Some critters bemoan their natural Shortcomings. If only they coud swim the Bay of Bengal, if only they could climb Mount Asterisk, if, if, if. The obvious problem is that Nature did not design them for those activities.
That is one Reason why Birds find Rhinos so refreshing. We cannot fly. We rejoice in Flight-by-Proxy, watching others do their thing. Delightful. We marvel at their colors, their song, their general affability.
We are happy for them, and they return the favor.
Being sullen and gloomy is uncommon for Rhinos, but it is not unknown. We know that We are acting Stinky, but don’t seem interested in correcting matters. We snit.
On these occasions, We get a Time Out, to bask in our own misery. We grumble and writhe and make faces, but five minutes of that, and We’re done.
Nobody is interested in our Sour Grapes, not even Us. So We shift gears, and get ourselves together. Happy Ending.
Rhinos live in a Universe of Scent, so We were surprised to hear about an official system for extracting the fragrant essence from flowers. The process is called Enfleurage.
Well, yes, of course. Rhinos have been Enfleurage-ing ourselves via plants for millenia and even before that. The name is cunning, but the concept is pre-ancient.
If We like a scent, We eat the flower; that way, We get both the lingering romance of the blooms, but also the nutrients in the plant. Two pleasures, simultaneously.
Today has been Tuesday, named for the Anglo-Saxon god of War and Peace, Tiu (or Tiw, Tig,Ti, Tii, Tir and Tuu). Yes, really.
Tiu is best remembered for ramming his fist into the mouth of Famrir, a gigantic wolf, thus assisting his father, Wotan. Tiu was ambidextrous, which was a good thing as it turned out. His main task was making sure folk honored their treaties, easier said than done.
Rhinos only call our days Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.
On August 24, 1847, Charlotte Bronte set down the pen, having finished her great novel JANE EYRE. By October, it was published, and has enjoyed success happily ever after.
Ms. C. Bronte came from an unusual family; her sisters, Anne and Emily, were also famous writers. Just how they managed to be so insightful and accomplished is a mystery to this day.
Maybe it was something in the air or the water? Some mysteries don’t yield to random conjecture. Who would know that better than We Rhinos?
M. Georges Cuvier, born 1769, is called the Founding Father of Paleontology. Vive la France! Paleontology is the study of very Old things, like flora and fauna and earth sciences and Rhinoceroses. Obviously time well spent.
Early Paleontoligical Studies came up with bizarre reconstructions of the Past, but those pioneers had nothing to refer to. They just made it up as they went along. Given their limitations, they did a remarkable job. Exciting times all over the place.
We Rhinos are curious, but tend to focus on dometic issues. That fact does not preclude our appreciation of M. Cuvier and his merry colleagues. (Well, some of them were merry.)
Rhinos are prone to Effervescence. These bubble-ups are occasional and unpredictable. We are proceeding, and then in an instant, We are seriously upbeat.
Part of the appeal of these episodes is that Rhinos understand so little of how or why they begin or end. Just a surprise treat.
Nature is not self-explanatory, but then, what is?
Ladders are often helpful in a Crisis, mostly because there are only two possible directions the Ladder goes.
Unfortunately, Up and Down cover the main options, but there is often no more information on hand, nor meaningful guidance.
We Rhinos can dither ourselves silly though, doing nothing. But get this! Going nowhere often seems to work all right. Happily.
Most Rhinos weigh a ton or two or more, so activities as extreme as our Readers’ are ill-advised. Rhinos just bounce too hard for our own good. Plus, there’s no First Aid in the Wild.
So We squeeze all the fun We can out of seeing your Shenanigans around the World, without the actual Agony of Defeat.
This capacity for Enjoyment is Rhino Imagination. We can go Wherever, Whenever, and do most anything Whatever. Thrilling!
It distresses Us Rhinos to hear that We are considered Too Grand for our Britches. We are not removed and disinterested, despite appearances.
The misunderstanding probably comes from our absorption in Weighty Theoretical Matters. We feel sure that Nature counts on Us for our R Considerations and Observations.
In between these Deep Ponderings, We are generally delightful. Ask anybody. Or almost anybody.
Your Inner Rhino 