After another volunteer showed me a couple of things today, I did a tremendously improved job on the two bird study-skins I prepared: a blackbird and another starling. There is still a really long way to go; my tremendous improvement means only that the birds did not turn out looking entirely as if they’d just been chewed on mightily by a cat. Nevertheless, I felt really proud. And when I got home I was able to explain my achievements to Ross in great detail (and over dinner). I am lucky it is hard to gross him out.