You’ve all heard of tree huggers. But some of my best friends have been eagle huggers. Golden eagles are long- lived, life- bonded, top- of- the- food- chain predators. This can make them very hard to train, but if they are bonded they are REALLY bonded. They are intelligent and playful– I know Konrad Lorenz, …
Iola Reid, RIP
My maternal grandmother, Iola Wilkinson Reid, died on October 1, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She was 97 and had been in a nursing home, mentally lost and physically declining for the last five years. She really had been miserable and suffering in the home and though I was very close to her and miss her, I …
Landscape blogging
Just for fun. We had our (late) first hard frost last night. Usually we have gotten our first snow by about now. Here are a morning and evening shot of our town on a snowy day, looking south from near our house on our (still dirt except for its bottom end) main street, for those …
In which two of my interests meet
That is, the evolution of disease organisms and the new drive to control all animals. I have been watching the progress of bird flu with attention if not exactly alarm. Being I hope a prudent sort, and one who believes in self- sufficiency, I have laid in a supply of Tamiflu and have Relenza on …
Cascade effects in Yellowstone
This fascinating NYT article on the cascade effect of the Yellowstone wolf introduction may prepare our imaginations in just a small way for the effects if “ReWilding” starts. The change in the plant ecology and species composition of the Plains and Southwest alone is going to be amazing. “Where willows and cottonwoods have returned, they …
Jackson’s Wedding Pics
As promised. This isn’t exactly a “diary” blog, but these people aren’t just family– they are fellow bloggers. Besides, what could possibly look more magnificent than an Eastern Orthodox ceremony? The linked flower crowns in the Orthodox ceremony will be hung on the wall above the couple’s bed. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jackson Frishman– or …
Doom and Gloom
Another in the continuing series. “Of course, the end of the world has been promised by Jews, Christians, Muslims and assorted crazies with sandwich boards for as long as there has been a human world to end. But those doomsdays were the product of faith; reason always used to say the world will continue. The …
More on modern writers, editors…
…and fact checkers. Reid had seen an article on Mongolia in which the reporter referred to a statue of Jengiz as being of “Khan”. He snapped: ” I love how the idiot reporter refers to the statue of “Khan” as if it’s Genghis Khan’s last name. Where do they hire these people?” I commiserated– and …
Shadow from the Fourth Dimension
This one is for Odious and Peculiar, because they like this kind of thing: a three dimensional metal sculpture representing the “shadow” of a four- dimensional object.
The Golden Hoard
Here is an incredible story of an archaeological find far better than one by any Indiana Jones; its concealment by heroes under the Taliban; and its restoration, with the original Russian archaeologist in attendance. See also this page for some photos. Thanks to Debbie on our Tazilist.