My early childhood was spent roaming the rolling hills outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Climbing trees, searching the woods for snakes, and stealing apples from a nearby orchard gave me a sense of closeness with nature and rural life. I was a very introspective child, kind of a nerd, keeping to myself a lot but always observing, continually learning about people and their interaction with others.
In 1967, as the war in Viet Nam escalated, I enlisted in the Air Force, hoping to avoid being drafted out of college. It was a good experience, living two years in Japan and the remainder of the time in various parts of the United States. I learned plenty about myself, both my abilities and my weaknesses.
During my stay in the military my passion for photography grew, providing a supplemental income. It was this creativity that provided me the greatest satisfaction and I never wanted it to become a job. Like cooking, which I started when I was 17, I did it for pleasure, not for survival.
Over the next several years I worked as an engineer for various companies, eventually starting my own consulting business in the 90's. Then, in 2000, I following the call of God on my life and dedicated the next decade to ministering to children in Ecuador. This was a wonderful experience, bringing back memories of my own struggles as a child.
I retired in January, 2010 but remained in Ecuador. I spend my days photographing the birds and scenery of this beautiful little nation. I dedicate much of my time writing about the different avifauna and birding locations that can be found in this country.
In May of 2012 I finished my e-book: Birding Northwest Ecuador
I have two blogs that I write:
Discovering the Birds of Ecuador about birding locations in Ecuador
The Birds of Ecuador identifying the various birds of Ecuador
and you can tweet me at @ecuadorrebel
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