New Work, Holy Spirit High School Christmas Craft Show This Weekend!

Christmas shopping? Come on out to Holy Spirit High School this weekend for their Christmas Craft Show! Sunday, December 4th, 2011, 10am to 4pm

Do you have someone special on your list to buy for? Think about giving a gift of art!
I'll have new note cards & canvas prints from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada for purchase.

Back in the states...

I've come to find I've learned more about Churchill than I ever thought I would. Although, I believe I can never learn enough.
Churchill is an incredible place. Alot of controversy was heard about what is happening there. As I had mentioned in previous posts, I had taken the VIA Canada train to Churchill as there aren't any roads that lead there. There is flight service, but weighing out the cost between the flight & the train, well, obviously, the train was the way to go for me. As many of you know, I get to the places I do because of the way I travel. I don't always have all the luxuries many other people do when they travel, but, for me, it's all about the experiences I have along the way. Besides that, I have no problem roughing it!
I met many fascinating people on the 2 day train ride to Churchill. There was a group called "The Great Bear Foundation", there were biologist, documentary film makers, naturalists, people whom embarked on a journey to the Churchill Research Center, photographers, a forester, people who have made it their lives ambition to see as much of the world as possible, the young, the old & all ages in between. ( this is only some of the people I met!)
The train does not travel at very fast speeds because of permafrost doing damage to the tracks. They are in constant need of maintenance. I got to bare witness to this as we passed a train wreck along the way.
We traveled through the Boreal Forest being made up of Birch, Popular, White & Black Spruce trees. It was beautiful!

On the day I rented my old Ford pick up truck, I traveled to the end of the road to The Research Center. (after I was chased by a bear down the road in reverse) It wasn't what I though it would be, but, an amazing place just the same. This image is of a missile launch that remains there from when the military did their research there.

 Global warming is very real. The North is one of the places that will give you much insight as to what is happening globally. The Hudson Bay has not froze yet, there hasn't been much snow, it's been warmer than usual & the polar bears are starving. There are predictions that the polar bears may be extinct within 4 to 5 years if things continue the way they are going.

The bears need the ice to freeze so as to get to their main food staple, the ringed seals.
There is an area called the dump where grain has been dumped & buried & alot of the bears go there for this grain. The grain ferments, the bears dig it up, eat it & then become drunk from ingesting it. It is not healthy for them.

As cute as these bears look, they are extremely dangerous. They can run 35 mph, humans can not. They can turn over a vehicle, destroy a wall to get into a house & after they are dropped off by helicopter between 200 to 500 miles away, can find their way back within 5 days. They are smart animals. (Although, most all animals are smarter than most humans give them credit for) Never underestimate them.

My last day there, I woke up to about 6 to 8 inches of snow & I had another opportunity to go dog sledding, only on a real sled this time. It was amazing! We went on trails through the Boreal Forest, it was so quiet except for the sound of the sled & the paws of the dogs mushing along. It was beautiful!

I'm thankful to be home again, safely, in my bed & to have all the luxuries of home!
Thank you for your comments & following my blog! I will keep you posted as to when there will be a viewing of the images from this incredible adventure!

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada...Polar Bears and More!

I began my journey flying out of Philadelphia to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I stayed overnight there for 1 night & caught a train the next day at noon. The train ride to Churchill is 2 days. Needless to say, you make some friends along the way!

We stopped at several places, The Pas, Thompson, Gilliam, Dauphin, to pick up & drop off people whom were not all going the entire way, but this seems to be the best means of transport between these towns & or villages. We spent a few hours in Thompson & were able to get off the train & walk to town. (this image is from the depot in Thompson)

The train went through fields of golden grasses, the Boreal Forest & then the Tiaga.

