tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191572532011-11-27T19:42:04.497-05:00"We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell." -- Molly IvinsJulie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.comBlogger3361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-90142793013077786562011-02-06T14:14:00.002-05:002011-02-06T14:14:38.163-05:00

I love New England in the Winter. The crisp air brings birds out that we don't normally get in warmer months, and keeping the feeders well stocked helps as well. Nothing I've photographed here took me far from my car-- some are from the driveway and some are from driving around in New Hampshire. Given that the temperatures around here have dropped into the negatives frequently in the last

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-13380467529623290532011-02-01T08:06:00.002-05:002011-02-01T08:06:41.076-05:00

It's intensely easy for people to slip through the cracks when things get bad. This is one of the immense values of the Greater Falls Warming Shelter, an overnight shelter that helps the homeless survive through the cold and sometimes deadly, Vermont winters. As a result, I've organized a benefit show: BENEFIT CONCERT TO BENEFIT GREATER FALLS WARMING SHELTER When: Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7:30

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-49624894987924239932011-01-31T05:52:00.002-05:002011-01-31T05:52:54.296-05:00

We begin with Media Matters: Wait for it... Wait for it... And... Now, far be it for me to critique the general public's knowledge of geography. When I was in high school, I had Europe memorized and now I can't remember what's where because a good chunk of it as changed. So if Fox News is incapable of remember where Egypt is, it's probably because of the recent changes in the area that

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-80549625176817145102010-09-05T11:47:00.000-04:002010-09-05T11:47:24.764-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-5554085891469216882010-08-16T17:17:00.002-04:002010-08-16T17:17:59.555-04:00

Vermont comes with a level of access to state government that I've not seen in other states. When I lived in Rhode Island, I occasionally had very brief and fleeting interactions with legislators and politicians. The night Clinton got elected President, I got to meet now Senator Jack Reed in an elevator and tell him how much I admired and respected him. That's about as much as you get.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-53971991733536877132010-08-13T17:22:00.000-04:002010-08-13T17:22:09.454-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-52277583799410464482010-08-10T07:09:00.000-04:002010-08-10T07:09:28.395-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-30140873405446702402010-08-07T10:32:00.000-04:002010-08-07T10:32:06.604-04:00

All the note cards I'm selling are on sale through Tuesday: 20% off all orders $25 or more. For more info: chickadeecards.com.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-78945298164675525052010-08-07T08:26:00.000-04:002010-08-07T08:26:37.544-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-8620059912636952212010-08-02T14:51:00.001-04:002010-08-02T14:51:20.728-04:00

Hey all: just a few quick things: (1) I will be playing this Friday at the Farmer's Market in Bellows Falls.(2) If you're in the area, I currently have an art exhibit in Newburyport, MA, at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge visitor's center. The exhibit will go through the month of August.(3) In September, I will be performing at Pleasant Valley Brewing in Saxton's River. Still working on the

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-26265345393991948382010-08-01T04:48:00.002-04:002010-08-01T04:50:37.598-04:00

Vermont nature and wildlife photographer Julie Waters will be the August 2010 Artist of the Month at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center in Newburyport, MA. Throughout this Summer, the Visitor's Center has been featuring shows by artists each month. This is Julie's first solo show, featuring prints of wildlife photographed throughout New England ranging from relatively

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-9159770478902695272010-07-21T02:20:00.000-04:002010-07-21T02:23:25.227-04:00

Netflix often makes recommendations based on movies and/or tv shows I watched. Under "Action and Adventure" its first suggestion is "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog."

