Tag: Constance Frankland

Charles Bergman

The way we can reach out to others in these modern times.

A fellow local author, Constance Frankland, who has been mentioned previously here on Learning from Dogs followed up last Sunday’s Picture Parade with a comment on my Facebook page:

You might enjoy the site of Dr. Charles Bergman. I was privileged to take writing classes from him when his features were just breaking into Audubon and National Geographic. He was researching the thought-to-be-extinct Trumpeter Swan when survivors were found. (“Wild Echoes: Encounters With the Most Endangered Animals”) http://www.charlesbergman.com/

It was then the matter of a moment to hop across to that website address and read this on the home page:

Charles Bergman

A writer, photographer and speaker who lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and is a prof at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
He’s twice been a Fulbright Scholar in Latin America–Mexico and Ecuador–traveled extensively around the world, especially in Latin America from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego. He writes and publishes extensively on animals, nature, and sustainability–with many cover stories in such magazines as Smithsonian, Audubon, All Animals (Humane Society),, Defenders, and many more.  His photographs accompany his articles. He has written three books, and has won the Washington State Book Award, Southwest Book Award, and the Benjamin Franklin Book Award. He was a finalist for the PEN USA Literary Award.
He loves animals and wildlife of all kinds, and has developed a new-found love for Antarctica and Africa.

His home page includes this photograph:

Abbotti Cockatoo–Indonesia

Cockatoo--Abbotti--Nest 4 Display 4-MThere seemed to be many interesting articles & essays on his site and despite the fact that Mr. Bergman is currently in Uganda, his reply to my request for permission to republish some of his posts came through promptly:

Greetings from Uganda!  I’m here working in the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, back shortly.  Yes, you may certainly republish my materials.  I’ll be very interested to follow the process.

Warmly,

Charles Bergman

You can count on me picking out some of Professor Bergman’s writings to share with you soon.

This reaching to others, friends and strangers, is a wonderful aspect of present times.

Private First Class Lingo.

Don’t worry son, you’re in the Army now!

Fellow author member of AIM (Authors Innovative Marketing), Constance Frankland, sent me a link to this news item over on Californian station KSBW. Here it is:

and here are the details that were presented on KSBW’s website:

MONTEREY, Calif. —Private First Class Lingo is in the Army now.

The 8-month-old shepherd mix enlisted in a formal doggy ceremony in Monterey on Tuesday, signing up to be treated like any other member of the service.

“He will be uniformed, he will be tracked, he will be documented,” said Defense Language Institute commandant Col. Philip Deppert.

The Private First Class will go down in DLI’s history books as its first-ever mascot. The Presidio of Monterey had a canine mascot back in the 40s, before DLI existed, and his name was Sgt. Tippy.

Lingo is starting at the bottom in his military career, but Deppert said he will have opportunities to move up in rank if he behaves.

“He will also have the opportunity to lose rank, should he misbehave, and not perform as we expect the rest of our service members to,” the colonel said.

But so far the pup has been toeing the line: getting up early for walks, exercising out on the field with the students, and most importantly learning the art of obedience.

Part of Private Lingo’s training is learning how to run in formation because in February he is scheduled to lead the commandant’s run with all the 2,000 plus service members at DLI.

Aside from his normal duties, the rescue dog was brought to the Presidio of Monterey for a special mission, to be the mascot, and so far he is knocking it out of the park.

“He has made about 2,000 new best friends; he is a magnet any place he goes, and it is exactly what he was intended to do,” Deppert said.

Lingo was adopted from the SPCA for Monterey County in November.

Here are two photographs from that story.

Private-Lingo-2-JPGoooo

Private-Lingo-3-JPGAnother example of our incredible dogs.