Patches the Polar Bear

Thought you might like to see the photos of Patches, the NC Zoo's new polar bear exploring her new home. She arrived at the zoo on Wednesday evening. No word yet on when the exhibit will reopen to the public. They will allow Patches some time to settle in first. So here are some photos to tide you over. And don't forget to stop by The Ravens Crossing today for some YA fiction fun with Wildwood Tides, my latest story. There are lions and tigers and bears in the story, even. Well, no bears yet, but they will make an appearance. I bet you people are not surprised. Have a fantastic day. You can find the beginning of this season at by clicking here.

Welcome to North Carolina, Patches!!

Two Young California Sea Lions Rescued

My friends at The North Carolina Zoo sent me this fab photo of Dyson, one of two young rescued California sea lions the zoo took in last Thursday. The pups were rescued by Sea World of San Diego after being abandoned or losing their mothers. The two arrived without incident and I'm told are resting comfortably at the Zoo's Rocky Coast holding area for their required thirty day quarantine. “Storm,” the female, and “Dyson,” the male, are estimated to be sixteen months old and were both found stranded on La Jolla Beach near San Diego in June 2012. 

Sea World of San Diego, has saved more than 400 marine mammals over the past year--an average of 12 per day. Most of the animals are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. But a few, like Storm and Dyson, cannot be released for various reasons. These animals are owned by the National Marine Fisheries Service and, when possible, are placed on loan to accredited U.S. zoos and aquariums. I can tell you honestly, though it's sad they can't be released back into the wild, Dyson and Storm have found a good home at the NC Zoo. It's tempting to rush out to the zoo and get a glimpse of the youngsters, but for the best chance to view them, it's probably a good idea to plan your welcome visit for the spring. All the best to Dyson and Storm in their new home.

In other fantastic news, Season Four of The Ravens Crossing started last week with a whole new group of main characters. Stories will post three days a week this season with Andi Lea's Wildwood Knights on Mondays, West Thornhill's Wildwood Dreams on Wednesdays, and me on Fridays. Without giving too much away, my Wildwood Tides story centers around a Wild Animal Park. So, drop round for some new adult fiction fun.

Lights Out!

Earth Hour happened yesterday, as I'm sure many of you already know. But, did you realize how seriously people around the globe took it. If you haven't already seen the video, check out some of the skylines that went dark to raise awareness about Climate Change.
After last summer's freak derecho, today I am sitting in Virginia on Palm Sunday in something like six inches of snow, and we don't get snow here in the valley that often, and very rarely this late in the year. So, I have a pretty big investment in raising awareness. If it takes a skyline going dark every now and then to get people to pay attention, then I'm all for it. Let's plan the next one!

In other news, I am being featured this coming week on True Colorz website along with my other co-creators of The Ravens Crossing, Andi Lea and West Thornhill.

Stop by and leave a comment and you are automatically entered to win our books. The Ravens Crossing, Book One and The Ravens Crossing, Books Two will both be part of the free giveaway.

Pop over to True Colorz and say hello.

The Ravens Crossing Turns One!

Over the next two weeks, The Ravens Crossing is celebrating turning one with a giveaway to thank all of our fantastic readers. You are the best. Head on over to www.theravenscrossing.org to enter and thanks for reading and for helping us spread the word about TRC! 

This past year has been a wild ride. When I look back, I'm shocked to see how much can be accomplished when friends come together to create something they truly believe in.  Exactly one year ago, TRC was born a small idea that grew into an amazing adventure. There are not enough words to thank my fellow writers and college alums Andi Lea, and West Thornhill, for making me a part of this project. We have managed to create a whole science fiction/fantasy world, present it in an innovative format, and provide affordable reading about diverse characters to young adults and people of all ages. All of the volunteers on this project have spent untold hours planning and writing our adventures and helping build and run a website to publish our serialized stores six days a week. The project is now in it's third season, and there are plenty more adventure planned. The future looks bright. For those who have just found us, you can purchase the previous seasons from the website in ebook format on Amazon and Smashwords.

Free Spirit Day!

Happy Spirit Day! It's one of my favorite days of the year. A day to wear purple and be seen around town, so you can show all the LGBTQIA youth in your area that you support a community of tolerance and acceptance for all! So, today, I will be dressed in purple, of course, but this year we are going even one better to show our spirit. The Ravens Crossing has gone purple, too. For the entire weekend our first anthology, The Ravens Crossing, Book One: The 13 will be ABSOLUTELY FREE. Head on over to Smashwords to download a copy and celebrate Spirit Day with a fun science fiction adventure!

