Happy New Year

I hope everyone enjoyed their 2008. Have you made plans for 2009 yet? What kind of goals do you have for yourself and your family this year? What do you dream about accomplishing over the next twelve months?

Last year, I set a goal to observe 300 birds species in Maryland. I exceeded that goal by my lucky number, reaching #311 just before that crystal ball dropped in New York's Times Square. If I had a crystal ball, I'd be able to tell you all about what 2009 has in store for us all. Sadly, I left my crystal ball in my other suit coat.I know... I'm a TURKEY when it comes to these awful jokes.

As for the Haas family, we have big plans!VACATION: We'd like to go to Southern Arizona in the spring to visit Emery's sister Jillian. I look forward to birding all over Arizona while we are there, and applying lots of sunscreen. Later in the summer, the Toomey's visit the beach in North Carolina. I'd like to do a lovers weekend or two to Cape May in the fall. Maybe you can tell me... is fall migration any good in Cape May, NJ?

CHILDREN: Declan, now a strong, handsome one year old, will soon be walking. He is already talking... but Emery and I just aren't sure of the dialect (or the actual language) that he has decided to speak. He can say words like 'Momma', 'Dadda', 'Oiseau', 'Eliza' (his Aunt), and one time he asked us, "Where's the bucket?" Why he needed a bucket I just can't say. A few weeks ago he told his Mom and I, "I love you," which caused us both to melt right away.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT: I'd like to try to take a photo a day. To be more specific, I want to take lots of photographs this year. I would pick only ONE to be the photo of the day and perhaps post a little story to go along with it. But that's like... 365 blogs!!! Aghhh. Life will be far too busy for that goal. So instead, I'll shoot for something a little more achievable. Something like 'PHOTO OF THE MONTH'. Now THAT'S more like it.

WORK: Ahhh... work will be a struggle. With the current economy, that will be a continual focus. I work with the schools, so who knows what their budgets will be like in the coming year? I'm expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.

YARD-IMPROVEMENT: Since I won't be driving all over the State of Maryland this year chasing birds, I am very excited about fixing up and maintaining our yard. It's a gardeners paradise out there, but it suffered a bit this year due to my excessive birding.HEALTHY-LIVING: Along those same lines, my wife has dreams of owning a farm one day. Perhaps I'll push her to get started on that goal with some local farming? This is her passion and I'm here to help her 'get after it'. I'd like to raise honey bees here at the house (if she'll let me). Emery also loves to keep stores like "Anthropologie" thriving! I'll see what I can do about helping her reach that goal.

CANINE-RELATED: Our dogs Oiseau and Kee Kee will be getting more walks and the Ois will be swimming more in the Severn River, no matter what season. That is his passion, and I'm here to help him dive right into it.ME: Me? Huh? Well, I'd like to do so many things, but I must exercise a bit of restraint when setting this year's goal. Speaking of which, I must EXERCISE more often. Birding, my wife tells me, is NOT exercise. Too much stopping and not enough running, she says.

When it comes to birding, this year I'll be concentrating specifically on my home county of Anne Arundel, unless a very coold, rare LIFE BIRD were to make an appearance ; )

I'd like to keep an eye on the Peregrine Falcon nest box here in Annapolis and maybe do the bluebird boxes occasionally on Greenbury Point.

I'd like to get back into music and performing in '09. I still have a few songs left in me to write.

I need to finish painting the bathroom. No, it's not as simple as putting a coat of semi-gloss on the walls. I've been painting a mural. Truthfully, mural painting of Maryland birds stopped about a month before Declan was born. But it's long past time I finished painting that Bobwhite!!!

Speaking of paint, the house is in dire need of painting.

FUN: Shockingly enough, I'd like to have more parties, go to more parties, take my wife out on date nights as often as possibly and of course, have fun with all of our friends as often as time will allow.

In a nutshell, my 2009 goal is to multi-task!

There is however, one objective, one dream, ONE TRULY ACHIEVABLE GOAL that I have set for myself in 2009...Instead of doing ________ by myself, I'm going to ask my honey to come with me (wink!).I love you Emery. And you too Declan!

May your 2009 be filled with wonderful experiences, stupendous achievements and endless magnificence!

Happy New Year!

Dan