June 7th, 2010

I am always amazed at how animals are at the same time both completely fragile and super tough. Perhaps an argument could be made, but I think the drastic swings between these two possibilities is much less for tamed animals, say humans. Dogs seem to be right in the middle, all the time. Maybe that's why we love to have them around.


I was walking over a small creak in a city park today where a concrete bottom had been poured to create a small drop-off. Clinging to the incline was this horrible creature.


In some ways a crawfish (basically a freshwater lobster) is pretty tough: it can cling to the side of a rock with water rushing over it for hours and it has a wicked exoskeleton. On the other hand, in a moment it can be plucked from the water and eaten by a Great Blue Heron (or someone from Louisiana).

Likewise, this Fiery Skipper butterfly can fly with more agility than modern jet planes but just as easily be plucked from midair by a passing bird. Grass Skippers can be identified by the big black eyeballs position of wings at rest (Back and up like a jet).

So next time the going gets tough I'm going to try and remember, that the possibility of something 20-times my size reaching down and eating me is pretty slim. And hopefully that will provide some comfort.