Humans & Animals

One often hears statements such as "He was acting like an animal" or "She was treated like an animal."  I find such declarations disturbing on several levels.

With regard to the first statement, I would make the point that he is an animal, not a plant.  We share the same physiology and instincts; of course, our larger brain should confer a reasonable degree of social etiquette, empathy and behavioral constraints but that is not always the case.  Indeed, one might easily argue that some humans are the cruelest animals on the planet.

Regarding the second statement, there is an implication that it might be acceptable to mistreat non-human animals; this notion has been widespread since we first domesticated animals about 12,000 years ago and continues today in the form of puppy mills, feedlots, trophy hunting and other human endeavors. On the other hand, many humans pay more attention to the needs of their pets than to the welfare of their fellow humans; we are even kind enough to provide compassionate euthanasia while restricting that option for "children of God."  The more we accept the fact that we are animals, just as much a part of nature as those we observe in the wild, the better off all species will be, mankind included.

Trump races to destroy our Planet

On the day that the Democratic National Convention begins, the Trump Administration has finalized plans to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.  Ignoring both climate change and a world oil glut, our Dear Leader is intent on rolling back every form of environmental protection before he is voted out of office.

Perhaps he is playing for the Alaskan vote and the financial support of the oil and gas industry but one would think they are already in his corner.  More likely, Trump intends to use his authority to destroy a signature landmark achievement of past Democratic Administrations while he can.  To be perfectly honest, I doubt he could find the Refuge (or the State of Alaska) on a map.

Unfortunately, as was pointed out in the New York Times, leases granted prior to the election may not be reversible by a Biden Administration.  Legal challenges are thus underway by a host of Conservation Organizations and your financial support is encouraged.  Most of all, vote for your grandkids in November; help to save our planet by electing Biden and dumping Trump! 

Sunrise at Roxborough State Park

My daughter, her husband, my son, a grandson and I opted for a hike at Roxborough State Park, in southwest Metro Denver, this morning.  In order to beat the heat and the crowds, we met at sunrise.

Shortly after starting the north loop trail, the sun made its appearance, glowing through smoke-tinged air; the latter is the consequence of multiple wildfires in the State and a lack of strong winds to clear the skies.  Nevertheless, it was a pleasantly cool morning and we were on our own until we had completed the loop.  Crowds are common at the Park, especially on weekends, due to the spectacular rock formations (Dakota, Lyons and Fountain Formation sandstones, east to west) and the fine trail network.  Mule deer are reliably encountered as are a mix of foothill shrubland birds.

In addition to the pleasant hike, we were educated about dinosaurs by my 3-year-old grandson and he was rewarded with donuts when we returned to the lot.  Such family outings (safely-spaced these days) have long been highlights of my time on our planet.

Wildlife and Stress

Since returning to Colorado, I have spent a good deal of time wandering about our Littleton farm and observing the wildlife.  As I have written in the past, nature offers an excellent diversion from the stress of this difficult period.

As children, we tend to pity wild creatures, missing out as they do on holidays and having to endure the brutal weather of winter.  As adults, we sometimes envy them, free to go about their lives without worrying about finances or relationships and immune to the emotional burdens carried by human adults; overwhelmed by news related to Covid-19 and our dysfunctional government, we may be especially prone to those sentiments this summer.

Then again, our wild neighbors are focused solely on survival, instinctively aware of predators and driven to seek food during most of their waking hours.  We humans, endowed with a large, complex brain, can appreciate those constraints but are still drawn to their outwardly carefree existence.  In return, they offer some measure of tranquility. 

Covid-19 and College Football

While the MAC, the Big Ten and the PAC-12 have cancelled their fall football season due to the risks imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Big 12, SEC and ACC are dragging their feet, still (at the time of this post) committed to an autumn schedule.  Do they have medical data not available to the rest of us?  Of course not.

The clear answer is that these conferences primarily represent Red States where conservative ideology is anti-government and anti-science.  They are minimizing the risks to players and coaches (despite recent evidence that a small but significant percentage of young adults develop myocarditis from Covid-19) and presumably will allow tailgate gatherings and fans in the stadiums.  Tradition and financial concerns appear to trump (pun intended) science and common sense.

