Friends of the Famous - Y

Accustomed to accolades and adoration, new age composer and performer Yanni was presented the most extraordinary gift of a panda, given to him in gratitude by the country of China.  The honor of performing in the Forbidden City required first meeting personally with the Chinese Minister of Culture; which evidently went smoothly as the show indeed went on and the Chinese now teach their children Yanni’s music.  Although Yanni promptly named the animal Santorini, after the “most beautiful island in Greece” (his native homeland), Yanni explains that the female panda is not kept at his home but at an exclusive reserve in China, for she is an endangered animal. 

In 2011 a golden retriever named Yogi was awarded Valor Dog of the Year by the United States Humane Society for saving his owner Paul Horton’s life after a mountain bike accident.  Regaining consciousness but immobile, Horton talked a reluctant Yogi into leaving his side to go for help, which the outstanding dog did; resulting in his Horton’s subsequent rescue. 

Established as the world’s first national park in 1872 (although the National Park Service (NPS) wasn’t created until 1916), Yellowstone National Park remains a treasured sanctuary of ancient richness in both nature and cultural diversity through careful planning and thoughtful management, unforeseen disasters notwithstanding.  After a geological survey in 1871, Ferdinand Hayden expressed the importance of allowing the area to remain “as free as the air or water” offering little thought to the welfare of the prolific wildlife population, a subject which would come to an alarming forefront when elk were being poached out of existence and hungry bears turned their attention to park visitors.  Once the NPS had that under control it wasn’t until the ‘Summer of Fire’ in 1988; when over 780 thousand acres burned with hundreds of wildlife killed and all but a few displaced, that the NPS once again had their hands full. 

Meanwhile, due to practiced Predator Control both in and outside the park, the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves had been virtually eradicated within the boundaries of Yellowstone.  1995 saw the beginning of the wolf restoration project when initially fourteen were reintroduced, inciting the onset of exciting ecological changes such as increases in beaver colonies and elk populations. Additionally, as the elk are once again on the move without as much time for browsing (thanks to the wolves), the Willows along the streams are faring much better and the entire ecosystem is once again flourishing.

Are you a fan of Yanni? How about that Valor dog? Had you heard about the Yellowstone wolves?

Friends of the Famous - Q

In her book “Good Dog…Stay” Pulitzer prize-winning columnist and consummate novelist  Anna Quindlen writes “The life of a good dog is like the life of a good person, only shorter and more compressed”  as she shares with trademark wit and wisdom the experience of growing older with her beloved black Lab, Beau. A must read for any dog-lover or anyone who’s ever wondered how much easier life could be if we could all just raise our noses to the air from time to time and holler “I smell bacon”!

In the truly heart-warming Japanese production of Quill; the life of a Guide dog, a yellow lab plays the starring role and delivers his best throughout the entire film based on a true story of his early trainers, Quill’s journey, and how they meet up again much later. Artfully interspersed, subtle humor blends well with bittersweet moments that resonate in this documentary-type validation of service animals and the real-life roles they play in society.

Quixall Crosset deserves honorable mention for being the all-time champion losing racehorse in Britain’s history that, despite showing best countless times, had over 100 starts without a win.  In 1998, having surpassed the record of 74 continuous losses he earned the nickname “Sultan of Slow” yet remained in the, ah, running another four years (he was then 17 years old!) before his owner was expressly requested to desist his racing career.  And while Quixall Crosset won’t be bringing up the rear at the tracks anymore he can still claim one victory, and that is over America’s Zippy Chippy, whose career was slightly less dreadful. Who said winners have to finish first?

  

Good News: Quills from our friend the porcupine have inspired a team at Harvard to design needles that deliver less-painful injections. 

 Happy Wednesday!

Cowboy etiquette

The Wild, Wild Best! Z is for...

