Eight random facts

Well it finally happened. I have been tagged with the 8 random facts meme by David at Search and Serendipity.

Here are the rules:

-Players write a post with eight random facts/habits about themselves

- At the end of that post, they “tag” eight bloggers to write similar posts, including the rules. (I am not sure if I can find eight bloggers who haven't already been tagged but I will see what I can do)

- The players then leave a comment to tell the “tag-gees” about the meme.

Here it goes:

1. In addition to working as I wildlife biologist, I have also been employed as a clothing model, bread maker, bird specimen collector, and bartender.

2. Despite our Antarctic connections, I did not meet my wife Laura in Antarctica. I met her at a pig roast at a former one-room school in the Laramie Range east of Rock River, Wyoming.

3. I have been bitten, stabbed, or beaten by most every animal I have studied. I have a scar on my arm from a Golden Eagle bite that didn't break the skin and obtained a hole in my inner thigh from the halux of a Bald Eagle I was removing from a trap (thankfully it was winter and I was wearing a few layers of clothes or it could have been much worse). Penguins have beaten my hands and legs and bitten my hands. A Black-footed Ferret once moved much faster than I could imagine to latch on to my arm.

4. The best birthday present I ever received was my son Benton, who was born 3 days before my birthday.

5. The only ocean I have gone swimming in is the Antarctic Ocean (not the geothermally heated water at Deception Island, but off the pier at Palmer Station in June, just before it froze for the winter).

6. My son Crean is named after my favorite Antarctic explorer, Thomas Crean. Tom Crean was a tough, durable Irishman who told dirty jokes and was the keeper of puppies during the Shackleton expedition (to list a couple of his lesser attributes). If you would like to learn more about him check out this book. This picture of Tom Crean haunts me.

7. I wanted to be a wildlife artist when I was in high school. I still draw (although not much lately) and would love to start doing bronze sculptures one of these days.

8. I find field sketches often more interesting that finished paintings. One of my favorite pieces of art I own is a field sketch of an Arctic Tern by Thomas Quinn that Laura and I received as a wedding present from Steve and Libby Bodio.

Here are my tagged blog accquaintences:

Nina at Arctic Auks

Jeff and Jen at The Stroozwangers

Szabolcs at Wildlife Art and Illustration

Axel at Birding Mongolia

Laurel at ColdPhoto (when she can get internet connection in Siberia)

Cindy at Woodsong (if she is feeling up for it. I hope so).