As I step away from more platforms such as Mail Chimp, it’s my website blog that will continue. Yes, you all may have heard it is time to hang up the fins. Forty-plus years of scuba diving, assignments, and the joy of photographing marine life around the planet, the biggest thing I can say is, “HOW DARNED LUCKY!” However, the most rewarding thing is meeting the people and forming new families.
Take a step back and read my story “Don’t Look Up – Look Around” dated November 29, 2024, and you may understand why this is my new slogan and logo art. It came to me when I saw a small video clip of mine in the movie Don’t Look Up, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Now, have I photographed birds around the world? Yes, I have. Did I know anything about their behavior or even the true species’ names. NO. Now it’s time to learn about the birds of our country and my own backyard. While traveling, I paid more attention to lions, rhinos, hippos and other furball species. As I look back at the plethora of photos I have in both analog and digital format, there are feathered friends. I have learned more through becoming involved with Eastside Audubon, Birds Connect and Cornell Ornithology. Many highly respected photographers are my mentors. Tim Laman, Geritt Vyn, Jack Dykinga, Paul Bannick, and women such as Melissa Groo are telling fabulous visual stories. They get it, and birds are darned hard to capture no matter how fancy your camera is, even with a big lens attached.
Africa
Papua New Guinea
Hornbill, Tufi Oro Province
As I find myself with some bad bones that can’t take me to all remote areas or hiking, I am fortunate that when walking with equipment is out of the question, it is so rewarding to have a home in the Pacific Northwest on a large wildlife corridor. Now that padded window seat in my upstairs bedroom is where I can have my setup and checklist, and we do have tiny little brown birds, woodpeckers and, recently, a pair of bald eagles circling above our tree canopy.
Our Beautiful Backyard
After I turned 75, I sat in my favorite seat and whispered to myself, this is the beginning of the final stretch. This was an idea taken from the quote by an unknown author, but Rule 7 stuck in my mind. “KEEP LEARNING SOMETHING – ANYTHING! The day you stop learning is the day you start aging. Your brain needs movement like your body does and learning keeps you young.”
Here’s to understanding our feathered friends!
Michele