As a college professor, a complaint I hear fairly often is "if you don't agree with the professor's opinion, you'll be marked down - but my opinion is just as good as hers!" This raises an interesting question: if all opinions are equal, and your opinion (say, on evolution) is just as good as my opinion, why in the world are you spending 10's of thousands of dollars to learn about my opinion?
I'm feeling cranky because I'm grading exams (guaranteed to make a teacher cranky) and I'm getting a lot of this in some of the answers. I also had a conversation with colleagues about the inability of students to recognize what is and is not a scientific question and what we can do about it. The cynical side of me says "not much" because people are so wedded to their "opinions".
As educators, we of course believe that education will change that; but while I see some evidence of that in some people, I think a lot of students pass through their college years unchanged! I'm trying hard to understand why - it is foreign to my own experience. My "opinions" on a lot of things change frequently.
For example, I just read a very interesting article in The Atlantic about what "baby boomers" can do to salvage their generational status. The author, a senior editor at The Atlantic, argues against a universal service act (basically reinstating the draft, but for everyone and not necessarily for military service). I've always been something of a fan of universal service, but the author makes some telling points against it. His solution for what boomers could do to salvage their reputation? Pay down the national debt! Not what I would have picked, but he's clearly thought long and hard about this - and I was impressed.
So, I'm left wondering why people hang on to their "opinions" so tightly - and what can be done to open their minds. Back to grading....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Religious extremism
Remember how your mom always said that when you made conversation, the two things to avoid were religion and politics? And yet if you read the news it seems like we talk about little else!
Mom didn't want you to discuss these things because people feel so strongly about them. I can understand the strong feelings associated with religion since that is an intensely personal aspect of our lives; I'm still trying to figure out why people feel so strongly about politics (and that includes me, of course). I suppose the reasons are similar.
In any case, I've titled this post "religious extremism" because that's what's in the news right now - and it is September 11, a prime example of the results of religious extremism. Right now, some clown in Florida is planning on burning the Qu'ran and that has led to all kinds of interesting things worth reflecting on.
Let's start with the "news" aspect: here's a guy who is a pastor for a tiny sect of Christians in Florida who has brokered his way into a big PR event because the "news" somehow thought the actions of a nutjob in Florida was, well, "news". Why? What makes this event more important than, say, the break-up of a large ice island off the coast of Greenland (which may or may not be related to climate change)? Why is it worth more discussion than the deaths of 25 Mexican citizens in a single Mexican state in a single day due to the drug wars down there (drug wars, by the way, supported by users here in the States who seem to see no connection between their actions and these deaths: sure, take a hit, drug use is a "victimless" crime)? Methinks journalists need to critically examine what they're doing and why.
Next, let's look at the extremism aspect. Of course, there's extremism all around us now (which makes one wonder what is "extreme" these days) but in this case we have a "pastor" who thinks it's ok to burn the holy book of a religion different from his religion, but who I'll bet would have conniptions if some Imam decided to burn the Bible. Well, he's got the right to do it because of that 1st amendment deal, and it's certainly brought him and his "flock" attention - but it doesn't seem very "pastoral" to me. And then there's the reaction to it, from lots of "sides". Protests in certain Muslim states shout "Death to America" (we've heard that one before); the defense secretary cautions that this action could endanger U.S. troops (and it could); the FBI visits the pastor to inform him of credible death threats against him; people saying he shouldn't/should be "allowed" to burn the Qu'ran - whew! Does anyone have a "chill pill" for the world?
I think we can agree that religious extremism is a bad thing - what we can't seem to agree on is what is "extreme". There are folks out there who would like to turn the U.S. into a Christian theocracy - that seems extreme to me. There are folks out there who, because of certain passages in their holy book, believe it's not only ok, but required to stone "adulterous" people.
Seems to me, maybe mom was right....
Mom didn't want you to discuss these things because people feel so strongly about them. I can understand the strong feelings associated with religion since that is an intensely personal aspect of our lives; I'm still trying to figure out why people feel so strongly about politics (and that includes me, of course). I suppose the reasons are similar.
In any case, I've titled this post "religious extremism" because that's what's in the news right now - and it is September 11, a prime example of the results of religious extremism. Right now, some clown in Florida is planning on burning the Qu'ran and that has led to all kinds of interesting things worth reflecting on.
Let's start with the "news" aspect: here's a guy who is a pastor for a tiny sect of Christians in Florida who has brokered his way into a big PR event because the "news" somehow thought the actions of a nutjob in Florida was, well, "news". Why? What makes this event more important than, say, the break-up of a large ice island off the coast of Greenland (which may or may not be related to climate change)? Why is it worth more discussion than the deaths of 25 Mexican citizens in a single Mexican state in a single day due to the drug wars down there (drug wars, by the way, supported by users here in the States who seem to see no connection between their actions and these deaths: sure, take a hit, drug use is a "victimless" crime)? Methinks journalists need to critically examine what they're doing and why.
Next, let's look at the extremism aspect. Of course, there's extremism all around us now (which makes one wonder what is "extreme" these days) but in this case we have a "pastor" who thinks it's ok to burn the holy book of a religion different from his religion, but who I'll bet would have conniptions if some Imam decided to burn the Bible. Well, he's got the right to do it because of that 1st amendment deal, and it's certainly brought him and his "flock" attention - but it doesn't seem very "pastoral" to me. And then there's the reaction to it, from lots of "sides". Protests in certain Muslim states shout "Death to America" (we've heard that one before); the defense secretary cautions that this action could endanger U.S. troops (and it could); the FBI visits the pastor to inform him of credible death threats against him; people saying he shouldn't/should be "allowed" to burn the Qu'ran - whew! Does anyone have a "chill pill" for the world?
I think we can agree that religious extremism is a bad thing - what we can't seem to agree on is what is "extreme". There are folks out there who would like to turn the U.S. into a Christian theocracy - that seems extreme to me. There are folks out there who, because of certain passages in their holy book, believe it's not only ok, but required to stone "adulterous" people.
Seems to me, maybe mom was right....
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Back to school
Haven't been able to blog since August - back to school! Seems like we're off to a good start, but you'll have to ask my students how they feel.
Movies - watched a couple of good ones recently. My favorite was probably Whip It - a quirky coming of age story starring Ellen Page. She continues her terrific work as an actor from Juno. It's a story about a high school girl who finds her place in "Roller Derby" of all things. Not what I would want for my daughter - and the movie shows the mom's struggle with this. If you watch it, you might notice the "Hi - How are you" art work and T-shirt. Comes from an Austin area "musician" by the name of Daniel Johnson, who was a favorite of Kurt Colbain (did I spell that right?). There's an excellent documentary (as a documentary) about Johnson out entitled The Devil and Daniel Johnson - a documentary about the "world's greatest living singer/songwriter". Sorry, I just don't buy it - the guy's voice sucks and his guitar playing is amateurish. I liked his art work much better. But Ellen Page rocks in Whip It.
Also saw Crazy Heart - finally. Reminds me very much of Tender Mercies - possibly Robert Duvall's best film - and Duvall was a producer and actor in Crazy Heart, so any resemblances must be coincidence! That said, there were significant differences between the two - and both are well worth a watch (or two, or three...). Speaking of Duvall, one of his early screen appearances was in To Kill A Mockingbird - as Boo. The man has staying power. Jeff Bridges finally got his Oscar for Crazy Heart - and he certainly earned it.
Also saw a really mediocre movie - Amelia. Hilary Swank is amazing - again! - but she couldn't save this film. Poor editing, direction, screen writing - pretty much sinks whatever movie is afflicted with those problems.
Movies - watched a couple of good ones recently. My favorite was probably Whip It - a quirky coming of age story starring Ellen Page. She continues her terrific work as an actor from Juno. It's a story about a high school girl who finds her place in "Roller Derby" of all things. Not what I would want for my daughter - and the movie shows the mom's struggle with this. If you watch it, you might notice the "Hi - How are you" art work and T-shirt. Comes from an Austin area "musician" by the name of Daniel Johnson, who was a favorite of Kurt Colbain (did I spell that right?). There's an excellent documentary (as a documentary) about Johnson out entitled The Devil and Daniel Johnson - a documentary about the "world's greatest living singer/songwriter". Sorry, I just don't buy it - the guy's voice sucks and his guitar playing is amateurish. I liked his art work much better. But Ellen Page rocks in Whip It.
Also saw Crazy Heart - finally. Reminds me very much of Tender Mercies - possibly Robert Duvall's best film - and Duvall was a producer and actor in Crazy Heart, so any resemblances must be coincidence! That said, there were significant differences between the two - and both are well worth a watch (or two, or three...). Speaking of Duvall, one of his early screen appearances was in To Kill A Mockingbird - as Boo. The man has staying power. Jeff Bridges finally got his Oscar for Crazy Heart - and he certainly earned it.
Also saw a really mediocre movie - Amelia. Hilary Swank is amazing - again! - but she couldn't save this film. Poor editing, direction, screen writing - pretty much sinks whatever movie is afflicted with those problems.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Devil in Dover
Now that summer is "over" (back to school!) I've been thinking about the books I read this summer. Naturally, the last one I finished is the one sticking with me the most, although I think that particular book would have "stuck with me" even if it had been the first one I read this summer.
The book was Lauri Lebo's The Devil in Dover, which was billed as "an insider's story of dogma v. Darwin in small-town America". The Dover trial, for those of you who don't know, was the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Board of Education, where Judge Jones ruled that the Dover policy of teaching intelligent design was a violation of the first amendment because intelligent design is a religious concept, not a scientific one. Lauri Lebo was the reporter on the scene.
However, the book was less about the trial than it was about family relationships, truth, and modern journalism. It was quite moving; Ms. Lebo had a difficult relationship with her father in the sense that he, as a fundamentalist Christian, was concerned that his daughter would go to hell if she "believed" in evolution and she, in turn, couldn't understand why her father would cling to his beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence and the un-Christian behavior of many of the members of the Dover school board who professed to be Christians (lying under oath, for example). I think most of us have family issues, and the book speaks to those.
