Tag: #atozchallenge

  • Reflections of a Nice Girl Writing Naughty

    Reflections of a Nice Girl Writing Naughty

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    This is the second year the Nice Girls Writing Naughty have participated in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, and the first year here at our new home on the web.  When I first proposed it, it seemed like a fun way to get to know our readers and meet other bloggers.  It\’s become so much more.

    We have, currently, eleven members in our group.  In March, I create a spreadsheet detailing which days go with which letters.  Then we talk about which of us want to participate and divide up the month accordingly.  April was a busy month for us, with two new book releases and the RT Booklovers Convention in Las Vegas, so it was a good time and a tough time to have lots of blogging going on.  It was good in the sense that it let us share what we were doing, particularly with the RT Convention; it was tough because anytime there are multiple balls in the air, it\’s a challenge to keep them all going.  Because, you know, gravity works.

    Next year, we\’re going to do something differently and start our planning now.  I can\’t reveal all our secrets yet, because we\’re still in the planning stages, but we\’re going to involve not only our Nice Girls but our author friends in the fun.  I\’m stoked because it will be a way to expand our network and get to know even more awesome authors and bloggers.

    Thank you, all my fellow Nice Girls, for participating and thank you, Dear Reader, for visiting!

    And for your reading pleasure, I\’ve put links to each of our posts, below.  Happy reading!

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty, From A To Z!

    A:  Welcome to the NGWN Group Blog – How Do YOU Do All the Things? That’s A!, by A. Catherine Noon

    B:  Books, Books, and More Books!, by A. Catherine Noon

    C:  C Is for…COVER!, by Ella Sheridan

    D:  A to Z Challenge: D is for Dads, by Lara Archer

    E:  E Is For…, by Leela Lou Dahlin

    F:  F is for Furry and Fuzzy! A to Z Challenge, Day 6, by Nona Raines

    G:  G is for…Gadgets, by Taige Crenshaw

    H:  The A-Z Challenge-H for Handsome Hunky Heroes, by Tina Christopher

    I:  I is for…Ink, by Dakota Trace

    J:  It’s A – Z Blog Challenge Month, with the letter J – for Jillin’!, by Angel Payne

    K:  A to Z Challenge: K is for Kick Ass Authors, by Dani Wade

    L:  A to Z Challenge: L is for Lovin’ Our Readers!, by Dani Wade

    M:  A to Z Challenge: M is for Many, Many Steps, by Dani Wade

    N:  A to Z Challenge: N is for Naughty Girls and Boys, by Dani Wade

    O:  O is for Oscar Isaac, by Lara Archer

    P:  Pictures Worth a Thousand Words, by A. Catherine Noon

    Q:  A to Z Blog Challenge, NGWN Style! – Q Is For Quickies, by Angel Payne

    R:  A to Z Challenge: R is for Rope…with a contest, by Dakota Trace

    S:  #AtoZChallenge : S is for Sin City, by Dani Wade

    T:  T is for Torrid #AtoZChallenge @ngwngroup @nonaraines, by Nona Raines

    U:  Under Cover, by A. Catherine Noon

    V:  V Is for…Vincent! #AtoZChallenge, by Ella Sheridan

    W:  W is for…Wishing me a Happy Birthday :), by Leela Lou Dahlin

    X:  Um… Xanadu…?, by A. Catherine Noon

    Y:  Close to the end: Today is Y!, by Tina Christopher

    Z:  Zanzibar Chocolate, the Naughtiest Ice Cream in the Midwest – and a Thank You!, by A. Catherine Noon

    Thank you for joining us for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave us a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, at Awakening Dreams and Conquering Nightmares with a Pen; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

  • The A To Z of the Zoo – A Retrospective

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    As is the custom after the A to Z Blogging Challenge, participants prepare reflections posts that discuss what they learned from the challenge, what worked, and what didn\’t.

    Plus, I have zebras.

    First, the Lonely Zebra That Wasn\’t

    The last week or so of April, I cause the nasty cold virus that\’s going around and it horse-kicked me into the barn.  I don\’t often get sick, but when I do…  Yeah, yeah.  Thank you, Dos Equis man.  But seriously, this cold stinks.  So I was frantically trying to keep up with my daily challenge posts, which I usually forward-posted on the weekend so I\’d have time to visit my fellow challengers each day.  But as it got down to the wire, and I got sicker and sicker, it got harder and harder to do.

