They are here! Now published at lulu.com and available through their bookstore only. Four sizes with stunning covers, 100 lined pages on 60# cream paper. A journal will make for a wonderful gift and you’ll be supporting our mission.
J1 – Pocket book – 4.25 x 6.875 – $9.11usd
J2 – US Trade 6 x 9 – $10.36usd
J3 – Small Square 7.5 x 7.5 – $11.73usd
Order Small Square size Journal
J4 – US Letter 8.5 x 11 – $12.98usd
12/31/23 – I really wanted to post before now but the last few months have been non-stop living. I’m not even sure if I will remember everything that I originally wanted to post but I’ll try.
In August we participated in an Eco-Arts Festival in upstate NY. We volunteered our time to educate visitors about the Canada Lynx. You can view our Eco-Arts Festival.
Porkchop Hedgehog goes on a run around the backyard and Max watches with interest. – Porkchop on the Run
In September, Max went on a walk and fell in love with a tree – Tree Love. I was forced to put wheels under Max’s travel kennel because he weighed in at 47 pounds. On a Roll shows you exactly how I did it. We participated in a wildlife festival on the 23rd. Max snoozed through most of it but let a few people know they got too close to his kennel to take photos. He bluff charged and growled. At the end of the month, I found an ottoman sitting at the end of one’s driveway which was being tossed. I thought it would be wonderful for Max in his outside enclosure. I hauled it home and it still sits in the workshop because it’s great for me to sit on to interact with Max! Sorry Max, I stole it!
October was a difficult month for both of us. As you can see Max seemed fine on September 28 but come October 1st, he wasn’t. I noticed it immediately when he refused to come when I called him for mealtime. In fact, when I went into his enclosure, he still would not come to me. I knew something was wrong. He stood when I approached him but his demeanor was subdued. I got the butt greeting but he was slow. When he laid down I noticed his breathing was labored and his stomach moving. He would shift his legs like he was uncomfortable. I couldn’t get him to eat or drink water and therefore trying to get laxative into him was going to be impossible. I called the vet and he suggested giving Max an enema and I was willing to try it. He also prescribed meds for nausea. I let Max lie on the ground and I sat with my back up against the fence with my legs over him. The procedure went quite well but when he realized there was a large amount of liquid up his butt, he immediately stood up and tried to poop it out. No Max no! LOL. I sat with him as much as I could putting heat packs on his back and belly. Massages were welcomed too. He passed the blockage on the 3rd and it wasn’t even loaded with fur or bones. It was just a large stool. Following it was days of diarrhea and lack of appetite. His behavior slowly improved but it took several weeks for him to get his appetite back fully. Now, he’s on a regime of cod liver oil one day and laxative two days later. So, every two days he gets one or the other. I have also decreased his chicken legs from 12 a week to 8 rotating them with his red meat in-between. Although Max was not 100%, we still participated in an outdoor event. He didn’t seem to mind as it was dark and cold but I was cold! Only October but still chilly for this old gal. By the end of October Max was back to normal and I was worry-free.
November starts off well with fun and games with Max. I found an opossum sitting in the middle of the road on my way home from an awards ceremony on the 9th. It was dark but I stopped turning on my flashers praying no other cars came along. She was injured. I grab the towel in my car, picked her up and placed her on the floor. When I got home, I put straw in a kennel and placed her in it. I then called a wildlife rehab organization and they connected me with a rehabber who was willing to take her in. I drove 30 minutes to deliver her. She suffered trauma to her face but no brain damage. She had to have her eye removed and her jaw was broken. Her teeth were too small and not spaced appropriate, so pinning her jaw was not possible but the vet did what he could using stitches. She, Salem, will never be released due to being blind on the one side. So, the rehabber, Linda, will take care of her for the rest of her life. I hear she’s a sweet opossum and is doing quite well. I’m so happy that I saved her.
My cousin, Genevieve came down from Canada to help me finish Max’s wire roofing the weekend of the 11th. We trimmed and trimmed and got it finished… mostly. I worked on the rest by myself and still have the security entry to finish but it’s a huge weight off my shoulder knowing the snow will pass effortlessly through the wire without collecting & collapsing it.
About the same time I discovered good news. Poppy bunny had been licking her knees bald since summer but by increasing her medication, the fur started to grow. She is back to her cranky self! Hey, that’s good news.
We got a little snow on the 21st and Max got to play in it but it melted in no time.
