Okay, this has nothing to do with travel or adventurin’ … but I really should stay out of the cat adoption area at PetSmart. There was a young black cat in there who looked just like a young version of my buddy Noir. And acted like it. He saw me come into the room and immediately meowed and rubbed up against the bars of his cage.
There’s something about black cats – they all seem to love me. Even in Reykjavik – we were walking along and spotted a black cat lounging on the sidewalk. He meowed up a storm as he came over for a petting. He even rolled over on his back for a tummy rub. I suppose this black cat affinity could’ve gotten me burned at the stake a few hundred years ago!
This cat at PetSmart … I would’ve taken him home, but Noir doesn’t get along with other animals – humans only. He’s probably 14 years old, so he’s pretty much earned the right to enjoy his life. Another cat would make him miserable.
In the meantime, note to self: No more looking at cats up for adoption!
animals
Wandering Justin – Friend of the Black Cats
A Basic Bit of Glow Worm Biology
This is pretty funny … someone came to my blog today to find out whether the poop of glow worms glows.
The answer is no – that’s because glow worms don’t poop. The glow that they make is their form of excretion. But rather than just launching solid or liquid waste, it converts the leftover matter into light that’s used to attract its prey. The glow worms dangle silky threads from their spots in their home caves. Insects see this and thinks they’re seeing stars, and fly toward the light. They get caught in the threads. Then the glow worms eat them, absorb the nutrients, turn the excess matter into light and begin the cycle again.
Really, that’s pretty fabulous. It takes stuff in, but leaves nothing but heat and light behind. That’s an incredible bit of evolution. And certainly, it has to be the envy of every mechanical engineer.
If you’re interested in seeing glow worms, there are a number of places in the world to do so. Of course, I’m pretty partial to Waitomo, New Zealand. Here are a few related posts:
Rappelling into the Dark
7 Hotels in New Zealand
Rap, Raft & Rock
