Marty Essen's Blog, page 282
June 25, 2018
Hike to Bear Creek Falls
Marty’s photo of the day #2580: Yesterday we had visitors from Minnesota: my brother-in-law, Cal, and my niece, Celeste. We did the traditional visitors-from-out-of -state hike up to Bear Creek Falls. The river was roaring, and Celeste promptly climbed out on the dead tree that our son used to climb out on. That tree has been there for years. It exists solely to force parents, aunts, and uncles to formulate a rescue plan in the event of a fall—that never happens.
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June 24, 2018
America’s fastest land animal
Marty’s photo of the day #2579: Here’s a pronghorn that I photographed in really nice light in Wyoming. Pronghorns can run 53 MPH, making them the second fastest land animal in the world (cheetahs are the fastest).
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June 23, 2018
Dinner is served!
Marty’s photo of the day #2578: I took this shot at the Great Salt Lake. The bird is an American Avocet and in the background is its dinner of brine flies.
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June 22, 2018
Martyman’s commentary on the First Lady
Marty’s photo of the day #2577: Martyman gets today’s post.
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June 21, 2018
Writers write what they know
Marty’s photo of the day #2576: One advantage I have over other science-fiction writers is that before switching to fiction, I wrote two nonfiction eco-travel books that took me to all seven continents and numerous islands. Even fiction writers write what they know. So in Time Is Irreverent, when Marty Mann and Nellie Dixon went on their epic road trip across theocracy-ruled America in 2056, I was able to write the scenes in detail because I had been everywhere they had been.
In the sequel I’m in the midst of writing, Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again! Marty Mann, Nellie Dixon, and Jesus Christ run with the caribou in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—a place I feature often in my posts. Later, Marty and Nellie take the Chromosphere Cruiser to Antarctica. At this moment, the two friends are having a picnic near the edge of a secluded bay, enjoying the same scene you are looking at now.
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June 20, 2018
Republicans are obsessed with hating Hillary Clinton
One thing I find disturbing about Republicans is how they can’t let their hate for Hillary Clinton go away. Think about it: After Barack Obama beat John McCain and Mitt Romney, liberals basically forgot about the two defeated Republicans and moved on. But since Republicans apparently believe that hate is a Christian value, they just can’t let Hillary go. And Trump isn’t the only one. This morning I was excited because my novel, Time Is Irreverent, knocked Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s new book out of the #1 slot in Political Humor on Amazon. Since the weeklong special I’m running has my book selling like hotcakes, I thought it would be there for the duration.
Then, after being at #1 for roughly 10 hours, an anti-Hillary book knocked me to #2. That book, What Really Happened: Facing the Facts on Clintonian Propaganda, by Dr. Ann Noni Moose (obviously a fake name) came out of nowhere. I researched to find out how a book with only three reviews could do that and learned that the conservative Daily Wire posted a story about the book (I bet they wrote the book too) and sent a plethora of Clinton haters to Amazon to buy it.
Fortunately, Amazon algorithms are skeptical of books with flash in the pan sales. My guess is that once the Daily Wire article gets buried below newer articles, my book—which has months of consistent sales—will bury the Clinton hate book as well.
If you’d like to help me knock yet another hate-filled conservative book out of a #1 slot, please click this link and take advantage of my one weeklong super special.
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This guy is a poison dart frog
Marty’s photo of the day #2575: I photographed this poison dart frog in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru. Those are eggs on his back. And yes, the frog is most likely a “he.” In most, but not all, cases it is the male that has the egg-carrying duties.
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June 19, 2018
The Arctic Ocean
Marty’s photo of the day #2574: I took this photo while canoeing on the Arctic Ocean during the ice breakup. Later, shortly after stepping on land, the wind picked up. I got off the water just in time!
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June 18, 2018
Waterfall in the Pyrenees
Marty’s photo of the day #2573: This morning (well, actually several years ago) we head to Southern France and find a waterfall in the Pyrenees.
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June 17, 2018
I hate SpeedConnect
Marty’s photo of the day #2572: I’m on backup internet service this weekend. Because I live in the trees at the foot of a mountain, my internet options are limited. The only company (other than satellite and Verizon) that reaches me is SpeedConnect. Basically they shoot 40 miles down the Bitterroot Valley from Missoula and catch a tower on top of my house. If it weren’t for SpeendConnect’s horrible and inconsistent service, they’d be just fine. My internet died on Friday afternoon. I called and they said that everyone on that tower was down and they were giving it “emergency service.” When I checked back six hours later, their recording said they were closed for the weekend and hung up on me. If you check SpeedConnects Facebook page, it is filled with similar complaints. They used to have after hours and weekend service. Now they just say “so sad so bad” call when we are open. God I hate SpeedConnect!
Anyway, here’s a little blue heron that I photographed in the Everglades.
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