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Who in the World Is Elliot?
Elliot Templeton is kind of a real person. I say “kind of” because he’s actually a Star Wars action figure I found deep in the bowels of my mom’s piano one day in 2008 whilst getting it tuned—a lost relic from my childhood who I’m sure slipped past the piano chords while fleeing Darth Vader through the swamps of Dagobah.
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Reading Hobby: Top 5 Survival Books
I’ve been writing book reviews since 2011, but I’ve been reading books a whole lot longer than that. One of my all-time favorite genres is the true survival story—man against nature—and these are my top five favorites. #5 The History of the Donner Party by C.F. McGlashan (1880) You know about the Donner Party. YouContinue reading “Reading Hobby: Top 5 Survival Books”

Butterflying Hobby: My Life List Taxonomy
Organizing nature into its many trees and branches is called “taxonomy.” This science of classification is highly addicting, especially for someone like me who finds the organization process entirely therapeutic. While I am a naturalist who loves to collect photographs of virtually all life, my real passion is for butterflies. I recently began posting someContinue reading “Butterflying Hobby: My Life List Taxonomy”

Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #3 (Troidini Tribe):
This is my final of three posts in the Papilioninae Subfamily (Papilionidae Family) broken down by Tribe: Papilionini Tribe: Total 13 Leptocircini Tribe: 9 Troidini Tribe: 2 Within the Troidini Tribe, there are twelve genera: AtrophaneuraBattusByasaCressida EuryadesLosariaOrnithopteraPachliopta (1) ParidesPharmacophagusTrogonopteraTroides (1) To date, I have captured only 2 species from this vast tribe, both with anContinue reading “Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #3 (Troidini Tribe):”

Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #2 (Leptocircini Tribe)
I’m breaking my Swallowtails sightings from the Papilioninae Subfamily (Papilionidae Family) down into three groupings by tribe, of which there are three: Papilionini Tribe: Total 13 Leptocircini Tribe: 9 Troidini Tribe: 2 Within the Leptocircini Tribe, there are nine genera: EurytidesGraphium (Paranticopsis) (7)IphiclidesLamproptera (2)Meandrusa MimoidesProtesilausProtographiumTeinopalpus To date, I have captured 7 from this tribe inContinue reading “Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #2 (Leptocircini Tribe)”

Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #1 (Papilionini Tribe)
Just as it’s difficult for me to choose a favorite butterfly, it’s difficult for me to choose how to share them on my site. For my Swallowtails at least (those within the Papilionidae Family), I’m breaking all of my sightings down into tribes, of which there are three: Papilionini Tribe: Total 13 Leptocircini Tribe: 9Continue reading “Butterflying Hobby: Papilioninae Subfamily #1 (Papilionini Tribe)”

LEGO: An Ice Fishing Story
It’s been bitterly cold this week here in Minnesota. Sunday morning gave us -19° and I’m grateful our car even started to get us to church. Otherwise, we’ve been stuck indoors. When I’m not researching and writing, I’m taking a break with the kids and LEGOs. This past year, we tried fishing in the rivers,Continue reading “LEGO: An Ice Fishing Story”

Bird Drawing Hobby: Pileated Woodpecker
On my Life List, the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is my #370. In my bird-drawing repertoire, it’s my fifth. I’ve got some catching up to do. I chose this particular species because I first saw it on my older brother’s property, and he and his wife had gifted me the drawing book and Micron pensContinue reading “Bird Drawing Hobby: Pileated Woodpecker”

LEGO: A Secretary’s Story
I’ve been working as a secretary for a number of weeks now (or is it “Administrative Assistant”?), and I love it. Some days, though, the empty building… ©2021 E.T.

LEGO: A Minnesota Story
We’ve been moving around so much lately, that we’ve had the LEGOs packed away and nearly forgotten! Thankfully we dug them out, and just in time for winter. This story informs you a bit about how life is going in ol’ Minnesota. Logs and laziness. ©2021 E.T.
