Handmade by Earl Whitaker · Hocking Hills, Ohio
Ray's Last Wildlife Calendar 2027 — 45 Years Of Field Photography, Final Print Run
Ray's Last Wildlife Calendar 2027 — 45 Years Of Field Photography, Final Print Run
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Ray's Last Wildlife Calendar 2027 — 45 Years Of Field Photography, Final Print Run
The Last Wildlife Calendar 2027 — Forty-Five Years Behind A Lens
Photographed by Ray Kessler (73), wildlife photographer, Ninemile Valley, Montana. His eyesight is failing, and the 2027 run is the last calendar he will ever make.
“I can still see the owl land. I just can’t tell anymore if I got it. Forty-five years of knowing, and now I have to ask someone else.”
— Ray Kessler, on the morning he decided to stop
What’s In The Package
12 Months
January through December 2027, fully dated
12 Photographs
One per month, chosen from 400,000 frames
Field Notes
Place and year printed on every month
Ready To Hang
Twin-wire spine, hangs flat out of the box
What Sets Ray’s Calendars Apart
The Three-Pass Selection
Twelve photographs survive out of roughly 33,000 per edition. Pass one removes technical flaws, pass two removes animals doing nothing, pass three keeps only frames you could describe out loud.
The First-Light Rule
Every animal here was photographed within ninety minutes of sunrise or sunset. Not for the light — that is simply when animals move.
The Field Note
Katmai Coast, 1991. Ninemile Valley, 2004. Boulders Beach, 1996. The same notation Ray has written on the back of every frame since 1981.
The Twin-Wire Spine
Double-wire binding, so it lies flat against the wall instead of bowing off it. Single-wire spines curl after a month in a humid kitchen.
The Writable Block
Date squares sized for a normal pen — appointments, birthdays, medication. Ray was firm: if you cannot write in it, it is a poster.
The Moon Column
On the Penguins edition, lunar phases run in a side column each month. Added in 2018 because a fisherman in Polson asked for it.
Expert opinion
“What separates a working field photographer from a stock library is time on site. Ray documented one great horned owl cavity across three decades — that is longitudinal data most funded research projects never achieve. The Katmai material is equally unusual: eleven consecutive seasons of sow-and-cub behavior from a fixed vantage. Most people will hang these because the animals are charming. They should know they are hanging a genuine field record.”
Dr. Alan Reese, Wildlife Biologist
Rocky Mountain Ornithological Association
Three Editions — Three Parts Of One Career
Perfect For
What You Are Actually Getting
- A real archive, not a stock library. Every photograph was taken by one man who sat and waited for it, in the place and year printed on the page.
- Genuine last-run scarcity. 1,200 calendars printed across three editions. There is no reprint, because Ray can no longer select the frames.
- Built to hang flat. Twin-wire spiral binding, 8.2 inches square, opening to 8.2 × 16.4 inches on the wall.
- Usable as a planner. Large writable date blocks and US federal holidays marked — a working calendar, not wall art.
- Ships free, returns free. Thirty days, one email, no shipping cost to you.
30-Day Guarantee
If it does not look right on your wall, email us within thirty days and you get your money back. No return shipping, no forms. Ray asked us to make that part easy — he wants these hanging in homes where people actually want them.
A note on the print run: All 1,200 calendars were printed in a single batch this summer, and the three editions do not sell evenly — Owls has been moving fastest. When an edition is gone it will not come back. If you want a specific one, pick it now rather than later.
Product Details
| Format | Hanging wall calendar, 12 months |
| Year | Dated January 2027 – December 2027 |
| Size (closed) | 8.2 × 8.2 in / 21 × 21 cm |
| Size (hanging) | 8.2 × 16.4 in / 21 × 42 cm |
| Material | Heavyweight coated paper |
| Binding | Twin-wire spiral, hangs flat |
| Editions | Owls · Bear Cubs · Penguins |
| Features | Large writable blocks, US federal holidays, place and year per month; lunar phases on the Penguins edition |
| Photographer | Ray Kessler, Ninemile Valley, Montana |
| Print run | 1,200 total across three editions — final run, no reprint |
| Shipping | Free, 3–7 business days |
| Returns | 30 days, free |
Meet your maker: Earl Whitaker
34 years a shop teacher. Now he builds birdhouses the slow way — one at a time, signed by hand.
Read Earl's story →
The Back Road Guarantee
If anything ever fails on this birdhouse — a joint, a hinge, the roof — Earl repairs or replaces it for free. For life. No receipts, no forms, no fine print. That's the deal he made us, and it's the deal we make you.
Before You Order
When will my order ship?
The maker keeps a small number finished and ready. Orders ship straight from the workshop within 3 business days, and you'll get a tracking number the moment it's on its way. If a batch sells out, the page will say so honestly — and you can join the waitlist for the next one.
What if it arrives damaged or I don't love it?
You have 60 days to change your mind — send it back for a full refund, no questions asked. And if anything ever fails on it, the Back Road Guarantee covers repairs or replacement for life, handled directly with the maker.
Is every piece really made by one person?
Yes. Every piece is made start to finish by one maker — cut, finished, signed, and wrapped by hand. That's why batches are small and why yours will carry a hand-written number.
Will mine look exactly like the photos?
Almost — but not perfectly, and that's the point. Natural materials vary in grain and tone, so every piece is one of a kind. What never varies is the craftsmanship behind it.
Is it a good gift?
It's our most-gifted item. Every order arrives hand-wrapped in kraft paper with twine and a signed note from the maker — no receipt in the box, so it ships straight to the lucky person.