Rodents and Russian Space Rockets

What do these things have in common? It's not what you think. Though the article at NPR on why we should send this curious Kazakh Gopher into space cracks me up. Anyway, the article by Robert Krulwich included this fantastic video of a little guy living in the middle of a Russian spaceport. Check it out, and wait for the end. I promise you won't be sorry. Make the jump to read more about this little guy's crazy life on a rocket launching pad.




Thanks to Andi Lea for sending me this. It made my morning.

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.

Welcome Baby Giraffe! Congrats Jamili!

Congratulation to Jamili, the giraffe at the North Carolina Zoo, and to her keepers on the birth of their new baby yesterday morning. What a beautiful way to start the day! Several friends sent me pictures right after the event, which left me with a little extra pep in my step all day. And since one of my dearest friends takes care of these beauties, I am left feeling like a proud aunt. I cannot wait to go meet the little tyke in person. Okay, the not so little tyke. The baby is around six feet tall. The post several weeks ago about Jamili's pending birth turned out to be early contractions. But, you might want to go read the blog about birthing a six foot baby. If you haven't already.

Also, it's an excellent time, while I am announcing momentous occasions, to say that this little old blog just surpassed 10,000 page views. Not something I ever aspired to, but it seems like something I should celebrate. So, thanks to all you page viewers. I appreciate you popping round and giving me a read. I hope you are staying cool in this heat.

Happy 4th from the National Zoo, and Me Too.

Here's wishing you all have a safe and happy 4th of July. We are still weathering the aftermath of the Derecho of 2012 here in Central Virginia. If you are not sure what a Derecho is, don't feel alone. Most of us who just lived through it didn't have a clue until now, either. You can learn all about it here.

We are one of the lucky homes to have finally gotten our power restored. Tomorrow, we will be hosting a pool party and community cool down cookout for friends and family who are still going without. To spread the joy, here's a little video from the National Zoo's 4th of July Enrichment Extravaganza last year. The animals are having a grand old time. Hope you are able to do the same.