Life with Dylan

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  • A little Meerkat cuteness – Hakuna and Matata

    Meerkats are one of the cutest and most animated animals that I encounter when visiting the zoo. They seem to always be busy doing something and watching out for each other. Most of the time I see them digging for food or perched up on their hind legs looking for predators. On Saturday Dylan and I went to the San Diego Zoo for our last Nighttime Zoo of the summer, which means we get to see the animals at night. A favorite of ours since this means seeing animal behaviors that we don’t normally see.

    These two meerkats live in the Children’s Zoo section of the San Diego Zoo and are named Hakuna and Matata. It is rare to see meerkats sleeping outside of their burrow during the day – although these photos were taken at dusk. Either way, the cuteness factor was just too much.

    Hakuna and Matata have no worries all snuggled up with their tails wrapped around each other.

  • The power of one

    A few of the feelings that go through my head on a daily basis … Encouraged. Motivated. Empowered. Helpless. Disappointed. Sad. On top of the world. The world on my shoulders. Strong. Wise. Teaching. Learning. Making a difference.

    It’s a lot I know, especially for me –  A simple girl just trying to save the world. 

    Some days I feel like nobody is listening and feel like banging my head against the wall. Some days I sit crying wondering if I could have done more. Then there are the days when I get that one email, that one comment on the blog, that one retweet – Behold the power of one. Those are the days that keep me going. Keep me fighting the good fight.

    I have always loved animals and wanted to help endangered species, but the day I knew it was more than just a love of animals, the day I I knew I was a conservationist was the day I saw a Blue Whale swimming freely in the ocean. Blue Whales are the largest animals to ever live on the earth.

    They are beyond majestic and their size is incomprehensible even when you see them in the ocean. One Blue Whale can weigh as much as 30 African elephants – that’s huge! Despite their size, Blue Whales are still critically endangered.

    From that day forward, I knew that my purpose in life was to be an advocate for the animals. To save the animals. To save their habitats.

    I have been told by many that one person can make a difference and I have seen the positive results of what one person can do. However, the power of one can be a very lonely place.

    I was discussing this with a friend the other night and they had some very encouraging words. Yes, the power of one can be a lonely place. Yes, it can be depressing and overwhelming. But for some reason we keep on doing what we do. It’s deeper than we understand sometimes. Those last few words resonated deep within my soul and reminded me that not everything is fully understood.

    I do not understand why someone would want to kill a rhino for its horn, or kill an elephant for its tusk, or kill a tiger for its fur and bones, or eat shark fin soup and frog legs. These are living creatures that are massacred and left to die a sometimes slow and painful death. Some people may not understand why I am fighting for a cause that seems so unattainable. A cause that is of global reach – well, that is OK. Sometimes not understanding is how we learn.

    So I will continue to be an advocate for the animals that have no voice. I will continue to fight for their habitats. I will continue to spread awareness – and when I reach that one person, the one person who says Aha, I get it now…

    That is when I will smile and remind myself how great the power of one is.

  • I spy with my little eye

  • Our first family bucket list

    After what seems like months of talking about it, we have finally created our family bucket list. Not just what we want to do for the summer or this year even – we went bigger than that. Our bucket list is a big one with far off places and dreams bigger than big for a 9-year-old. Some have been on my unwritten bucket list for years.

    Rather than confine our family bucket list to a single post, I decided to give it a page all of its own. A bucket list page that will remind us of our dreams and places we want to go. A page that we can track and cross thing off the list as we go.

    Take a look at our Family Bucket List page …
    and come back often to see if we have crossed anything off the list.

  • Happy World Photography Day!

    Yes, today is World Photography Day.

    A day to celebrate photography and all that is captured looking through the lens. My love for photography grows with each passing day and I now find myself stopping alongside the road to take a picture.

    I see things differently now – is this what they call a photographer’s eye? Whether I have my iPhone or my camera with me, I see the world in a whole new way.

    I see the light and how it reflects. I see the shadows and how they add depth. I see the beauty of the little things around me and want to capture them all.

    My favorite things to photograph are flowers, animals, and basically anything that involves nature.

    In honor of World Photography Day I would like to share some of my favorite shots.

