Gobbler Romance

The resident long beards around these parts have got lovin' on their mind.

And both Braumeister and I have valid permits for second season next week...

 

Hero

Earlier this month, Cambodia unveiled the world's first statue honoring a landmine-detecting rat.  Who knew?

Magawa the rat was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo before moving to Cambodia to begin his bomb-sniffing career.  He lived to eight years of age and identified more than 100 landmines and other explosives from 2017 to 2021.

There are more than 100 African pouched rats deployed in detection operations such as this across the world.  The rats are trained to sniff out explosive compounds like trinitrotoluene (TNT) as the rats are not hefty enough to trigger a detonation.  

Following decades of conflict it is estimated that in Cambodia alone there are as many as six million undiscovered landmines.  Consequently, since 1970 more than 20,000 people have been killed and another 40,000 wounded and maimed by this lurking ordnance.

Magawa cleared more than 1.5 million square feet of land and could search a tennis court-sized area in 20 minutes compared with four days by a human.

In 2020, Magawa was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal - the George Cross for animals - for his 'life saving devotion to duty'.  He was the first rat to receive the award in the charity's 77 year history.

And that's not all.  Learn more about the African pouched rat's ability to detect tuberculosis here.  

Chorale

Further evidence that there is more sign of spring and less of winter there is this chorus in the evening.  

They’ve been singing for almost a couple weeks now unless the overnight temps drop to freezing.  If I step out on the porch, rap on a pillar and in my deepest director voice announce:  ‘AHEM!’  The chorus stops immediately.

It resumes in short order so clearly sway over my subjects is limited; consequently I’ll not let my authority go to my head.

I recorded this last Sunday evening - so turn-up the volume for some chorus frogs. 

(The flashing hazard lights emit from towers on Brussels Hill)

 

Friday Morning Bible Study

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just prayed over the Iran war; and he used a fictional Bible verse.

From the previously unknown Book of Pulp Fiction.

At the Pentagon's monthly worship service on Wednesday, April 15, the Secretary of Defense stood up, told military leaders what they hear in worship should  'inform' their war decisions and then read a prayer calling for 'great vengeance and furious anger' on Iran. He said the prayer was called  'CSAR 2517,' which stands  for Combat Search And Rescue, and was based on Ezekiel 25:17.

Only it wasn't.

It was from Pulp Fiction. Specifically, it was the speech Samuel L. Jackson's character recites before executing an unarmed man.

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 has one sentence. The rest, including 'the path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,' was invented for Tarantino's 1994 film.  

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

- Quentin Tarantino 

The Secretary of Defense read a fictional hit man's execution speech to bless an actual war.

And then he said this: 'Fifteen minutes ago I was talking about blockades with Admiral Cooper, and now we're going to study the Lord's word. May what we talk about, how we worship today, inform the remainder of our day and the remainder of our week.'

The man coordinating a naval blockade and potential strikes on Iran is citing Bible verses that don't exist. 

From Hollywood. 

To bless a war that has killed men and women in service to our country, thousands of Iranians and threatens order, security and the entire global economy.  

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Pope Leo responded to Hegseth's earlier violent prayers on Palm Sunday. The Pope quoted actual scripture, Isaiah 1:15:'  Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood.' 

Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich called Hegseth's sermons 'shameless blasphemy.

This is the man in charge of American military.  You know; the good guys.

The Crusader-tattooed former Fox News host who prayed for 'overwhelming violence' at his confirmation.  Who has fired Army leadership out of paranoia. Who invoked a movie as scripture to justify killing more civilians.

Too be clear, I have no sympathy for the Iranian Mullahs.  But this mash-up of God, guns and country implies Hegseth belongs back in rehab.  

Why your ask?

Because you can’t make this shit up.

Peanut Eaters

We witnessed a nasty blizzard four weeks ago leaving something on the order of 36 inches of snow on the level.  And we're not in the clear either as we had a couple years where spring now storms basically cancelled my spring turkey hunt which is next week.  Anyway, I learned from that storm that more birds than expected will avail themselves of peanuts for the fat and protein they offer including redwing blackbirds.  Who knew? 

It won't be long before I'll have to remove the peanut and suet bird feeders.  Not because the birds want me to; rather as a consequence of seasonality.  With warming conditions and rain instead of snow leaving peanuts out invites mold and mildew.  And leaving suet out invites rancidity.  Both of which would be bad for my feathered friends.

Nevertheless and coincidentally this will mark the arrival of the orioles so new feeders featuring an oranges and grape jell will be deployed.

Meanwhile here  are some recent photos of some of the peanut eaters... 

Hairy Woodpecker

 

Downy Woodpecker and Chickadee

Couple of Hairys

The Help

Bluejay

Flicker

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Leap of Faith

There is nothing more graceful than a running deer.  Actually, they leap more than run and are capable of vaulting over obstacles up to 8 feet from a standing position.  With a running start, they are capable of soaring over fences as high as 10 to 12 feet; although 8-foot fences are generally an effective deterrence.  They are also capable of horizontal leaps (forward motion) spanning up to 30 feet.  Which is quite remarkable.  

When I uploaded this photo from a trail camera recently a couple of things occurred to me.  If a hunter was in the stand pictured would the deer run towards the hunter?  And would the hunter be able to get-off a shot and knock one down?  The animal furthest away is roughly 40 yards distant and hauling ass.

I have personally been witness to the unpredictability of the direction startled deer will move and as a general rule they do not run towards hunters; unless, the wind in in the hunter's favor.  If upwind it is possible a hunter will remain undetected; the deer will not smell or 'wind' him. 

Although in the image here a deer running head-on at the hunter (likely caught unaware) and and closing the distance rapidly it is a leap of faith and the deer has the advantage. 

For the hunter this is a low probability shot situation and also would be a leap of faith to take a shot with a high probability of wounding.

I would pass; and await for a broadside shot at an unsuspecting whitetail standing or strolling.    

You? 

Is It Real...

...Or Is it AI? 

The first time I saw the imagery I thought to myself 'is that who I think it is?'

Guess I wasn't alone.

Lighten-up people and have a laugh for a change.