Upon arriving in Churchill, I caught a taxi with a couple I had meant on the train that were staying at the Blue Sky Bed & Sled as well. www.http://blueskymush.com

We were greeted by Miranda, from Hong Kong & Carys, from Whales, two of the delightful volunteers that work here, & escorted to our rooms upstairs. Shortly there after, our host, Jenafor Azure, came home from errands & gave us information on the house, a map, & told us of our gifts from them to us! She then asked if I had wanted to go to the dog sledding area as they had a dog sledding tour at 1:00. I went with her to pick up the guest & then off to the dog sledding area. There I met Gerald, Jenafor's husband, our other host. I had scheduled a dog sledding adventure for the following day, but as it ended up, I was there so I joined in for the fun then. Gerald gave us information on dog sledding, how they called their demands & such & then we went out for an adventure of a lifetime! There hasn't been any snow to speak of, so Gerald took us out on a sled he has designed that runs on wheels. You really can't tell the difference! We went around a loop a couple of times & then back to the yard. It was amazing! After that I went to dinner with the other dog sledding guest. We ate, drank wine & had an evening of great conversation!

Next morning Gerald took me out for sunrise & then on to the grain dump.

There are alot of polar bears hang out there.

We drove around for parts of the day scouting for more bears, viewing the incredible landscape & eventually ended at the marina with the dogs for sunset.

Thursday was my scheduled day for my Tundra Buggy tour. A bus collected me at 8am & we then set off to the Tundra Buggy launch site. We seen 5 bears, including a mother with 2 cubs along the way.

The Tundra Buggy was filled with about 30 of us & is like a school bus / tank with approximatley 4 feet between the 2 rows of seating, has a heating element like a fireplace of sorts & a viewing deck on the back so we can go out & photograph from there.

We drove over the Tiaga & the Tundra & at times seems as if we would roll over, but these vechicles are specifically made for travel on this area.

We had seen polar bears & artic fox.

I rented an old ford pick up truck yesterday & went on my own for awhile. I then had made plans the night before to meet up with a friend, Jodi, from the train in town. She had let me know about a bear lift / drop that was going on at the bear jail at 1:00. These are bears that have repeated offenses in town, are jailed in "bear jail"for a short time, tagged & then air lifted to a safer area further up north.

We then traveled as far as the road would take us up to the Research Center. I had met a gentleman the night before at a culture talk that our hosts, Gerald & Jenafor had given at their tent where the dog sledding is held, & he had invited us to go along on a lecture that was about to begin of the missel launch area out there.

My time here has seem to have passed way to quickly. I have made some awesome new friends & Gerald & Jenafor have treated me like family they have not seen in along time. They could not have taken better care of me. I already have plans for my return in the summer to see the beluga whales.

Tonight I board the train again for another 2 days into Winnipeg. I'll stay for 1 night, then back to the airport for my return home.

If you ever get the itch to come north, come & see Gerald & Jenafor, you won't go wrong! Jenafor will make you an incredible breakfast to last you for the day & stear you in the right direction for all of what Churchill has to offer as it is not just all about polar bears here!

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I awoke at 2:00am this Saturday morning & left for the Philadelphia airport at 3:20am. The airport was interesting, as usual. Getting through security has always been a problem, but since September 11th, it's more trying than ever. Canon has loaned me their 800mm lens & I think security thought I was looking for that long shot, never having a photograph in mind. I made it through to Denver in a little more than 4 hours with the next big hurtle being the smaller plane to Winnipeg. They weren't going to let me on the plane with all my equipment. They wanted me to check the suitcase with all my gear, the other held only the 800mm. I was guarding the 800 with my life so I couldn't let them take that, I would never want to let canon down. They even took me onto the plane I caused such a fuss to prove it to me that there was no way it was going to fit on that plane. They were right. I shed a few tears, still, that wasn't going to make it fit on the plane either. The man at security did say he would personally take my case & put it on board himself, but he couldn't account for it on the other end. At some point I was told I had to check in at another desk. When I went down there, I suddenly came up with the idea that I should take the backpack out of the suitcase, fill it with my other things, coat, scarf, pillow, a few chargers, flung it around on my back, held onto the 800 & gave them the suitcase. I pulled it off! Where there is a will, there is a way! Positive thoughts go a long way too!

