Tybee Island Marine Science Center took a photo of a turtle eclipsing the sun… how clever. This really illustrates how important it is for marine life swimming near the water’s surface to have white or light undersides that blend with the light shining into the water. Light bellies help them to camouflage their bodies from predators looking up from below. Course this turtle’s lightly colored belly is no match for the shadow he created by eclipsing the sun!
A great big thank you to Rick Page of Classic Taxidermy in Middleton for preserving Loki’s shell. Loki was the model lobster for my book, “Something’s Tugging on My Claw!” I let Loki go last year and hopefully he’s happy back in the waters off Cape Ann, and we have his shed shell to remember him by. If you’d like to see Loki being released, just follow this link and scroll down to the last video: https://janicepetrie.com/seatales-videos/
Did you know that the crusher claw of a lobster can be found on either the left or right side of a lobster? Since this is the lobster’s dominant claw, if the lobster’s crusher is on its right side, it’s considered a right handed lobster. Pictured are two lobsters that dropped their crusher claws to escape danger, just like the blue lobster in “Something’s Tugging on My Claw!” They are in the process of growing new crusher claws back. One is left handed, the other right handed. Can you tell which one is which?
(Answer: The male lobster pictured on the left is right handed; the female lobster pictured on the right is left handed.)
Imagine a fish that creates an intricate artistic design, all in an effort to attract a mate. The Japanese Puffer Fish is simply fascinating! (Video from BBC Earth)
This is such a brilliant, brief listing of ways to help out a favorite author without spending a dime. I know that most independent authors would be excited if you were able to do just one of the first five suggestions. I know it would make my day! THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has and continue to help support me and my books.
1. Read the book. Borrow it from the library or if it’s a children’s book, read it in the bookstore.
2. Request to reserve the book at the library. This puts the book on the librarian’s radar, and if he or she receives enough requests, it will help the librarian to make the decision to purchase the book for their city or town.
3. Review or rate the book. This is huge! Search for the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, Goodreads, or LibraryThing. If you can only do one, a review on Amazon.com would be the most helpful. Did you know that if a book doesn’t have at least 15 reviews or more, the book won’t come up in searches? (This is on my wish list for my books!)
4. Recommend the book to others on social media. Just a short, “Loved this book” with a photo of the cover is perfect. Tag the author to help people discover more information about him or her.
5. If it’s a children’s book, bring the book to school and read it to a class at story time.
Click here to read the entire article by Debbie Ridpath Ohi.
I’m excited to say that although the cold, snowy spring hasn’t been my favorite, it’s given me additional down time to complete the book I’ve been working on for the past three years. I’ve been drawn to writing “The Bay State Skye” since my life has been strangely intertwined with the conflicting industries of lobstering and seafood processing, and sea life preservation.
Please enjoy this photo account of a day in the life of a lobster fisherman (click here), as I look forward to putting the finishing touches on two of my fictional characters, Jimmy and Murph, who will bring you on an adventure based on true stories you won’t soon forget.
Fascinating work the folks down at the Mote Aquarium in Florida are doing to restore coral reefs. I once observed a sea star regenerate four new rays from one ray that had broken off. The four rayed parent sea star also grew another ray to replace the one it had lost, resulting in two complete, five rayed sea stars. Apparently coral is just as resilient. Check it out!
What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss story? Mine is “What Was I Scared Of?” Check it out. It’s a lesser known story at the end of “The Sneetches and Other Stories.” I loved Dr. Seuss stories as a kid, and feel they’ve had a significant influence on my own writing and illustrating. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!