Long an ardent fan of college football (though I quit in 2018) and conscious of the emotional and economic benefit of college sports, I applaud the conferences that have withdrawn support for fall football.  A poorly managed pandemic has forced their decision and the safety of players, coaches, fans and students must outweigh a "hope for the best" approach.

A Derecho rakes the Midwest

A derecho is a cluster of thunderstorms that moves rapidly along a warm front (usually the outer edge of a high pressure dome), producing strong downdraft/outflow winds over a course of at least 250 miles.  Yesterday, such a destructive weather system raced across Iowa and Northern Illinois before dipping southeastward through Indiana and Ohio.

The straight line winds, exceeding 100 mph is some areas, damaged homes, trees and outbuildings and  caused widespread power outages.  Raking the southern portion of Lake Michigan, they produced high waves and storm surge along the eastern shore, comparable to that of a category 2 hurricane.

Here in central Missouri, the system's trailing chain of thunderstorms brought gusty winds, intense lightning and torrential rain; Columbia received 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes, prompting a flash flood warning.  Unfortunately, the derecho did not drag cool, Canadian air into our region; heat and high humidity persist and more thunderstorms are expected over the next few days.

Seventy: Old & Grateful

Today I celebrate seventy years on our planet.  Throughout my fifties and sixties, my definition of "middle age" gradually broadened but I must now accept that I have entered "old age" (though I still resist the title of being elderly).

After all, I subscribe to the popular notion that "you are as old as you feel" while acknowledging that I don't feel like a twenty-year-old (or a fifty-year-old for that matter).  I am within ten years of the average life expectancy of an American male but am thankful to have made it to this age; many others, of course, do not.

Indeed, my goal is to live as long as I can care for myself; independence is far more important to me than doing all the things I was capable of during my younger years.  Enjoying family, friends and low-key pastimes (hiking, birding, painting, reading, writing) is more than enough to keep me happy and I enter "old age," whether it turns out to last one year or twenty, with gratitude.  

Monterey Cypress

Another benefit of watching the PGA Championship, from Harding Park in San Francisco (see yesterday's post), is enjoying the beautiful stands of Monterey Cypress.  Native to the Central California Coast, these hardy trees tolerate poor, rocky soil and grow best where the climate is cool and moist.

While a few relic groves still survive near Carmel and Monterey, most of the Monterey Cypress found along the coasts of California and Oregon have been transplanted or reintroduced; indeed, these attractive trees have been introduced to Great Britain, southern Australia and New Zealand as well.  While their twisted limbs, thick, white trunks and flat, flag-like tops suggest that they are ancient trees (think bristlecone pines), these features simply reflect the raw, windy habitat in which they evolved and continue to thrive.   Other species of cypress are also found along the California Coast, including Tecate Cypress in Southern California and the Baja Peninsula.

In contrast to the baldcypress swamps of the Southeastern U.S., which call to mind hot, humid air, we can almost feel a cool, damp breeze when we gaze upon a grove of Monterey Cypress.  In the midst of a steamy Midwest summer, a bit of psychic air-conditioning is certainly welcome! 

San Bruno Mountain

Though I have rarely played since my college days, I enjoy watching golf on television.  The tension-filled tournaments are, at least for me, relaxing to watch and I am particularly drawn to the regional geography that one observes from the aerial coverage.

Yesterday's coverage of the PGA Championship, from Harding Park in San Francisco, included shots of breaching whales in the Pacific as well as spectacular views of the San Francisco Peninsula.  One of the views was of an isolated ridge to the southeast of the golf course; consulting Google Maps, I learned that it was San Bruno Mountain, a fault-block formation composed primarily of Franciscan graywacke (a composite of continental, oceanic and volcanic sediments). Most of the ridge, which parallels the San Andreas Fault and has a summit elevation of 1319 feet, is protected within San Bruno Mountain State Park.  Due to its location, between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, the Park harbors a mix of rare and endemic species (primarily plants and insects); unfortunately, due to its prominence, the ridge is also graced by a cluster of transmission towers.

Once again, a golf tournament has offered a geography lesson as well.  Even familiar terrain is better appreciated from a blimp (or drone)!

