You'd think I was a veterinarian or Saint Francis with all these animal posts. This seems to be what consoles and comes easily these days. I was going to say "you know you're in trouble when you prefer the company of animals to that of humans," but that is not very respectful toward animals and +Maya, +Airedale, +Rowan, and +Clumber will get me for that. I take it back. Animals are creatures of Godde and if I am turning to their beauty and wisdom, it is probably a step forward in the knowledge of the cosmos and its wonders. And a step deeper in the path to true compassion and life in the Spirit.I also know they are not all cute and fuzzy and friendly. jn1034 has a great post related to this - not about predators, which is what you might expect when you get into a "not all cute and fruzzy and friendly" discussion - but about dust mites. Have a look.
But I digress. Today our topic is the kangaroo and the genome. Check out this story!
I do love the little darlings, a.k.a. my students, and we had a good class this morning. It's the other parts of the teaching life that drive me crazy. Well, some students drive me crazy too, but this semester is a blessing and the dynamics with the classes feel pretty good. I am just behind on everything -- but I met a major deadline yesterday (two months late) and have gotten some sleep and am on to the next piece of bureaucracy. And, mercifully, to a little mentoring and pastoral care, which I love and doesn't drain me half as much as meetings and reports do.
Oh, aren't those dust mites cute? The book Microcosm has no pictures, as I remember, but does have lots of details about e. coli, that magical creation inside each of us (and in almost alarming numbers, I should add!). We're basically a walking bio lab with creatures fighting each other, looking for that edge or niche that will make them the winners in the battle, even if it means killing us!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that the Tasmanian devil and Platypus had been sequenced! All this is so cool!
Save the Tasmanian Devils!
ReplyDeleteThe update sounds good, too.
Calkie? Isn't that a herding breed?
Of course the company of animals is often preferable to the company of humans. Over the millenia, human beings have found multifarious ways to screw each other singly and in groups. They lie, chisel, deceive, and despoil almost everything they touch, and they touch everything, don't they?
ReplyDeleteAnimals never lie. Especially dogs. A dog's emotions are right out front, and you can always trust them. They don't want money, a promotion, sex, or power--they just want you. If a dog likes you, it will love you; if it doesn't like you, beware those teeth.
Cats are fun but they are enigmatic. I am tired of solving enigmas.
Then again...I am listening right now to Isabel Bayrakdarian, the brilliant Canadian-Armenian soprano, singing the Easter liturgy of the Armenian Church. No cat or dog could have invented or performed this. Such beauty gives one hope that there are 36 just men and women for whose sake God will refrain from taking us all out.
Animals teach us often much more than humans can. All animals act authentically and that cannot be said of most humans. Turning to animals is healthy to regain our compass. Thanks for reminding us of that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, afeatheradrift. You are very kind. And you are right about animals.
ReplyDeleteKen, +Maya Pavlova isn't terribly enigmatic. She does have moments in which I wonder what lurks in her little kitty mind, but she is pretty overt and enthusiastic, or over and peaceful, depending on the moment. She's not a dog, but she is out there. In a fully cat kind of way.
The picture reminds me of a story that my son and I love, "Joey Runs Away." Joey doesn't want to clean his room, so he runs away and tries out other "pouches." Meanwhile, other animals try to rent out Mum's "room."
ReplyDeleteAnyway... (((Jane.)))
((((((((Jane)))))))))))))
ReplyDeleteGlad at least one of your hurdles has been cleared.
And I lufs animal posts. I do.