Rabbits, and squirrels, and hares (oh my)!

We've got bunnies in the yard, including a cute little one who mainly hangs out in the backyards, but who may or may not be responsible for the destruction of my rose bush in the front yard. We've got baby squirrels in our hollow tree. I saw them out with their mom the other day. I figured out they must be family not just because there was a big one with two smaller ones, but firstly because they were all feeding within three feet of each other without chasing each other away. And then we got something different in the yard, something beyond the usual fare of bunnies, chipmunks, birds, and squirrels. It was a hare: a rabbit too lean, lanky, and leggy to truly be one of the cute little puffball bunnies we usually see. So what, you ask, rabbit, hare, what's the difference? Aren't they all just a bunch of rodents? First off, they are NOT rodents, they are lagomorphs. Secondly, whatever order of animal they are, they are different species, meaning that they are as much like rabbits as rats are like mice. So there you have it. My little lecture on taxonomy and local wildlife. Thank you for your attention. Class dismissed.

Social Media . . . ugh!

So, as I'm sure most people have heard by now, Osama Bin Laden is officially considered dead. I first heard the buzz on Facebook in the wee small hours of the morning while my baby was not sleeping, and so I googled to learn more. Google News brought be a link from the LA Times about Bin Laden's burial at sea, and now all of my Facebook friends also know I looked at that article because I somehow unknowingly "recommended" it. Now, I've seen the "recommend" option available before on news articles, but I never click it. Apparently, though, my finger clicked it for me as I fumbled with the iPod in the night. Am I thrilled that I can let everyone know about my obsessive news browsing habits? Not really. But it is gratifying that two of my friends "like" the article I "recommended."