More Manure Musings
I must admit that I've long held a fascination with manure, and since I made an agreement with someone that I wouldn't post anything in response to threads of his creation, I find that this might be an appropriate place to recount where my fecal fascination originated.
It began with a "TEACHER"!
This one come into my fifth grade class with an amazing piece of rock. He placed it squarely on the table in front of me and asked the class to guess what it was. Many of my classmates made guesses...like "igneous", "metamorphic" or "sedimentary"...all wrong.
After a while, I timidly raised my hand. When I was called on, I stated that it looked like "dung".
The teacher's eyes lit up and told me I was correct. He went on to explain that it is called a coprolite, the petrified fecal matter from a dinosaur!
Then he GAVE it to me! I was launched as a paleontologist.
I've since passed it on to my son, who is now a PHD in genetic research, but he also started as a paleontologist. Now, he's a "mouse farmer", but that's another story. Suffice to say that coprolite has been used to launch interest in many scientists that came through my classroom.
So, now back to the musings about manure.
It always amazed me that similar herbivores could eat exactly the same food, but produce different forms of manure. After eating hay, a horse produces something that looks like a big chunk of tootsie roll, a cow makes a mushy pie, and a deer makes pellets that look like peanut M+M's. Fascinating fecal stuff.
Birds are even more amazing. Take the wild turkey for example. Gobblers and jakes make something that always comes in a "J" or backwards "J" shape while hens make something that looks like a hersy's kiss.
Of course I haven't mentiond humans yet, and you all probably have been waiting with baited breath (or held noses). Of course, behind the house we had a litle place called an "outhouse" (privy). Our's was a three holer, so of course I got to see plenty. There was no flushing at all.
Everyone's was different!
One day, a porcupine found it's way inside and after munching all around the openings, for the residual salt, it left some of its own, kind of like brown pencil pieces.
Then, in the kitchen I discovered little black rice like things. Yes, if you guessed mice, correct! Knowing when to set traps (and when to avoid them) taught me a lot. I could go on and on, and probably will at a future time.
To think it all started with a teacher and a coprolite, a hundred million year old chunk of dinosaur poop.
I end with a short tale about one of my first days at the track. Another guy, a teacher of sorts, told me that he heard something from the "horses mouth".
So, I bet on the horse, big time. The horse finished last.
My guess the guy that gave me the tip was listening to the wrong end of that horse. Some folks never learn, nor do they know which part is doing the speaking, yet they're quite eager for you to appreciate what they say. Just remember which end is talking.
Watch your step, but enjoy fecal matter for exactly what it is. You might learn something.
|