Good morning, DMV*! It’s Tuesday, March 24.
My family and I went Sunday to see our neighborhood barred owl, but it wasn’t there — which meant we could search for its pellets. And by “we,” I mean my husband.
“Should I go look?” he asked.
“Yes, do it,” I urged him on.
He climbed up a relatively steep, leaf-covered incline toward the base of the tree where the owl liked to perch. He noted there was a lot of owl poo. He picked up three pellets but said there were a ton more.
(Landry Dunand)
My family had a lively discussion about poop versus pellets, which end they come out of the owl and how pellets don’t go through the entire digestive system. According to the Cornell Lab or Ornithology, an owl typically spits out one pellet per day, often from the same roosting spot, so you can find many pellets on the ground in a single place.
My husband brought them home and cleaned them with high-proof alcohol that he uses in his tintype-portrait studio. He swished them around in the alcohol to break down the “goo,” poured it into a sieve and repeated a few times.
(Landry Dunand)
I searched up small mammals with red teeth: shrews.
Yesterday, my husband tried cooking them (using his studio equipment) to keep cleaning, but the fur combusted, so the bones got slightly charred.
(Landry Dunand)
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📰 News around the DMV
Here it is: Next Course with Tom Sietsema
26 things to do in the D.C. area this week and weekend (Washingtonian)
📷 Spring outings
Courtesy of Sam Freund, a resident of the Brookland neighborhood of D.C., who’s great at offering up fun around town. (He helps host the Puzzled Pint game nights.) Both of these flower events are at the top of my to-do list this spring.
(Sam Freund)
What: Orchids at the National Museum of African American History, through April 26.
Sam’s take: “The orchid exhibit at the NMAAH is very much worth it if you like orchids! The scent alone is enough to linger for a while.”
(Sam Freund)
What: Tulips at the Franciscan Monastery in D.C. About 10,000 bulbs were planted late last year. According to their website, docents lead free garden tours on Saturdays at 11 a.m. from April to September.
Sam’s take: “The first tulip at the monastery! Just the one, though — the others are not out yet. But looks like within the next week or so, I'll keep you posted.”
Q from me: How often do you go see the tulips?
A from Sam: “… several times a year for sure. The monastery is a 3-minute walk for me, and even when they're not in bloom I often sit by the koi pond if I need a break from electronics once the weather is nice.”
* For those of you wondering: The DMV is how residents here call the D.C. region, which includes Maryland and Virginia. I’d get emails from people asking about this every few weeks. Now you know. 😉
