Last Saturday, it was warm and sunny (unusual for weather in the middle of February), so I got up and decided I wanted to go sketch the newest tigers at The Cougar Mountain Zoo. Both of them are brothers, nine months old, and while I was there, they were really active and fun. The one named Bagheera, is a total ham. He seemed to be showing off, rolling around so his tummy was exposed, among other things. Bagheera then laid down, posed, and let me sketch him for awhile. After awhile, he decided to take off and do something else.
The other tiger, named Vitez, played with a tire swing. That was really cute. I thought I was getting some video footage of the tiger, while some little kids were making some funny observations. Then I realized that I did not press start on my camera! I did get a little bit of footage of the tiger and the tire swing later, but the talk was not quite as entertaining. Perhaps, I will be able to post some footage later, if I ever get my computer back to running again. We shall see.
After hearing a lecture on the newest of tigers, I went to the new habitat of the two older tigers, Taj and Almos. Both were taking big-kitty naps, so it was a little easier to sketch them. It has been awhile since I have done any live sketching, so I did find it a bit challenging. I took a few minutes to look at the rest of the wildlife at the zoo, all which were pretty lively. It was a good day.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
It Was If They Had Never Seen Ice Before...
Last Friday, I went to book club. The most amusing discussion topics were not about the book. Various topics were discussed, including a brief discussion on "The Christmas List," which was the book picked for the month. Here are a couple of other discussions we had:
I could not believe my ears when I heard the woman next to me say, "Why do we need a new library? Who wants to pay for a new library? We need a pool!" Keep in mind this comment was made at a book club. It seems strange to hear someone say that at a book club.
I, for one am very excited about a new library. There is already an indoor pool close by. The new library will be bigger. It encourages people to educate themselves, find jobs, borrow books, movies, and music, or connect with friends online (if they don't have a computer). Pools are expensive to maintain. People don't frequent pools as much as libraries, there are fees for public pools, and there is risks of drowning. Why would I want to pay for a new pool, when there is already another close by? I want my money to go toward something that gives back. The library does that.
Another topic was on ice-skating.
The place where we meet has a beautiful pond out back. Since winters are normally pretty mild around here, it is a rare site to see large bodies of water frozen over. I originally come from an area where frozen lakes are frequent, so to me, frozen water is a perfectly normal site for me.
To me, it was quite obvious, just by looking at it, that the pond was not safe enough to go ice skating on. Sure, it was covered in ice, but I could tell just by looking at it, that it was too thin. I guess when the family bought the house, they saw a photo of kids skating on that pond, but in the 5 years they have lived there, it has not frozen since.
Some of the ladies speculated. "How do people that live in those areas with lakes test the ice? There must be some scientific theory!" Another one said, "Well, you cannot skate on it if there is snow on it, because that means it is too warm."
Scientific theory? Snow on top makes it too warm? I tried to interject, being one who has skated on a lake before. I could not fit a word in edgewise. So I decided to stay quiet.
Skating on lakes does have some risks, but there are some basic rules that should be followed:
(As a disclaimer, I am not a expert on checking ice for ice skating, but there are some things that seems pretty obvious to me, that I guess is not to people who never seen or have skated on ice before.)
The temperature should be below freezing. The thickest ice is white. I have only skated on ice that is white, the whole lake was white, but it still needs to be tested before being skated on.
The ice should be no less 4 inches thick (obviously, the thicker the better - you can test this by chopping the ice), since there can be thin spots in the lake, it should be tested in several different areas.
It is best to stay closest to the edge of the ice, usually along the shoreline, that way if you fall in, you can stand up and get out easier.
Make sure you bring some friends or family with you, just in case something goes wrong.
It is also advised by some other websites to bring safety equipment, such as ice poles, ice claws and lifelines (We never went with those things, but it does sound like a good idea).
Be aware of change in conditions, if the weather seems to be getting warmer, or the ice has a light layer of water, it is time to go home.
If ice does have snow on it, it may or may not be too warm too skate on it, but if it is thick enough and cold enough, you can sweep it off with a broom.
Remember, all bodies of water in different areas vary from one another. Rivers are dangerous to skate on because of the running water underneath.
If there is an ice skating rink nearby, it is safer to use that.
I could not believe my ears when I heard the woman next to me say, "Why do we need a new library? Who wants to pay for a new library? We need a pool!" Keep in mind this comment was made at a book club. It seems strange to hear someone say that at a book club.
I, for one am very excited about a new library. There is already an indoor pool close by. The new library will be bigger. It encourages people to educate themselves, find jobs, borrow books, movies, and music, or connect with friends online (if they don't have a computer). Pools are expensive to maintain. People don't frequent pools as much as libraries, there are fees for public pools, and there is risks of drowning. Why would I want to pay for a new pool, when there is already another close by? I want my money to go toward something that gives back. The library does that.
Another topic was on ice-skating.
The place where we meet has a beautiful pond out back. Since winters are normally pretty mild around here, it is a rare site to see large bodies of water frozen over. I originally come from an area where frozen lakes are frequent, so to me, frozen water is a perfectly normal site for me.
To me, it was quite obvious, just by looking at it, that the pond was not safe enough to go ice skating on. Sure, it was covered in ice, but I could tell just by looking at it, that it was too thin. I guess when the family bought the house, they saw a photo of kids skating on that pond, but in the 5 years they have lived there, it has not frozen since.
