It’s August, and summer is very much still in full swing here in New York City. But despite the chirping birds and blazing sun and ice cream trucks on every corner, I can’t help but think about…January! Call me crazy, but I’m kind of excited for winter this year. That’s not to say that once the snow starts falling and my usually pleasant (if muggy) walk to work becomes a miserable, wet slog I won’t wish I were in a hammock on a tropical island somewhere; no, I’ll definitely be wishing that. Still, there is something quite pleasant about the first month of the year, and I’m not talking about resolutions. I’m talking about calendars.

This (well, next) year’s crop of Workman calendars is pretty epic. There are of course the old standbys, such as the 365 Cats and 365 Dogs Page-a-Day Calendars, two of our most popular titles. And there’s always space on the wall for the gorgeous 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Wall Calendar. But I’d like to take this time to introduce some titles you’ve never seen before. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present the New Workman Calendars for 2012!

LEGO: The Calendar
If you were ever a kid, you’ve probably played with LEGO bricks at some point in your life—if not every day for 15 years (and beyond). Now you can bring your obsession out into the open with LEGO: The Calendar, a year-long celebration of all things LEGO. Twelve images of spectacular LEGO constructions are accompanied by fun facts about LEGO history and lore. Plus, enter your own construction in the LEGO Calendar Contest and let your creation grace the walls of LEGO enthusiasts the world over!

Peel It. Design It. Birds in Flight and Tropical Paradise
In the category of Most Innovative Calendars I’d like to nominate the Peel It. Design It. series. Decorate your home or office space with beautiful bird- or tropical-themed wall art that also helps you keep track of the days. The decals will stick to your wall or any hard, clean surface, and they won’t leave a mark, so you can move them around during the year as your design sensibilities evolve.

Gallery Calendars: Birds and Flowers
Joining the line of beautiful Page-a-Day Gallery Calendars are two new nature-inspired titles: Birds and Flowers.  Thanks to the brilliant colors and exquisite detail of the exceptional photographs, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a natural park with either one of these galleries on your desk.

Nudes Having Fun
You know Nuns Having Fun—now here’s Nudes Having Fun! That’s right: twelve (tasteful) black-and-white images of people having a good time without letting clothes get in the way. There’s a nude sing-along, naked mountain climbers, even a wedding in the buff. Cheeky (ha!) and adorable.

Daily Muse: Writer’s Diary
Everyone knows an aspiring writer (the novel’s almost done, I swear!), and even someone who’s quit his day job to hone his craft needs to keep track of his appointments. Give the budding novelist in your life the portable Writer’s Diary and watch him be encouraged and inspired by quotations from and images of his favorite authors.

Unlikely Friendships
And last but certainly not least, there’s the Unlikely Friendships calendar, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Jennifer S. Holland. Featuring twelve remarkable stories about inter-species camaraderie, this calendar is guaranteed to make you go “aww!” all year long.

Happy New Year!

If the latest news about the failed junk shot makes you want to top kill somebody, and sliming the nearest BP sign feels like an empty gesture (someone already beat you to it anyway), consider supporting the efforts of our neighbor and longtime licensing partner, Audubon:

Dear Friends:

One month after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, oil continues to spew into the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  The spill now covers 2,500 square miles, with oil coming ashore in Louisiana and Mississippi. Additionally, it is feared that the loop current could carry the oil up the Atlantic Coast. Whatever happens, it’s clear that response and recovery will require long-term commitment.

Over 13,000 Audubon volunteers remain in place across the region to assist with emergency and long-term response plans. While many have expressed frustration at not being able to immediately mitigate the effects of the spill, there are things you can do to help us. Your support will help Audubon’s efforts in the arduous long term cleaning and restoration efforts that will surely be required. In addition, you can voice your concerns about the perils of drilling in sensitive habitats like the fragile Arctic Sea. Closer to home, you can create healthy habitat for birds wherever you are. Many of the birds that migrate through the Gulf Coast nest and raise their young farther north—and throughout the U.S.

Together, we can take actions that represent the conscience of a deeply concerned nation. Your support for Audubon’s efforts will make a difference. If you are interested in making a contribution to Audubon, please visit our website at https://loon.audubon.org/payment/donate/OILSPILL10.html. Thank you so much.

The 2010 Dog and Cat Page-A-Day Contest is officially over! All entries have been chosen and I now have a moment to reflect on this year’s contest.

This photo is a snapshot of just one of two deliveries that I receive every week during the peak time of our Dog/Cat Page-A-Day contest! This year alone I received over 300,000 Cat photos and over 200,000 Dog photos.

Everyone on our Page-A-Day Team agrees this is our best Dog and Cat Page-A-Day Calendar ever! Look for them in stores later this year.

John, Dog/Cat Page-A-Day Photo Editor