Flying into Winnipeg, I seen a few miles of wind farms, surrounded by many food farms. I was also told by one of the locals on the plane that the government was looking to extend a road from Winnipeg to Churchill which would elimnate the need for the train. I would say be careful of all those changes. I think it would take away from what makes one so curious to want to be there in the first place.

In a little less than 2 hours & I was in Winnipeg. Going through customs was a breeze, especially now I know the answers they're looking for. Learned alot of those mistakes along the way!

I exchanged my currency at the airport, then I called the hotel shuttle & they were there within 5 minutes. There was a group of us all going to the same hotel. I asked if any of them were going to see the polar bears & all of them were. Only difference was that they were flying into Churchill in the morning & I'll be headed for the train station. Hugh difference in price & time traveling. They'll be there in 1 to 2 hours, it'll take me 2 days by train. As much as I would love to see Churchill by air, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the train ride.

My room at the hotel is like a small condo & I feel like a princess being in it! I went down to the lounge, ordered dinner, & brought it back up to my room & watched a movie. Life is good! Tonight, I'll retire early, wake up early, have breakfast downstairs, then catch a cab across town to the train station & embark on the next part of my journey.

Till then my friends, stay well & be happy!

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Churchill polar bear adventure is less than a month away & I am literally counting the days!

I have been doing extensive research and look forward to all that Churchill has to offer. Snow has been in their forecast, and after the hot summer we've had here on the east coast, I'm looking forward to it. I will be blogging along the way, as long as there is Internet access. There will be a link to my blog from http://www.artcnow.com as well. 

I've also been working on a book, "Life on Patcong Creek", with the subject matter in my own back yard. The book will not be all my own words as it will be a collection of information I've gathered along the way. Included will be the wildlife that exists here, the marine life, flora, history & I will be writing our current history so as to save our future generations some time on their research. Check out http://www.facebook.com & type in Patcong Creek in the search bar. There are a few variations, but mine has an eagle for the profile picture, then take a look at the photo album to give you a little preview of our creek.

This project came about from the environmental stewards class I took this past year through Rutgers University. It was held at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority in Pleasantville, NJ. We had to do an internship project for the completion of the class & to receive our certificate. I will be sponsored by The Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association & I will also be giving a program at their November meeting. I have learned so much from this class & I highly recommend it to anyone interested in our environment, its past & where it all seems to be going. Every week was with a different professor / instructor & subject matter. We had a great class & I made some awesome new friends & contacts along the way. http://www.envirostewards.rutgers.edu/

So check back for updates on all of this exciting news & leave comments as I look forward to hearing from you as well!

Much Peace, Love & Happiness & Be Well!

Nutria, A Rat-like Pest Ravaging Gulf Coast Wetlands, Can Be Lured With New Substance

Nutria, A Rat-like Pest Ravaging Gulf Coast Wetlands, Can Be Lured With New Substance

New Schedule...

October 1, 2011 ~ Birch Grove Park ~ 10am till 3pm ~ There will be a fishing contest, car show, art & crafts for sale as well as food, hay rides, pony rides amongst other festivities going on this Saturday. Raindate, Sunday, 12pm till 4pm.

October 8, 2011 ~ Annual Pine Barrens Jamboree ~ 10am till 4:30pm ~ Pine Barrens culture, art & crafts & food will all be available for purchase. Wells Mill County Park, 905 Wells Mills Road, Waretown, New Jersey. This event is held rain or shine!

November I'll be going to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, polar bear capitol of the world!
I'll be staying at the famous Blue Sky Bed & Sled known for their sled dogs! Their place sits on the edge of town, overlooking the tundra.
I'll be there photographing the sled dogs & polar bears, amongst other things! Stay tuned for updates about this very exciting adventure!