The Story at Corral Bluffs

Last evening, I had the good fortune to come across an episode of NOVA on PBS.  Titled The Rise of Mammals, the show focused on early mammalian fossils discovered at Corral Bluffs, a geologic preserve east of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The bluffs are a layer cake of late Cretaceous and early Paleocene sediments, divided by the KT boundary, a band of rock that is the remnant of the asteroid impact that ended the Mesozoic Era (the Age of Dinosaurs), 65 million years ago.  The relatively soft sedimentary rocks above the boundary span 1 million years of recovery following the mass extinction and harbor a wealth of early mammal fossils coinciding with fossil evidence of vegetation recovery, from fungi to ferns to deciduous plants; during that time, the Corral Bluffs region had a climate more typical of Florida than present-day Colorado.

Mammalian fossils at the site range from small, rat-like creatures to raccoon-sized herbivores.  Since the mammal evolution is closely correlated with plant recovery, one finds dental fossils that branch from those of omnivores to early herbivores and carnivores.  Though mammals first appeared in the Triassic Period of the Mesozoic Era, the dominance of dinosaurs kept their evolution in check; as the fossils at Corral Bluffs demonstrate, the asteroid impact set the stage for mammalian diversification and eventual dominance.  We humans, of course, are part of that ongoing process.

  

Thoughts on Telemedicine

During the Covid-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become a widely used form of healthcare.  After all, patients are reluctant to come to clinic and healthcare systems want to limit in-person interactions, between providers and patients and between the patients themselves.

While telemedicine has become an increasingly popular means of managing rural patients and the elderly, it is, in my opinion, a second-rate form of medical care.  Though it may be helpful in the areas of preventive care and health maintenance, it cannot replace in-person evaluation in the assessment of symptomatic patients.  Medicine is an art as well as a science and its practice is complex; subtle clues to the presence of serious disease may be missed if a patient is denied examination by a trained healthcare professional.

Beyond the current pandemic, our country and many others face health crises resulting from uneven access, excessive costs and provider shortages.  Telemedicine may have a role to play in addressing the problem but universal access to quality, affordable, in-person healthcare is far more important.

A Fast Start to Hurricane Season

As Isaias churns northward along the Atlantic Coast, it is clear that the Atlantic Hurricane Season is well ahead of schedule.  Stretching from June through mid November, the Season generally peaks in September; since we have already reached the letter I for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes combined), 2020 appears to be an especially active year.

Of course, the incidence of storms could begin to slow and their intensity and destructiveness cannot be predicted in advance.  On the other hand, warming seawater, due to climate change, favors their development and fuels their severity.

As for Isaias, it is a borderline hurricane at best but still threatens most of the Atlantic Coast region with heavy rains, storm surge and high winds; forecast to come ashore between Georgetown, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, its effects will be felt from Florida to Maine.  Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic will likely complicate the response to any flooding that may occur. 

Solitude at Prairie Home

For our latest social-distancing adventure, my wife and I visited Prairie Home Conservation Area, about 25 miles WSW of Columbia.  Established in 1963 and enlarged since, the 1461 acre refuge is a mosaic of grasslands, remnant prairie, cropfields and woodlands, accessed by an extensive network of hiking trails, horse paths and graveled roads; drained primarily by Schaaf Creek and its tributaries, the area harbors three small lakes.

During most of our visit, we enjoyed a shady spot along Johnson Lake.  There we were serenaded by indigo buntings, mourning doves and northern bobwhites while a variety of frogs called from the marshy shores, mixed flocks of swallows zoomed above the lake and turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks soared overhead.  Our only human encounter was a man and his daughter who were fishing far down the shore.

Of interest, we crossed Clark Fork Creek en route to Prairie Home.  A tributary of the Missouri River, it is (I suspect) one of many streams named by or for Lewis & Clark as they explored the vast watershed of our country's longest river.  Social-distancing was especially easy in their day.

Hope in August

For birders who reside across central latitudes of the American Heartland, August brings hope that the birding doldrums of June and July will soon end.  Now that their breeding season has come to a close, many northern species begin to drift southward while more southern birds may wander to the north, bringing some welcome diversity to our ponds, lakes and wetlands.

Highlighting the migrants from the north are shorebirds, joined by a mix of inland gulls and terns that breed across the Northern Plains; early white pelicans, cormorants and white-faced ibis might also make an appearance.  Less common are southern waders such as little blue herons, white ibis and roseate spoonbills that may wander up the major river valleys in late summer.