I also found her analysis of modern journalism to be very worthwhile. These days, journalists seem to bend over backwards to be "balanced". But the fact is, "balance" is inappropriate when one reports the news. Was the U.S. government behind 9/11? There's a group of crackpots who "believe" that - and journalists report it as if it were hard news. Was President Obama elected illegally because he wasn't born in the U.S.? Again, there's a group of people who "believe" that, and so it's news. There is such a thing as truth; and the focus of modern "journalism" on news that sells, rather than truth, is as wrong-headed as can be! Not all sides are equal, and it's the job of journalism to report what's true - and some things ARE true. The nature of science is not up for a vote; the Earth is not 6,000 years old, and we did evolve from an ape-like ancestor.
Judge Jones - a conservative republican - relied on precedent in his ruling. That precedent is that the first amendment to our Constitution establishes a separation between Church and State. Fundamentalists don't like that - they believe we are a "Christian nation" and so they continue their assault on the first amendment, just as they've continued their assault on the nature of science. Both assaults are extremely dangerous, and need to be resisted with every legal tool at our disposal!
The book was Lauri Lebo's The Devil in Dover, which was billed as "an insider's story of dogma v. Darwin in small-town America". The Dover trial, for those of you who don't know, was the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Board of Education, where Judge Jones ruled that the Dover policy of teaching intelligent design was a violation of the first amendment because intelligent design is a religious concept, not a scientific one. Lauri Lebo was the reporter on the scene.
However, the book was less about the trial than it was about family relationships, truth, and modern journalism. It was quite moving; Ms. Lebo had a difficult relationship with her father in the sense that he, as a fundamentalist Christian, was concerned that his daughter would go to hell if she "believed" in evolution and she, in turn, couldn't understand why her father would cling to his beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence and the un-Christian behavior of many of the members of the Dover school board who professed to be Christians (lying under oath, for example). I think most of us have family issues, and the book speaks to those.
I also found her analysis of modern journalism to be very worthwhile. These days, journalists seem to bend over backwards to be "balanced". But the fact is, "balance" is inappropriate when one reports the news. Was the U.S. government behind 9/11? There's a group of crackpots who "believe" that - and journalists report it as if it were hard news. Was President Obama elected illegally because he wasn't born in the U.S.? Again, there's a group of people who "believe" that, and so it's news. There is such a thing as truth; and the focus of modern "journalism" on news that sells, rather than truth, is as wrong-headed as can be! Not all sides are equal, and it's the job of journalism to report what's true - and some things ARE true. The nature of science is not up for a vote; the Earth is not 6,000 years old, and we did evolve from an ape-like ancestor.
Judge Jones - a conservative republican - relied on precedent in his ruling. That precedent is that the first amendment to our Constitution establishes a separation between Church and State. Fundamentalists don't like that - they believe we are a "Christian nation" and so they continue their assault on the first amendment, just as they've continued their assault on the nature of science. Both assaults are extremely dangerous, and need to be resisted with every legal tool at our disposal!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
On the way back
We stopped at the national museum of wildlife art on our way into Jackson for an unexpected treat. We were late - about 30 minutes before closing time - and the kind lady let us in for free. It was amazing; certainly deserving of way more than 30 minutes. Lots of world-renown artists from the 19th century and plenty of famous modern ones as well. And it had a spectacular view of the valley. I'll bet it's a sight to behold in the winter when the elk are on the National Elk Refuge just across the way.
We went to our motel and settled in. Then it was time for some sight-seeing and dinner. We had our obligatory pictures taken beneath one of the antler arches in the town square and then wandered around until we found a nice restaurant. We put our name in and gave the waitress our phone # and then Peg and Colleen found a clothes store... Being half-deaf, I missed the call, but realized it pretty quick so I rounded up the girls and we went to a very nice meal outside. We met the owner and promised we'd come back for breakfast.
We did return for breakfast the next day, under glowering skies. Peg wanted to find the consignment and thrift shops, so we located those. I got a book by Tom Brokaw - sort of a follow-up to his The Greatest Generation about the sixties, entitled Boom!. It's an ok read.
We hit the road, a bit nervous because of all the storms. I managed to negotiate the mountain passes south and east of Jackson and we got out from under the rain. We had hoped to make Nebraska, but the rain drove us into a motel at Rawlins. On the way there, we'd seen lots of antelope - many right next to the road. I speculate that, unlike cattle, Pronghorns can easily leap the fences and get to the good grazing on the shoulders of the road. I didn't see any road-killed Pronghorns so I figured they weren't as car-stupid as deer, but then I remembered Junius' Lewis and Clark trip had to be canceled because a Pronghorn committed suicide by running into their van. We also saw a few prairie dog towns.
The next day, we hit the road for home. Stopped in eastern Wyoming at a rest stop along I-80 that was covered with nice flowers, including huge stands of Indian Paintbrush. There was a wildlife refuge right off the rest stop, and though I didn't seen any large mammals, I did see a Golden Eagle flying overhead.
Another rest stop in Nebraska provided some great photos of a nesting pair of Western Kingbirds and their nearly-fledged offspring. Rest stops often have some really interesting natural history stuff if one bothers to look!
One more night on the road - I believe in York, NB - and then on home.
We went to our motel and settled in. Then it was time for some sight-seeing and dinner. We had our obligatory pictures taken beneath one of the antler arches in the town square and then wandered around until we found a nice restaurant. We put our name in and gave the waitress our phone # and then Peg and Colleen found a clothes store... Being half-deaf, I missed the call, but realized it pretty quick so I rounded up the girls and we went to a very nice meal outside. We met the owner and promised we'd come back for breakfast.
We did return for breakfast the next day, under glowering skies. Peg wanted to find the consignment and thrift shops, so we located those. I got a book by Tom Brokaw - sort of a follow-up to his The Greatest Generation about the sixties, entitled Boom!. It's an ok read.
We hit the road, a bit nervous because of all the storms. I managed to negotiate the mountain passes south and east of Jackson and we got out from under the rain. We had hoped to make Nebraska, but the rain drove us into a motel at Rawlins. On the way there, we'd seen lots of antelope - many right next to the road. I speculate that, unlike cattle, Pronghorns can easily leap the fences and get to the good grazing on the shoulders of the road. I didn't see any road-killed Pronghorns so I figured they weren't as car-stupid as deer, but then I remembered Junius' Lewis and Clark trip had to be canceled because a Pronghorn committed suicide by running into their van. We also saw a few prairie dog towns.
The next day, we hit the road for home. Stopped in eastern Wyoming at a rest stop along I-80 that was covered with nice flowers, including huge stands of Indian Paintbrush. There was a wildlife refuge right off the rest stop, and though I didn't seen any large mammals, I did see a Golden Eagle flying overhead.
Another rest stop in Nebraska provided some great photos of a nesting pair of Western Kingbirds and their nearly-fledged offspring. Rest stops often have some really interesting natural history stuff if one bothers to look!
One more night on the road - I believe in York, NB - and then on home.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Nagasaki
Today (in Japan) is the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The bomb used on Nagasaki was a plutonium implosion bomb - "Fat Man", the bomb my dad worked on at Los Alamos. As a mechanical engineer, and a "snuffy" (low-ranking enlisted man in the Army), his job was to help design and place the high explosive shape charges used to cause the implosion of the plutonium core. He worked on both "Fat Man" and the Trinity bomb.
When I was out in March, helping my sister arrange things as my dad settled into the nursing home, we went through a lot of his stuff and I got a lot of books that he had accumulated about the Bomb. Shortly after we got home, my sister's husband found a letter to my dad written by Oppenheimer thanking my dad for his work on the Bomb. She made copies for me and I made copies which I passed around to my students in my "A-Bomb" course.
An estimated 60,000 Japanese were killed immediately in the Nagasaki bombing, and more died of radiation poisoning in the days following. People still die from the after-effects of the Bomb to this day, and that of course is what distinguishing atomic weapons from conventional weapons (which can have the same or greater initial impact).
As I said in my August 6th post, my dad always felt the Bomb had to be used to end WWII - and I think the evidence supports him on this, though one certainly gets lots of arguments from the other side. I would recommend reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb (pretty technical, but very interesting) and Day One: Before Hiroshima and After to see at least some of the evidence. Emperor Hirohito had to take the unheard of step of directly intervening in the government to get the militarists to stop - and even at that a plot by the Japanese militarists to bomb the ship where the surrender was being signed on Sept. 2, 1945, was foiled at the last minute.
I would also recommend watching the documentary White Light, Black Rain. Let's all hope we can find a way out of this cycle of violence - and soon.
When I was out in March, helping my sister arrange things as my dad settled into the nursing home, we went through a lot of his stuff and I got a lot of books that he had accumulated about the Bomb. Shortly after we got home, my sister's husband found a letter to my dad written by Oppenheimer thanking my dad for his work on the Bomb. She made copies for me and I made copies which I passed around to my students in my "A-Bomb" course.
An estimated 60,000 Japanese were killed immediately in the Nagasaki bombing, and more died of radiation poisoning in the days following. People still die from the after-effects of the Bomb to this day, and that of course is what distinguishing atomic weapons from conventional weapons (which can have the same or greater initial impact).
As I said in my August 6th post, my dad always felt the Bomb had to be used to end WWII - and I think the evidence supports him on this, though one certainly gets lots of arguments from the other side. I would recommend reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb (pretty technical, but very interesting) and Day One: Before Hiroshima and After to see at least some of the evidence. Emperor Hirohito had to take the unheard of step of directly intervening in the government to get the militarists to stop - and even at that a plot by the Japanese militarists to bomb the ship where the surrender was being signed on Sept. 2, 1945, was foiled at the last minute.
I would also recommend watching the documentary White Light, Black Rain. Let's all hope we can find a way out of this cycle of violence - and soon.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Hiroshima
Just realized it's August 6 - the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. My dad worked on the A-bomb in WWII at Los Alamos; he worked on "Fat Man" which was dropped on Nagasaki 3 days after Hiroshima.
He's always been somewhat reticent about his experience, though we got him to talk for the video camera about 15 years ago and I show that tape to my students when I teach about the A-bomb. He's always felt that the U.S. should have used the Bomb because it forestalled the invasion of Japan.
