Tag Archives: predators
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A tale of two kitties
We lost one of our cats recently. Mr. Allnut (named for Humphrey Bogart’s character in The African Queen) asked to go out at about 4 one morning a few weeks ago, and I let him go. He never came back, … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged Aldo Leopold, Austin, Austin American-Statesman, cancer, Isle Royale, predators, Susan Sontag, urban wildlife
10 Comments
More on violence: a death in West Austin
Last Thursday got off to a grisly start in our West Austin neighborhood, bringing a stark reminder of the violence inherent in the way we humans live on the land. We usually attempt, more or less successfully, to keep this … Continue reading
The devil’s bargain: on gardening and violence
I spent last weekend at the ranch planning a new garden—or, rather, watching our dear friend Glee Ingram, an Austin landscape designer; Steve Diver, a horticulturist with Sustainable Growth Texas; and Robert Selement, Madroño’s redoubtable manager, plan a new garden … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged armadillos, Bible, bison, chickens, feral hogs, gardening, Madroño Ranch, predators, violence
2 Comments
Massachusetts, part III: take a walk on the wild side
A Very Long Time Ago, my mother brought home a Peter Max-style poster with this quotation from Henry David Thoreau: “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.” Each time we moved, its reappearance was an indication that I was … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged camels, David Quammen, Henry David Thoreau, Madroño Ranch, Massachusetts, nineteenth century, predators, walking, wildness
1 Comment
Carnivorocity
Since we’re in the early planning stages for our first Madroño Ranch bison harvest, I’ve been reflecting on issues of carnivorocity, which my spell-checker tells me isn’t a word. It suggests “carnivorousness” instead. But I prefer my neologism because it … Continue reading
Posted in Food
Tagged Bible, bison, Dai Due, God, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, meat, predators, vegetarianism
1 Comment
“Everywhere there’s lots of piggies…”
I sometimes find myself feeling a little defensive about the Texas Hill Country. Martin, a San Francisco native, and I drove across the country via Texas after we graduated from college in Massachusetts. Somewhere around Bastrop, I said, “Well, we’re … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged dogs, feral hogs, Isa Catto Shaw, Madroño Ranch, predators, rototiller, sausage, Texas Hill Country
7 Comments