Some of the ladies speculated. "How do people that live in those areas with lakes test the ice? There must be some scientific theory!" Another one said, "Well, you cannot skate on it if there is snow on it, because that means it is too warm."
Scientific theory? Snow on top makes it too warm? I tried to interject, being one who has skated on a lake before. I could not fit a word in edgewise. So I decided to stay quiet.
Skating on lakes does have some risks, but there are some basic rules that should be followed:
(As a disclaimer, I am not a expert on checking ice for ice skating, but there are some things that seems pretty obvious to me, that I guess is not to people who never seen or have skated on ice before.)
The temperature should be below freezing. The thickest ice is white. I have only skated on ice that is white, the whole lake was white, but it still needs to be tested before being skated on.
The ice should be no less 4 inches thick (obviously, the thicker the better - you can test this by chopping the ice), since there can be thin spots in the lake, it should be tested in several different areas.
It is best to stay closest to the edge of the ice, usually along the shoreline, that way if you fall in, you can stand up and get out easier.
Make sure you bring some friends or family with you, just in case something goes wrong.
It is also advised by some other websites to bring safety equipment, such as ice poles, ice claws and lifelines (We never went with those things, but it does sound like a good idea).
Be aware of change in conditions, if the weather seems to be getting warmer, or the ice has a light layer of water, it is time to go home.
If ice does have snow on it, it may or may not be too warm too skate on it, but if it is thick enough and cold enough, you can sweep it off with a broom.
Remember, all bodies of water in different areas vary from one another. Rivers are dangerous to skate on because of the running water underneath.
If there is an ice skating rink nearby, it is safer to use that.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Picute of Dorian Gray - A Book Review
It is August, the 23, 2009 @ 1:48 PM. I finished "The Picture of Dorian Gray" last night. My book club does not discuss this book until October, therefore I am presetting the post date for this blog at that time. I want to write about it now, while it is still fresh in my mind.
(I did write this blog in August, but when I went to the next book club meeting, they decided to post-pone Dorian Gray, so I guess this blog will go up even later than planned, as of now we are reading "The Witch of Blackbird Pond").
I had heard about the book of Dorian Gray a long time ago (as I stated in a previous blog). I originally thought it was a book about a man who kept his photo in a closet, and it ages while he stays young. That is sort of true, but not really.
It is a story of a young man who's portrait is painted. As time goes by, he notices that the portrait changes due to the change in his soul. It is a tragic tale. Most of the characters in the book are pretty shallow and vile. You hope that the main character will learn and change his ways, but will he?
Someone in my book club asked me when I was about half-way through this book what I thought of it. Did I like it? My answer was I think so..., but I honestly did not know whether I liked it or not. I have to say, after reading the book, I am still not really sure if I liked it or not. There was one chapter I thought was a bit overdone. Going on and on, about all the riches he had seen. It was very detailed, but a little too much. I wondered if the whole book was going to go on like that. Luckily, it only went on for one entirely long chapter. A chapter, that I could have skipped most of the pages on. Eventually, it got back on track.
I did think it was a good book. It does make one think. The concept is interesting. Is it likable? I don't know.
My notes after going to book club:
Well, this book stirred up quite a discussion! For one, there were two versions of the book, the original was shorter, and I guess more controversial. The second version, which I read, was tamed down. I cannot say, since I only read the second version (most of us in book club did). One lady apologized for suggesting the book, another person hated the book, another person loved the book! The book does have a lot to think about. I wound up having to present the book (due to changes in the book club), and that went well. I did find it interesting that we had our meeting on Friday the 13th, since the book is a horror novel.
Even though it may not have been one of my favorite books, I still think it had a good concept, and it teaches how one should not be so self absorbed that it makes everyone, including themselves, miserable.
(I did write this blog in August, but when I went to the next book club meeting, they decided to post-pone Dorian Gray, so I guess this blog will go up even later than planned, as of now we are reading "The Witch of Blackbird Pond").
I had heard about the book of Dorian Gray a long time ago (as I stated in a previous blog). I originally thought it was a book about a man who kept his photo in a closet, and it ages while he stays young. That is sort of true, but not really.
It is a story of a young man who's portrait is painted. As time goes by, he notices that the portrait changes due to the change in his soul. It is a tragic tale. Most of the characters in the book are pretty shallow and vile. You hope that the main character will learn and change his ways, but will he?
Someone in my book club asked me when I was about half-way through this book what I thought of it. Did I like it? My answer was I think so..., but I honestly did not know whether I liked it or not. I have to say, after reading the book, I am still not really sure if I liked it or not. There was one chapter I thought was a bit overdone. Going on and on, about all the riches he had seen. It was very detailed, but a little too much. I wondered if the whole book was going to go on like that. Luckily, it only went on for one entirely long chapter. A chapter, that I could have skipped most of the pages on. Eventually, it got back on track.
I did think it was a good book. It does make one think. The concept is interesting. Is it likable? I don't know.
My notes after going to book club:
Well, this book stirred up quite a discussion! For one, there were two versions of the book, the original was shorter, and I guess more controversial. The second version, which I read, was tamed down. I cannot say, since I only read the second version (most of us in book club did). One lady apologized for suggesting the book, another person hated the book, another person loved the book! The book does have a lot to think about. I wound up having to present the book (due to changes in the book club), and that went well. I did find it interesting that we had our meeting on Friday the 13th, since the book is a horror novel.
Even though it may not have been one of my favorite books, I still think it had a good concept, and it teaches how one should not be so self absorbed that it makes everyone, including themselves, miserable.
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