Some of the winners from the Bird Photography

These are some of the Winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2025. Full article here. These are my favorites.

okay, this is funny

A Hybrid Jay

Apparently, Blue Jays and Green Jays separated about 7 million years ago. The Blue Jay resides in temperate climates and is common in the eastern states. Green Jays are tropical birds in Mexico and Central America.

However, as the climate changes, the ranges of these birds have begun to overlap. And here they have found a hybrid. The Blue Jay is expanding west and the Green Jay is expanding north.

This bird has traits of both, hanging with blue jays, and still have the vocalizations of a green jay. FULL STORY

Interesting.

The More We Study Dogs, the More We Learn

 We know that some dogs are very smart - although our dogs have been more "devious" than smart. Anywho, there is an article in sciencenews.org about a new aspect of dog intelligence. ARTICLE

The gist of the article is that some dogs can easily retrieve toys based on either their name or the type of toy: tug of war, keep away, or fetch. 

What they have now discovered is that if given a new toy, but no information on its type, these dogs can identify the toy by type - even if they have never seen it before. While this may seem simple to us, it surpasses what we thought dogs could do. It means they have to visually identify what a toy is used for before it is used. 

Our dogs were able to do the same thing! Of course, they classified everything as something to be killed, but still.

Marbled Murrelets in the Wet Northwest (California - Washington)

There is an article in the New York Times today about the Murrelets. Here is the descriptive paragraph on them:

The marbled murrelet, nicknamed mamu, is the only seabird that nests in the forests of the lower 48 states.

When the urge to breed strikes in the spring or summer, a murrelet flies 30 to 40 miles or more inland. The parents take turns sitting on the single egg. When the chick hatches, they ferry food back and forth, taking turns flying to the ocean to fetch fish for their offspring, up to eight times a day.

I have never heard of these birds. They nest in areas like the Redwood National and State Parks on the California North Coast. (These are the super-tall giant Redwoods, not the super-massive Sequoia Redwoods.) The Murrelet chooses a high tree in an old-growth forest. They like a branch with lots of debris, like needles and bark, that has settled on a high tree branch.

The birds are protected; however, the new rules have been interpreted by this administration to mean you can't catch, kill, or harm them. However, you can reduce their habit in this case by logging. That sucks, but it's no use crying over spilled milk. I suppose the best way to help them is to share their stories.

So here they are.

And here are the Redwood trees growing just outside the Fort Ross State Historic Park in California.

I am going to guess this isn't what the Advent calendar was for....

I saw an ad for an unusual Advent Calendar today (actually, it was a paid post on The Daily Beast). I know generally what an Advent Calendar IS, but not WHY it is. So I checked.

An advent calendar is a special calendar, often with doors or pockets numbered 1-24, that is used to count down the days of Advent, the period leading up to Christmas. Each day, a person opens a new window or pocket to find a small surprise, such as a piece of chocolate or a religious message, building anticipation for Christmas. The tradition originated in Germany in the 19th century as a way for families to prepare for Christmas and remember the spiritual meaning of the season.  

This advent calendar is a unique look at the spiritual meaning of the season (1 Million Moms would not approve).

Before Brad Pitt there was Robert Redford

 Robert Redford. What girl (and gay boy) in the 1970s didn't pine for him? He was the epitome of easy good looks and grace. He seemed very nice and witty.

I did see him more than a few times at the US Open. He sat in the box next to one of the USTA's boxes and was often less than 10 feet away. He aged naturally, but always had a smile ready. 

He passed away today, and it is sad, in that way someone you don't know can be very sad.

The Sundance Kid - Robert Redford may be the only man, definitely the only blond, who can pull off a moustache.

Awe

 The Atlantic has this article:

I like the idea. I like the idea that a moment of awe can still enrapture us and take us away from the present - at least for a time.

For me, I find it in the crashing waves in areas devoid of people. They are wild, unstoppable, and - if there is a big Creator God - proof that he got a few things right.

And

Waterfalls, same reason.

Images from Yellowstone 2

To remind you, I had never been to Yellowstone before last week. I did think it was gorgeous. One of the things that did not disappoint me was the waterfall that is the image of Yellowstone we all see online - maybe second to Old Faithful. It was cool.

This was a cascade on a side road.

One of the one-way side roads that led to a view. Those are wooden support logs for the road. Obviously placed a long time ago.

The famous view of the southern falls. Stunning.

The view of the upper falls, which I hadn't known of before I went.

Images from Yellowstone 1

 I had never been to Yellowstone National Park before this past week. It was stunning (it's no Yosemite, but a close 2nd). These are a set of pictures.

Eddie at one of the (smaller) hot pools. The water is sooo clear.

Your random Bison right off a parking lot.

This is the outflow from the heated "Prismatic Lake."

The Prismatic Lake

Old Faithful

This was part of a Bison herd.

An Elk. I never saw one before.

Wow!

Link Below

We all know (or may know) that I am intellectually enamored with Yuval Noah Harari. He is a historian/author/futurist who must be the smartest thinker I know. My brain is in love with his.

Here is a short (13-minute) YouTube video about how we produce and consume information, and how AI changes that process. One of the big takeaways here is that we shouldn't worry about how there will be one big AI that will take over the world. His belief, and current information, is that the problem is millions of AI producing information and making decisions without human input.

Listen to this video. It isn't projecting or arguing any political position here. Just an explanation of how AI is changing our world.

GREAT!

https://youtu.be/K1OvbwY6GPM

Montana State University Bobcats Football Game

 In Bozeman , Eddie and I went to a football game.

This was cool.  They played the Lion King theme for the Simba-cam.  In the Simba-cam everyone holds their kid up, like in The Lion King.

Eddie and I at the game.

This is Eddie’s cousin.  He is the Offensive Coordinator for the Bobcats.

Before my next post - the best dogs of the week (as chosen by Rate Your Dog)

 

Visiting Mom and Nic - Montana

 (Again - I am avoiding politics. Well, and news in general here. Plenty of places for anger.)

Eddie and I visited my mom and Nic this past few days. We did a lot of things before that, but let's start with them. They live up in Montana. There is a house in the pictures. My mom and Nic built it. 

Not as in, "they had it built", but as in they did it themselves. They worked on it for at least 3 years. They hired a plumber and an electrician, but they did everything else. And, if you knew my mom, you would be amazed at this. statement :-).

Ed in the woods nearby on a hike

Me, on the hike

The brook (Bear Creek) along the hike.

Me and my mom and the house they built.

Nic - my mom's husband, and the shed he built.

Eddie and mom

This is their new pup, Koda, 8 months old, and she loved us.

They live in the hills and had to clear the land where the house is built. They live in the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot River is where they filmed "A River Runs Through It." Which give me a chance to post an image of Brad Pitt during his dreamy phase.

A point about Fly Fishing. We drove by lots of rivers in Montana and Wyoming. In nearly all of them, there were fly fishermen, standing in the water in waders. I guess the trout are traveling back to their mating grounds, and this is the time to fish the rivers.

The Bitterroot River is home to both native and introduced trout species, including Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Brook Trout. The river is a popular fishing destination known for its variety of aquatic insects and the diverse trout population, with Westslope Cutthroat being a native species that dominates the upper sections.