Taxidermy Workshop at Prey Taxidermy

This weekend I did a two-day workshop on taxidermy with Allis Markham at Prey Taxidermy studio in downtown Los Angeles and it was amazing! I think it was truly the best class I've ever taken in anything. 

Over the course of about twelve hours we learned every step of preparing a museum-quality mount (Allis also works as a taxidermist at the Natural History Museum).  We used starlings that were culled for an unrelated purpose and obtained ethically after they had already died.

Honestly, I had no idea how difficult taxidermy was!  It takes hours of careful, precise work, locating and cutting through individual tendons, easing aside tissue-paper-thin skin, and sliding wires up alongside fragile, hollow bones.  And it requires a knowledge of anatomy, too, to tell connective tissue apart from skin or muscle in a bird as small and delicate as a starling.  Not to mention the more aesthetic work of grooming and positioning the birds, etc.

Working on the starlings:

That's me in the upper left.

 

All done!

 

 

I have always loved taxidermy - in large part because I love natural history museum dioramas - but now that I know how exacting it is, I love it even more.  It is really an amazing blend of science and art, one that requires you to combine the skills of a sculptor, a biologist, and a surgeon.  I am really looking forward to practicing these techniques - and to taking her more advanced classes later this year.

 

P.S. - I didn't post any photos of the process here for the squeamish, but email me if you want photos of the bird before and during as well as after.



Poetiscape Podcast this Sunday, plus a new event for LA Festival of Books

This Sunday J Ryan Stradal and I will be guests on the Poetiscape Podcast, chatting with Rich Ferguson about Hot Dish and the Los Angeles literary scene.

We'll be taping on Sunday morning and you can tune in to hear it Sunday 2pm PST/5pm EST. Go here to check it out.

Also, on Thursday April 10 Hot Dish will be joining forces with The Rumpus and The Nervous Breakdown to produce an event celebrating the LA Festival of Books, with readings and performances by Gina Frangello, Jerry Stahl, Dana Johnson, xTx, Ted Travelstead, and DJ Mira Gonzalez. For more info, click here.

William, Month Three

William is three months old!

This month William met two of his aunts, his uncle, and his cousins, and many new friends (including my friend Adrienne's son Cylas who was born one month after William).

Incredibly delighted to meet Marie

Hanging out with his friend Amy

Watching his siblings play a board game

  In motion:

He also made big strides in interacting with his world.  He has started reaching for and grabbing objects, and tentatively playing with favorites like Sophie the Giraffe and the soft book Fluffy Chick and Friends.  He even figured out how to use Sophie as a bat to hit other toys that are out of his reach.

  

  In motion:

That was tiring.

William is always grinning and cooing, and he's become very vocal, making all sorts of baby sounds, including something that sounds a lot like "oh boy!" (I'll post a video soon, I'm temporarily using another computer without my video editing software on it.)

He can roll over in both directions and move a few feet across the floor by rolling over and over.

And he still makes hilarious facial expressions:

Next month he starts his first Mommy and Me class through Burbank Parks and Recreation.

Sleeping at Romancing the Bean

Happy three months, William!

Spring Break! and Family Reunion

Well, not quite a family reunion, but we did just have visits from Mina, James, Rosemary, Louis, Maureen, Gillian, and Sam! (Not to mention Sam, Lilli, and Monty.)

The kids were so, so excited about seeing their cousins! Rosemary and Beatrice, in particular, were inseparable, but Louis and Arthur had a great time, too. In fact, when Mina, Maureen, Rosemary, and Beatrice were out getting their nails done, the two boys spent the afternoon playing firefighter together.

Beatrice and Maureen at Kidspace

Playing together in the backyard:

Louis pushes Arthur in the doll stroller.

Rosemary and Beatrice playing "science."

Eating Chinese take-out in the backyard

With Maureen, Gillian, and Sam, we went to see this year's grunion run.  It was very exciting for the children to be woken up at 11pm and bundled into the car for a ride to Cabrillo Beach.

Arthur called himself a "hero" for helping the grunion make it back into the water.

With B's foot



William enjoying the grunion run.

 

 Enjoying the Arboretum:

 

 

 

The kids went all over the city, from the zoo to the beach, but the biggest thrill of all was a trip to LEGOLAND.  None of us had ever been there before, and the kids were thrilled - Louis and Arthur, especially, were beside themselves.  - I'm not sure I've ever seen Arthur so happy.  And Rosemary, Louis, and Beatrice all went on their first real rollercoaster and had a great time - they were all incredibly brave! (Poor Arthur was too short to meet the height requirement.)

This is a brilliant idea - kids play in a designated area while their parents wait in line.

 
 

 

He was this happy all day.

Arthur flies in an airplane

And of course everyone met baby William:

James and William color-coordinated

The best part of the vacation might have been watching the cousins play, but we also had some time for adults only (while our babysitter Cassidy tackled watching five kids). We went out to sushi, ate an amazing meal at the French restaurant Church and State, and had some very strong drinks at Tiki Ti.

 



Rosemary reads Beatrice a story.

But no matter how long relatives stay, it never feels like enough time - there are so many things we want to do together.  We miss everyone already - but we can't wait to see my family at the kids' birthday party and Dev's family this summer in Chile!

Rosemary drew this portrait of her with her cousins Beatrice and Arthur