Focus on Life: Week 28 ~ Patterns

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting a year long challenge which is... sublime... as you'd expect with such a studio name. The challenge is named 'Focusing on Life' and every week Sally is sending a prompt on what should we focus the following week.

This week she asked us to focus on patterns.

We are again away for a couple of weeks - same place, central Pennsylvania, Dalmatia to be precise. In the middle of nowhere... where would I get patterns from?!

I didn't panic, I knew it'll just come to me one moment and with the 21st century technology one is always with his/her phone, which 99% of the cases means with a camera too :)

On Tuesday I decided to take a break from training and take the child to Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland. It is on our way back home, but we never know what time we leave and what time we can get there (we camp about an hour from Reptiland) and we also thought it's the last time we come this way this summer... and the child really wanted to see the Komodo Dragons (we've been visiting Reptiland once a year for the past 3 years, we know all the other animals by heart, although it's always a pleasure to go through the mini-zoo).

I can hear you thinking I lost some (or all) of my marbles - what do my vacation plans have to do with patterns?! Well - it turns out they have something in common!

We stopped as usual at every single reptile, read the info, said 'hello' to turtles, lizards, snakes... my mind was wandering until a phrase came through from William:

Mommy, look at this python, lovely pattern on its skin!

Hmmm... patterns you say?! There you have it - this week's focus on life comes (unknowingly) from my son!

I know many of you won't be very fond of my pictures (or some of the pictures, at least), but try to see beyond the animal (by the way, snakes are truly beautiful animals! if you're creeped by them, try to get to a zoo where they allow you to touch them, it is one of the most beautiful to touch skin!)

Look at the art on that skin - isn't it beautiful?! This is a Reticulated Python (if I haven't mixed my memories, which I might very well had).

Same snake - the head. It was very active (one of the few), slithering along the encase with incredible speed. He (she?!) came to the window to watch us (maybe we were being sized as its dinner :) ) and we spent a few moments in 'conversation' (keep in mind William is now reading Harry Potter as well!)

I must admit I can't recall the name of this one :) but it sure gave me some ideas for a necklace...

If snakes aren't 'your thing' (and I can't blame you) I'm moving outdoors, to the Pond Slider turtle - a cute little thing :) Look at those patterns on its neck!

This is Henry, an Aldabra Tortoise - the largest tortoise in the world. They can live to 150 years old and Henry and Anne have hatched in 1969 :) Teenagers, eh?

This is Anne's leg - absolutely huge, and with incredible patterns.

Henry and Anne, enjoying their morning

The reason for our visit: the newest attraction (they opened this exhibition just last month!) ~ the Komodo Dragons.

Small fierce and vicious animals! I was reading the info and watching the video - and I realized I would not want to be face-to-face with one :)

A curious one, it came to the glass and tried to 'sniff' us :)

Well, there you have it: 2-in-1 - a vacation adventure and the patterns Sally was looking for.

I hope you have enjoyed my picture-journal and please make sure you get to Ms. Sally's where we have all gathered to chat about patterns!