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Contents:
“Looking Out My Backdoor”
“On The Road Again” to Pantanal,
Brazil
My Memorial Day Salute
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“Looking Out My Backdoor”
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It is always fun packing and getting ready
for one of my tours, especially to the Pantanal in Brazil. However, there
are times when it is hard to leave home. The following pictures taken
from my office window may give you a hint as to why I wish I could put
the trip off a few weeks. A few days ago I discovered a pair of Ground
Doves building a nest literally about 8 feet from my nose! Now it is
almost impossible to get anything accomplished, especially in the packing
department! Set the camera & tripod up, take it down & pack it,
pull the camera back out of the case & set the whole rig back up
again!! This has gone on for a few days & has to stop if I’m
going to make the plane on time! Yesterday the doves were gone from the
nest all day, so I took the whole camera setup down (again) figuring they
had abandoned this location. Then on a whim I took a goose-necked mirror
and peeked into the nest and discovered a single egg! Shortly after
mentally berating the wayward & irresponsible parents for deserting their
unborn child, the mom flew in. Back up goes the equipment!! Well, this
was fortuitous as a very active House Sparrow clan flew in and out,
chick-feeding, preening & creating some fun photo ‘opps’. Well,
today, both Ground Dove parents are back on the nest, as they should
be, allowing me to concentrate on another ‘oddity’ going on in my
back yard.
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For a few weeks now I’ve been catching this
flash of reddish-orange color flying by, but not settling down long
enough for me to identify it—until now. After resorting to my faithful
companion, Sibley’s Guide to Birds, I’ve discovered I have a pair, if not
a whole family, (with aunts & uncles), of House Finches. This is
rather amazing as Sibley’s Guide states that these birds exist everywhere
in the Continental United States except FLORIDA!! Wow!! Now I am
feeling smug. This is how I felt last year when I smugly announced the
arrival of the Painted Bunting family; whom, by the way, are back again
with probably the male child of last-year’s brood, his sisters and/or
girlfriends or significant others. I feel I’m blessed having all this
‘right under my nose’, but also a part of me feels cursed as I have to
leave and will miss the blessed-event of the arrival of the little bundle
of joy & fuzzy feathers and all the fun stuff (feeding etc.) that
will come after. “Poor, poor, poor me” has to go pack for a Fun-filled
Foto-Fiasco in Brazil!! “Poor, poor, me”! (no cursing, please!)
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The following images speak for themselves
helping you to visualize what a fabulous mecca for wildlife and nature
enthusiasts the largest in-land, wetland in the world has to offer us. My
group & I will be visiting many different areas of the Pantanal such
as: a number of private ranches (fazendas), areas around Cuiaba, cruising
on the Cuiaba River, the beautiful town of Bonito & surrounding
areas, snorkeling on the Prata River, touring in and around the town of
Corumba, going to the Macaws Sinkhole for more great photo opps, visiting
the Pantanal Wildlife Center (enjoying the Jaguars—I hope!), cruising on
and around the Pixaim river….and much, much more.
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After I bid my guests a ‘fond farewell,’ I’m
staying on for ten days to do some “reconning” of new areas to add to my
destination list for next year and years to come. I am especially excited
about a couple of hummingbird areas I’ve learned about. There have been
four “signer-uppers” already for next year tour (no kidding, I’m not
making it up!!). I’m considering two back-to-back visits if this much
interests continues. However, my groups are very small, and if you think
you may wish to join us, I do honor early-bird signups (no cost or
obligation—just your interest). The tour will be around this same time of
year as is the optimum for wildlife, good weather, & few people.
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As I prepare for my month-long journey
departing this Memorial Day, I can’t help reflecting on memories of
sights seen, heard, smelled, & felt while traveling to the many other
countries I have visited—whether it be on business or pure pleasure.
There seems to be one common denominator near the end of each of my
journeys--my hunger for home. I’m not only referring to the love of
family & friends, or the familiarity & comfort zone one feels
when at home, but something much, much deeper. It’s a feeling I have when
I get off the airplane in the U.S.A; it’s almost as if I’m just returning
from a dangerous mission that I’ve survived, and I’ve made it back to the
safety of my homeland. (Even the often-grumpy, self-important, security
‘generals’ at the immigration desk can’t dissuade my delight on arriving
home!) This country is special—like no other in the world, and worth
every & all the efforts we can make to keep it ours and safe. Why
else have so many men and women voluntarily fought & died over all
these past years & into the present, to keep her safe? Why? There can
only be one conclusion or answer. If they had not, there would be no
‘Home of the Free’ (who have come from every country on earth to live
their lives openly and freely). I honor and praise you. This is my
personal salute to all of the brave men & women of the United States
who have fought and died in other lands defending freedom for all of us
here at home.
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Our Veterans
It is the VETERAN
,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the
VETERAN ,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the
VETERAN ,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the
VETERAN ,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the
VETERAN ,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the
VETERAN ,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN
who salutes the Flag,
It is the VETERAN
who serves under the Flag.
If you have any doubt about the True
Cost of Liberty, turn on your television on Monday, May 31 to your
local PBS station (check the listing in your area) and watch the
re-broadcast of “Hallowed Grounds”. You can visit their website http://www.pbs.org/hallowedgrounds/ for a
preview and listings.
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If you are interested in any of my tours, click on
their corresponding link below:
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Photo
Researchers, Editors, and Publishers:
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As stated in previous newsletters, at no
obligation to you, send me a “want list” of images you are looking for
that may coincide with a trip I’m about to take, or have recently taken,
and I’ll do my very best to seek out that subject and shoot it with your
request in mind. This may save you some expense, give me a specific
mission and possibly a sale of that image. It’s a ‘win, win situation’!
A quick reminder that my library of 35mm
original slides houses approximately 75,000 images, and my digital
library presently holds over 100,000 (and growing-hourly)!
My website holds an in-depth Stock Shop for your quick review: www.joannewilliamsphoto.com
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