A Different Viewfinder Weekly Link Round-Up

 

Denis and I had a great day at the Desert Botanical Garden last week. The weather was perfect, and although it was busy, the garden wasn't heaving with people, so it almost felt as though we had the place to ourselves. We wandered to our hearts' content and had lunch with at least two dozen Gambel's quail at the Patio Cafe. 

The males were quite territorial, so I knew that it was nesting time. A docent stopped by with a group of tourists, and she confirmed my thoughts on the quails' behavior. Denis and I hope to visit when some of the chicks have hatched. I've only seen baby Gambel's quail out in the wild (the best place to see them naturally), but since Denis and I no longer hit the trail, it would be great to see these little sand-colored fluffballs at the Garden. However, the docent did add to my vocabulary of slang, and not in a good way. Want to know what baby quail are called? Coyote popcorn. Ack!

It was after we left the Patio Cafe that disaster struck. I dropped my camera-- the camera that had all the bells and whistles I wanted, the camera that would be the last one I'd ever buy because it was exactly what I wanted--- and I completely wrecked the lens (the most important part, naturally). The camera has been discontinued and even if I could buy a replacement, it now costs more than twice what I originally paid for it. Sending it for repair would be a nightmare with no guarantee of success. So... I will now be using my old camera. 

But... if that's the worst that happens to me, I'm still having a good day. If there's one thing that I've learned, it's how to put disasters into perspective!

Virtual hugs to all! Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Getting rid of book blurbs? Easier said than done.
• How Authors Against Book Bans helped defeat attempted library censorship in Florida.
• Pentagon schools have suspended library books for a "compliance review" under Trump orders.
• Goodbye, Goodreads: Five new reading tracker apps to try.
• Why does "Zzz" mean sleep?
• Asking what if?: Mystery as respite for the anxious mind.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A 2,500-year-old painted tomb with a "unique scene of a smithy" has been discovered at an Etruscan necropolis in Italy.
• For centuries, Indigenous people lived in Canyon de Chelly. Now, technology reveals extraordinary details about this sacred site. (Denis and I took an all-day tour of Canyon de Chelly. It's one of my favorite places.)
• An 11,000-year-old settlement in Canada could rewrite the history of Indigenous civilizations in North America.
• The Dolní Vĕstonice portrait head is the oldest known human portrait in the world.
• Archaeologists have uncovered a "lost" home depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. More from Smithsonian Magazine.
• "Disgust" is among the first words decoded in a 2,000-year-old charred scroll.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Birds-of-Paradise glow to attract mates, adding a flashy element to their impressive courtship displays.
• See a rare "super pod" of more than 1,500 Risso's dolphins spotted off the coast of California.
• Watch a romp of otters simultaneously afraid and fascinated by a vacuum cleaner.
• Humpback whale song shares a key pattern with human language that might make it easier for the animals to learn.
• Which dogs live the longest?
• When bonobos know what you don't, they'll tell you. It's a sign of cognitive ability called "Theory of Mind."

►The Wanderer◄

• The Lost Waters of Kathmandu are needed now more than ever. 
• Many popular houses in L.A. were part of a scam by a con artist who disappeared.
• Local bookstores, dealt another blow by L.A. fires, become "community touchstones."
• The crime fiction of Fiji.
• 11 dazzling celestial events to see in 2025, from a total lunar eclipse to rare planetary alignments.
• A story of forgotten fiction in Vietnam.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• How Canyon de Chelly brought photographer Wayne Martin Belger back to life.
• How Alice Hamilton waged a one-woman campaign to get the lead out of everything.
• Born enslaved, Black millionaire William Henry Ellis attempted to colonize Mexico and aspired to be the Emperor of Ethiopia.
• The mysterious Madame Montour.
• My first thriller: Lee Goldberg.
• The long-lost story of Joseph Laroche, the only Black man on the Titanic.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Questionable cure-alls.
• Five Smithsonian objects to honor Black History Month.
• Eight of the best mysteries about family secrets.
• Delve into Black History with these books.
• 18 mysteries and thrillers set in the Midwest.
• The most anticipated heartwarming fiction of this year.

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!