Wildlife as Canon sees it debuted in the January 1982 issue of National Geographic. 40 years ago! I think I saw that Canon discontinued the series just recently- like maybe in December? A pretty good run. I haven't gotten this month's issue but it will be weird to read a NG without those iconic ads. 

Maybe I mentioned it but I have been engaged in a decades-long project to read every word of every NatGeo- maybe as far back as the month I was born, September 1974. It's coming along.  Got a ways to go though. This month in fact I read the January 1982 issue, which is maybe why these ads are at the top of my mind:

What I often do, especially when the featured species is unfamiliar to me, is google to see how they are doing now. Giant Pandas are hardly an obscure species, of course, and they have come a long way since 1982. I was surprised that they are still actually not in great shape, at least in the wild. We've all seen the photos and videos from the Wolong National Nature Reserve, and they seem to be doing good work (I think?) but in the wild Giant Pandas are still listed as vulnerable by the WWF. Exact numbers are hard to come by and fluctuate in any case, but somewhat less than 2000 seems to be a realistic count.

 It came! A beautifully wrapped little care package. With some tea, some chocolate and some poetry. By me!

Did you know I'm an award-winning poet? It's true- I entered a poetry contest in Grade 11 and won a pen. It wasn't a very good pen, but that's ok, it wasn't a very good poem.

Anyways, I bring this up because, in all seriousness, I am no one's idea of an award-winning poet, but I have sold my first poem and it feels pretty good. I've sold stories, and a modest amount of my own chapbooks that have my poetry in them, but never before has anyone published a poem of mine. It'll be on a postcard! Packaged in a subscription service with some tea and chocolate. When my copy arrives I will post some pics but for now if you want to order your own head over to Off Topic Publishing! 

The anticipation! I can't wait. Speaking of, the poem that won me a pen was called

Anticipation

Anticipation is the expectation of things which might occur

Waiting for annihilation

Death of the world on a moment's spur

It went on like that for a while but I will spare you the rest. The poem on this postcard is much better, I promise! If I still had that pen I would use it to write you a postcard...