Category: Humor

Save the Animal Kingdom! #13

Namibian tower

Yes. It’s time for another post on our endangered friends: installment #13 from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals. See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. The screech screeched.
  2. Unlike the peapod, this pod is almost extinct.
  3. The flutter fluttered off the rock.
  4. The gaze gazed from under the trees.
  5. Wings winged away across the sand.
  6. The tower towers.
Pod member, Mekong River, Laos border to Cambodia
Screech member, Mallorca

Answers:

  • Screech of gulls [1]
  • Pod of Irrawaddy dolphin [2]
  • Flutter of butterflies [3]
  • Gaze of raccoons [4]
  • Wing of plovers [5]
  • Tower of giraffes [6]
Flutter member

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration gutted environmental protections. Take action. Volunteer. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace.

NOTES: [1] Gull species are in serious decline. BBC News [2] Uwe and I made a trip to the Lao-Cambodia border to see this creature before it vanishes forever. Dams being built up-stream will guarantee the extinction of the Irrawaddy dolphin. [3] The monarch butterfly population has declined by 1/3 since a year ago. biologicaldiversity.org [4] Raccoons are highly adaptable species; nonetheless, the pygmy raccoon is listed as critically endangered. livescience.com [5] While Piping Plover numbers have increased in recent years, the species remains listed under the Endangered Species Act. It is considered Endangered in the Great Lakes region and Threatened in the remainder of its U.S. breeding range. The species is  listed as Endangered in Canada. abcbirds [6] The IUCN Red List classifies the giraffe as vulnerable. The number of giraffes has plummeted dramatically over the past three decades—by up to 40%. Some people refer to this as a ‘silent extinction’ because the decline has been so slow that it’s almost gone unnoticed. IFAW© Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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Save the Animal Kingdom! #12

Here for your reading amusement is installment #8 from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals. Thanks to rollbacks on environmental protections, more and more will die out. See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. The roll rolled up tight.
  2. The flight took flight.
  3. You don’t want this wake at a wake.
  4. We spotted three stands standing on the beach.
  5. The parliament looked parliamentary and regal indeed.
  6. The risk risks being turned into dinner.
Parliament, Madeira

Answers:

  1. Roll of armadillos [1]
  2. Flight of butterflies [2]
  3. Wake of buzzards
  4. Stand of plovers (on land)
  5. Parliament of owls [3]
  6. Risk of lobster [4]
Flight, back trails Cranberry Lake, Adirondacks USA

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration is gutting environmental protections. Take action. Volunteer. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace.

NOTES: [1] Giant armadillos are listed as endangered and may go extinct. Institute for Wildlife Conservation [2] “Bumblebees, beetles and butterflies are at greater risk of extinction than lions and tigers, according to a global study by the Zoological Society of London.” www.telegraph.co.uk [3] There are 227 species of typical owls, 24 of them Vulnerable, 13 Endangered, and three Critically Endangered. birdlife.org  [4]On September 28, 2016, Food&Wine Magazine wrote that Maine lobster are in trouble thanks to global warming. © Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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Save the Animal Kingdom! #18

Here is the 18th installment from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals. More and more are endangered. See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. This Cambodian army member should have never left the army.
  2. Nigh I saw the nye, they had vanished.
  3. The ambush didn’t ambush anything. [1]
  4. He put the purse in her purse.
  5. The leap leaps down.
  6. The conspiracy conspires to escape.

Answers:

Army deserter captured by member of another army, Angkor Wat, Cambodia
  1. Army of frogs and monkeys [1]
  2. Nye of pheasants (on the ground) [2]
  3. Ambush of tigers [3]
  4. Purse of sand dollars
  5. Leap or leege of leopards [4]
  6. Conspiracy of lemurs [5]
Look closely. Leap member in background, Kanha Tiger Reserve, India

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration gutted environmental protections. Take action. Volunteer. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace.

NOTES: [1] Amphibians are the most endangered class of animals on the planet. Frogs [2] Pheasants are one of the most endangered groups of birds in the world. Earth Life [3] Tigers are on the brink of extinction. WWF, Tiger Temple [4] Leopard skins and teeth are traded in Africa and poaching is common in Asia. Animals Facing Extinction [5] Updating these lists is so depressing. Lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals. 98% of lemur species are threatened with extinction, and 31% of species are critically endangered! IUCN Red List © Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

Ambush, Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno, Thailand

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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Meet The Ugly 5. #2 The Wildebeest

The goal of everyone who goes on safari is to spot The Big 5: lion, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros,  and Cape buffalo. It took us 3 tries to see them all, but in January this year we finally did it!

