May 8th is the First International Blue Iguana Day!
May 8, 2021 is the first International Blue Iguana Day. Blue iguanas, Cyclura lewisi, are the endemic iguanas on the island of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. I had the honor of volunteering with this program, collecting native plants and preparing the salad for the iguanas. This is a story of success for a […]
The Very Tall Octopus Agave Plant
I saw these magnificent agave’s in the neighborhood where my chorus practiced outside. I was astounded by the height of the flower stalks that passed the second floor’s windows. I had to know what plant they were! They are Octopus Agave, Agave vilmoriniana. These plants are native to northwest Mexico, so it’s not surprising they […]
Happy Birthday, Exuma!
Since my mare, Button, is approaching retirement from being a saddle horse, I decided to get a younger horse to take over her work. That is how Exuma, a Quarter Horse gelding, came into my life. Exuma was born on April 28, 2017. Today is his fourth birthday! Above photo courtesy of D. Iman He […]
That Shell Might Not Look Comfy to You and Me, But to Ezra?
I have a suspended heat lamp that the tortoises like to use. They gather together underneath to share in the warmth. The tortoises chose their spot, then sit down and bask for a while. Recently, Ezra Green Iguana was out for a stroll and happened across the non-creeping creep of tortoises. Ezra pulled himself up […]
Tomorrow is Earth Day!
What are you doing tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day? April 22, 2021 is National Earth Day, which, as you probably know, is an annual event to support environmental protection. The goals are to educate people about protecting the world and to learn more about local and global environments. It is a day to realize that […]
Little Cactus, Big Flowers
Usually, author Jo Busha writes the blog posts on plants, but one of my potted cacti inspired me to share this magnificent plant with you. Last year, a friend gave me this trio of the cactus, Mammilaria senilis. This mammillaria is native to northern Mexico, growing on moss-covered boulders in high altitude pine forests. I […]
A Writing Prompt with Malice
I was experimenting with a writing prompt for mysteries. The prompt was to write about a common object in a mysterious way. I looked at my pepper grinder, a device that pulverizes hard objects. All the multi-colored peppercorns are ground into indistinguishable pieces. How terrifying it must be for the peppercorn to be crushed and […]
A Creep or a Convergence?
With Spring, the tortoises wander about more actively. The brumating species, like the Sonoran Desert and Sulcata tortoises, emerge from my bedroom to join the now more ever-wandering red-footed tortoises. I have a heat lamp set up in the front room where the tortoises can sit and bask. Usually, one or two will be utilizing […]
Chorale, Cul-de-sac and . . . Chupacabra?
To maintain safe social distance, my chorus has been meeting outside in a neighborhood cul-de-sac. We’re masked and standing six feet apart. We meet after dark and we each bring an illumination device, such as a clip-on light, or a head lamp or maybe even a wrap-around flashlight you wear on your neck. Whatever type […]
I Should Have Known the Collective Noun for Iguanas!
Until today, I didn’t know the collective noun for iguanas. I should have, since I’ve had more than one for around 30 years. I knew that a group of tortoises was a “creep,” and it’s a “bale” of turtles. The general term for lizards is “lounge.” I think some of my iguanas are willing to […]
Writing and Riding Fill My Days
With the pandemic, I’ve been dividing my time mostly between two activities: riding and writing. I’m either at the stables with my two horses or at home writing, surrounded by my reptiles. It’s working out well since I’m getting fresh air and exercise with Button and Exuma, which stimulates my health and well-being for the […]
My Bahamian Boas Book is Having Its Birthday Today!
I’m celebrating the March 6th ‘birth’ day of my book, Bahamian Boas: A Tabby Tale. CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE ME SPEAK ABOUT THE BIRTHDAY OF MY BOOK. A special guest appeared, whom you will very much enjoy seeing. CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE SNAZZY THE SNAKE HIGHLIGHT THE BIRTHDAY BOOK ON YOUTUBE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, […]
March 2nd is NATIONAL READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY
March 2nd, National Read Across America Day, is set aside to encourage kids to read. As an author of fun science-based children’s books, I love the idea of children reading books. I’m happy they’re reading, whether it’s one of my brightly illustrated picture books or adventure tales, or any other authors’ books, comic books, graphic […]
Today is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day– Meet Tabby the Five-Finger Fairy!
Today, February 26, is Tell a Fairy Tale Day. A fairy tale is defined as a children’s story about imaginary or magical beings and lands. Some fairy tales have been around so long they are part of folklore, passed down from storyteller to storyteller. Many of the fairy tales popular today were written in the […]
February 20th is NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY
Almost 70% of families in the US have pets. I suspect with the pandemic that percentage may have increased. I, of course, have a household filled with pets. Mine don’t have fur, like the more familiar cats and dogs–they have scales. Yes, my pets are reptiles. In addition, I have two pets that I’m not […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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…
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 […]