He's now in a nursing home, and on our last visit I saw him get emotional about this for the first time in my life as he talked with the hospice chaplain about his life.
The history of the Bomb is really a history of war - we try to set "rules" (no civilian populations will be bombed from the air without warning, for example) and then when we get more involved the "rules" go out the window. From my own experience in war, the only "rule" is kill or be killed. Pretty sad...
He's always been somewhat reticent about his experience, though we got him to talk for the video camera about 15 years ago and I show that tape to my students when I teach about the A-bomb. He's always felt that the U.S. should have used the Bomb because it forestalled the invasion of Japan.
He's now in a nursing home, and on our last visit I saw him get emotional about this for the first time in my life as he talked with the hospice chaplain about his life.
The history of the Bomb is really a history of war - we try to set "rules" (no civilian populations will be bombed from the air without warning, for example) and then when we get more involved the "rules" go out the window. From my own experience in war, the only "rule" is kill or be killed. Pretty sad...
Yellowstone, Tetons continued
Sorry for the unintended break - domestic duties take precedence!
After West Thumb, we headed for Old Faithful - along with half of the known Universe. It's amazing how many people can suddenly appear after seeing relatively few folks on the road. It was a real traffic jam at Old Faithful, so I grabbed the first parking spot I saw and we headed to the Ranger Station for information and a map. Peg wanted to take a look at the historic Old Faithful Inn, and it was a fortuitous choice. She got some nice pictures of the Inn and we discovered a porch where one can sit and have refreshment and watch Old Faithful without the fuss. Just before, during and after Old Faithful erupted another geyser about 100 yards away erupted in just as spectacular fashion. A lot of folks were focused on Old Faithful and so missed the other eruption. Anyway, we got our obligatory photos and video as well as photos of a pair of ravens either courting or arguing - you can't tell with ravens! Then we went downstairs and had lunch in the bar - which, like the rest of the Inn, was really nice. And we beat the rush!
On the way back to Flagg Ranch, we went through a mountain pass festooned with wildflowers, so we got some nice photos of those and water lilies. The water lily photos were nostalgic, as Peg had taken photos of them at this spot with her film camera 30 years before. Those of you who have a water lily card of Pegs are looking at one of those 30-year-old photos.
Back at Flagg Ranch, Peg and I walked down to the Snake River and watched some fly fishermen and some kids swimming in the river before the mosquitoes drove us away. We hopped in the car and drove down Grassy Lake Road (another nostalgic trip from 30 years ago) looking for critters. Found a deer - I think a Mule Deer - in a meadow and watched a spectacular sunset.
Peg and I woke in the middle of the night and took a "star stroll". Just a little ways away from the cabins, the sky revealed its glory; the Milky Way was almost bright enough to read by.
We packed up and left for the Tetons the next day. We stopped at Jackson Lodge - another fortuitous choice! The upstairs lobby had a spectacular view of the Tetons. While Peg and Colleen shopped, I watched a bull Moose wander through the willows having brunch. Bought a cup of joe, and the barista told me that around 7:30 that morning a wolf had been present hoping to pick off an elk calf (there was a large herd of elk in the meadow and it's calving season). The shopping opportunities were too great for the girls, so I grabbed a camera and walked around the lodge. Got some nice shots of a Weidemeyer's Admiral (related to the Lorquin's Admiral I'd photographed in Washington). Dropping the girls off in the shops, I walked towards Lunchbox Hill where J.D. Rockefeller, Jr., himself use to have lunch and look at the Tetons. I saw and photographed a Boisduval's Blue on the way up the hill, plus some nice Indian Paintbrush. At the top, a Variable Checkerspot paused briefly and I got a few photos, thinking this was my only shot at that species. Boy was I wrong - there were lots of them up on the hill, probably searching for mates. "Hilltopping" is a typical behavior for many butterflies; hill tops become singles bars for butterflies since they're easily recognized foci in what otherwise might be a confusing landscape.
There were other species there as well, including a dusky wing (species unknown - you often have to have the butterfly in hand, pinned and dissected to determine species in that genus), Edith's Coppers, Blue Coppers (I know, seems like an oxymoron), a Lilac-Bordered Copper (the first of that species I've seen in my life!), a Garita Skipperling, a fritillary that didn't want its picture taken, and a satyr that also was camera shy. I also photographed a few blues - perhaps one of the dotted blues I'd been looking for in Washington. Peg and Colleen called me on my cell phone (there's a difference between today and thirty years ago!) and came up to see what I was up to. On the way down, I met a man who worked as a dispatcher and he pointed out that the elk herd was running. A grizzly (unseen) was also trying to pick off a calf and split the herd as part of its hunting strategy. We had a nice talk, and Peg and Colleen joined us as we talked. He liked Grassy Lake Road a lot, which Peg and I have fond memories of from past years.
We went back to the Lodge for one of the best meals of my life - buffalo and a chile relleno. Colleen had the chicken pot pie, which she said has ruined pot pies for her for the rest of her life it was so good. Peg had Thai Chicken, which was also good but paled in comparison to what I had. Our waiter was from Poland (a lot of staff at these places come from all over the world) and we had a lot of fun.
After lunch we made a brief foray up Lunchbox Hill again, then it was off to Jackson Hole.
After West Thumb, we headed for Old Faithful - along with half of the known Universe. It's amazing how many people can suddenly appear after seeing relatively few folks on the road. It was a real traffic jam at Old Faithful, so I grabbed the first parking spot I saw and we headed to the Ranger Station for information and a map. Peg wanted to take a look at the historic Old Faithful Inn, and it was a fortuitous choice. She got some nice pictures of the Inn and we discovered a porch where one can sit and have refreshment and watch Old Faithful without the fuss. Just before, during and after Old Faithful erupted another geyser about 100 yards away erupted in just as spectacular fashion. A lot of folks were focused on Old Faithful and so missed the other eruption. Anyway, we got our obligatory photos and video as well as photos of a pair of ravens either courting or arguing - you can't tell with ravens! Then we went downstairs and had lunch in the bar - which, like the rest of the Inn, was really nice. And we beat the rush!
On the way back to Flagg Ranch, we went through a mountain pass festooned with wildflowers, so we got some nice photos of those and water lilies. The water lily photos were nostalgic, as Peg had taken photos of them at this spot with her film camera 30 years before. Those of you who have a water lily card of Pegs are looking at one of those 30-year-old photos.
Back at Flagg Ranch, Peg and I walked down to the Snake River and watched some fly fishermen and some kids swimming in the river before the mosquitoes drove us away. We hopped in the car and drove down Grassy Lake Road (another nostalgic trip from 30 years ago) looking for critters. Found a deer - I think a Mule Deer - in a meadow and watched a spectacular sunset.
Peg and I woke in the middle of the night and took a "star stroll". Just a little ways away from the cabins, the sky revealed its glory; the Milky Way was almost bright enough to read by.
We packed up and left for the Tetons the next day. We stopped at Jackson Lodge - another fortuitous choice! The upstairs lobby had a spectacular view of the Tetons. While Peg and Colleen shopped, I watched a bull Moose wander through the willows having brunch. Bought a cup of joe, and the barista told me that around 7:30 that morning a wolf had been present hoping to pick off an elk calf (there was a large herd of elk in the meadow and it's calving season). The shopping opportunities were too great for the girls, so I grabbed a camera and walked around the lodge. Got some nice shots of a Weidemeyer's Admiral (related to the Lorquin's Admiral I'd photographed in Washington). Dropping the girls off in the shops, I walked towards Lunchbox Hill where J.D. Rockefeller, Jr., himself use to have lunch and look at the Tetons. I saw and photographed a Boisduval's Blue on the way up the hill, plus some nice Indian Paintbrush. At the top, a Variable Checkerspot paused briefly and I got a few photos, thinking this was my only shot at that species. Boy was I wrong - there were lots of them up on the hill, probably searching for mates. "Hilltopping" is a typical behavior for many butterflies; hill tops become singles bars for butterflies since they're easily recognized foci in what otherwise might be a confusing landscape.
There were other species there as well, including a dusky wing (species unknown - you often have to have the butterfly in hand, pinned and dissected to determine species in that genus), Edith's Coppers, Blue Coppers (I know, seems like an oxymoron), a Lilac-Bordered Copper (the first of that species I've seen in my life!), a Garita Skipperling, a fritillary that didn't want its picture taken, and a satyr that also was camera shy. I also photographed a few blues - perhaps one of the dotted blues I'd been looking for in Washington. Peg and Colleen called me on my cell phone (there's a difference between today and thirty years ago!) and came up to see what I was up to. On the way down, I met a man who worked as a dispatcher and he pointed out that the elk herd was running. A grizzly (unseen) was also trying to pick off a calf and split the herd as part of its hunting strategy. We had a nice talk, and Peg and Colleen joined us as we talked. He liked Grassy Lake Road a lot, which Peg and I have fond memories of from past years.
We went back to the Lodge for one of the best meals of my life - buffalo and a chile relleno. Colleen had the chicken pot pie, which she said has ruined pot pies for her for the rest of her life it was so good. Peg had Thai Chicken, which was also good but paled in comparison to what I had. Our waiter was from Poland (a lot of staff at these places come from all over the world) and we had a lot of fun.
After lunch we made a brief foray up Lunchbox Hill again, then it was off to Jackson Hole.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Yellowstone and the Tetons
After a night at the Flagg Ranch we returned to Yellowstone. By the way - get an annual pass if you plan on visiting National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests. Eighty bucks and it covers all the fees; a great deal. Our goal for the day was to see the West Bluff Basin, Yellowstone Lake and Old Faithful.
We stopped at Lewis Falls which was a beautiful spot. The Lewis River at this point meanders through some great meadows, and the falls is quite nice. There were quite a few Violet Green Swallows cruising around and nesting under the bridge. Then it was on to West Bluff. We hadn't planned to spend a lot of time there, but the place is fascinating. Colleen said it was her favorite place so far. There were two Elk does wandering around right next to the boardwalk; seemed a bit risky to me because the crust can break plummeting whatever broke it into boiling water. But the elk seemed to know what they were doing (browsing!) and pretty much ignored the people.
