Throughout our two-plus decades of married life, my husband and I have hiked many miles in many locations. Wildlife encounters have generally enriched the experience and have, mostly, been of the harmless, and feathered or furred kind – birds, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, coyotes. Our somewhat more borderline interactions with brown bears in Alaska are a … Continue reading Beware The Rattle
Among my favorite rodents are Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, previously highlighted in at least two posts (see here and here). Native to the American West, they reside mainly in coniferous and mixed forests, but may occupy habitat ranging from sagebrush country to areas above timberline, and are, therefore, frequently seen. As I have to resist the … Continue reading Peekaboo
My name is Prickly. Glad to make your acquaintance. People throughout the ages have mistaken me for a pig, with spines attached, as my name, in several languages, attests. In German, it is “Stachelschwein” (Schwein = pig, Stachel = spine/quill), in French “porc-épic” (porc = pig, épic = spine/quill), and my English common name, porcupine, … Continue reading My Name Is Prickly
Every foreign language student has put her foot in her mouth, and I recall several such situations. Now I can contemplate them with an air of amusement, but then they were exceedingly embarrassing. Years ago, during a visit to Alaska’s Denali National Park, I enthusiastically told a couple on a hiking trail that I had … Continue reading Of Quill Pigs and Hand Shoes
Horsemeat — the potential fate of wild mustangs? When I read about this scenario in the newspaper, I feel the overwhelming desire to spend some time with them. This is facilitated by my attendance at a birding convention in Steamboat Springs in northwest Colorado in early June. Some 70 miles beyond this gem on the … Continue reading 24 Hours Among Wild Horses
tanja britton 