a little drawing

Here's a little 3-minute sketch I did a few weeks ago when I was bored. Nothing fantastic, but it's a Great Horned Owl. :-) Like my Baby and my Harriet. More about them later!

a strange bird

Note: I'm having major problems uploading pics to the blog right now, but they'll be up here as soon as it's working!

I'm not sure how much energy I have to write this at the moment, but I am so entranced by the obsidian eyes of the little girl in these pictures, that I couldn't help but share her. This is my barred owl, Claire, another bird of prey that I care for at the local nature center. She is one thing I can always count on when I go there. She is constant, in a strange way, but Claire is strange. She's the "stoner owl," "weird owl," and "sleepy owl." Whenever I go to the Center, Claire is either sleeping or doing something strange that scares the living daylights out of me. I remember about two years ago, on a moist summer afternoon, I went over to Claire's enclosure to say hi to her, but I couldn't find her. Immediately panicking, I went inside her enclosure and searched every possible crevice (and there aren't that many). I went inside the building and asked if anyone knew where Claire was, which received some strange sideways looks, as if to say "she can't really fly, her cage is locked, how could she possibly go anywhere?" With no help gained there, I went back outside. I walked inside her enclosure, determined to find the wayward owl, and gasped in horror. My owl was DEAD?!?! Hanging from one of the perches made of tree branches was Claire. Oh my God, what was I going to do? She was limp, just hanging over the perch on her stomach, like a little slice of bacon on one of those bacon-microwaver trees! "Oh my Claire-Claire (what's what I call her) not you too! Why?" We had just had another owl die of old age and I was distraught. Then, I heard a "POP" (one of Claire's strange noises) and all of a sudden, Claire flipped up, like a break dancer kicking his feet up into the air and arching his back, but she did it kind of the opposite. No matter how you slice it, it was a strange sight. As it turns out, she was very hot and wanted to nap, but didn't feel like standing up while she slept as owls normally do. She has done this several times since then, but usually she will give me a one-eyed message, turning her head to face me, as if to say "I'm alive, now let me go back to sleep." And then, she does just that. This girl has got personality. That's my Claire!

say hello to my little friend

One of the things I look forward to on the weekend is visiting and taking care of my owl, eagle, hawk, and vulture friends, along with a few others (most notably the squirrels and the possum, which I'm sure I'll get into more detail about later). The little guy in this picture is Lefty. He's a saw-whet owl...TINY. One of the smallest species of owl, and probably the smallest found anywhere around here. You can see how small he is based on my hand, which he's sitting on! You can also see some of the reasons why he lives at the nature center -- permanently. His two eyes are different colors. The one that's darker has had problems ever since he was hit by a car -- probably cataracts. He doesn't see very well out of that eye. Also, his left wing was broken and didn't heal right, so it sticks out a little funny, and he can't fly. Finally, he has a cross bill, which makes it difficult for him to tear apart his food. I have to try to reshape it and trim it back every so often -- with a Dremel -- which, in case you aren't familiar with these, is basically like a power drill with a sandpapery end. I use it to file his beak so he can use it more efficiently. I'll probably have to do that again very soon even though I feel like I just did it! He's a very good boy and doesn't wiggle around too much. It's hard to shape such a small beak but he's patient and I want to make him just as handsome as possible. Isn't he just the cutest?!

pucker up for plant love!

I don't remember when I first saw this lipstick, but it was around the time it was introduced on the cosmetics scene: Cargo's Plant Love. This eco-friendly lipstick (which now has expanded to a whole line of "green" cosmetics) even comes packaged in a compostable box with flower seeds embedded in the cardboard. You can plant your box instead of throwing it out and voila--wildflowers! The lipstick itself is made of natural and organic ingredients and feels oh-so-nice on your lips! Many of the colors were created (and named for) celebrities, including my absolute favorite, Mariska Hargitay (from Law & Order: SVU). This formulation doesn't dry out your lips--in fact, it's quite emollient, and the color is rich and lasting. Try green glamour! Your planet will love (and thank) you!

another ongoing obsession

Somehow I didn't end up waiting on line or having to order my iPhone 3G. I got it only shortly after it came out, and ever since then, I have been somehow umbilically attached to it. It is addictive. I am obsessed. I can't go anywhere without it! It's like a child to me! There are more than a few fun and free apps you can download from iTunes, but I have been saved on more than a few occasions by the amazing GPS. And it's nice to have my email, texting, phone, contacts, iPod and calendar all in one spot--which also happens to be aesthetically pleasing (I'm definitely a Mac person, always have been, always will be). I love the interface. I don't mind the touch screen typing at all. In fact, I think the pitch that Blackberry or whoever has going on right now about "listen to the keys click when you type!!!" is a bunch of crap. I don't really care if my keys click if they work! I also love that this just syncs right up with the Mac laptop I already own. Again, the ease and aesthetics that are purely Mac. I think I have fallen in love with Steve Jobs. Seriously! It's true love!

one of my favorite christmas gifts

I was telling my dad how my feet/toes are always numb and I need some really warm boots to wear on a daily basis. Good thing the company I work for is fairly casual. Anyway, I picked out some Emu Australia boots (he wouldn't know what to buy!) since they were on sale. I didn't feel that it was worth it to wait for Uggs when these were half the price and would probably do just as well of a job of keeping my tootsies toasty! And boy do they ever. I wear these around the house, and have even fallen asleep for a nap with them on. I wear them to take out the trash, and to go to work. They are comfy and boy are they hella warm! I can wear them with or without socks and they're still like little furnaces for my feet. LOVE THEM!

i can't handle all of the sadness...so time for fun!

Enough of my sad posts for the moment, I need to talk about something fun. A few months ago, I made a couple of pricey--but quality--purchases on one of my frequent trips to NYC. I found myself at the house of Louis. Yes, the main Louis Vuitton store. And what a store it is! I had originally planned on buying the medium sized Neverfull bag (MM), but the large (GM) size was only $50 more and a lot larger, so why the heck not? I'll have something like this for the rest of my life, right? I have fallen in love with it. It's the perfect work tote bag, and I also plan on using it as a carry on tote on my upcoming trip to the Florida Keys, where I can also use it as a pool/beach/day trip bag. How versatile!

saying goodbye to mr. peanut

Well I am obviously really bad at updating this blog, and unfortunately some of my biggest news is the loss of yet another of my feathered friends. I don't remember the exact date at the moment, but my beloved Barn Owl (well, he actually belonged to the nature center, but I took care of him), Barnaby, passed away in October. This was pretty depressing, no, devastating, news. Plus, I had a lot of other pretty crappy things happening in my life at the time, and this was just the straw that broke this camel's back. We had a very special relationship. He let me hold him and massage his "frozen" shoulder, and would take little naps on my lap. He was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was a privilege to have been a part of his life. I will write more about him later, but this is all I can handle right now. I miss you and love you Barnaby!!!