By Eilene Lyon I’ve had dogs in my life for decades, but never heard of pannus until a couple months ago. The technical name for the condition is chronic superficial keratitis (CSK). Our border-collie-mix dog, Hunter, joined the family a little over a year ago. We don’t know exactly how old he is, but likely... Continue Reading →
Alaska in Cleveland
By Eilene Lyon During my recent visit to Cleveland, Little Brother and I spent a morning at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, they are undergoing a renovation and all the major exhibit halls were closed. In addition to the few exhibits in the open hallways, and a small space upstairs, there was a... Continue Reading →
Anacapa Island Conservation
By Eilene Lyon The highlight of our recent vacation trip to Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of southern California, was a day spent at Anacapa Island. Anacapa consists of three islets about 11 miles from Santa Barbara. Landing on East Anacapa was adventurous. The zodiacs transporting us from the National Geographic Venture had... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Anabat
By Eilene Lyon At the end of my freshman year at Fort Lewis College, in 2005, I did a 10-week internship in the Natural Resources department at Mesa Verde National Park. One of the full-time employees, Marilyn Colyer, invited me to join a bat survey in the La Plata Mountains. Though wandering the forest at... Continue Reading →
Hummer Update
By Eilene Lyon My last post, about the black-chinned hummingbird nest under our deck, proved quite popular! Therefore I must offer an update and a few more photos. Last week, they were covered in pinfeathers and had barely begun opening their eyes. Through the week, I spied on the nestlings as they stretched and exercised... Continue Reading →
Where Wolves?
By Eilene Lyon Introduction I have seen only one wolf in the wild. It was in Denali National Park. Not deep in the wilderness, but at the park entrance, crossing a road into the campground. It was big, it was black, it was unquestionably a wolf. It was one of those whiplash moments where you... Continue Reading →
A Doggie (DNA) Christmas
Week 51: #52 Ancestors - Holidays By Eilene Lyon Santa’s Surprises Sometimes a pet story is too cute not to share. While The Putterer was in town, I got out all the gifts I needed to wrap. When I took them upstairs to put under the tree, I discovered that Sterling had snuck into my... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Mount St. Helens
By Eilene Lyon May 18, 2021 The “From the Vault” series features an artifact or family photo from my collection to illustrate a tale from my distant past. On this day 41 years ago, I was just a few weeks from the pinnacle of many a teen’s life – high school graduation. It also happened... Continue Reading →
One Way Or Another
By Eilene Lyon My partner and I sat in the Bass Tracker on the calm waters of Saguaro Lake – actually an impoundment of the Salt River near Scottsdale, Arizona – scanning the skies. In this narrow section, a sheer cliff rose ahead of us, and hills on both sides. Suddenly, a bald eagle bolted... Continue Reading →