Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a sermon in Spokane, Washington 1908; the sermon topic was Mother’s Day. Mrs. Dodd thought the same attention should be given to Fathers. She pursued her scheme around the nation, with some success. However, it was not until 1972 that Father’s Day was officially acknowledged nationwide, 6 years before Mrs. Dodd’s death.

The first known Father’s Day honored miners in West Virginia, killed in an accident in 1908. After that, Father’s Day dates were decided on a local basis.

Rhino family units do not include fathers. Yes, obviously there are Rhino dads, but mating is the beginning and end of relations with mothers. Rhino mothers raise their offspring alone. It is one system among critters, one of many, each a Natural solution to individual species’ particulars.

Last month on Mother’s Day, We forgot to applaud the pioneering efforts of Anna Jarvis, native of West Virginia, born in 1854. Allow Us to mend our ways. Today.

Ms. Jarvis actively pursued the public recognition of Mothers, one and all, and their efforts to create and sustain their families and nation. In 1908, West Virginia led the other states in selecting the second Monday in May, a date that is still in use. In 1914 Mother’s Day was adopted nationally.

Ms. Jarvis eventually was disappointed by the commecial exploitation of the holiday. The orginal idea was to acknowledge Mothers everywhere. In time the date became a huge commercial venture, and Ms. Jarvis said so loudly and publicly. She spent her last nickel trying to rescind Mother’s Day, but sadly, with no success.

Rhinos are used to working with the cards We are dealt. We also use that idea in most other situations; We do our best, accepting whatever Fate hands out.

What We learn from these gaming encounters is: We will not win every hand.

Annoying but true.

Rhinos have always assumed that whatever a thing may be, it must come from somewhere, whether the somewhere is known or not. As you are probably aware, there are a great many things to account for. Not only Natural things, but also unnatural things.

Confusion needs little explanation, since We all deal with it hourly in its many guises.

But Confusion is apparently Natural. It must be endured, like it or not.

Irving Berlin published “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in 1929, a great raggy, yank-rhythm, crazy-catchy song. Rhinos recommend you not listen to it, because once you do, you may never recover.

But if you want to risk it, there are many versions on YouTube, including: Harry Richman, in the 1930 film, ‘Putting on the Ritz’. Also there are Fred Astaire, Taco, Clark Gable, and Jiri Korn, singing it in Czech, each offering something different.

Don’t say you were not warned.

Some Readers seem to feel that a life in the Wild must be simplicity itself.

Allow Us to assure you that Rhinos have a great deal on our minds. So much, in fact, that organizing it is a task taxing our limits, or much of the time it is.

All the real dinosaurs are long gone, as you proably know. But now and then, We Rhinos like to pay a tribute to these astonishing critters of long ago. They were doing their business, and Whamo!, one meteor and then they weren’t.

Rhinos came after Dinosaurs, but that does nor mean We don’t owe them something for their pioneer activities, even if We are not too sure just which activities helped shape Us. It only makes sense; Rhinos can’t have done all the work ourselves. Between Nature and our precursors, We are all products of the Past.

Yesiree.

Rhinos make an effort to keep a cool and detached facade. We take our mealtimes as they come, in rapid succession, in the effort to maintain our bulk. We do not rush, but We apply ourselves with vigor.

No matter what they tell you, Rhinos do not Gobble.

Indecision is a miserable business, no doubt about it. That either-or perspective is exhausting, tossing everything into a nightmarish conundrum, or somewhere very confusing and distressing.

Fortunately, Rhinos don’t have too many decisions to make. To Eat or not to Eat. To nap or not to nap. To cross there, or stay put.

That about covers it, Rhinowise.

Rhinos have few problems when it comes to sorting Priorities.

First thing is almost always the same; dining.