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-17178324911726577962010-07-20T07:08:00.000-04:002010-07-20T07:08:05.228-04:00

A few days ago, I posted the following in a comment thread over on Green Mountain Daily: I like Dunne, but I wish he'd run for Lt. Gov instead. I think he's got some good ideas, but his responses at the forum I live blogged made me feel like he might not be quite ready for the top slot. There was a lot of commentary about how he's a great candidate because of things his parents did, which I

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-30431019964014812282010-07-09T10:17:00.002-04:002010-07-09T10:19:50.533-04:00

Hey all-- just a few quick notes: See specific dates-- I'll be performing in August at Waypoint Center in Bellows Falls and in September at Pleasant Valley Brewing, and next week I'll be hosting the Kindred Folk monthly song circle at Twilight Tea Lounge. I also have been playing with some very new sounds and uploaded a couple experiments: http://www.juliewaters.com/mp3/Grand_Central.mp3

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-59150033219566372322010-07-06T09:47:00.000-04:002010-07-06T09:47:01.341-04:00

is right here

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-41547775058722928842010-07-04T05:00:00.002-04:002010-07-04T05:00:03.244-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-26269574858316746432010-07-03T16:07:00.000-04:002010-07-03T16:07:06.181-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-78569073367547630912010-07-03T11:42:00.000-04:002010-07-03T11:42:20.660-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-3489749088496948182010-07-02T16:18:00.000-04:002010-07-02T16:18:44.251-04:00

...is right here.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-62610940736021704242010-07-01T19:44:00.001-04:002010-07-01T19:44:34.279-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-67335437907210100082010-06-30T06:00:00.001-04:002010-06-30T06:00:04.329-04:00

But it's a Virginia Ctenucha:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-29456114765978127772010-06-29T21:00:00.001-04:002010-06-29T21:00:02.474-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-5470422760850756592010-06-29T18:42:00.002-04:002010-06-29T18:42:15.604-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-77213996324660825632010-06-29T06:00:00.000-04:002010-06-29T06:00:10.496-04:00

But I really like it:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-86257429620837008652010-06-28T07:23:00.002-04:002010-06-28T07:23:47.300-04:00

I was was taught today that I can blame minor weight gain on "the humidity."Take that, personal responsibility!

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-26383643006236634562010-06-27T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T09:00:02.362-04:00

Birding and camping in Northern Vermont this month took us through Island Pond, Victory Basin and a part of the Sylvio Conte refuge network. We had good sightings of birds, butterflies and even one fairly cool sighting of a young bull moose. We stayed at Brighton State Park which is a nice campground. We arrived on a Friday night and almost bagged out Saturday morning due to rain, mosquitoes

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-2265410453827418602010-06-07T15:07:00.002-04:002010-06-07T15:13:21.087-04:00

So it's been a bit of time since I sent anything out, and figured I should do a catch-up e-mail.I'm not going to say a lot about this, but my life changed fairly dramatically about a month ago (those of you who know me personally either know what I'm talking about or should feel free to send me an e-mail asking if you don't know), but the upshot is that I've started to delve into some projects

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-8989930285147871022010-03-13T18:46:00.001-05:002010-06-27T06:54:21.652-04:00

This was a good week to be photographing hawks (among other birds). This red-tail gave me some good looks at it: This mallard was doing a mating display: The other red-tail I spotted was having none of it when I tried to photograph it: Other birds included this flock of canada geese: And this rare Greater White-Fronted Goose (visitor from across the ocean

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-64598918350167059652010-02-20T18:45:00.004-05:002010-02-20T18:46:18.722-05:00

It is a Spring ritual of mine to pay attention to the rivers as soon as they start to open up. A lot of birds that have been gone for awhile tend to come back, and some that stick around, but hidden in small corners, tend to show up more openly. In the past two days, I have seen five red-tailed hawks and three bald eagles in spots on or near the Connecticut River (in Southern Vermont and New

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-90396893961413209872010-02-05T18:59:00.002-05:002010-02-05T18:59:36.230-05:00

This benefit concert is for the Greater Falls Warming Shelter. Featured performers include Jesse Peters, Derrik Jordan, Vermont Timbre (Mike Mrowicki & Amelia Struthers) and Julie Waters. It will take place at Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Stone Church) at 20 Church Street in Bellows Falls, VT. It starts at 8. Admission is by donation. To me, music is transformative, and concerts like this

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-12665524150617060052009-12-12T12:07:00.002-05:002009-12-17T04:45:26.720-05:00