Atlantic City Press Article....

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/eht/bargaintown-woman-fulfills-dream-as-nature-photographer/article

Thank you Elisa Lala for the nice write up!

Hurricane Irene

Irene was not at all as bad as had been expected. Not for us anyway. On our 2 little streets, all of the 17 homes in our neighborhood came out without any catastrophes. A few lil' branches here & there, but everyone is safe & bottom line...that's all that really matters. The tide came up higher than usual, but not as high as predicted. The water covered the dock & came up about 15 - 20 feet past that. My greenhouse survived as did the studio, although at around 5am this morning, I did think the water was coming in, but then it receded. There a several tomato plants down, but out of over 150 plants, we won't miss them too much. The canning has been trying to get the best of us anyway so this will be a welcomed break! (I did pick everything I could before the storm hit.) My dog, Ashley, is not sure if we're moving & is up my butt a little more than usual. Poor old dog. There are literally paths going through my living room at this point from all that I have packed in here from the studio. I don't regret doing it though. That was my insurance that nothing would happen. You know how that goes.

I can say this, we have built this house well. It has survived alot this week, not that I ever had a doubt....ok, once during the earthquake when I didn't know what was going on, a fleeting thought went through my mind that my house was going to fall down, but, all in all, the blood, sweat & tears that went into building our home was all worth it. We know it was built to survive.

I hope this finds you all safe & sound! The tornado that hit in Delaware is down the road from where we spent last weekend. Not everyone has come out of this as well as some of us.

Oh, by the way, did you hear there is another hurricane coming next week?

(Attached images are one of our gardens & the produce I picked before the storm.)

What a week!

What a week, an earthquake, hurricane Irene & 1 tornado warning....Mother Natures Fury.

As many of you know, I live on Patcong Creek in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. We expect many changes in the next 24 hours. Two of my major concerns would have to be water in my studio & loosing my greenhouse. We'll see how that all works out. We may also be seeing what has been the best ever community garden come to an end. We've been under a mandatory evacuation since last night, but I don't expect to be going anywhere. I'm here with my dog, Ashley, & have really done all that I could for storm control over the past few days.

Be safe my friends & keep in touch to let me know what's happening in your area. I would love to hear from you!

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Maritime Festival

Come on out & join us for the 2011 Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Maritime Festival! It's this weekend in North Wildwood at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. Saturday, July 16, 2011 from

9 am till 5 pm & Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 9 am till 4 pm. Check out their website for scheduled activities at http://www.herefordlighthousefestival.org/ You won't be dissappointed!

I'll have the latest additions to the canvas collection & new notecard selections as well!

Waretown, NJ Display

Tomorrow, May 28th, 2011, I will be displaying my nature, wildlife & travel photographs at the Ocean Township Founders Day held at the Frederic A. Priff Elementary School. Images printed on canvas, matted prints & note cards will be available for purchase.

I hope to see some of you!

Happy Memorial Day!

Reflections & Selections...

I went to my blog to write something along the lines of the past, the present & the future, & I found this post I began last year. I never finished it & it has never been posted...till now! I figure, better late than never & as I read it, it sounded pretty cool so I thought I'd share it with you!! You could always skip to the part of this year if you choose to do so, but then you wouldn't have some of the information that leads into this past year.

So.....here is last years would have been post....

These 1st few weeks of the new year I reflect upon where I've been, where do I want to be, what have I accomplished, what do I want to accomplish next & where I am going to explore on my next adventure. It's a total revaluation process of my life.
The past 2 years I have traveled extensively, experienced many things, spent precious time with family & friends and made a few new friends along the way.

In 2009, I went to Seattle, Washington, and I met a man I have admired for a long time, Art Wolfe. Not only do I admire his work, but the way he lives his life. One of my best friends and I were welcomed into Art's home and even though he was busy with a function that was about to happen there, he took time with us & graciously shared his personal space with us. (Probably thought we were crazy in the end, but...(!), it was nice to know he is as down to earth as I thought he would be.

