I woke up a little after 4 am this morning, from a dream where I was in a staff meeting where my boss's boss was telling us that people who did not make Associate Biologist would have some kind of disciplinary action taken against them. I was the only person at that meeting who hadn't been promoted. Then there was something involving large black octopus tentacles, which normally wouldn't bother me, but there was something sinister about them. They were spiny and dry and that's about all I remember.
Seven-year-old Gareth had a gigantic zit on his nose a couple of days ago. I'd noticed a couple of blackheads a week or so before, but, remembering my mom chasing me around with thumbnails poised ("Hold still - let me squeeze it!), I refrained from doing anything to them. He was a little upset about this development though, so application of a warm washcloth took care of it, and loosened up the other blockage too. Poor kid, I fear for his skin at puberty; I'm afraid he's inherited his dad's oily skin and sweat glands. He's always been a very warm sleeper. Occasionally, when he's fallen asleep on my bed or the couch, and we've had to transfer him to his own room, we pick him up and he's just damp with perspiration. He's actually a little smelly when he comes home from school sometimes - jeez, I'd hate to make a second grader start wearing deodorant! I haven't been making them bathe every single day - Angus's skin is so dry he'd be breaking out if he did, but maybe Gareth needs it.
I saw a new (to me) bird near the office a couple of days ago - a Say's phoebe I think. I had stopped to get a picture of a kestrel sitting fluffed up on a branch, then noticed a large hawk perched at the top of one of the redwoods. As soon as I pulled my camera out, he screamed and took off over the dog park - I dunno, maybe he had his eye on a Maltese, he was big enough. Then a chirrup caught my attention and I noticed this little gray bird with a rusty belly and tail coverts, looking very pheobe-ish. I had actually seen this one once before sitting on a sign in front of the builiding, with his little crest puffed up, darting out to capture insects and returning to his seat, exactly like a black phoebe but a different color. When I went to look him up, I was a little thrown by the size given; supposed to be the same or a bit bigger than a black phoebe, but this one seemed to be a little smaller. The only other bird with a similar coloration I've been able to find is a Colima warbler, which is too small and not in this area. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get pictures of little birds; they're just too hyperactive and I'm too slow on the trigger. No telephoto lens is a drawback, too.
Speaking of poofy raptors though, reminds me of something else. Over the last year or so, I've become a fan of Ursala Vernon, an artist I discovered at DeviantArt, but journals here as well (under ursalav, and her fantasy world gearworld). She has the most bizarre and twisted sense of humor I've ever seen, and seems to have a good science background as well. Not only is she a fantastic artist, but her writing is just as funny; often I can't decide which I like better or makes me laugh more- one of her paintings, or its caption. Which leads me to this sketch, which she drew after reading that some dinosaur fossils were discovered with feathers: