First Hedgehog of the Year!

 I've been here since the end of July, and last week I finally saw my first hedgehog!  It was the middle of the day.  I was on the bike path by the river.  I heard a noise and there he was, just off the path, nosing around energetically in the fallen leaves and grasses.  I watched him for a long time, taking a bunch of photos.  He wasn't afraid of me.  I even touched him very gently and he didn't seem to mind one bit.  A few people came by and I'd point him out.  Some were like, "Nice," and watched for 10 seconds before continuing on.  Others were like, "I have hedgehogs in my garden" and didn't even slow down.  But I probably watched for 15 minutes.  

A very happy day.

When I told my students about it, most of them laughed at my enthusiasm and talked about how hedgehogs had fleas or how you see the pests everywhere.  One claimed that a hedgehog had attacked her chicken!

But I still think they're adorable.    

Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals, by Laurie Zaleski

I really enjoyed this.  I sometimes wished it were a little more about the animals and the running of the Funny Farm, but the family history/autobiography was really well written and powerful. 

And now I want to plan an entire trip around visiting the Funny Farm.

I picked this randomly off the library shelf because I love animals, and I'm so glad I did.  I did the same with another book about a bird sanctuary once, and it too was one of my favorite books of the year.   

Rating: 4.5 stars

Vanishing Treasures; a Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures, by Katherine Rundell

 

Very well written, very interesting.  I loved the weaving of biological facts with the myths we've developed around these creatures and the history of our interaction with them.

But…it's also profoundly sad.  I hope it helps change some people's minds about what we're doing to this planet and her inhabitants, and I hope that changing of minds leads to action.  Half the proceeds go toward charities working to push back on climate change and environmental destruction. 

Rating:  4.5 stars

The Eyes & the Impossible, by Dave Eggers

 Newbery Award Winner, 2024:  

This was a cute book.  I liked all the animal characters, the descriptions though the dog's eyes, and how they worked together to solve problems. 

With all books like this, it's sometimes hard to suspend my disbelief when, for example, a dog understands that stars are actually suns burning far, far away, but the same dog doesn't know what the mainland is.  The dog understands all sorts of complex English words and scientific and culture concepts but does not know what art is?  Yeah, it's a little hard to swallow.  But if you can go with it, it's just fun.  

And the pictures are beautiful. 

Chipmunk Thief

At the Flagstaff, Arizona Arboretum:  

Me:  Hey chipmunk, are you stealing from the poor little hummingbirds?

 

Hummingbird:  We're just sharing. It's all good.  

Grand Canyon Rattlesnake vs. Rock Squirrel

Here's a rock squirrel facing down a rattlesnake in Grand Canyon. The squirrel kept swishing his tail at that rattlesnake.

There's some evidence that they purposely heat up the base of their tails this way, to either make the heat-sensing rattlesnakes think they're bigger and more intimidating than they are or to make the rattlesnakes strike at the wrong part of the body.

This squirrel kept swishing his tail, totally ignoring me, and moving to different locations around the snake, as if he was herding it off the trail. When he finally succeeded, he went a few feet off and flopped down flat on the ground, legs splayed, as if he were exhausted.

I wondered if he had a nest he was defending. But this day, it was me he defended. The rattlesnake totally blended in with the dappled dirt (see picture 3--the scene when I first arrived). If I hadn't seen the squirrel first, I might have stepped right on or in front of the rattlesnake.

And we all know how that can end.

Amazing encounter.

This was right outside of Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I later met another backpacker who'd almost been bitten by one at his campsite at Cottonwood Campground on the North Kaibab. I believe both were the Grand Canyon Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus abyssus), sometimes called the Grand Canyon pink rattlesnake, found only here.

Just another fantastic part of my backpacking trip this week. More posts to come.

Zoo Lights, Phoenix Zoo

We went to Zoo Lights for the first time, back before Christmas.  They decorate the zoo with I don't know how many holiday lights and "wildlife lanterns" and a light/music show.  The animals are mostly hiding, but it's a beautiful experience.  I LOVED it.

Here are just a few pictures:

If you go, leave yourself plenty of time to explore the whole zoo, and be prepared for difficult parking. 

It's too late for this year, but keep it in mind for next year.   

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, by Mary Roach

This was really interesting and thought-provoking—and by nature, rather depressing.  I think the title was slightly misleading, but the writing style, as always, was good.     

More accurate rating:  4.5

Odder, by Katherine Applegate

I enjoyed this (despite it being written in verse).  It was sad and sweet and cute.  I loved Odder.  It was also educational in a bet-you-didn't-realize-you-were-learning sort of way. 

I did find the timeline a little confusing (but I read it over a couple of weeks, so that was probably my fault).  Some of the otter thoughts and language seemed a little too human. It's a tough line to walk, and Applegate mostly did it well.

If you liked this, I absolutely recommend Applegate's The One and Only Ivan, which I thought was heartbreaking and beautiful.  I haven't seen the movie based on it, but I've seen previews, and I advise you not to judge a book by its movie. 

PS  And the cover is adorable. 

30 Animals that Made us Smarter, by Patrick Aryee

 

 The subject matter here is fascinating.  Before reading this book, I could only have named you maybe four examples of biomimicry—despite being interested in the subject.  So this book took me by surprise.

I found the writing a touch on the dry side when it was talking about the actual science of it.  I think most of that, however, was because of me.  When the author got down to the nitty gritty, I often couldn't quite visualize what he was writing about because I don't have enough science background or mechanical inclination/interest.  So…Mr. Aryee, it's me, not you.  I just wish there had been more photos/illustrations.

I'm in awe of the research involved in this book and in even more in awe of nature and our attempts to understand and copy it.

It's an interesting book, especially if you read it slowly—no more than a couple of chapters at a time.  

A bee enjoying the poppies

 Okay, I know I post a lot of poppy pictures, but they're just so beautiful.  One hundred percent of bees I saw agreed.  Picture taken early March this year at Sophie's Flat near Wickenburg.

Second Chance Cats, edited by Callie Smith Grant

As the subtitle says, this is a collection of "True stories of the cats we rescue and the cats who rescue us."  I really enjoyed it.  Lots of warm fuzzies.  A bit of heartbreak.  Some "Yes!  My cat does that!" moments.  Some laughs and smiles.  With such a collection, there are always stories I like more than others or think are better written.  A few got a little preachy or a little samey, but none were bad.  Of course, my love of cats couldn't have ANYTHING to do with my enjoyment level. 

Now I want to read some of the other collections edited by Callie Smith Grant.

4.5 stars.   

Unusual Creatures, by Michael Hearst

Subtitle:  A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth's Strangest Animals.

Illustrator:  Jelmer Noordeman 

I really enjoyed this.  Of course, I love interesting tidbits about animals, so I'm bound to enjoy a book like this, with its collection of strange and interesting creatures.

It's physically big, so the illustrations are big too, with each two-page spread artfully using only 1-2 colors.  Very nice.  I also appreciated the distribution maps. 

The info is interesting, with each animal having a very short (VERY short) sum-up and then strange facts, true/false questions, or even little poems.  The writing style is breezy.  The selection of animals is good—though most are familiar from other similar books.

I did wish there were a little more detail on each animal, but if you go in expecting just a quick survey, you'll really like it.  

More accurate rating:  4.5 stars

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

This is one of those strange books that's mostly realistic and believable and set in our world…but there's one fantastical element.  Usually I find these types of books a little hard to orient myself in.  It's harder to suspense my disbelief than if I were reading high fantasy with dragons or space opera with faster-than-light travel.  But I enjoyed this book enough that I just kind of went with it.

So, for the fantastical element: [SEMI SPOILERS]  Marcelllus the giant Pacific octopus.  Don't get me wrong:  I LOVED him.  I loved his role in the plot.  He was probably my favorite character.  But he was so fantastical that you're going to have to make a decision as a reader:  just sort of roll with it…or beat your head against the wall because how on earth could an octopus learn to READ ENGLISH???  I believe octopuses are highly intelligent, in a way we might not fully comprehend, considering their vastly different "brain" structure.  I could even maybe swallow his very sophisticated narrative if I thought of it as octopus language, not English.  But for him to learn to READ English, where the only possible instruction he's had is listening to people read his placard and other aquarium signs out loud?  And for him to have a vast vocabulary (in English, because he talks about English idioms) that he had to have learned entirely from the aquarium-goers?  It's the most glaringly unrealistic thing about him, but there are others.  However, if you can just roll with it, you'll love Marcellus and feel so sad for him being stuck in that little aquarium and love his relationship with Tova and look forward to his chapters.  So, my advice:   just roll with it.  I obviously did, never getting stuck on the fact that he could READ ENGLISH.

