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The Science of… Oatmeal?

Someone mixing liquids in beakers.

Do you ever think about the physics in action within your breakfast? Sometimes, I do, especially after a spectacular failure, like when I attempted to microwave oatmeal. The day before, I boiled some oatmeal for my dog. He was taking antibiotics, and I could tell they were bothering his stomach. I thought maybe oatmeal might […]

Prey of the Hawk!

A Harris's Hawk perched on a branch displaying the side and tail of the bird.

They hunt as a pack, led by the dominant female. Working together, they can subdue larger prey than an individual can, providing a feast for the entire family. However, pack isn’t the term used for a group of birds. But the flock doesn’t seem strong enough. All About Harris’s Hawks These effective hunters are Harris’s […]

A Pennaraptorans for Your Thoughts

A realistic illustration of dinosaurs roaming a valley.

I recently learned about Penneropterans. They are not people who like to eat penne pasta! Maybe ‘opt’ refers to optics? Nope, they are not people who want to look at penne pasta, either! No, Penneropterans is a misspelling of Pennaraptora.  What’s a Pennaraptora? The Pennaraptora clade refers to the group of dinosaurs who developed feathers. […]

An Old Fossil Publishes a Dinosaur Book!

The cover of Dinosaurs Roamed Arizona.

Every festival, I’m asked if I have any books about dinosaurs. Up until now, I’ve had to say no. However, if a topic is requested often enough, what is an author to do but write one? Sure, there are books about dinosaurs, but how about books about the dinosaurs found in Arizona? Once again, I […]

It’s Festival Time Again!

Elaine smiling from her booth at the 2019 TFOB

Tucson is known for nature, music, and food. As a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Tucson will feed your body. Nature and open spaces provide sustenance for your soul. For your mind, Tucson has the Festival of Books! My books offer a particularly nourishing mental feast with chunks of information in a rich sauce of […]

Choose Another Corner!

Three tortoises settling into a corner of a room in a house.

I live in a good-sized house. It has four bedrooms and two large living room areas with many corners. Having corners is very important to my family. This makes more sense when you know that most of my family members are reptiles: lizards, turtles, and tortoises. Free to Roam (and Fight) The tortoises are free-roaming. […]

R.I.P. Little Mariana Fruit Bat

A bat mid-flight during sunset.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a list of 21 species formally declared extinct. And while any species extinction is distressing, it was with great sadness that I heard the news of a particular species featured in one of my picture Books.  Farewell, Little Mariana Fruit Bat The Little Mariana Fruit Bat, Pteropus […]

Fast Food: Roadrunner Edition

A roadrunner mid-stride running across an asphalt surface.

After writing a couple of books about reptiles (Don’t Call Me Turtle! and Don’t Make Me Rattle!), I wrote a book about roadrunners. I’m not sure why I was so inspired, except for their impact on the reptiles, as significant predators. I delight in the variety and numbers of lizards (and snakes) that have chosen […]

Summer Fun with Curtis Curly-tail!

illustration of curtis curly-tail lizard

Hey, kids, it’s me Curtis Curly-tail! I know I haven’t blogged in a long time, but hopefully, you’ve been keeping up with my activities on my YouTube channel that I share with Elaine. Watching my videos is a great way to spend the hot middays when it’s too hot to be playing outside. But I […]

What is the Color of a Snake’s Tongue?

Have you ever thought about the color of a snake’s tongue? I hadn’t until recently when a snake flicked its tongue at me. Let me tell you how it happened.  Relaxing by the Pool I have a net fence around my pool. It’s good to have a pool safely fenced off to prevent tragedies, such […]

Excuse Me, is This Chair Taken?

A brown grasshopper sitting on a wood plank.

I was outside recently and went to sit down in a cushioned chair as I often do, but this morning, I found the chair occupied! You’ll never guess who took it.  The surprisingly large insect, nearly 3 inches long, showed no interest in vacating the seat for me, so I thought we should get better […]

Yellow is the Color of Spring!

A field of yellow flowers.

Growing up in Illinois, I knew the blooming of the forsythia bushes meant spring had arrived. The bright yellow flowers of the large bushes added a bright color to the gray of winter. This memory came to me as I enjoyed the yellow flowers of spring here in the Sonoran Desert. We had good winter […]

Love is in the… Cactus?

