incipit vita nova

The Eye of Africa

I love looking at unusual natural landscapes and saw one this a.m. I'd never heard of before. The "Eye of Africa" or Richat Structure is a natural geological foundation in the Sahara desert in Mauritania created by different concentric circles of stone and sediment. 

This is a more natural picture than many, and it actually looks like an eye, doesn't it!

This picture makes the entire area appear sunken beneath the Sahara sand (the beige/yellow areas). However, it's not sunken but raised. The sedimentary rock is above the sand, not below it.

A blue-appearing peak in the photo is the tallest mountain in Mauritania and made entirely of magnetite - in other words, if Magneto were around, he could probably move it.

Aliso & Wood Canyon Hiking

Today it is somewhat stormy, but yesterday I went to Aliso & Wood Canyon Wilderness Park, where I've hiked several times before - just not as a local resident!

I tried to take a good picture of Badger.  He didn't want to sit still . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near the nature center (it didn't seem open), and the parking lot off Alicia Pkwy, they have several areas with native plants, nature information and here - what they described as "old farm equipment."

To take the creekside trail (not the main, paved roadway leading into the park, where most people take their bikes), follow a small trail leading away from the "old farm equipment."

 

 

It's pretty clear that scouts have laid down mulch and wood chips - these trails are extremely well-maintained.

You will quickly come to a sign marking an Eagle Scout Project.  This is a set of stairs and a stream crossing.

 

 

 

 

 

I did not wear my hiking boots, so my hike was cut short about half an hour later when I reached a muddy portion of the mowed path that I had been following.  But here's the cool stream crossing put there by the scouts.  Water levels obviously topped the creek during the recent extreme storms.  Every large piece of vegetation had lots of stuff washed into its branches.  Now, the creek is small, but pretty fast-moving, with clear, clean water.

 

 

I was able to follow this mowed path for approx. 1 1/2 miles before hitting the mudpatch that I didn't want to cross.  I could tell there was a gate immediately after it.  The smell of fresh-mown grass was intoxicating.  I saw numerous small animals (mostly cottontails), many different birds, and a shadowy, brief glimpse of a bobcat.

 

The grass smelled so good because it was fresh-mown!  I passed the guy on the riding mower along the way.

 

The views were amazing.  Even though it is at no point far from a major roadway, it was quiet and still on many occasions.  Stopping and looking and listening, the sounds of nature were calming and well-worth a brief walk (VERY easy) into this beautiful wilderness area.

 

Merry Christmas Outdoors! (Cold Creek, Malibu)

Took a little hiking time this afternoon with Badger.  Cold Creek wasn't nearly as high as I thought it would be after so much rain.  But there were dozens of the biggest mushrooms I'd ever seen!  I tried to take pictures but it was super-dark.  It is already raining again.

These pictures are from good-old Stunt High Trail in Malibu.  Trail very easy, not washed out, but there were some dramatic new gullies and those mushrooms!  I recognized wood-ear mushrooms in a burned, fallen tree.  I can't identify these enormous mushrooms, can you?

Kitty Genius

Meredith's cat Oliver (he isn't a kitten any more, but he is small) is very smart, very sweet, and a little bit dog-like.  He follows me around and looks for attention and affection much like Badger does.

He is also much more curious than Badger and into everything.

When Meredith and Anthony are gone, he is a much better-behaved cat - he doesn't seem inclined to misbehave or cause trouble when they're not around.  He still wants to play, is still incredibly nosy and curious, and still wants to make friends with Badger - who loathes him and is highly suspicious of his every move.  Oh - and jealous, too.

Right now, Badger's toys are piled on my bed and partially stuffed under a pillow, to keep them away from nosy Oliver.

This is a link to a fascinating, animal-centered discussion of cat intelligence.  The article points up many flaws in old-fashioned, lab-based tests of animal intelligence.  Although cats have been used as lab subjects for many years, the author points up that "Having evolved to be self-sufficient, they [cats] lack the urge to appease social superiors or gain acceptance into a pack or herd." 

Like dogs, cats have vision that differs significantly from humans (more acute in some ways, less acute in others, with lack of ability to distinguish some colors, like red).  They navigate by feel (ultra-sensitive whiskers) and have far better hearing than people do. A cat's sense of smell is much more sensitive than humans, but less sensitive than a dog's.  Cat paws are much more dexterous than dog paws, hence - all the stuff they can manipulate, open, and as unfortunate mice have discovered throughout history - play with.  Much of cat play is hunting behavior - as anyone who has watched their cat hide, sneak, and pounce - such as Oliver grabbing my pant leg when I walk by him and he thinks I haven't seen him.

