Henry Chappell just emailed to tell me that John Graves, Texas writer and living legend, just died at (I think) 93. John was a true Texan with deep roots, a civilized man, a WWII vet who had lived in Europe but eventually preferred his roots, a conservationist and localist before such things were chic, and …
Month: July 2013
J P recovers…. SLOOOWLY– and other writerly blog matters
Get over to Jameson Parker’s to read the latest installment in his account, at times hilarious, always eloquent, sometimes horrifying account of his horse wreck and slow recovery. God, do I identify with him– I am not as hurt and hope I never will be, but my Parkinson’s can at times provide an analogy; and …
Old- Fashioned Ornithology
Before there was Birding, there was Collecting, with a shotgun. Many people don’t realize that type specimens still must be collected to be valid; even a blood sample for DNA is not considered sufficient. And skins of common birds that die are useful for education, and as beautiful as a kind of mortal art. The …
Dog family
Shiri had to leave Larissa with us for a couple of days when she flew to San Diego for a friend’s play opening there. Rissa behaved like a lady– she has obviously gained some poise being the sole queen in a house of boy dogs rather than the third rank female. We hope to breed …
More guns: a preview
One like this maybe (Russ Chatham had one)… And you remember this one? Watch this space…
Serious quote
From Rob Sheffield in the current Men’s Journal: “When you marry somebody, you are guaranteeing that you will have real problems, a future full of them, the kind that involve death and disease and grief… I know other husbands are afraid of this stuff. I have been afraid of it too, and when bad things …
Blackfoot Cave
Weekend before last, I volunteered some time excavating at a rockshelter called Blackfoot Cave in the southeast part of Douglas County. The Colorado Archaeological Society has been conducting excavations here for the past few years after Doughas County became convinced of its signficance and acquired the site. The main overhang is behind the trees on …
Indigo x Lazuli Bunting Hybrid?
A little over a year ago I posted that I had begun seeing indigo buntings at our feeders in addition to the lazuli buntings that had been coming to see us for years. At the time I mentioned that I was seeing an individual that might be a hybrid and had seen this interbreeding referenced …
Hummers Return
Last summer we had to replace our hummingbird feeder as the old one finally bit the dust. The birds would have nothing to do with it and boycotted us. Well they have finally decided to accept the new feeder. Beginning in mid June we had one or two hummingbirds at a time until this week when …
Writing quote
“Among the professional hazards of being a book critic is the nap. Naps sneak up on you. They are beautiful but, like recreational drugs and termites, they can undermine the foundations of your existence. Comfortable armchairs are murderous traps.” Dwight Garner, NYT