Foggy Day in Folsom Towne

Great egret hunkered in the fog. Baby, it's cold outside!

El Coyote

Steve took this photo yesterday near Sailor Bar on the American River. He had his camera out in the hope of shooting a red-breasted sapsucker, when he stumbled upon this fellow, resplendent in his winter coat and woolly tail. Click on the pic for a glimpse of his yellow-green eyes.

Ahhhh, Christmas

It was a great Christmas, filled with the goodies a writer/music-lover/reader/gardener appreciates most: gift cards from Starbucks, Borders, iTunes and Capital Nursery. And, yes! Massages too! And from the parents of my son-in-law, a 2-lb. box of See's candy, which Erich and I promptly dove into (and swam around in) shortly before breakfast. In true "Christmas Story" fashion, the four of us (Steve, Maya, Erich, me) finished off the first layer before the evening sky turned "purple and soft."

I also received a small bronze statuette from my mom of a girl reading; she looks like Tinkerbell, and has alighted on my desk, just to the left of my laptop. She's too young to be reading THE COLLECTOR by John Fowles (one of my very early favorites) and too old for the LITTLE HOUSE series. Maybe she's reading GREAT EXPECTATIONS, since it opens on Christmas Eve. I think she will serve as my muse.

Rounding out a great holiday was time spent with my own parents and in-laws; calls from Jena/Jeremy and Pops; and a nap on the floor with Country (Maya and Erich's black Lab puppy), his warm nose buried in my neck. Ahhhh, Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Friends

Sandhill cranes carrying Christmas love from our house to yours.
May your holidays be merry and bright.
Love, Steve and Renee Thompson

Philandering Former Plastic Surgeon

Mary McNamara, television critic for the L.A. Times, picked "House" as one of TV's best shows for 2008. Shown here is Peter Jacobson, the actor who plays the "philandering former plastic surgeon" Dr. Chris Taub.

McNamara calls Jacobson "human, life-tempered, and increasingly indispensable." This is especially fun as Jacobson is the son of my friend Lynn Straus (one degree of separation -- woo-woo!).

(Fox photo)

Seafood Watch List -- Where Does Your Sushi Swim?

My friend Liz and I were having lunch the other day, and we got to talking about how unaware some supermarkets and restaurants are when it comes to providing information about the status of the fish we're buying and ordering -- is it a "red" fish, meaning on a sustainability watch list, or is it green, meaning okay to buy and order? Is it farm-raised or wild? Liz asked her waitress where the salmon she was ordering had come from, and if it was wild or farm-raised, and the woman didn't know, nor could anyone in the restaurant tell her. (Don't chefs do the buying for their establishments, or does that only happen at small, specialty shops featured on food channels?)

Which got me thinking. It's been a while, but the last time I visited Monterey Bay Aquarium, they offered a handout in the form of a bookmark which listed "red" species. I visited that list again today, knowing ultimately it is MY responsibility to know the status of the fish I'm buying. I'm happy (and relieved) to report that my favorites -- Dungeness crab, Pacific halibut, and wild salmon (Alaskan) are all on the "Best Choices" list. I'm less certain about the Australian rock lobster I just ordered online; the aquarium lists Australian spiny lobster as acceptable, but doesn't list rock lobster -- which means I've got some homework to do. (Maybe they're the same? I don't know that, either.)

I also need to check with the chef at our local Macaroni Grill, which serves my favorite grilled halibut, to ensure it's Pacific and not Atlantic, which is on the "Avoid" list.

To find out if the fish you're eating is a "Best Choice," "Good Alternative," or on the "Avoid" list, click here. (You can download a smaller version to stick in your pocket or purse.)

Greenpeace also has some good info. Click here to petition your local supermarket retailers to adopt sustainable seafood policies.

Crikees -- You're Looking for an Agent?

I just love Poets & Writers, and this month's issue (Jan/Feb - not yet on the website) is especially appealing. There was a great article in the Agents and Editors series, wherein Grove/Atlantic editor Jofie Ferrari-Adler interviewed four up-and-coming literary agents: Julie Barer, Jeff Kleinman, Daniel Lazar, and Renee Zuckerbrot. Ferrari-Adler asked what they were looking for in fiction (voice, unusual setting, great story); where they found their writers (slush pile, lit mags, writers conferences like Bread Loaf and Squaw Valley); and ideal clients (someone who is willing to participate in the business end of selling, writers who are well connected and whose subject matter appeals to a specific audience).

As it happens, I have an agent -- Joelle Delbourgo, a terrific woman whom I trust and admire -- so I wasn't reading the piece with an eye toward landing an agent (a daunting, terrifying, gut-wrenching process, regardless of who you are and the people in your camp), but because I'm familiar with these agents and find them fun and likeable. And, of course, it's nice to know that despite my failures, I can count among my successes the things I've done right (Sweet Jesus, there are three!): thoroughly researching an agent before querying; ensuring my query is appealing and to the point; and, of course, making sure my manuscript is the best it can be before ever starting the process.

And here's some great advice from an anonymous agent: "If you take my rejection letter and post it on your Web site, there are few other agents who are going to be willing to put anything in writing to you. We look upon those writers in a bad way."

Girls Like Us

Girls Like Us - Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation, by Sheila Weller, is a fun and interesting read, if not warmly written. The author's writing style feels vaguely distant, as if she's reporting the stories behind these women's lives rather than striving to draw us in.

Stephanie Zacharek, a senior writer for Salon, says in a New York Times book review she's weary of "old hippies gassing on," but finds a few enlightening moments in the book and gives Carole King the most credit for changing her generation.

And the photos are a hoot, including a nude shot of King giving her dog a bath.

Commerce Clashes with Culture

Checked out A ROOM WITH A VIEW and HOWARDS END by E.M. Forster from the library today. Cover proclaims these are "stories of extreme contrasts -- in values, social class and cultural perspectives. Romantic relationships lead to conventional happiness in the delightful social comedy A ROOM WITH A VIEW, and to unexpected scandal in the richer, deeply moving novel HOWARDS END," which of course I'll read first.

Donate Funds to Falcons

The Peregrine Fund, like so many wildlife and conservation organizations, is in need of your donations. Please consider making a gift this Christmas of as little as $25 (it's tax deductible!) by clicking here. The birds will thank you for it.

Tomboys All Grown Up Now

Maya (left) and Jena, on Jen's wedding day. San Diego, California.

Ode to Elk Cove Scrub Jay

Scrub jay sits on branch
Wobbles, steadies self, hangs on
Topples, then takes off.