Ah, the heart! ❤️ The symbol of romantic love. An appropriate topic for February 14th is Valentine’s Day. It was in the fifteenth century that today’s typical heart symbol was developed. With the establishment of Valentine’s Day, the use of the symbol exploded. Its popularity reached the ultimate pinnacle when the ❤️ became a verb! […]

No Ordinary Button

A pile of pearly white buttons.

November 16th is National Button Day. What do you think of when you hear the word “button?” Do images of the many colors, diversely shaped garment fasteners come to mind? I remember selecting colors and shapes to add interest to my clothes. Then there’s the time spent searching through the massive collection that my mother […]

A Snake… with Legs?

A banana python with a big green question mark over its head.

We humans like to find ways of enhancing our means of movement. We strap wheels onto our feet, jump on skateboards, and climb on bicycles or motorcycles. We build cars to drive faster than we can walk. We build airplanes to fly in the sky like birds. But we’ve also invented wonderful devices to assist […]

Jellyfish in the… Desert?

Small blue jellyfish float around in a small clump against a dark background.

The tram operators of Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ are offering nighttime tours this summer. It’s part of an overall upgrade to the beautiful park located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest. Along with upgrading to electric vehicles, the tour narration now comes with personal earbuds. This reduces the noise of […]

This Blog May Be a Bit Soggy

Blue water sloshing against a blue background.

I’ve noticed when I’m trying to write, the ideas really flow. Not while I’m sitting at my computer, of course. But rather, when I’m immersed in water. Showers are great, but swimming laps in the pool really opens up the creativity taps. So many ideas will “float” around that I keep a notepad by the […]

A BIG Book Celebration in Tucson, AZ

A crowd of families with young children sit around a book mobile at the 2010 Tucson Festival of Books

The authors are coming! The authors are coming! Once again, we’ll be celebrating books and literacy in person in Tucson at the 2022 Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB)! Learn more about this Tucson book celebration staple and how you find me there.  A Brief TFOB History The first festival was held March 14-15, 2009 with […]

The Laws of Physics (According to Horses)

I started horseback riding after I retired. Before that, I’d never been particularly fond of horses, despite being a biologist. I preferred reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks. However, life has a way of leading me down unexpected trails. Although no matter the trail I find myself on, I always find a little science. Even with a […]

How Not to Photograph a Bat

I wrote a book about the difficulties in photographing hummingbirds, How Not to Photograph a Hummingbird. It pits one bumbling human against the desert as he carelessly attempts to photograph an Anna’s Hummingbird. If lucky, a hummer may alight for a moment or two, allowing the photographer to get the shot she wants.  But there […]

Brittlebush Can Take the Heat!

photo of brittlebush plant

One plant that has always amazed me in the Sonoran Desert is the Brittlebush. No matter how little rain falls nor how hot it is, this bush produces a lush crop of flowers. Brittlebush, Encelia farinose, is a bush native to the Sonoran Desert and is a member of the sunflower family.  The leaves are […]

Do You Slather or Smear?

image of young woman's face with lotion

The English language has a lot of really great words. As a writer, I enjoy exploring them. This time of year in the Sonoran Desert, we increase the amount of sunscreen we put on our bodies.  As the intensity of the sun increases with the warmer seasons, more sunscreen is definitely needed. I put a […]

Little Cactus, Big Flowers

photo of cactus Mammilaria senilis

Usually, author Jo Busha writes the blog posts on plants, but one of my potted cacti inspired me to share this magnificent plant with you. Last year, a friend gave me this trio of the cactus, Mammilaria senilis. This mammillaria is native to northern Mexico, growing on moss-covered boulders in high altitude pine forests. I […]

“That’s MY Bed!”

image of rhinocerous iguana in human bed

Among the many reptiles I share my home with is a rhinoceros rock iguana who usually free roams my house. She basks under the heat lamps with the tortoises, shares the plates of veggies and finds sunbeams to relax in. Mid-afternoon, it’s time to head under some rocks for a nap.  No, I don’t have […]