Wildlife Excursion

Today I went to Montgomery Bell State Park to a Predators to Prey exhibit they had. It was quite interesting and the animals that were featured were gorgeous.

 

Candycane Corn Snake
 & Corn Snake

The first presentation was the corn snake. There were two of these friendly creatures, one being a Candycane Corn Snake and the other the Corn Snake. The lighter colored of the two is the Candycane Corn Snake and is a result of captive breeding.

The Corn Snake is a nonpoisonous snake that is indigenous to corn fields. This is a type of rat snake and kills its prey with constriction.

The Corn Snake is often a beginner pet to snake and reptile lovers.

Are you interested in Corn Snakes? Check out this link. Do remember if you choose to home a Corn Snake, you need to check into your local government's laws to see if possession is legal.

Caiman 

The next creature that was shared with us, was the Caiman. Our presenter stressed that this fella is not the friendly type. While this guy was rather small at only about 20 inches, we were told he could do damage if he got ahold of a finger.

Caimans are from Central and South America. They can get up to about five foot in length.

For more information about this cousin to the alligator, check out this link.

Prairie Dog

The next animal that we all fell in love with was the prairie dog. We were given a lot of information about him and his family. While we were told that he is closely related to the squirrel, he lives underground and doesn't eat trees.

In the United States, prairie dogs are very beneficial to the eco-system but they were treated like pests and many were destroyed. They are indigenous to the Western United States where there are four known 'cities'.

Fr more information on the Prairie Dog, check out this link.

Eurasian Eagle Owl

The treat of the exhibit was the Eurasian Eagle Owl. One of the largest birds on the planet and a magnificent specimen. With a wingspan of five-foot, this particular owl is not quite full grown.

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Approximately twenty months old, he weighs right about five pounds. His wings are silent and he is a ninja of the skies. Look out small animals, when this fella gets hungry he is coming to get you.

As his name suggests, he is indigenous to Eurasia.

For more information about the Eurasian Eagle Owl, please check out this link.

Bobcat

Last but not least, we met a lovely teenager that could very well live right outside here in the South. He is known as the Bobcat. During the exhibit this fella was rather lazy and wanted to be carried around.

He looks rather large, and weighing in at 22 pounds he is the size of a medium breed dog. (We laughed because our Neko-chan is 20 pounds but he is not quite as large.)

Bobcat

The Bobcat is known for being elusive and nocturnal (most cats are nocturnal). He is named for his bobbed tail that is really longer than a typical bob. They are carnivores and eat small animals. This is a good reminder to not leave your small pets out and unprotected.

Evidence of Bobcats shows that they cover the majority of North America and are not picky about the environment.

For more information of this great cat, please visit this link.



I know I had fun getting to know a little more about these animals and reptiles, I hope you did too!

Honorable, they say

I entered the Sky's The Limit photography contest that the Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tennessee had this fall. The photos are currently on display in their gallery until November 2.

On October 5th, there was a reception where the winners of the contest were announced. There were over 300 entries, 40 finalist and it came down to a tense couple of minutes.

Red Hawks Soar

I was pleasantly surprised to be included as the honorable mention of the finalists. This photo is of the 2012-13 Creekwood High School Drill Team just after one of their competitions.I am so proud of these young men and women.

I am greatly humbled to have received the Honorable Mention. This was the first photo contest I entered.

The Smell of New Books...

Ahhh. the smell of new books... the joy of brand new pencils and brand new erasers. Makes my heart skip a beat. (Seriously it does, I am quirky like that.)

I am beginning my fourth year of college Saturday. Technically it is my senior year, but due to hour classifications I just miss the requirement and I am classified as a junior. That is okay. I am perfectly fine with that aspect.

Little bit of writing going on?

This semester has me both overly excited and balled up into a tangled up mess with my schedule. I will be finished with all of my core classes after this semester. YA!! However, that means it is time to get down to the nitty gritty in my main classes. Which, because I am a Web & Print Journalism major with a Professional Writing minor you might guess that there could be a little bit of writing involved in the last three semesters of my college career. This makes me excited. Yet nervous.

In prior classes I have been able to dominate with my ability while not putting forth a whole lot of effort. I know this semester while REQUIRE me to work ahead of time and to put forth GREAT effort. It means I will need to study and that I will need to not procrastinate. Plus I need to not get caught up in my one core class that does not involve writing. While I do need to put forth effort, there is danger of me falling in love with it too much. My fourth class this semester is Astronomy, it has always been a fascination for me. 

So, for those interested. My schedule:

Online Classes this semester are...

Feature Writing (Half Semester)
Astronomy & Astronomy Lab

On Campus this semester are...

Technical Report Writing (M W F)
Expository Writing (M W F)

As I said, lots of writing. I know it will involve me doing lots of research too. As I said, I am excited and nervous. Plus the Tech Writing professor has an opportunity that sounds intriguing. I just can not wait to get the syllabus for the classes.

Have a good day!

Meeting Frank...

I had the pleasure of meeting an author I have respected for the vast majority of my life and dare I say most of his career. I am trying not to get all fangirl like about it, but I really do look up to this author. His books opened a genre of fiction to me that as a Christian, I did not know was possible to be a part of.

The author that I admire so much is Frank Peretti.

I met Frank at the book signing he did in Nashville for the recent release of his new book Illusion. Before the signing, there was a question and answer session that I found very candid and rich in information. He gave tips on writing and expressed what he felt made a good book/story. While several things he stated I had heard before, there were a few things that were new and freshly stated.

The most important thing I took away is, when writing you have to get to the plot quickly then develop the characters while getting to the climax. Other than that, the hero always has to solve his/her own problem it can not solve it self and it can not be fixed by others.