Yes!!

Exciting news... :) Yesterday afternoon, while I was engaged in school Mom came and handed me the phone. "It's the American Birding Association," she said. Since I'd been waiting a couple months to hear results from their Young Birder of the Year contest (which I entered), my heart skipped a beat. Why would they be calling me? The lady on the phone then told me that I had placed 2nd overall (there are only 2 grand prize winners) in the YBY, had gotten first place in the upper age group illustration module, and 3rd place in both photography and field notebook! This is a nationwide contest. I couldn't believe it. :) The 2nd place grand prize is an incredibly nice Leica Trinovid 8x32 binocular (list price about $1500!) and a $350 scholarship to a birding convention or camp. Plus a ton of books and other things for placing in the individual modules. This is the kind of thing I've been dreaming about for a long time--God is good!

Quote of the day: "To look through a pair of binoculars, you'd have to have four eyes."--Someone...

Have a great day everyone! (Stay warm :)