3.28.2010

awww, look at the baby crab!


crab larvae saying hello
Originally uploaded by nature adrift
There's an entire world of seemingly alien life adrift in the ocean currents. There are plant forms, or phytoplankton, and animal forms called zooplankton.

Not all plankton are microscopic. Some can be easily seen without any special instruments and this crab larva's about 3 mm, comparable with a half-grain of rice.

Basically, the defining characteristic of plankton is that they just drift with the ocean currents; they cannot swim strongly enough to "go against the flow." So, technically, jellyfish can be considered plankton and some of them are quite large.

Many sea animals start life as plankton and then, once they're bigger, they'll settle down all the way to the sea floor or be strong enough to swim wherever they want. I just love this guy; he looks like a Pokemon doesn't he?

3.18.2010

Bald eagle nest

Another cool thing I saw on the way home from San Angelo last week--a bald eagle nest!!  I passed this a couple of years ago and thought, "Man!! That's GOT to be an eagle nest!"  Didn't have time to stop but this time I did and took this shot.  Wish I had a more powerful telephoto!! It's about 8 miles east of Llano, TX, on Hwy 29.  There's a nice little pull-off so you can park safely.  Just remember to bring your binoculars; it's in plain view but it's about 100-200 yards behind a fence.  I visited with some people who drop by regularly and they said that there were some young eaglets in the nest and a fledgling that was sticking around and helping take care of the young (that one is highlighted in the photo).  There's lots of info on this nest online so you can browse around to learn more if you want but you should definitely pay a little visit if you're in the area!

If you're nowhere near the nest you can google "eagle watching" + your city or state and find a place near you where you can see them.  Great to see the national bird and great to see a creature thriving that was once on the verge of extinction in the lower 48!

3.15.2010

The bluebonnets are blooming!

Driving home from San Angelo last week I saw the first bluebonnets of the season in Kingsland, near Llano.  As some of you know, I have a new bluebonnet song I've been working into my programs so I found some blossoms in my neighborhood and I'll be taking some photos to show during the song.  I really want to show the full-cycle from bud to seed pods.  Check out today's photos.

For my fans in other state, I must explain:  here in Texas, it's a cultural tradition to search for the biggest field of bluebonnets we can find, hop out and take a picture.  Kids, dogs, girlfriends, cattle, donkies--you name it--all make great subjects. 

Not much can compare with acres of bluebonnets in all their glory but don't forget to take a close look at an individual flower, too.  Click on the photos for larger images and more detail...

3.11.2010

Where do you get all those puppets??

People often ask me about my puppets and props. For the most part, I use ”Folktales” puppets made by a company called Folkmanis. I wanted so many when I started my business in 1994 that I would ask for them for Christmas each year. Family always loved to see what was in my presents each year! I still remember my mom sitting all Chistmas-day long with that huge frog that I use in “Metamorphosis” and “The Chimichanga Song!”


You can find this brand of puppets in many zoo/nature center/museum gift shops but I get most of mine through AcornNaturalists.com. They carry all the good animal puppets as well as my CD’s

I discovered these puppets about 18 years ago and I think they’d been around about 5-10 years at that point. They had the brilliant idea to make puppets that actually looked a whole like the real animal and that did something the real animal did (turtle goes in its shell, owl’s head can rotate around, shark can actually swallow things, etc.). Most puppets before this were ”rag-doll” style or just very unrealistic.

Environmental educators like myself went crazy for them and I can’t count all the different performers, presenters, and librarians that I’ve seen using them. Until I started using my big projection screen, I accumulated more and more each year but my trunk of puppets runneth over and I have found the screen a much better way to “illustrate” my songs and stories. It also allows me to keep my hands free for playing guitar…

There are some puppets by Sunny & Co. Toys, Inc. that are even MORE realistic. The fish I use in my “Symbiosis” song are by them. Great stuff but, as I said, I’m not using as many puppets these days.

I have a tadpole puppet I got for Christmas in about ‘98 or ‘99, that I use in my song “Metamorphosis.” It was made by a company called Crocodile Creek but, apparently, they’re not making them any more. I saw a smaller version in Wichita Falls in about 2003 and have googled the puppet many times. Only very occasionally I see them offered used somewhere.

I just looked at the Folkmanis site and they have a NEW tadpole/frog puppet that looks promising!!!!  I wasn't much on their old one because it reversed through the frog's mouth (if that makes any sense) so it was EITHER a tadpole or a frog.  The Crocodile Creek one is cool, however, because you can pull out the back legs, then the front legs to show those stages, then you turn it inside out through the BELLY when you’re ready to show the adult frog. Anyway, this new (to me at least) Folkmanis puppet looks like it will be able to show those "in-between" stages better than their old one.  Man, those guys are GREAT!!!!

Finally, the pink poodle I use in “Fifi the Ferocious” was made by Mary Meyer. Again, these are no longer made. I have a standing search on eBay so anytime someone sells one, I grab it. I have about 3 Fifi’s ready to step in when my current one wears out I’ve seen many other pink poodle stuffed animals in many places and, interestingly enough, they’re often even names Fifi. I guess I was kind of obvious when I chose that name…

I’ll write another entry about this puppet in particular; she’s worth of her own entry, methinks.

Let me know if you need more info about any of the other stuff you see me use!