    And then the last day came.

    I was a day behind!  Oh noes!  But never fear, I\’ve got at least three challenge prep trips to the zoo under my belt, plus all my other zoo trips if needed, to make my final challenge post of Z Is For Zebra.

    Only… there were NO zebras!  Not in my March zoo trip.  Not in either December zoo trips.  Not in my last couple zoo trips.  Not in my phone.  By the time a half hour had gone by, and I was dragging and needed to go to bed, I had to face facts.

    My last post of the challenge would be sans animal.

    Never fear.  I am nothing if not resourceful in the face of danger!  And, there are plenty of peacock pics.  I lurve me some peacocks!  So not to be deterred on that, the last day of the challenge, my zebra post featured a peacock, a meme, and my fattest cat.

    See?  And who said challenges were for the faint of heart?

    But today, Dear Reader, the day of my Reflections post, I have Zebra!  Will post!  Read on, MacDuff…

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    So we went to the zoo on Mother\’s Day, which also happened to be my birthday.  I told my family, we must find zebras!  No worries, there are plenty of zebras.  They are always wandering around their enclosure, nibbling at hay, and being cute.

    We arrived, and all we saw were butts.  Three butts.  Zebra butts.  But butts they were, and butts they remained – despite calling, and cooing, and clicking, and \”Hey, you!\”

    We gave up, our sad intrepid little band, and made it to the okapi enclosure when it happened.

    The most loud, awful, non-donkey donkey racket we\’ve ever heard in our lives.  It sounded like a cross between an angry emu and a mule arguing politics.  (You think I\’m kidding?)  So we trekked back to try and find what made the noise and found this lovely fellow.

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    For those of you adults in the audience, even though you can\’t quite see it in the shadows, it became immediately apparent why he\’d been making such a god awful racket and why there was a large fence between him and the other, probably female, zebras.

    It is, after all, Spring.

    o.O…

    As for reflections, I have these:

    I like challenges, I\’ve decided.  This has been a year for them.  I participated in a gym challenge in December, where I attended the gym 25 days in a row.  I participated in the A to Z Challenge on three blogs by myself, as well as two team blogs.  I did something differently this year, though; I decided to actually pick a theme that required research and collecting photographs.  I have links to my other \”Reflections\” posts below, but here\’s a recap of what I did on this blog:

    This year, I decided to do the \”A to Z of the Zoo,\” which I like simply because of the alliteration.  I limited myself to Brookfield Zoo, for no other reason than to give the challenge some, well, challenge.  I have lots of photographs of animals in zoos because we love to visit zoos.  In the past year, we\’ve been to the zoo in Tacoma, St. Louis, and here in Chicago; plus there\’s the Lincoln Park Zoo here which, while we haven\’t been recently, has different animals from Brookfield.  I figured it would make it more challenging to actually find animals at Brookfield.

    We had to resort to Latin binomials for some of the animals, (a \”Latin binomial\” is the two word name scientists give to a specific animal that tells its identification and membership in specific animal sub-groups.  This practice is known as taxonomy; not to be confused with taxidermy, the practice of stuffing dead animals.  But I digress).  We had a heck of a time finding several of the letters; for example, \”J\” gave us particular fits.  If we\’d allowed ourselves another zoo, such as Lincoln Park, it would have been an easy matter to choose a jaguar.  But we limited ourselves specifically to Brookfield and so, on a chilly day in March, my husband and I went to the zoo with little yellow cards on which I\’d printed the animals I already had, and we brainstormed the rest.

    This turned out to be a ton of fun.  I\’m not sure what I\’ll do next year, but I think I might try something like it again because I had a ball wandering around and photographing things.  I got a lot of photographs that I didn\’t use in the challenge but liked a lot; I\’ll probably have those in later blog posts throughout the year.

    I highly recommend the challenge to anyone who likes to blog, and even for those of us bloggers who are intermittent or unsure how to begin.  I got a lot of ideas when I visited other bloggers on the list, and look forward to my Road Trip between now and next April where I plan to visit other challengers and see what they\’re doing with their blogs.

    Happy blogging!

    And, for your reading pleasure, here\’s a list of the posts for the A to Z Challenge, The A To Z of the Zoo:

    Amur Leopard – For A!

    Bears Napping, Bears Pacing, Bears, Bears, Bears! B Is For Bears!

