Curations from the Human Jungle
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com [I'm 78, and I wear hearing aids. And I hate them. They're uncomfortable, and they overlay the world with a veneer of artificiality. It's hard to explain. I wake up in the morning, and the world sounds as it should. It doesn't sound muffled or far away. It sounds... Continue Reading →
["Tell them I said something .." supposedly, these were the final words of the Mexican military general Santa Ana when the assembled masses were keeping a death vigil outside his second-story bedroom. OK, he said something ... so what was it? What pearl of wisdom did the great being crystalize in his final moment? For... Continue Reading →
[We don't give ourselves permission to listen to things any more. We're so addicted to multi-tasking that we've got to at least watch something at the same time. That's a shame, as Silverback Digest podcasting partner continually points out to us. Even if we listen while driving we're "doing" at the same time we are... Continue Reading →
[Another of Nature's odd and wondrous creatures that we take for granted. SB SM] The Outside Story Dangerous Dragonflies By Rachel Sargent Mirus Imagine you’re a fruit fly by the pond on a sunny day, whirring along in search of food or other flies. Suddenly, you’re scooped up, whisked to a perch, and efficiently devoured... Continue Reading →
[I've seen the first monarchs of the year in the garden, and the milkweed is coming into bloom. These are the explosions that say summer more than cherry bombs , fireworks, and the rocket's red glare. Our priorities are screwed up in this country. Vanilla Ice, my ass. SB SM] https://silverbackdigest.com/2022/11/10/monarchs/ Alive in the Flapping... Continue Reading →
[We're still awaiting the delivery of our honeybees. Last year they arrived on June 23. Could this be the day? (I should say "Could this be the night?" because they always arrive under the cover of darkness.) SB SM] The Outside Story A Meal Worth the Sting By Colby Galliher One predator-prey interaction always leaves... Continue Reading →
[Some subjects speak for themselves. SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k72jGJTC_3o The Outside Story By Kenrick Vezina In the deepening twilight, the pines edging my backyard merge into a wall of shadow. I hold my breath, staring hard into the darkness. Will they come? No matter how many times I repeat this ritual, I’m never sure…but then the... Continue Reading →
[We have a murder of crows that live in the woods behind our house. They watch us all the time. They talk about us and are not shy about letting us overhear them. They know when to raid the compost. If you asked me to bet on who is more likely to take over the... Continue Reading →
[This might be the most important post ever in Silverback Digest. Memorize it! BTW, the best taste in the world is banana! SB SM] https://www.sparrowdove.com/2018/02/the-periodic-table-of-tastes-and-how-to-cook-with-them/?ref=thebrowser.com The periodic table of tastes, and how to cook with them Posted on 21 February 2018 by Spuggy One of the more confusing bits of childhood science education is learning that there are... Continue Reading →
The Outside Story Tiny Predators, Big Impact: Northeastern Crayfish By Tiffany Soukup Crayfish fill my childhood memories. I spent summers playing in streams, flipping over rocks, and, if I was lucky, catching glimpses of these mysterious little creatures. Most crayfish are nocturnal and dart backwards to escape danger. An early summer morning last year at... Continue Reading →