Conchology is the study of Seashells, mostly exclusive of the critter who made them. This is not Impudence on Parade. It is an acknowledgement that only recently could folks go where the shells come from. The only part anybody on land could hope for was a shell. But folks have collected shells for Ages.

Conchology is now a Science, not just a hobby. In the Renaissance, when folks started sailing hither-thither, the shell business got a boost. Huge collections were created by those who could afford it. And these same shells are the basis for many Museum collections today.

Rhinos can marvel at the range of colors and designs, but We are not often asked to curate these collections. Unhappily, We are both busy and clumsy. Well-meaning is not enough.

Keep washing your Hands.

Change is all right, if We are in the mood for it. Which Rhinos are not a lot of the time. Even when the Change looks good, We may find it unsettling. Our agitation is not driven by Logic necessarily. Just something feels new and different. And maybe dangerous. Certainly unpredictable.

Rhinos face these developments all the time, but We never seem to get used to them. We go to-and-fro, knitting our brows, arguing both sides of the discussion. Unfortunately, most often, the Conclusion has been reached before We even notice the Question. Then We adjust, like it not.

A Rhino’s life can be demanding, no doubt about it.

Mr. Jacob Grimm was born today in Germany in 1785. He was the brother of Wilhelm Grimm; the two of them gathered up the stories that comprise the Grimm Fairy Tales. Thank you, Grimm Brothers, We say.

But above and beyond that, they were Lexicographers, which may sound suspicious, but means Dictionary Folks. Together, they wrote the first comprehensive German Dictionary, still unfinished when they died. Their work was concluded in 1961! In 38 Volumes; a Big Big Job.

Rhinos liked to encourage the Grimms, but We had a slender grasp of what they hoped to do. Still, it never hurts to say “Sounds interesting”. But in German.

Particulars aside, We are Rhinos. That is probably the most essential identity any of Us has. A zillion variations on that theme, but fundamentally, Rhino.

Rhinos are aware of our traditions, 50 million years worth. At no time were We Rhinos anything but Rhinos. So We strut along, full of snap and pizzazz, confident that We are part of the great Rhino Whole. We are here now, but the day will come when We will slip into our proper place among our ancestors.

Exciting, really.

Rhinos have been aware of the Drift of Time for 50 million years. True, when We began, We looked different, not better or worse, but different. We Rhinos were not consulted on what shifts and tweaks We got from Nature over Time, We just got them.

And here We are today, the same Rhino Heart, but in different packages. Very Attractive, you might say, and We would agree. Our tastes have shifted with the times, just like our outsides. But Inside, We are Rhino through and through.

And, We are still improving, according to Nature’s Inspirations. Hooray.

Happy 2021, dear Readers. This is the first YIR post this year. It is post Number 2,300.

Rhinos are not adept at reading our feet, but that’s because We spend our time standing on them. If you cogitate about the matter you will see: Each leg has a foot with three toes. If each toe/hoof has a story all its own, and so many of them… It makes a Rhino wild keeping up as each tale develops.

Rhinos like charts. What they mean is beyond Us, but they impress Us. In this instance, We hope the data comes in handy.

We Rhinos have neither paper nor pencils, so We find it hard to make lists. There might conceivably be room for improvements, but when We make lists in our heads, they often change, within (usually) have a jiffy.

Or We forget about the whole business.

Or it’s lunch time.

Farewell.

What more is there to say?

Said Alice, ‘Tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’

‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cheshire Cat.

‘I don’t much care where -‘ said Alice.

‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.