Slightly Off the Mark

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary

Last fall I visited Black Pine Animal Sanctuary and, as one does, took pictures. Last month I decided to do a photo post around the middle of every week, so ... there you go. We're blessed to have BPAS only a couple of miles from our home in Albion, and Chain O' Lakes State Park just a little further out.

For some reason, this photo makes me think of politics. I don't know why.

Honestly, I'd rather face a big cat than a primate. Having said that, I was happy to have all of them on the other side of a fence.

My full body photo of this guy didn't come out, but this one is a lot scarier. Ostrich, yes, or ... dinosaur? The time I saw him before this he nibbled on my arm a little.

I have a bad habit of not getting the names of the animals, or even their species. This one, obviously, is not an ostrich. However, I did get its name: Petronus.

Turtle! Alligator photos didn't come out through the window--but I was happy to have that window. My secret to photography is to take lots and lots of pictures, in the hopes one or two will come out.

Emily says I have a way with animals. I don't know, but some of the humans with me noticed a lot of Black Pine's occupants keeping an eye on me. Maybe they were wondering if I taste like chicken.

If you want to pay a visit, or donate--and you should--check them out here:

https://www.bpsanctuary.org/

Black Pine rescues exotic animals who've been neglected or mistreated, then give them a good home for the rest of their lives. Pictures are fine, but there's nothing like seeing these guys with your own eyes.

Of course, you also might want to support ours writing! I believe Mufasa, a former resident of Black Pine, appears in Images of America: Albion and Noble County.

· Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

· Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

· Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter

· Blog: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

· Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/

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· Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Mark+R.+Hunter&ref_pageloadid=4C1TS2KZGoOjloaJ&pf

Remember: Without books, we’d all be animals.

book review: The Pun Also Rises

The branch of humor called punning has roots planted much further back in history than wood normally be guessed. John Pollack peels back the leaves of history to ...

That's enough. It's a book about puns, okay?

John Pollack has the credentials: He was an actual world pun champion, and also a political speechwriter, so he knows silly when he sees it. I'm talking about the political thing--it turns out puns were sometimes taken much more seriously than we take them these days.

Pollack traces puns back to the very formation of language itself, showing us examples from the earliest writing, and how they were used to assist communication, and later as a way to avoid censorship and undermine the status quo. Along the way, wordplay led to fatal duels, academic arguments, and a whole lot of groans and forehead slapping.

Pollack's writing can sometimes be a bit dense, as he tackles entomology--no, wait, etymology. My aunt used to study entomology. Anyway, he dives into history, politics, language, and all the ways puns have been used and misused throughout history. Despite a heavy dose of--wait for it--puns, it's not always a bedtime read, unless you suffer from insomnia.

Of course, if you don't like puns you might want to stay away.

https://www.amazon.com/Pun-Also-Rises-Revolutionized-Language/dp/1592406750

“That’s what they call a sanity clause.” “You can’t fool me, there ain’t no Sanity Claus.”

But for those of us who have even a passing interest in how language has evolved over the centuries and how it affected everything else, it's a fascinating read. Check it out. I mean, if you're in the library--otherwise, buy it.

Take a look at our books; and if you’re a particular fan of wordplay, try The Notorious Ian Grant or Hoosier Hysterical: How the West Became the Midwest Without Moving at All.

· Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

· Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

· Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter

· Blog: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

· Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozma914/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRHunter914

· Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrhunter/

· Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkRHunter

· Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkRHunter

· Substack: https://substack.com/@markrhunter

· Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ozma914

· Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozma914

· Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Mark+R.+Hunter&ref_pageloadid=4C1TS2KZGoOjloaJ&pf

Remember: To play on words can be painful, especially if you land on an X.

Grandkids, We Got Grandkids

It's way past time for me to post more pictures of my youngest daughter's kids, of whom there are three, sort of.

The oldest is Lilli, who's big on cheer-leading and giving her grandpa hugs.

Next is Willa, who didn't warm up to me until I showed her pictures I took--of her.

Zander still doesn't know what to think of me. Poor guy--including step-siblings, he's surrounded by girls.

Jill decided to stop at three, what with all the exhaustion and everything. Double that if you add the step-kids, who haven't been around for me to take pictures of.