I can't remember when I've spent this much time with dead stuffed animals. It began Friday, when a grizzly bear, on loan from the L.A. Natural History Museum, made it's way past my office and into the elevator at the Old Orange County Courthouse to become part of their upcoming exhibit, "Bear In Mind: The Story of the California Grizzly." Susan Snyder, who wrote the book upon which the exhibit is based, will speak at the opening event, June 11 at 6pm. 
And yes, it turns out that a grizzly bear DOES fit in a small elevator,... but with no room to spare!.
My second encounter with stuffed dead critters came on Saturday morning when I addressed the West Floral Park Neighborhood Association on the subject of researching historic homes. It turned out they were meeting in the old cabin of the Orange Chapter of the Isaak Walton League. The cabin is located at 1714 West Santa Clara Ave., near the Riverview Golf Course in Santa Ana.
The home base for this conservation group is LOADED with dusty old animal heads and fish. Some have clearly seen better days. But it's a fascinating old place. The Orange Chapter got their charter in 1938, although I'd guess the cabin is newer. Probably built just after WWII?
Clearly, these folks take the Teddy Roosevelt approach to conserving nature, rather than the Al Gore approach. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. But I'm still not going to decorate my own home this way.
