sculpture by Artmind, found via Poppytalk

rack by Rockett St. George, found via Poppytalk

Oh the joys of my work as an editor… this week, I’ve been on the phone with Tahoe athletes vying for a spot in the coming 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. And while I’ve been trying to figure out how to list all their accomplishments in a consistent manner, and checking the writer’s stats on all things Vancouver, I got a little sidetracked today with what I deem to be the best entourage of mascots to come during an Olympics of my lifetime.

Yes, I said it. I know I’m an Atlanta native, but what the hay was up with Izzy? And Torino’s Neve and Gliz, female and male snowball and ice cube, were equally disturbing. But I am totally enamored with Vancouver’s batch, especially Quatchi, a sasquatch hailing from the “mysterious forests of Canada” who dreams of becoming a hockey goalie.

I mean, does it get any better than this?

Yes, it does!

Learn more about the mascots here; they have their very on interactive webpage, of course.

images © VANOC/COVAN

Posted in Animals ]]> http://blanksmith.com/2009/10/08/i-now-pronounce-ye-best-olympic-mascots/feed/ 2 liskorb the gang and quatchi sticks the landing! they love long walks on the beach and triple-seated biking too! http://blanksmith.com/2009/09/03/calendar-pup/ http://blanksmith.com/2009/09/03/calendar-pup/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:04:30 +0000 liskorb http://liskorb.com/?p=680 ]]>

Is your dog this happy? And adopted? Then enter him or her in the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe’s photo contest for their 2010 calendar. Dog(s) must be pictured livin’ the good life in the Truckee/Tahoe area.

Email entries to dale@hstt.org or click here for more info.

And speaking of calendars… since no one can have enough of them (especially those gifted from insurance companies), I suggest you run over to Cute Overload and get yourself one of their handy desk varieties. Not only do I religiously rip off the old date each morning to unveil the latest cute animal surprise, I save every single one to use as scrap paper and for projects (like Chris so craftily did for the best birthday wrapping paper ever).

Maybe I am just a sucker for furry animal-like creatures, but I loved  him, despite the fact that A) I have no idea what sort of creature he is B) his girations and oversized tongue weirded me out. Anywho, here’s a detailed account of the craziness that ensued:

It all began when I saw his first major dance sequence above the home team dugout. He had moves, bumping his belly around to the music, shakin’ his red fur and playing air guitar with his roll-out tongue. We asked a security guard about Archie’s species, “What is it exactly?” His reply: “No one knows.”

We then ran into Archie up by the Refreshments and stopped for a few photo ops. As you can see, we bonded right away—we even have the same smile and gestures!

If I wasn’t already smitten, the deal was sealed when the sixth inning rolled around and Archie plopped down in a seat in front of us. A chatterbox, the red guy just kept bringing the hits, one after another in his high-pitched raspy voice.

But it didn’t stop there. Oh no. Another mascot, a UNR Wolfpack member, jumped into the mix.

And this guy was serious about one thing: cutting Archie’s hair (don’t ask why). Comb and scissors in hand, the silent wolf began his style session and things got out of control practically on top of my lap. When the scissors fell, I grabbed the opportunity to conjure up my own inner stylist.

But when the next booty-shaking song came on, Archie was gone again, out of our section and up on his dugout stage. And though the Aces didn’t pull through for the win, I think you’ll agree it was an epic night.

It’s that time of year again for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. The time when nature’s babies are born, and the unfortunate circle of life leads some of these critters into helping hands. As of last week, the South Lake Tahoe center was caring for 6 baby western gray squirrels, 5 chipmunks, 7 raccoons, 5 great-horned owls, 4 barn owls, 3 steller’s jays, 1 fox sparrow and (last but not least) a baby bald eagle. While you must be trained to physically help the animals, you can volunteer and donate otherwise.

As for me, who was trained three years ago, I need to make a call to see if they’ll have me back.

In other bear news, Li’l Smokey, the cub rescued from last summer’s Moon fire in Shasta County and rehabbed by South Shore’s Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, has been reported alive, well and out of hibernation by the California Department of Fish and Game, who picked up a signal from the bear’s transmitter last month. Li’l Smokey was released in the Klamath National Forest in February. Another happy ending for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care!

For more info, check out Smokey’s rehab blog.