Monthly Archives: October 2008

Get your copy now

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Wildflowers of the Carolinas

Wildflowers of the Carolinas by Adventure Publications is a field guide overflowing with full-page photographs and detailed descriptions of beautiful flowers native to the Carolinas.

Both famed naturalists, writers and photographers, Rick and Nora Bowers, together with Stan Tekiela, provide a multitude of images and in-depth information about the hundreds of plants featured in this marvelous book.

And along with such impressive names, one other name appears in the copyright section.  Mine.

A picture I took happens to be included.  The publishers discovered it here after I posted it in spring 2007.  Fully licensed and acknowledged, I’m honored they chose to include my work amongst the plethora of fantastic images that can be found between the covers of this handy and well-organized reference guide.

“But you didn’t take that photo in the Carolinas!”  That was Mom’s reaction, one immediately followed by her reminding me that I had digitally captured that flower at the family farm in East Texas.  Thankfully her memory isn’t as bad as mine since I was certain I had taken that shot while visiting the Carolinas.

Um, not really.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: Plants can be native to more than one state at a time, let alone more than one region of the country.  Where the photo was taken is of no significance since it’s a picture of a flower also native to the Carolinas.

I’ll let you in on another little secret: I think any regional or local nature book with photographs is likely to contain representations not necessarily captured in the region or locale covered by the book.

Earth-shattering insight aside, don’t let a little truth stand in the way of heading over to Adventure Publications and buying a copy (or you can head to your favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore or other on-line vendor if the mood strikes you).

Good puppy

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Wylie running back gleefully with the Frisbee (IMG_20071230_00544)

This is glee in motion: Wylie, Rick’s dog, jubilantly bringing the Frisbee back for yet another throw.  You’d be amazed by how much he loves this game.

A close-up of Wylie as he rests in the shade between bouts of fetching the Frisbee (20080203_01885)

This is a moment of calm betwixt frenzied play.  As Wylie has grown older, it’s become necessary to manage his play more thoughtfully lest he run himself to death—literally.  He neither knows nor appreciates his own physical limits when it comes to fetching the Frisbee for but one more throw.

Of tremors and fevers

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I watch him as he quivers, his body shaken frequently yet not terribly.

Small, fast movements easily mistaken for the shivers of someone briefly struck with a sense of cold, with chills.

But over time even the doctors agree they represent something else, something akin to the tremors suffered by a Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s patient.

And tremors they are.

Whether he be lying down for a nap, sitting patiently waiting for treats or standing nearby watching to see where I might be going, I see the shudders as clearly as I might see the sun climb above the horizon.

Tremors the doctor called them, signs of possible neurological damage from a lifetime of systemic steroid use.

So we wait and we watch and we hope things do not worsen.

I nevertheless believe his twelve years of life come next February could well mark a turning point for him, a signpost lighted as evidence of things to come, of a life winding down like an old clock, of a sponge from whom no more can be wrung.

Wait and watch…

Another sickly chap maintains a lesser weight than he once carried, a panther reduced in size but not spirit.

Or almost.

His immune system dysfunction does regularly battle with his quest for happiness.  A lonesome fatigue results.

Scarcely more than ten years old in human terms, already he demonstrates a slowing skill for causing trouble.  Only slightly though.

When at night he curls up with me under the sheets and rests his head upon my arm, his head tickling my face with hair, I forget easily the vulnerability he suffers, the near-fatal episode he recently survived as his body did war against itself.

No greater love can be found in any juvenile-minded life than exists in this dear soul, this marvelous baby whose fevers do little to diminish his spirit.

Upon how many fields must we stand and fight before this ghoulish villain leaves him to enjoy his days?  Or can such a thing even be accomplished?

Wait and watch…

On a canvas of blue

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Long night.  Very long, but really a long day.

I awoke yesterday morning around four.  I’m still up.

This is the new reality: our on-call shift for the weekend is now 24×7.

And it’s been a rough night.

Elvis, a large male muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), gliding by the shore on a bright morning (20071228_00485)

The thought of brighter times has kept me going, kept me from throwing the pager across the room and climbing into bed for some sleep.

Yet sleep might not come until tomorrow.

An American coot (Fulica americana) swimming toward shore in the weak light of dawn (20071228_00418)

So far I’ve been paged 107 times since midnight.

And the day is young.

A juvenile ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) standing atop a light post and watching me closely (20080114_01205)

I have no creativity, no worthwhile or witty content bubbling around in my head.

I barely remember my own name.

An American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) suffering from a majorly bad hair day swims away while screaming 'No pictures!' (20080223_02030)

Were it not for images like these still loitering about my laptop searching for the light of day, I might have to forgo all hope of seeing nature this weekend.

Aside from the nature outside my windows, I mean.

A male red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched atop a shrub singing his crazy head off (20080420_04224)

This kind of workload cannot continue, will not be tolerated.

I just can’t do it.

A juvenile red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) perched in a treetop surveying its kingdom (20080405_03024)

Perhaps I can grab a quick nap later today.

The sooner the better.

Elvis again, a large male muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), taking a refreshing bath near shore (20080614_06555)

This weekend sucks.

I might try to spin that into an artistic sentiment if I had the mental wherewithal.

But I don’t.

— — — — — — — — — —

Photos:

[1] Elvis, a large male muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), gliding by the shore on a bright morning

[2] An American coot (Fulica americana) swimming toward shore in the weak light of dawn

[3] A juvenile ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) standing atop a light post and watching me closely

[4] An American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) suffering from a majorly bad hair day swims away while screaming “No pictures!”

[5] A male red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched atop a shrub singing his crazy head off

[6] A juvenile red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) perched in a treetop surveying its kingdom

[7] Elvis again, a large male muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), taking a refreshing bath near shore