February 6th is National Play Outside Day!
In many places, playing outside on February 6th will involve snow and layers of warm clothes. Even in the Sonoran Desert, the reptiles are brumating (mammals hibernate, reptiles brumate). However, that doesn’t mean all the animals are asleep out there. If the temperatures warm up, some of the ground squirrels pop up. Birds are flying […]
Now That Dog Can Bark On Pitch!
I am a retired biologist who writes rhyming children’s science books. I’ve been questioned about this and I believe the rhyming happens because I’m also a musician and singer. I still sing in community choruses and one of them had to get creative with rehearsals and performances due to the pandemic. Many musical organizations have […]
Do Books Have Birthdays? Yes!
I am pleased to announce the “birth” day of my book above. Curtis Curly-tail is Lizardnapped (an adventure tale featuring endangered flora and fauna of The Bahamas) is four years old this month.The book has a conservation/ecological theme–woven into a story about Curtis Curly-tail Lizard and his friends, who all work together to save themselves […]
February 1st is National Serpent Day!
I came across this beauty, a Western Diamondback Rattler, on a recent ride in the Sonoran Desert. Ooh, February 1st is National Serpent Day! Some of my favorite animals are serpents. I grew up with snakes as family pets, mostly garter snakes, because my brother was allergic to fur. We cuddled them like you would […]
January 31 is National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
The artist strategically placed the shells on the branches of the bush skeleton above. A piece of the exoskeleton of a horseshoe crab was also used. January 31 is Inspire Your Heart With Art Day. Art should evoke emotions, hopefully, pleasurable ones. There are many kinds of art. My book illustrators are all great visual […]
January 28th is NATIONAL HAVE FUN AT WORK DAY
Working from Home with our Pets January 28th is National Have Fun at Work Day and with the pandemic, many people who would go to work in an office or at least away from home, are now telecommuting or video conferencing. We find ourselves trying to convince our companion-animal family members to maintain professional boundaries. […]
Author Interview: Elaine A. Powers January 27th Big Blend Radio
I will be interviewed by Big Blend Radio on January 27th at 5:00 pm, Mountain Standard Time. The broadcast will available online at Big Blend Radio’s channel on BlogTalkRadio.com. It will also be available afterward as a podcast. Big Blend Radio is hosted by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith. They are the mother-daughter travel team […]
Welcome to Tales and Tails!
“Welcome! I’m Elaine A. Powers, the biologist and author of the science books on this website. Welcome to Tales and Tails–a blog written by two adventurers, one human–me–and one small lizard.” “Hold up! Why are you calling me small?” Curtis asked. “And let’s not forget where your first book came from!” “Curtis, look at the […]
What Makes Sunsets So Spectacular?
Sunsets can be spectacular in Tucson, Arizona. Bright colors predominate, such as the red one above. Sometimes, they’re dark red, sometimes orangish-red like on this night. Why are these sunsets red? Because of particulates in the air. The colors of a sunset are caused by the scattering of light’s wavelengths. Stuff in the air like […]
A Big Hello from Curtis!
Welcome to Tales and Tails. I am Curtis Curly-tail, the very special lizard who launched Elaine’s career as the author of science-based children’s books–and now, she’s expanding to include science books for adults! Elaine has asked me to share my point of view and I’m very happy to have a place to write about what […]
Uh, Oh! A Green Iguana Found in Sweetwater Wetlands Needs a New Home
Here is Albert finishing up his recovery in foster care. By the way, he’s very adept at using his magnificent tail for defense! The Sonoran Desert is not known for its wetlands. That’s why the Sweetwater Wetlands are so special. This isn’t a natural wetlands, but was created by the City of Tucson’s reclaimed water […]
There’s a Rainbow in that Dying Cactus
The saguaro pictured above is dying. I was curious about where the colors were coming from. I learned the green color in the photo above is, of course, from chlorophyll; the orange is carotenoids and the purple in the rainbow is betacyanins. Plants live and die like all living organisms. Some die of old age, […]
The Box-Tortoise
Photo Above is Amarillo the Redfoot Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) In some of my books and videos, I mention box turtles, genus Terrapene. These are amazing turtles that, because of a hinge on their bottom plate–the plastron–can fold up to protect their heads and limbs. No predator can grab an arm if it’s tucked inside a […]
What Does 2021 Hold?
