Today, Wheelie and the rest of us (literally, I’m guessing half the Bay Area) ventured out to the Cal Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. But first, we were hungry, so we found an awesome nearby neighborhood restaurant called Hakka, on Cabrillo Street. Highly recommend!
We considered global plate tectonics.
As always, the ongoing Color of Life exhibit is fascinating. Wheelie discovered an affinity with the polymorphic Gouldian Finch.
We enjoyed visiting Claude in the Swamp, from a downstairs Steinhart Aquarium vantage point.
But I feel fairly certain that this little girl in front of us was enjoying it the most.
Not being divers (yet!), the local California coast kelp forest exhibits are mesmerizing.
The jellies never fail to entrance. Ever.
Wheelie discovered another kindred soul.
The culmination of every visit to Cal Academy of Sciences, for me, is the pilgrimage to the living roof. One of my very favorite places.
Wheelie likes it, too! She feels her spirits soar.
nancyland.com 
Every single thing about this post gives me joy.
May 2018 bring you all (and Wheelie!) many more days like today!
Thank you, C’lady, for your joy and well wishes. Getting out of the house is a good thing :)
I needed to see the outside world, if just vicariously. Thanks for sharing. I may have to venture out myself, I’m not sure I’m going to make it another three days without fresh air and sunshine. Even if it is…let me check…14 F, feels like -2…NOPE. I’ll look out a window.
I love the pictures of Wheelie with the finch and the jellyfish the best. :)
Is there a hibernation or suspended animation option? Really, those temperatures + human life seem suboptimal :/
Glad to be of service. I have always enjoyed armchair travel, and am one of those people who actually do like to see peoples’ vacation photos (if they don’t have too many goddam selfies in front of the sights :)
Looks like you and Wheelie both had a good time. Maybe Wheelie could have a jelly pal to hang around with and show off the dollhouses to.
Have a Happy (and safe) New Year!
Hmmm, Sheila, now I’m thinking about how to make a miniature jellyfish… Happy healthy new year to you as well!
I’m with C’lady on this one…I mean like WOW. What a terrific outing. How long does it take you to go from home to Cal Academy of Sciences? This is my first exposure to it (having lived on the East coast most of my life) and I find the entire thing captivating. A “living roof” ~ who knew there was such a thing;) I’ve always loved visiting gardens, aquariums, bird, butterfly and wildlife sanctuaries but this academy seems to have everything! Depending on how close you are, if it were me, I’d probably be a fixture. Thanks to you and Wheelie for sharing.
So glad you share the joy! It’s very close — maybe 15 minutes? And yes, it is a wonderful institution! (We have a family membership :)
Their living roof was the inspiration for my Sea House Warming Hut 2015 build
https://nancyland.com/2015/09/26/sea-house-warming-hut-living-roof-planted/
I have a suggestion on how to make a jellyfish…should be relatively easy and quick (ha ha). Sketch (or free form it) a jellyfish on wax paper and then fill it with a hot glue gun…let dry…then scrape off. I’ve done this by accident before and made a lovely little fish from the “blob” on my paper. I then put a cute face on it and glued it on a photo frame I was working on.
If desired, you could probably swirl in color before the glue dries or use a glitter glue stick ~ don’t know if they have colored glue sticks but probably so. Hot glue blobs are fun to play with…I usually draw eyeballs on any blobs left on my paper…just because. I don’t use hot glue with my miniature work because I need “working” time but I use it for craft like things. I hope you’ll show us what you come up with. :)
Interrrresting… and now I must confess I have never worked with a hot glue gun. Spun sugar, yes, molten glue, no.
Okay then. You can probably do the exact same thing with a glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue…it’ll just take longer to dry. I use Aleene’s for just about everything I do. It will depend on whether or not you want the jellyfish “flat” or “dimensional.” If you want “dimensional,” I’d go with making a jellyfish out of FIMO or Sculpey and both come in colors.
If you haven’t used this material, it’s fabulous and what miniaturist use to make all sorts of items. It just depends on how good one is at sculpting or using tools…and there are a million tricks and tips. For a jellyfish, you could get by with one small half block of “transparent” and then “tint” your finished product if desired with markers or paint.
The hot glue gun definitely has a place in the scheme of things as long as you don’t touch the hot glue or nozzle of the gun. I was thinking that it’s probably a perfect spot “seal” for electrical work ~ to protect connections. The guns are cheap and come in High and Low temperatures. They come in handy for a “quick” fix of things around the house as well as other craft projects and if you’re careful, a “pick off” and “redo.”
I went and looked at your “living roof on the Sea House Warming Hut.” I’m in love and am so doing a version of this with one of my structures in the future. I already adore the moss you used…even if it’s pricey. Cheers and Happy New Year!