Curations from the Human Jungle
[The summer of 1967. I was, against every fiber of will in my19 year old body, enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Candidate program at Yale University. I was fulfilling my obligation for 6 weeks active duty, serving onboard a destroyer escort--can't remember the name of it, godammit-- in the Caribbean on an August... Continue Reading →
[This one is off the pen of SB Bill (Hinesburg SBs) and does a remarkably good job of discussing an unpopular subject these days-- eating meat. LEST WE FORGET ... Gorillas are vegetarians who eat chutes and leaves, but we recognize that among our membership are those who enjoy and occasional hyena burger, or what... Continue Reading →
[As a Silverback, perched atop the hominid food chain, I take notice of what's going on with the other kingpins of the Animal Queendom (I'm trying ... I'm trying!). A gathering of 304 humpback whales, males and females, is something deserving of attention. Thank you to Silverback Jim, of Jim's Jibes for bringing this to... Continue Reading →
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 →