5 Things, Including Critters N' Creatures at the Library

Today is Friday, Feb. 24. Here are five things you should know.

1) Look Out! Today will be snowy and rainy early on, shifting to mostly rain by the afternoon. A high temperature around 41 degrees is predicted and the chance of precipitation is 100 percent, according to Weather Underground. Tonight will be overcast with a 60 percent chance of rain, switching to the possibility of snow later on. A low temperature around 19 degrees is expected.

2) Critters! Come and !
Learn more about them through fossils and replicas of teeth and claws. Our wildlife educator Mona will bring a number of animals including a Blue Uromastyn Lizard, Curly-feathered Chicken, Alligator, Egyptian Fruit Bat, Tortoise, Armadillo, Ball Python and Tarantula. See replicas of a T-Rex tooth, Giant Ground Sloth claw AND ... don't miss the real piece of fossilized Triceratops poop! For ages 5-10. Free. No registration necessary.  

3) Painting. Local painters are invited to to paint and socialize in an instructor-free environment. Come by and enjoy three hours of painting and socializing, but call ahead to reserve your spot as there are space limitations.

4) Home Show. The 62nd , Boston's largest and longest-running home show, returns to the Seaport World Trade Center Feb.23 to Feb. 26. More than 500 experts will be on-hand to share home improvement tips with the DIY crowd, from lighting, siding and flooring, to techniques and tools.  Family-friendly exhibitions include live cooking demonstrations at Chef Fest, furniture building with the Woodworking Expo, Holistic Healing Area, Artisan Craft Pavilion and kids' Fun Zone. 

Admission is $12 for adults, ages 17 and under are FREE. Attendees can buy tickets online to save $3. www.newenglandhomeshows.com

5) Help! On this day, in 1836, Colonel William Travis issued a call for help on behalf of the embattled Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission in San Antonio, Texas under attack by the Mexican Army. With Texan troops holding the recently captured city shortly after the Texas revolution began in 1835, a large force arrived at San Antonio on Feb. 23, 1836 under the command of Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, causing Travis and his men to take cover in the Alamo. The Mexican Army stormed the stronghold, killing Travis and 190 of his men. The brave defense of the Alamo became a powerful symbol for the Texas revolution, helping the rebels turn the tide in their favor. At the crucial Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 910 Texan soldiers commanded by Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana's army of 1,250 men, spurred on by cries of "Remember the Alamo!" The next day, after Texan forces captured Santa Ana himself, the general issued orders for all Mexican troops to pull back behind the Rio Grande River. On May 14, 1836, Texas officially became an independent republic.