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Marty’s photo of the day #4464: This was one of the first campsites on Deb’s and my epic trip to the top of Canada for my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. Ever since, Deb and I have hoped to redo that 5,572 mile-long adventure. We were going to do it […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4452: from the Borneo chapter of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents: One creature that did follow a schedule was an insect called a “six o’clock cicada.” I was familiar with a variety of cicadas but had no idea an individual species could accurately tell time. According to […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4445: After 27 years of protecting our forested land as the Essen Wildlife Refuge, I really believe the animals have figured out that they are safer here than elsewhere. As proof, both the number of animals living around us and the variety of species are off-the-charts. Consequently, this summer’s theme […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4442: Deb and I took our dog, Nellie, on a hike up the Fred Burr Creek Trail this morning. About half the time Nellie had to be on a leash, and Deb and I took turns “driving her.” The rest of the time Nellie got to “self-pilot.” Whether she was […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4441: One of the treasures of Montana’s Bitterroot Valley is the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. It’s my go-to spot whenever I want to enjoy a few hours of great photography opportunities. This morning I got up at 5:00 a.m., took a quick shower, and timed my drive to get […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4440: For the North American continent adventure in my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, Deb and I and our two dogs drove from Montana all the way to the top of Canada and back. That drive was longer than driving from Los Angeles to New […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4439: The following short excerpt takes place in Costa Rica and is from my second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico: With flashlights in hand and rubber boots on our feet (to protect against snakebites), we started down a trail […]
Marty’s photos of the day #4437-4438: I may have the weirdest 4th of July tradition. Every Independence Day and every Christmas week (usually a few days after Christmas) I clean my rainbow boa’s cages. Of course, whenever the snakes defecate, I spot clean the mess. But twice a year I take everything out, wash all […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4430: For the last couple of weeks, I have been learning a lot about water rights in Old West Montana. I say that because as near as I can tell they haven’t evolved since the 1800s. Deb and I have 25 acres, “The Essen Wildlife Refuge,” on a private mountain […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4428: “Dad! What do I do with this thing? I can’t chase it, like a squirrel, but I can’t really play with it, like a dog, either.” In my book, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer, I have a story about Buddy, a cantankerous Saint […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4427: One of the disadvantages of living in the mountains of Montana is that reliable internet service is difficult to get. When Deb and I built our house, in 1996, we picked a spot on a ridge where we would have to cut down the fewest number of trees. That […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4424-4426: Last night, Deb called out, “Marty! Come here. And bring your camera.” On our front porch railing, a major hatch of spiders was taking place. The mother spider wasn’t around, so while I took photos, Deb got a magnifying glass and the National Audubon Society Guide to North American […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4423: Fine. I fucking give up! When I’m at home, I have multiple landline business phones, multiple high-quality stereo systems, multiple cameras, multiple computers, and multiple tablets. Why the fuck would I need a smartphone? The only two times I need a cell phone are when I’m on the road […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4422: On my posts yesterday, some of us had a lively conversation about the Titan submersible and risk taking. Whether sinking down to the Titanic or climbing up to the top of Mount Everest, it’s just human nature for some people to take risks. And risk-taking doesn’t have to be […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4421: Last night, Deb and I discussed whether we would take a ride in the Titan submersible to see the Titanic shipwreck if given the chance. We both agreed we’d do it, but not for the $250,000 per-person fee. Perhaps if OceanGate removed one of the zeros from the price […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4417: The following short excerpt is from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. For this adventure, Deb and I are on the island of Borneo, and Stephen is our guide from the Dusun Segama tribe: Eventually we rose to our feet and started toward the […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4415: The following short excerpt is from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents: Late Thursday, Deb and I had the privilege of being the first spotters of the largest elk on Earth. Okay, Deb spotted it without my help, and it probably wasn’t the world’s […]
Goodbye Pat Robertson! I didn’t know you personally, but you certainly affected my life. Because of you—and snake oil salesmen like you—my father was so brainwashed that he once wasted multiple years of his life calling every number in the Crestview, Florida phonebook to tell whoever answered, “Jesus loves you.” Because of the likes of […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4400: When my wife, Deb, and I explore remote regions of the world, we always bring gifts for the indigenous people. When in the Amazon Rainforest, we bring the children T-shirts, sugar-free gum, bubbles, and harmonicas. In this photo, Deb is presenting a gift to the headman of an Iban […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4394: While I’m always respectful of animals, sometimes being a wildlife photographer/writer doesn’t go as planned. Over the years, I’ve been stung by the world’s most venomous insect, bitten by a venomous snake, and attacked by a hippo (the hippo bit through the center of Deb’s and my canoe and […]
