I recently mentioned refreshing my claw collection. Well, here are the new additions, which include an entire eagle's foot -- replica, of course. No eagles dismembered in the making of this foot. 
Why a claw collection? It's [ostensibly] for my school visit for elementary grades; part of the presentation is on the character names in Dreamdark, and why I chose them, what they mean, and what they say about the character they represent. Well, my warrior prince is named Talon, so there's a portion on claws, and while I can't really bring a whole magpie to school with me to display the main character's name, I can bring talons. And besides, claws are cool. I think having a whole raptor foot, especially one of this size, conveys far better than just a single talon the damage these could do. If I hold it up to the side of my face it goes from my chin to my forehead -- an eagle this size could flay a face open. Eek! And not only are they sharp -- they're strong. The larger eagles can crush the skulls of large mammals like humans, wolves, sheep, sloths.
Speaking of sloths:
That looong top claw is a three-toed sloth claw. Wow, no? Here's a hand skeleton:
I guess they need some crazy claws to haul themselves around the way they do:
The claw beneath the sloth claw comes from (well, you know, not really, being replica) a giant anteater. Want to see something really extraterrestrial-looking? A giant anteater skull:
Not part of my collection. My only skull (so far) is a beaver skull that Jim gave me for Christmas, and it is way cool. I imagine that there will come a time, when we live in a bigger house, that we will possess more skulls. I'd like to have some cool museum display cases, like this one from Anthropologie:
Isn't that beautiful? It would go so well with our Ikea glass-fronted red bookcase. 
(It's the "Linnarp," by the way; we have one but want more.) I would love to have a big library-ish space some day with high ceilings and room not only for books but strange collections. Skulls, feathers, claws, birds' nests, shells. Little bits of the faerie kingdom. I also think it would be insanely cool to make marionettes with skulls for heads. Weird skulls, like owl monkeys and anteaters. And dress them fabulously? Can you imagine?
Have a fabulous weekend!
