Happy, happy!
It's a new week, and a new contest! I am still taking Halloween photos until this afternoon (see here for info on what I'm looking for) but this week, I'll be looking for two photos. You can enter for both of them.
Picture Three: Get your Inderland garb on, this one is going to be tricky! It's July in the Hollows, and Piscary is dead. Cincinnati is in mourning, and living vampires everywhere are in a state of concerned waiting as they wonder who is going to take his place. The caption under the picture is going to read something like: "Concerned vampires waiting for news at Matt's coffee shop." So grab your friends and your camera, and go have a latte! And have fun!
Picture Four: Something a little easier. I need a picture of the front of a mall, busy or deserted, it doesn't matter. The caption will read: Mall where Were brawl occurred last night, now peaceful. If you get inventive and want to take a picture of you toting your boyfriend out of the mall in cuffs, I'd go for that, too, and change the caption. (laugh)
Before sending me pictures, please go to the main web pages where I have the rules and official information on how to enter. Winners of each individual contest get a signed, frame-worthy page from the upcoming graphic novel, BLOOD WORK. and a signed copy of THE HOLLOWS INSIDER when it hits the shelves.
Tomorrow, I'll have my favorite 4-5 Halloween pictures up, so if you've not sent me yours yet, you have a bit of time left.
Outside of the contest, I've been working on the editorial rewrite for the next Hollows book, making good progress. I have high hopes for this week, and it started off great as the first thing I saw out my office window this morning was a hummer. The hummers are back, and I couldn't be more excited. My mom first saw one last week, which got me scurrying to put up my own feeder, and this morning, I saw one! I swear it was a female, which is not what I would expect, but closer investigation will tell me if it is, or if it was just the angle of the sun.
Thing Two asked me why I got so excited, and it took me few minutes to figure out why, but I think it's because I try so hard to reduce my "human footprint" (as opposed to my carbon footprint) and seeing hummers at my feeder is a sign that I'm making inroads. I plant bushes, leave dead wood standing when I can, and have water available to encourage small wildlife. I try to bring in native species of plants instead of sterile imports from other countries. Anything to try to bring about a better balance. I think it's working in a grand scale, and my small efforts make a small difference. Last night, I saw a fox hunting moles. This morning, a hummer at my feeder. Yesterday, I heard sandhill cranes courting, coming back stronger every year after we nearly wiped them out from this area.
So I smile at my hummer feeder, and settle in for a long day at my desk, content.