We traveled down the coast from there to San Francisco. We went to Mount Rainer and drove in total whiteout conditions, seen Rossevelt Elk and seals, meandered through the Redwood Forest and then onto The Golden Gate Bridge. If you ever get the chance to drive the west coast, it's a highly recommended trip.

Last year in April I volunteered in South Africa at Ukutula, A white lion conservation reserve. It was one of the best experiences of my life! I took care of white and brown lions, tigers and cheetahs and learned alot about them and the research that they do there. I bottle fed them, bathed them, drug dead cows for them & taught children about them.

I've been to Monroe, Virginia several times on a family members farm, Galeton, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of July, the Pocono's and most recently, Haiti.

Being in a third world country gives you an entirely new perspective on life and how we live it here.

I believe it should be mandatory for a teenager to graduate highschool that they must spend time in a third world country, of their choice, raise the money to go there themselves and accomplish something productive while there, for 2 weeks. They would come back here with a new attitude and appreciation of everything they have instead of the entitlement they believe they deserve. It could turn them into who they really are meant to be sooner than later!

We brought in the New Year here with some wonderful family and friends, good eats and some really great laughs! We had a bonfire out back and let off sky / wish lanterns at midnight. It was magical!

My birthday was spent at my daughters house with the entire family and an awesome dinner. There's not a better way I could have spent it. I've also been blessed with many wonderful friends that have taken me to lunch. I usually drag my birthday on for at least a week if not longer! On another note, I'm 48 all over again as I had thought & told people I was, for, well I guess, about the entire last year!

We are officially planning our next big adventure to Australia & New Zealand in October this year! I met a friend, Richard, while in Africa this past April whom lives in Australia & we will be meeting up with him somewhere along our travels. I look forward to meeting the rest of his family as well. All new wildlife, landscapes and experiences await us!

Today I spent with a friend whom I have admired for 15 years now, Ann Burns. I met Ann when I volunteered for the blind in response to an ad in the newspaper. I new it was going to be a great match as soon as I met her and we have shared many wonderful moments together. Ann has been an amazing influence in my life. She is a strong, independent, smart & loving woman!

We had lunch at Ram's Head in a room to ourselves & sat at a table by a hugh picture window. It snowed all day & before we knew it, over 4 hours had passed while we talked the day away. Although we don't see each other often, we always pick up wherever we left off like we've never missed a beat.

Currently, I'm booking new art shows for the upcoming year & I will keep you posted as the dates are finalized.

I've recently began a class through Rutgers University held at the ACUA on environmental steward training. I love it & there's only been 1 class so far! We will touch base on many environmental issues, learn leadership skills in helping to make changes happen through the proper government channels, go on field trips to places I would love to have access to & I'll learn lots of scientific information that I'll use to benefit the environment beginning in my own back yard! The Patcong Creek that I live on is a major watershed in our area. Very exciting stuff!!!

This is where you would skip to if you wanted to jump ahead to this years post!

Funny where a year can take you. This past year had been filled with many challenges, surprises, & changes of plans that no one could have ever anticipated, but I guess that how life goes.

March has to be the most challenging month I've had in a long time. Within 1 week, Billy had got into an accident with my son, Steven's truck, I found out my son had a 4 month old daughter that same night & 4 days later Billy fell off the roof next door & broke his back in 3 places. This was the day before I was supposed to get on a plane to Texas for a nature photography conference & 2 days before Billy was to finally go back to work from being out since January.

Okay, 1 story at a time. Billy was fine from the accident as was the truck, well it was drivable & only suffered minor damage. He was pulling a trailer with logs on it for the mill that were 10 feet in length & approximately 3 feet wide. The poor guy who hit him never had a chance. He was okay, but his car was totaled.

