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A helmeted iguana shown by Ginkgo’s Exotics was one of the highlights at the Goshen Reptile Expo, known for its tall crest and calm nature among a variety of reptiles. Helmeted iguana at the Goshen Reptile Expo, by Ginkgo's Exotics A helmeted iguana was displayed by Ginkgo's Exotics at the Goshen Reptile Expo. The reptile’s distinct crest and calm temperament made it a standout among the animals shown at the event. The Goshen Reptile Expo was lively and well attended, with a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, and exotic pets on display. One of the most interesting animals we saw was a helmeted iguana at the Ginkgo's Exotics booth. The lizard had a tall, ridged crest and a pattern that made it look like a mix between a stick insect and a tiny dinosaur. It rested calmly while its handler held it for visitors to see, showing off its unusual head shape and detailed scales. We chatted briefly with the owner, took a few photos, and continued exploring the other tables around the expo. The event featured a range of vendors with snakes, lizards, frogs, and supplies for reptile keepers of all experience levels. Corky Lorenz November 8, 2025

Learn what soda ash does in tie dye and why it helps cotton shirts absorb color evenly. Includes a photo of the soda-ash presoak process. What does soda ash do before dyeing? It makes the fabric ready to grab color. The soda ash raises the pH so the dye will chemically bond to cotton instead of just washing out later. I soaked this lavender work shirt in soda ash water and wrung it out by hand. It’s 100% cotton with white screen print graphics that I’m planning to overdye. The white ink stays white because it’s a synthetic material. The soda ash step doesn’t look dramatic, but it makes a huge difference in how permanent the color will be. It’s called sodium carbonate, but in the tie dye world, people refer to it as soda ash. I usually mix one cup of soda ash per gallon of water and let the shirt get fully wet before squeezing it out. Some people like to spin out the excess soda ash and pour it back into the main soaking bucket. Corky Lorenz October 7, 2025

The Fernwood Café in Niles, Michigan serves pies from the Grateful Pie Company along with breakfast and lunch options. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside Fernwood Botanical Gardens. Pies at the Fernwood Cafe They have fruit pies and hot food pies! Inside the visitor center is the Fernwood cafe, where you can find treats and food made to order. When I arrived at Fernwood Botanical Gardens and paid for my admission ticket, I noticed the café to the right of the visitor desk. I wandered over and saw their cute little pies in cardboard boxes. Someone working in the café greeted us, and we decided to sit and order a chicken pot pie. I was glad to get a snack before walking the trails because I didn’t realize how long we’d be out there. It was nice to have a little energy boost before seeing the trains and walking the trails. The chicken pot pie was delicious, and I ended up getting the lemon lavender bar for dessert, which was also really good. The pies are made by the Grateful Pie Company, which stocks its pies in the café. You can buy them to go or sit down and order a slice. The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they serve breakfast all day as well as lunch foods. Corky Lorenz November 2, 2025

Snake feeding tongs work best when they have blunt, rubber-coated ends and a strong grip so the snake doesn’t injure its mouth during a strike. Here’s what actually matters when choosing tongs and how they help prevent the snake from launching out of the enclosure. Snake feeding tongs for boas Snake feeding tongs work best when they have blunt, rubber-coated ends and a strong grip so the snake doesn’t injure its mouth during a strike. Sturdy tongs keep the feeder animal stable so the snake doesn’t launch out of the enclosure. Tong types My friend was feeding his boa pets. They’re boa imperators. He has three of them. One is a large female. He has a male that is smaller just because he’s a male. And the third one is a female albino boa. She’s the really light-colored one in the photo. Something he mentioned about his feeding tongs is that they’re covered in rubber on one side to protect the snakes when they’re striking their meal. They’re built really solid, so you can hold on to the feeder animal and not worry about dropping it or hurting the snake as it strikes. Rubber-coated ends When a boa sees food, they hit pretty aggressively, and they will launch right out of the enclosure if the item is dangling. They don’t slow themselves down. They just follow the strike. If you have a firm grip on the feeder animal when the boa hits, you can basically catch the snake at the point of contact instead of having the snake fly out of the enclosure with the rat. Then you can set the snake back inside to coil and eat. These tongs have a long reach, and you squeeze a handle at the end. It clamps tight. There are no pointy parts at the end, so the snake isn’t going to hurt its mouth or teeth when it hits. That’s one of the most important things. No skinny sharp metal ends. I want everything to be more like paddles holding the feeder animal. Rubber-coated is helpful. Boa launch He found his on eBay for cheap. The main thing is that they’re sturdy and thick. Nothing flimsy. Nothing with loose hinges or little gripping teeth. Just something that can hold a rat firmly without twisting or slipping, and that won’t injure the snake on contact. After the snake strikes and firmly bites, he uses the tongs to set the snake back onto the enclosure. This wouldn't be possibly with flimsy or pointy tongs. What to look for If someone is shopping for tongs, the most important details are the build quality and the safety of the gripping surface. Rubber padding or silicone padding protects the snake. A thick metal bar and paddle-style grab. Long handles keep your hands out of the strike zone. A strong hinge makes sure the feeder animal doesn’t slip. A lot of tongs look the same in photos, so the easiest way to pick them is to avoid anything thin, sharp, or flimsy. The thicker and blunter the ends are, the better. Corky Lorenz November 23, 2025