In addition to these transient visitors, permanent and summer residents such as great blue herons, night herons and egrets (great, snowy and cattle) begin to congregate in large flocks, offering spectacles not observed since mid spring.  Of course, longer nights and cooler mornings also fuel hope in summer-weary humans, foreshadowing the glorious weather and stirring sights of autumn.

Caught between Fronts

Driving back to Missouri from Ohio yesterday, we enjoyed sunny, mild weather until we reached the Mississippi Valley.  There, a squall line stretched across Metro St. Louis and we crawled through torrential rain until we were west of the city.

From St. Louis to Columbia, we dodged intermittent showers and thunderstorms and that weather has persisted since our arrival in central Missouri.  The cause for these unsettled conditions can be found on the weather map were two stationary fronts run parallel across the Midwest.  North of the northern front, sunshine and relatively cool, dry air is in place while, south of the southern front, the air is hot and humid.  The swath between the fronts is a clash zone where cooler air undercuts the tropical air to the south, igniting thunderstorms and unleashing heavy rain.  A flash flood watch currently stretches through that swath, from eastern Kansas and Oklahoma to the Upper Ohio Valley.

The cloud cover and rain have kept temperatures cooler than average for late July, a welcome change from the hot summer weather.  Devoid of potent energy and wind sheer from the jet stream, severe thunderstorms are unlikely and flooding is the only concern unless or until a powerful system moves in from the west, dislodging the stationary fronts.

Swimming with a Cormorant

This afternoon, as on most afternoons since our arrival, my wife and I went for a swim in Sandy Lake.  Several days of calm weather had allowed colder water to settle into deeper portions of the basin and the surface water was pleasantly mild.

Soon after entering the lake, we realized that we were joined by a double-crested cormorant; to be more accurate, we had joined him.  Oblivious of our presence, the sleek fisherman repeatedly dove for fish, sometimes surfacing within a few feet of our location.  After many years of observing these birds at a distance, it was a unique experience to be so close to one in its own habitat.

Within an hour, strong southwesterly winds developed ahead of an approaching storm front, churning the waters of Sandy Lake and re-injecting cold waters from its depths; this development, combined with looming thunderheads to our northwest, prompted our departure from the lake.  Of course, the cormorant was unfazed by the changing conditions and continued to hunt for an afternoon meal. 

Avoid our National Parks

If you care about the welfare of our National Parks, avoid them during the warmer months of the year.  Already stressed by climate change, most of the Parks also face overcrowding and underfunding.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened these problems as humans seek safe refuge and natural therapy after months of confinement.  Many have little appreciation for the fragility of the Park ecosystems and indulge in careless, if not destructive, behavior.  Financial cutbacks have reduced oversight by Park personnel and rules to protect visitors, wildlife and the environment are, per reports, routinely ignored.  Those looking for natural escapes should consider National Wildlife Refuges, Conservation Areas and regional nature preserves where, per the conservation ethic, we should leave no trace of our visit.

Our beloved National Parks are but a microcosm of what is happening to our Planet.  Overpopulation, habitat destruction, pollution, excessive consumption and, of course, climate change are global problems.  Just as we threaten the Parks, we are killing the Planet.  The Trump Administration's solution: cut funding, slash environmental regulations, ridicule climate science and expand industrial activity in our refuges.  Vote for Biden!

Summer Birdlife at Sandy Lake

My wife and I decided to come up to Sandy Lake, in northeastern Ohio, for the relative solitude and cool weather but this modest-sized kettle lake offers good birding as well.  Summer may not be the best season for avian diversity but there is a pleasing mix of residents.

Ospreys, double-crested cormorants and belted kingfishers hunt on the lake and great blue herons stalk the shallows, sometimes joined by their smaller green cousins; bald eagles fish here as well though their numbers are greater during the colder months.  As I mentioned in the last post, a colony of purple martins reside along the shore, catching insects above the lake or skimming the surface for a quick drink.  Of course, a good variety of permanent and summer songbirds reside in the woodlands and wetlands that surround the lake and a host of raptors patrol the area from above.

Summer waterfowl are limited to mallards and Canada geese but the tranquility of Sandy Lake, especially during this summer of viral and political turmoil, more than compensates for a lack of birdwatching spectacles.  Besides, swimming, reading and walks on the lakeside trail keep us entertained (and away from the cable news channels).