That's A Moray

I hate eels. So naturally, my sister sent me this delightful meme on my 50th birthday (and implied she'd sent me a box of live eels, which THANK GOODNESS, she did not).

 

Even though I hate eels, I love the combination of clever wordplay and trivia. This is the kind of thing my brain loves to do (when I'm supposed to be doing something else, naturally). So over the past few weeks, I've come up with four new verses of my own. 

• When a "snake" sports some gills and surprises its kills, that's a moray.

• When an eel's 30 pounds and is yellowish brown, that's a moray.

• When an eel can't see well and it hunts using smell, that's a moray.

• When it hunts from sea rocks like a jack in the box, that's a moray. 

Lest anyone thinks that the secret to liking eels is knowing more about them, let me assure you that the more I learn, the creepier I think they are. We are talking about a double-jawed 30 POUND yellowish-brown beast that lurches from the darkness in hopes of eating you. That's the stuff of nightmares. That's a moray! 

It's All Things Eagle in the deRosier House

It's All Things Eagle around here! In addition to school and other Scout responsibilities, Trevor is hard at work on his Eagle project, which benefits the eagles (and other raptors) at the California Raptor Center. While the project is 100% Trevor's, Steve and I have been very involved answering his questions, proofreading his planning documents and letters, coaching him before phone calls and meetings, and driving him all the places he needs to go. 

It's a labor of love, of course. Not only do I love Trevor and am so proud of the work he's doing, but I've become quite attached to the resident raptors at the CRC. These are four of my favorites.

  

  

The last time I mentioned Trevor's Eagle project was back in November, when he was still searching for just the right beneficiary. Since then, he's had two in-person meetings with the director at the CRC to figure out what they needed and exactly what his project would involve. Ultimately, Trevor decided he'd create life-size silhouettes of each of the seven groups of raptors represented at the center, which visitors could then use to compare their 'wingspan' to those of the birds. He would also promote the Adopt-a-Raptor program by placing QR codes at each bird's enclosure. Once he completed all the paperwork and got approval from the Scouts and the beneficiary, Trevor was ready to start the actual labor.

Sort of. An Eagle Scout project is a leadership project. Trevor is not the one who will be cutting out all the birds, painting them, and installing them. Instead, he will be leading a team of Scout youth and adults as they do the work. This past weekend, Trevor went through the process of making one silhouette so that he would be prepared to teach his team exactly how to do everything. We started at Lowe's, where Trevor learned how to select the best plywood. 

He checked the pricing of the other materials and made decisions about what he would need. 

He learned how to use a projector to transfer the outline onto the sheet of plywood, then used a jig saw to cut it out. Along the way, he had to make a lot of decisions, including the level of detail he wants in the silhouettes. That's our neighbor, Curt, coaching Trevor. 

Trevor used a file to smooth the rough areas between the wing feathers. 

One final inspection before it's time to paint!

The silhouettes will be black. 

And that's just the beginning of what the team will do. In the next two days, Trevor will do a final site inspection, pick up supplies he's ordered, and buy all of the remaining materials. On Saturday and Sunday, he'll lead the construction teams. Tuesday is the installation day. 

Trevor has also been working to raise the funds to pay for all this. After covering materials costs, he hopes to have enough money to provide care for at least four raptors. If you are interested in donating toward Trevor's project, the easiest way is by using the Troop 482 Square Site and scrolling down to "Donate to a Scout." Choose your amount, then click "Select Order Type" and specify that you want the money to go toward caring for a raptor. Or, if you prefer, you can adopt a raptor directly from the Center and support the important work they do. Thank you!

American Robin Nest with Eggs

With Easter approaching, a lot of us will be dyeing eggs with into every color of the rainbow. It's a tradition I really enjoy. But as pretty as the dyed eggs are, I'm fascinated by the naturally occurring colors of birds' eggs. The American robin lays eggs so beautiful that we've named the a color after them: robin's egg blue. Today's craft is all about these gorgeous eggs. Affiliate links below. 

American Robin Nest with Eggs

Materials: 

• watercolor paper
• Koi watercolors (or robin's egg blue watercolor pencil)
• scissors
• Spanish moss* 
• cardstock (black and white)
• craft glue

Steps: 

Paint a 4" square of watercolor paper robin's egg blue, using either paints or watercolor pencils. While the paint dries, cut a square of scratch paper just over 1". Fold it in half, then draw the curve of an egg along the folded side. Cut along the line and unfold the paper to reveal an egg template that is a little bigger than a quarter. (Robins' eggs are 1.1-1.2" long and weigh about the same as a quarter). 

Trace the template four times on the painted paper, then cut out the eggs. 