That night, I found out about my newest granddaughter, Lily Rose. She's beautiful, healthy & had her 1st birthday November 4th! Yes, quite the surprise!

On Sunday, there was a storm coming & Billy had wanted to cover the roof on the house next door because the rubber roofing had blown off. He mistakenly stepped on the rubber roofing with wet feet & fell 25 feet, to his feet, on the ground, then fell over. My brother was visiting from Tennessee, was standing there & thought he died. He then got up, came in the house & said to me he was going to take a shower & that he had just fell off the roof. MEN. Billy argued with me for the next 4 hours about going to the hospital till I called his cousin in Virginia. She gave me the words to say to him that I couldn't seem to come up with on my own at that moment. I told him, after refusing to walk on his back, that he had a choice....do you want to go quietly with me to the hospital or do I have to call the ambulance & you'll have to deal with them. He decided to come with me. We found out about the 1st break in the hospital, the 2nd within the week that followed & the 3rd, 3 months later. The next 5 months were long, but we got through it. I just thank God that he was still alive & not paralyzed for life. Billy is doing great now & is back to work on the steel. Yes, alot of jokes came out of his dilemma from some of his iron worker friends!

During this time, alot of issues came up that we had to deal with & so we found some cool solutions in handling them.

While drinking some of our "wineshine", (our homemade wine) on our deck with some of our good friends, the garden came up. Billy usually does the tilling for me & that wasn't going to happen this year. I asked our friends if they were interested in having a community garden & they replied yes! The garden was the best garden we ever had! There were 4 families involved & we grew food for many more! We canned, froze, dried & ate out of the garden all summer long! It was all organic, whimsical, & productive & I began it all from seed in my greenhouse. There were children involved & it was wonderful for them to see where their food comes from! With global warming happening, we now can grow vegetables into December.

We never made it to Australia or New Zealand. It just wasn't in the cards for this year. I did, however, make it to the Artic to photograph polar bears. (refer to older blog posts) It was an awesome adventure! I now want to go back in the summer for summer bears & the beluga whales. I had made some new friends there & had been asked to teach a beginner photography course. Something I am seriously considering.
The 2 day train ride is the tough part!

I've had an alright year with sales, considering how much I was actually able to work with taking care of Billy & how bad the economy is. All in all though, I can't complain. There's food on my table & my bills are paid.

I finished my environmental steward class in June. I learned more than I ever thought I would! I met some incredible people & I am now working on a book on Patcong Creek as a result on of it. The book is coming along, but not as fast as I thought it would. I now understand writers block.(!) It's also a little overwhelming at times, but, I'll be finishing it in the next couple of months. It won't be a hugh book, but it will be very informative. A new class begins in January & most classes are held at the local ACUA. If you're interested, contact Bruce Barbour, (098)975-6505, or barbour@rce.rutgers.edu

The holidays were great, considering I was down the entire week before Christmas. It puts things into perspective as to what really is important. But, I've had a year of that! I'm still struggling with a bad back, yes, my turn I guess! I've been seeing Dr. Harvey Haslet, a chiropractor in Galloway Township, (609)748-1444. He's really great at what he does & has worked miracles on me!

It's not New Year's yet & I already have a jump on next years tasks! Not sure about my next adventure, but sometimes not planning every moment is the best plan of all.

I Love my life & am very grateful for all that I am, all that I've yet to be & all that I come from because that is what makes me who I am today. #49 is in a couple of weeks & I don't mind a bit. I love getting older because I am. Every year is one more year I have conquered & I can't say there is much I would ever change as I try very hard to not live with shoulda, woulda, couldas. For this is not a rehearsal...make it all count. Life can change in a heartbeat forever more. Love every minute of it. Tell the ones you love that you love them & never resist a moment to enjoy them. We never know when they will move on to their next life.

As always, much Peace, Love & Happiness, stay well, Love & let yourself Be Loved. Oh, & don't beat yourself up!
Till next time....