Take a Baby Break!

I've been hard at work on The Ravens Crossing (TRC) and my various other creative writing and visual arts projects for the past few weeks. Though, I've enjoyed every second of it, occasionally, I find myself feeling a little tired. Then, I get these wonderful email updates from my friends at the NC Zoo with various baby pictures. When the day seems gloomy, and I am frustrated by being confined to a mere 24 hours of work time, I get these random little baby breaks, moments of sunshine in my day.Thanks guys! You know who you are. I thought all of you might appreciate a baby break too. I hope it makes you feel as warm and fuzzy as I do. Above is baby Bomassa the Lowland Gorilla with mama. And, below, you have Nori, the two year old chimpanzee playing with one of her troupe members. Photos appear courtesy of the North Carolina Zoo. Now, I must get back to work on TRC. As always, if you are looking for something fun and free to read, head on over to Morgan & Holly's story and check out our young adult science fiction adventure series. Okay,break time is officially over. Have a lovely day!

Curiosity Coolness

The Curiosity on the Surface of Mars. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltach/University of Arizona

I'm sure you must know by now that the Curiosity has safely landed on Mars and NASA's Mars Science Lab is now up and running. So far, it's been a bit slow going while the massive crew of scientists run their tests and make sure Curiosity is fully functional. But, a few fantastic images have already started rolling in. This latest image above is a high resolution view of the curiosity on the surface of Mars. That tiny blue dot. And you can make out the blast pattern surrounding it, made from the landing of the rover. I have to tell you, this stuff gets me all excited. I'm literally squeeing over here when I go to NASA's mission sight and find these cool images. I thought I'd share a couple. Below is one of the first high res images taken by Curiosity of it's view on the surface of Mars. Look at those mountains. Wow! How amazing are we that there are people who can build this stuff and go off exploring other planets with it? Thanks to all you tech savvy computer geeky scientist types who work on this project. You are the coolest!

Curiosity's View of Mars. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltach

This is the kind of stuff that has inspired me to write Science Fiction since I was a kid. I mean, I used to pretend to be sick so I could stay home and watch the Space Shuttle's launch and I would sit and make up stories about what would happen while they were out in space. Sorry for lying to you, Mom. As I've grown older, my stories tend to focus more on humans and what humans might become if they could only tap into more of their brain power. You can actually read one of those stories online over at The Ravens Crossing, a science fiction project I am writing for with two other authors, Andi Lea and West Thornhill. Anyway, this is the kind of thing that sparks my imagination. Who knows what they might discover next. But, it sure is fun to dream about what that might be.

Baby Gorilla Born Saturday at NC Zoo

Congratulations are in order to twelve-year-old Jamani of the NC Zoo who gave birth to a bouncing baby boy gorilla this past Saturday at 8 am. Good friend Tom Gillespie has shared some of the latest photos with me today. The baby has been named Bomassa after a town of the same name in the northern Republic of the Congo. Welcome Bomassa and congrats to the staff of the NC Zoo who have not seen a baby gorilla born at their park since Kwanza was birthed back in 1989.

Also, The Ravens Crossing (TRC), the free science fiction online series I write for began Season 2 today. If you haven't been following along, you are seriously missing out. Go find out what a Gaea is, and how they are related to humans. Visit Wildwood and meet our diverse cast of characters. Find out how they Balance the power of nature. You can read  free stories 6 days a week here. Season 1 is also posted on the sight in case you need to catch up. Don't miss the fun!

And, if travel blogs interest you, you might want to go give Old Pair of Jeans a read. It's my mom and her man sharing their adventures as they cross the US in an RV this summer. They are all the way across the Mississippi already. You can follow along and view Gene's fantastic photography to share their favorite adventures along the way.

Baby Giraffe Video

What? I'm obsessed you say. Well, okay, I can't deny it. The not-so-little Juma at the NC Zoo has me fascinated. WGHP was kind enough to post some of their raw footage of the baby on Youtube. Thought I'd share. Stick it out to the end and you can see her nursing. Very sweet. Oh, and don't miss out on the fun over at The Ravens Crossing. We are interviewing our characters over the summer break. Lots of fun posting every day. The new season begins in just 17 days.

