Hedgehog Cactus in Bloom (Echinocereus sp.)—Tucson, Arizona.
Run Boy Run
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A very talented bluegrass band from our corner of Arizona, Run Boy Run, is super hot right now, with two recent appearances on A Prairie Home Companion to go with their 2011 top prize at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
Check out their freshly released first full-length album, “featuring original songs, traditional tunes, and a favorite cover.”
Erin and I were thrilled to catch Run Boy Run in concert last Sunday night at Hotel Congress, in downtown Tucson; we heard many tracks off this new album. Superb! I absolutely loved the rich vocal harmonies and full sound of this 5-person band.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)—Arkansas.
Forest People
You might know Louis L’Amour from his epic portrayals of the American West, pioneers, cowboys, women and men who built the new country. He was also quite a good poet. “Forest People” is one of my favorites from the collection Smoke From This Altar, perfect for the muddy springtime when the critters leave their story on this spot of land we call home.
I read their story in the sand,
Another in the snow,
They write it with their tiny feet
As they come and go;
Here one stopped to eat awhile,
There one paused in fear—
This was a sparrow’s landing field
With marks of his running gear;
Their joys and woes and tragedies
Are written clear and bold.
Their swift, minute biographies
The tracks they leave unfold.
Coyote and small mammal tracks in the dirt outside our place; our “Sand People.”
February, Anything But Boring
After settling back into our normal routine we made a trip to our local Humane Society. We had finally decided to adopt another cat. It took us a while to make that decision after losing Rookie. The three of us—Lance, Bailey, and myself—had settled into a calm, mellow routine in the past three months. Lance and I were on the fence about adopting another cat and until February, we’d been too busy to do much about it. (For the record, Bailey was adamantly against it.)
Ironically, the impetus for the adoption came from Bailey. In the past few months he’d gained three pounds. Quite a difference for a cat that has weighed 12 pounds his entire adult life. Clearly Bailey needed someone to play with; someone to chase around (or to chase him). Our parameters: young male, not a kitten, but not much over a year old.
A scrawny but healthy orange and white tabby fit the bill. Bailey was the opposite of thrilled when we returned with the kitty that night. To his credit the new guy wasn’t much phased by Bailey’s attitude. Kitty is bowlegged in the front and tends to slouch which makes his legs look really short. We thought of calling him our Cowboy Corgi Kitty but that was too much of a mouthful so we named him Keaton.
Happy Hollow cold water spring—Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas.
My First Day at the Yankees — Matthew McGough →
Via our brother-in-law Joel, a humorous tale. “A first-person account from a batboy on opening day with the Yankees. The last half of the story (about 4 minutes) is the best part.”
