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Finding the toucan

Finding the toucan

Marty’s photo of the day #3161: The following short excerpt is from my second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico: As a writer, I know it’s my duty to add excitement here by spelling out the sound of the call—with lots of dashes and exclamation […]

A leopard seal on a foggy day

A leopard seal on a foggy day

Marty’s photo of the day #3149: A leopard seal on a foggy day. This excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, summarizes the many leopard seal encounters Deb and I had when visiting Antarctica: As inviting as the water looked, its temperature wasn’t the only reason to stay dry—a […]

Batty photography

Batty photography

Marty’s photo of the day #3131: The following excerpt from my second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, describes the shot: When we planned our hike to the farmhouse, I immediately thought of the two-story farmhouse my grandparents had owned in northern Minnesota. I knew […]

A ball-sucking glacier!

A ball-sucking glacier!

Marty’s photo of the day #3127: In this photo, Deb is at the top (elevation 4,300 feet) of the Salmon Glacier in Alaska. It’s the fifth largest glacier in North America. The following excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, describes our adventure: Unlike other mountain roads I’ve driven, […]

Zebras as art

Zebras as art

Marty’s photo of the day #3059: Yesterday’s photo of the day was about photos people had stolen from me. Today’s post is about the opposite. Back in 2016, Arturo Chávez, a well-known, award-winning painter from Taos, New Mexico, asked permission to use one of my zebra photos for a painting. I was honored to say […]

Stolen and Burned

Stolen and Burned

Marty’s photo of the day #3058: Every once in a while people steal my photos. I’m not talking about a Facebook or Twitter share (which is perfectly fine). I’m talking about actual stealing. For instance, a guide company in Puerto Rico stole one of my photos for use on their website, and in the instance […]

My writing room

My writing room

Marty’s photo of the day #3055: I recently read a blog about how important it is for writers to have a special writing room. I think I have that covered. During the day, I have a stunning view of the snow-covered mountains, and at night I work by candlelight. Regarding my writing: Time Is Irreverent […]

Ketchup gets no respect

Ketchup gets no respect

Marty’s photo of the day #3036: I took this photo in a tiny town in western Spain. The below excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explains the significance of the shot—and how a simple request can offend an entire country and get you fired: We ambled back to […]

My favorite baseball story

My favorite baseball story

Marty’s photo of the day #3032: In honor of the Minnesota Twins being back in the playoffs tonight (vs. the dreaded Yankees), I thought I’d share one of my favorite Twins stories. Deb and I were living in Minneapolis in 1991, and we scored last-minute tickets to the most exciting World Series game ever played: […]

For my wife

For my wife

Marty’s photo of the day #3013: I can’t believe it! Deb and I have been married 35 years as of today. This is one of my favorite photos of her, and here’s why: I could never be married to a woman who wasn’t intelligent, outspoken, brave, and adventurous. I wish you could have seen how […]

Concerts, concerts, concerts!

Concerts, concerts, concerts!

Marty’s photo of the day #2974: This is Deb and me at the KettleHouse Amphitheater, before last night’s Berlin, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and B-52s concert. Although I prefer solo headline shows—because the bands go deeper into their music, play longer, and tend to interact more personally with their audience—Deb and I have […]

The wind in your ears

The wind in your ears

Marty’s photo of the day #2973: This is Annie—the best dog I’ve ever had—in a photo I took more than fifteen years ago. Deb and I had climbed to the top of a mountain in southern Montana, while Annie climbed it multiple times, saying, “Come on! Come on!” The view at the top was stunning […]

Post hippo-attack

Post hippo-attack

Marty’s photo of the day #2949: When Deb and I were canoeing down the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, a hippo bit through our canoe, lifted us high into the air and threw us onto a muddy riverbank. Not many people survive a hippo attack, but we did—and it was a hell of a ride. You […]