More on Juma, the Baby Giraffe

Photo Appears Courtesy of the NC Zoo

I know, I've already been oohing and aahing over this adorable baby, but I couldn't resist posting this fantastic picture a friend at the NC Zoo sent me. Plus, they have announced officially that the baby is a girl. She has been named Juma, which means "Born on Friday," in Swahili. I can't wait to go meet Juma in person. Jamili is taking great care of her daughter, too. Since she is just four years old herself, I am very proud of this young mother.

Also, this week is our season 1 finale at The Ravens Crossing, so while I'm repeating myself, don't forget to drop by every day this week to read our Big Bang Finish. Sharon and Alex will post tomorrow morning at 8. This week's stories are some of the best things I've written to date. Morgan and Holly posted Tuesday. Here's the link to them. I'm really so proud of this entire project. All of the stories by the other authors, Andi Lea and West Thornhill are fantastic. Don't miss out! You can start with the week 1 stories here and read them all by following the weeks on the story tab at the top of the page. It's a young adult sci-fi adventure. And  what do you suppose is the best part? It's all free! So go! Read! Enjoy!

Prepare Yourselves for Godzilla Wednesday.

I'm gonna be honest with you. No idea what that might bring. Wait for it, and remember to let sleeping coyotes lie.



In other news, don't miss out on the season 1 finales over at The Ravens Crossing (TRC) this week. Morgan and Holly's story posted today. That's an online, young adult, science fiction/fantasy project I've been writing with two other authors, for those who are going, "Huh?" It's a Big Bang Finish this week, for sure, and the best part is it's totally free on the website. The anthology for season one includes all of our stories for this season and will be available in stores soon. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Make it Safe Project which helps to provide reading material on gender identity and sexual orientation to schools that lack the resources to provide this information in an effort to help keep students safe. You can check out the new cover for the TRC anthology over at my other blog. I'll be sure to post when the book has been released for sale.

Hope you stay clear of that lava flow and be careful out there tomorrow on Godzilla Wednesday.

Help Us Bark for Lynchburg's Dog Park!

For the second year running, we are in second place to win the Pet Safe Bark for the Park competition. If we can muster enough votes before August 1st, we will win a much needed $100,000. Last year we came so close. If we can pull off a win this year, we will make the off-leash dog park our community has been struggling to build a reality at last. This project has been ongoing for years, and speaking as a dog owner and pet sitter in this community, it's is sorely needed. You can help our doggy dreams become a reality! It's really simple. All you have to do is go this page and vote. You can vote once each day for the remainder of the contest.

Yesterday, a whole bunch of our community members showed up to create a video for the contest, and to ask others to join in to vote and vote for Lynchburg. My friend Rebecca and her dog Eli made it onto the news broadcast about yesterday's event. Check it out.

Oh, and don't forget, if you like science fiction, to head over and read Sharon & Alex's story today at The Ravens Crossing. Two more weeks until the season finale. Things are heating up in Wildwood!

Taking a Dive with an Eastern Pewee

The Eastern Wood-Pewee is described by Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a "dull  brown bird." I beg to differ. I happen to have fallen for these forest flycatchers. Why? Because, every summer, they come from our nearby woods to perch on our back fence and catch bugs around our pool. They don't mind if we're lounging on the deck or weeding the garden. They don't even care if our dogs are out. They simply ignore us all and come and go as they please.

This year, one female has chosen to be extra bold. She's  using our diving board to practice her diving skills. Last weekend, she spent several hours alternating between using the board as a perch to scope unsuspecting insects, and taking occasional dives into the deep end of the pool for a bath. She could care less if I got in the pool with her, nor if I used the diving board while she was on one of her numerous trips to her nest in a nearby oak tree. She even agreed to pose for a whole series of photos. I imagine she might take offense at being called dull. So, I decided to speak out on her behalf.

Also, a friendly reminder that today is Morgan & Holly's story day over at The Ravens Crossing. Head over to read the Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy Adventure Series written by myself and two other fantastic authors. Season 1 finale is right around the corner and the sparks, they will fly. In other good news, my Bonding with Hondo story about my relationship with two chimps I met during my zoo years will be officially published in the Canary tomorrow morning. I'll provide you with a link as soon as I have it.

Mind Your Manners. A Raven Remembers.