    A gharials eye reflecting on the water at the San Diego Zoo

    Diego the ocelot from the San Diego Zoo
    Yun Zi the giant panda from the San Diego Zoo

    California Sea Lions resting on a buoy in Newport Harbor
    Just before sunset at Upper Newport Bay

    Do you enjoy photography? What is your favorite subject to photograph?

  • Simple SEO helped me create more awareness

    People blog for various reasons and we all want to share what we write with others. I blog to share my passion about the environment, wildlife, and conservation. As I have said before, conservation begins with awareness. The more people who are aware, the more people who will make a difference. I don’t get paid to blog, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want hundreds of people to see my blog.

    Social media – I love it.
    Facebook – an old friend.
    Twitter – it’s fun.
    SEO – a foreign language.

    I will be honest with you, SEO scared the heck out of me for a long time. Why? Because I didn’t understand it. Then my friend told me about a great e-book from Stef Calvert at Hearts and Laserbeams. An easy to download e-book that could help me increase the traffic on my blog.

    Again, I’m not getting paid anything for my blog. Increasing traffic and page views on my blog serves one purpose – creating more awareness.

    If I can make one person aware about an endangered animal or one person aware about the impacts of recycling on the environment, then I have done what I set out to do. That one person may share a post on Facebook or Twitter, which makes one more person aware.

    Some of the things in Easy S.E.O. for Bloggers I was already doing and some I was only doing part of. As I read through it I thought, ah-ha I knew there was something I was missing. Sometimes it’s as simple as using a hyphen instead of a comma. Other times it’s utilizing an option of my settings that I just skipped over – simply because I didn’t know what the option did.

    Sure, adding SEO to a blog post takes me a little more time, but isn’t it worth it? Since using the tools and tips from Easy S.E.O. for Bloggers, I have increased the pages views and overall traffic to my blog. What does this mean? It means that more people are reading my blog – more people are learning about conservation – more people are aware.

    So whatever your cause may be, I am sure you want more people to be aware of what your cause is. If you are not already using SEO, or even if you are and want to learn some simple ways to make it better, I recommend buying this e-book from Hearts and Laserbeams. You won’t be sorry.

  • Utan’s legacy lives on at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    It is no secret that I love animals and that I will do whatever I can to bring awareness to the plight of endangered species. I learn as much as I can about the animals who live at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park – and when my son and I visit them, we call them by name. These are not pets, they are wild animals. However, for those of us who love them as if they were our family pets, losing one is not easy. Especially when the one lost is a critically endangered species.

    We cry and we mourn the loss – and if we are lucky, we celebrate the legacy that was left behind.

    Last month, the Safari Park lost a very special friend named Utan. He was a beautiful Sumatran tiger who fathered 4 liters, totaling 10 cubs, together with Delta.

    Two of Utan’s cubs – Majel pouncing on Joanne when they were only 3 months old.
    Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Jan. 28, 2011

    Utan was born on July 12, 1990 (Dylan loved the fact that Utan’s birthday was one day before his). Wild tigers will live about 10 to 15 years, while tigers living in zoos live about 15 to 20 years. Utan lived for 22 years. Tigers in zoos live longer because they have excellent veterinary care, no predators, and no humans trying to hunt them illegally. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park does amazing work with the breeding of endangered species and educating people about the importance of conservation. Utan and his cubs are proof of that.

    According to the staff at  the Safari Park, “Utan suffered from renal disease. He was treated by veterinarians and keepers to extend his life, but ultimately renal disease severely affected his quality of life. Renal disease is common in many species of cats and is a disease that generally affects older animals. Until his death, Utan did have the opportunity to explore the tiger exhibit on a rotation schedule. Some days it was him, others it was Majel and Joanne, and other days it was Delta.”

    Delta with Conrad (on top of her) and Thomas by her feet.
    Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park – June 26, 2012

    As difficult as it is to write this, I can only hope that Utan’s passing will encourage more people to spread the news about how much these tigers need our help.

    A recent news release from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park stated that there are fewer than 350 Sumatran tigers in the wild, and that number continues to drop. Scientists estimate that this species could be extinct in its native Sumatra by 2020 unless drastic measures are taken to protect and preserve it. Tigers face many challenges in the wild, from loss of habitat to human-tiger conflict, but the biggest threat continues to be poaching. Tigers are killed by poachers, who illegally sell tiger body parts, mostly for folk remedies. People can help protect wild tigers by making smart consumer decisions to avoid products that harm tiger habitat and refusing to purchase items made from endangered wildlife.

