Mesquite Trees and Horses: Incompatible
When I moved to the Sonoran Desert, I learned about mesquite pods. I knew about the mesquite wood used for barbequing, but not the seed pods of the tree. They’re used as food by both people and animals. The mature pods, not just the seeds, are ground into flour, which is quite delicious. A five-gallon […]
Scientists Love Their Scat! And I Am One!
Scientists have long been using scat as a valuable tool in figuring out what animals have eaten. The indigestible parts pass through and are excreted. Some items can be easily identified, but others require a bit of investigation. When the temperatures were warm enough, I let my sulcata, or spur-thigh, tortoise loose in my walled-in […]
Ergot: A Fungus and a Tissue Protuberance–Geez!
My favorite bread flavor is rye. Given a choice, I will always choose rye. So, growing up, I wondered why rye hadn’t been more popular historically. After all, rye is easier to grow than wheat and, in my humble opinion, much tastier. The reason is Ergot. Ergot is a fungal disease that killed and disabled […]
An Unusual Visitor Stopped By
The Sonoran Desert is home to many species of hummingbirds. The first things I installed in my yard when I moved in were hummingbird feeders. Whenever a hummer would stop for a drink, I’d pull out my bird book to identify it. I’ve had quite a few species stop by over the years. Some were […]