    Wray-Wray’s Namesake – When You Find Your Name on a Camel

    Dogs – Of the African Wild Variety

    Stephen Colbert Ain’t Got Nuthin’ On Him! Or, E Is For Eagle

    Too Foxy!

    Number One Goose, And Giraffe Have Long Tongues

    It Came From The Ocean – The Dogs of the Sea – Harbor Seals

    Gettin’ Beaky With It – The Ibis In The Pond

    The Bird That Wasn’t: Jambu Fruit Dove – And A Party #Giveaway

    Lookit Them Feet!

    The King Of The Jungle

    Mexican Grey Wolves Are Sneaky

    North American River Otters… Were Busy?

    The Secret Forest-Dweller

    So Many P’s, So Little Time

    The Q Files

    Six Inch Thick Skin

    Been Waiting ALL Month For This!

    The Trouble With Tigers

    What Izzit!? – Today It’s Uromastyx!

    Varanids, Varanids Everywhere!

    Water Dragon!

    Xtreme Birds

    Yes, It’s Snow Leopards!

    Zebras Aren’t For Riding

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge:

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Zed

    Zed

    And so, Dear Reader, the A to Z Challenge has come to an end.  Thank you for coming along on this journey with me.  I hope you\’ve enjoyed wandering the streets of my daily round, looking for letterforms in nature and the built environment.  I have to say, it\’s changed how I see the world around me and even given me an idea for a book.  But in the meantime, I\’ve got not one but two images for you today, one in nature and one in the built environment; a fitting close to my challenge this month.

    And remember, May 9th is the A to Z Reflections Post Day, and the Linky List is open from May 9 to May 13.  Keep an eye on the main A to Z Blog Challenge page for more info and updates, and of course come back here on the 9th for my reflections on my various posts.  Also, if you\’ve visited me and I haven\’t responded or visited back, please forgive me; I\’ve had a nasty cold and do plan to catch up to everyone over the coming days, I promise!

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    My theme here at my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

     

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Zebras Aren’t For Riding

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    Garçon!  Where is mah ordehr!?

    The peacocks roam free at the Brookfield Zoo, and it\’s a lot of fun to run across them as they wander up and down the footpaths.  And then we came upon this brazen fellow.

    Is it any surprise at all that I wanted to go up and pet him?

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    I know, Dear Reader; I know.  But sadly, on this, the last day of the challenge, I could not find ANY pictures of zebras!  Not in any of the three prep trips, not in my prior zoo trips, nowhere on my computer.  There\’s a possibility some may be hidden on my phone, but I\’ve already spent the last half hour looking and technically, the challenge ended yesterday.

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    I think Boria has the right idea, it\’s time for a nap.  I hate getting spring colds, don\’t you?  I have no energy and I fall behind in my wordcount – like for this challenge.  But I\’m truly pleased you\’ve traveled the month with me, Dear Reader, and visited me as I explore The A to Z of the Zoo.

    And remember, May 9th is the A to Z Reflections Post Day, and the Linky List is open from May 9 to May 13.  Keep an eye on the main A to Z Blog Challenge page for more info and updates, and of course come back here on the 9th for my reflections on my various posts.  Also, if you’ve visited me and I haven’t responded or visited back, please forgive me; I’ve had a nasty cold and do plan to catch up to everyone over the coming days, I promise!

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Zanzibar Chocolate, the Naughtiest Ice Cream in the Midwest – and a Thank You!

    Zanzibar Chocolate, the Naughtiest Ice Cream in the Midwest – and a Thank You!

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    Do you like chocolate?  Yeah, me too.  It\’s a naughty pleasure, since it\’s generally not calorie-free.  But, Dear Reader, now is not the time to start counting calories, or if you must, then have a salad for the rest of the day because this stuff is decadent.  And since I\’ve caught the Cold From Hell, I could use some ice cream to soothe my throat.  So without further ado, I introduce…

    Zanzibar Chocolate

    If you like chocolate, and particularly dark chocolate, you will LOVE this ice cream.  It\’s the single best chocolate ice cream I\’ve had anywhere in the country.  I haven\’t been to Belgium, the international home of fine chocolate, so maybe they have some that will beat it, but this stuff is ah-may-zing.  Srsly.

    PLUS, they\’re not a Chicago native, they\’re from Wisconsin – the home of dairy. I love their tagline:  \”You want nutrition, eat carrots.\”  They have several locally-owned locations here in the area close to me, but they also have independently-owned ice cream shops that carry it in other parts of the country; you can see if one is near you by visiting their site, here.

