tales from the wild metropolis
Could there be a holiday more representative of the true nature of American culture than Thanksgiving? Considered the least commercial of our national holidays, yet the true theme of the day is consumption. Family, food, and football are all available in quantities large enough to cause a bit of indigestion. Moreover, the entire event is... Continue Reading →
"Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?" With Thanksgiving less than 2 weeks away, that's the question on everyone's lips. Even those who don't have lips, like the barred owl (Strix varia)—a species that seems to be innately, and oddly, curious about kitchen staffing. If these owls had access to cable television I'm sure... Continue Reading →
Sinatra was wrong. I’m sorry Ol’ Blue Eyes, but the line that says if you can make it in a big city you can make it anywhere doesn’t hold true for everyone. For a lot of wild species, especially those who can tolerate living close to human beings, Gotham—and nearly every other town and suburb—has... Continue Reading →
Fright-night is lurking just around the corner. Frankensteins, mummies, zombies, ghosts, and golems will soon leave their lairs to roam freely through our cities and suburbs, searching for something to eat. Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, and brains—oh my! Reanimated but mindless creatures? HA! They don’t scare me. It’s the ones I’m not so sure I could... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you just need to shut out the world for a while, you know? If you can’t relate, I know the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) certainly can. Whether the threat is carnivores or towers of cardboard boxes and a demanding career, there are times when nothing beats a little self-imposed solitary confinement. Carrying... Continue Reading →
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. An astute observation by the Bard, but a bit misleading. Had Will but ventured beyond the Globe Theater’s door he may have realized that humans aren’t the only animals who have acting chops. I’m not talking about critters who pose in front... 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 →
There’s been a marked decline in the number of sunspots over the past decade or so. That’s what NASA scientists say, and I have no reason to doubt their research findings. Luckily, I haven’t observed any reduction in the terrestrial version of this phenomenon. Hardly a day has passed lately when I’ve not been blinded... Continue Reading →
Next-Door Nature 