Once upon a time, a beautiful girl lived in a not-so-faraway land. She was dreadfully abused by her mother, who was wicked as well as mentally ill. She was abandoned by her father, who was also wicked and mentally ill, and who had no job and nine cats. She had a wicked brother, but that […]
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One of my favorite people lost her mother last week, and my friend’s heart-breaking loss left me reflecting on my own mom and how much she means to me. I love my mother for more reasons than I can articulate in one small blog post, but three of my most cherished photos go a long way […]
Time for another visit from Bad Science Poet. Remember: “It’s not the science that’s bad—it’s the poetry!”™ A LESSON IN HUMILITY FOR SCIENTISTS Bunsen had a burner. Ike had Tina Turner. And which became president?
I mean, LOLCats was severely dumb and stupid but nobody’s doing that any more, right? I hope. AG’s cat (though a little badly drawn) is thoroughly in the spirit of Snark Week and has the attitude nailed: if you think soft cuddly Nature loves you and is your friend, you’re not paying close enough […]
The most often asked for bedtime tale from my children is a “Squirrel Story.” I’ve written a book about animal encounters in the wild, but this is a whole different matter. As the kids scoot beneath their covers, I tell them about a horde of blood-thirsty, mad-eyed squirrels who’ve built an enormous warren beneath our […]
They look so docile, but don’t be fooled. “Assume every moose is a serial killer standing in the middle of the trail with a loaded gun,” says Alaska wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane. They may be cute in a dopey sort of way, but moose are also huge and powerful. Females weigh between 700 and 1,100 […]
Our continuing public service for those trusting souls who think animals are cute and loving: a full week of the horrifying truth. I grew up on a small farm where we raised chickens. I didn’t always think they were repulsive. When I was around 10, I had a 4-H project for which I raised chickens […]
The sun hangs low over the bayou, wavering in the humid evening horizon. Sweat pours off your face as you struggle see into the underbrush. And suddenly you hear it. A rustling in the bushes that turns your veins to ice. “Please, sweet Jesus,” you whisper, “be something else. Please, not here. Not now.” But […]