Guess I'll start with curious. I am fascinated by the changing, evolving world around me. I love to explore new activities, concepts, people, places and things, but also find myself nostalgic for the past ( a pretty common Human profile I suppose). Perhaps I'd better get more specific.

I learned to read from a book about snakes at about six years of age, and have been active in herpetology and natural history study ever since. This interest has been a springboard for just about everything else I have done or encountered. My education, friends, hobbies, mentors and vocation, all have seemed to evolve naturally from that early experience.

For many years I had a diverse vocational history, veterinary and lab technician, zookeeper, outdoor sports specialist salesperson and instructor, carpenter and mechanic, but I have been teaching science for the last quarter century or so. Working with young people has helped me to maintain a fresh perspective, and challenges me to grow daily.

My photographic interests began with a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Camera received as a Christmas present when I was eight or nine years old, but I bought my first SLR (an Asahi Pentax) while in the Air Force during the late 1960s. Much of my photography could only be described as snapshots, intended to record my experience with family and friends, etc. I have really only taken it seriously (and I'm afraid my technical inexperience shows) when attempting to document subjects of an anthropological and biological nature.

I am enjoying immensely the opportunity to share with and learn from other Flickr members. I do maintain all rights, but I hope that my photography may touch others, indeed that is its purpose, so if you have a request, please feel free to contact me. In most cases I would probably only require that I receive acknowledgement for any use of a non-commercial nature.

A hearty THANK YOU to all of you for sharing.

PS: While I much appreciate any interest in my photographs, I do feel that it is appropriate to at least leave a comment when saving someones work to favorites.

Thank You,

Rick