This magazine totally caught my attention at the bookstore the other day. Something about handwritten notes...but then I went crazy looking at this fabulous publication! Esopus is a NON-PROFIT (no advertising), twice-yearly arts magazine featuring a fresh perspectives on contemporary culture from a wide range of creative professionals. It includes artists’ projects, critical writing, fiction, poetry, visual essays, interviews, and, in each issue, a themed CD of new music. The different types of paper in the magazine are amazing and so unusual these days. You can even apply to have your work in the magazine! I love this cover piece titled DAILY REMINDERS Letters by Robert Guest. Robert Guest has been getting up at dawn every school day for the past 15 years to write a note to each of his two children, Joanna and Theo. The issues profiles a sampling of the the thousands of lunch box notes.
This piece is beautiful and the paper it is printed on is translucent so it creates an interesting visual dialog. Business analyst—and former biology teacher—Doug McNamara combines form and function in his exquisite line drawings of invented organisms.
The ARTIST’S PROJECT: DULCE PINZÓN "The Real Story of the Superheroes" is terrific. Dulce Pinzón’s photographs pay homage to the unsung—and often unseen—Mexican immigrants in New York City. 
The fun just never ends in this magazine! The front inside cover had a fold-y thing and the back inside cover has a thematic music CD--this month it's Good News. I got a kick out of hearing all the selections.
The fun just never ends in this magazine! The front inside cover had a fold-y thing and the back inside cover has a thematic music CD--this month it's Good News. I got a kick out of hearing all the selections. You can learn more about Esopus at their website http://www.esopusmag.com/
We need to let them dry out before we let them 
Pineapple tops make the most lovely golden and somewhat 
Stay tuned to see the results!
At the risk of sounding like Marlon Perkins of Wild Kingdom (a 70's show)I had to do one more post of stuff I've been seeing in our back yard. Half the time I see the creatures when I'm in the shower--our house has a large window in the the shower that over looks the back yard. (Thankfully it is at head level--lest the neighbors have some interesting visuals ;) I usually have to grab a towel and run to get my camera. These are some of the creatures we've seen lately.
This is a female red-tail hawk. I was trying to photograph her for months but I never seem to have my camera when she was here. I hadn't seen her in months. Once she was here with a male and he was HUGE. When she is in the yard, no other creatures are stirring or they would be lunch~
This made me laugh. I looked up and there was this little guy hanging out. The lizard that was sitting outside on the window sill of the shower. He's really small so I got our cat Emma (she loves lizards) in the next shot. You could see her gray paw and see how small the lizard is. Lots of baby lizards this time of year. We hope they stay out of the house--the kitties play way to rough with them.
There are two pretty large lizards that tool around in the yard but I haven't been to photograph them...yet...stay tuned.
This guy was on the patio. It's a Palo Verde Beetle. (Yeech!) They are humongous--about the size of a Buick! To show scale, I carefully placed the dollar bill by the beetle (using grill tongs for fear the beetle might accidentally jump on me). Gary said he should have taken a picture of me doing that since I looked bit ridiculous using the grill tongs. But obviously--he didn't volunteer to put it by the beetle! We only see one of these beetles about one time per year and then it's gone.
When I got to the window Gary was looking out--I couldn't believe it but there was a coyote walking along the top of our six-foot fence! It was a surreal sight. Then it jumped off the fence and into our yard. Once I came to my senses, I went running for the camera. As long as we've lived here we've never seen a coyote in the yard. 
The coyote started walking towards the grassy area and once up there, it started jumping around--pouncing on something. Then I saw quails madly swooping down from the tree basically dive-bombing the coyote around the head. I realized there must be chicks in the grass. (you can barely see the coyote in the grass--that wily coyote...)
When I opened the back door, the coyote jumped up and over the fence in a single bound. I understand all about survival of the fittest and all but I was relieved I didn't see the coyote get the quail chicks. There have been six little chicks and their parents tooling about our yard for a few weeks... Here are the parents back at their posts after all the commotion.
The dad quail.
