It occurred to me to throw out this question to Steve and Matt and any commenters who want to jump in. Do your dogs dream? At least I have always assumed that’s what’s going on. It is pretty common when Maggie is sleeping on her side to hear her making whining noises and/or muted barks …
Author: Reid Farmer
Banned in Beijing
Terrierman Patrick Burns seems inordinately proud of the fact that his blog has been banned by the Chinese government. Steve wants to know what we’re doing wrong that they haven’t banned us.
Hawk Nest
I mentioned to Steve on the telephone the other day that the first week we were here at Moonshine Gulch, I had seen a pair of red-tailed hawks mating in a grove of cottonwood trees south of the house – a first for me. They have apparently set up housekeeping in a well-established nest in …
Backyard Pests? Think of Them as Dinner
This NY Times piece chronicles a dinner party given in New York by Steven Rinella, author of The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine. Actually the title is somewhat misleading, as most of the dishes feature venison, elk, caribou, moose, bear, and goose – not exactly backyard pests in New York. The local contributions are squirrel …
DNA Stalkers
Amy Harmon of the NY Times tells us in this story that DNA research has added a whole new dimension to the study of genealogy, something I’ve talked about here before. Harmon tells us that this has bred a whole new group of people so obsessed with obtaining DNA confirmation of their research that they …
Etruscan Emigration?
Nicholas Wade of the NY Times brings us another fine effort in the DNA/archaeology beat that he works so well (please read his book Before the Dawn!) with a report of studies that indicate the classical Etruscan civilization of northern Italy originated with a group migration from the Near East. This seems to confirm a …
Archaeology of the Exodus
The day after Passover the NY Times has a piece discussing the lack of archaeological evidence for the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. The report focuses on the archaeology of an Egyptian border fort in the Sinai that dates to the right time period. As the article points out, I’m not surprised that there is no …
Ataika’s Career
Steve, why didn’t you tell us that Ataika was moonlighting as a supermodel? Did you have to pay to get headshots for her portfolio? I certainly hope she’s working for more than just kibble!
Tenacious
I saw this small “chimney” of uneroded soil in the middle of a small arroyo east of the house yesterday. Closer examination showed that a matt of prickly pear had anchored the soil in place while everything else around it eroded away. Looking at the size of the arroyo and the stability of the vegetation …
Surprise
Last Saturday’s predicted high of 52 with a chance of thundershowers turned into a high of 35 and a Spring snow storm. Native Southern Californians Sadie and Maggie ask: What is this stuff?