Wellsboro Bike Rides=Wildlife Adventure

A couple of weeks ago we trekked up to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, to spend some time on their rails to trails, but we weren't ready for everything we saw while we were there.

On our first day on the bike trail while we were riding along we saw a large animal on the trail ahead of us. When I exclaimed, "It's a cat!" it looked up and saw us and headed off into the woods. It was a cat alright. A bobcat. Bobcats don't like to show themselves often, so that was a real treat. It didn't stick around long enough for either of us to get a photo, but here's a shot of what one might look like up close and personal.

Also on the trail that day were several snakes. The first one we saw we stopped to help him off the trail. Where we normally ride we don't see too many snakes on the trail itself, and we'd rather they not get themselves run over. But then we saw another one. And another. And another. It was like they were everywhere. Mostly they were non-poisonous water snakes, but we did see a couple of garter snakes, too. This was one of the water stakes, and he let me take his picture. Well, sort of. I don't think he was very happy about it.

 

The second day we were there was a bit rainy, so we walked the town and read the day away. During our walk, I snapped this photo of a deer making itself at home in somebody's yard. It didn't seem very surprised at all to see us and wasn't frightened by us being there in the least.

The third day turned out to be spectactular, so we hit the bike trail again. As we rode past some houses, along the top of the fence separating the trail from the yard ran a black squirrel. He ran right along with our riding speed and was about three feet away from me. At first I didn't recognize what it was because I didn't realize that black squirrels even existed. But they do, and we got to see one close up. Unfortunately, by the time I realized what it was, it was too late to pull out the camera.

Did you see the first photo at the top of this post? Shortly after I took it (and put my camera away, of course. This is starting to sound like I'm making this up, isn't it.), we caught sight of a large black animal on the trail ahead of us. At first I thought it was a really big dog, but then it stood on its hind legs and proceeded to climb over the fence on the right of the photo. Yep. A bear.

We saw so many more snakes on the trail that we just decided to do our best not to hit them with our bikes. Snakes themselves are pretty exciting to see on a normal bike trip, but after you've seen a bobcat and a bear, any snakes you might see seem kind of tame.

Photos while bike riding

Yeah. It probably isn't a good idea to take photos while you're actually moving on the bike, but I couldn't resist.

Great Allegheny Passage from Confluence to Fort Hill. Cleared the cobwebs. Got me focused.

A few days ago I had written about 12 important pages for the end of my latest novel, and they felt like I just wanted to get it done. I thought about them on the trail, about what the problems were, about what questions really needed to be solved better (or solved period) and about what needed more explanation. When I sat down after I got home, I started handwriting ideas out that I didn't want to forget on scrap paper. After the third sheet and I still wasn't finished, I decided to finish up on the computer.

Two pages single-spaced later, I've got problems solved that I didn't even realize I had.

Tomorrow, we write.

Starting From Chicken Scratch

So I've been contemplating lately what my next move will be regarding my illustration career. As I blogged earlier, I don't think the direction I was heading was quite the right direction I should be. It's kind of hard to keep doing what you're doing when what you're doing isn't doing anything. Isn't that the definition of madness? Spinning your wheels and expecting a different result?

My mailing list since 2005 has been directed toward picture book publishers, and there aren't too many No, Davids or Frog Belly Rat Bones out there. And you know what? That's fine. I'm not sure I'm understanding the logic, but I respect the decision, and I'm free to move on.

This morning I bought a Kindle copy of the 2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market book. It's been a while since I had a copy (looks like 2007 was the last), and I wanted to get a version that didn't leave me with a dead tree in a few years. So I'm Kindle-ing this one.

I've decided my mailing list is getting a do-over, and I'm starting with the Market book I bought this morning. When the 2012 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market book comes out in September, I'll sift through that one, too. I'm going to look for publishers for older kids this time, and book covers and maybe posters and agents and such.

I still love, love, love picture books, but I've resigned myself into accepting that if I ever get one published it will likely be independent of a major house. And I'm fine with that, too. I'll be doing it because I love creating and pulling ideas out of my butt, and that satisfaction can happen no matter who pays for the final outcome.

Yesterday I went for a bike ride (Rockwood, PA to Garrett, PA on the Great Allegheny Passage). I took a picture while I was riding, so I have an excuse for the blurry. Lots of thoughts in my head, including the one I shared above.

And here's another one:

You need to get out more.

You need to move more.

The more you move more,
the more oxygen gets sucked into your little brain,
and the more thoughts can get thought out of your butt.

Think your own thoughts. Paint your own pictures. Live your own life.

O.K. The snow can be done now

I'm finished with winter.

We've endured snow on the ground almost every day since the beginning of December, and the time I've set aside for winter months has officially run its course. The sunny days and beautiful blue skies will only dupe the senses for so long when the temperature refuses to go high enough to melt the white stuff.

I'm tired of running on a treadmill with my iPod staring at boxes in the basement.

I want to ride my bicycle. On a trail. Outside. In shorts.

I want to walk in the woods.

I want to eat ice cream.

Dear Fall: If I had appreciated you more, would you have stayed?

(The trail photo is from September, taken while riding my bike on the Great Allegheny Passage.)

I'm already tired of the snow. And the winter. And the scraping of the car every time I want to go somewhere. And the gloves that you can't use to do anything except keep warm. And it really isn't even winter yet for another two days.

I'm not sure I can survive three more months of this! Steaming cups of hot chocolate, now that's what I'm talking about.

We've had one day this month above freezing, so until that day the snow just kept hanging around with no way to melt away.

Oh, and the day it was above freezing? Yeah, all day freezing rain. It was the front edge of a nasty storm that dropped another seven + inches of snow on us overnight (please see ruler picture to the right). So the freezing rain froze, and the snow piled beautifully on top. No, seriously, it was beautiful. (Just take a look at the ruler picture. The trees? In the background? See? I told you.)

Maybe I didn't appreciate the other seasons enough. Maybe I complained about the humidity one time too many. Maybe I sat at my computer too much instead of going outside.

Why can't spring and fall last as long as summer and winter?

On the bright side: After Tuesday, the days start getting longer, and then winter will have to hit the road.

Tuesday.

6:38 PM.

New photography portfolio images

I've updated my photography portfolio with several more landscape images and photos from Banning No. 3 Mine. Click on "portfolio" and choose "photography." These are all silver gelatin prints, made the old-fashioned way with film, chemicals, paper, dodging and burning.

My portfolio site URL: http://www.norathompson.us

Banning No. 3 Mine operated just outside Van Meter, PA and is off the Yough River bike trail, part of the Great Allegheny Passage. You can read in more detail about the Darr Mine history and explosion at http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/darr.html

Biking to Confluence

Yesterday's drawing was so sucky, I'm not even going to post it. Trust me on this one. Anyway, we went biking from Ohiopyle to Confluence today. What a beautiful day! Breakfast at Brady's (we Rotted them) and lunch at River's Edge (Rotted them too).

Here's my gloves.

The Great Allegheny Passage

Biked today from Rockwood, PA to Meyersdale (and back, of course) with my hubby and two of our friends. The Salisbury Viaduct is a killer for people like me who inherited the fear-of-heights gene. Absolutely beautiful day for a ride!