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Volume 2, Number 5 May 1, 2004
Publisher: Guerrero Ink
E-mail: guerreroink@yahoo.com or website http://www.arkanimals.com
Copyright © 2004 Diana L. Guerrero. All rights reserved
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Welcome to you new subscribers and welcome back to all you veteran subscribers!

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This month was filled with travel, social functions, and pondering the past.

I am looking forward to a fun filled May and hope you are too!
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality:
News & Oprah
2. Animals: Missing My Clyde
3. Summer Snake Precautions
4. Animal Adventure: Enroll in the Costa Rica Safari! Gift Idea: Armchair Safari Shirts
5. Alliance of Writers: Magazine Writing Workshop
May 15th
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1. What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality
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Is it redundant to say how well the book is doing? Now the young adults have found it and I’ve been receiving fan mail and emails from all around the country!

The San Bernardino Sun feature article came out on April 2nd and generated many phone calls and orders for the book from all around the county. I’ll be doing some local events this month and look forward to shorter travel days.

The LA Times Festival of Books was fun, but very hot. I did two appearances and autographed copies at my publisher’s booth. The Times and other media sources took pictures and video of me in the safari hat, but I didn’t get a chance to check if they appeared anywhere.

The first royalty statement arrived in the mail and I was surprised to see how fast the advance is being paid back. When you write a book you accept an advance against the royalties. This means you only begin to see the money once the advance is paid back. I didn’t expect anything for about 18 months, but it looks like I will be seeing some financial rewards in the near future! Royalties are a complicated topic and better left for a workshop or writing discussion.

Touring has taught me a whole lot. I’ve been asked to speak on the topic to the California Writers Club in August and am working on a book tackling the topic. I head out to Chicago in June and hope to find a buyer for Expressive Elephants and Chattering Chimps. It gets tiring, but there are also some great rewards. I love meeting the kids and people whose lives have been deeply touched by the book. That makes it worthwhile.

If you want to help promote the book, just visit Oprah.com and send in an email asking for a show about animals and spirituality. I’ve already contacted them suggesting the show and will be in the area with authors of books tackling the same topic. You can mention the book by name or Book Expo America.

If you are celebrating May Day or Mother’s Day—remember that personalized copies are the perfect gift for any animal lover or spiritually oriented person. You can ordered directly from the arkanimals.com website if your local bookstore doesn’t have them in stock.
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APPEARANCE & BOOK TOUR UPDATES
I am still booking events for July and August. Confirmed appearance cities for this month include:

May 1, 2004 (Saturday, 1pm-3pm) Class: "Inspiring Lessons of the Wild & Tame" at The Learning Light in Anaheim, California

May 8, 2004 (Saturday) Orange County Women of Mystery Luncheon, California

May 9, 2004 Celebrate Mother’s Day!

May 15, 2004 (Saturday, 10am-3pm) AOW Magazine Writing Workshop, in Fawnskin, California

May 16, 2004 (Saturday, 1:30pm-2:30pm) Featured Speaker, San Diego Latino Book Festival, California

May 20, 2004 (Thursday, Noon-3pm) Queen Bees book club in Fawnskin, California

May 22, 2004 (Saturday, 3pm) Barnes & Noble in Rancho Cucamonga, California

May 23, 2004 (Saturday, 2pm) Barnes & Noble in Riverside, California

May 29, 2004 (Saturday, Noon-3pm) Edelweiss Books in Big Bear Lake, California

May 30, 2004 (Sunday, Noon-3pm) Edelweiss Books in Big Bear Lake, California

Events for business groups, service groups, and fundraisers for animal related groups are available. A fee schedule is available upon request. If you get a chance, be sure join me for one of my behavior or animal career courses!
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POST YOUR REVIEW
Thanks for the nice notes and letter. Remember that your reviews and votes continue to help the book climb in the queue at both amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. If you have not yet done so, please post your reviews at any of the following sites:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1893361845/

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=1893361845

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?AuthorID=771

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2. Animals: Missing My Clyde
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Grieving over the loss of an animal is something that comes in waves. It has been two years since I lost my Clyde. April was tough because of it. If you have not yet read my book, the dedication is to this loyal dog. The Afterward describes the end of his journey here on earth…and the most painful day of my life thus far.