The Youngster, by Amanda Corlies Sandos

According to a study published in Current Biology a week ago, Ravens have long memories and they are not afraid to show it. According to Markus Boekle and Thomas Bugnyar from the department of Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna, ravens remember former group members for extended periods of time. They also remember former affiliations with members outside their group, not to mention other species, and they will respond accordingly.

Actually, it was proven some time ago in another study that corvids, the family of which ravens are  proud members, never forget a face. Now, we know they will also remember any interactions they might have had with you. This recent study shows that based on these memories of previous interactions, ravens will either greet you nicely if you are considered a friend, or cuss you out in raven speak the minute they see you coming if they perceive you as a foe. And you might have seen ravens and crows chasing off predators more than twice their size. They can be downright nasty and seriously determined if they want to get rid of you. So, my advice is to mind your manners around the corvids of the world. They are many, they have long memories, and they are apparently keeping tabs. I'd hate for any of you to make it onto their foe list. For more on this story, head on over to Jennifer Vegas blog on Discovery News.

And if you are a fan of the raven, you will find one making another appearance today over at The Ravens Crossing, where my Morgan & Holly story was published by Thursday & Co. Join the adventure and find out what the raven has to say. This week, TRC is participating in the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop. All you have to do is make the jump and comment on any of the stories this week to be entered in our giveaway. The prize is a $15 Amazon Gift Certificate. Our raven will count you as a friend, I guarantee it.

Orangutans as Engineers

Photo by Adam van Casteren

A study published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), argues that Orangutans practice technical engineering that is quite complex when building their canopy nests for sleeping. Adam van Casteren and a group of seven other scientists looked at "the architecture of the nests to determine the degree of technical sophistication used in it's construction."

Orangutans build their nests some 60 feet above ground, constructing it very quickly and efficiently, often within ten minutes. The structures are not only sound and safe, but comfortable as well, with a mattress-like lining of live branches atop the thicker structural weave for the main structure. Not only are these nests comfortable, apparently, these great apes are fans of keeping things green, since they often only fracture the branches they use without breaking them. The nests remain green and alive in the trees, and can be used again later. Though, often the orangs only use a nest for one night and move on, it's nice to know they don't go around destroying the trees they build in.

If you don't already have your own subscription to PNAS, which is pricey, you can read a little bit more about this study for free over at The Huffington Post.  

On the entertainment front, don't forget to stop by The Ravens Crossing this week for some fantastic science fiction, fantasy adventuring. My Morgan & Holly story was published today as part of the website's Earth Day, Week 10 celebration. All of the stories by all of the authors this week are at least double the usual 1000 word flash fiction length. There are some big reveals, some new characters, and lots of cameo appearances by all the favorite characters from the entire series. I highly recommend you give all six stories a read this week! One will post each day through Saturday, as always. The site is absolutely free and appropriate for all ages. You might even consider building your very own coach nest and settling in to read the whole series. We've gotten lots of compliments from people of all ages, and in just ten short weeks, we've gathered quite a following of regular readers to whom we are very grateful. Don't miss out on the fun, and happy nest building!

Warbler Spotting Tips

This little video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology makes me nostalgic. I used to love standing outside the aviary where I worked every spring giving bird watching tips to the visitors to get them excited about bird conservation. It was always great to see the children's reactions when they first learn how to follow their ears and spot a wild bird with binoculars. I can spend hours bird watching. It's spectacular fun, and you don't necessarily even need the binoculars, though they help a lot. And, don't think this means you have to go on some long hike, by the way. Check out this video with warbler watching tips from experts Jessie Barry and Chris Wood. They are looking for birds in a small neighborhood patch of woods. The footage is amazing. You don't need a huge forest, just some patience and a few pointers. Don't forget to drop by The Ravens Crossing to read my latest published young adult flash fiction story, Morgan and Holly. If you read the entire story from the start, you will find they've been bird watching, too. Big surprise.

San Francisco Birds Sing a Different Tune.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Who says birds aren't smart? Okay, I know. A lot of people. But, I assure you these people have no idea what they are talking about. Birds are amazingly savvy. I mean, I worked in an aviary for over ten years, and I am still constantly amazed by them. So, it didn't really surprise me to hear that birds of the same species sing different dialects, depending on the area they are from, kind of like the difference in hearing a Texan and a Bostonian speak English. It did surprise me, however, to read about a new study on the White Crowned Sparrow that shows the San Francisco singers of Sparrow have literally changed their song. It seems they have done so to be heard over their increasingly noisy surroundings.

