Elmer, the Simple Screamer

I have finally found the perfect hobbies to keep me occupied in my free time - Geocaching (geocaching.com, Dr Pongo's Geocaching Escapades) in the Spring, Summer and Fall and Paper/Cloth Mache in the Winter.

I named this Simple Screamer (following the methods of Dan Reeder) "Elmer", like the glue, since Dan's methods of cloth mache require a LOT of Elmer's Glue-All (for more photos of the process of making this guy, see Proof I Have a Right Brain:

Chewie participated in all steps of the creative process, including most attempts I made to photograph my creation:

Happy 2015!

How is it possible that 2015 is a few days away?! This year the biggest change in my life was a new job, which brought me back home to Washington, DC around this time last year.

Here is a nice little video put together by the Zoo's Communications Department to commemorate our 125th anniversary: 125th Anniversary Video

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas in Washington

This was the first Christmas I have had back in DC for many years, since my parents always came to me during the holidays when I was living in the Philly suburbs. This year I was able to spend Christmas with my parents, just across the Potomac. Since I live in a small apartment, my holiday decorations are simple:

Unique Bathroom Reading Material

Whenever I visit my parents over the Potomac in Falls Church, VA, I am reminded of just how unique my parents are…here is the collection of books in a guest bathroom at my parents' house (my father works for EPA in the Office of Wastewater Management; not pictured, an "Outhouses of the World" calendar is hanging in the same bathroom):

ZooLights at NZP

I couldn't resist a photo op with Panda Claus when I passed by Panda and his FONZ escort on my walk home from work tonight. 

Starting Nov 28th, ZooLights has returned to the National Zoo - whether you are local to the D.C. area or are in town visiting, or work in some other area of the Smithsonian, you should check it out--there's nothing quite like it: ZooLights

ZooLights runs from Nov 28 through Jan 1 (all nights except Dec 24, 25, 31) from 5-9pm. Admission is free and includes over 500,000 environmentally-friendly LED lights, tubing down Lion/Tiger hill, and lots of other events. We are even keeping some of the animal buildings open each night for evening visitors.

Check out the ZooLights commercial: ZooLights commercial

Among my favorite of the ZooLights are the gibbons and naked mole rats:

Animal Artwork

My collection of animal artwork is expanding…

ARTIST: Vietnamese potbellied pig Humphrey, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

 ARTIST: giant otters, Philadelphia Zoo

 ARTIST: polar bear Klondike, Philadelphia Zoo

ARTISTS: top - Western lowland gorillas Kwame & Kojo, National Zoo 

middle - aye-ayes Tolkien & Smeagol and Malagasy giant jumping rat Claudia, Philadelphia Zoo

bottom - Western lowland gorilla Baraka, National Zoo

ARTISTS: left - Red pandas Sumo and Shifu, Sequoia Park Zoo

right - Bornean orangutan KJ & African elephant Tanya, Cameron Park Zoo

ARTIST: Western lowland gorilla Baraka, National Zoo

And here is some other artwork made by some of our apes at the National Zoo:

 ARTIST: Bornean orangutan Batang

 ARTISTS: various NZP orangutans

ARTISTS: various NZP orangutans

ARTIST: Lucy the orangutan

ARTISTS: various NZP Western lowland gorillas

Orangutan & gorilla artwork in the office

Gorilla footprint (from one of the gorillas I worked with in Philly)

 A beautiful 3D rhino my mom gave me and just framed; will hang above my bed

I made this metal hippo as a kid; my mother recently found it and had it framed

Chinese Fortunes

I started saving the little slips of paper from my Chinese fortune cookies a few years ago...

"The time is right to make new friends"

"It is better to be an optimist and proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right"
"To understand is hard. Once one understands, action is easy"
"You are one of the people who 'goes places in life'"
"Serious trouble will bypass you"
"An unexpected relationship will become permanent"