The emotional swell rose and broke when Clyde’s pal (of more than twelve years) ran out to the truck to look for him when I arrived at the beach house. Oso had no way of knowing his pal was gone. A big lump rose in my throat and tears filled my eyes as I witnessed this canine’s simple act of searching for his pal.

Clyde was in my thoughts every day as I tromped up and down the beach. I missed him splashing through the surf and remembered when I taught him how to body surf so that he could play in the waves without getting tumbled. He used to happily run after the birds to get them to fly and would check back to see that I was watching—with that happy smile on his panting face.

Sticks had to be picked up and thrown in the surf, and of course he had to get everyone he met to engage in the game. He would dig holes in the sand looking for treasures, and begged to stay as we trudged back after hours on the shore. He and Oso would sleep at opposite ends of the couch like bookends upon our return. Sometimes they would snore.

I enjoyed my stay at the beach, but it was a tough two weeks. It was hard to leave Oso knowing that I probably won’t see him again either. His time remaining here is short since he is at least 14 years old. All his canine friends have passed away, it must be sad.

Do you really recover from the loss of a loved one? I don’t think so. The passage of time seems to help reduce the pain, but the absence is tough to endure. People always ask me if I am going to get another pet. They must think it is an answer to the loss, but it isn’t for me. I don’t anticipate adding another pet to my household anytime soon—especially with my travel schedule.

For now CE is my travel companion. She chortles the journey and handles the different places we visit well. Now people expect me to bring her each and every time! At the moment she is in the breeding season and not the most charming parrot to be around. However, I would miss her if she was gone. She can really drive me crazy, but then so could Clyde.
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3. Summer Snake Precautions
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Out on her porch in the fading light, Joy fought the temptation to move the black hose to another part of the garden. This was fortunate because if she had grabbed it, Joy would have been in for a nasty shock--and a painful bite. In reality the outline was not a hose, but a large and darkly shaded specimen of the southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalis viridis helleri).

The Southern Pacific Rattlesnake is common throughout the local region and dwells in all types of habitat--except desert. Adjacent areas do possess other species of Crotalids including: the stunning Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus rubber) found in the Pioneer Town area; the more aggressive Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) dwelling in lower elevations on the northern slopes; and the adeptly camouflaged Spectacled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) residing in the rocky areas of Cactus Flats.

While the furred and feathered creatures of the woods capture the imagination of hikers and anglers adore the scaled inhabitants of our waters, our scaled friends of the forest have not met with the same type of adoration. This is unfortunate since these creatures are very specialized and intriguing animals. Their role is that of a friend and not a foe.

Pit vipers, the family to which these rattlesnakes belong, are highly adapted creatures. Between the nostrils and the eye are sensory organs. The pits detect heat and transmit information to the animal in the form of a heat or infrared image. This allows the snake to sense temperature gradients (as fine as a 1/100 of a degree difference) even in the dark.

A snake will pick up additional information about the environment by flicking its tongue out. The forked tongue helps the animal distinguish the origin of scent particles more accurately. Each portion acts like a directional beacon to the left or right. These adaptations help the snake accurately strike tasty morsels, and to avoid what is not.

These rodent managers can be identified by specific characteristics. The rattlesnake sports a thicker heavier build than non-venomous snakes, and is identified by its triangular shaped head. The broad temporal region is an adaptation and houses the venom glands and is a distinguishing feature that contrasts against the narrower neck.

Crotalids also sport a thicker blunt tail that is tipped with a rattle. The rattle is formed of several hollow interlocking segments of keratin material. When the rattlesnake vibrates its muscular tail, the segments bounce against each other and create the buzzing sound that signals a warning. Old folk tales state that you can tell the age of the snake by the number of rattles, this is not true. Snakes get an additional rattle each time they shed, which can be several times a year, and the rattle segments can break off at any time.

