Paul Rhymer is not only a taxidermist who used to work for the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, but also a sculptor who works in bronze. He invited me and the boys over to watch him pour the bronze into ceramic molds of cactus flowers. The bronze is heated to about 2000 degrees before it is poured. It set up quickly, but before it does it has an iridescent glow to it.
My sons are lucky enough to get to see their own creations come to life on Saturday when we melt the wax out of their bear molds and Paul pours the bronze in. As we were walking home from this show and tell experience I was trying to tell the boys how special and unique this opportunity was for them. I said only about .0005% of American children get to do this. They worked it out in their minds that it means that they are two out of five children in the USA who get to experience this. Not sure how correct that is, but we'll go on thinking that.
More photos to come....
