Thursday, August 25, 2011
Surf's Up!
Hurricane Irene is scheduled to pass by our area tomorrow, but we aren't supposed to get much wind or rain from it. The surfers, however, have been enjoying the bigger waves. Reports are that the form is sloppy, but the size of the waves is drawing out all the surfers in this usually-flat area.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Parade Day!
It was the annual "Opening of the Beaches" parade today here. The weather couldn't have been better, with a slight cool-down from our recent spring heat wave bringing temps into the high 70s. The theme for this year's parade was "Rock Star", and for the second time in my life, I was involved in making a float for it.
I'd spent the last two weeks building two large cats to go on the back of the float for Friends of Jacksonville Animals (FOJA). They're a group that helps find homes for animals at the county's animal shelter. As are most government-run shelters, it's a kill shelter, so if they get too crowded, more animals have to be euthanized to make room for the steady intake. The founders of FOJA saw the euthanasia rate and decided something must be done to lower it. FOJA helps by fostering animals with colds or heartworms, giving them time away from the shelter to recuperate. FOJA volunteers also spend time at the shelter taking dogs outside for walks, or cats into the play rooms for a little stimulation and human interaction. It keeps them better socialized for potential adopters and helps their mental health by giving them some time out of the cages. They also have a "Down to Zero" campaign to get euthanasias at the county shelter completely eliminated.
So why did FOJA have a float in the parade? They've recently formed a beaches chapter, to help animals from the beaches, and to find more beaches-area homes for shelter animals. We wanted to draw attention to the cause and make people aware of the shelter animals available for adoption. Most of the folks involved with the beaches chapter are dog-centric; I'm the one who's constantly saying, "What about the cats?" Six fostered dogs rode on the float with their handlers, but you can't have live cats on a parade float. Not much about a terrified cat huddling in a carrier would say, "Adopt me!" So I volunteered to make two large cat cut-outs to be mounted onto the back of the float.
I say "cut-outs" because that was honestly how they originally popped into my imagination. But as the project developed, soon they were full-fledged cats, with fabric coats, 3-D noses, arms, legs, and tails. I also made a sign for them to hold that said, "MEOW if you kitties!" The backdrop of the float for the dogs was a panel painted to look like a stage, with spotlights above. So the cats would look like they were backstage, saying, "Don't forget about us!" It turned out even better than I'd envisioned...see what you think! The video below shows the end result.
I'd spent the last two weeks building two large cats to go on the back of the float for Friends of Jacksonville Animals (FOJA). They're a group that helps find homes for animals at the county's animal shelter. As are most government-run shelters, it's a kill shelter, so if they get too crowded, more animals have to be euthanized to make room for the steady intake. The founders of FOJA saw the euthanasia rate and decided something must be done to lower it. FOJA helps by fostering animals with colds or heartworms, giving them time away from the shelter to recuperate. FOJA volunteers also spend time at the shelter taking dogs outside for walks, or cats into the play rooms for a little stimulation and human interaction. It keeps them better socialized for potential adopters and helps their mental health by giving them some time out of the cages. They also have a "Down to Zero" campaign to get euthanasias at the county shelter completely eliminated.
So why did FOJA have a float in the parade? They've recently formed a beaches chapter, to help animals from the beaches, and to find more beaches-area homes for shelter animals. We wanted to draw attention to the cause and make people aware of the shelter animals available for adoption. Most of the folks involved with the beaches chapter are dog-centric; I'm the one who's constantly saying, "What about the cats?" Six fostered dogs rode on the float with their handlers, but you can't have live cats on a parade float. Not much about a terrified cat huddling in a carrier would say, "Adopt me!" So I volunteered to make two large cat cut-outs to be mounted onto the back of the float.
I say "cut-outs" because that was honestly how they originally popped into my imagination. But as the project developed, soon they were full-fledged cats, with fabric coats, 3-D noses, arms, legs, and tails. I also made a sign for them to hold that said, "MEOW if you
Thursday, February 24, 2011
At Long Last, and a Last Launch
Finally getting a walk in today after what seems like forever! Temps in the low 70s and a gorgeous, sunny day are too much temptation. Work, schmerk, I need a nice walk. Got the "Happy Songs" playlist going on the iPod, my visor and sunscreen on, and here I go.
Lots of other folks seem to have the same idea. Why are so many people off work on a Thursday afternoon? Some are tanning, while others are playing with their dogs, walking, biking, playing with their kids, or running. Pretty much the gamut. The water is fairly calm, but with a few waves. Warm air from over the land is hitting the colder air over the water and making a haze that obscures the distance where the shore curves out toward the jetties. A couple of surfers in wetsuits pass me to catch a few waves.
My prodigal nature at Pilates starts to become evident as a dull ache starts to creep into my left tailbone area. I try to tighten my lower abs and glutes to support it, but that doesn't help much. It'll be accompanying me for the rest of my walk.
At my turning-around point, I take a look up to the corner and see that the traffic light is green. After stretching out my lower back a little, I turn and head back toward home. Reaching the boardwalk over the dunes at my street, I pause to stretch out a little more, the pain in my you-know-what finally subsiding a little. Got to get back to my Pilates.
I feel better after returning to the house and showering; a nice beach walk was just what I needed! Space Shuttle Discovery has just launched for the final time, and I step outside to see if I can catch a glimpse of it. Usually, I can see it over my neighbor's trees. But that haze that made the shoreline invisible earlier on the beach has also obscured the fire under the rocket and its vapor trail today. Looks like I'll have to watch history on TV.
Lots of other folks seem to have the same idea. Why are so many people off work on a Thursday afternoon? Some are tanning, while others are playing with their dogs, walking, biking, playing with their kids, or running. Pretty much the gamut. The water is fairly calm, but with a few waves. Warm air from over the land is hitting the colder air over the water and making a haze that obscures the distance where the shore curves out toward the jetties. A couple of surfers in wetsuits pass me to catch a few waves.
My prodigal nature at Pilates starts to become evident as a dull ache starts to creep into my left tailbone area. I try to tighten my lower abs and glutes to support it, but that doesn't help much. It'll be accompanying me for the rest of my walk.
At my turning-around point, I take a look up to the corner and see that the traffic light is green. After stretching out my lower back a little, I turn and head back toward home. Reaching the boardwalk over the dunes at my street, I pause to stretch out a little more, the pain in my you-know-what finally subsiding a little. Got to get back to my Pilates.
I feel better after returning to the house and showering; a nice beach walk was just what I needed! Space Shuttle Discovery has just launched for the final time, and I step outside to see if I can catch a glimpse of it. Usually, I can see it over my neighbor's trees. But that haze that made the shoreline invisible earlier on the beach has also obscured the fire under the rocket and its vapor trail today. Looks like I'll have to watch history on TV.
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