tales from the wild metropolis
"I don't want to get up! It's too early! It's too bright! It's too cold! Let me go back to sleep!!" That's what I imagine Punxsutawney Phil grumbling when an official pair of gloved hands reaches into the rodent's enclosure on February 2nd— the groundhog equivalent of about 4 am— to drag him out of... Continue Reading →
It's not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but the size of the fight in the dog. So we've been told, although there's an ongoing quarrel over exactly who did the original telling.* Whatever. I'm here to tell you, right here and now, that the same sentiment applies in spades to... Continue Reading →
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 →
Next-Door Nature 