Oil Flow Anniversary

Today we remember again what can happen when we are careless, greedy and just plain stupid.  I look back to the worst work of my photographic career. I spent most of my time two years ago on the Louisiana coast while the oil was flowing.

The boom did not work very well

It  came from one mile down, diluted by dispersants and still making its way to pollute the waters, dirty the beaches, and torture the fauna. I am worried about the drop in egg production on some of the prey species (minnows) of fish.

One of the many oil soaked young Brown Pelicans

More of my photographs on this sad time can be seen on an i-Pad app HERE.

On a positive note, I attend a luncheon celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy yesterday. Many attended that have done so much to preserve and set aside valuable habitat in our great state. They are my favorite conservation group as I think the best way to save flora and fauna is to buy land and that is exactly what the LNC does. Skipper Dixon and Nancy Jo Craig, two of the founders asked me to serve on the board of which I did for a few years I also made them a slide presentation about the diversity of Louisiana habitats.  Robert Barham, Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and fisheries gave an entertaining talk at the lunch. With groups like this, the Audubon, the Sierra, the sports fishing and hunting community we will be able to take care of one of Louisiana’s assets, simply put as the “Great Outdoors”.

Email Boycott

On April 30th Louisiana celebrates its 200th birthday.  On that same day the bicentennial stamp will be released with my photograph of Flat Lake Sunset.  I say that makes it a perfect day to write a letter or two or ten.  Write your mother, write your grand kids or write an old high school chum.  Ban and boycott email for the day and write letters. Do all you kids, teenagers, and young adults realize how much your grandmother would appreciate a letter?

First Day of Issue envelope available for purchase at cclockwood.bigcartel.com

My grandmother so appreciated every letter I wrote her, she responded immediately and sometimes even corrected my grammar, as she was an English teacher for 40 years.  Early in my career, I would send letters to magazines querying them to run my newest pictures.  What a delight it was to open my mailbox and see National Geographic or Smithsonian on the return address.  I would open with anticipation, hoping that they did want to use my photographs.

At the local Post Office mailing a letter

So take a day off from email, start now and write a stack of letters.  On April 30th go to the Post Office and get a few Louisiana Bicentennial stamps, you don't have to lick, just stick’em and mail. Grandma will be delighted.

No email on April 30th.

By the way, Flat Lake Sunset is my favorite picture and I am proud to have it on a USPS stamp.