I took lots of photos of the pools because I wanted to document the thermophiles growing there. These are Archaebacteria ("Archaes" for short) that have the ability to survive - and thrive - in extreme conditions. They're a separate domain of life, named Archae- because they seemed to be much like the most ancestral forms of life (3.5 billion years old). Turns out they're actually more closely related to Eukaryotes (which includes us) than they are to the Eubacteria. Anyway, they make some spectacular colors in and around the hot water pools. I also managed to film an Edith's Copper - a specialty of this part of the country.
Oops - just remembered I have to take the trash out! I'll be back...
We stopped at Lewis Falls which was a beautiful spot. The Lewis River at this point meanders through some great meadows, and the falls is quite nice. There were quite a few Violet Green Swallows cruising around and nesting under the bridge. Then it was on to West Bluff. We hadn't planned to spend a lot of time there, but the place is fascinating. Colleen said it was her favorite place so far. There were two Elk does wandering around right next to the boardwalk; seemed a bit risky to me because the crust can break plummeting whatever broke it into boiling water. But the elk seemed to know what they were doing (browsing!) and pretty much ignored the people.
I took lots of photos of the pools because I wanted to document the thermophiles growing there. These are Archaebacteria ("Archaes" for short) that have the ability to survive - and thrive - in extreme conditions. They're a separate domain of life, named Archae- because they seemed to be much like the most ancestral forms of life (3.5 billion years old). Turns out they're actually more closely related to Eukaryotes (which includes us) than they are to the Eubacteria. Anyway, they make some spectacular colors in and around the hot water pools. I also managed to film an Edith's Copper - a specialty of this part of the country.
Oops - just remembered I have to take the trash out! I'll be back...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wyoming
We drove through Montana after our stop in Kellog. Highlight was re-viewing a billboard we'd seen on our way out to the Olympic Peninsula advertising a "Testicle Festival". No, it wasn't an advertisement for an "adult" bookstore - instead it was advertising a "Rocky Mountain Oyster" festival. For those of you not in the know, when cattle are raised for beef, most of the males are castrated (making steers) and the testicles are used to make Rocky Mountain Oysters. When I had a girlfriend in Colorado, there was a bar east of Ft. Collins that had all you could eat R.M.O. and good country music (and beer) on Friday nights. I indulged and they weren't bad (a little rich for my taste). They're cut into strips and deep-fried.
We arrived in Gardiner pretty late, but pressed on - taking pictures of the "Roosevelt Gate" on the way into Yellowstone. The ranger told us it would be probably 3 - 4 hours through the park to our destination (the Flagg Ranch located between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. As it was pretty late, we stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge to call Flagg and change our reservations for the following night and Monday and then inquired if Mammoth Hot Springs had any vacancies. After a bit of shuffling, it was determined that they didn't, but they gave us a listing of motels in Gardiner, so we reserved a room there.
With that taken care of, we had a bit of time to explore the Springs. When we had arrived at the Lodge, there were a number of elk right on the Lodge grounds (with a couple of rangers stationed near by to keep folks from bothering them. As we walked up to the Springs, we saw an elk fawn calling for its mom. A little later, we saw an elk doe across the road on a hill - perhaps the missing parent. Saw Killdeer investigating the water for dinner. I initially thought they might be a different plover - maybe Snowy Plovers - but looking at the photos proved they were Killdeer.
A rain shower drove us back to the car and then back to Gardiner. Amazing sunset on the way back to the motel. Once settled in, I went out to take some evening photos over the mountains from the motel parking lot.
The next day, it was on to Yellowstone. Almost as soon as we got in the park, we spotted a Pronghorn Antelope pretty close to the road. These critters are hard to photograph as they usually run - but this one posed nicely for both photos and video. Not much further on, we saw a bunch of vehicles stopped - usually the sign of some interesting wildlife. Sure enough, there was a Black Bear near the road, gathering breakfast from the berry bushes. Got a bunch of nice photos and video of him before pressing on.
There were tons of Uinta Ground Squirrels by the roadsides (some on the road - permanently). We stopped at some ponds to check for waterfowl and spotted Ruddy Ducks and Coots, in addition to the ubiquitous Uinta Squirrels (one of which we photographed eating rose blossoms). A bit further on, we saw a hawk with one of the squirrels in its talons. We went to the petrified tree and photographed lots of flowers. A couple from Michigan were using their spotting scopes to look for woodpeckers. We talked with them and learned that they were watching Williamson's Sapsuckers - one of which flew to a tree nearby as we talked. I was unable to get a photo - but saw the bird pretty clearly. They were hoping to see the Red-breasted Sapsucker, what with all the dead trees, but hadn't yet.
We moved on over Dunraven Pass. Colleen was wearing a "Eureka College" T-shirt and when we stopped at the top of the pass, a man turned to us and said "I went to Eureka College for a year!" Turned out he was a roommate of a student we knew back in the '80's. I was distracted by a Hayden's Ringlet which landed in the parking lot, but Colleen and Peg had a nice conversation with him and his family.
We hiked a bit of the Washburn Peak trail, photographing Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, flowers and a couple of butterflies (Greenish Blues - my attempts to photograph a species of Colias - probably scudderii - failed because they never landed). We also saw a chipmunk and several Clark's Nutcrackers.
Then it was on to Canyon Village and lunch, then to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the falls. Buffalo were right next to the road, so Peg got some nice shots - and we all took tons of photos of the falls and the canyon. Again, only a few butterflies were seen, and none landed where I could get a picture. I did see a fritillary - probably Callippe.
On through the Hayden Valley, where a bunch of folks were stopped looking at a Grizzly. We didn't stop as the traffic was pretty bad there. A little further on, another traffic jam disclosed the presence of a coyote. We asked one of the people stopped what everyone was looking at and he said "wolf". I thought so too, but on reviewing the video and photos I'm sure it's a coyote.
Getting tired out, we moved on - stopping at Grant Village to refresh and observe a forest fire. We drove on to Flagg Ranch and settled in for our 2-day stay there with a nice view of the Tetons.
We arrived in Gardiner pretty late, but pressed on - taking pictures of the "Roosevelt Gate" on the way into Yellowstone. The ranger told us it would be probably 3 - 4 hours through the park to our destination (the Flagg Ranch located between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. As it was pretty late, we stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge to call Flagg and change our reservations for the following night and Monday and then inquired if Mammoth Hot Springs had any vacancies. After a bit of shuffling, it was determined that they didn't, but they gave us a listing of motels in Gardiner, so we reserved a room there.
With that taken care of, we had a bit of time to explore the Springs. When we had arrived at the Lodge, there were a number of elk right on the Lodge grounds (with a couple of rangers stationed near by to keep folks from bothering them. As we walked up to the Springs, we saw an elk fawn calling for its mom. A little later, we saw an elk doe across the road on a hill - perhaps the missing parent. Saw Killdeer investigating the water for dinner. I initially thought they might be a different plover - maybe Snowy Plovers - but looking at the photos proved they were Killdeer.
A rain shower drove us back to the car and then back to Gardiner. Amazing sunset on the way back to the motel. Once settled in, I went out to take some evening photos over the mountains from the motel parking lot.
The next day, it was on to Yellowstone. Almost as soon as we got in the park, we spotted a Pronghorn Antelope pretty close to the road. These critters are hard to photograph as they usually run - but this one posed nicely for both photos and video. Not much further on, we saw a bunch of vehicles stopped - usually the sign of some interesting wildlife. Sure enough, there was a Black Bear near the road, gathering breakfast from the berry bushes. Got a bunch of nice photos and video of him before pressing on.
There were tons of Uinta Ground Squirrels by the roadsides (some on the road - permanently). We stopped at some ponds to check for waterfowl and spotted Ruddy Ducks and Coots, in addition to the ubiquitous Uinta Squirrels (one of which we photographed eating rose blossoms). A bit further on, we saw a hawk with one of the squirrels in its talons. We went to the petrified tree and photographed lots of flowers. A couple from Michigan were using their spotting scopes to look for woodpeckers. We talked with them and learned that they were watching Williamson's Sapsuckers - one of which flew to a tree nearby as we talked. I was unable to get a photo - but saw the bird pretty clearly. They were hoping to see the Red-breasted Sapsucker, what with all the dead trees, but hadn't yet.
We moved on over Dunraven Pass. Colleen was wearing a "Eureka College" T-shirt and when we stopped at the top of the pass, a man turned to us and said "I went to Eureka College for a year!" Turned out he was a roommate of a student we knew back in the '80's. I was distracted by a Hayden's Ringlet which landed in the parking lot, but Colleen and Peg had a nice conversation with him and his family.
We hiked a bit of the Washburn Peak trail, photographing Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, flowers and a couple of butterflies (Greenish Blues - my attempts to photograph a species of Colias - probably scudderii - failed because they never landed). We also saw a chipmunk and several Clark's Nutcrackers.
Then it was on to Canyon Village and lunch, then to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the falls. Buffalo were right next to the road, so Peg got some nice shots - and we all took tons of photos of the falls and the canyon. Again, only a few butterflies were seen, and none landed where I could get a picture. I did see a fritillary - probably Callippe.
On through the Hayden Valley, where a bunch of folks were stopped looking at a Grizzly. We didn't stop as the traffic was pretty bad there. A little further on, another traffic jam disclosed the presence of a coyote. We asked one of the people stopped what everyone was looking at and he said "wolf". I thought so too, but on reviewing the video and photos I'm sure it's a coyote.
Getting tired out, we moved on - stopping at Grant Village to refresh and observe a forest fire. We drove on to Flagg Ranch and settled in for our 2-day stay there with a nice view of the Tetons.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The drive to Yellowstone
We left Quinault (reluctantly) and got on the road. After stopping for Rainier cherries (yum!) and gas, it was back onto highway 12. I was pretty tired, so Peg took over some of the driving as we passed Mt. Rainier again. We stopped at what seemed to be a restaurant in the pass, only to find out the old restaurant had burned down and the new one wouldn't open until fall. The two women who told us this (the owner and her daughter) were busily observing some Black-tailed deer, including a nice buck, on the hill opposite and shared their binoculars with us. After the owner found out I was interested in butterflies, she excitedly showed me her "butterfly alphabet" poster which she wants to hang in a prominent place in her restaurant.