Hey all: two quick things: (1) tonight (Saturday) in Saxtons River, I'm performing at the Pleasant Valley Brewing Company; (2) Saturday, February 6th, I'm organizing a benefit concert for a local Bellows Falls homeless shelter. Will post more details as I get them! Hope everyone's well. New CD is coming along, but still needs work. ---------------------------------- More info:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-33475835224633484382009-10-14T04:24:00.002-04:002009-10-14T04:25:51.827-04:00

So here's the deal: I spent the better part of a weekend working on the new CD. I had this great plan: video record the whole thing, create this cool interactive streaming video project with a professional quality recording of some great new music, all done on one single instrument from start to finish.The problem is, I kind of blew it.I didn't check the sound quality as I was doing it; I mean,

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-2244597878922102502009-07-12T11:16:00.000-04:002009-07-12T11:17:01.716-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-44818633586019778242009-06-11T06:16:00.001-04:002009-06-11T06:16:58.400-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-79021508268997592082009-06-07T12:51:00.004-04:002009-06-07T12:57:28.868-04:00

Hey all-- a quick note with two things. First, I'm going to be performing at the Pleasant Valley in Saxton's River on in July.Second, I just had a nice little feature article about me in our local paper:http://www.messagefortheweek.com/entertainment/musicians/Story/090604-jem-musicHere's an excerpt:Julie Waters is one of those names that you hear frequently on the local music scene, and may

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-91241037874265746242009-05-29T17:50:00.000-04:002009-05-29T17:52:47.704-04:00

This diary is a summary of the warblers I've encountered in the last month. I know it says "this week" but that's just 'cause I like the alliteration. I promise that the title is the only lie I will tell in this post.All the warblers below were potographed in either Vermont, New Hampshire or Massachusetts, and none more than 100 miles from the borders of the other two. All the photos below are

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-46780705744776467002009-05-08T22:09:00.001-04:002009-05-08T22:09:41.671-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-21886515737573985952009-01-03T22:33:00.000-05:002009-01-03T22:34:24.525-05:00

The night sky: a 41 minute, 57 second exposure:As usual, it's a smaller version. Clicking on it gets you to the details.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-75739338672148014442009-01-01T07:10:00.000-05:002009-01-01T07:11:42.763-05:00

Note: this has been crossposted to Vermont's Green Mountain DailyI'm a big believer in art. Art, from my point of view, is not exactly about product or, really necessarily anything at all. It's more about simply interacting with the world in a different fashion than people expect. For me, there are two primary forms of art that engage me the most: music is one, and I'll talk about that some

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-48449550226235737822008-12-11T08:03:00.002-05:002008-12-11T08:07:19.490-05:00

I've just completed two photo books: The Book of Light and The Book of the Birds.They're both available either as print on demand or digital download via lulu.com.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-53310606705410922872008-11-26T18:29:00.000-05:002008-11-26T18:30:13.349-05:00

Sometimes I read something, and say, I just can't believe we got this guy elected. How awesome is that?Be sure to read the whole thing, (I got it over at Daily Kos), but I'll just quote a little from the press pool report from this afternoon:The First Family-to-be were positioned at the start of the food line; their job was to hand out white plastic bags filled with fresh chicken. Recipients

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-78404445374217365702008-11-20T17:44:00.004-05:002008-11-20T21:38:07.042-05:00

Just to update everyone on what's going on in my life: I think last time I did an update I was talking about a new cd project. That's still in the works, but everything is on hold right now. The short version is that I have a medical problem which put me out of commission for the better part of six weeks. The good news is that I now have a definitive diagnosis and know exactly what the

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-60173226108545564272008-11-17T15:52:00.000-05:002008-11-17T15:53:19.753-05:00

As some of you know, I've been into birding for some time, and photography for a bit longer. Now that the election is (mostly) over, I'm going to do another one of those diaries where I share some of my favorite bird photos and talk a little bit about the photos themselves. There will probably be some overlap here, as some of my favorites I've probably discussed before.I'm going to start with

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-36923040527861726052008-11-11T10:45:00.000-05:002008-11-11T10:46:28.859-05:00

Many of you have heard reports about the coming Republican Civil War, which I will henceforth be referred to as THE WAR TO END ALL REPUBLICANS ("WEAR," for short)But most of this has been discussed merely as a split between the camps of John Sidney McCain and Sarah Louise Heath Palin, specifically focusing on matters of the approach to the campaign.But, in reality, there are several factions

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-64823586479984238832008-11-08T19:42:00.002-05:002008-11-08T19:42:40.056-05:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-84330451158215729792008-11-08T09:53:00.002-05:002008-11-08T09:55:14.638-05:00

One of my favorite books is Terry Pratchett's "Hogfather."The quick summary: the Hogfather has disappeared on Hogswatch Eve. As Death (yes, that Death) explains, if the children do not receive their Hogswatch gifts, they will cease to believe in the Hogfather and "The sun will not rise tomorrow."So Death takes over for the Hogfather, delivering gifts to all the children, while his granddaughter

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-16093566173518753332008-11-07T16:54:00.001-05:002008-11-07T16:54:32.782-05:00

I had started to write this up as a comment, but I think it deserves its own entry. As far as Democrats "vs" Progressives go, we have a lot of work to do, but it doesn't need to be statewide on every level.On the local race level, we're fine. I.e., State Senators, State Representatives; I don't see any reason to change the way of doing business. Both parties are doing well in that regard.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-9939300881877591492008-10-12T11:22:00.001-04:002008-10-12T11:22:47.889-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-18557036138676089102008-08-25T18:53:00.000-04:002008-08-25T18:54:26.536-04:00

Enjoy

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-86470817799178787922008-07-11T07:10:00.001-04:002008-07-11T07:10:47.824-04:00

I got an e-mail from a friend yesterday inviting me to swing by his house and take photos of a ruby-throated hummingbird nesting near his window. When I got there, it was a miserable wet, windy afternoon, but eventually the sun came out and gave me the chance to get this shot.Notice the webbing near the nest: hummingbirds use spider webs to build and reinforce their nests. I'd heard this before

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-66483802022572021672008-07-06T08:07:00.001-04:002008-07-06T08:07:43.098-04:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-15038424130971590472008-06-18T09:19:00.001-04:002008-06-18T09:19:56.202-04:00

I go through these days when I just can't think of anything particularly meaningful to post that hasn't been said already. I'm into all the political stuff that's going on, and I'm reading, but my brain just can't think of anything relevant to add. Sometimes, on days like this, I do photo diaries, usually of birds or of light drawings.Today, I thought, maybe I should do something about

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-5781755507787777532008-06-04T10:14:00.001-04:002008-06-04T10:16:59.576-04:00

This isn't a confession.  I'm not ashamed of my choice and I'm not going to apologize for it.  But things have changed, and they've changed in ways that I don't know that I can fully articulate, though I think most of us know.  If I'd lived in a swing state, I probably would have voted for Gore, but in Vermont I had the luxury of making a protest vote.   The electoral college map wasn't going to

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-87442140314710254382008-06-03T05:30:00.001-04:002008-06-03T18:41:48.303-04:00

Hey all: a few things:First, I've got a show coming up in Pliny Park in Brattleboro on Saturdy, July 12th; it's an evening gig from 7-9pm.Second, my music's on Rhapsody now. If you're a subscriber, all you have to do is play my tunes from time to time and I get automatically paid for the listen; doesn't cost you anything extra, but it earns some extra income for me.Also: all four of my CD's are

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-9098208910908440182008-06-01T16:24:00.002-04:002008-06-01T16:25:57.967-04:00

crossposted to Birding New EnglandLocated on Plum Island, MA, Parker River Wildlife Refuge is, by far, one of my favorite places to bird. It's not just that there's a huge variety of birds, but that it's very uncommon to find nothing of interest during a visit and so many of the regulars who bird there are willing to share their information readily with other birders.Take, for example, this

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-11779337733957820022008-05-25T05:51:00.002-04:002008-05-25T05:56:14.425-04:00

