FIVE SECOND STORIES

Elderly hamsters: these critters average lifespan is 2-3 years. Occasionally some go beyond. Here is a 3.5 year old looking shaggy reminding me of when many of us had Covid hair:

 

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The aye-aye is a nocturnal lemur endemic to Madagascar with a lineage dating back nearly 70 million years.

David Haring

He has a passing resemblance to a more famous creature, perhaps a distant cousin:

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I started watching the latest Godzilla and noticed something new in the MPA ratings: creature violence! Yes, for those sensitive to imaginary critters causing mayhem and widespread destruction as well as squaring off against other imaginary creatures and kicking ass. Oi.

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We're heading into morel mushroom season. When Michele and I had our place West of Eagle, the former owner left instructions where to find morels in an adjoining property that was a very old woods. We were able to find the spot and enjoy feasting on some freshly picked 'schrooms.

I learned from C that in France, which has a long history of eating wild mushrooms, pharmacists are trained to identify mushrooms and large posters of them are displayed in windows and shops during the mushrooming season. Foragers take the mushrooms they have gathered to their pharmacist where, free of charge, the mushrooms are checked for toxicity.
 

We have in Michigan, a self-proclaimed mushroom capital of the United States. For the past 65 years in May, the tiny village of Mesick (oh, you just can't beat this delicious pun and warning), located 20 miles Northwest of Cadillac, holds an annual mushroom festival.

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Curious thing about Hindu-Arabic numerals-each contains the number of angles the number represents:

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Nutkin has a new moniker: Napoleon. He's small, very ambitious and pesky in the face of adversaries. Since last Fall, he has expanded his range to include Benny and our backyards and Diners.

I noticed Stubbs splooting while eating peanuts. Like a Roman patrician lounging at a feast:

When I go out to hang the bird feeder, I usually greet Mr. Birch and give him a pat on his trunk. I inquired how he was doing and he replied that he was ok, getting old and that his top was thinning of leaves. I doffed my cap and said that "I feel you, bro". He chuckled. Two red admiral butterflies were orbiting his trunk and finally settled.

Later in the day, I was shocked to see that someone had carved a new large hole in the dead trunk. I keep up to date what's happenin' at the Diner and back 40 so it was surprising that I had not seen the work being done.

Then I saw someone was inside:

I am not sure who this is and have been trying to see them go out and back, wondering if they were sitting on some eggs. No sightings other than this instance. Stay tuned.

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Fun vids:

A singing highway in Hungary:

 

 

Massive sheep herd in New Zealand being guided by some very hard working doggies! Sheep murmuration!

 The Rehbinder Effect:

Hitchcock in Australia: The Bird