Cats learn from observation and have excellent short- and long-term memory.  Their spatial view of the world explains why Oliver feels "at home" in every inch of our house that he can reach, but unlike even Badger, will sit by the door and not leave even if strongly invited.  Oliver apparently feels no need to leave his small world right now, and his curiosity is limited to the walls of his house.  He is very funny, very sweet, and a very smart little cat.  I'll miss him a lot when he is gone.

 

To Tame A Fox

Some time ago, I heard about and watched a show about the taming of wild foxes in Siberia.  A Russian geneticist, Dr. Dimitry Belyaev, was asked by Siberian fur farmers to help breed foxes that would be less wild and vicious, and thus more manageable on the fur farm.  Starting with 100 female foxes or vixens and 30 male foxes, Dr. Belyaev soon bred more tame foxes simply by allowing only the tamest 5% of fox offspring to breed the next generation.

However, beyond simply becoming more calm, the foxes also began to change appearance and acquired behaviors very different from wild foxes, such as barking and tail-wagging.

These adorable pups are available for adoption right now from the official importer of tame Siberian foxes to America, Sibfox, which is located in Las Vegas.  They are so cute!  But you can see they have more doglike markings than wild foxes, and much variation in color.  Also, they aren't for the casual pet owner - Sibfox says it takes up to 3 months for the pet to arrive after verified purchase, and the price is nearly $6,000.  Unlike many individuals associated with exotic animals sold as pets, Sibfox seems like genuine advocates for the foxes and highly responsible and caring.

These foxes, you see, really aren't "wild" animals any longer.  They have been truly domesticated.

This is the fox that I am familiar with - the red fox.  Most people in Southern California have never seen one, but they are quite widespread.  Apparently the local population was introduced for hunting purposes, and the only true native California red foxes are in the Sierra Nevada range.  But growing up, I saw a red fox while on one of my many foraging adventure trips in the Santa Ana riverbed and foothills and it remains one of the most beautiful wild animals I've ever seen.  It gave me a look much like this picture, then bounded away into the brush.

I don't think it's wrong to try to domesticate animals like the Siberian fur foxes, because they were destined to be killed for their fur, and were being trapped in cages.  Being turned into pets is a far more positive outcome for them.

Through the Siberian fox breeding experience, many geneticists believe they have come to understand how the dog, which started out 10,000 years ago as a wolf scavenging around human encampments, has undergone such extreme change.  With the incredible variation in dog breeds, from chihuahuas to Great Danes and everything in-between, it is hard to imagine the different breeds actually being genetically almost identical, and all originally descended from wolves who once became tame.

Oliver's Daily Adventure

A few weeks ago, I lost an important piece of mail.  As I seldom lose anything, this was really upsetting.  I suspected Oliver the kitty, but had no proof of any type.

Last evening, I realized that my suspicions were definitely along the right lines.  A couple of days ago, the notice for renewing the LandRover's registration came.  This is a big envelope with several papers and a return envelope in it.  I put it in the prominent bill stack on my second desk.  I was using my computer when I heard Oliver walking around on the other desk.  Then I heard him jump down, and saw him saunter past into the living room.

I looked over and saw he had a large envelope in his mouth.  "Hey, cut that out!" I yelled.  I jumped up, while he casually sat there and looked at me, the entire renewal notice in his mouth.  He was just randomly carrying it away.

He really enjoys being petted and loves to play with his toys and . . . well, pretty much anything else, including car registration bills.

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

I've had my buddy Badger for about 10 years now.  He's the best dog ever, as everyone knows . . .

Meredith got a kitten about a year ago named Oliver.  Oliver came from the Westside Animal Shelter - both Oliver and Badger are rescue animals.  I know there's a big group of people who breed and love pedigreed animals and I support everybody who takes good care of their pets, but for those who don't particularly care if their pet has "papers" or not and doesn't intend to breed or show them, I think it's mandatory to pick a pet from an animal shelter.  With over 1 million dogs and even more cats euthanized each year, it's a simple thing to do to save an innocent pet's life.  Not only that, but you will bring home a friend who will quickly become a part of your family.

From the beginning, tiny kitten Oliver acted more like a puppy than a cat.  He followed us around, "talked" a lot, and came when his name was called.  He would bring (and still does!) one of his toys when ready to play.  Oliver grew up around Badger and Taz (our former departed Chihuahua).  For a long time I thought Oliver's doglike behavior was a result of growing up around two dogs, with no other cats around.

I hadn't had a cat for years and I was struck by how smart Oliver was compared to the cats I'd had years ago (not that I didn't love them a whole lot, too).  I thought - cats have pretty short generations.  They might be "evolving" to become more like dogs, because this is just more appealing to human owners and rewarding for the cats themselves.  