Crossposted to Birding New England:Note: every photo on this page is a clickable link to a larger version of the photoThis week, we took a few days to do some birding in Maine, staying in Wells and visiting a few nearby areas. Some of our best looks were at Warblers, like this Chestnut-sided warbler, but we also had great looks at some other birds, including two new life birds. Our primary

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-59432187628954056032008-05-21T04:55:00.000-04:002008-05-21T04:56:30.849-04:00

Per Reuters:Actor George Takei, best known for playing Mr. Sulu on "Star Trek," says he plans to wed his longtime partner now that the California Supreme Court has overturned a state ban on gay marriage.Takei, 71, told Reuters on Monday that he and Brad Altman, his 54-year-old business manager, are going through the "delicious process" of planning their nuptials.(h/t Meteor Blades)This is really

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-90172458123050584622008-05-20T06:23:00.001-04:002008-05-20T06:23:24.813-04:00

Hey all; sorry I've not been posting much as of late. Things have been a little crazy.I'll start with the sales pitch: I've now fully entered the world of digital distribution. All my CDs are now available online, via amazon.com, iTunes CD Baby and soon Rhapsody will have all of my music as well.I've done a major revamp of the music site, so if you're interested, check it out (http://

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-86202575337172957202008-05-16T18:30:00.000-04:002008-05-16T18:31:47.982-04:00

Clinic defense: it's getting up very early on Friday and Saturday mornings and driving to a clinic which performs abortions in order to help the women who are coming to them from medical care get into the clinic without having to deal with the harassment of anti-abortion protesters.It's challenging work. It requires you learn to focus on the clients and not react personally to *anything* the

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-58254816258114313452008-04-30T11:47:00.001-04:002008-04-30T11:47:41.721-04:00

There's a headline from today's Rutland Herald which reads "Vermont's bird population has increased by 17 new species, new survey shows."This sounds like a good thing, but when you read the article itself, the prognosis isn't so good. Some choice excerpts:A new survey of Vermont's bird populations shows that the state has breeding populations of 17 more species than it did in the late 1970s, but

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-27550578368657368462008-04-11T05:28:00.005-04:002008-04-11T05:55:38.144-04:00

Last year, I had a few brief sightings of eastern bluebirds, but they were few and far between and I only spotted them a few times. This time, I've had multiple sightings of them. While last year, several of my sightings were directly connected with nesting boxes, this time, the sightings have been frequent and in areas with no visible nest boxes throughout the region.I'm still relatively new

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-80080917285772102092008-03-29T11:04:00.003-04:002008-03-29T11:07:46.387-04:00

I'd never seen a bohemian waxwing before, but we'd been looking for them all winter: scanning flocks of waxwings, examining details, etc. Today, we were in search of a greater white-fronted goose, and had no luck whatsoever. On the drive, however, we spotted a flock of waxwings and decided to take a closer look. The entire flock was bohemians, which can be distinguished from cedar waxwings by

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-8626323050283584342008-03-20T08:13:00.001-04:002008-03-20T08:15:55.095-04:00

As usual, clicking on these brings you to larger versions:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-4005013383331982552008-03-19T05:24:00.000-04:002008-03-19T05:25:34.217-04:00

Crossposted to Birding New EnglandThe first time I ever saw a Pileated woodpecker, it was a breathtaking sight. The pair of them were feeding in the large maple in our yard and when they flew off, they were nearly silent.It took me a few years before I managed to actually capture them in photo, but I'm glad I was able to pull it off. Since then, I've managed to get photos of them with limited

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-12531082393549829382008-02-26T22:56:00.002-05:002008-02-26T22:58:20.862-05:00

As usual, clicking on the photos gets you to larger versions

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-12695086418404277762008-02-22T07:14:00.003-05:002008-02-22T07:20:30.877-05:00

The Bushtit is a Western Bird that we spotted while staying in New Mexico a few weeks ago. Cornell reports the Bushtit as being one of the birds that adapts well to changing landscapes, having learned to adapt to suburbs in the state of increasing its range.Like many birds its size (3-4"), this is not the easiest bird in the world to photograph, but having a small flock of them feed in a tree in

