Marty’s photo of the day #2657: I took this photo on Deception Island, which is near Antarctica. You are looking at the remains of the Hektor Whaling Station. This short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, provides more information: We went ashore instead at the more sheltered Whaler’s […]
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Tag: Hot Planet
Wandering albatross
Marty’s photo of the day #2592: I will let a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explain this shot: Even though we were hundreds of miles away from any significant landmass, our Drake Passage voyage was never boring. I spent much of my time outside on the […]
The dramatic turnaround of a depressing day
My books have always received great reviews from both amateur and professional reviewers. Cool Creatures, Hot Planet has received 88% 4 to 5-star reviews, Endangered Edens has received 94% 4 or 5-star reviews, and my latest, Time Is Irreverent is currently at 79% 4 to 5-star reviews. Because Time Is Irreverent is a controversial satire, I […]
My day at MisCon
Marty’s photo of the day #2553: Yesterday, I was at MisCon (Missoula’s Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention) for several events. First I did a reading from “Time Is Irreverent.” I read the section where Nellie Dixon handles the cops expecting a sexual favor in her own “special way” and shocked the audience. But hey, I […]
The day I held up the world
Marty’s photo of the day #2463: I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years since I held up the world! This excerpt from my book Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents explains the shot: I had a debt to pay for our successful Antarctica landing. Besides Shackleton and Neptune, another larger-than-life being had been […]
Writing fiction is more scary than writing nonfiction
Now that I have written two nonfiction nature-travel books and one science-fiction political-comedy, I have to say that writing fiction is more fun than nonfiction, but also more frightening. With “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents” and “Endangered Edens,” I was pretty much limited to telling stories of adventures that I had already […]
Writing a sequel without shouting “squirrel!”
Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents took me four years to write and was published in 2007. Endangered Edens took me one year to write and was published in 2016. Time Is Irreverent also took me one year to write and will be published on March 1st. I’m now working on the sequel […]
Honoring endangered species, part 4
Marty’s photo of the day #2405. This week marks the 44th Anniversary of the signing of the Endangered Species Act. Since today’s Republicans would rather worship money than do something for the greater good, it’s possible that this might be the last anniversary of the ESA. With that in mind, this week I’m featuring photos […]
Hippo yawn
Marty’s photo of the day #2395: On December 14, I posted a photo of me looking through a hole in my canoe, after a hippo bit through it. Today, I’m following up on that post with a shot of a hippo “yawn.” When the hippo bit the canoe, it snapped the gunwale, which means the […]
Surviving a hippo attack
Marty’s photo of the day #2393: This is me, looking through the hole in Deb’s and my canoe, after a hippo bit through it. If you haven’t heard the hippo attack story before, here’s a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, which explains what happened: Deb […]
Charging Fur Seal
Marty’s photo of the day #2388: This short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explains the shot: As Olle and the others meandered away, I lagged behind to take some photos. In the midst of setting up a shot, I inadvertently invaded the personal space of a fur […]
High Jinx n the African Bush
Marty’s photo of the day #2387: High jinx in the African bush! This short excerpt from Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents explains the shot: Our best find of the morning was a Land Rover parked beside a rutty road. One of the other guides had driven his clients into the bush, left the […]
Cape Horn has another victim
Marty’s photo of the day #2374: This short excerpt from my first book , Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explains this shot: In 1616, Willem Cornelis Schouten became the first person to sail around Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America). From Schouten’s time to the present, treacherous seas have […]
In honor of the ass-kicking. . . .
Marty’s photo of the day #2360: Last night’s election provided the best political news in, well . . . more that a year. So in honor of the Republicans getting their ass kicked last night, I went in search of a happy political photo on my hard drive. This photo, from 2006, shows me with […]
The curious leopard seal
Marty’s photo of the day #2359: This is leopard seal, and below is a short excerpt from my first book, “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents,” about leopard seals: As inviting as the water looked, its temperature wasn’t the only reason to stay dry—a curious leopard seal had swum over to check us […]
Drunk shopping
Marty’s photo of the day #2350: With Spain in the news so much lately, I thought I’d share with you a fun excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. Drunk shopping: After several days of conversing only between ourselves, Deb and I relished the opportunity to speak with someone […]
Dempster Highway
Marty’s photo of the day #2336: This is the Dempster Highway, in the Yukon Territory. One of my favorite adventures, working on my book “”Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents,” was traveling to the top of Canada on this scenic dirt road.
The top of Canada
Marty’s photo of the day #2263: When Deb and I look back on all our adventures for my book “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents,” the one we most frequently talk about repeating is our drive to the top of Canada. Someday, we will go there again! This photo shows the tundra in […]
The prey has a job to do
Marty’s photo of the day #2228: Here’ an excerpt from my fist book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents: Woof! “Everyone, sit!” whispered Brian. “A pack of Cape hunting dogs is directly in front of us!” The dogs were an animal I had hoped, but never expected, to see. Cape hunting dogs are […]
The rain in Borneo . . .
Marty’s photo of the day #2080: Deb’s and my first stop, before leaving on our Borneo backpacking trip with the Iban tribe, was the city of Kuching. This short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explains the scene: Hand in hand, we strolled across the street to the […]