Finch Bird

What’s in a Name? Picking names for your fictional characters is much like naming your children. Each is a careful decision that you will have to live with for a long time to come. Picking just the right name for your fictional character involves more than thumbing through a book of baby names to find something that sounds good. Character names, just like every other element in a screenplay or novel, should serve multiple functions. A good character name is distinctive and memorable. A great character name, in addition to being distinctive an memorable, also works to help tell your story. The following examples illustrate different ways to advance your storytelling through carefully named characters. RockyAuthor: Sylvester StalloneCharacter names: Rocky, ApolloRocky contains an excellent use of character names to highlight the story’s external conflict. In the movie Rocky fights Apollo Creed, the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. This name pair works on many levels. Apollo, the name of a god. Rocky, a stone, a pebble, something that just sits there. In a fight between a god and a rock, who do you expect to win — the god, with all his awesome powers, or a rock — something hard, that would take a sledgehammer to break? Serving as a metaphor for the film, these names fit the story’s climactic fight, as the god wails away with all his incredible might while the rock takes it and lasts.To Kill a MockingbirdAuthor: Harper LeeCharacter names: Atticus Finch, Jem, Scout, Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, Boo Radley, Mayella Violet EwellIn Harper Lee’s poignant story of race and coming of age in the 1930’s Alabama, the author uses character names serve to highlight the novel’s motif, or recurring theme. They also serve the story symbolically as well.The bird motif, used by Lee to represent innocence, is reflected in several character names: Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, Scout Finch. All of these characters are mockingbirds in the sense of the story’s point of view, and their names reflect this. A closer examination of these characters reveals further meaning in these carefully chosen names.

From chilling temperatures to dreary weather, there’s no doubt that winter can seem long and miserable. With a few more months of cold remaining, why not turn to nature to brighten your days. The sight of winter birds in your yard is a sure way to warm your heart and enjoy this truly  special time of year. The different colors, markings and personalities of the birds make them enjoyable to observe as well as exciting to learn about. The male Northern Cardinal is an intense red with a black face and chin. Females are not as chatoyant with their gray brown color and light tan breasts but they have bright pink highlights on their wings, tail and crest. The color of their beaks stand out as a distinct orange red. Since the cardinal eats many kinds of fruits and seed plants a variety of trees and shrubs will attract them to your yard. Some varieties are cherry and apple trees or mulberry and raspberry shrubs. Cover a window before you place a birdfeeder by it or the cardinal will attack his reflection. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are some of the cardinal’s favorites.The Blue Jay is another bird with dazzling blue colors which makes him stand out against the snow or dark weather. Males and females generally resemble in their appearance. They are also a very smart and can adapt to different situations. Put black oil sunflower seed in to your bird feeder to attract this vegetarian bird. Another way to draw them into your yard is by putting up a nesting shelf somewhere since they prefer nesting boxes. Try to put it where there is an open space. Blue Jays usually aren’t afraid of people and seem to calm down their aggressive behavior when they are around them. When they fly they look so graceful and are a joy to watch.

Spokane, Washington, is a great place to live if you’re an outdoor lover. The wintertime is no exception to this.Spokane StatisticsSpokane (pronounced spo-CAN) is the second largest city in Washington State. It’s located 280 miles east of Seattle and 375 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. Within the city limits the population is listed at just over 200,000, but Spokane sprawls into several suburbs. Winter Activities in Spokane, Washington If you include these surrounding areas, the current population estimate is pushing 600,000.The daytime winter temperatures in Spokane are usually in the 30’s and the number of sunny days per year averages 174. Contrary to what I’ve heard some people say, Spokane is not gray and overcast all winter.Skiing!Skiing, both downhill and cross-country, is extremely popular, as is snowboarding. There are two ski resorts within 33 miles of Spokane; Mt. Spokane and 49 Degrees North.Mt. Spokane is the closest at 21 miles. It offers 5 lifts and 44 runs for downhill skiing, including night skiing. There are 17 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. There are snowboarding facilities as well as a tubing hill, complete with special inner tubes for sliding.49 Degree North offers 5 lifts and 25 runs for downhill day and night skiing and many miles of groomed trails for cross country skiing.In addition, when there’s snow on the ground you can often find cross -country skiers in any of the city’s dozens of public parks.Ice SkatingIce skating is another popular winter activity. During cold spells there’s a public pond 5 minutes from downtown that provides free skating. Downtown you can skate October through March at the Ice Palace, ranked by Kristi Yamaguchi, the1992 women’s figure skating Olympic gold medalist, in a USA Today interview in February of 2006, as one of the 10 best outdoor ice skating rinks in the nation.SnowmobilingSnowmobiling has eager participants as well. Mt. Spokane State Park contains about 50 miles of trails groomed specifically for snowmobilers.Sledding