Make a reusable pad that actually works. Start with a folded washcloth for an emergency option, or sew layered fabric pads with snaps and waterproof backing for long-term comfort. How to make reusable cloth menstrual pads Making your own cloth pads can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. You can fold a washcloth for a quick, no-sew option, or sew layered pads with fabric, snaps, and waterproof materials for long-term use. You can make reusable cloth pads as simple or as detailed as you want. Some people sew them as an art form, while others make them out of necessity using what they already have. If you need something fast, wear snug underwear or bathing suit bottoms and fold a washcloth inside. This is the simplest reusable option. If you have a waterproof fabric like PUL or vinyl, layer that underneath to help prevent leaks. For a sewn version, trace the shape of a disposable pad that fits you well and use it as a pattern. Cut two or three layers of absorbent fabric for the inside and one layer of waterproof or moisture-resistant fabric for the bottom. Sew them together and add wings that wrap around your underwear. Attach snaps, buttons, or Velcro to keep the pad in place. Some people like to make their pads look pretty with colorful fabrics, while others design systems that reduce waste or make it faster to clean and reuse. However you make yours, the goal is comfort, absorbency, and reliability. Corky Lorenz November 7, 2025

For a short video posted in January 2026, ad revenue ended up being about $87 per million views. How much does 1 million views on YouTube pay? For a short video posted in January 2026, ad revenue ended up being about $87 per million views. A recently posted short form video posted to the Corky Lorenz YouTube channel is now over 2.5 million views. Data for Jan 17th shows 1,037,534 views and estimated ad revenue at $87.07 for just that video. The ad revenue rate for shorts is much lower than long form videos. But, it is still helpful in boosting views on older videos. Overall, views on the channel went up for most videos. The short getting viral distribution was aligned in topic with previous content. Many viewers also watched related long form videos. New subscribers from that event totaled around 1,000. Ice dye on a cotton shirt: https://youtube.com/shorts/-shz8Wbi9EU?feature=share Corky Lorenz January 19, 2026

Interior and exterior photos of the Elkhart Rubber Works factory at different stages of completion, in Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart Rubber Works Building Construction Interior and exterior photos of the Elkhart Rubber Works factory at different stages of completion. The Elkhart Rubber Works factory in Elkhart, Indiana, showing the building during construction and early operation. The collection also includes a small set of factory images from the Anchor Packing Company, which seems to have been initally operated by overlaping leadership. See the main Elkhart Rubber page. See machinery . See group portraits . Corky Lorenz December 28, 2025

Meet BLN Reptiles, a hognose snake breeder based in Indiana. Seen at the Goshen Reptile Expo, they specialize in unique morphs and shared expert feeding tips for baby hognoses. Hognose Snakes by BLN Reptiles at the Goshen Reptile Expo BLN Reptiles is a small-scale breeder specializing in western hognose snakes with unique color morphs and healthy genetics. They were at the Goshen Reptile Expo showing a range of juvenile snakes with striking patterns and calm temperaments. About BLN Reptiles I met the owner of BLN Reptiles, Brandon Niemantsverdriet, at the Goshen Reptile Expo. Most of his hognose snakes were juveniles, and each display showed careful attention to genetics and coloration. His table had a mix of morphs including Super Arctic, Sable, and Yeti, arranged neatly in labeled containers. Feeding advice We talked for a while about feeding behavior in baby hognose snakes. Brandon shared a few methods for encouraging picky feeders to eat. One suggestion that stood out was using a small amount of salmon scent to make pinkies or chicken hearts more appealing. He explained that while it might smell terrible to humans, hognoses respond strongly to certain scents, which can make all the difference when you’re raising young snakes. How to contact Although BLN Reptiles doesn’t currently have a website or social media presence, they are active in the Midwest reptile community and can often be found at local expos. If you’re interested in learning more about their available snakes or breeding projects, you can reach Brandon directly by email at blnreptiles@mail.com Corky Lorenz November 8, 2025

In 2022, Corky Lorenz collaborated with Dickies on the Blank Canvas campaign, creating custom hand-dyed workwear pieces sold through the Dickies website as part of a paid artist collaboration. Dickies Blank Canvas Campaign In 2022, Corky Lorenz collaborated with Dickies on a paid artist project creating custom, hand-dyed workwear pieces sold through the Dickies website. Project details Brand: Dickies Role: Selected artist collaborator Compensation: Paid commercial collaboration Output: 30 custom dyed garments & media content Timeline: Six-month production period Distribution: Limited-time product drop on Dickies.com Management: Third-party agency Haute Recruit coordinating artists Corky's posted content: Instagram content with over 7k likes. Tiktok video gaining nearly 1 million views. Dickies social media post . Published article from Paper City Mag. Corky Lorenz December 21, 2025

Vendor Rambows and Friends shared that her female tarantulas can live up to ten years, while males live a few years less. Her display at the Goshen Reptile Expo featured young slings beside their mature male tarantula with orange legs. How long do tarantulas live? Vendor Rambows and Friends shared that her female tarantulas can live up to ten years, while males usually live a few years less. After reaching maturity, most males live for only about two years. At the Goshen Reptile Expo , several people were gathered around the Rambows and Friends booth, asking questions and admiring the reptiles. The vendor was friendly and open, answering everyone’s questions about the animals she had brought. I was looking at the small containers that held baby tarantulas, also called slings. Next to them was a display showing the father of those babies, a mature male that had recently passed away at the end of his life cycle. His legs were covered in orange coloring, and he was strikingly beautiful even in stillness. When I asked how long tarantulas live, she explained that females can live close to ten years, while males only live a few years less, and around two years after maturity. It was fascinating to see the slings up close, with their tiny fuzzy legs, bits of soil, and small feeder crickets waiting to be eaten. The contrast between their size and the adult display really showed how much they grow over time. In addition to the tarantulas, this vendor also brought several colorful geckos, which she displayed in neatly organized enclosures. Rambows and Friends Accessories regularly attends large reptile expos in the Midwest, including Tinley Park and Goshen, and shares updates about where she’ll be vending next through her Instagram account @rambows_and_friends . Corky Lorenz November 9, 2025