It started with an Ibis; a beautiful white bird that limped

One of my goals has been to write and illustrate a children's book. Although I completed the goal, the satisfaction is missing. I never quite got the book off the ground. But I did learn a few things about self-publishing and the difficulties in getting your name out there.

Subject matter may have been my first hurdle. Many people don't know what an ibis is. I certainly didn't before I moved to Florida. The word "ibis" reminds me of the spoken sound of "I was." So I created a poster with this play on words: "Ibis (I was) only peeking -- I'm the designated bikini watcher!" The poster is for sale on my Etsy link at http://www.etsy.com/people/AnfinsenArt

Some people think ibis are a nuisance. They forage in colonies ambling across people's manicured lawns leaving their droppings behind. I happen to love their "hunk hunk, croo croo" noises as they chatter away in ibis.

Their orange curved bills are like fingers; sensitive to touch. They probe in the cool green grass or slimy mud for snails, crayfish, frogs and grubs. If startled, they fly away revealing black wing tips that are otherwise hidden beneath their pristine white feathers. A cleansing oil keeps them white for as long as they live which can be up to 30 plus years.

My story about Inez was patterned after a real ibis in our neighborhood who is recognizable by her limp. How she was injured is anybody's guess. Mine is that she was hit by an impatient motorist who refused to wait for her to flutter to safety. She has given birth to three or four clutches since I moved here 10 years ago.

Even though she limps when earth bound, she flies beautifully like any other ibis. In the air, I lose track of her as she blends in with her "colony." On the ground, her visible disability makes me claim her for my own.

This poster is also available on the above Etsy link.

Please take a moment to check out my book; available in hard cover or paperback. Individual cards or prints of the illustrations are also for sale on http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com 

Inez Ibis Flies Again by Carol Allen Anfinsen, Written and Illustrated

FREE PREVIEW of my BOOK

If you haven't already, I'd love to have you preview my picture book:  "Inez Ibis Flies Again, the Story of a Courageous Ibis who Never Gave Up. The box with four arrows at bottom right of the video gives you a larger screen. Use the arrows at bottom center for moving pages backward or forward. Thank you!

Inez Ibis Flies Again by Carol Allen Anfinsen, Written and Illustrated

Make Your Own Book

I would appreciate it so much if you'd leave your comments after the preview. Thanks!  Below is another NEW blog titled: "More Bang for Your Buck." Please continue reading.

My friend Inez

People don't normally name the birds and animals they encounter, but after watching one ibis for over six years, I simply had to. I named her Inez. What was it that made her stand out? First of all, she had a bad limp that made it difficult for her to keep up with the other ibis when they foraged for food. And secondly, she came back to our neighborhood again and again for over six years. We're practically family.

Today she had two young ibis with her, sporting the brown feathers of youth. Her second family, although, I suspect there may have been a third. I was so happy to see them, even though they are skittish around humans. When there are long absences, I worry. She is usually gone when she has a clutch. But has always returned.

One day I was out walking and spied the remains of an ibis; nothing but a ball of tail feathers, a beak and the legs and feet. I was beside myself, thinking it must have been Inez for she doesn't move as quickly as the others. Today we saw a hawk devouring a white feathered bird in the field and I stressed out. There were snowy egrets flying about, it could have been one of them, or it could have been a cattle egret. There are many in the field where the cattle graze. When I saw Inez and her chicks, I was overjoyed.

Inez is a courageous ibis. She has regained her wing strength and flies as well as the others now, but the limp remains. I admire her for keeping on in the face of a crippling disability. She made me think about the countless children in our world who suffer in the same way. That was my motivation for writing "Inez Ibis Flies Again, The Story of a Courageous Ibis Who Never Gave Up."

If you know a child who needs encouragement and the will to "keep on keeping on," please take a look at my picture book. Samples are available at both of these web sites:
Ebook http://smashwords.com/b/8340
Hard Copy http://www.blurb.com%252fbookstore/

You can also purchase hard or soft cover books directly from me via Etsy.com or my Etsy tab on Facebook: Carol Allen Anfinsen or AnfinsenArt.

Ibis Fortitude and Announcement

A white Ibis with a crippled right leg lives in our neighborhood. She hops about on her good leg and drags her useless limb behind her. Like all Ibis, she pokes at the ground with her long curved bill foraging for food. Her bill is extremely sensitive to movement as she zeroes in on snails, lizards, crayfish and frogs.

Sometimes a flock of Ibis join her and they move from one lawn to another. She struggles to keep up. She watches the other ibis fearlessly cross the street while she waits, unsure. She seems on the brink of crossing. She hops out a few inches, hesitates, but then returns to the safety of the grass. I suspect an inconsiderate motorist is the reason for her fear and for the crippled leg.

One day I saw her fly away with a colony of Ibis. I couldn’t see her among the flutter of wings. Up there, she soared like any other ibis – glistening white against a cloudless blue sky. I thought I’d never see her again, but in a few days she came back.

For almost six years she has returned to the same place by the side street. Perhaps she comes to mourn the loss of a mate since ibis are sometimes monogamous, or perhaps to mourn the loss of her leg. I worry about her. I wonder about her pain. Could I catch her? Could I help her? Could the leg be repaired?

My concern turns to relief when I see her foraging with another Ibis that has stayed behind. They move as one over the grass. When her newfound friend flies to a nearby pond, she joins him, flying with grace and precision. Together they probe the muddy bank with their long red bills searching for food.

Watching them together, I feel relief. Perhaps she has found her prince charming -- the one who accepts and overlooks flaws. Perhaps they will mate and produce perfect young; sharing parenting responsibilities together, her small imperfection only an inconvenience in the greater scheme of life.

For a picture of the “real Inez,” and a picture book titled: “Inez Ibis Flies Again©, The story of a courageous ibis who never gave up;” go to these links:

Ebook at  http://smashwords.com/b/8340

Hard copy for sale at  http://www.blurb.com%252fbookstore/