Rattlesnakes exhibit other unique differences. Don’t be threatened by the unblinking stare and haunting vertical pupils, snakes simply have clear eyelids and don’t blink. They are also ectothermic and have to manage their body temperatures through the environment and their behavior. For this reason these creatures are active during the day when the temperatures range from 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature rises, they may become active at dawn, dusk, and even at night.

Unlike constrictors, rattlesnakes kill their prey by injecting venom with nature’s original hypodermic syringe--hollow fangs. When the snake has its mouth shut the teeth are up against the palate, and when the mouth opens for a strike, the fangs swing forward, penetrate, and inject the noxious infusion.

The toxic brew varies from species to species. Hemotoxic and proteoplytic venoms affect blood and tissues, while the neurotoxic type attacks the nervous system. Fortunately for humans, the local snakes prefer to stick to small prey mammals. Their services help control escalating rodent populations and the diseases spread by the furry pests.

One of the biggest local snake fans is Dr. Stephen Bush of Loma Linda Medical Center. Enthralled with reptiles since his youth, he has combined his passion of herpetology with his medical career and is widely known as one of the top envenomation specialists in the United States. In addition to conducting studies on venomous bites and publishing numerous papers on the topic, Dr. Bush believes in preventative education and spends time educating kids and other agencies about snakes and snakebites. He is also the star of Animal Planet’s® Venom ER.

Although snakebites are a concern, snakes would rather avoid people. In 2002, there were approximately three dozen local rattlesnake bites treated at Loma Linda. This year the numbers have increased, but are small in comparison to visitor statistics. The majority of bites occur when people harass snakes, when people have been drinking and unwisely decide to pick up a snake to show off, or when people are unaware and grab or step on a snake--and it bites defensively. These snakes prefer to flee rather than strike.

There are strategies to living successfully with wildlife. Even inquisitive pets can be taught to detect and avoid rattlesnakes. Patrick Callaghan, an animal trainer in Norco, provides snake proofing workshops for pet owners each year (March through September). These training sessions are recommended for those with dogs, horses, cats, and llamas.

Michael Weeks, founder of Snake Removal, has over thirty-three years of reptile experience. He and his team of specialists have been providing snake removal services and consulting to homeowners, businesses, and other agencies throughout the United States since 1992. When asked for tips Weeks said, “Reduce your risk by educating yourself; take precautions, and prepare a plan.” Dr. Bush added, “Every time someone interacts with a venomous snake it is risky.” So what can a person do to reduce their risks? Weeks and Bush suggested the following:

To reduce snakebite risk:
·Be aware of your surroundings

-Hike with a walking stick and probe ahead
-Look before reaching over or climbing on rock piles, ledges, or outcroppings
-Be alert around debris piles, abandoned buildings, and other snake habitats
-Inspect for snakes before entering the underbrush or shaded areas
·Wear leather ankle high boots and long pants for protection when hiking
·Hike with a partner when possible
·Stay on trails
·Use a flashlight and caution at dusk and night
·Learn more about snakes
·Have an emergency plan for bites

Home and garden snake proof tips:
·Eliminate “snake magnets”
-Remove bird feeders or move them away from house
-Feed pets inside
-Rodents are snake snacks and outdoor animal food attracts them
·Reduce cover and debris around your home and garden
Shrubbery, wood piles, and high grass provide ideal habitat for snakes
·Visually check your area before letting kids and pets outside
·Cover, close, fill, or screen vents, spaces, holes, cracks, and other openings

Venomous snake interactions are a risk at any time, if you encounter a snake:
·Stop
·Back away or give it a wide berth of at least four feet or more
·Leave an escape route for the snake

Dr. Bush has been successful in removing snakes from his yard by using a large rubber trashcan with a long shovel or stick. “Walking them to another area nearby is preferable to killing it or having another snake move into the area. Even a dead one can be like handling a loaded gun since it can still envenomate.” Bush experiences success in moving snakes away from him on the trail, too. “A snake that is unwilling to move off the trail can be encouraged to do so from a distance. I just toss gravel near the snake to persuade it to move away.”

