For lack of a better idea for a writing warm-up, here’s a roundup of all of my greyhounds over the years: Stub: Our first grey, and an amazing ambassador for the breed. Yes, Stub was his official race name…his tail was shortened somewhat, by nature …
Read MoreHeart Dogs
Many times, if you speak to a dog owner, they will tell you of one particular animal that they had a powerful bond with. There is, or was, something about that dog that made the connection instant, and lasting. The common name for these pets …
Read MoreHow To Make A Cast of A Dromaeosaur Track
Or rather, in my case, utterly failing at making a track cast. Years back, I purchased a track cast from what I strongly suspect is a British dromaeosaur. They leave very distinctive footprints, and are hard to miss. This type of animal would usually hold …
Read MoreMy Box Of Plant Fossils Grew Legs And Walked
Cataloging my museum is going to nuke my summer. And my wallet. And my sanity. I guess one perk of having the floors redone in my house is that it has forced me to actually photograph and catalog my fossils. I originally had a hard …
Read MoreThat Isn’t What You Said It Was, Buddy. Not Even In The Clade.
When one collects fossils like I do, it pays to know what you are looking at. It helps one not get ripped off. Here’s a really good example of this notion. A few years back, I was browsing a certain website for fossils (because that’s …
Read MoreReptile Wrangler: Copperhead Mayhem
Why is it always me that gets to remove rogue critters from a school? Or gets brought animals (salamanders, scorpions, dead black widows, kittens) and asked to care for them? Oh, wait…it’s because everyone who worked with me knows that I did four and a …
Read MoreThe Beast of Gevaudan
This was one of those historical mysteries that still flummoxes people today. For those not in the know, the Beast was an animal or animals that went on a multi-year rampage in south-central France from 1764-1767. It, or they, racked up quite a body count, …
Read MoreListracanthus, Sea Serpents, And What Happens When A Science Teacher Writes Critters
I write paranormal/dark fantasy. However, I’m also a science teacher/scientist at heart. At the risk of sounding cliche, I think that makes my writing unique. I try to ground my fantastical beings in some manner of realism. Heck, I taught human anatomy for over a …
Read MoreNerdy Archaeopteryx Post
One week until Spring Break. Just one more week. We’ve got this. I’ve only got a couple more days before I drive up to Chicago for the Let’s Just Write! Conference. This will be the biggest conference I’ve gone to, and I’m excited and nervous. …
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