    To learn more about what the tigers are facing, read my post I have a new found love for tigers. You can also help Utan’s legacy by supporting San Diego Zoo Global at TigerMatch.org We may have lost one, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose any more.

    Remember, Extinction is forever … Endangered means we still have time.

    So as the tears roll down my face, I will say my last good-bye.

    Utan, you will be missed. I will continue to fight for your family and create awareness in others. Even if I can only reach one person, that is ok, because one person can make a difference. Just look how much of a difference you made – 10 beautiful cubs that will carry on your legacy.
    Good-bye Utan.

  • Sometimes I forget that he is still a child

    One of the best things about being a single parent is the close relationship that I have with my son. We are best friends and talk about everything. He doesn’t feel the need to hide anything from me and I have always told him that we are a team. We plan vacations together rather than me telling him where we are going. The last time we moved it was an open discussion. We have lengthy talks about conservation and how together we can save the world.

    One of the worst things about being a single parent is the financial struggle that seems to never go away. I still remember how happy I was when he was potty trained. Woo-hoo, no more expensive diapers and daycare rates went down. I had conquered what I thought was a major mountain at the time, only to find out a year later that it was one of many small hills. His feet kept growing, which meant new shoes and his appetite continues to grow, which means higher grocery bills. Lord help me when he becomes a teenager!

    He knows that when we go to Target it doesn’t mean he gets a new video game every time. He knows that when we go to the grocery store he can’t have his favorite tortellini unless it is on sale. He knows that when we go to the zoo he doesn’t get to buy a new book every time.

    When he says, “Mom, I can’t wait until we have enough money to  …”
    I stop in my tracks and gasp. My heart sinks. I think why are these words even coming out of his mouth? He should not be worried about this. He should be worried about how long he can stay outside playing or how late I will let him stay up on the weekend.

    I don’t believe in holding things back from him – I never have. Many people disagree with me about this, but I think he is a better person for knowing the value of a dollar. He knows buying food and paying rent comes before buying a new video game. He gave up his birthday to raise money for the tigers. He is years ahead of his age at times – but sometimes I forget that he is still a child.

    Teaching to live within our means is one thing. Sharing too much information and having a child worry is another.

    I may be able to have adult conversations with my son about a million things, but starting today money is no longer one of them. As parents we often forget that children pick up on our stress and it becomes their stress. They have a lifetime ahead of them to deal with stress – let them be kids for as long as they can.

    Have you ever noticed your child picking up on your stress?

  • Daydreaming of a world without habitat destruction

    Gorillas have no natural predators. They are endangered because of humans hunting them for food and destroying the rain forests that the gorillas call home.

  • Taking sunset pictures is a favorite summer tradition of mine

    One thing that has made this somewhat unbearable heat wave tolerable is looking forward to taking sunset pictures. I love how the sky takes on the warm colors of the sun. Pink, orange, red, and even purple sometimes.

    From a sky too bright to look at, to a large fireball sinking into the horizon – Seemingly falling off the edge of the world.

    I am still amazed and watch in awe as the sky transforms in a matter of  minutes.

    The other night it was just too hot to stay indoors. Yes, this sounds strange, but the air was so still that I couldn’t bear to sit at home. (I have air conditioning, but I am trying my best not to use it.) The Upper Newport Bay, known to locals as the Back Bay, is only a five minute walk from my home – so we headed out. Cameras and iPhone in hand, we were ready to see some magic happen in the sky.

    I love how the sun reflects on the waters surface
    and how the heat of the sun gives way to a rainbow of colored clouds.

    As I am writing this post, I am wondering why taking sunset pictures has always been a summertime tradition.

    Is it because we associated sunsets with the beach and we spend more time at the beach in the summer?

    Or maybe it is because the sunsets are so much more vivid in the summer – I might have to think about this one. Either way, sunsets are one of Mother Natures best creations.

    Watching the sun set over the water is one of my favorite ways to end the day. Once the sun is gone, the light reflects up on the water and everything is covered with pink.

    I know the sun sets 365 days a year and I have seen some beautiful sunsets in the fall, so why not make taking sunset pictures a year-round tradition? The October skies can be quite amazing too!