And now from another part of the country … I’m on the road again on a trip to Arkansas but have been suffering with a bad sinus infection since leaving New Orleans, so I’ve been in bed and offline, even while traveling. This trip is for my SATW Atlantic-Caribbean Chapter meeting, and it kicked off with several days in Eureka Springs. While I’ll have plenty to share about the area soon, here’s a teaser.

This tiny cub (and its sibling) were born at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, an incredible labor of love by a family that wraps their life around the rescue and permanent care of big cats raised (and abandoned) by humans. They neuter incoming cats, but these cubs were already in their mamma’s belly when they arrived at the refuge.  We were privileged to see them; they are being hand-fed by the family. However, the refuge cares for a broad variety of big cats (as well as a few bears, monkeys, and other wild non-native creatures).  If you love tigers and lions, you will fall in love with this unique refuge. It’s just outside Eureka Springs … more details at www.turpentinecreek.org, and you’ll soon see a story from me about their incredible effort!

Carrying a laptop with you to Houston? Back it up first. Slipping into Houston through a ship in the port back in 2002, these 1/8-inch long ants are now reaching a critical mass of swarms … and they are attracted to electronic devices, with devastating results. According to the Houston Chronicle:

“They have ruined pumps at sewage pumping stations, fouled computers and at least one homeowner’s gas meter, and caused fire alarms to malfunction. They have been spotted at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and close to Hobby Airport, though they haven’t caused any major problems there yet.”  Here’s a map as to where the ants have spread.

Scary sci-fi stuff, but all too real! Best to switch Mission Control here to Florida, guys, until you get this invasion under control.  Read more about the problem from the Houston Chronicle.

I’ve heard of “Gator in a Slough” (great little ditty by Florida folk singer Cindy Hackney), but ‘gator in a sinkhole? Well, that’s what’s happened at the monster Daisetta sinkhole in Texas.  Seems an alligator got sucked into the sinkhole with all the water rushing into it from a nearby marsh, and there it is swimming around in the tar and such. Check out this article at the Houston Chronicle for an update and photos.

We’re still puzzled over this one. On a visit to the Florida Aquarium this past weekend, our family - and quite a few passersby - noted a strange phenomenon going on with a certain pufferfish in a saltwater tank near the Tampa Bay exhibits. It had something to do with my camera, or any camera. Perhaps it could see itself in the lens? The fish kept following the camera lens around, no matter how high or low I put it … it tried to get just a little higher than the lens so it could look directly into it. Running without flash, I shot a lot of frames, with this being the most colorful and crisp.