You talkin’ to me? Etosha National Park, Namibia

Less famous (or looked-for) are The Ugly 5. The 5 are known for weird body builds and dull coloration, on a continent where each animal is more striking than the next. I give you #2:

Keeping their distance from everybody else. Etosha National Park, Namibia

The Wildebeest. It’s not only one of Africa’s Ugly 5: the wildebeest, along with the zebra, takes part in the largest migration in the world. In January we watched from a jeep as 1.5 million animals made the winter trek in Serengeti National Park.

the Great Migration at Serengeti Park, Tanzania
wildebeest and zebras migrate together
making a dash for it
wildebeest as far as the eye can see

Like the hyena (who we met as Ugly #1), the blue wildebeest has short hind legs and longer front legs (for endurance) and wide forequarters (greater lung capacity). The wildebeest has a strangely flat face, both sexes grow horns, and their coloring is a dark grey, blueish sheen. I’ve heard them called the ‘spare parts critter’: the horns of a juvenile buffalo, the tail of a horse, the beard of a goat, and a sloped, hyena-like back. Definitely a strange looking dude!

NOTES: https://www.sabisabi.com/ I just discovered that the wildebeest has the honor of being the only animal on the Ugly 5 AND the Stupid 5 list. I’ll get to that list soon!  © Jadi Campbell 2026. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

Follow this link for my books.

Not Just Another Roadside Attraction

When do you know if another person is a good match? When Uwe and I first got together, the answer for us was travel. I was in Europe for a few months (a time period that has now lasted 34 years….). I visited an old friend in Germany (Uwe) and we decided it would be fun to travel together in the former Eastern Europe (Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary).

Back then, the Soviet patina hadn’t been scrubbed away yet. Things were still pretty dusty and rusty. I’ll be posting shortly about those experiences. But today I want to share a roadside Madonna with you.

I grew up in upstate New York, where bathtub Madonnas are a common sight in the North Country.

your basic bathtub Madonna

 

Near the border crossing into Czechoslovakia we saw this one. I made Uwe stop the car so I could get out and take a photo.

High Tatras region Poland

Now this, my friends, is a roadside Madonna!

NOTES: Bathtub Madonna image courtesy of Atlas Obscura © 2026 Jadi Campbell. I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. My recent awards are Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story  Contest.

Click here for my author page to learn more about me and purchase my books.

Save the Animal Kingdom! #11

I present installment #11 from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals … I updated it and the roll call of endangered species has grown. See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. A walk walks very, very slowly.
  2. When this parade parades by, you can’t miss it.
  3. The building builds on the built building.
  4. The skulk skulks to avoid hunters.
  5. The clutter cluttered the basement.
  6. He didn’t want a kettle in his kettle.
Parade member, Sahakari Spice Farm Goa, India

Answers:

Walk race, Cook Islands
  1. Walk of snails [1]
  2. Parade of elephants [2]
  3. Building of rooks [3]
  4. Skulk of foxes [4]
  5. Clutter of spiders [5]
  6. Kettle of vultures [6]
Clutter, Japan

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration is gutting environmental protections. Take action. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace. Volunteer.

NOTES: [1] Scientific American reports that snails are going extinct. scientificamerican.com [2] Yup, the planet’s largest land mammal is on the list. WWF [3] Rook populations are in decline. [4]The fox is in danger of going extinct. People’s Trust for Endangered Species [5] Sigh. Spiders make the list, too. Go to the following website for a partial listing of endangered spider species: www.earthsendangered.com  [6] And go to this site for a list of threatened vulture species: Mother Nature Network © Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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Save the Animal Kingdom! #10

This is installment #10 from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals, more and more of them in danger of extinction … See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. He parceled out food to the parcel.
  2. The bob bobbed.
  3. I added an herb bouquet to the cooking bouquet.
  4. The pack thinks this part of Australia should be called the Outpack.
  5. The pace set a slow pace.
  6. How the charm charmed me!
Parcel, Chin village, Myanmar
I’m a pack member, mate!

Answers:

  1. Parcel of pigs
  2. Bob of seals [1]
  3. Bouquet of pheasant [2]
  4. Pack of dingos [3]
  5. Pace of asses
  6. Charm of hummingbirds [4]
Parcel part
Bob, protected sea life islands near Woody Island, Esperance, Australia

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration is gutting environmental protections. Volunteer. Take action. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace.

NOTES: [1] The gray seal flourishes, while other species need protecting. The Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal have not had confirmed sightings in the past 50 years and are considered extinct. The Galapagos fur seal, Hawaiian monk seal, Caspian seal, and Mediterranean monk seal are all endangered. The Mediterranean monk seal is currently considered the most at risk seal species. Seals World, IFAW [2] According to earthlife, pheasants are one of the most endangered groups of birds in the world. [3] The Australian dingo may become extinct. Bush Heritage [4] Ditto many hummingbird species. Hummingbird Society © Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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Don’t Attempt to Adjust that Dial…

My alternate titles for this post are, “Oh, Really??” and “Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection in Action”.

These photos are from the thermal springs in Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand. All of New Zealand is earthquake-prone and Rotorua steams and belches and burbles from the many, many underground geysers and hot springs. Rotorua is gloriously alive!