    And so, my very Dear Reader, the A to Z Challenge has come to a close.  I hope you\’ve enjoyed your sojourn here with the Nice Girls, and we sure hope you\’ll poke around and find something that piques your interest.  We have a brand new website, and so we\’re actively adding and expanding and tweaking and fixing it up for you.  Because after all, Nice Girls Read Naughty – and we\’ve got lots for you to read.

    And remember, May 9th is the A to Z Reflections Post Day, and the Linky List is open from May 9 to May 13.  Keep an eye on the main A to Z Blog Challenge page for more info and updates, and of course come back here on the 9th for my reflections on my various posts.  Also, if you’ve visited me and I haven’t responded or visited back, please forgive me; I’ve had a nasty cold and do plan to catch up to everyone over the coming days, I promise!

    I\’m A. Catherine Noon, one of the Nice Girls Writing Naughty, signing off from Chicago for the A to Z Challenge.  Thanks for staying with us!

     

    Thank you for joining us for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave us a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • The Fork In the Tree and the Path Less Traveled By

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    I think, by this point in my walk, the couple about twenty feet behind me were convinced I was bonkers.  I kept stopping, after all, to stare into the hedgerows or up at trees.  I even back-tracked to get the correct angle to snap this lovely letter \”Y\” for you.

    And in case the title sounds vaguely familiar but isn\’t quite coming to mind, it\’s from this snippet:

    The Road Not Taken

    by Robert Frost

    Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
    And sorry I could not travel both
    And be one traveler, long I stood
    And looked down one as far as I could
    To where it bent in the undergrowth;
    Then took the other, as just as fair,
    And having perhaps the better claim,
    Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
    Though as for that the passing there
    Had worn them really about the same,
    And both that morning equally lay
    In leaves no step had trodden black.
    Oh, I kept the first for another day!
    Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
    I doubted if I should ever come back.
    I shall be telling this with a sigh
    Somewhere ages and ages hence:
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference.

    My theme here at my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

     

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Yes, It’s Snow Leopards!

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    And so, Dear Reader, I reprise my topic of a few days ago, the majestic snow leopard.  Now, don\’t be like that; I did actually find a \”Y\” animal at the zoo, the Yellow Spotted Toad; but, all due respect to my husband, I am not a herper and toads do not excite me.

    Besides.  The toad just sat there.  And nobody ever got eaten by a toad, so there.

    Moving right along…

    These pictures are actually not from my A to Z prep trips.  They\’re from one of three visits to the zoo we took last year in April, before the two snow leopard cubs were born.  Here you get to see Mamma and Papa before they were a mamma or a papa.

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    They sleep just like my cats!

    Their feet are WAY bigger, though.  Holy Jebus, look at those toe beans!

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    Aww.

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    Oh look!  One\’s waking up!

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    ~squeak~

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    ~double-squeak~

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    Holy crap, these are majestic animals!

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    You know, I\’ve seen that exact same expression on my house cats\’ face.  I wanted to stare, but making eye contact is considered rude, so I looked down.  But man.  Sent chills down my spine.

    Tomorrow, it will…

    Oh, fine, for you literalists:

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    Mee-deep.  Mee-deep.

    So, who is this fellow?

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    Yellow-spotte… HEY! HONEY! I FOUND A Y!

    Keep your voice down, will ya?

    Then I noticed something.

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    The Yellow-Spotted Climbing Toad is, in fact, green.

    And that\’s not even on cold medicine, Dear Reader.

    Tomorrow, it\’s the Pièce De Résistance – Z!  (Psst – it\’s actually later this afternoon, since I\’m late an\’ all, but hey.  Keeping up appearances, right? Right!)

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Xtreme Birds

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    The Andean Condor has a wingspan of over twelve feet and is one of the largest birds in the world.  He is a scavenger, a type of buzzard.  He\’s got black and white wings and red eyes and a really.big.beak.

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    One day in December when we visited the zoo, we stood watching the condors and the bigger one knocked the littler one of its perch.  Now, I assume this is a mated pair, i.e. a female and a male, but I don\’t know for sure.  I said, joking, \”Aww, are you gonna take that?\”  Not a second after I spoke, the displaced condor rushed the victor and a ten minute battle ensued.

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    At one point, one of the birds\’ wingtips banged the cage and made a very loud sound, like something heavy hitting it.  It became immediately apparent why their cage is as sturdy as it is.

