This is literally me in the hotel at Tinley checking forums. Photo by former ks.com staffer Clint Gilders

There was going to be a final Herp photo of the day, but I couldn't decide. Anything I post will have memories and a farewell anyhow.

For 28 years, I have started most of my days with Kingsnake.com I say most because well, we used to only have 10 hours of internet a week. I only visited a few times a week back then. My original username was faustcorpus and I read a lot and hung out on the original Iguana forums. You need to look back at our first archives. I was also a member of the original NRAAC for WI. I climbed the ranks here from volunteer to part timer to site coordinator/goddess/mom that you know and love. Jeff was the maser but I like to think I was (that hurts to say) the face, heart and soul of the site for a little over 2 decades. Even the short time I left, I still checked the site daily first thing each morning. My browser has 4 kingsnake windows open daily. My processor will be pleased tomorrow.

As the weeks have passed since the announcement I have been working on going through my things on the site. Searching for old posts, saving threads here and there, saving my photos. As I am in crunch time, I am looking back and remembering everyone again. All the people who we have helped, known, and some sadly lost. The kids who are not adults. The breeders who are no longer in the community. 28 years is a long time.

I want to thank all the volunteers that worked with us and all the chatters who were there. My forum pains in the butts who made my life spicy some days. And even those who came up to me every show to complain that they were banned again. I want to thank every single person that came to our chats, forums and classifieds. I want to thank everyone who read everything I wrote and posted all the time. WHo interacted with me at shows, traveled with me on this crazy ass trip.

From the forums to the field trips at conventions to the amazing auctions. I have laughed so much this past few weeks looking through the site but I have also cried a few times too.

Most of all, I want to thank you all for accepting a girl who never bred a single animal in her life as you mom.

While Jeff may be riding off into the sunset, you are not quite rid of me! You know exactly where to find me come March! But for now, the tears are flowing, my heart is hurting.

But as The Family Says... Cheers Mother F'ers.

There was a lot of waffling to decide who today was, it was the NRBE2009 gallery when I saw my face at the first time I met a komodo that I realized that it had to be Krakatoa!



If you notice, there was always a field trip, be it a convention or expo. Florida often had several depending on how I planned it and who I was traveling with. St. Augustine Alligator Farm was ALWAYS a favorite. We ALWAYS had the VIP experience. I do not zoo like you zoo. For me all zoos ARE petting zoos. My friends are the keepers. I know their dedication and love.

I also remember the stories of Sharon Stone and her husband. I wasn't sure where these photos werem I knew I hadn't taken them and I was worried they all may have been lost. Thankfully, as I was clearing I found them. If you are on my Facebook, get ready to see a lot of photos hit. OH EM GEE!

But oh Krakatoa. I had to write his obituary several years later. He died due to West Nile Virus, when that was pretty rampant. He was truly a special lizard who also would seek out the human touch. I am so honored to have had him in my life.

BE SURE TO GET ALL YOUR PHOTOS OFF THE SITE BEFORE WE GO DARK ASAP at gallery.kingsnake.com!

Thanks to running this joint, I see zoos differently. I have loved every single one I have gone to and have many "boyfriends" around the country, but as I said, I started with Iguanas and I cannot forget the most Iconic Iguana I ever got to love on.



Gitmo was an awesome Cuban Iguana, but he wasn't always the nicest of guys before he moved to the US. He was originally a nuisance animal at GITMO aka Guantanamo Bay Military Base and would terrorize the servicemen. There was a conservation programs in effect at the time and through some fancy footwork, he got transferred to the San Diego Zoo's conservation Program which was later renamed to Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research. It was there I met him, along with my firsts of many iguana species. My very first pure Grand Cayman Blue iguana and I also met Marlon and Irwin, the Cyclura pinguis, which are an amazingly unique species to feel. But Gitmo, he stole my heart. He was used for a lot of outreach programs and was very people oriented. I broke the rules using a vertical photo (again, what's the worst that is going to happen?) because it shows how amazingly wonderful he was with people. Gitmo interacted with you and connected with you. He loved belly rubs and chin scritches. Gitmo passed a few years back of natural causes. He came to the zoo as an adult, so his age was not known if I remember correctly. I got to visit with him a few times over the years, but this is when I feel head over heals for this lizard. Long live GITMO!


BE SURE TO GET ALL YOUR PHOTOS OFF THE SITE BEFORE WE GO DARK ASAP at gallery.kingsnake.com!

Today's is a bit late but hey, what is Jeff gonna do? Fire me? I lose my job Saturday anyhow!

The Chiricahua Desert Museum hosted a BBQ as I mentioned in my post about herping with Mark O'Shea. When I arrived at the museum, I learned that a certain forum poster was there. For those who remember the days of say the Kingsnake forum or perhaps the monitor forum, you might know the name I am about to mention. If you are leaning to ole FR you are leaning in the right direction. I had someone point him out to me and I just walked up and waited for a break in his conversation when he was free and smiled that smile some of you know so well when something sassy is about to come out of my mouth and said

"DAMN IT FRANK! Do you know how much of a pain in my *** you are?"

A small sheepish grin "Cindy" to which I nodded, still smirking. "Please don't hit me"

And over my shoulder from the gift shop I hear "Oh are you yelling at Frank? I give you permission to hit him, he probably deserved it I'm his wife."

And that my friends is the story of how PHFaust and Ole Frank Retes met for the first and only time. We had a lovely time together, there was no bloodshed and we came away still friends. But Frank was always my biggest P.I.T.A.

Love you F.R.

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BE SURE TO GET ALL YOUR PHOTOS OFF THE SITE BEFORE WE GO DARK ASAP at gallery.kingsnake.com!

Behind the scenes zoo trips were the BEST. I got to see so many species up close and personal that most people dream of. I feel so honored to have had that chance and I adore all my friends who have given me the chance to do that. My first loves were iguanas and as I grew through the community, I also spread my wings into conservation work after joining the Chicago Herpetological Society. Through there I learned of the IRCF and other iguana specific programs. I also learned how many species of iguanas there were. I started as an adult in this world, so I was behind a lot of you all, and I want to thank you for not making me feel different.

This was from a trip to Reptile Gardens a while back in South Dakota. Every herper should make the pilgrimage because Terry Phillip does an amazing job. I was like a kid in a candy store and that was BEFORE I got behind the scenes. But this photo is the holy grail of Iguanas in the US. MY moment where I got to meet my first Fiji Island Iguana. I was so very excited. If you are on my Facebook page, you can see a few other photos I will share there as well.

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BE SURE TO GET ALL YOUR PHOTOS OFF THE SITE BEFORE WE GO DARK ASAP at gallery.kingsnake.com!

There is no more photo of the day. It is now my memories. I used to love when we handed out free shirts. PEople were always confused when I said FREE! We would time it and race because once the shirts were gone, Clint and I could party. Jeff wasn't a social person so he was happy to pass shows off to Clint and I decades ago. This was back when we sponsored the NARBC shows. NARBC have always been my favorite of all the shows. I have attended every single Tinley, all 25 years. The first 2 I was not part of kingsnake.com and then one where I worked for someone else. All others I have been kingsnake. We don't look too rough, so I am going with this is Saturday AM. Clint Gilders was our programmer for many years and is still a great friend. He was also my first show husband. Funny, at Tinley, you can find me basically in the same spot. I only moved maybe 10 feet from where our booth used to be.


Be sure to tell them you liked it here!


BE SURE TO GET ALL YOUR PHOTOS OFF THE SITE BEFORE WE GO DARK ASAP at gallery.kingsnake.com!