Today is National Creamsickle Day. As is often the case, it is pretty toasty and humid outside, making Creamsickles both welcome and impractical. Ah well, even Rhinos can’t have it all.
The Creamsickle was invented in 1905 by a Californian named Frank Epperson, age 11. There is a conversation grabber!
YIR, keeping Social Interaction scintillating.
Now you see Us, now you don’t. We Rhinos are a slippery crowd.
Keep your eyes peeled, that’s what We’d suggest.
At Your Inner Rhino We usually commemorate historic births of interest. Unfortunately, nobody seems to recall when Cleopatra was born, so We are forced to use her death date, back in 30 BC.
Cleopatra was quite a gal: she not only ruled Egypt, but was known for many other memorable adventures and powerful playmates.
Things eventually went badly for her, so Cleopatra stung herself with an Asp. Another riveting hissssssstory lesson from YIR.
A British friend sent Us this picture, done by a student at the Alice Hoffmann Educational Day Centre in London. They specialize in the treatment of autistic adults.
We like this portrait in a Big Way.
Rhinos always like to be noticed. Who doesn’t?
Today is Chinese Valentine’s Day. Any day is a good one for distributing tokens of Affectionate Regard, from the Rhino point of view.
Perhaps it is always Valentine’s Day somewhere, depending on where you are?
Life is full of these Questions. Rhinos are not nearly as full of Answers.
When things go amuck, it is often good to recall that, by and large, Rhinos have had a Very Merry Time of it. 50 million years is a lot (as We understand it), most of that span spent kidding around.
So ‘Oh-Ho-Ho’ is what We say, even if it makes Us sound feebleminded.
Zebras are striped, as you know. We assume the stripes are like a barcode, by which Zebras themselves can sort out the herd (they travel in big bunches). Or it may be camouflage, though that is a less pleasing possibility.
These markings are festive, and a lot of other animals have similar-ish decor. Stripes, dots, blobs, whathaveyou.
Rhinos are ourselves mostly gray on gray. Our festivity is built-in. Rhinos are subtle and complex.
Warm Birthday Wishes to J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novel series. Very popular indeed.
We Rhinos don’t have to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to know how to make birthday cake vanish.
Just wave your fork, and Presto Disappear-O!
It is Beatrix Potter’s birthday today (1866). She is best known for The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but she wrote another 20 highly successful books concerned with the imaginary daily lives of small critters in England. Her stories are kindly, with an underlying dry humor.
Ms. Potter was also an enthusiastic and effective Conservationist, preserving her Lake District homelands. To Us Rhinos, that looks like a job well done. Thank you, Ma’am.
Here you see the Rhino version of her hedgehog laundress, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Let’s face it: Rhinos have a knack for mimicry and disguise.
Mr. Alphonse Mucha! What a guy! Hard to sing his praises loud enough, though this is his birthday (1860), so maybe it’s appropriate.
Mucha was a passionate, patriotic Czech. Rhinos think nationalistic fervor sometimes gets out of hand, but there is no arguing with the artistic contribution he made, much of it dedicated to enhancing Prague. (Prague has always been a popular Rhino hangout, as you probably knew already.)
Natural form in the service of geometry, and geometry enhancing the natural. Mighty sensual and very Rhino.
Your Inner Rhino 