AmericanPressTravelNews-March 18th, PSL, FL. Bob and Barb “Checking Out the Sweet Bird of Paradise” in a book review. The book title is Raptors of Mexico and Central America, and it is published by the Princeton University Press (www.press.princeton.edu). Accolades by those that know Raptors are all over the place. One in particular is from Sergio Seipke, Raptours: “Accurate, comprehensive, and authoritative” were his comments. The clan of the “Raptors are among the most challenging birds to identify in the field due to their bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior patterns. Raptor of Mexico and Central America, Raptor photographer William S. Clark and renowned bird artist, N. John S. Schmitt, is the first illustrated guide to the regions 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. It features 32 stunning color plates and 213 color photos, and a distribution map for each regularly occurring species. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, age-related plumages, status and distribution, subspecies, molts, habitats, behaviors, potential confusion species, and more”, according to Andrew DeSio at the Princeton Press. If your a birder, this is your guide!! This 272-page paper book has 32-color plates, 213-color photos, 3-line illustrations, 64-maps, It will be published April 26th, 2017. go: press.princeton.edu
I/we have always loved and admired the wild and free raptors that fly over my TN. farm. I am absolutely loving this book! Many of these raptors are also found in N.America, many are not! The book is a treasure house of knowledge!
Marsha’s dog Jesse, an Australian Border Collie, matches Miss Kitty in the black and white department!Totally love Miss Kitty! Gentle and sweet, this is a horse everyone can love! She lives on the paddock, my barn and in my heart!Farm chores have kept me nicely under two hundred pounds even though I eat like a horse.
AmericanPressTravelNews-Oct 10th, Goose Holler Farm, TN.- Bob and Barb getting some images for holiday cards! Meet Miss Kitty, she and her owner Marsha Mae Markes lives at the farm and we love them both! Now that Terry, my beloved little dog of 11-years is gone, we are spending a bit more time with Miss Kitty. She is helping mitigate the pain of our loss! My neighbors like me they get as much of the 80-pounds of manure Miss Kitty Makes every day!
American Press Travel News–Frederick, MD. July 18th–(today)-TN. tomorrow–Whats up with Bob and Barb (now) “On the Road Again?” Seems that our trip to Maine would be fraught with very deep “pot-holes.” After spending a few days at a family wedding in New York City (which was the high point of our trip from TN.) we headed towards a 7-hour drive to Saco, Maine to meet up with Mike Lee, owner of AL’s Goldfish Lure Co. We were driving our high-mileage Chrysler Town and Country, Limited mini van. About half-way to Maine, the engine-light blinked and stayed on telling us to check engine. Moving along on I-91 at 70-mph, semi-trucks all around us, I attempted to move out of lane to break away from them and suddenly “nothing” happened my transmission was GONE! I couldn’t believe it, (I had no time to see how wide-eyed and scared Barb was) but the burning smell of transmission fluid boiling under the hood filled our van. I didn’t panic, (after several decades, a few with dire emergencies, I learned to never panic) but slowly crabbed over towards a lucky break in traffic, to a glide off an exit that was in reach. Rocky Hill, Connecticut was to be our home for a few days 4-hours short of our Saco, Maine. I finally came to a stop at the edge of the off-ramp, blocking traffic-all manner of trucks and cars. I looked first and my back to very close semi’s and autos, began pushing my van over a curb, onto a grass patch. One young fellow behind me, jumped out of his car in a line of at least a hundred vehicles, and helped me. My faith renewed that we may make it through this disaster with only a great loss of dollars and perhaps some help from our AAA, membership, we called and waited about 45-minutes and a fine fellow showed with a pull-on truck and whisked us away to Modern Tire and Auto, about a mile away from our side-of-the-road site. Well, suffice it to say, the people behind the big front counter desks were incredible! They really had empathy for us. The did a full diagnostic and determine that our transmission was gone, gone gone! Cost for a new one $3900. Our high mileage van didn’t deserve this expense. They did not charge us a dime, they called Enterprise Rental for us, and promised to sell off our van for junk value and they did just that. Mike and Carlos, you fellows really “rock.” Enterprise gave us a full-size new vehicle and we left for Maine (just couldn’t pass up some fresh lobster dinners) saw and stayed with Mike and his great family, visited his small lure plant and store house of a million different lures and other fishing products, slept over and headed back to CT. My dear friend, Veteran Russ Barrus found our title stored at our home in FL. and over-nighted it, so we could legally be rid of our van. Another motel night and we were off to MD. to visit our son and have him assist in finding another vehicle, so we could head back to Goose Holler’, our farm in TN. Enterprise waived the $200 out of state drop-off fee. Note: If you ever have to rent a car or van, call them first-we have always only used enterprise as we have had excellent service and care. They pick you up, listen to your issues and treat you fairly and with care!
OK! So we bought a privately owned Ford Explorer Sport, 4-wheel- on -the- fly, and although it has some mileage on it, we gladly paid 2-grand for it! Heading to TN. Tuesday! Back to posting starting today!! Lots of experiences and stories to share with my faithful and new readers! Boy, do I miss terry, my furry dog-son!!!I hear from Marsha at our farm, he misses us too!!!
Sport Fishing Boats! Went out in Congo River tributaries for tiger fish, Nile Perch and an assortment of finned critters. Poled along by youngsters in a village near Coquettville, Congo.A friendly 18-foot guy visited my window during a drive through Kenya. I offered some chews and he said thanks with me taking this picture on my “Brownie” 126 camera.Going down the main road through the Congo!! Without our 20-dollar, 55-Landrover we’d never have made it home!My long worked on book is now in print. Many images and a true adventure tale for an 17-year old kid from Brokklyn, NY.Traveling with a load of Saudi-bound Camels. Image taken in Djibouti! It was so hot I wore my shirt on my head. Somali folks were not friendly to me!! Lucky they didn’t see my Israeli Visas.
AmericanPressTravelNews-March 18th, PSL, FL. Bob and Barb “Checking Out the Sweet Bird of Paradise” in a book review. The book title is Raptors of Mexico and Central America, and it is published by the Princeton University Press (www.press.princeton.edu). Accolades by those that know Raptors are all over the place. One in particular is from Sergio Seipke, Raptours: “Accurate, comprehensive, and authoritative” were his comments. The clan of the “Raptors are among the most challenging birds to identify in the field due to their bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior patterns. Raptor of Mexico and Central America, Raptor photographer William S. Clark and renowned bird artist, N. John S. Schmitt, is the first illustrated guide to the regions 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. It features 32 stunning color plates and 213 color photos, and a distribution map for each regularly occurring species. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, age-related plumages, status and distribution, subspecies, molts, habitats, behaviors, potential confusion species, and more”, according to Andrew DeSio at the Princeton Press. If your a birder, this is your guide!! This 272-page paper book has 32-color plates, 213-color photos, 3-line illustrations, 64-maps, It will be published April 26th, 2017. go: press.princeton.edu 