Thanksgiving was nice. I spent a few hours with my best friend. Max got salmon, as always. It’s my special dinner treat for him. To view our video – Happy Thanksgiving
December started off with a bang! Max needed a new freezer. Ugh! I had just gotten 150 pounds of meat several weeks before. Well, I ordered and it was delivered the first Saturday but I had to wait around for 4 hours. However, we are all set now! The rest of the month was busy organizing my last after-school class at the museum, getting cards out and decorating the house. I was not in a festive mood. I really can’t pinpoint why. I was just not feeling it this year. Christmas was quiet. I did chores. I baked cookies and watched movies. Christmas Eve I gave Max his toys – Christmas 2023. Most recently, we received a gift of a new loading ramp. I liked the old but it had bumps at the top of the ramp and Max’s wheels would get caught on them. Such challenges! I put on our Amazon wish list a new one which didn’t have the bumps and was wide enough but I didn’t realize that it’s fabric covered. Luckily, it works fine and you can see for yourself with Max’s new loading ramp video.
Now we are up to date with our New Year Eve 2023 video. Max has one resolution… to lose 10 pounds by summer. I have two… to lose 10 pounds this year and to get better organized which includes tossing paperwork, selling collectibles and better use of my time.
10-30-23 – I apologize for being absent but it’s been extremely busy for us (me & the animals). I have news & videos but will share that when I get a few things straightened up around here.
Right now, I wanted to tell you about Lulu’s 20% discount off books and calendars. BTW, I was thinking about doing a calendar on Max but you would pay just as much for a calendar as you would for his paperback book. 400 photos verses 12 is a much better value. Don’t you think? However, I might add notebooks as a product since everyone uses them. We’ll see. Anyways….
The Early Bird Gets 20% Off! Seize this moment and save big on books and calendars! Use the code PREVIEW20 to save 20% on all print products at checkout. This code is only good until November 3rd. Don’t let it wiggle away!
To order a Max book, click on… I am MAX book versions
Lulu Press is offering a 15% discount off your order of their printed products. That’s right, you can save 15% off Max’s book. Shop the bookstore and save 15% when you use promo code PORTFOLIO15 at checkout. Offer is good through July 14.
Our page for Max’s books – I am MAX book versions
When my cousin, Genevieve was here last month, she brought a Jolly Egg ball for Max. Her dog, Cleo, didn’t want it. I finally got around to giving it to Max on June 4th and posted the video on the 11th. He was interested in it at first rubbing his scent on the ball but preferred to interact with me instead. I tried to play with him and he played a bit. I have found it in different places within his enclosure but I think Max prefers a toy he can carry around. He loves his fuzzy balls. Here are a few photos and you can watch Max’s Egg Ball video on YT.
6/5/2023 – Will life ever get any easier? Spring has been crazy and we haven’t gotten to summer yet! Nothing too serious, just busy! Here’s some back news…
The weather turned warm with sunshine on April 8 and I was able to begin working on Max’s new wire roofing using 1×4 rough-sawn pine wood for braces. First, I needed to paint them and I used every partial can of rustoleum I had which is why some are black, white and almond. 🤣 Do I care? NO! Burt Parrot supervised. It was brief as she got bored and headed for the steps to be let inside.
April 10 marked my one-year with Lil Bun Holland Lop. He turned a year old on February 14th but this was the day I drove 4 hours to pick him up. He is a very sweet bun!
A hot day on April 13 and the security camera caught Max chilling on the floor.
On April 16 I was able to complete the first of many sections to Max’s wire roofing. This 5×15 section had plastic conduit piping, chicken wire and 2×4 welded wire. I removed the piping and chicken wire and added the board braces. My main goal is to have a secure wire roofing with large enough openings that will allow snow to fall through without accumulating and collapsing the roof.
The last of April is a blur as I was finishing up my weekly after-school programs at the museum with the last one on May 4. My focus was educating youth about the local plants and animals. I had a really good group of kids!
May 4 – Happy 12th Birthday Max! We celebrated with salmon, cardboard and a toy! See his video – Happy 12th Birthday! The photo on the left is Max at 12 and right is at 6. So handsome!
The next day we visited the vets for an all-out checkup. Max did well. It was quick and professional. He even came out of sedation in a timely manner so I could go to work. The results? Improved values and he’s quite healthy. I will try to work on getting some of that weight off along with his fur. Still combing! Here’s a photo of Max and his vet, Dr. Bo and you can visit the Health Check 2023 video for more information & photos. BTW, yes Max is sedated and his eyes are opened!
