It started with a few flakes that made me all excited, but quickly went away. Then at night some more snow came and melted into trickling drips of rain. Finally, the next day it was cool enough for the snow to fall and stick!
come on snow! from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
melting snow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
falling snow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
What are auks? Well, that’s exactly why you’re getting a mini lesson on them! You’re probably most familiar with puffins, which are part of the auk family. These birds may remind you of penguins with their coloring and living situation, but what distinguishes them from penguins is that they can fly (whereas penguins cannot, if you didn’t know). Check out some videos of their behavior, including eagerness at feeding time and pretty fun wing-flapping and foot-kicking.
puffin feeding time from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
hungry auks from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
flapping auk from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
auk belly swim from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
auk propelling kick from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Something in the water must have been miiighty tasty!
swarming seagulls from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Ok, so it’s more like squeaking than snoring, but can cats actually snore? She may not be able to breathe (easily) like this, but boy is she sleeping well.
cat squeaky snoring from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Did you ever read about Siddhartha? I remember it was on our reading list sometime in middle school or high school and I thought it was a decent read. The story of the prince who gave up riches to reach nirvana and enlightenment was played out in this play at the Lingshan Auditorium where the giant statue of an adult Sidd overlooks the equally impressive Taihu Lake. The spot was carefully chosen for good feng shui and it’s a nice place to spend the day visiting! This auditorium is the same one where the roof is composed of an optical illusion.
siddhartha in the rain from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
lotus dance from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
There certainly are some strange creatures here… (this was at the National Aquarium in DC, not to be confused with the larger one in Baltimore).
spotted eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
skinny eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
seahorses from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
upside down fish from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Look at all the cool things they can build with Legos!!
lego escalator from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
lego santa sleigh from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
lego hollywood bowl from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Even animals can be addicted to bad behaviors. Case in point: Molly loves to lick tape and Missy enjoys chewing plastic.
cat eating tape from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat chewing plastic heat pad from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Just walking along the pond one day when I spotted what at first looked like a log, and then a dog. As I got closer, I could discern that it was a stork! I then tried to see how close I could get; when I got too close, it took off…
stork by lake from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
stork flying from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
