Just finished writing 80,000 words about 100 sporting books. It went too slowly, as PD hits right in the parts, so to speak, that need to sit in a chair and type-- two things I don't do well these days. A lot was dictated and I don't do THAT well either, I am irritable because I am used to having my words fly from my brain to the page through my fingers and that no longer works.Why can't Libby or whoever just read my mind??? And Dragon (dictation software) is not up to scratch yet when my voice is hoarse or coughing, never mind my sesquipedalian vocabulary habit and my too- broad range of references...
Maybe I need a new computer as well as a laptop (which I do need, for not sitting here). I also need a new point and shoot-- the old one died, which is why I have been lax in the Karen & Terence wedding pix- it refused to download. I shall now attempt to remedy.
But: done. For the first time in two years all deadlines are self- imposed. It feels good.
Today some photo blogging and links, more coming as I get back past book obsession.
And why not put links here? Let's see...
Wolverines, Montana, Mongolia, adventure, and sense:Wolverine Blog.
People are stupid about bitey things. Many know this already, and are unsurprised. (Annie Davidson: "Ooh, they're tame! Let's go pet them!")But have the Vikings really so forgotten nature that they allowed children to pet wolves? Also: don't have a link, but student was mauled by chimps at the Goodall center in South Africa. When I was at the zoo I feared angry apes more than the neurotic wolves. Steve Ross, a researcher at Chicago's Lincoln Park zoo, summed it up well; he called chimpanzees "naturally a fairly violent species, naturally aggressive, very interested in things like power and hierarchy", and added "... you can never relax with these chimps. They are unbelievably fast, strong, and they're always looking for an opportunity".
Trouble with chimps is they are like us....
Jess sent a pic reminding us that the saluki/ tazi was recognizable AND various in the 1500, a Mughal painting depicting a heroic youth befriending the dogs he has been thrown to by the King, about 1563. Brindles, too! Click or double- click to embiggen as always.
Nice reptile site.
Lane Batot has obtained not one but two pups from Vladimir Beregovoy, cousins or something to ours. We expect reports and photos, and will publish. Snippet:
"2 male Tazi pups left in the litter, and I could pick either one, he said. Both light fawn colored, like wild grass dried in the sun. But as I played and interacted with them, Vladimir changed his mind, and rather INSISTED I take BOTH!These pups made SUCH a beautiful matched pair, and were super-bonded to one another, he hated to separate them. As did I. Ironic we just had that discussion on yer blog about raising pups alone vs. raising littermates together!... And my gosh, how bonded those two are--just BEST buddies! And so much less traumatic for them to keep them together! No whining or crying not even their first night at my place!"
Anybody know of a young SMALL falcon (actually a tiercel is preferable) for sale or free? My deal fell through.
5 comments:
Have fun with your new friends, Lane! We certainly are with ours
Yes, incredibly but irresistably unexpected--I am now THREE dogs over my self-imposed limit of only 10 at any given time! And I am having a blast with them--they love going for rambles in the woods better than ANYTHING--my kind of dogs! They will have to be "Forest Tazis" though, since open fields are rare, and plains are nonexistent in our territory! I AM taking lots of old-fashioned pics, but I have no way to get them on the computer except perhaps sending them to someone who can scan them and do it--I'll try to do that.....I had no access to Khazakstan nomad languages, so I gave the pups Russian names, in honor of Vladimir--"Yantar"(which means "Amber"); and "Bouriy" (which means "Fawn"--the color, not the baby deer!), for their golden dry grass color.....L. B.
....and as for chimpanzees being more to fear than wolves--I agree--IN CAPTIVITY(although I think I just heard some zookeeper--in Sweden maybe?--got et by some captive wolves)--although wolves in captivity are more to fear than wolves in the wild, too. Wild chimps habituated to people, and not being hunted(you are lucky to even get a glimpse of wild, unhabituated chimps!!) tend to be purty nice to hang out with--MUCH safer than most human groups, in my experiences! I may just be biased..... Captive chimps and other primates are so aggressive because they are fully intelligent enough to understand they are prisoners, and reasoning enough to RESENT it, and take it out on any human they can, given any opportunity, in most cases. I think chimps, gorillas, and orangutans even understand WHY they are prisoners in captivity, as in zoos,--for the entertainment of humans; and act accordingly. Of course there can be exceptions to this......L.B.
....And I LOVE the Mughal painting! But it NEVER would have occurred to me that the youth had been "thrown" to the dogs! I woulda figured he was just a real dog person, and was getting down with them for a good wallow! As happens to me on a daily basis! I think now I'm going to refer to it as "throwing myself to the dogs"--kinda like Brer Rabbit getting thrown in the briar patch!...L.B.
....and, uh, DUH--I only just realized you were referring to that Swedish zookeeper incident when you mentioned VIKINGS petting wolves......My Zoo is seriously anally strict about going in any enclosure with any animals that might be construed as even slightly dangerous--we are considered one of the now politically correct "no-contact" zoos; and yet it is allowed to go in with our Red Wolves, they are considered so benign, for daily routine tasks, alone and unassisted. Of course Red Wolves are considerably less a threat than the Greys(which we don't have, alas). More like a robust coyote than a "regular" wolf.....L.B.
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