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-86023359520412551702008-02-08T04:48:00.001-05:002008-02-08T04:52:18.751-05:00

A Sandhill Crane taking flight at Bosque Del Apache from our trip to New Mexico.I'd never seen sandhill cranes before, though there is a pair that shows up in Vermont from time to time, so this was an incredible treat. You could pretty much consistently see them in flight in and around the refuge the whole time we were there.As usual, clicking on the image gives you a larger version with details.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-82566242744266608172008-02-04T20:55:00.000-05:002008-02-04T21:04:05.149-05:00

I just posted ">85 new photos from our trip to New Mexico. These are mostly bird photos, but there are a couple bits of landscape and architecture photos in there as well.The trip was unreal; I've never been any place like this before. I love the refuges we've got on the Northeast but many of them are coastal or forest refuges so we don't get to see birds in wide open spaces like this.Each

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-18046560477485143592008-02-02T10:41:00.000-05:002008-02-02T10:43:12.858-05:00

One theory as to why.

Peter Schledornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11668703116588345725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-59675193014759262132008-01-23T08:50:00.000-05:002008-01-23T08:51:25.669-05:00

Three more light drawings. As usual, clicking on the photos gives you larger versions with details about the shot.A light sphere:This was a mistake that I ended up liking:A very bright light tunnel:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-39371512494010339502008-01-22T20:21:00.001-05:002008-01-22T20:21:55.598-05:00

Ledger was a gifted actor and his role in Brokeback Mountain was just one of the most moving things I've ever seen. I don't get into celebrity worship culture, but I do feel a personal affinity for people who have done something I think of as a social good. Brokeback Mountain, and especially his part in it, was a major social good, as far as I'm concerned. It transformed the points of view of

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-19213840424288871832008-01-18T12:29:00.000-05:002008-01-18T12:30:13.134-05:00

It's never easy to spot these guys. This shot in particular was great because the bird eluded me multiple times before I finally got it in sight.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-5164857248452541532008-01-10T18:29:00.000-05:002008-01-10T18:30:18.243-05:00

Two new light drawings, this time playing with combination of more than one light object in the same shot. As usual, clicking on the image gives you a larger version with more details. The second one was an exposure of over ten minutes. I did one pass on the left (very slowly), then turned around and came back doing the same thing on the right. Then, walking away from the camera, I did the

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-60929588495327302602008-01-05T20:28:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:29:47.528-05:00

This is primarily a photo blog: a group of Vermonters (including a not paltry contingent from Vermont's Green Mountain Daily) showed up in Lebanon, New Hampshire this morning to help out with the canvassing. Later, we got to see John Edwards speak, and had a real treat shortly after. It was a day much colder than expected, and canvassing was fun. Everyone was incredibly polite to one another.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-32206658963002608362008-01-04T09:19:00.000-05:002008-01-04T09:24:39.434-05:00

No time to write much of anything, but I'd never seen a sapsucker in the winter before December's Christmas Bird Count. Apparently, Sapsuckers do winter over some of the time, but it's not common. Per Cornell:The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory. Although a few individuals remain throughout much of the winter in the southern

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-63920295088876640332007-12-31T18:23:00.000-05:002007-12-31T18:24:29.538-05:00

I'm thinking that, being New Year's Eve, it's time to take a look back at some of the things that happened in 2007 and whack ourselves over the head repeatedly in order to avoid some prior mistakes.So this post is simple: thinks I'm glad about for 2007, things I'm angry about for 2007, things I'm looking forward to in 2008, and things I dread about 2008.But first, once again, I have done more

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-69016408027294898622007-12-28T06:18:00.001-05:002007-12-28T06:22:46.206-05:00

We did a quick visit to Salisbury beach the other day, after a disappointing visit to Parker River. We were greeted with a minor raptor show. First this Short-eared-owl showed up:Then, we spotted a red-tailed hawk (bad light, now picture).Then we realized that across the tree from the red-tail was this Cooper's Hawk:All in all, not a bad day.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-5664615269199431072007-12-21T12:38:00.000-05:002007-12-21T13:05:46.408-05:00

