“All things must pass
None of life’s strings can last
So I must be on my way
And face another day” George Harrison
This morning, December 28, 2024, we saw our last Nature column in the Houston Chronicle.
The Nature column has been a major part of our lives for the past 25 years. Gary Clark wrote his lovely stories about backyard birds, rare birds, and birds in far away lands. He wrote about squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, alligators, frogs and so much more. Each column was a blend of art, literature, science, and history. Readers were often treated to a splash of the Bible and occasionally a bit of chess. Gary’s columns we not simply about nature. They were about life around us.
I tried to keep up by illustrating Gary’s column with my photos. The first column on April 1, 1999 was illustrated with scanned slides of John and Gloria Tveten, our predecessors. The photo editor at that time asked if I could not only scan the slides but could I upload them with a new software called FTP. The Chronicle was moving into the digital world and I learned everything I needed to keep up in a week.
We were still using film in 1999. If Gary wanted to write about a rare bird then I had to get a photo worthy of publication and hope/pray that the slide would be good. My local photo processor needed 48 hours to process slides back then so there was a lot of waiting and hoping.
When Gary interviewed someone famous like David Sibley, Sid Dunkle, or Chandler Robinson, I had to hope the photos came out. Same with a rare bird or unusual behavior.
I embraced digital cameras when the photos reached 8MB or publication quality. My first Nikon F100 and then Canon D10 were game changers for me and all those photographing for newspapers. If a photo did come out, it was my fault, and luckily I could reshoot the subject.
I’m proud to say that Gary never missed a weekly deadline. He always submitted a column despite surgeries, bike accidents, and weather delays. During Hurricane Ike, he wrote the column in a Starbucks that had an internet connection. He wrote from his hospital bed after a major bike accident. After hand surgery, he learned how to use voice activated typing. I remember one time when he dictated the column to someone at the Chronicle from a payphone in the desert. Yep, payphone, shorthand, and dictation skills came in handy to get the column in on time.
But writing a weekly column for a major big city newspaper has come to an end. Thanks to our editors Melissa Aguilar, Jody Schmal, and photo editor Jill Karnicki. Along the way, we’ve worked with Betty Luman, Molly Glentzer, Diane Cowen, Elizabeth Pudwill, and Catherine McIntosh plus others whose names escape me at the moment.
Thanks to all of you for being loyal readers. Gary and I will miss your comments and questions. Thanks, too, to everyone who gave us a quote, agreed to be interviewed, welcomed us to your yard for a rare bird, or shared your adventures with us.
Thanks, finally, to the editors at the Houston Chronicle. We wrote a nature column for 25 years. The Tvetens wrote their nature column for 24 years. That is nearly 50 years of bringing nature to readers. Way to go!
Left: Gary’s last column before upload. Right: My last photo preparing to go.
Kathy Adams Clark 
So sorry that this has come to an end. I looked forward to reading about nature every Saturday. I hope we run into each other again sometime at Wild Birds! Best of luck to both of you.
Julie Caprette
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I hope our paths cross, too, Julie. Thanks for the kind comment.
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Dear Kathy, Oh NO! I am sad to get this news. Why? Kathy, yours and Gary’s Saturday column has been part of mine and June’s Saturday ritual for so long. We are truly saddened by this news. Now there is one less reason to subscribe to the Chronicle. Bummer. Sincerely, Debbie (and June)
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
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The Houston Chronicle is still a great newspaper. We have to support their good work. Hugs to you and June!
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Oh my. Sorry to hear that that is all. You have done this for many years!
Are you all doing ok?
Merry Christmas!
Sharron
Sharron & Larry Jay
Block Creek Guest House
Block Creek Natural Area
PO Box 56
Comfort, TX 78013
830/995-4174
210/422-3640 Sharron cell Sharron@BlockCreek.net Sharron@BlockCreek.net
210/422-3650 Larry cell Larry@BlockCreek.net Larry@BlockCreek.net
http://www.blockcreeknaturalarea.com/ http://www.BlockCreekNaturalArea.com
Block Creek Guest House
http://www.BlockCreekBB.com
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All here is well, Sharron and Larry! We have a bit more free time on our hands now.
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Ok, just checking that all is ok with y’all!
Sharron & Larry Jay
Block Creek Guest House
Block Creek Natural Area
PO Box 56
Comfort, TX 78013
830/995-4174
210/422-3640 Sharron cell Sharron@BlockCreek.net Sharron@BlockCreek.net
210/422-3650 Larry cell Larry@BlockCreek.net Larry@BlockCreek.net
http://www.blockcreeknaturalarea.com/ http://www.BlockCreekNaturalArea.com
Block Creek Guest House
http://www.BlockCreekBB.com
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All is good.
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What a wonderful contribution y’all have made. You are both true gems for nature, birds (and other critters!), and conservation. Thanks for being a strong voice and photographer all these years.
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Thanks, Shelly. We’ve touched a lot of lives.
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NOOOOOOO!!! 😦 I love y’all’s Nature Column!!! Can you compile all of them into one or several books???? I would buy it/them and would love to reread all of the columns. I realize that y’all deserve a break and probably have other things to spend your time on now, but is anyone taking over Nature/Birding writing for HouChron? The Greater Houston area public NEEDS a connection to nature. Birding is one of the top leisure activities and the great birding in the Houston area is a great draw for tourists from all over the world. Thank you for all of the great info and photos that you shared with us over all of those years.
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Thanks for the kind comments, Susan. As far as we know the Chronicle will stop using freelancers like us. Staff might write a column here and there about nature.
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It has been such a pleasure to be able to read the articles from Gary and see your photos. We learned so much from you as we travelled with you and experienced the wonders of nature and excitement of seeing new places, so happy that we were able to go along with you! Much happiness in your future endeavors!
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One of the pleasures of the column was meeting folks like you and Al. We got to share our knowledge and photography and then travel with you, too.
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Good morning Kathy,This certainly is a milestone-wh
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Sure is a milestone! Long run.
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Hi Kathy and Gary,
Congratulations on 25 years! And a weekly column at that, I believe. I wrote a monthly magazine column for 10 years and those deadlines came around so quickly! I can’t imagine doing a weekly! Enjoy your freedom now without those deadlines hanging over you!
Happy New Year,
Anthony
Anthony R Gargano
239-444-5525
Mob 609-221-4899
argargano@n2ss.com
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The deadline was something that was always hanging over our heads. Traveling or at home, there was always a column to produce. Thanks for your kind comment.
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Hi Kathy, Both Janie and I will miss Gary’s column with your photos. Every Saturday it was the first thing I looked for in the Houston Chronicle. I will miss these articles and so will Janie .
We just hope that this “change’ will be positive for you and Gary. As one door closes, others open!
Joe Smith
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That’s a good way of looking at it, Joe. Thanks for the kind comments. Readers like you and Janie made all the work worthwhile. We’ll see what happens during the next stage.
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