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    The wingspan is stunning.

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    So are their eyes.  Except the bars got in the way…

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    And in this one, a branch…

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    And then the other one caught up and whammo!

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    Holy she-it.

    Maybe we could go look at the penguins next?

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    This one looks like art.  You can suddenly see where the majesty of some First Nations\’ bird costumes come from, nu?

    Majestic fricken animals.

    But no, I do NOT want to pet them.

    I did, however, in my not-stage voice, comment to my husband after a few minutes of watching the fight, \”I wonder if this is a marital spat or foreplay?\”

    What I didn\’t realize is that a family with younger children had walked up behind us, and I got quite the glare from the father.

    Oops.

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Um… Xanadu…?

    Um… Xanadu…?

    \"2016-04-28

    A. Catherine Noon here, pinch-hitting for the letter “X” for the A to Z Challenge.  Let’s see.  X.  X marks the spot?  No, did that last year.  X post facto?  No, too esoteric.  What about an X name?  Xander… Xanadu… In Xanadu did Kubla Khan – yes!  Xanadu!  It was a movie, and a famous poem, and a wonder of the world, was it not?  Let’s go find out, sez I!  Intrepid explorer on the tides of Google and WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT’S HOLY IS THAT?

    Your guess is as good as mine, Dear Reader, as the location of the image was no help at all:  “Xanadu Community :: Board: Random Thread 2.0.”  Random thread?  No freakin’ kidding!

    That\’ll teach me to go farting around online, unsupervised, looking for inspiration for my blog posts.

    Yeah, I find pictures of cars dressed up like rats.  Complete with whiskers.

    I need brain bleach, Dear Reader.  …  So of course, I had to share with you.

    You\’re welcome.

    —

    “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
    – E.E. Cummings
    Knoontime Knitting:  Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Ravelry
    Noon and Wilder links: Blog | Taurus and Taurus (NSFW) | Website | Facebook | Twitter
    The Writer Zen Garden:  The Writers Retreat Blog | Forum | Twitter | Meetup
    National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo | ChiWriMo | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

  • X Marks the Spot – Even If It’s Tardy!

    \"2016-04-29

    I almost have my groove back!  It\’s at about 65%.  I felt good enough to go to the gym yesterday and walk two miles, even if I did come home and pass out.  Then today I met with my kick-ass trainer, and he kicked my ass.

    Sorta what I pay him for, but still.  My iz poopded!

    BUT…  I wouldn\’t leave you hanging, Dear Reader!  I got my last three alphabet photos on the way to the gym!  Above is what happens when X Marks the Spot – just ignore the litter.  (I hate it when people litter, don\’t you?)

    My theme here at my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

     

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Water Dragon!

    \"2016-04-28

    This, my friends, is an Australian Water Dragon!  Unfortunately, my two favorite shots of him are covered in glare from the glass in front of his enclosure, but this gives you a clear idea of what he looks like.  He\’s about three feet long.

    \"2016-04-28

    Pretty impressive breath-holding skillz, nu?

    \"2016-04-28

    Hmm.  Watcha got there, human?

    \"2016-04-28

    He looks like he\’s plotting something, doesn\’t he? o.O…

    I\’m sort of on the mend from my cold, so with luck, my post will get up tomorrow sort of on time-ish.  😛  Watch, I\’ll get all better, just in time for the end of the challenge.  Tomorrow it\’s \”Y,\” and Saturday is \”Z!\”  Then it\’s on to the wrap-posts where we get to share what we learned from the challenge.

    But I\’m jumping the gun.  For now, Dear Reader, Happy \”X!\” Or, wait a minute, I\’m a day behind, aren\’t I?  Happy \”W!\”

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!

  • Weird Sky

    \"2016-04-27

    I lucked out.  With my cold, I haven\’t gotten out to take photographs for the last handful of letters I need.  I took this photo of the sky a few weeks ago when it was threatening to storm, and got a great shot of the sunset in the process.  And look!  There\’s a W in the tree!

    Score.  Totally meant to do that.

    My theme here at my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.

     

    Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

    The theme on my main blog, Explore the Worlds of A. Catherine Noon, is The A To Z of the Zoo.  Join me as I explore Brookfield Zoo and finds animals, birds, and insects from A to Z.

    The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

    The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12th to the 17th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

    The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

    My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

    Write on, and Happy Blogging!