens literature category. It's the same chapter that won the PEN Discovery award. They wrote "well-written, interesting, well-researched and appropriate to the age group." Also, I was pleasantly surprised that my published chemistry article won 2nd place.

Every now and then when I'm outside in my Adirondack chair revising, a friend will stop by and cause me to get up out of my chair and scurry into the house. It happened on Saturday and again yesterday. I always enjoy their visits, but they never stay long. Thankfully, I was quick enough retrieving the camera to get their photographs which I've posted here.

Last night was certainly memorable at the PEN Discovery Award presentation. The good news is that I'm glad I remembered everything I wanted to say. I think I fielded more questions than anyone else and answered them the best I could. I learned the hard way that a back-up plan is necessary in case things don't go as expected. I read in Melanie's public speaking book that you don't want to hang onto the podium like you're driving an out of control vehicle. I looked down and AGGGHHHH! The hands were at the corner of the podium. Immediately I let go like they were on fire.

It was great to meet some very distinguished writers from the PEN Children's Book Caucus (or is it Committee?) who were all very nice and supportive. It was also an opportunity to congratulate Heather Jessen (in the middle) who I've exchanged emails with and Bette Anne Rieth (on the right) who I contacted through Facebook. I wished them both the best of luck with their works.

The ampitheatre was not a daunting auditorium that you might find at a large college, but more like a lecture room where roughly six rows of seats curved around and were close to the podium. Large AV screens hung from the ceiling. My mother brought me those beautiful flowers which are now on my kitchen table. That was a really nice touch.

Saturday, I worked all day on the article and detangled the bottom half. Walt wanted to go to a nursery to buy flowers, but I was disciplined and kept at it. I knew if I trotted off I would likely not pick it up again.

Iris and rhododendron

The beautiful frilly iris originated from my mother's garden. I wish I knew its name. The second photograph is a typical rhododendron, but what really amused me about that photo is that I was completely unaware that Miss Nosy was watching. That totally cracked me up.

I did some more research today, but I feel like I'm moving ahead like a snail. I'd like to email the near-complete article to my crit buddies on June 9th so that's what I'm aiming for even though I know it won't be complete with quotations. Next post, I'll tell ya about PEN Discovery night. Deep breath.

Seven Sisters, Hadley, Massachusetts

My legs are sore from yesterday's hike up four of the Seven Sisters on the Metacomet Trail in Hadley, Massachussetts. We started at J.A. Skinner State Park. Let me tell you those sisters on the Mount Holyoke range were brutal--up a mountain, down a mountain, up another mountain, down again, up, down, up, down. Repeat. The mountains were not that high, but the terrain was steep. Hiking was one thing, but I could not believe they hold a race across such treacherous terrain. Despite being short of time because we left late (10:30 a.m.) and needed to get back to meet friends at 6 p.m., we pushed it to get to that fourth peak. Devil's Football, in the bottom photograph, seemed totally out of place.

I am really happy (and relieved) with the way I've untangled this article. It makes much more sense, flows better, and it's more intriguing. Right now, I'm a little more than halfway.

I'm posting three more photographs from the Rio Grande Zoo. The top one is a lappet faced vulture, a flasher opening his trench coat. The second photograph is a klipspringer, a small African antelope noted for its leaping abilities. The third photograph is a big hairy tarantula.

It's been a struggle to accomplish anything this week. Numerous people and a car have been dropped off and picked up all week long. Despite the distractions, I reworked the beginning of the article and hopefully now it "gets right to the problem." As I added sentences I dug up a few more research papers and added them to the growing bibliography. Although I spent a good portion of today on the rewrite, I'm about as far as I was before. Sigh.

I'm posting some photographs from the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque New Mexico. We had a last minute change of plans due to crummy weather. Instead of taking a tram ride into the rain clouds on Sandia Peak, we explored the zoo. That's Julia trying to wake the sleeping chimp. The cat exhibits were excellent. That growling mountain lion was closer then I've ever been to one of those big kitties.

I've been thinking about how to change the start of the article. But I must have burnt myself out on a 5-mile run this morning and ended up asleep next to my own kitty (who was growling and bloody defending her turf last night).