We pressed on, in search of lunch. Finally found a spot a few miles down the road past Rimrock Lake. It had a lovely garden along the rushing river, with several hummingbird feeders, frequented by (most likely) Rufous Hummers. Then it was on to Yakima and the interstates.
At a rest stop along I-82, I examined the Eriogonum for Blues, but no luck. Still very few butterflies in evidence. Then it was on to Kellog and a motel for the night.
Next stop: Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons!
We pressed on, in search of lunch. Finally found a spot a few miles down the road past Rimrock Lake. It had a lovely garden along the rushing river, with several hummingbird feeders, frequented by (most likely) Rufous Hummers. Then it was on to Yakima and the interstates.
At a rest stop along I-82, I examined the Eriogonum for Blues, but no luck. Still very few butterflies in evidence. Then it was on to Kellog and a motel for the night.
Next stop: Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Ocean
After settling in at the lodge, we went down to the beach for a brief foray before dinner. I was surprised by the huge number of logs piled up at the high tide line. Of course, in our cabin there was a prominent warning: "Beach Logs Can Kill!" which did nothing to build confidence in our daughter. I could certainly see how it would happen - one of those logs tossed by the surf could ruin your whole day - but one just needs to pay attention. I didn't help by admonishing everyone to keep an eye on the ocean for rogue waves. I don't think I mentioned sharks...
There were lots of razor clam shells on the beach, as well as crab carapaces. Large flocks of sea gulls were present as well; I think 3 different species though I haven't yet poured over the photos to identify them. Gulls, especially immatures, are very difficult to identify.
We went up to the lodge for dinner; pricey but in a beautiful spot where we could watch the sun set over the Pacific. After that, it was back to the cabin and sleep. Unfortunately, I detected the beginnings of a cold (sore throat). The next morning, after some breakfast, I went off to Aberdeen to see about the car which took me most of the day. I finally got a rental van (huge!) and went back to the cabin (1.5 hours one way from Aberdeen) in time for a nice walk on the endless beach. I took some video of the gulls and a couple of flocks of sandpipers (again, very difficult to identify, but I have good photos). We also discovered colonies of blue mussels (dead, washed up on the beach) and kelp.
The next morning, after checking with car insurance and the body shop, it was off to Ruby Beach. What a fantastic place! There are sea stacks and tide pools galore. We arrived at low tide, perfect for observing tide pool creatures. On the way down to the beach, I filmed a yellowish warbler (why do I always find critters that are difficult to identify?) and saw cedar waxwings in the bushes. On the beach, I was anxious to get to the pools, and was admonished to stay with the group. We explored the pools, and found the rocks covered with sea anemones, starfish, mussels, limpets, chitons, and snails of various types. There were numerous holes burrowed into the rock by burrowing clams (Piddocks) which explained some of the fantastic rocks we found the day before on Kalaloch Beach. Some scientists from the National Park Service were examining the rocks as well, and explained a few of the things we were seeing. The tide turned, so we wandered back to the beach, enchanted by all we had seen. Then it was off to Aberdeen for me for another round of wrestling about the car. I turned in the giant van and eventually got a nice little Mazda for the trip back home.
Back to Kalaloch, in time for another stroll on the beach and a nice sunset. The next morning, we packed up and headed for Quinault. We explored the Quinault rain forest, another unbelievable experience. We checked out the historic Quinault Lodge (I could be talked into staying there for a few months) and then, Mikey not feeling too well, found a really nice cabin down the road near the world's largest Sitka Spruce. I slept while Peg and Colleen explored the surroundings. It was a wonderful spot, and I could have easily stayed there another day, but Yellowstone and the Tetons were beckoning, so the next morning we packed up for the road trip to Idaho, Montana and points beyond.
More on that in my next post.
There were lots of razor clam shells on the beach, as well as crab carapaces. Large flocks of sea gulls were present as well; I think 3 different species though I haven't yet poured over the photos to identify them. Gulls, especially immatures, are very difficult to identify.
We went up to the lodge for dinner; pricey but in a beautiful spot where we could watch the sun set over the Pacific. After that, it was back to the cabin and sleep. Unfortunately, I detected the beginnings of a cold (sore throat). The next morning, after some breakfast, I went off to Aberdeen to see about the car which took me most of the day. I finally got a rental van (huge!) and went back to the cabin (1.5 hours one way from Aberdeen) in time for a nice walk on the endless beach. I took some video of the gulls and a couple of flocks of sandpipers (again, very difficult to identify, but I have good photos). We also discovered colonies of blue mussels (dead, washed up on the beach) and kelp.
The next morning, after checking with car insurance and the body shop, it was off to Ruby Beach. What a fantastic place! There are sea stacks and tide pools galore. We arrived at low tide, perfect for observing tide pool creatures. On the way down to the beach, I filmed a yellowish warbler (why do I always find critters that are difficult to identify?) and saw cedar waxwings in the bushes. On the beach, I was anxious to get to the pools, and was admonished to stay with the group. We explored the pools, and found the rocks covered with sea anemones, starfish, mussels, limpets, chitons, and snails of various types. There were numerous holes burrowed into the rock by burrowing clams (Piddocks) which explained some of the fantastic rocks we found the day before on Kalaloch Beach. Some scientists from the National Park Service were examining the rocks as well, and explained a few of the things we were seeing. The tide turned, so we wandered back to the beach, enchanted by all we had seen. Then it was off to Aberdeen for me for another round of wrestling about the car. I turned in the giant van and eventually got a nice little Mazda for the trip back home.
Back to Kalaloch, in time for another stroll on the beach and a nice sunset. The next morning, we packed up and headed for Quinault. We explored the Quinault rain forest, another unbelievable experience. We checked out the historic Quinault Lodge (I could be talked into staying there for a few months) and then, Mikey not feeling too well, found a really nice cabin down the road near the world's largest Sitka Spruce. I slept while Peg and Colleen explored the surroundings. It was a wonderful spot, and I could have easily stayed there another day, but Yellowstone and the Tetons were beckoning, so the next morning we packed up for the road trip to Idaho, Montana and points beyond.
More on that in my next post.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Accidents will happen
We left Leavenworth around noon, having decided to take the southern route past Mt. Rainier. The drive out of the mountains down route 97 was quite spectacular, and then we were on the eastern Washington desert. I noticed lots of Eriogonum - food plant of the blue butterfly genus Euphilotes, but we didn't stop to examine them. Followed the interstate down to Yakima, and got our first glimpse of the north Cascade volcanoes - Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. It was awe-inspiring! Leaving Yakima along U.S. 12, we wound through the mountains and saw much spectacular scenery in the form of big lakes and forest and meadow vistas. At one rest stop, we saw an impressive waterfall. Rounding one corner, there was Mt. Rainier in all its glory. I suspect the pull-out where we stopped to take pictures is the one used by every photographer to capture the mountain, as the view looked almost familiar. We visited Mt. Rainier National Park briefly - long enough to see some amazing trees along the grove of the giants. Then it was time to press on. We found a motel in Centralia and settled in for the night.
The next morning, we had a box of clothes to send home to try and lighten the load, so we asked directions to the post office and off we went. On the way out of town, we spied a yard full of "outsider art" and stopped for a look. The artist - Richard Tracy (aka "Richart") was there and gave us his whirlwind tour of his yard. You can google "Richart" and find him, but of course we have tons of photos. The experience was quite moving - and unexpected. After stopping for cherries, we drove on to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at Lake Quinault and visited the world's biggest Sitka Spruce and the historic lodge, vowing to come back for a tour of the Quinault Rain Forest. As we got back on the road, heading for our ultimate destination - Kalaloch Lodge right on the beach - we noticed a beautiful view of Lake Quinault with the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. I turned around to go back to a turn out where we could get some photos. As I turned left to get into the turn out - it happened. A pick-up driven by a non-English speaking Hispanic attempted to pass us and smashed right into the driver's side of our beloved Vibe. Colleen's window was shattered, and her door and my door could not be opened. However, no one was hurt, except for some minor bruises. We pulled to the side of the road and awaited the authorities. First to arrive were the Quinault tribal police (the accident took place on Quinault tribal lands) who were quite nice and helpful. Some Washington State Dept. of Transportation workers also pulled over to give us a hand in the form of duct tape to tape up Colleen's broken window. Next, a sheriff's deputy showed up and after about an hour a Washington State Trooper pulled up. He'd driven 100 mph for about an hour to get to us - did I mention that the area is pretty remote? He was a great guy - older than me! - and gave us some nice tips on the Peninsula. The other driver was uninsured, and was ticketed for no insurance and improper passing.
Fortunately, the Vibe was still drivable, so after we got everything cleared up, off we went to Kalaloch Lodge. It was a beautiful spot - and I will post on that area next time.
The next morning, we had a box of clothes to send home to try and lighten the load, so we asked directions to the post office and off we went. On the way out of town, we spied a yard full of "outsider art" and stopped for a look. The artist - Richard Tracy (aka "Richart") was there and gave us his whirlwind tour of his yard. You can google "Richart" and find him, but of course we have tons of photos. The experience was quite moving - and unexpected. After stopping for cherries, we drove on to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at Lake Quinault and visited the world's biggest Sitka Spruce and the historic lodge, vowing to come back for a tour of the Quinault Rain Forest. As we got back on the road, heading for our ultimate destination - Kalaloch Lodge right on the beach - we noticed a beautiful view of Lake Quinault with the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. I turned around to go back to a turn out where we could get some photos. As I turned left to get into the turn out - it happened. A pick-up driven by a non-English speaking Hispanic attempted to pass us and smashed right into the driver's side of our beloved Vibe. Colleen's window was shattered, and her door and my door could not be opened. However, no one was hurt, except for some minor bruises. We pulled to the side of the road and awaited the authorities. First to arrive were the Quinault tribal police (the accident took place on Quinault tribal lands) who were quite nice and helpful. Some Washington State Dept. of Transportation workers also pulled over to give us a hand in the form of duct tape to tape up Colleen's broken window. Next, a sheriff's deputy showed up and after about an hour a Washington State Trooper pulled up. He'd driven 100 mph for about an hour to get to us - did I mention that the area is pretty remote? He was a great guy - older than me! - and gave us some nice tips on the Peninsula. The other driver was uninsured, and was ticketed for no insurance and improper passing.