There were some other pretty fantastical coincidences, but I won't spoil them. 

I liked the human characters, even the highly flawed ones.

The writing was good.  Some might consider the pacing a tad slow, but for me it was slow in that pleasant, spending-time-with-people-I-love way.  I enjoyed the plot, though at one point, [SEMI SPOILERS!] when an important something was obvious to us and to the octopus, I didn't quite understand how it didn't occur to other intelligent characters as even a possibility.  They had enough evidence and were obviously thinking about the situation a lot.   

Again, I LOVED the relationship between Tova and Marcellus.  And though I would have liked their ending to be different, I thought it was beautiful.  SPOILER!!!  SPOILER!!!  I only wished she had acted sooner, when she realized how intelligent he was.  END SPOILERS.

Overall, a really enjoyable book.  I spent a lot of time in this review stuck on the unrealistic parts, but they really didn't affect my enjoyment as much as you might think.  And if you can just go with it, you'll really enjoy it too. 

And the cover...lovely.  

Rating:  4 stars.  

River Otters at Bearizona

 Okay, so this isn't wildlife.  I saw these adorable guys at Bearizona, in Williams, Arizona.  But I just had to post:

World of Wonders, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

I really enjoyed this.  The fascinating animal facts are woven in beautifully with the autobiographical essays.  Some parts get a little too poetic for my personal tastes, but some people will especially love those parts.

Many of the chapters were originally written as standalone essays, so there's a bit of choppiness regarding the differing styles, the timeline of her life, etc., and a bit of repetitiveness here and there, but it worked for me.  A few of the connections between the natural world and the author's life felt like a bit of a stretch, but I enjoyed the book so much I just went with it.      

The drawings are beautiful.

Overall, a delightful surprise that I found on the library shelf, knowing nothing about the book or the author.  I'm glad I picked it up.

More accurate rating:  4.5 

Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech

This sequel to Love that Dog was full of charm and beauty and accessible poetry, and though I don't think it was quite as great as the first book—mainly because no sequel can be as fresh and original as the first—I still really enjoyed it.  Bravo to the author.

This time I knew that the poems written about were in the back, and I read them along with the book, each at the appropriate time, and it really deepened my appreciation.

Highly recommended for reluctant poetry readers, aspiring writers, cat lovers…and pretty much everyone else.    

More accurate rating:  4.5

Rating of cover:  2

Last Chance to See, by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine

 More highlights from my 2021 reading list (very late, I know):

This is a very good book.  It's funny (as you'd expect from Douglas Adams) and terribly saddening (as you'd expect from a book about endangered animals), and somehow those two things work together. 

The biology and ecology are interesting.

I did think it started off a bit on the wrong foot.  It felt less like an animal book and more like a travelogue which mostly consisted of complaining about the host country and pretty much everything else.  This was done in a witty way, of course, but it felt a little uncomfortable.  And when they met the first animal…it was over in about three lines.  I thought, "Come on, Douglas Adams, you're better than this."  And he was.  The book got better and better as it progressed.  I didn't want it to end.  There was a still too much complaining travelogue, but the author/s tied it in better to the complicated web of perils/benefits surrounding ecotourism.  And there was a lot more about the actual animals and the quest to find them.

Overall, sobering and entertaining at the same time—quite a feat of writing.

More accurate rating:  4.5 stars      

Wicked Bugs, by Amy Stewart (Young Readers Edition)

 

More book reviews from my 2021 reading list:

When I put this on hold at the library, I didn't realize it was the young reader's edition.  By the time I realized, I was ready to read it and I liked the illustrations, so I didn't exchange it for adult version.  I liked this so much that I think I'll read the adult version when I'm in the mood for something like this in the future.

Organization:  great
Scientific explanations:  great for kids without being condescending.
Writing:  very good
Stories and details:  great and often terrifying.
Illustrations:  beautiful in a slightly creepy way

Just to be clear: the terrifying things are the parasites and diseases and live worms that you can only pull slowly out of your body over the course of two weeks.  The spiders and scorpions are downright cute by comparison. 

Some people might want the science to go a little deeper, but I was content with it.

What a great book.  Plus…it gave me tons of ideas for science fiction stories.  Highly recommended…though maybe not for the squeamish

Hummingbirds at Red Canyon

 Feathered friends at Red Canyon, Utah: