I’m finally getting this slide show thing down and really digging it. If I were to tell you all that’s gone on in the last weeks we could be here a while. There’s been lots of love, some episodes of loss, a bad cold and a whole lot of sunrise and sunset shooting going on. I spoke to some lovely teachers at the Palm Beach Reading Council, had an encore appearance on Valentine’s Day at my hometown Barnes & Noble in Boynton Beach and am about to see my book on the tables of the annual AVDA luncheon, the charity to which proceeds from my book are going. Translation: 400 people will get a copy! Then, before you know it, it’ll be March 12th and my little book will grace the goody bags of 800 people who attend the annual Love of Literacy luncheon put on by the Literacy Coalition of the Palm Beaches. I love this event and this year’s speaker is Kate DiCamillo, the author of Because of Winn Dixie (among other award-winning titles).

I had some pet bird disasters. Rashi, my magnificent cockatiel left his earthly perch for birdy heaven and Tito, the nearly bald miniature parrot almost joined him at the claw or tooth (we’re not sure which) of one still-partly-feral cat, Sachi. There were two visits within two weeks to the birdy veterinarian after not having seen him for 10 years. Poor little dears. I miss having Rashi to the left perched on my book shelf, shredding the tops of cookbooks in my morning field of vision as I post my photos and meanderings. Now and then, he was directly on the computer preening and breaking out into his version of revele. RIP good buddy. You were a good bird. Maybe the only “normal” one living under this roof. Tito’s come around and I actually think he’s missing his twice a day dosing of antibiotics – three kinds, that is. In his world, any attention must feel like good attention. Poor little bald bird.

We had our “cold snap” here in South Florida and as of today, it may be officially over. Let’s hope not, as I’m not anxious for the multi-month heat wave that typically follows. I did see, however, in our local lagoon, a huge celebration of the warm weather and sunshine in the form of iguanas, turtles, pelicans, green herons, Mallard ducks, coots, wood storks, and great big herons of every kind. It was miraculous. Looked like Noah’s (avian) Ark.

Look for my book in First For Women, the grocery store tabloid magazine on March 19th and coming in April, Avenue magazine in tony Delray Beach. The Happy Herald just did a wonderful feature here in the South Florida market and I was actually asked to speak a the monthly salon for photographers at the Palm Beach Armory in late March. What the heck am I going to tell them? Methinks I better wear protective gear should they show up with things to throw at me.

I kid, but am a little nervous. I’ll tell them all about the publishing and marketing parts. Then, I will beg them all to be my mentors. Please teach me camera settings beyond automatic, pretty please?

Over and peace out.

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