I finally entered some of my photos in a contest and Mr. Cardinal was chosen as one of the winners. He will be enlarged to 11×17 and will be on the wall of the Visitor’s Center at Cantigny Gardens from February through December, 2012 and visitors can vote for their favorite photo. The picture is also being used on their web page and in the winter slide show. Did I mention how excited I am!
I took this picture during the 2009 Christmas Bird Count. It was a cold morning but the snow finally stopped falling, the sun came out and it was perfect for taking photos. Next week I will post Mrs. Cardinal who was perched on a higher branch and is just as beautiful as Mr. Cardinal.
Also, I’d like to thank my family, friends and the online community for encouraging me and making me believe that my photos were good enough to be competitive. Thanks everyone!
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Today is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. The sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn giving us short days and long nights. On the contrary, in the southern hemisphere they are enjoying nice long summer days.
I dislike snow, cold and the darkness that comes with the winter season. So why am I celebrating? Even though it will continue to get colder for another month, I’ll celebrate the lengthening days and the coming spring. Only 89 more days until the first day of spring!
Some solstice facts
- The solstice occurs because the earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees.
- The word solstice comes from ancient Latin. Sol meaning “sun” and sistere, “to stand still.” For several days before and after the solstice the sun appears to stand still in the sky and it’s noon time elevation does not change.
- Some say early Christmas celebrations have their roots in the Feast of Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration to the Roman god Saturn. When Christianity was introduced to the Roman Empire, the church allowed the feast to continue but dedicated it to the birth of Christ.
- The custom of giving presents comes from the Roman feast of Saturnalia.
- Stonehenge is aligned with solstice. The timber circle is orientated towards the rising sun on the midwinter solstice.
Are you a summer person or a winter person?
It’s no secret I’m a summer person! I need warmth, sunshine, gardens, birds, and outdoor life without shivering cold.
I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Oasis For YA are hosting the Mid-Winter’s Eve Giveaway Hop. It will run through through midnight December 27th.
Over 250 blogs are participating and each will be giving away books or book related items to their followers.
I am giving away a copy of Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson. It is a gently read arc (my review is HERE) and is in like new condition. It has the same cover art as the final copy but in softcover instead of hardcover.
Robopocalypse
by Daniel H. Wilson
When the Robot War ignites — at a moment known later as Zero Hour — humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.
Giveaway Information
- Contest is open to US & Canadian addresses only.
- Subscribers/Followers receive an additional entry. You don’t have to be a subscriber to enter, but new subscribers are always appreciated.
- To enter, fill out the form.
- The deadline for entry is midnight, December 27th. I will draw one winner who will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
Before you leave you might want to check the sidebar for other giveaways. Then hop over to one of the many other participating blogs. Click HERE for a list.
[Contest Now Closed]
Marjorie
and
Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea
Each will receive a copy of …
Digital Photography: A Basic Manual
by Henry Horenstein
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and took the time to read my review and enter the contest.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The December host is Let Them Read Books.
One paper and one audiobook this week. I’ve already started listening to Regis’ Memoir. So far, it’s delightful and if you like ‘Reege’ I suggest the audio version because he does the narration.
For review from the publisher:
A Walk Across The Sun
by Corban Addison
When a tsunami rages through their coastal town in India, 17-year-old Ahalya Ghai and her 15-year-old sister Sita are left orphaned and homeless. With almost everyone they know suddenly erased from the face of the earth, the girls set out for the convent where they attend school. They are abducted almost immediately and sold to a Mumbai brothel owner, beginning a hellish descent into the bowels of the sex trade. Halfway across the world, Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke faces his own personal and professional crisis-and makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical working in India for an NGO that prosecutes the subcontinent’s human traffickers. There, his conscience awakens as he sees firsthand the horrors of the trade in human flesh, and the corrupt judicial system that fosters it.
For review from HarperAudio:
How I Got This Way
by Regis Philbin
In this entertaining memoir, the irrepressible Reege—consummate talk-show host, man-about-town, loving husband, father, and yes, obsessive sports fan—looks back at his years in show business. How I Got This Way is filled with stories of lessons learned—and elbows rubbed—with extraordinary, and often unsuspecting, teachers: David Letterman; Donald Trump; George Clooney; Howard Stern; Jack Nicholson; legendary Notre Dame coaches Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, and Lou Holtz; and, of course, longtime cohosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly “Pippa” Ripa; as well as his own lovely wife, Joy—to name just a few.
As regular visitors to Under My Apple Tree already know, I love birds. I enjoy watching and photographing them and have a weekly bird feature, Weekend Birding.
Each year in December I volunteer to count birds for the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. This is an annual count which takes place in the weeks around Christmas. It began on Christmas Day in 1900 with only 27 observers and has grown to include over 50,000 counters at 2,000 locations across the Americas.
The purpose of the count is to capture an early winter snapshot of bird populations over the years. The data collected allows researchers to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. 
Participants of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Our youngest birder was age 10 and she did a great job of spotting birds.
My group met at on the grounds of Cantigny Park and Gardens. In the afternoon the group would continue the count on the golf course.
It had snowed the night before and by morning about an inch had accumulated. The day was overcast, dark and gloomy when we arrived at the park. You can see from the photo on the right how desolate it was. That is not a black and white picture; there just wasn’t much color. The temperature hovered around freezing most of the day.
We broke into two groups and went opposite directions. Birds were scarce for the first hour but eventually some fluffy, cold bird could be seen.
Birds do remain in the Chicago area during the winter and every year we see the usual permanent residents such as woodpeckers, doves, cardinals, sparrows, finches, chickadees, hawks and even robins. Yes, robins are here year round. They form large flocks and forage for berries at the forest edge, although some do migrate further south. Instead of just counting the number of species, as we do on a regular bird walk, we also count the total number birds. The flock of robins numbered twenty-five.
It’s always exciting to see a bird that is usually not in the Chicago area this time of year. We found a Yellow-rumped Warbler hopping around eating berries that had fallen from a Cedar tree. Most of the warblers are long gone, headed further south by this time of year, but occasionally a few will stay if they can find something to eat. Cold isn’t a problem for most birds; they migrate to find food.
As I was leaving I spotted a bright red male Cardinal in a nearby tree. I just had to stay a few more minutes to get a photo of him.
As much as I enjoy contributing to the science behind the count, the event also provides an enjoyable social birding experience and a fun annual tradition. We had a great time and even a little competition between the two groups as to who saw the most birds.
(Click on photos for larger images).
Virtual Advent is hosted by Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. The tour runs through December 24th. Visit the Virtual Advent Tour blog for links to more Virtual Advent posts.
Late autumn is good time to take photos of birds. The leaves have fallen from the trees making the birds easier to find, it’s not too cold yet and the lighting is soft and golden. While I was walking the trails at the park near my house I didn’t find any cooperative birds but I did notice the lighting on the new foot bridge was perfect for a photo. So today I have a bridge instead of birds.
I will be out most of the day Saturday counting birds for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Weekend Birding will be posted on Sunday and hopefully I’ll have some good photos and a story about Saturday’s bird outing.
Interested in learning more about photography?
I have am hosting a giveaway of two copies of Digital Photography: A Basic Manual. Only two more days to enter. Contest ends midnight Sunday, December 18th. Open to residents of US and Canada.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Under My Apple Tree 