Still MORE Jellies

These last jellies were pink, and not in the same tank as the orange jellies. Hope you've enjoyed my jellies!

Egg Yolk Jellies

These are the Egg Yolk Jellies I saw at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Aren't they cute!? They remind me of my Egg Yolk poppies that I took pictures of this summer! Check out my posting on 7/14/2010 if you want to compare.

Happy Weekend! I'll post even more jellies tomorrow.

Spotted Jellies

These pictures I took are of the Spotted Jellyfish from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Aren't they amazing!? At the aquarium there is an entire room full of various Jelly Fish. Tomorrow I'll show you the Egg Yolk Jelly. Can you guess what it looks like? Jellyfish are zooplankton.

Jellyfish do not have brains. They are cnidarians, pronounced nih dhar' ee uhnz. Their name comes from the Greek word, "knide", which means nettle. The spotted jelly in my pictures are Phyllorihiza punctata and are commonly found around Australia in the summertime. Most people know that Jellyfish sting anything that comes in contact with their tentacles. Their stings can be deadly. The process for stinging is similar to a bee sting. The bee inserts the stinger which then leaves the bee's body, while the Jellyfish inserts a hollow thread that is attached to a cell within their body called a nematocyst. The thread is attached to a little arrow like sharp point which breaks the skin, then the thread delivers the poison to the victim. The threads are attached to the tentacles which then bring the now paralyzed victim to the mouth of the jelly for consuming. Humans are too big for a jellyfish to digest, so if stung by a jelly, you will not be eaten by one! However, the jelly's sting is full of poison and will cause swelling and irritation. Some people are allergic to this poison and may suffer more than others; still others have died from jellyfish stings. So, stay away from jellyfish!

While it is true that jellys do not have brains, they are far from simple. In reading just a few pages from my kids' science books, I am truly amazed! Once they use up their nematocysts, more grow in their place. Once a bee stings you, it dies. If a jellyfish stings you, it just regenerates the nematocysts. Their lifecycle is complicated. The way they reproduce is astounding. They are not able to process visual information, but they DO have eyes which can detect light from dark! This is very important for their survival because it allows them to tell up from down. Survival is toward the light, or the surface. They rise to the surface at night to avoid predators like the leatherback turtle. In the day they sink toward the bottom of the ocean. Some jellyfish can grow to be 400 pounds! Jellyfish eat fish. A group of jellyfish is called a smack.

I'll post the Egg Yolk Jelly tomorrow along with an orange jelly. My information on jellyfish comes from "Exploring Creation with Zoology 2" from Apologia Science.

What I've been up to...

I have been having such fun playing with the Stampin' Up Owl Punch! This card I made for our neighbor's birthday. The front of the card has the large woodgrain stamp from SU so that it looks like a tree the owls are peeking out of. I stuck a speech bubble on the front that says, "Whoo's birthday is it?" I focused my shot on the owls though, so you can't read the bubble!

I stamped the woodgrain stamp on a piece of brown card stock and cut it to be shaped like a tree so the owls would have somewhere to perch. Since the card was for a 12 year old's birthday, I used googly eyes on the owls.

The next creations were inspired by the coolest catering truck I saw on 680 South a few days ago. The truck was covered with a huge black and white graphic floral design, with a splotch of golden yellow. Made me go, "Oooo, I want to make a card with those colors!!" Here is what I came up with:
Then I made a little box using an old Altoid's Tin and a very HUGE button that I got from Nancy.

Last, but not least!! Me with my new haircut!

Ah, the life of a dog!

Good news! My watch will be repaired. It won't be free...but it will be fixed, and cheaper than a super expensive, nice watch. ::sigh::

If I were a dog, I wouldn't worry about things like watches and what time of day it might be. I might be thinking about my next meal, but only if I'm not sitting calmly in a sunny spot soaking up God's good sunshine. I would be looking at the world from about a foot off the ground. I would be looking for my comfy spot in my little bed in the school room where my people seem to spend so much of their time. It would not bother me if my mailbox only had political ads in it. I wouldn't be concerned about what shoes match with my pants. I would understand that my people love me and care a lot about me. I'd be thankful everyday for the place God put me those many years in San Diego when I first came to them.

What time is it?

Oh, it's a sad day today. I've realized, after three battery replacements, that my very favorite watch is about to die. At least, I think it is. My watch is a Raymond Weil, "Tango". She is the best! I've worn her everyday for twelve years. My wonderful husband gave her to me when I turned 30 and retired from teaching. I had been joking that I wanted a Rolex watch for my retirement. I was young and nieve! We'd been married only five years then. I'm not sure how I thought my hubby could afford a Rolex! He is truly the best though, he researched Rolex and tried to find the beginner one for me, but just couldn't shell out the dough required. So, he went for the Raymond Weil instead. I love this watch and never thought twice about Rolex after David presented her to me at my retirement party! If you are shopping for a watch, check out Raymond Weil.

I'm not sure what I'll do without her. I'm hoping that I can take her to a good watch doctor for a check-up and a fix-up. I'm heaving heavy sighs for her right now.

Perhaps this rapid decline of my time keeping device can be blamed for my behindedness state on the blog? I have many pictures of cards made that I want to share with you, but time has gotten away from me...litterally!