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I will be selling my wildlife calendars and notebooks through the Holiday Season for as long as supplies last.

In the past, I’ve used them for hostess and teacher gifts.  I’ve given the notebooks to kids with Storycubes or a writing prompt book.  Here are some pictures of the items I test printed.

Notebooks with line pages $15.00

Desk Calendars 8″ x 3″ $12.00

Wall Calendars 8×5″ x 11″ $17.00

The photos in both style calendars are as follows:

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

I’m also ordering 5.5″ x 4″  notecards, blank inside, with the bear, hummingbird, fox, eagle, and loon with chick, photos.  The price for 10 (2 of each image) will be $15.00.  Envelopes included.

For shipping, add $3.50.

To place an order:

1. Leave the Item(s), and number ordering in the comments below with your name only.
2. Tally your total due, remember to include shipping.  For more than 5 items shipping may be more.
3. I will reply to your comment when I’ve received payment and mailed your items, so you can expect delivery. Let me know if  you have any questions. And thank you for your orders!

Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed, and fumbled for my sweatpants and sneakers.  Running my fingers through my hair, I glanced out at the pre-dawn darkness, then at the  thermometer.  I chuckled.

Forty-four degrees.

I might have crawled right back into the warmth of the bed covers, but I had a kayak date.  When the first drips of coffee began plopping into the camp office coffee pot, I heard a gentle knock on the front door and looked to see Cindy Lord’s smiling face peeking through the window. I let her in to choose her favorite kayak paddle and life vest.

“The sky was awfully pretty as I drove over the hills of Rt. 26,” she said. So I hurried, screwing the lid on my stainless steel coffee cup and hoisting my camera bag over my shoulder. Checking one last time for my kayak key, we headed out the front door, locking it behind us.

We talked and walked.  Rounding the last corner before the lake front, my breath caught.  Cindy hadn’t exaggerated. The sky was glorious.  I wasn’t even a foot off shore with the kayak, when I lifted the camera from my bag and began shooting.

Cindy led the way past the eagle’s island to our favorite sunrise viewing spot.

I sipped my coffee and watched the new-day sun, slowly rise over the treetops.

Basking in its glow, Cindy asked, “Where to next?”  We decided to continue on, down the shoreline until we glided into my favorite cove.  I was looking for deer, or the muskrat, or a loon.

What we spied through the fog and shoreline shadows, was a heron, wading through shallow water.

It stood perfectly still for the longest time.  From a distance, it could be mistaken for a bare branch. But I knew what I was looking for.  They’re one of my favorite subjects to photograph.

Cindy and I took a few photos.  Silently paddled a little closer.  Took a few photos. Paddled a little closer.

Suddenly, the heron lunged downward like a lightening strike.  He came back up with a fish!

Oh, how I wished he wasn’t behind the fog and in the shadows!  Getting a feeding shot was on my bucket list of subjects . . . the photo above was okay, but not the bright, clear, striking photo I longed for.

Then the heron spread his wings, and took flight to land on a nearby branch.

He rubbed his beak on the tree branch, cleaning it off after breakfast.

This branching pose was a first for me!  While he sunned himself, I took photo after photo after photo.

Cindy and I were in awe.

Mornings like this are always so much more special when you have friends to share them with.

Slowly we paddled back.  It was time for me to open the store and then we had a special event to attend; lunch with Patience Mason before her book signing at Books N Things in Norway.

What an awesome day . . . Good friends, good weather and good food.

Couldn’t ask for more.

So much has happened in the month since I last posted.   The campground was super busy with our themed weekends, especially our Halloween ones!

And mid-month, Mystery of the Eagle’s Nest launched!  Over 200 people came to the campground, and sat on my front lawn to celebrate with me, my family and Islandport Press.  For a special treat, we invited Hope from Wind Over Wings to give a presentation on raptors and ravens.

Teddy – A Northern Saw-whet Owl

The crowd was enchanted with each and bird, and their hearts were touched by their stories and how they came to stay with Wind Over Wings.

Zachariah – Common Raven

Hope and Skywalker have a special bond, it was easy to see.  Sky sang to Hope, as Hope told Sky’s story on how he was shot out of the sky. He came close to death, but pulled through, only to find one wing had to be amputated.  Can you imagine being an eagle, only to find yourself grounded?

Angry, Sky turned his back on his caregivers. Literally.  It was only after much patience, love and special care on the part of Hope and her staff,  that Sky turned back to the world.

Hope with Sky – a golden eagle

Now he stars in many presentations each year to educate humans on the life and adventures of being an eagle.

The photo below shows Sky saluting me for my work on Mystery of the Eagle’s Nest.  I was very honored.

While my staff helped children make s’mores, and Maxwell Moose wandered around showing everyone who would listen about how he was a character in Mystery of the Eagle’s Nest, I signed books for my readers and campers and friends.

The campground was still in full swing, but I did find time for a few kayaking trips to see the loons

They are preening . . .

and gathering in preparation for their journey to the coast for the winter.

And I even caught the heron, who frequents the marshy area every Fall . . .

School has started as well, and it feels good to be back in the classroom, talking up books, and writing and helping students make the most of each and every day.  We are planning an event at the school which will include Hope, and Wind Over Wings.

Going through my photos tonight, I realized I’ve taken many, but posted few.  This is mainly due to the time involved in editing them.  But now that the campground is slowing down, I can start going through them and will be be able to post summer-time photos well into the winter months!

And you’re going to have to hear all about my research and writing ups and downs, while I tackle book 3:  Mystery of the Missing Fox!

Whew, it’s been awhile since I posted, but Cooper’s second adventure needed to be written in spite of a busy campground and school starting. Every spare minute went to his and Packrat’s story.   I’m happy to report it’s done.

Okay, it’s not totally done.  The first draft is done.  Before I dig into the many revisions to come, and while it’s being read by a keen eye for feedback, I finally got a chance to take my camera on the trails.

I’d been itching to go since I’d had a wildlife tip from one of my young campers, “Where were you all day, Tami!” he’d said, early Sunday morning.  “It was RIGHT THERE!”

The blue heron he was talking about wasn’t quite “right there” by the time I got lakeside.  I followed the trail, in hopes of seeing something, anything.  But then I stumbled upon him wading silently amongst the lily pads . . .

I quickly crouched down to hide behind a small bush.  He’d seen me though, and we stayed still, staring at each other for at least ten minutes.  Him measuring me.  Me willing him to stay put long enough to take a couple pictures.

Stay, he did.

He even started preening, feather by feather.

I took over two hundred photos of this gorgeous juvenile heron.

When I had enough, I thanked him quietly.  Then we both left.

I hope I meet him again sometime.

During a walk by the water yesterday, I stopped to watch the various birds search for their evening grub. A tall, slim heron, was idling along in the shallow waters on his own, while nearby were ducks and gulls in pairs or groups. And the ducks and gulls were often intermingled with each other. So I imagined what the plight of this heron would be if he were to join in.  He would certainly have some struggles to interact, as he towered at least a foot above the other birds. And so I figured it might be a lonely experience, to be in the midst of a group where you towered over everyone else.