If you’re familiar with Facebook, you know they often have games for people to play. Every now and then I can’t resist and participate. After the difficulties of 2020, I was curious to see what 2021 might hold for me. I swept over the letters with my eye looking for words hidden within. I was […]
Beauty in Unusual Places
With social distancing, I’ve been spending more time observing at my house. Maybe it’s the isolation, but I’m finding beauty in unusual places. Because of the drought this summer (no monsoon rains in 2020), my grass dried up and the outdoor-living tortoises ate more plants than usual since they had no grass to graze on. […]
Happy New Year!
Drawn to the Amazing Singing Wind Bookshop
Bookshop Photo by Erika Clary Writing a book is often the easiest part of “the book business.” Unfortunately, due to the hours lost to writing, the author then has to market her work, even, in our times, if she is traditionally published. As scary as it is to go to bookstores and ask the manager […]
To Illustrate or Not? Yes–Absolutely!
In the above illustration from Don’t Make Me Rattle! the reader can see the heat-sensing ability of rattlesnakes. I’ve been at odds with some of the ideas of traditional publishers lately. First is the preference to avoid rhyming in picture books. Personally, I feel picture books should always rhyme. I don’t think Dr. Suess would […]
Happy Holidays to You!
John Bendon’s Works of Art Are Also Important Scientific Records
In my work as a citizen-scientist helping on iguana conservation projects, I had the privilege of meeting the very talented artist, John Bendon, of the United Kingdom. You don’t have to take my word for his talent – some of his drawings are included in this post. A few years ago, I purchased a couple […]
Interested in Becoming a Citizen-Scientist?
Recently, I posted on my social media about a citizen-scientist opportunity that you could do from the comfort of your home. This project was through Zooniverse. For an iguana study, people were needed to look at photos and count the iguanas they could see. The scientists took the photos and cut them into little pieces. […]
Nature is the Best Holiday Decorator
I usually travel during the December holidays, so I don’t do much holiday decorating. A garland and a lighted ball is sufficient for me. This year, due to the pandemic, I’m staying home and I’ve been trying to decide if and how I’ll decorate. I don’t really need decorations to feel the holiday spirit. This […]
Humans Have Always Moved Animals–Let’s Do So for the Right Reasons
At a recent conservation meeting in the Caribbean regarding iguanas, there was discussion about establishing additional colonies on islands, so that the lizards would be protected from human-caused threats. The selected islands included their historical homes and new, safe places. Of course, moving animals is nothing new. Mankind has been moving and introducing animals to […]
The Mystery of the Cleaning-fiend Tortoises
Above image is of Cantata, an African Spurred or Spur-thighed Tortoises (Geochelone sulcata) and a member of my family Is this a species thing? I have several species of tortoises roaming about my house. Tortoises are not potty-trained, so every now and then I have to mop to clean the floor. After sweeping and spraying […]
You’ll Never Guess What the Latest Pet Is!
With social distancing and domicile isolation, people are turning to animals for companionship. Dog adoptions have increased and even I bought a second horse. However, new family members haven’t been limited to limited to the usual animals, like dogs, cats, birds, or fish. The newest fad pet is a SNAIL. These mollusks are showing up […]
You Know You’re From Arizona When…
November 30th is National Mousse Day
Mousse is an interesting word. It looks like “mouse,” a rodent, but is pronounced “moose,” like the largest member of the deer family. When I think of mousse, I think of a light, pudding-like dessert, especially if it’s chocolate. A mousse is a soft food made with air bubbles to give it a light, creamy […]
It’s National Native American Heritage Day on November 27th
The day after Thanksgiving is National Native American Heritage Day. Legislation was passed to commemorate Native Americans and encourage people to learn more about the cultures of the people native to this continent. However, a recently published study showed that we can learn much more from Native Americans, who well-preserve their lands and the habitats […]
Writings Tips for Creating Realistic Settings
We live in a very visual world. Our entertainment is mostly visual: TV, movies, videos and, of course, our cell phones. Above Photo courtesy of Hans Benn of Pixabay. When you write a story, however, you must create the setting for the reader through words alone. This can be challenging. For instance, the setting for […]
November 20th is National Absurdity Day
On November 20th, absurdity is celebrated by being whacky, for example. It strikes me as absurd that on November 19th, we celebrate carbonated beverages with caffeine day. One day later we can expand and include other absurdities. Some might think it is absurd to write a book. Some days, writers think so, too! Or go […]