If bitten by a rattlesnake, don’t panic and don’t delay. Call 911 and get to Loma Linda Medical Center. Symptoms of a rattlesnake bite can include: fang marks, pain, swelling and discoloration in the bitten area, tingling around the mouth, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, and sweating.

For further information contact:
Snake Removal (800) 339-9470
Patrick Callaghan (909) 735-3251
Loma Linda Medical Center Switchboard (909) 558-4000
American Red Cross Inland Empire (909) 888-1481
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4. Animal Adventure: Enroll in the Costa Rica Safari! =====================================================
SAFARI TIME!
Join me on August 2, 2004 for an animal adventure trip with an author to the Costa Rica Rainforest.
Prices are more reasonable than you think and include air, meals, and accommodations. (These fares do not include optional insurance and extension fees add $220 if you wish to extend your trip.)

Departures from different airports in the United States are available just specify “special travel request” when enrolling. Adult Fares:
Los Angeles, California (LAX): RT $1986
Ontario, California (ONT): RT $2131
San Diego, California (SAN): RT $1986

The advance preview of the August 2004 trip is now on the website at www.arkanimals.com or at www.eftours.com just enter tour ID#180396—you can enroll online today!
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GIFT IDEA: ARMCHAIR SAFARI SHIRTS NOW FOR SALE ONLINE
The t-shirts and sweatshirts are now available from the website. Prices include tax, shipping and handling and support the website. They are the perfect gift for any animal lover and any book enthusiast! Both shirts include the Ark Animals Armchair Safari artwork. The short-sleeved t-shirt is a natural color ($25) and the long-sleeved sweatshirt is a khaki color ($35). You can view the lovely design and order directly from www.arkanimals.com/dlg/newanimalshirt.htm .
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5. Alliance of Writers: Magazine Writing Workshop
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If you enroll by May 1st you can save $10 on the magazine writing workshop on May 15th. Only eight spots are left! You can also enroll online at www.allianceofwriters.com in the events area.

Brown Bag Symposium
Writing Magazine Articles That Sell.
Date: May 15, 2004
Discount enrollment deadline: May 1, 2004
Time: 10am-3pm (Includes 1/2 hour lunch break.)
Location: Fawnskin, California
Instructor: Rita Robinson
Enrollment is limited.
Fee: $49 (Non-Members) prior to May 1, 2004 (add $10 to fees after May 1.)
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DETAILS: BROWN BAG SYMPOSIUM (Bring your lunch.)
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Join other writers on May 15, 2004 from 10am until 3pm for Magazine Articles That Sell, Not Just Get Talked About. This hands-on writing workshop will give you the basics of selling an article from start to finish. Topics to be covered:
1. forming the idea and what to do with it,
2. the difference between a subject and a topic,
3. the magazines
4. what is slant?
5. formulating an anecdote
6. write a lead (1 paragraph of no more than 25 words-soft and hard leads)
7. write a theme (1 paragraph of no more than 25 words)
8. write a body paragraph (1 paragraph of no more than 25 words)
9. write an ending
10. write a query letter
11. rejections
12. rights

About the instructor: Rita Robinson is a former health and psychology reporter, now full-time writer with more than 1,000 articles in magazines on four continents, and author of 11 books. She is a writing instructor for Writers Digest and teaches writing at the college level.

Other new writing events to be introduced in 2004 include: e-membership participation, writing workshops, brown bag symposiums with selected authors, and larger venues. Stay tuned!
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Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who is on the lookout for new books, speakers, and courses related to animals or writing.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about this newsletter and recommend that they sign up. To subscribe to this newsletter enroll at www.arkanimals.com or www.allianceofwriters.com.

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Thanks for joining me. If you have a topic you would like to see covered in this newsletter, please email your suggestion to: guerreroink@yahoo.com. If you would like to advertise or sponsor an event, contact me below.
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ARK ANIMAL TRACKS
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Copyright © 2004 by Diana L. Guerrero
PO Box 1989-215
40729 Village Drive Suite 8
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Web Email: guerreroink@yahoo.com
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