A week ago Saturday, Connie and I went up to Barr Lake State Park, a local birding hot spot. I thought you might enjoy this picture of a white pelican we saw there, one of the many who visit here in the summer. It seems every time I see them I am astonished anew at …
Month: May 2013
Passenger Pigeons Again…
Another little sample from my evolving proposal: P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After the Ice … I will draw on contemporary scholarship from Pielou to Paul Martin to paint a picture of the late glacial world – one with little place for the passenger pigeon as a major ecological actor. One keystone will be Australian …
Friends & Family, Music & Words, Past & Present
Everything seems to come around again. Last week, Tom Russell and his sideman Thad Beckmann played at Passim, a cellar room in Harvard square where I heard the likes of Ian Tyson as far back as 1966, when it was the legendary Club 47. My sister Karen Graham, here with Tom, her husband George, and …
Quotes
Courtesy of emeritus zoologist and Ice Age maven Valerius Geist: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.” “The natural tendency of every government is to grow steadily worse.” “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.” (All …
Gun Quiz & Tease
What is this? I do not mean ’95 Winchester; I will take it my readers know that– but what caliber? Hint: more were made in it than all the others combined. Where are they now? I know its owner knows, so I will ask him not to give it away. No fair WIKI- ing the …
Gratuitous Pigeon Photos
Handsome birds, “Lebanons”. I saw their like in Turkey a few years ago. Anyone know where I can find a pair or two for less than $250? Stupid regs make all imported birds impossibly expensive for all but the rich, and cause hoarding and inbreeding depression in the tiny gene pools that exist in the …
Poetry Quote for Reid
In response to his quote on geese below: “Already now the clanging chains Of geese are harnessed to the moon…” – Roy Campbell, Autumn
Science Links
I could publish a whole blog on that subject (as could Walter Hingley, who sends me many good ones, more than I have time to use). But then I could run one on books, or wildlife art or bird ancetsors or the Pleistocene– and have NO time… But some demand attention. I know, this short …
Light Blogging…
Emerging from a ton of writing as future investment, near cripppled from time in chair. Need to do our spring outdoor chores– garden, pigeons … Back soon I hope.
Gratutous spring dog pix
Alex Schubert’s lovely Minoo tormenting cur Ayla and alone; Vladimir’s Bibigul (Nightingale) and laika Dinah; Tina Garfield’s 10 month old baby Anatolian Gunny, recently returned to Magdalena area after wintering on the Texas coast.