According to a study by David Luther of Mason and Elizabeth Duberry of Tulane and Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural History, White Crowned Sparrows of the Presidio district of San Francisco have modified their song. The study compared songs from today with recorded songs in the area dating as far back as 1969. It seems that as the city streets grew louder, the birds began to rely more on their higher range notes, the ones that could be heard over the din. Eventually, they gave up singing the lower range of their song all together. I mean, really. Why bother if nobody can hear you? And with birds in matters of territory, it's important you be heard with no chance of misunderstandings, for heaven's sakes. So, the new dialect of Sparrow Speak has been officially named The San Francisco Dialect. You can read more about this over at Science Daily.

And speaking of birds, don't forget to swing by The Ravens Crossing, the young adult, sci-fi, fantasy project I write for. Tuesday is Morgan & Holly's story and some pesky birds will be making another appearance. There is still a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Amazon. Hint: Look for the tab at the top of the page.

Hungy Hippos for Your iPad

Today, head on over the Think Geek.com for a really cool new iPad app. You can fit the hippos over the sides and use the app to capture the balls.

Make sure you watch their awesome commercial video.

Over at the The Ravens Crossing, Sarah Diemer paid us a visit. Check out her stellar interview. Learn who her favorite Muppets are and enter to win an autographed copy of her book, The Dark Wife. It's truly fantastic! Happy April 1st!

Kung Fu Pandas. For Real.

When the going gets tough, the tough watch panda videos. Not that things are particularly tough. Just hectic. If there were three of me to go around, it would be fantastic. In the meantime, thanks to The Mary Sue for always keeping me entertained while I catch up on the latest news. Here's a little panda video of twins practicing their aquatic kung fu that Susana Polo posted there yesterday. While you enjoy, I have to get back to work on my deadline for The Ravens Crossing (TRC). And, when you're done watching, don't miss the chance to win a $20 Amazon gift certificate by heading over to TRC and helping us pick a prom theme for Wildwood High's 2012 Prom.

Inspired by the Raven

Young A'lala by Amanda Corlies Sandos

It wasn't just Edgar Allan Poe who inspired my  fascination with the raven, though he very well may have started it. Of course, in my youth, I had no idea how to tell a raven from a crow from any other Corvid. But, I soon learned, because the idea that a bird could be smart really sparked my imagination. So, I was pretty young when I started making friends with all things raven. I tried to talk my mom into letting me have one as a pet. That idea, sadly, never flew. Probably, because I'd already tried to talk her into all kinds of other pets, and she was wise to my antics.

Begging Baby A'lala by Amanda Corlies Sandos

Anyway, as you know, I eventually ended up working with birds, and I was always quick to volunteer for work with any member of the Corvid family. About midway through my zoo career, I landed a coveted internship with The Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on The Big Island of Hawaii.

Yes, I actually convinced my boss to send me to paradise for an extended stay and pay me for it, too. Officially, I went there to learn about incubation and hand rearing techniques for all of the highly endangered Hawaiian native species. Secretly, I was over the moon at the chance to work with Alalas. Also, called The Hawaii Crow, the Alala is now extinct in the wild. Though Keauhou has been trying a release program to restock the wild population, the release efforts have not yet been successful. For now, they continue to work towards freeing the environment of disease vectors and introduced species, and they are keeping the population alive entirely through their captive breeding programs.

Feeding with a puppet by Amanda Corlies Sandos

Getting to know these amazing birds was an adventure. They are incredibly smart, smarter than my imagination even gave them credit for, and each one has a very distinct personality. I made quite a few Corvid friends in Hawaii, and they continue to spark my imagination in more ways than one.

Ravens and Crows continue to frequent both my visual art and my writing. When I sat down with Andi Lea and West Thornhill to brainstorm a new young adult scifi fantasy adventure series, we quickly came to the decision that we wanted all of our characters to go to the same high school. Of course, this meant finding a mascot. In my book, you can't find a better mascot than a raven.

As it turns out, we named the whole project The Ravens Crossing, and I'm extremely proud of it! 

         And every time I hear the name, I am reminded that the inspiration came from my friends the Alalas.

Alala by Amanda Corlies Sandos