Take a handful of Spanish moss and form it into a bowl-shaped nest approximately 6" in diameter. Glue the nest to a square of black cardstock. Arrange 3 eggs in the nest, then glue them in place. 

Write AMERICAN ROBIN on a strip of white cardstock, then glue it to the black cardstock below the nest. Glue the final egg to the label. 

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If these were real robin eggs, they'd hatch in about 2 weeks and the baby birds would leave the nest about 2.5 weeks after hatching. Your craft won't change though - sorry about that!

Robins are common throughout the contiguous 48 states, so this is a good craft no matter where you live. But if you happen to be in Connecticut, Michigan, or Wisconsin, this is a particularly excellent project since your states have named the American Robin as the state bird. Enjoy!

* Neither Spanish nor moss! But plentiful in Louisiana. 

White to Bright Challenge - Colored Pencil Magazine

After reviewing Colored Pencil Magazine, I treated myself to a subscription, starting with the March 2022 issue. In it, there was a contest announcement. The White to Bright Challenge asked readers to use their all-white inspiration photo to create a colorful piece of artwork. 

As a beginner, it was daunting to enter, knowing full well that my artwork would be among the worst. But everyone starts somewhere, and I thought it would be fun to challenge myself. I took inspiration from the owl in the original photo to turn each of the six items into something you'd find on a farm. 

I started by printing the inspiration photo twice on a piece of copy paper, then playing around with shapes and ideas. As you can see in the top photo, I started by making the pitcher on the left into a pig and the owl on the right into a chicken. I ended up reversing those in the bottom photo, then added the calf, mouse, bunny, and egg. 

I traced over my shapes with a black pen. 

Then I used my light box to lightly trace my design onto Bristol Vellum. Then I jumped in with my Prismacolors. I started with the pig, then moved to the cow and the chicken. I did the egg next, then the bunny, and finished with the mouse. 

I didn't start out with a plan for the background and obviously needed something to ground my levitating pig. So I added hay, then the blue sky. 

I see plenty of things in my drawing that need improvement. But I'm happy that I completed it and entered it. Progress, not perfection!

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Update: I was awarded Beginner Honorable Mention! I'm shocked. And thrilled!

Bunny Week 2022: "Should I Get a Rabbit?"

Obviously, I love rabbits. Every rabbit has its own personality, but as a whole rabbits are smart, curious, playful, determined, and absolutely adorable. There is no question that they make excellent pets. But that doesn't mean a rabbit is right for all households. While it is very important to me to promote adoption of rescued rabbits, it is even more important to me to prevent people from adopting a rabbit that they will not treat the way it deserves. 

First and foremost, rabbits are NOT Easter gifts. 

   

Read on to see if a rabbit might be right for your family. 

Should I Get a Rabbit? 

• Are you ready to make a 10+ year commitment to caring for a rabbit? House rabbits that are well-cared for can live over 10 years. When you adopt, you are adopting for the life of an animal. 

• Are you able to afford at least 10 years of food and other necessities for a rabbit? Before adopting, look into the costs of consumables (timothy hay, pellets, and litter) your rabbit will need. And don't forget about vet care. Rabbits are considered an exotic animal and need a specialized vet, which can be more expensive and more difficult to find than a vet for a dog or cat.

• Does every member of the household want a rabbit and understand how to properly treat a rabbit? Rabbits are delicate and need a particular kind of care. As an example, toddlers may not understand how critical it is to be gentle with a rabbit and not pick it up. Everyone in the house must know and follow rules about rabbit care.

• Are you able to give a rabbit the space it deserves? Just like dogs and cats, rabbits do not belong in a cages. It is cruel to lock up a rabbit. Rabbits are social creatures who deserve to be loved as members of the family. They need to run and jump, explore, and interact with the family. 

• Is your home safe for a rabbit? Before adopting, learn what kinds of modifications you may need to make in order to provide a rabbit with a safe, indoor environment. 

• Can you accept that a rabbit may cause damage to your possessions? A rabbit who chews is not a bad rabbit. It is simply a rabbit. In the wild, rabbits snip through vines (and will do the same to cords in your house if they're not covered). They dig tunnels (and will dig at carpet if it's loose or if they're not given toys to satisfy their need to dig). They eat bark and twigs (and will chew on baseboards, table legs, etc if they're not provided more appropriate things to chew). No matter how well you prepare, it is possible your rabbit will cause some sort of damage that you didn't anticipate.

If you answered yes to all of the questions, then a rabbit would probably make a wonderful addition to your family. Talk with a local rabbit rescue to begin the process toward adoption. A rescue will help you find just the right rabbit for your family. 

If you have any questions about rabbits and whether one would be right for your family, please ask. I'm happy to share everything I've learned after nearly 11 years of loving and caring for a house rabbit.