Another section of wiring done on May 6. This time at the other end of Max’s 60-foot enclosure. Yay!
I had been doing a lot of thinking about the grass in Max’s enclosure. The small push mower blows too much grass around because of the plexiglass shields, although it’s quick and efficient. The rotary mower was not efficient at all. The grass had to be bone dry and you had to have enough push speed to rotate the blades. So, I sold it really cheap. I purchased an electric weedwhacker with wheels. I pop off the wheel assembly and can use it like a regular weeder. It’s also does edging. I love it and it does a really good job. Though it’s more work and takes additional time but at least it doesn’t freak out Max or get me filthy dirty.
May 19-20 I had Starling issues. I found two out of the nest prematurely and another two dead in a nest. I believe more than one family was nesting in my porch eave. It was very sad but the two alive finally fledged with their mothers. I got a few good shots of mom feeding baby and a closeup of the baby as he was waiting for mom.
Other happenings were donating extra caging and attending a wildlife rehabbers gala. I donated one of Max’s books for their silent auction. I also decided to “give back” by attending an Eco-Arts Festival in August to help promote the protection of our local environment and wildlife. Max will be there as ambassador, of course.
Mid-May, Max received fresh catnip from my friend Deb. Oh boy, he loved it! On the same day, Ruby Chinchilla surprised me by standing on the scale motionless and allowed me to snap a photo! She even let me put a hat on her. 😂 I have been weighing her monthly because she was losing weight. However, she seems to have settled in and is gaining. Her and Pearl are not much better about being picked up and held. It’s a challenge and sometimes a flight around the cage. I don’t like stressing them out, so I haven’t been persistent. They have good days and bad when it comes to being friendly.
So here we are to the end of May with my cousin Genevieve visiting from Canada. We had some outings and also worked on Max’s roofing. I had finished installing the board braces by the 22nd, the weekend before. Of course, it turned out to be in the 90’s on the 27 & 28 and I had to buy 3 a/c’s! However, in spite of the depression about air conditioner costs, I was happy to have finished all the wiring. (Yay!) That’s creating a roofing with 8×8 openings. Max sees the wire to eliminate his curiosity and the openings are large enough to prevent snow/ice buildup. Up and down the ladder and working over my head with the sore shoulders took a toll on this old girl. My cousin is 20 years younger, so it was a easier for her! I also painted his two cat walk boards. What’s left to do? I need to cut the 2×4 welded wire into larger openings in the three enclosures and re-wire the 10×15 area. The 2×4’s in that area and the double-entry safety area will need to be rotated to their sides which will allow the boards to be stronger with heavy snow. It’s always something and I hope that this solution will allow me to enjoy winter more instead of being out in it pushing snow off his roofing and repairing it. I have all summer and fall to get this done. If I take an hour every weekend, it should be a piece of cake. Oh, I would love some cake right now! LOL
Stay tuned for some pics and a video of Max and his red egg ball.
3/20/23 – Lulu Press is offering a 15% discount off your order from their bookstore. That means you can save on Max’s book or anything from their bookstore. Everyone orders from Lulu which saves trees and I don’t have to stock his book, ship or deal with packaging. It’s a win-win situation. To order Max’s book click here – I am MAX. Don’t forget to use the code – SPRINGREADS15 at checkout. (This promotion is for 15% off when ordering printed products at Lulu.com. Offer is valid through March 24, 2023.)
3/12/23 – I’ve been dragging my feet on informing everyone of Max’s new book format which I created on 12/31/2022. Same book with 159 pages and 400 photos but it’s now a light grey softcover (paperback) with standard color on 60# paper which costs only $22.92. This is a huge savings from the premium edition of $49.95. Don’t fret, the premium is still available. The reason for the drag is that it took three attempts to get the book & author name centered on the small spine. Believe me, it was challenging. I didn’t want anyone to purchase it after being published until I had it perfected. So, I’m told that there’s always a chance that the spine information may be off slightly…the nature of professional printing. So, if you get a copy and it’s not completely centered, not my fault and it’s acceptable by the printer. What can you say? I looked at books in our library and yep, some are not centered. It happens even to the best!
Here’s the link to the my page with both books – I am MAX book versions. When you get there, just click on the version of your choice and it will bring you to another page where you can add it to your cart. If you follow Lulu Press on Facebook, they often offer discounts on print products. You don’t have to be the author to order books or products and receive discounts. You can also sign up for their “Publishing & Marketing tips” which you may not need but they email you discount codes.
