Definition of Pícaro

I think of pícaro as "rascally" or "naughty," and my cat is both. I got big, big laughs to read the dictionary definition, which gives an even better description of him:

rogueish;
scheming, tricky;
low, vile;
mischievous

New fox acquaintance

Photos from Forest Fox

A few nights ago, I was visited by a fox kit that was clearly from a different litter than the gang I've been watching -- noticeably younger, still with the extra-enormous ears, and her markings not developed. She let me feed her for about 20 minutes which melted my heart into a puddle.

But yesterday I met yet another very young one. He came waltzing around an hour before sunset! He, too, seems to have started to understand the Food Woman legend. But I'm not sure whether he's a sibling. He seems smaller than the other one, yet is developing clear markings. He has the lovely black stockings, and the white tip on his tail, though his redness has not developed yet. Mysteries. I love it.
[Note, 20:12 -- Rika, who lives just south of me and overlooks the "fish and bowl" where the foxes play, saw today one group with a mother and four babies, and a separate group of two little ones. Looks like two litters in all.]

I found a nice site about foxes:
http://www.foxforest.com/
One of the best features of this site is Voices Carry, which gives you actual recorded sounds of foxes vocalizing.

The first time I met a fox up close was about 3-4 years ago. Pícaro was out for the night, as was his wont in those days, and at 2 a.m. I heard the worst imaginable sound. I leaped out of the loft, instantly awake, and raced to the seaward door. I was sure that Píc was being disemboweled by a coyote. In fact, he was in a nose to nose standoff with a fox, and the fox was the one making the horrible noise. You can hear almost exactly what I heard if you listen to "Fox in distress." "  Squabble" is also quite similar.

The "Territorial response," by the way, is something that frequently goes on all night. In real life, it sounds like a human child is being tortured. Most unsettling.

Just like her Auntie

Gina with friend.  This is a girl after my own heart.

Origami: O good golly!

I thought I'd seen the most fantabulous origami, but this stuff is amazing.  Check out CONTEMPORARY ORIGAMI by HOJYO Takashi for more amazing creations.

[Contributed by Malia]

Gorky: Pleasure vs. Slavery

When work is a pleasure, life is a joy!  When work is a duty, life is slavery.

      -- Maxim Gorky, author (1868-1936)

Nostomania

From WordSmith:

Nostomania (nos-tuh-MAY-nee-uh, -mayn-yuh) noun


An overwhelming desire to return home or to go back to familiar places.

[From Greek nostos (a return home) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or madness).]

You can consider nostomania to be an extreme form of nostalgia (literally, pain for home).

Honokohau Harbour, photo by Lehua ©2002

Garrison Keillor: Republicans

It's time to take away the old man's checkbook:

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/132613.php

A brief description of avoidant disorder

http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-pe08.html

Practicing having time: Who sucks?

Diddling on Google in a way I never have time to do, I wondered whether the "Wells Fargo Sucks" site was still alive and well. I wasn't able to get the answer because I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sites.

I entered "Wells Fargo sucks" into Google and got....

153,000 entries!

153,000 web pages out there with that specific phrase.

I love it. Yes, it's time to go.