The New Book, finally: Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent

 Just a short post to announce that Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent is finally done! 

I picked up the first few boxes from the printer last week, and am now in the process of getting it distributed to prospective sales outlets. I expect it will be available at the same outlets as Life On A Sandspit is, plus a few more, since it likely has a wider interest to residents of Chatham-Kent and beyond.

It is about 100 pages in length, with about 160 photos, and perhaps with the exception of one or two, all photos will be different than what is in Life on a Sandspit. It covers a broader range of habitats than just Rondeau, hence the increase in size.

After consulting with various folks, I have decided that it should sell for $39 compared to the $27 price for Life on a Sandspit. Some outlets may sell for less, which is entirely their choice. Some folks have said most assuredly that it should go for at least $45, but I would rather keep it a little less to make it more attractive than the higher price. I am not out to make much $$ from this project, but would like to cover some basic costs such as the actual printing.

At any rate, now you know. And if you want to get a little glimpse of some of the photos, check out this previous announcement, here.

 In other news, today May 5 is Rondeau's birthday. Rondeau is now 130 years old as a provincial park!

Happy Birthday to Rondeau!

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A New Book: Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent

 I had intended for this announcement to be out late last year. However there were some hiccups in the printing process along the way. Those have now been resolved, and so in the very near future, I expect this new book to be out. 

It is called Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent and is similar in style to the one I produced almost a year ago, called Life on a Sandspit, which focused solely on Rondeau Provincial Park. You can see more about that here. Life on a Sandspit has been quite well-received to date, and I expect the coming few months will continue that trend. It is about 60 pages with more photos than text, and features a bit less than 100 photos. Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent is about half as big again, with about 100 pages and more than 150 photos. I am fortunate and quite thankful that both Marie, and daughter Kristin, provided some helpful input to this book.

 There is a bit more text in Natural Treasures, as it features more natural habitats that were present at the time of settlement compared to those habitats restricted to Rondeau. It also includes some quotes from travelers through C-K from as far back as the late 1700s and the early 1800s.

It also includes a list of publicly accessible sites in C-K where some of these features can be found. It is surprising how many folks who have spent much of their lives in C-K are not familiar with some of these areas. With the continuing arrival of folks from elsewhere in Ontario who are now making C-K their home to take advantage of the relatively less expensive housing, it may be quite helpful for at least some of them.

I am not sure exactly when this book will be available, but hopefully within the next couple of weeks barring some unexpected future hiccups. I will provide that information, along with where it is available and the price in a future post. 

In the meantime, hopefully to whet the interest of some of you, what follows are a few photos that are featured in this new book. They are shown in more-or-less alphabetical order based on their photographic label. Click on them to see them in a larger format, but keep in mind that even then, they may not be as large as in the book itself (9" X 12").

American Rubyspot

Pawpaw

Bobolink

Bronzed Tiger Beetle

Large Yellow Lady's Slipper

Dickcissel

Eastern Grey Treefrog

Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid

 

Autumn Maples

Hardwood Forest

Marsh Marigold

Tallgrass Prairie

Swamp Forest

Great Egret

Great Egret Roost

Giant Swallowtail nectaring on Ironweed

Forster's Tern bringing food to its mate

Lake Erie Cliffs

Golden Pholiota

Sandhill Crane against a stand of Pickerelweed

Lizard's-tail

Thames River from Tecumseh Monument

Wood Duck

Wood Thrush calling for a mate

Are there more books in the future? Perhaps. I have two ideas, one of which is well on its way, but there is a lot to be done to get them completed! Stay tuned!

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