Re: Alex & Me

Considering how much I like talking animal stories, it’s not surprising that I read the whole of Alex & Me, by Irene Pepperberg, all at once. You may have heard of Alex, a gray parrot who was taught to use English words as labels by Dr. Pepperberg. You may have heard her telling Alex stories, […]

Re: Discerning Women

In “Discerning Women,” by William Highsmith, aliens invade and either they just don’t understand humans or they have a really, really dry sense of humor. The trouble begins when Alexa, newly a subject of the Braxian empire, has to take a machine quiz with questions like: > Why are Earth women the way they are? […]

Re: Squidges

Here’s a silly one from the Drabblecast for you Car Talk fans: “Squidges” by Thomas Canfield. The narrator brings his car to the three eccentric Maine brothers, who are sort of like the Tappet Brothers to the nth degree. The story itself is pretty non-consequential, but it’s well told. Even in something so short, it […]

Re: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman is a good example of how to write a chapter book. While each chapter stands on its own, small things get repeated, binding the book into a satisfying whole. In a wonderfully understated opening, we follow “the man Jack” tracking down the last surviving member of a family he […]

Re: The Fable of the Octopus

Still working my way through the Podcastle archives, I enjoyed a series of four fables by Peter S. Beagle that were podcast last fall. My favorite was “The Fable of the Octopus,” about an octopus who wanted to see god. His ideas about god are about as good as your typical human New Age book. […]

Enter summer, stage right

There’s nothing unofficial about Memorial Day being the start of summer. It’s when my lilac finally blooms and overwhelms the yard with sweetness. It’s when the hot weather starts. It’s when the first mosquito whines in your ear when you’re looking for the cat. They all spell the end of spring and the beginning of […]

More bees on the collards

Bees on the left. Bees on the right. Bees on every side of the collard plants. Like many crucifers, from brussels sprouts and mustard greens to radishes and Chinese broccoli, collards pack a lot of flavor. Now, with the heat and flowers bolting so fierce bright and yellow, every part of the plant must be […]

The Week of Wild Roses

One longtime volunteer in the yard is a big shaggy heap of arching thorny stems that turns into a charming Pasture Rose covered with sweet, pink flowers. They only last about a week or two, and every year it startles me with how suddenly they appear. All spring it’s a hairy mess keeping me away […]

One word

Phooey.

Are you looking for ladybugs?

I haven’t seen any more ladybugs lately, certainly not in flagrante. But I did get word that mine was one of the photos picked for a feature about the Lost Ladybug project on WBZ. Cool! Another feather in my amateur naturalist cap. Back to the hunt. Those ladybug larvae must be out there somewhere.