Nobody tells you moving is hard. Just kidding, they do, and I was just too stubborn to believe it would actually get to me.
In preparation for the move, I packed away all my non-essentials, which unfortunately included my art supplies. I was without prints for over a month, and while I realize this is hardly a tragedy, I really did miss making things. Apparently, spending hours hunched over a table and waking up with neck/back pain is something I actually enjoy. 😅 There’s just something about creating with my hands (vs. on a screen) that makes me feel a little more like myself.
So, naturally, I was pretty thrilled to finally get back to it this past weekend with my new Sea Otter Mini Print. And while I’m excited to share that print - and hopefully be able to contribute to the Monterey Bay Aquarium through its sales - I’m just as stoked to share that, thanks to your continued support of my fundraising prints, we’ve made our second donation to VWS’s Save the Condors Fund. This time, we donated $71.80.
If you haven’t checked out their live cams yet, I highly recommend them. They capture some pretty magical moments for someone like me, who wishes I could just be in the presence of these incredible birds.
You’ll also see in the donation proof that M.C. ordered a total of five prints. I later learned they were purchased as gifts for folks they’ve seen condors with. How sweet is that?! They also happen to take excellent photos, which you can check out here.
You can take a look at our first donation summary over on Reddit - because, yes, this print actually predates my BMC account!
Lastly, because I apparently cannot keep things short: some of you may know about the Timber Fire, but did you know that CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Curtis Rhodes and VWS Condor Program Manager Joe Burnett recently made the trek through fire-affected terrain to the sanctuary to release two condors?
You can read more about their heroic effort here - or on their Instagram - but they spent about three hours navigating the fire line, fallen trees, and burning brush to reach the sanctuary. Condors 340 and 868 were recovering from lead poisoning, but with the fire threatening the area, they had to get them out. I’m so glad they made it there safely.
Anyway, thank you if you’ve read this far! I’m just happy to be sharing another little update and, more than anything, to say how grateful I am that I get to share this whole experience of creating and mailing art with y’all. It really fills my cup. 🍵