Fortunately, the Vibe was still drivable, so after we got everything cleared up, off we went to Kalaloch Lodge. It was a beautiful spot - and I will post on that area next time.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Adventure continues
The Lepidopterists' Society meeting was held at the Enzian Inn in Leavenworth. This is a place along a river, in the lower reaches of the Cascades. The first night, Peg and I took a walk in a park which included a couple of islands in the river. As we were walking down the alley towards the park, a Black-tailed deer - small buck - appeared at the other end of the alley and slowly walked towards us, browsing along the way. He got within about 2 meters before he paid any attention to us, and that was just to hop a little past us and then continue browsing down the alley! We walked into the island part of the park and came upon a doe and her fawn - again neither paid us much attention.
The next morning, I got up early and went back with my camera. Got a few shots of another deer, but no fawn shots. Then it was back to the Inn for breakfast. A side note: Leavenworth was dying as a town when the city elders decided to try and become a tourist mecca by transforming the city into "Little Bavaria". Everything is German themed - even the McDonalds. The Enzian Inn is no exception (how would you know from the name?) and they served an amazing breakfast (included in the room fee - which was not cheap). Many tasty pastries, and they served actual breakfast food instead of that "Continental Breakfast" crap (dried up bagels and Lucky Charms) one usually gets at motels. The sausage was amazing. At 8:15, an old Bavarian-costumed guy came out with one of those really long horns and stood on the balcony rail and played some songs. Then he got down and went into the room where we had breakfast (you could eat on the balcony, too) where he looked for the most likely young person. He placed his horn on the ground some distance from his victim and then began playing. He slowly slid the horn along the floor towards his young target and then rapidly moved the horn up to the target as he finished the song.
After breakfast, it was Executive Council time. Since I'm Secretary of the Society, I have to take the minutes and give a report as well. Most discussion centered around the "Outernet" project, designed to get children away from the Internet and outside in nature. It's part of the "No Child Left Inside" movement, begun in part by my friend Robert Michael Pyle. Basically, we're hoping to find a way to get an insect net into the hands of as many children as possible to get them outside catching bugs and thus connecting with nature. We had a nice lunch and then concluded our meeting in the early afternoon. Peg and Colleen had discovered the shopping pleasures (of which there were many), so I grabbed a camera and went in search of the Lorquin's Admiral on the river island. Very few butterflies, but I did manage to find one Lorquin's Admiral, who refused to perch close enough for a good picture. He was a freshly emerged male, hunting for a mate and not at all interested in providing a photo-op for a lepidopterist. However, a doe decided she wanted her portrait taken, and in the process showed me a Catbird's nest. I also spotted some type of wren feeding a giant Cowbird offspring - clearly a result of nest parasitism.
That evening, after Peg and Colleen had demonstrated their various purchases, we went to an informal reception and reconnected with old friends. The next day, after fabulous breakfast #2, we skipped the meetings and headed up the canyon. Lots of flowers, but few butterflies. However, I did get my pictures of Lorquin's Admiral and some movies of one feeding on dung (yes, butterflies eat some pretty disgusting stuff). Another side note: Colleen hates the scene in "Return of the King" where Gollum has turned Frodo against Sam, so that when Sam asks if he can help by carrying the One Ring ("Share the Load"), Frodo banishes Sam. It's a pretty heart-breaking scene, and being caring parents, we tend to use the line - "share the load" - at every opportunity (Colleen, we're unloading the car here - "Share the Load"). When I replayed the video of the Lorquin's Admiral feeding on dung, I noticed that it was scared off by some flies. I showed it to Colleen and inquired why they couldn't just "share the load". We were having a great time, but then hit a sober reminder: there were two crosses next to the trail with names on them, and one had pictures. Flowers were placed nearby. Two young women had drowned at that spot.
We returned to the town and I went to some of the afternoon meetings while Peg and Colleen recovered from our warm walk. That evening, there was a barbecue scheduled and so off we went. I met an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years. Colleen connected with a young girl (Alexandra) who loved fairies (those of you who know Colleen will not be surprised..) and spent a lot of time playing with her. We ate with that family. Alexandra's father was from El Salvador, and it was interesting to talk with him briefly about his country.
The next day, Peg and I took another walk around the Park and then I went to the meetings while they scoured the town for more stuff. The banquet was that evening and we ate with some nice local folks who gave us some tips on the Olympic Peninsula. Bob Pyle and President John Shuey gave really fine talks - John about the importance of saving habitats as opposed to individual species and Bob giving us readings from his new book, Mariposa Road, chronicling his "butterfly big year".
The final day of the meeting was mostly occupied with the business meeting of the Society, again requiring my presence to report on the Executive Council meeting and take notes. We finished up around 11:00, and then it was time to pack up and head off for the next part of our adventure. More on this next time.
The next morning, I got up early and went back with my camera. Got a few shots of another deer, but no fawn shots. Then it was back to the Inn for breakfast. A side note: Leavenworth was dying as a town when the city elders decided to try and become a tourist mecca by transforming the city into "Little Bavaria". Everything is German themed - even the McDonalds. The Enzian Inn is no exception (how would you know from the name?) and they served an amazing breakfast (included in the room fee - which was not cheap). Many tasty pastries, and they served actual breakfast food instead of that "Continental Breakfast" crap (dried up bagels and Lucky Charms) one usually gets at motels. The sausage was amazing. At 8:15, an old Bavarian-costumed guy came out with one of those really long horns and stood on the balcony rail and played some songs. Then he got down and went into the room where we had breakfast (you could eat on the balcony, too) where he looked for the most likely young person. He placed his horn on the ground some distance from his victim and then began playing. He slowly slid the horn along the floor towards his young target and then rapidly moved the horn up to the target as he finished the song.
After breakfast, it was Executive Council time. Since I'm Secretary of the Society, I have to take the minutes and give a report as well. Most discussion centered around the "Outernet" project, designed to get children away from the Internet and outside in nature. It's part of the "No Child Left Inside" movement, begun in part by my friend Robert Michael Pyle. Basically, we're hoping to find a way to get an insect net into the hands of as many children as possible to get them outside catching bugs and thus connecting with nature. We had a nice lunch and then concluded our meeting in the early afternoon. Peg and Colleen had discovered the shopping pleasures (of which there were many), so I grabbed a camera and went in search of the Lorquin's Admiral on the river island. Very few butterflies, but I did manage to find one Lorquin's Admiral, who refused to perch close enough for a good picture. He was a freshly emerged male, hunting for a mate and not at all interested in providing a photo-op for a lepidopterist. However, a doe decided she wanted her portrait taken, and in the process showed me a Catbird's nest. I also spotted some type of wren feeding a giant Cowbird offspring - clearly a result of nest parasitism.
That evening, after Peg and Colleen had demonstrated their various purchases, we went to an informal reception and reconnected with old friends. The next day, after fabulous breakfast #2, we skipped the meetings and headed up the canyon. Lots of flowers, but few butterflies. However, I did get my pictures of Lorquin's Admiral and some movies of one feeding on dung (yes, butterflies eat some pretty disgusting stuff). Another side note: Colleen hates the scene in "Return of the King" where Gollum has turned Frodo against Sam, so that when Sam asks if he can help by carrying the One Ring ("Share the Load"), Frodo banishes Sam. It's a pretty heart-breaking scene, and being caring parents, we tend to use the line - "share the load" - at every opportunity (Colleen, we're unloading the car here - "Share the Load"). When I replayed the video of the Lorquin's Admiral feeding on dung, I noticed that it was scared off by some flies. I showed it to Colleen and inquired why they couldn't just "share the load". We were having a great time, but then hit a sober reminder: there were two crosses next to the trail with names on them, and one had pictures. Flowers were placed nearby. Two young women had drowned at that spot.
We returned to the town and I went to some of the afternoon meetings while Peg and Colleen recovered from our warm walk. That evening, there was a barbecue scheduled and so off we went. I met an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years. Colleen connected with a young girl (Alexandra) who loved fairies (those of you who know Colleen will not be surprised..) and spent a lot of time playing with her. We ate with that family. Alexandra's father was from El Salvador, and it was interesting to talk with him briefly about his country.
The next day, Peg and I took another walk around the Park and then I went to the meetings while they scoured the town for more stuff. The banquet was that evening and we ate with some nice local folks who gave us some tips on the Olympic Peninsula. Bob Pyle and President John Shuey gave really fine talks - John about the importance of saving habitats as opposed to individual species and Bob giving us readings from his new book, Mariposa Road, chronicling his "butterfly big year".
The final day of the meeting was mostly occupied with the business meeting of the Society, again requiring my presence to report on the Executive Council meeting and take notes. We finished up around 11:00, and then it was time to pack up and head off for the next part of our adventure. More on this next time.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Northwestern U.S.
July 2 to July 23, 2010: We began our nearly month-long vacation/professional meeting by going to Maggie’s wedding in Michigan. Soon, natural history on the road came to the fore. I saw quite a number of dead foxes (road kill) along Hwy 421 in Indiana on the way to Michigan. That road goes through some fairly wooded areas – when I was in graduate school we used to come there in the winter to collect Callosamia promethea cocoons which positively dripped from the roadside Sassafras. We like to travel the smaller highways and on July 4th weekend that proved to be a wise choice; some of the other wedding guests took over 8 hours to get to Michigan from the Chicago area!
Once at the lodge (near Whitehall) we settled in and chatted with old friends. Next morning, it was off to a state park just down the road where we had a nice (cold) breakfast – we were the ones that were cold! Walking along the shore back in the woods, we found a lot of neat stuff: Indian Pipe (parasitic plant – lacks chlorophyll), vegetative and reproductive shoots of horsetail, several kinds of dragonflies, mushrooms and ant lions. I dug one out for Peg and Colleen to see – they’re difficult creatures to catch because they burrow in the sand so rapidly. The adults look like dragonflies with antennae.