Lulu.com is having a sale of 15% discount off products from their bookstore. You can order any books or calendars and use promo code JANUARY15 at checkout. Offer is valid through January 27th, 2023.
For Max’s standard color softcover (paperback) $22.92 USD – I am MAX (softcover) The discount would make this format $19.48.
For Max’s premium color hardcover $49.95 USD – I am MAX (Collector’s ed) The discount would make this format $42.46.
By the way, you can order ANY book or books to receive this discount. Perhaps there is another author to your liking. Lulu Bookstore
DON’T FORGET to add the promo code at checkout!
Cheers!
1/17/23 – Happy New Year!
Oh boy, it has been crazy here… I’ll skip whining about all the negative and get to the positives. Ruby Chin has gained a bit of weight and is getting more friendly. Smokey old kitty is hanging in there. Actually, all the critters and Max are doing fine.
I was given an Owltron security camera to review and I love it. So much that I recently purchased one. Now I can check in on the animals when I’m at work and even speak to them. It’s encrypted, motion detection & tracking, 2-way audio, supports a micro SD card or cloud storage, night vision, panoramic patrol, takes photos or video. I’ve been setting it for local recording of events (motion detection) and then continuous video. I wanted to make sure Ruby was eating but it doesn’t seem to recognize the chin’s movements even though they are about 8 feet from the camera. Whereas my Stealth wildlife cam outside can detect a mouse at that distance. Sometimes the cats don’t trip it either but but the other day I was at work and got one ding after another. I looked at the notifications and all I saw was Tigger kitty sleeping on the couch. Perhaps he rolled over or perhaps Lil Bun was running around his cage. Not sure. It does better in the daytime than in the IR mode. Maybe it’s better at picking up movement from a dog than a cat. It sure picks up my movement! I’ll be creating a video this weekend after I check out a few more features. Downside… no user manual. There’s instructions on how to set it up and that was easy but nothing about what icon means what on each screen and how to use it. They have a couple videos and FAQs that you have to find time to ask the right question for the right answer. I’m not a techy kind of person, so it takes me a bit longer to learn stuff. Plus, I’m busy and it would be more useful to have an online user manual that I can flip through and learn all the stuff. I mean it has a “siren” icon… what the heck? I’m not touching that! BUT it’s a peace of mind for me and I can check in on my home & animals. I mentioned to my contact that they should consider creating one for outdoors. Guess what? They are working on it already! Ok, now I will be able to spy on Max! Although, he sleeps all day. By the way, the videos and photos on the SD card are encrypted and no way of transferring them to your computer. I guess that’s a good thing but what if I want to share? Well, when I playback a recording, I just record it using the app, and then it’s saved to the album on my phone. Yay. Same goes for the photos of events (motion detection). Like this butt you see… Theo 😂 Video: Wildlife Bernie’s little Owl(tron)
And in other news… Remember I told you that I wanted to do another version of Max’s book? I should say, another format. I’m working on the abridged version but it’s taking me longer than I anticipated. I had cancelled my Adobe software for editing pdf files and lucky me they offered me a lower monthly fee. So, I reinstated it for a year. Though, before the end of last year, I published another format of his book. Yes, it’s a softcover with standard color on lighter paper, and identical to the first. The best news, $22.92 (USD) in cost. So, his premium hardcover is still $49.95 but this is more affordable for his fans if they aren’t particular about the quality of the photos. Standard isn’t bad. They are still beautiful photos, just not premium on glossy thick paper. The abridged, of course, will be less than $22 since I’ll be downsizing the photos. That’s the tough part… deciding on which photos to delete. I love his photos! And more good news, my cousin Genevieve’s sister wants to translate his book into French. So, there’ll be a premium, standard and abridged in French. How exciting is that? I had to purchase 10 ISBNs but will need them. Every time you change the format, even if it’s just the cover from hard to soft, you need a different ISBN. Both books can be ordered on Lulu.com. This is what the page will look like when you search for I am Max. They use “paperback” but I prefer soft cover as it sounds more professional. I will update Max’s website with this information shortly.
Lastly, as it’s getting late and I really need some sleep and I rarely get to bed before midnight anymore… here’s a photo of Max from 1-2-23. My camera has been repaired and is on its way back to me. I can’t wait. I’ve missed it. Hoping to get some good shots of Max. Although, the old one has been suitable.
Wildlife Education by Bernie 
You must be logged in to post a comment.