PHOTO OF THE MONTH:
Least Tern Courtship
Wiggins Pass, Florida
Each year in the late spring/early summer, I have the privilege of following flocks of least terns around as they cluster on this area's sand and oyster bars to mate. It's an exciting time of year for any fan of these tiny and comical birds, and I am surely a big fan. As I've mentioned in previous articles, these birds are packed to the pin feathers with personality!
Their courtship is a comedy show on wings. Females group together in tight clutches - or in a "straightness", the official name a group of least terns. They yak it up with loud peeps, keeping a coy eye turned upward to the many males who fly overhead on their way to dive bomb for bait fish.
And the males - well, let's just say it's just not easy to be them. First, they have to be really lucky with bait fish. First rule of dating: no fish, no girls.
Rule number two: you gotta have your swag on. I watched male after male finally spear a shiny little fish, then land on the sandbar near the ladies, announcing their arrival bearing gifts with loud bravado. The ladies, for the most part, ignore them. These poor guys strut up and down the sandbar, offering the wiggling fish stuck on the end of their beak to any female he can find. Rejection runs rampant, but occasionally, one of the ladies will step out of the crowd and curtsy her acceptance of his fish. The photo above is one such exchange. You can almost see the smile on the face of the male, right?!
The rest of it gets a little complicated. Acrobatics are involved, including a bit of walking on backs (see below). As awkward as all the posturing seems, the prospect of being ignored seems just really sad alternative. One poor fellow strutted, then paraded, then walked, and finally wandered around with the same speared fish on his beak for at least 30 minutes. Despite his persistence, and then his pitiful wandering, he couldn't get a lady to show the slightest interest - not even a glance!
No matter what the species, dating just seems like one scary high school prom.
Least Tern Courtship
Wiggins Pass, Florida
Ladies, mark your calendars! Kathleen Bradford's Gallery and Studio on Bonita Beach Road (click for the web site and location maps) will be having a "Girls Night Out" event Monday, October 25, 2011 from 5pm to 9pm. My framed photography and photo coasters have been for sale in Kathleen's Gallery since it opened a year ago. I've got a number of new pieces, so be sure to stop by and see them!
"Girl's Night Out" will feature two renowned local jewelry artists working in fine metals, gemstones and beads, as well as resident artists, including myself. 10% of all proceeds will go to a local charity, the Leggett Shoe Foundation, a chapter of Shoes That Fit, which provides shoes and clothing to local school children in need.
It's going to be a wonderful evening. Please come and enjoy amazing, original jewelry, local art featuring my photography, fused glass, wood sculpture, acrylic painting, and of course, Kathleen's own assemblage art. Bring your friends and enjoy wine and hor d’ovevres while you browse the gallery, enjoy the artwork, meet the artists, and support a local charity!
Get ready for another great season of amazing local art at Side Street Artists art fairs. Mark your calendar for the following 2012 dates:
Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday, April 07, 2012 - 10 am to 4 pmI'll be selling my own photography at each show again this season, so please come by my booth and see my line of travertine coasters, and new framed photographs - or just say hi!
Each art show is an INDOOR, free event from 10 am to 4 pm at the Bonita Shores Club just off Bonita Beach Road. For more information about this show, including examples of ALL our artist's work and show location maps, be sure to visit the Side Street Artists web site.
COMPUTER TIP: Tablet versus Computer versus Kindle
One thing you can say for sure about technology: it never stays still very long.
A device called a TABLET is gaining in popularity. I thought I'd write a little bit about how tablets compare to computers, and how the Amazon Kindle is entering that type of technology.
TABLETS:
A tablet is a portable, touch screen device. You've probably all heard of, seen, or used an iPad. Well, iPads are a "tablet" device.Tablets are thin, lightweight devices that usually come with 7 or 10 inch screens. Most (but not all) of them require a connection plan with a cellular provider, which allows you to check email or view web sites anywhere your cell phone works.
Samsung Galaxy TabBut that's not all! Tablets can, with the use of a free piece of software called an "app", become Kindle devices. You can read and buy books, just like Kindles do.
iPad 2Tablets also allow you to view videos, listen to music, view maps (they'll even rival the best GPS units in your car!) and do many, many more tasks. And the very cool thing about tablets is that with a data plan from your cellular provider, you can travel just about anywhere with it - no wires or other internet accounts required!
If you're a person who does not depend on a computer for business, financial stuff (using Quicken or Quickbooks), photo editing or any other kinds of file editing, a tablet just may REPLACE your computer!
The two leading types of tablets are those that run software made by Apple (the iPad) or Google Android (the Samsung Galaxy Tab). There are pros and cons to both - but either type is wonderful and reliable. Prices and features vary model to model.
AMAZON's KINDLE "FIRE":
Recently, Amazon announced that they were jumping into the tablet arena with their newest Kindle - the Kindle Fire. This device will be both touchscreen and in color! It will run a Amazon-customized of Google's Android software. At $199, it will enter the tablet market at a VERY competitive price point, which may really shake up the tablet market.
As with any new product, it remains to be seen how much like a traditional tablet the Fire will be - or if it will any significant limitations.
The Fire is available for pre-sales now, and will begin shipping November 15.
Kindle Fire
TABLETS AND LIBRARY BOOKS:
Currently, all tablet users can install the free OVERDRIVE app, which allows you to check out digital books from your local library (provided you have a library card, of course). All Lee and Collier County libraries interface with Overdrive. Very cool, right?!
Well, almost.
In the world of digital lending libraries, there are limitations. There are often long waits for books, and not all (especially new) books are available in digital format. Publishers still have a tight hold on lending restrictions, and county budgets are strapped, so there aren't a lot of funds for them to purchase digital books. Lee County has the largest inventory of digital books in our area, and lending libraries in general are a blooming technology which gets better all the time.
Amazon has stated that the Overdrive app will work on the Kindle Fire when they ship in November.
WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
As I said, depending on your needs, a tablet may be a perfect replacement for your computer. They're portable, they do a LOT of stuff and they're very easy to use! It's a little easier to print directly from a Google Android tablet then an iPad, but it's possible with both devices. No word on printing from the Kindle Fire yet.
If you'd like to discuss a tablet in your future, please don't hesitate to call me at (239) 498-0480. I provide device purchase assistance, tutoring and tips for any tablet on the market today!
MAC TUTORING: For those of you with Macs, I am now offering individual tutoring on Mac computers. This will include teaching sessions only, not repair or problem resolution. If you have a Mac and want to get to know your computer a little better, give me a call for an appointment at 498-0480!
PREPAID DISCOUNT PROGRAM: My PrePaid lesson discount plan is still active. This is a great way to get a big discount on my hourly rates, especially for those of you heading north who don't want to be bothered with sending checks to Florida for your remote lessons. Here's how it works:
- Purchase a 5-hour PrePaid card for $300 and get a 6th hour for FREE.
- All PrePaid lesson cards are at my $60/hr rate and can be used for my mobile (at your home) services. This is a $5/hr ADDITIONAL savings, making the hourly rate $50/hr rather than $65!!
- These plans have no expiration date. No matter what my current hourly rate, you can use these hours. I'll even do the bookkeeping!
- The plan can be used for any kind of lesson, including home lessons and remote lessons.
- Home lessons have a one hour minimum, all other lessons have a 30-minute minimum.
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I'm always looking for new topics to cover that interest YOU, the reader! If you have ideas, just click to send me an email, or give me a call at (239) 498-0480.
Well, that wraps up another issue of my newsletter. Until next month, thanks for reading!
M.E. Parker
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