I love you. I really, really love you.WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, leaders said Wednesday."We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us," long-time Indian

Katherine in GAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349943314574499138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-773691784147403332007-12-21T11:34:00.001-05:002007-12-21T11:34:37.934-05:00

Last week, I urged you all to Fight Back against the war on solstice.Today is your final day to do battle. I gave a list of ways you can fight against the anti-solstice forces and ended with the traditional pagan litany:Never give up. Never surrender.Today, I will give you your final orders. You have a mere twenty-one hours to make this happen until the official time of solstice.Your task is

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-79527232545673404312007-12-21T06:09:00.000-05:002007-12-21T05:35:29.986-05:00

One of the really easy mistakes for new birders to make is confusing Hairy and Downy woodpeckers; their markings are similar, but there are some very distinct differences. None of this is news to you guys, and this photo won't be anything new to anyone who's been birding for any amount of time, but I put this together for really new birders as one of the easy ways to resolve confusion between

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-54672450319431711882007-12-18T14:38:00.000-05:002007-12-18T14:40:39.889-05:00

The pictures here are all "Light Drawings." The short version of this is that they are all photographs which use long exposures to capture light in motion. Appearances vary due to a variety of factors. Those factors boil down to a few primary aspects:exposure time, often referred to as shutter speed;film speed ("ISO"), which is how much light is needed to render an exposure on the film;size

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-8180611694504484242007-12-14T05:03:00.000-05:002007-12-14T05:09:31.480-05:00

Last week, a quick stop at the Brattleboro (VT) food co-op yielded an amazing result. This coper's hawk landed in a tree just outside the parking lot so I grabbed my camera. Coopers Hawks are very similar to sharp-shinned hawks, but a little bigger. Size alone wasn't enough for me to be certain, but white patches on the bird's back left me without any doubt as to its ID. This is, by far, the

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-24299400735661380162007-12-12T18:50:00.000-05:002007-12-12T18:52:36.626-05:00

As you all know, the secular-hedonism forces in the country are doing everything they can to attack the valuable cultural icon of the Solstice. To wit:People are refraining from saying "joyful Solstice," replacing it with such heathen phrases as "happy holidays," "happy New Year," "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Chaunakah;"Our traditional solstice symbols, such as the star and wreath, have been

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-47767103761474144502007-12-07T04:01:00.000-05:002007-12-07T04:01:33.543-05:00

This picture:Was not easy.If I'd known at the time I took this picture what I know now, I might not have tried for it. It turns out that when you get to close to a thrasher nest, you can actually get attacked by the bird. Cornell has records of Thrashers actively attacking humans and even drawing blood.In addition to their distinctive color and shape, thrashers can be noticed by their call-- a

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-32393470579944806542007-12-04T17:59:00.000-05:002007-12-04T18:01:19.439-05:00

Lots more here.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-53557344814853338232007-12-01T08:02:00.001-05:002007-12-01T08:02:53.693-05:00

Crossposted to Daily KosYesterday I wrote about Milgram's work and how diffusion of responsibility supports torture.Today I'm continuing that theme, discussing how Zimbardo's Prisoner Experiment at Stanford shows us similar trends.First, a summary of the prisoner experiment, for those of you unfamiliar with it.If you're not interested in the YouTube version, Wikipedia has a great summary as

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-91373009388901749622007-11-30T20:17:00.000-05:002007-11-30T20:18:26.984-05:00

Crossposted to Daily KosStanley Milgram began his research into obedience in the early 1960's. His original intent had been to demonstrate that "just following orders" wasn't a legitimate excuse for Nazis who committed atrocities during the holocaust.It was his belief that only a select few people would engage in acts which could serious harm to others when ordered to do so. His belief was

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-13461189683379080002007-11-30T06:14:00.000-05:002007-11-30T06:19:47.374-05:00