Maggie’s wedding and the following reception were wonderful and loads of fun. Great music and gin and tonic! The next day, July 4th, we were off on our way to Washington (the state, not the nation’s capital). We were pokey – my fault – and drove along the lakeshore. Traverse City was a madhouse because of a Blue Angels air show, but we managed to find a little peace (and some black squirrels) on the campus of a local college which had some nice sculptures. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, which was amazing. I had heard it was a spectacular structure, but I had no idea... We stopped on the other side (the UP) for some photo-ops and I saw quite a few Ring-billed gulls hanging around. We drove a little ways into the UP and found an isolated motel looking out on a wetland. There were Tundra Swans swimming around in the wetland, along with Canadian Geese. We had dinner at a local diner just down the road and heard one of the patrons mention that it was his 68th wedding anniversary. He had served on New Guinea during WWII. The family sitting near him bought him and his wife a bottle of Champagne – very cool. The diner looked out over Lake Michigan, and the owners had provided each table with binoculars and bird books so patrons could check out all the birds on the lake or visiting the feeders located near the restaurant. Food wasn’t bad, either!
The next day, we began our trek across the UP, hoping to reach North Dakota (Ha!). As we drove along U.S. Hwy. 2, we saw many dead porcupines. Their usual defense doesn’t work so well against autos. We also saw a large dead black bear – another victim of cars. I won’t mention all the dead deer... The UP is BIG – it took us pretty much all day to get to WI. We pushed on into MN and stopped (finally) at a motel just west of Brainerd. The next day, we continued our journey west. A rest stop in western MN yielded a large number of moths, including a Polyphemus moth and many tent caterpillar adults. We got some nice photos. The road also yielded our first sighting of Bald Eagles as we neared the North Dakota border.
North Dakota was a pleasant surprise; green rolling hills and lots of potholes with waterfowl. Among the latter, we saw White Pelicans and my first view of a pair of Western Grebes. In western North Dakota, we had a brief view of Theodore Roosevelt National Park – enough to convince us that this would be a good place to visit again. Some nice prairie plants, but I was beginning to feel the butterflies were hiding from me. We managed to make it to Billings, MT, for the night. The next morning, we got on the road early and saw some beautiful low clouds in the river valley. We saw a number of deer (Mule? White-tailed? Black-tailed?) and some spectacular herds of Pronghorns. Also saw a small herd of Elk. We stopped in Kellog, ID, for a really nice lunch. Then it was on through eastern WA – very dry but still quite an interesting area. Made it to Leavenworth, the site of the annual meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society (www.lepsoc.org) - our goal for this part of the trip. I’ll post on that and the rest of our adventures later.
Once at the lodge (near Whitehall) we settled in and chatted with old friends. Next morning, it was off to a state park just down the road where we had a nice (cold) breakfast – we were the ones that were cold! Walking along the shore back in the woods, we found a lot of neat stuff: Indian Pipe (parasitic plant – lacks chlorophyll), vegetative and reproductive shoots of horsetail, several kinds of dragonflies, mushrooms and ant lions. I dug one out for Peg and Colleen to see – they’re difficult creatures to catch because they burrow in the sand so rapidly. The adults look like dragonflies with antennae.
Maggie’s wedding and the following reception were wonderful and loads of fun. Great music and gin and tonic! The next day, July 4th, we were off on our way to Washington (the state, not the nation’s capital). We were pokey – my fault – and drove along the lakeshore. Traverse City was a madhouse because of a Blue Angels air show, but we managed to find a little peace (and some black squirrels) on the campus of a local college which had some nice sculptures. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, which was amazing. I had heard it was a spectacular structure, but I had no idea... We stopped on the other side (the UP) for some photo-ops and I saw quite a few Ring-billed gulls hanging around. We drove a little ways into the UP and found an isolated motel looking out on a wetland. There were Tundra Swans swimming around in the wetland, along with Canadian Geese. We had dinner at a local diner just down the road and heard one of the patrons mention that it was his 68th wedding anniversary. He had served on New Guinea during WWII. The family sitting near him bought him and his wife a bottle of Champagne – very cool. The diner looked out over Lake Michigan, and the owners had provided each table with binoculars and bird books so patrons could check out all the birds on the lake or visiting the feeders located near the restaurant. Food wasn’t bad, either!
The next day, we began our trek across the UP, hoping to reach North Dakota (Ha!). As we drove along U.S. Hwy. 2, we saw many dead porcupines. Their usual defense doesn’t work so well against autos. We also saw a large dead black bear – another victim of cars. I won’t mention all the dead deer... The UP is BIG – it took us pretty much all day to get to WI. We pushed on into MN and stopped (finally) at a motel just west of Brainerd. The next day, we continued our journey west. A rest stop in western MN yielded a large number of moths, including a Polyphemus moth and many tent caterpillar adults. We got some nice photos. The road also yielded our first sighting of Bald Eagles as we neared the North Dakota border.
North Dakota was a pleasant surprise; green rolling hills and lots of potholes with waterfowl. Among the latter, we saw White Pelicans and my first view of a pair of Western Grebes. In western North Dakota, we had a brief view of Theodore Roosevelt National Park – enough to convince us that this would be a good place to visit again. Some nice prairie plants, but I was beginning to feel the butterflies were hiding from me. We managed to make it to Billings, MT, for the night. The next morning, we got on the road early and saw some beautiful low clouds in the river valley. We saw a number of deer (Mule? White-tailed? Black-tailed?) and some spectacular herds of Pronghorns. Also saw a small herd of Elk. We stopped in Kellog, ID, for a really nice lunch. Then it was on through eastern WA – very dry but still quite an interesting area. Made it to Leavenworth, the site of the annual meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society (www.lepsoc.org) - our goal for this part of the trip. I’ll post on that and the rest of our adventures later.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Irish...
Watched Five Minutes of Heaven last night, an interesting and complex movie about "reconciliation", "forgiveness" and revenge. Liam Neeson plays a Protestant killer in N. Ireland, and James Nesbitt (from Waking Ned Devine) plays the brother of one of his victims.
The movie doesn't go where you think it will, and you won't have "the answer" when you're done watching it. I felt detached, almost clinical, watching it, but as Peg said, it's one I'll think about for some time. It also is an interesting look at "reality TV" which, of course, is anything but.
The movie doesn't go where you think it will, and you won't have "the answer" when you're done watching it. I felt detached, almost clinical, watching it, but as Peg said, it's one I'll think about for some time. It also is an interesting look at "reality TV" which, of course, is anything but.
Monday, June 28, 2010
"Weighty" matters
Got on the scale this morning; 205 lbs. Weekend of eating too much and not getting enough exercise. Here's a tip for weight loss - eat less and exercise more. Think I can make a million with a weight loss book like that?
So, Peg got up and said "let's go for a walk". Off we went, and once again I'm reminded of a) how lucky we are to live here and b) how often we don't take advantage of our luck. It was pleasant out, after all the heat and humidity and rain - we went out a little before 7 am. Walked back through the woods to test how our boots can handle wet. Took some trails we haven't taken for awhile, and heard an oriole singing joyfully. As we neared the end of our walk, I heard a Brown Thrasher singing, and stopped to look for it. Peg spotted it, at the top of a bare tree by the wetlands. We listened to its lovely song for awhile and as we listened I spotted an Eastern Bluebird! Peg spotted the mate, so we enjoyed their bright colors for a bit and then started home. Within 50 meters, we spotted a Kingfisher and a Great Blue Heron (which let us approach to within about 5 meters - something they never used to do). There was a flock of Tree Swallows lined up on the wire running over the lake and we'd seen a pair of American Goldfinches just before the Brown Thrasher tuned up. Within 100 meters we'd seen some remarkable things; and that doesn't even count all the stuff we'd seen in the woods (a "lek" of damselflies, a stand of wild onion, some blue fleabane, Green Frogs in the Wood Duck pond, etc.)
Once again, the lesson comes home: get off your butt and get outside!
So, Peg got up and said "let's go for a walk". Off we went, and once again I'm reminded of a) how lucky we are to live here and b) how often we don't take advantage of our luck. It was pleasant out, after all the heat and humidity and rain - we went out a little before 7 am. Walked back through the woods to test how our boots can handle wet. Took some trails we haven't taken for awhile, and heard an oriole singing joyfully. As we neared the end of our walk, I heard a Brown Thrasher singing, and stopped to look for it. Peg spotted it, at the top of a bare tree by the wetlands. We listened to its lovely song for awhile and as we listened I spotted an Eastern Bluebird! Peg spotted the mate, so we enjoyed their bright colors for a bit and then started home. Within 50 meters, we spotted a Kingfisher and a Great Blue Heron (which let us approach to within about 5 meters - something they never used to do). There was a flock of Tree Swallows lined up on the wire running over the lake and we'd seen a pair of American Goldfinches just before the Brown Thrasher tuned up. Within 100 meters we'd seen some remarkable things; and that doesn't even count all the stuff we'd seen in the woods (a "lek" of damselflies, a stand of wild onion, some blue fleabane, Green Frogs in the Wood Duck pond, etc.)
Once again, the lesson comes home: get off your butt and get outside!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Finished reading The Pacific - the companion book to the HBO series about WWII in the Pacific (duh!) as told via the experiences of Marines and Navy fliers. It was written by Hugh Ambrose, the son of Steven Ambrose (author of many works on WWII including D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, and Band of Brothers). I found the book interesting (I haven't see the HBO series yet, don't have cable), but I can't say I was enthralled.
I found Sledge's character most interesting. Here's a guy who was dying to join the Marines and get into combat, and then learns exactly what that means on Pelilu. His transformation from naive boot to embittered veteran is illuminating.
I wanted to join the Marines in 1967 and did so against the wishes of my parents, much as Gene Sledge. I'd like to think I wasn't as naive as Sledge, and I wouldn't characterize myself as embittered (though I certainly feel some bitterness at how most people perceive the Viet Nam war). My experiences in combat were undoubtedly less intense than Sledge's, but more prolonged. There wasn't a day when I was in 'Nam when I was "safe". I certainly don't blame the Marines for what happened there. If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't join but I did gain some valuable experience and I became a better person because of that experience and because of the Marines.
