Wordless Wednesday featuring Emmett (2nd Edition)

Nautiloid Extravaganza!

This probably will surprise no one, but I love nautiloids. I mean, come on. A squid that lives in a shell? That may have as many as 90 tentacles? And that moves via jet propulsion? What's not to love about this animal? Oh, and did I mention that they are mysterious? Well, they are. Seldom found at depths of less than 100 meters, they can go as deep as 700 meters. And what are they doing down there? Well, catching fish no doubt, but maybe also consorting with unnamable elder gods. Ok, so maybe that last part just means that I've been listening to that wonderful Literary Lovecraft podcast too much....

But truly, is it any wonder that so many people are inspired by the

elegant symmetry of the chambered nautilus? Gabriel and I even found it a fitting subject for our marriage announcements. He drew this beautiful illustration for the front, and we had them printed up with our wedding date on the back. I think that we had by far the most beautiful announcements I've seen, if I do say so myself!

I was reminded of my fondness for all things nautiloid this evening while I was browsing for holiday gifts. Of course I started looking at things I was interested in instead, so here for your viewing pleasure I offer some of my finds:

This lovely piece was done by Noadi of etsy. She calls it "Arctic

Water Nautilus Necklace" and I must say I adore it.

Next up is Sandra Healy's gorgeous wood carving...

And then I found this in QueenBeeloved's shop , which is apparently made from gourds! If I had $350 I'd buy it right now.

But I guess that wouldn't be right, in light of the fact that I started out with the intention of buying things for other people. Ah well. At least now everyone knows what to buy me for Christmas!

Meet the Crowned Pigeon

What's that lovely big blue bird over there? You say it's a pigeon? Really?

Yes, believe it or not, that's exactly what this 5 pound turkey-sized bird is! Hailing from the swampy forested lowlands of New Guinea it lives on fallen fruit, seeds, and insects in the wild. In captivity it gets a similar diet, with the addition of specially formulated pellets.

Not only is it one of the worlds biggest extant pigeons, it is also a close relative a one of the most famous, the lamentably extinct dodo bird. But unlike the dodo this bird can fly, and makes a great to-do about it when flushed from cover.

The crowned pigeons I know certainly act like the popular idea of dodos as well, tending to lie down in the path of a hose or rake instead of stepping aside like any other self-respecting bird.

Dodoish or not, they are wonderful birds to work with. Seeing them every day makes me very aware of what we could loose if we aren't careful. After all, dodos only exist as stuffed displays in museums now. Hopefully that won't be the fate of the fantastical crowned pigeon.

Wordless Wednesday featuring a Yellow Wattle Hornbill

The First Frog Bag Give Away!

Do you want to win some cat toys? Sure you do!

All you have to do to enter is post a comment below, listing which three cat toys from my etsy shop you'd like to have.

The winner will be picked at random on Tuesday November 17, a week from today.

Please also include a way to get in

touch with you in case you win!

Thanks for entering!

Live! At the Hollywood Palladium

Last night Gabriel and I went to a Pixies show. We see a fair amount of live music; some of it in glorified storefronts or up-cycled warehouses, some of it in shiny new clubs, some of it in revamped theaters like the Wiltern or, in this case, the Hollywood Palladium. I always feel that the old theaters have a lot more romance to them.

This was our fourth time at the Palladium, having seen Bob Dylan there last month and the Decemberists during the summer. We attended a tattoo convention there a couple of years ago too, before it was renovated. Still, I knew very little about the place.

Then, last month, we found a bit of ephemera at a flea market that got me wondering. This item is a picture sleeve. Apparently the Palladium once employed professional photographers who would snap a picture of you and your sweetie dancing. Inside, there's room for the photo and for autographs. Just in case you ended up rubbing shoulders with movie stars, I guess!

Obviously, this place has quite a history! After a bit of snooping I found out that it opened in 1940, on the site of the original Paramount film lot. Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey orchestra played the first night. It was designed, in all its art deco splendor, by Gordon Kaufmann. He also designed the Greystone Mansion, Santa Anita Racetrack, and the Los Angeles Times building, so we can thank him for much of what I think of as "romantic L.A.".

Over the years it became a bit seedy. But along the way it saw the Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Cure, Lawrence Welk, the MC5, Taj Mahal, and even President Kennedy grace its stage. A serious nadir came in the early 90's, when a brawl forced a Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch performance to be canceled.

But now it's back! The renovation is subtle, but it has done wonders. The floor is still polished wood, preserving its dance hall roots. The concession stands still blend unobtrusively with the flow of the crowd, evoking a more genteel time. When gazing at one of the chandeliers you could almost believe it was 1940 again. That is, until you catch sight of someone taking a picture of that same chandelier... With their iPhone.

Wordless Wednesday featuring Camila (2nd Edition)