tales from the wild metropolis
Strolling through Lafayette Park early one evening, I took note of the usual suspects distributed along the edge of the centerpiece man-made lake as they waited patiently for red-and-white bobbers to disappear below the surface. The fisher-folk are a common fixture here — the reservoir is stocked by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) every... Continue Reading →
Sleep is gaining new respect among human health researchers. They've observed correlations between 6-7 hours of quality shut-eye and longevity, improved mood and memory, as well as restoration of immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. But getting enough sleep is a challenge in the modern era of artificial lighting and smart devices that PING! their... Continue Reading →
Crickets don't really sing. The females are silent, and when males want to croon they don't clear their throats... they rub their wings together, kind of like snapping fingers. Very hip. So maybe it would be more accurate to say their wear their hearts on their sleeves. Except they don't have sleeves. Or arms. Or hearts.
As you might imagine, I was caught completely off-guard when, strolling through the shire one evening, a dashing young prince in the guise of a Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) bounced out of the shadows and onto the path before me, demanding a kiss.
. At first, I didn't believe it. I certainly wasn't expecting it, and it seemed too good to be true. But there it was, in black-and-white. Steph at Ink Chromatography nominated Next-Door Nature for a Liebster Blog Award! As Steph explained it on her blog, the Liebster Award "celebrates up-and-coming... Continue Reading →
Since relocating 2 months ago I’ve met most of the folks who share my new building, in spite of having been on the road quite a bit during that time. Travel has hindered my ability to meet my non-human neighbors, though. Oh, I’ve spied a familiar wild face here and there while transporting cardboard to... Continue Reading →
Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth. ~ Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses I got tangled up in pieces of the sky this morning. Not on purpose, mind you.... Continue Reading →
Wildlife habitat—what images come to mind when you hear those words? Sweeping vistas where windblown grasses ripple like ocean waves, steep slabs of snow and stone high up on a mountain, or perhaps the dappled shadow and light of a forest primeval? How about glass-and-concrete skyscraper canyons, emerald green fairways shimmering with sprinkler system generated... Continue Reading →
Next-Door Nature 