Category Archives: Animal kingdom

National Geographic’s Photo Contest.

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

There are some wonderful Nature photos at National Geographic like the one below:

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Lamb castration, peripeteia and anagnorisis, and the war on work.

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

So I found a fascinating title reading Instapundit this morning, and checked it out at the Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog:  CDC:  Castrating Lambs With Your Teeth May Make You Sick. I had heard that, sometimes, lambs have been castrated … Continue reading →

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Aesop’s Fable – The Fox and the Grapes

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered … Continue reading →

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A porcupine up close.

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

I have no idea if porcupines make these kind of noises…especially when they are eating corn on the cob, but I found his/her teeth fascinating:

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“Oil from the sperm whale quite literally lubricated the Industrial Revolution.”

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

There is a fascinating article on sperm whales at The Smithsonian Magazine: Until recently, most information about sperm whales came from their slaughter. In 1712, so the story goes, one Captain Hussey’s vessel was blown offshore south of Nantucket Island … Continue reading →

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Aesop’s Fables ~ THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Sometimes we need to go back to the basics…  The beauty of the Gutenberg Project: THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the … Continue reading →

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Puppy love and war.

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Puppy love: Stray dogs befriended by soldiers on duty in Afghanistan are flown thousands of miles to be reunited.

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Posted on November 11, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Here’s a wonderful write-up by Ian Willoughby about a fantastic Czech author and illustrator:

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Arachnophobia.

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

As much as I find spiders nightmarish, they are also quite fascinating. The thought of a foot-wide spider is totally unappealing.

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When a whale dies.

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

I did not realize that a whale carcass in the ocean lasts between 50-70 years, about the same length of a whale’s life span.  Below is a charming video that illustrates the process of decomposition: Whale Fall (after life of … Continue reading →

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A tribute to the Lipizzaner horses.

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The story of the Lipizzaner horse is a strange and poignant one.  I do admire the horses’ incredible training and performance, that can just be seen, by some, as mere pomp and circumstance.  They embody the spirit of what is … Continue reading →

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Jellyfish photograph.

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The beautiful jellyfish was photographed off Scotland’s shores! (Via UKphotoART).

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Understanding adolescent behavior by studying the brain.

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

My son’s high-speed adventure raised the question long asked by people who have pondered the class of humans we call teenagers: What on Earth was he doing? Parents often phrase this question more colorfully. Scientists put it more coolly. They … Continue reading →

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Hummingbirds.

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

I’ve never thought hummingbirds were jerks… feisty, yes, but not jerks.  I love these little birds. They were the only gutsy creatures to put up with the torrent of Irene and still feed. Here’s a cute video of a little … Continue reading →

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Kandu, a beautiful Jack Russell.

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

My family has had many Jack Russells through the years.  Each one was unique in his or her own way… beginning wit Pip and Pinky, then Tikki and Rowena, Cassie and now Ginger.   This story is very touching, and evokes … Continue reading →

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