Redpolls are small finches (about 5-6" long) with a bright red patch on the front of his head. Males are marked by a distinct black goatee-type beard, giving them the look of a beatnick who likes to paint using his forehead. I'd been hearing about irruptions of them all over the region so I'd been on the lookout: checking out birch trees (which they love) and any other spot which might hold

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-36803394946544099252007-11-29T18:11:00.000-05:002007-11-29T18:14:19.288-05:00

As usual, clicking on the picture gets you details.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-40127803463212976452007-11-28T12:35:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:38:17.138-05:00

Based on something said in their COMMENTS section.More from J.D. Ryan.I don't care if she sues me or not for this, so I'll just say it: the woman suing them is a moron.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-66909259680062763112007-11-28T12:19:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:20:29.047-05:00

Hat tip to Pam's House Blend for this.The anti-gay group, MassResistance, is clearly off its rails. It hasn't been updating its web site for awhile, and one of the last posts they made involved a great deal of personal detail about the daughter of one of the of the group's members. This includes some specifics about the kid's special needs history. It's beyond horrible:ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS (

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-1134678559365972752007-11-24T06:41:00.000-05:002007-11-24T06:42:00.949-05:00

I first encountered Ginsberg's work in high school, when someone read "Howl" at an open mic and got heckled by the audience. I think of this poem often. I think about it every time I hear about a soldier's suicide. I think about it every time I hear about a child's murder.I think about it every time I see someone lose hope. I am not a sentimental person. I do not believe that all of humanity

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-69078130291116154922007-11-21T15:51:00.000-05:002007-11-21T15:51:18.813-05:00

While you might have expected me to go for some form of turkey (wild turkey, turkey vulture, turkey in the straw), I decided instead to go for my most recent awesome sighting.Cattle Egrets are common birds in the Southeast, but in the Northeast they're an unusual (though they do show up during migration season) sighting. This one in particular was not only visible, but actively feeding very

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-1032308266336593812007-11-18T21:22:00.000-05:002007-11-18T21:23:12.657-05:00

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-69264170460302258882007-11-17T21:43:00.000-05:002007-11-17T21:46:28.912-05:00

As usual, clicking on the images brings you to the full-sized versions:

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-61095493457695384142007-11-17T18:23:00.000-05:002007-11-17T18:25:33.961-05:00

I originally posted this on Daily Kos. It got lots of great feedback and comments, so I figured I'd post it here as wellOn August 18th, 1950, Pete Seeger was called to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee. But first, just because it's amazing, here's Pete Seeger on the Smothers Brothers show from 40 years ago. The relevance? First, a sidenote: I do not sing, because I know

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-39136744755323309692007-11-15T06:26:00.000-05:002007-11-16T09:36:09.231-05:00

I haven't been doing as much birding in the last couple weeks, as I've been focused on other projects, but I was thrilled to spot a pair of evening grosbeaks in one of our yard trees the other day.I've posted about Evening Grosbeaks before, but with new pictures, I feel the need to occasionally revisit old birds. Cornell's doesn't have any particularly new information about the bird, so I'm just

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-44130007786396302002007-11-14T20:36:00.000-05:002007-11-14T20:38:11.475-05:00

These were done off my front porch. In that last one, in the background, a car drove by as I was in the middle of the shot, creating an interesting effect.Of course, from the driver's point of view, they just saw this little light wand being waved around in my front yard.My neighbors probably think I'm nuts.As usual, clicking on the images brings you to a larger photo.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-72927354259716313502007-11-13T19:41:00.000-05:002007-11-13T19:44:56.917-05:00

I am so happy with these.More at my web site

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157253.post-67369945967858468762007-11-09T04:38:00.000-05:002007-11-09T04:46:29.755-05:00

This bird has been hanging around our yard as of late. I've only spotted it a couple times and every look has been exhilarating. It's the largest woodpecker in the Northeast, about the size of a crow, and right after I took this picture it flew off, about 15' directly over my head.Yesterday I got home, with my camera still inside the house, and it landed on a tree right on the edge of the yard.

Julie in VThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02841959685360044484noreply@blogger.com0