Thursday, September 13, 2007
Spell with flickr
I had some fun playing with the Spell with flickr tool- let me tell you- the time can fly by while you click on each individual letter to see which one you like best!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
More flickr fun...
I found this great picture while exploring flickr as part of the week 3 exercises. For those who know me, you'll know why this cracked me up! :)
Flickr fun and park pet update
Well, for the amount of digital photos I have on my computer, I can't believe I have never created a Flickr account! It's great and I can't wait to explore the site more and upload even more photos.
This photo is one of the first I uploaded when exploring Flickr. This is a picture of Ryan taking our park pet to the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale. After a LOT of research, we concluded that we could not provide a good enough habitat for the "little" guy (who ended up weighing 72 lbs!). He needs lots of room and we would have had to invest hundreds of dollars into our yard to make it African Spurred tortoise friendly. They are diggers and have to be completely fenced in and you have to dig a barrier down into the ground and put up a barrier along the bottom of the fence so they can not see into the next yard. Plus, we would have to create a water feature for him. Feeding him wasn't too bad- he eats mainly hay and very little water. But, since we live on a canal, we could not leave him outside unattended as he would bee-line straight for the shore and Ryan had to grab him before he fell in! We decided that he needed a more suitable home, so once he broke through our porch door, we decided it was time to say goodbye. It was hard, he really was like a puppy dog, but we know we are doing the right thing and giving him a good home. Goodbye buddy!
This photo is one of the first I uploaded when exploring Flickr. This is a picture of Ryan taking our park pet to the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale. After a LOT of research, we concluded that we could not provide a good enough habitat for the "little" guy (who ended up weighing 72 lbs!). He needs lots of room and we would have had to invest hundreds of dollars into our yard to make it African Spurred tortoise friendly. They are diggers and have to be completely fenced in and you have to dig a barrier down into the ground and put up a barrier along the bottom of the fence so they can not see into the next yard. Plus, we would have to create a water feature for him. Feeding him wasn't too bad- he eats mainly hay and very little water. But, since we live on a canal, we could not leave him outside unattended as he would bee-line straight for the shore and Ryan had to grab him before he fell in! We decided that he needed a more suitable home, so once he broke through our porch door, we decided it was time to say goodbye. It was hard, he really was like a puppy dog, but we know we are doing the right thing and giving him a good home. Goodbye buddy!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
1st Park Pet
Well, it has finally happened. My husband Ryan, who works at a Broward County Park, has finally brought home our first "park pet"- a 40 pound African Spurred Tortoise!
Here are some interesting facts:
The Sulcata is the third largest species of tortoise in the world, and is the largest of the mainland tortoises. Adults are usually 18 inches in shell length, and weigh 70 to 100 pounds. Specimens with 24 to 30 inch long shells weighing 150 pounds are not unknown. They grow from hatchling size (2-3 inches) very quickly, reaching 6-10 inches within the first few years of their lives. An adult sulcata will need a great deal of space. Several web sites list the record size between 230 lb and 240 lb.
Sounds a bit too big for our back porch and yard to me!
FYI- A "park pet" is defined by any exotic species that is dropped off at a park by a pet owner who feels they can no longer care for the crazy animal that they bought in the first place, so they decide to set them "free" in the "wild". Problem is that these animals are usually exotic and will out compete the native species. So, as a naturalist, Ryan has to remove them from the habitat and find a suitable home for them. As you can tell, since the tortoise (who we are affectionately calling Godzilla) is at our house, Ryan is having a hard time finding a new home for him.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Spurred_Tortoise).
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Week 1, Exercise 2: 7 & 1/2 Habits online tutorial
I guess the easiest habit for me is Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind. I love to plan everything out and make lists and goals so that I know where I am going. This helps when I am juggling so many things at once.
I think the hardest habit for me is Habit 3: View problems as challenges. Usually when problems arise, I view them as another stumbling block, not as a chance to learn. It is only later that I realize that I may have learned something out of the situation. If I could think about that at the time a problem arises, perhaps it will help me!
I think the hardest habit for me is Habit 3: View problems as challenges. Usually when problems arise, I view them as another stumbling block, not as a chance to learn. It is only later that I realize that I may have learned something out of the situation. If I could think about that at the time a problem arises, perhaps it will help me!
A good quote to start things off...
One of my favorite quotes, and very appropriate! :)
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
--Mark Twain
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
--Mark Twain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