Z is for Zuni Fleabane!  If there was ever a time I experienced Zen it would be while standing at Four Corners, USA. Imagine 360 degree choices, opportunities for new adventures every way you turn! Or perhaps it was just a lingering sense of spirits past; still whispering in the ruins I had just visited at Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Nation…but that’s for a future blog- on to the letter Z!

The Navajo Nation is the largest land area (roughly 27 thousand square miles) retained by a United States tribe and much of it lies in Arizona. It is here that in the late 80’s scientists discovered the Zuni Fleabane flourishing nicely in the Chuska Mountains (it was heretofore thought to exist only in New Mexico). The Zuni Fleabane is listed as a threatened species.

 Also called “Summer Snow” these pretty little daisies bloom all summer long; enhancing the somewhat rough terrain in which they grow.

 

“Pluck not the wayside flower;
It is the traveler's dower.”
~William Allingham

Yay! I did the Blogging A to Z 2015 Challenge 2015!  And I bet you did too! I think I heard a collective sigh of relief.  A heartfelt thank you to everyone who visited The Wild, Wild Best - I had a blast and I hope you enjoyed.  I know I enjoyed every blog I visited and only wished I could have seen more, but evidently my computer security is on steroids!

The Wild, Wild Best! Y is for...

Y is for Yellow-billed Cuckoo!  Contrary to their dapper appearance, these foot-long fellas are generally shy and quite practiced at the art of disguise; remaining so still as to blend into the scenery. Though you might not always see these birds, you certainly won’t miss their rather loud, rapid staccato call that sounds at first like a call to attention with a hollow wooden tube.

From the penguin-like cape that drapes the head and shoulders, to the layers of colors beneath, to the black and yellow bill, these guys are certainly dressed in their Sunday best and not surprisingly, their feathers make up nearly half their body weight!

Enjoying summers among cottonwoods along the San Pedro River, they’re here for much of the monsoon and are sometimes called “Rain Crows” for their tendency to call at the sound of thunder.  Otherwise the Cuckoos spend their days dining on chubby caterpillars and are first in line to take advantage of any sort of cicada, moth or tent caterpillar outbreak.

The male and female build their nest together, though interestingly, they put a few of their eggs in nests of other birds! Thus, the name?  In addition, these monogamous creatures are known to have an occasional extra male hanging around the nest as a type of ‘nanny’.

As summer winds down the Cuckoos head for South America for the winter as avid birders look anxiously forward to their return because the nocturnal migratory flights of the Cuckoo are imperiled by collisions with cellphone towers, tall buildings, etc., and just last year they (Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo) were officially added to the Endangered Species List.

As we get down to the wire now, one more letter left, I have to admit to being a little research weary (though I’ve enjoyed it immensely!), and find I keep having to do a double-take on the word ‘underparts’ – ha!  Anyone else?

The Wild, Wild Best! X is for...

A short rugged trek and a world away, you might believe you’ve hiked right up to heaven; where sensory perceptions are pampered and doldrums give way to astonished wonder as you traverse a realm as unaccustomed to intrusion as you are to being one. 

You could run across an antelope… or a bear. You may engage in a staring match with a bobcat across a sparkling stream or have your cap snatched from your head by a mischievous coatimundi as the song of a red-faced warbler gently guides you onward through one of the most diverse plant and animal ranges in the Huachuca Mountains to perhaps behold one of Arizona’s rarest, wild, wild best invertebrates: The elusive Xami Hairstreak!

Try as I might, I came across only three recorded sightings in the last fifty or so years, so good luck, folks!

BE ADVISED! This wondrous place I like to call ‘Heaven’s Garden’ is located on one of Arizona’s largest military installations. Therefore, picture I.D’s are required, foreign nationals are not permitted without the company of United States military personnel and the entire area may close without warning due to public safety or national security concerns.

If you go be sure to pack plenty of water and dress in layers as the weather conditions can change quicker than the flick of a lizard’s tongue!

Are you a hiker? Does this sound like something you’d enjoy?