That's just a theory that I have, but the cat sitting there "like a person" is a PuppyKat.  Southern California breeder Dawn Houston developed these cats after years of breeding from rescued cats that shared dog-like traits -- folded ears, short tails, and calm, "puppy-like" personalities.  These traits are out there among many cats today, or Dawn wouldn't have been able to find the rescue animals that shared them.  Oliver doesn't have folded ears or a short tail, and he's got a funny little kitten Roman nose, but he's got a big, puppy-like personality.  

So, if Oliver weren't neutered (he is), I guess we could have worked on breeding more "HyperKats".  He's puppylike, all right - the world's most active, hyper, into-everything puppy.  He's active all night long, all day long, and has developed many creative ways to play - including opening all doors and cabinets and hurling any object he can find off any surface, just to "watch it fall."

Some studies have shown that some people are "cat people" and some people are "dog people," and they share characteristics with the pets that they love.  Cat people are supposedly "more neurotic," but "open" to new experiences.  Dog people are theoretically more outgoing, conscientious and social.

A lot of people surveyed in that study said they were "both" and loved both animals equally - but it doesn't look like the study, which was looking for "differences," took that into account.  I think I fit in the "both" category.  But I have to say that Badger is pretty jealous of Oliver, especially when Oliver rolls over and wants his belly scratched, something he does a LOT of.

 

More Animal Intelligence: Snowball + Alex's Friends

Thanks to my students, now I know about Snowball, the dancing cockatoo.  Snowball is a "rescue" cockatoo and belonged to a teenaged girl.  He got upset when she went away to college and bit her, and now lives at a bird rescue.  Thanks to his YouTube videos, the bird rescue has enough donations to keep going and help as many birds as possible.  

Here's a video of Snowball rockin' out to his favorite, the Backstreet Boys, at the World Science Festival last year.

I'm totally enamored of Alex, the African Gray parrot and his friends, Griffin and Einstein.

This is one with Dr. Pepperberg, Alex, and Alan Alda - it's so cool!  I think what I like best is the gentle personality in Alex's voice.

Animal Intelligence: Parrots

I'm among those who believe that animals possess many forms of intelligence, and that most pets have self-awareness and awareness of their relationships with others.  Some in the scientific community remain resistant to this concept.  Various researchers into animal intelligence frequently run into a lack of acceptance for their findings, including contorted reasoning (or rationalization) for the animals' lack of cognition, explaining away nearly all animal activities and result as instinct, conditioning or accident - anything but learning and cognition.

While I was walking Badger this weekend, I saw a slender, dark-haired woman walking calmly toward the shore with a gray African parrot on her shoulder. The parrot was looking around curiously.  When I stopped and spoke to her, Badger got a little bit excited.  The parrot gave him a dirty look!

This is a picture of the famous Alex, an African gray parrot who learned many different words and who literally spoke to the researchers who were studying his abilities and learning. Dr. Irene Pepperberg at Brandeis University asked a research assistant to pick Alex out at a pet store over 30 years ago.  The rest is history.  Alex learned to speak and communicated in ways that cannot be explained by "parroting."  He even invented words like "corknut" and "banerry" (for apple, which he could not pronounce).  

Some people explain any animal behavior interacting with humans that appears to represent interaction and learning as "operant conditioning."  They fail to comprehend that "operant conditioning" is a form of learning.  If the animal were not learning cues from the human with which it was associating, "conditioning" would not be possible.  As per Wikipedia, where one would expect to find the most knee-jerk responses from the scientific "establishment," 

 "Dr. Herbert Terrace, who had worked with Nim Chimpsky [a research chimp], says he thinks Alex performed by rote rather than using language; he calls Alex's responses "a complex discriminative performance," adding that in every situation, "there is an external stimulus that guides his response."

OK, so in what way is our own human behavior, particularly learning, not a response to an external stimulus?  How is "ba-nerry" a rote response?  Dr. Pepperberg thought up the word and taught it to him to "fool" others?  In what way is Alex's many years of learning comparable to "Clever Hans," the horse who hadn't learned numbers, but instead had learned how to respond to his owner's subtle clues as to how to behave to appear to be counting?  The operative word is learned.  As pointed up in several articles about this phenomenon, including by Dr. Pepperberg, any time experimental evidence is presented of animal learning and cognition, those who are invested utterly in "speciesism" (thanks Dr. Singer) simply move the bar or redefine what "intelligence" is.

Oliver the Kitten Acrobat

Meredith's kitten Oliver is super cute.  He tries to play with everything and everybody.  He is a really great climber and leaper - better than any other cat I've ever had.  Meredith took these pictures and it's a nice little snapshot of my life too - look at the bookshelf!

 In the second picture, the collage-like artboard is actually the Playhouse Pictures Christmas card from 1956 or some such year.  I'd had it for years before Amid Amidi told me it was the actual studio Christmas card.

Richard Nixon is faced out because Oliver was VERY interested in him, as in chewing.