CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

So, a lot has happened in the last few weeks, and I'm now in the middle of some pretty heavy exam prep. The short version? I now have a lot more time to spend with the family and to write and study. My son became ill, and recovered, but he gave us a fright. I also have four assessments/exams starting in four days' time. Which brings me to NaNoWriMo... I know, crazy, right? Why put myself under the pressure of writing 50,000 words in what will be around 15 days, when I'm under enough pressure already? Because I don't have to start until after exams, because I don't have to succeed, because I wanted to have a reason to focus on one project while I got back into the swing of writing, because I write to relax, because I'll need a break from spring cleaning and gardening, and because 3,500 words a day isn't that much, when there's little else on. So, no pressure at all. Anyway, that's it in a nutshell. I'll post more on the 13th or 14th of Novembe...

This great pied cormorant was sunning itself on a riverbank on a cold spring morning in Canberra. It wasn't overly fond of the camera, but it waited until I stopped taking photos before flying away. I've seen him frequenting the local lake, so I'll try for some clearer shots as we come into summer. You can find out more about great pied cormorants from the following sites: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Phalacrocorax-varius ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_pied_cormorant ; http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/bird-profile/pied-cormorant ; http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3677 .

Well, life got interesting this week has seen me have to deal with a family member developing a spontaneous pneumo-thorax as well as resigning from my day job, so there will be a fortnight's delay to 365 Days of Poetry, while I catch up with things, and make sure I have the time to care for my family. The poetry in this volume comes in a variety of styles and genres, and is arranged in no particular order. I have played with traditional forms such as the cinquain, and worked with free-form and rhyme. I have written about the world around me, and about worlds that probably don’t exist. I have tried to write poetry from the perspective of someone in the distant future writing about a new world, and I have written poetry with fantasy themes. Welcome to the worlds in my head. Scheduled Release Date: November 15, 2014.

These native pigeons visit my backyard. They're pretty shy, even when bribed with seed, and will only tolerate the camera for short periods of time. At first it was only one,  weighing up the camera angle vs. the food.  When the camera didn't give chase,  he gave the all-clear and a few of his friends came down to join him. More information on top-knot pigeons can be found at the following sites: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ocyphaps-lophotes ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_pigeon ; birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/crested-pigeon ; http://www.climatewatch.org.au/species/birds/crested-pigeon ; http://www.arkive.org/crested-pigeon/ocyphaps-lophotes/ ; http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/09/02/2674184.htm .

I can never tell what I'll find when I head out of the house. This fine afternoon, I found a pair of eastern rosellas, but only one of them would oblige me by sitting long enough to sit still for a photograph or three. He looked very handsome in the afternoon light, even when preparing to fly. I encountered them on another walk - this one in the morning but, as soon as I turned the camera towards them, they took wing. Here's all I got. To find out more about the crimson rosella, try visiting the following sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_rosella ; http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/eastern-rosella ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAhduTGV4y4 ; http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=13581 ; http://www.mdahlem.net/birds/12/eastros.php ; http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Platycercus-eximius .

I have wanted to get close enough to photograph these shy wading birds for some time, but they've always managed to elude me, skulking off into the shrubbery, just as fast as their little red legs can take them. To find out more about dusky moorhens, you can visit the following sites: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Gallinula-tenebrosa ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_moorhen ; http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/Dusky-Moorhen ; http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=16225 ; http://goulburnwetlands.org.au/?page_id=908 ; http://calamvalecreek.awardspace.com/dabbs.html ; http://www.climatewatch.org.au/species/birds/dusky-moorhen-1 .

On a grey morning, I went out to look for birds. I didn't have a lot of luck, but I did spot these beauties coming in to land on this tree. I'd noticed them on other walks, on the ground, but this particular morning, they did not oblige by coming out of the tree. The first shot shows where they landed.  The next few shots catch show a glimpse of yellow and red. But it wasn't until this one turned side on, that I had enough to be able to identify them. I'm thinking the males have yellow faces.  And the females or juveniles are all green... maybe. Apparently, the superb parrot is a threatened species, so I feel particularly lucky to have been able to photograph these. More information on superb parrots can be found at the following sites: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Polytelis-swainsonii ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superb_parrot ; http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10645 ; http:/...