Bright rodents, awesome pets — It sure is hot outside. It’s hard to believe that we recently celebrated the arrival of a highly anticipated annual event at our house: turning on the heat! Alas, only cool air blew from the vents. …

The true story of a little donkey named Jeremiah who stole my heart Once upon a time there was a little Nubian donkey named Jeremiah who lived in a rolling pasture in Gold Hill, Alabama along with three horses and a herd of cows. Jeremiah was what you call a “Jesus donkey,” nicknamed for the story of the donkey who carried Jesus to…

In which I fall in love with blue jays I’ve always harbored a quiet love for blue jays, those oft-maligned backyard beauties. When folks speak harshly of them, I usually come back with a feeble, “But they’re so pretty,” to which no one can argue. Well knock me over with a feather! I’ve just learned that jays are corvids…

A nutty case for nature in maintaining physical and mental health I’m mad for squirrels. I’ve contemplated dedicating a column to them previously, but squirrels? The pests in our attics, the thieves of our birdfeeders, and the tormentors of our dogs? Then I found out that October is Squirrel Appreciation Month. I may not be a traditional southerner in all respects…

Despite an unorthodox childhood we had one traditional pastime: the summer vacation to the beach. We stayed at “Orange Beach Cottages,” where pastel cottages named after flowers nestled on a rustic spit of land. Tall loblolly pines, old and craggly, provided shade leading up to the bay. …

A story from a charmed childhood Like all self-respecting children, my brother Robert and I tried to dig a hole to China in our backyard. We didn’t get there, but we did dig an impressive pit. After wearing blisters on our hands, we leaned back on our shovels and changed our plans. We decided to build…

And a remarkable mutualistic relationship in Tierra del Fuego Mid-September mornings in Alabama bring a tease of cooler temperatures, though the month repeatedly disappoints with insufferable heat as soon as the sun crests over the trees. Still, here I am, sitting on the porch with coffee and dogs, loving the chill on my bare arms. …

In which we toss my dad’s cremains We finally tossed my dad’s ashes into the river. I debated admitting this publicly, but after checking the books I understand that we didn’t break any laws, so here we are. Family and friends gathered at Horseshoe Bend where the rock piers of the Miller Covered Bridge, now vanished but…

A journey into the wacky world of feline taxonomy — Well, it happened. I made a big gaffe in my column last week, writing Panthera onca (jaguar) when I meant Panthera pardus (leopard). This cuts to the core not only because I know the scientific names of these cats, but also because one of them, the jaguar, is my favorite…