Those of you who want a sense of what my war was like should read Dispatches and/or The Things They Carried. So far, there isn't a movie I'd recommend to help you on this score, though Full Metal Jacket is not bad. From the Vietnamese point of view, I'd recommend the movies Green Dragon and The Beautiful Country.
I found Sledge's character most interesting. Here's a guy who was dying to join the Marines and get into combat, and then learns exactly what that means on Pelilu. His transformation from naive boot to embittered veteran is illuminating.
I wanted to join the Marines in 1967 and did so against the wishes of my parents, much as Gene Sledge. I'd like to think I wasn't as naive as Sledge, and I wouldn't characterize myself as embittered (though I certainly feel some bitterness at how most people perceive the Viet Nam war). My experiences in combat were undoubtedly less intense than Sledge's, but more prolonged. There wasn't a day when I was in 'Nam when I was "safe". I certainly don't blame the Marines for what happened there. If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't join but I did gain some valuable experience and I became a better person because of that experience and because of the Marines.
Those of you who want a sense of what my war was like should read Dispatches and/or The Things They Carried. So far, there isn't a movie I'd recommend to help you on this score, though Full Metal Jacket is not bad. From the Vietnamese point of view, I'd recommend the movies Green Dragon and The Beautiful Country.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pets, et al
Yesterday, our cat (Santosha - Tasha for short) went through her morning ritual of racing about the house and then becoming an "ambush predator". Peg named her "Pounce a de Leon"; because she rarely misses a meal or a chance to gangster yoghurt from Peg, I countered with "Paunch a de Leon". I'd post a picture, but I haven't uploaded it yet.
Pets acquire many names in the course of our association. Yoda - our beloved Shih Tzu - was "Meat Buh Hee" (after Frank Baum's characterization of Toto in Tiktok - the mechanical man as a "meat dog"), "Mr. B.", "Mitter B.", "the Boy", and "Yeehoda" among others. Tasha is normally called "KK", and I will call her "Stinkpot" at least once a day (though she doesn't stink!) Pets are quite the comfort; research has shown that people with pets have fewer illnesses and live longer than people without pets. And pets live longer than their wild counterparts. Evolution would favor such an association, but I prefer to just enjoy it.
What I don't enjoy is reading ignorant comments on the internet. I was reading an article in the Pantagraph this morning about Michael Gammon and his successful battle against schizophrenia. The comments by people who know nothing of this situation were absolutely astounding in their ignorance and viciousness. Here's a tip - if you don't know what you're talking about - STFU.
Unfortunately, the internet has certainly decreased civility in our society. Anybody can say anything they want without fear of retribution or exposure. It's a lot easier to say cruel and ignorant things when you can do it anonymously. One hopes we'll get through this period and regain some of the civility we've lost. Or perhaps I'm kidding myself; there's certainly a tendency to regard past times as "better" and there were certainly some glaring cases of incivility in times past. Regardless, it seems to me that nothing is gained by demonizing folks with differing opinions.
Pets acquire many names in the course of our association. Yoda - our beloved Shih Tzu - was "Meat Buh Hee" (after Frank Baum's characterization of Toto in Tiktok - the mechanical man as a "meat dog"), "Mr. B.", "Mitter B.", "the Boy", and "Yeehoda" among others. Tasha is normally called "KK", and I will call her "Stinkpot" at least once a day (though she doesn't stink!) Pets are quite the comfort; research has shown that people with pets have fewer illnesses and live longer than people without pets. And pets live longer than their wild counterparts. Evolution would favor such an association, but I prefer to just enjoy it.
What I don't enjoy is reading ignorant comments on the internet. I was reading an article in the Pantagraph this morning about Michael Gammon and his successful battle against schizophrenia. The comments by people who know nothing of this situation were absolutely astounding in their ignorance and viciousness. Here's a tip - if you don't know what you're talking about - STFU.
Unfortunately, the internet has certainly decreased civility in our society. Anybody can say anything they want without fear of retribution or exposure. It's a lot easier to say cruel and ignorant things when you can do it anonymously. One hopes we'll get through this period and regain some of the civility we've lost. Or perhaps I'm kidding myself; there's certainly a tendency to regard past times as "better" and there were certainly some glaring cases of incivility in times past. Regardless, it seems to me that nothing is gained by demonizing folks with differing opinions.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Movies - watched There Will be Blood last night. I was anticipating this event because this movie has received a lot of hype, and Daniel Day-Lewis is quite an actor. All I can say is eeeccchhh! I really didn't like this, and I don't think it's because I don't appreciate good cinema. I think Turan in the Los Angeles Times hit the nail on the head (though he clearly liked the film) when he said the weakness of this movie was in characterization. I would have thought more of this film if I'd seen some character development of Daniel Plainview - and that wasn't Day-Lewis' fault. None of the characters in this film had any redeeming features, but I can live with a dark film like this if I understand where the characters come from. I didn't for this. Of the nominees for Best Picture that year, the only one I haven't seen is Michael Clayton. My sentimental favorite for that year was Juno - a really remarkable film. But I thought No Country for Old Men was tremendous and am not disappointed it won "best picture". I would have been VERY disappointed if There Will be Blood had won!
We took a walk last evening to The Hill of the Mother Oak and in that rather brief time saw an Oriole and a baby Red-winged Blackbird, whose parent was quite upset that we were close to his baby (yes, it was the male scolding us - mom wasn't around). Also saw a small flock of Cedar Waxwings fly over as we lay back on the grass. Their yellow tail tips really stood out against the blue sky, even though they were about 100' up. It was a beautiful day yesterday, after all this rain and heat and humidity.
We took a walk last evening to The Hill of the Mother Oak and in that rather brief time saw an Oriole and a baby Red-winged Blackbird, whose parent was quite upset that we were close to his baby (yes, it was the male scolding us - mom wasn't around). Also saw a small flock of Cedar Waxwings fly over as we lay back on the grass. Their yellow tail tips really stood out against the blue sky, even though they were about 100' up. It was a beautiful day yesterday, after all this rain and heat and humidity.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Animal cognition
While I was up in Wisconsin, I went to my favorite used bookstore (Wm. Caxton, Ltd. - Ellison Bay; check it out!) and bought a number of books. One of them was Animal Minds by Donald R. Griffin. Griffin is the guy who discovered echolocation by bats, a classic example of a scientist able to put himself in the world of the animal he's studying. In The Question of Animal Awareness - which I also have - Griffin made a case for animals having thoughts and emotions like humans. He carries that further in Animal Minds.
This sort of speculation used to be verboten in animal behavior, primarily because of the influence of behaviorists such as B. F. Skinner. Such thoughts were labeled "anthropomorphism" and as an ethologist, it was the worst crime one could be accused of. But behaviorists such as Skinner didn't pay much attention to evolution, and that oversight led to some huge errors. Humans, as products of evolution, should expect that other animals closely related to us should exhibit the same characteristics as we do. And if there's any selective value in consciousness (and it seems that there is) then we should not be surprised to find it in animals even rather distantly related to humans - even animals such as insects.
I haven't finished the book yet (I got distracted by The Pacific - the companion book to the HBO series, which gives the history of WWII through the eyes of Marines, among others), but I have to say I endorse this view. Another book, just out, is Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg which makes a very strong case for animal cognition in birds. Alex was the famous African Grey Parrot adopted by Irene, who studied his behavior for years. He clearly showed signs of self-awareness and insight.
Think about this as you play with your pet cat or dog.
Mike
This sort of speculation used to be verboten in animal behavior, primarily because of the influence of behaviorists such as B. F. Skinner. Such thoughts were labeled "anthropomorphism" and as an ethologist, it was the worst crime one could be accused of. But behaviorists such as Skinner didn't pay much attention to evolution, and that oversight led to some huge errors. Humans, as products of evolution, should expect that other animals closely related to us should exhibit the same characteristics as we do. And if there's any selective value in consciousness (and it seems that there is) then we should not be surprised to find it in animals even rather distantly related to humans - even animals such as insects.
I haven't finished the book yet (I got distracted by The Pacific - the companion book to the HBO series, which gives the history of WWII through the eyes of Marines, among others), but I have to say I endorse this view. Another book, just out, is Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg which makes a very strong case for animal cognition in birds. Alex was the famous African Grey Parrot adopted by Irene, who studied his behavior for years. He clearly showed signs of self-awareness and insight.
Think about this as you play with your pet cat or dog.
Mike
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"blog" much?
I know a lot of people spend a lot of time on the computer. I do, too, but obviously not blogging! There have been some interesting studies recently on how computer "communication" is changing the way we think. One researcher thinks this type of communication (telegraphic, no sustained thought, etc.) is causing us to revert to our evolutionary roots. The presumption is that hunter-gatherers could not focus on one thing for a prolonged period because they needed to be aware of constantly changing aspects of their environment.
I'm not sure I buy that argument. Anyone who has attempted to track an animal for any distance knows something about "focus", and one couldn't be a successful hunter-gatherer without deep knowledge of one's "prey" - acquired only through long observation.
In any case, I do agree that our technological mode of communication does seem to change the way we think - or at least act. People post things on facebook, for example, that really don't need to be seen by the world - often things like "lol". Texting someone who is sitting right next to you is another example. I guess I'm an old foggie - but I really don't understand this.
I do understand the attraction of computers, since I've been using them since 1986 and I spend far too much time doing things like playing solitaire or "DooM". What I don't spend much time doing is posting on facebook or this blog! However, I think blogging does have some potential for sustained conversation, so I'll try and be more regular about posting.
See ya!
I'm not sure I buy that argument. Anyone who has attempted to track an animal for any distance knows something about "focus", and one couldn't be a successful hunter-gatherer without deep knowledge of one's "prey" - acquired only through long observation.
In any case, I do agree that our technological mode of communication does seem to change the way we think - or at least act. People post things on facebook, for example, that really don't need to be seen by the world - often things like "lol". Texting someone who is sitting right next to you is another example. I guess I'm an old foggie - but I really don't understand this.
I do understand the attraction of computers, since I've been using them since 1986 and I spend far too much time doing things like playing solitaire or "DooM". What I don't spend much time doing is posting on facebook or this blog! However, I think blogging does have some potential for sustained conversation, so I'll try and be more regular about posting.
See ya!
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