Yesterday was one of those days where I could not make myself get into the writing world. My biggest accomplishment was painting a champagne cork. How sad. The cork came from the bottle of champagne I opened to celebrate winning the PEN Discovery Award. If nothing comes of the proposal, I will still have my ornament decorated like the subject of my chapter and every Christmas when I take it out I will remember. I also thought I'd post a photograph of an old ornament I made as a kid. Interesting that I sometimes use the logo of a jack in the box (Zajac in a box). Actually, that old ornament was more sophisticated than it looks. Jack was on a spring and could be lowered into the box and the box shut. Time moves on, but some things never change.

Indian paintbrush and manzanita

I'm posting some photographs of a few mesa-top plants. I'm not sure what the yellow flower is, but the flaming orange one is an Indian paintbrush. Dye is made from this plant. There's also an interesting legend about a young brave who receives a paintbrush from the Great Spirit then leaves it in the fields. The evergreen bush in the middle is the manzanita ("little apple"). People and animals eat the berries, but I found it even more interesting that tea made from the leaves has been used for bladder infections and for the treatment of poison oak. Here's a long list of how different Indian tribes used the manzanita.

The chemistry article is morphing again into a new shape. I guess I have to roll with the punches.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, New Mexico

Today, I'm posting photographs of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks in north-central New Mexico. This area was turned into a national monument in January 2001. Six to seven million years ago volcanic eruptions left layered deposits of pumice, ash, and tuff in shades of beige, pink and grey. Wind and water carved the canyon and surrounding area. It was a steep 630 foot hike to the mesa top, but well worth the effort. This is probably the first time I've ever posted a photograph of myself. I loved it here and could have stayed all day.

This morning I've been practicing my speech using a bottle of Shout as a microphone. I must admit after the first few times, I thought it was a pretty bad scene. Thankfully, I am improving.

Lilac

I took this photograph of a tiger swallowtail butterfly today. I'm quite pleased I captured it with its wings wide open.

Outside on the arms of my Adirondack chair, I placed my notes, research papers, a book, blank paper, a pen, and a glass of iced tea. Then I sat down and fell asleep.

I did spend some time reviewing videos and reading descriptions of the place I'm writing about for the chemistry article I'm currently working on. After reviewing what to include in these kind of speeches, I wrote up a short speech for that PEN award presentation later this month. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to say, but it still needs work. I also made sure to find the correct pronunciation for a couple of words in the chapter I'll be reading. The two things I need to have are confidence and practice memorizing it. But if I have trouble finding the keys half the time.......Ut oh.

I found out the ampitheatre at Leslie University has 175 seats. Since I envisioned this gigantic room, that was a bit of a relief. Then I wasted some time trying to figure out the layout. My best guess is 17 rows of 10 with 5 seats for the handicapped (merely a guess). I sure hope the video equipment is off.

We didn't see much for wildlife in the New Mexico desert, but we did find a squirrel, a jackrabbit (too far away for a decent photograph), a nicely camouflaged lizard, and a roadrunner. I would have liked to have gone wildlife hunting at night, but without a flashlight or guide and with rattlesnakes out there.......no thanks.

I did get outside to work on a few paragraphs today, but not nearly as long as I would have liked. Everything melts into the forest when I'm out there and I find words flow easier in the breeze.

I found it interesting that there is no widely accepted method of dating petroglyphs. These petroglyphs in Petroglyph National Monument, NM, were etched into dark basalt boulders that were created by six volcanic eruptions. The rocks were originally light gray in color until water, sun, heat, cold and microbes coated them with black "desert varnish. " The process reminded me of carving into scratchboard in art class.

Another little tidbit I found interesting was the mention of a severe drought that struck the Southwest between AD 1275 and 1300 causing people to relocate near water sources. I think I noticed one lake in all of the miles we traveled. But I did see a big river and streams cutting through ancient Pueblo habitat. It made me wonder where New Mexico gets their water.

Archeologists believe Ancestral Pueblos carved most of the 20,000 images between AD 1300 and 1600. Try as I might, I could not find a rattlesnake anywhere in the desert. Next time, I'll post a few pictures of wildlife that I did find.

I expect I'll be getting my article back soon, all red and bleeding from the wounds of a beaten first draft.

