2.20.2010

Update + PELICANS!??

It's February and we're already back in Tejas visiting family and friends. I love seeing everyone, but I actually can't wait to get back home to San Diego! My art was up in a coffee house for 2 months, Monica's at the Park in University Heights. I didn't sell anything, but it looked great on her bright green walls and getting a little exposure was great!
 And my newest piece, largest to date, and on handmade canvas by me and Harrison:


When we get back I'm going to invest in some wall space at a gallery, probably Distinction in Escondido - I've heard good things about it. My jewelry is also up for sale at a small art supply store in Normal Heights! Only sold 2 pairs to date, but hey it's a start. They look great on his painting covered wall with the little sign I made for them. "Dino'z... For Conscious Earz". Aside from that, we have a beautiful garden in the backyard of our humble abode. When we first moved in it was absolutely horrendous looking, but we're nearly finished with it and it's wonderful! The back slope is covered in groundcovering, flowers, and my newest addiction - succulents! It's so amazing how succulents can be clipped, callosed, and then grow new roots and reproduce like bunnies... We also have a wonderful veggie garden featuring: tomato plant, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, green onions, and lettuce. MmMmMm farm fresh goods from my own backyard!

In other news: About a month ago we were riding our bikes to Carlsbad for our weekly helping of Farmers Market vegetables and scrumptious Greek food. On the way there, cars were stopping up and down the 101 due to a California Brown Pelican walking around the highway! The poor thing couldn't fly very well and kept crash landing in the street. We ran it over to the side of the road and saved it from the life-threatening vehicles. I called Wildlife Assist to no avail and eventually a lady stopped who wanted to help. She set off for a dog kennel to put the large bird into, Harrison went home to get his car, and I was left to watch the bird. After many failed attempts, it finally picked up flight and crash landed smack dab in the middle of the road again. After getting it into a median for temporary safety, a man stopped and told me he talked to the lady with Wildlife Assist and would be taking the pelican to the Oceanside Harbor until she could pick him up to be cared for. Long story short, the bird was picked up that night, given some antibiotics and care, then released back to the wild. YAY!!! The good citizen who helped me catch and transport the pelican said that he had rescued 6 in just the past week, so I did some research and found that this problem is very widespread along the California coastline. Hundreds of Brown Pelicans have been found starving and malnourished in parking lots, on highways, and in backyards from San Francisco to San Diego and the situation is perplexing scientists. Many of the birds are waterlogged because the feathers that keep them dry have become contaminated, more than likely due to the heavily polluted runoff making it's way from cities to oceans. These awesome birds have been on the endangered species list for 40 years and were just taken off last November.



Pelican stories:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11978452
http://yubanet.com/california/DFG-Investigating-Cause-of-Brown-Pelican-Deaths.php
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/16/MNDO1C0VAC.DTL