Interlude (tldr)

My Canon camera (the one I bought to replace the one I dropped in the Muddy River) no longer works. The motor won't extend the lens when I turn it on. I don't seem to have the data cable to my other camera, a Pentax digital SLR. I ordered a new one, and it should be here this week. No photos alas until that's resolved. But some other interesting stuff is going on:

I found a great piece of science journalism. This story combines several passions of mine: lifeforms that are preadapted to live in man-made ecosystems, booze, and taxonomy. The story doesn't resort to idiotic puns or name-checking pop culture either. Go read. "Evolution is full of stories of animals and plants fitting into hyper-specific man-made niches, as if nature somehow got the specs in advance."

A strange thing happened on Saturday, and Alexis wrote a letter to the town administrator about it:
( here it is )

I'm scheduled to do a bunch of interesting things in the next few weeks: Present a slideshow to the Friends of the Muddy River, participate in a BioBlitz, host a housewarming party (in the area and weren't invited? email me your email address/facebook name), go on vacation with my brother and father, then help run some fundraisers.

Mostly I'm excited because we're having a fence built.

Also, this lives in my house now.