Tulips

I had a very productive critique group meeting this morning where we welcomed a new member. Now there are three of us. Three eyes on a manuscript are better than two and meetings can still be held if one person can't attend. Hopefully, we can get the group rolling on a regular basis. Maybe, if I bust stones, I can get this article written by our "email manuscripts date" in mid-May.

I also found out I'll be reading my manuscript in the ampitheatre of Leslie University in Cambridge. I don't think I've ever had to be on stage in a room that large. This will certainly be a memorable experience. Deep breath.

Today, I'm posting the other half of the Land of Fire and Ice that I blogged about a couple of days ago. As molten lava flows outward from a volcano, the surface can harden while the lava below continues to flow. The flowing lava carves out a tunnel called a lava tube.

This lava tube collapsed and filled with rain and melting snow to form an ice cave. It is quite extraordinary that from fiery Bandera volcano, a cave of ice was formed. Arctic algae causes the ice to be lime green in color.

I'm glad I brought a fleece jacket (and shorts) when I went in that cave because it was quite cold. The woman in the top photograph lived in Washington State and mentioned there were ice caves there at the base of glaciers, but they were off limits to the public due to safety issues. Here is the story of two trapped teenagers that she told me about.

I didn't realize when I made travel plans (2 free airline tkts were set to expire) that the trip and the environment would be pertinent to the chemistry topic that I had not yet selected. Works for me!

Yesterday we returned from a week in New Mexico exploring mostly history and geology. I'll be posting some science related photographs from that trip.

These photographs are of Bandera volcano in Grants New Mexico. It erupted about 10,000 years ago. The top photograph is the cinder cone where we lingered imagining what it must have been like when an explosion of lava burst from the earth leaving a trail nearly 23 miles long. The second photograph is a spatter cone that formed when a surge of hot air rushed through lava forming a blow hole. Lava rocks have the texture of Swiss cheese and are rich in iron. They call this spot the Land of Fire and Ice for good reason. More on that in a later post.

Azalea

I've been so busy (as a bee) scrambling with last minute planning that I didn't notice until today that my name is now on the PEN website. This award still blows me away when I think about it--which believe me I haven't had much time to do. I noticed today that the event in Cambridge on May 23rd is going to also include other award winners who are likely more polished speakers (not that this bothers me in any way. Eeek!).

Recently, Christina Rodriguez left a comment on my post about a first draft I submitted which made me think about why I felt this first draft was slapped together very quickly. I approached this particular first draft a little differently than I normally do. I wrote down paragraphs and kept moving forward with the writing until I was at the word count and conclusion of the article. Usually, I'll write the first paragraph and keep washing over it like the tide coming in, extending and refining it with each wash.

After the photograph session the bee proceeded to attack me, but thankfully missed its target.

This morning, I emailed the first draft of a chemistry article about climate change that was due tomorrow. It felt like the article was undressed, like no one should see it in this condition. Pretty embarrassing. I told him to disregard grammar, punctuation, accuracy, and fluency. In other words, don't read it!

Hyacinth and forsythia

I thought this photograph of a hyacinth looked a bit more interesting cropped tall and slender.

I finished that first draft of the chemistry article today! I want to look over one more research paper and make sure I haven't forgotten anything. I was hoping things were settling down, but it seems the minute I get excited about having one less thing to do, three more drop in my lap. Now doesn't that figure.

Hyacinths

The hyacinths are in full bloom and tomorrow one is getting the ax, vase-bound.

I really pushed it today and now the word-count is up to 1200 words. But it's still short of the 2,000 I need. I've got to keep working at a torrid pace until it's all down. Then I'm probably going to collapse.

This week I noticed my article about honeybees has been published online. I had some really great editorial response to that article from several different editors. While adding it to my writing resume I wondered how the list of clips got so long. It seems like yesterday I was struggling for things to put on that resume. How fast the time burns away.

Azalea and hyacinth

I'm amazed at the difference that one day can make. Here is a photograph of the same azalea bush that I took a photograph of yesterday. Wow! Soon the eau de hyacinth will fill the air. Love them.

Finally something is taking shape on paper. There is about a page of typed up material, but it's downright ugly. At about 330 words, it's a tad bit short for a 2,000 word article, but hey, it has to get its start somewhere.

I'm still finding this PEN news somewhat surreal, sort of like a little leaf falling from a tree in a great big forest, falling into a creek and being swept up by a current and taken to who knows where.