My first title, Don’t Attempt to Adjust that Dial, is because the colors are not normal. In fact, thanks to the high concentrations of various chemical and metallic elements, the colors of the pools are downright creepy. (According to their website, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is known as “One of the 20 Most Surreal Places in the World”.) https://www.waiotapu.co.nz/information/

this green is not normal!
neither is this yellow!
I suspect the Champagne Pool’s orange isn’t normal either

The second title, “Oh Really??” is my sarcastic and astonished response that the park felt like they needed to post signs warning that the springs are damned hot:

Seriously? They have to warn people NOT to walk over and enter this pool?

clouds of steam continually billow

Personally I thought the clouds of steam gave away the secret, but maybe that’s just me.

And the third alternate title “Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection in Action” was my response when I spotted this sign:

Apparently it isn’t enough to inform visitors that the waters are boiling hot. No: the park has to go further and admonish visitors NOT to climb over the waist-high fences and wade into the springs.

I say this proves beyond a doubt Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection, aka the law about survival of the fittest/brightest/least stupid.

NOTES: © Jadi Campbell 2025. To see Uwe’s pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.

PS: The park is run by Te Arawa Group Holdings, a local Maori tribal business. In addition to these signs, their Health and Safety Page has these warnings: “There is NO SMOKING allowed within the attraction.” And this: “Thermal pools can be very hot (over 100⁰C or 210⁰F) or have toxic gases or fumes at the surface. Also, thermal pools can form a thin crust over the top of them that looks like a solid surface, but will break if a person stood on it. Thermal pools can be hidden under vegetation. Please refrain from trying to touch any water or go the edge of pools as you can cause yourself serious harm.” And this. “Steam can be attractive to visitors, for your own safety, please refrain from sitting on, standing over, touching or placing any body part over steam vents or crevasses. These can be very hot and cause serious harm to your skin.” And this… “Being an active geothermal area with uneven terrain, sturdy footwear is recommended. Jandals, sandals, flip-flops or high heeled shoes are not suitable.” https://www.waiotapu.co.nz/health–safety/

Darwin’s turning in his grave!

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

Follow these links for Amazon.com or Amazon.de.

Save the Animal Kingdom! #9

Yes. It’s time for the next post on animals that may go extinct thanks to the Trump administration’s removal of environmental protections. Installment #9 from my blog thread describing what to call groups of animals … See how many you can guess. Answers listed at the bottom of the page.

  1. The gulp gulped down fish.
  2. A puddle needs more water than just a puddle.
  3. Late season is packed with packs.
  4. A blessing blesses all my dreams.
  5. The kennel was so happy to be out of the kennel!
  6. The hover hovered just under the surface.
Kennel, Montréal Canada

Answers:

  1. Gulp of cormorants [1]
  2. Puddle of platypussi [2]
  3. Late season of grouse (in late season) [3]
  4. Blessing of unicorns
  5. Kennel of dogs
  6. Hover of trout [4]
Gulp

I’m beyond dismayed – I am furious. The Trump administration is gutting environmental protections. Take action. Speak up! Write letters, make phone calls, donate to organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace. Volunteer.

NOTES: [1] At last, I can list some good news for a species: cormorants, once seriously threatened by DDT, rebounded after the chemical was outlawed and are now being culled. [2] While they once thrived across much of eastern Australia, the platypus faces localised extinction, particularly in the western part of their range. WWF [3] The greater sage grouse is perhaps Canada’s most endangered species. Alberta wilderness [4] Nearly all native trout — 92 percent — face some level of risk. Trout Unlimited© Jadi Campbell 2025. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. To see more of Uwe’s animal photos and pics from our trips go to viewpics.de.  Fun animal names from www.writers-free-reference.com, Mother Nature Network and www.reference.com.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

Follow this link for Amazon.com.

Today’s Birthday: Margaret Brainard Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton was born on December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio. She appeared on-screen with W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello, and Buster Keaton.  She’s gone down in film history for her distinct voice and terrifying depiction of the Wicked Witch of the West/Almira Gulch in film The Wizard of Oz. The book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first appeared in print on May 17, 1900; the film premiered on August 12, 1939.

Ms. Hamilton was devoted to public education (she was a former schoolteacher) and to the welfare of children and animals. In her honor I am reprinting one of my very first posts, about L. Frank Baum, bats, and monkeys. — Jadi

Both sides of my family hail from the Northeast. We lived for a while in Cazenovia, one of the most beautiful small towns in upstate NY. Caz is just a few miles from Chittenango Falls, and that town was the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz.

My sisters and I first saw The Wizard of Oz film on an old black and white television set we called Lucille. Lucille was temperamental (“Dad! Lucille’s on the fritz again!”), but her screen was big.

It was years before I finally saw The Wizard of Oz on a color television. How I gasped when Dorothy opened that door and stepped out into Munchkin Land! But in color or black and white, to this day I don’t much like monkeys.

Balinese Barong

Some years ago my husband and I traveled to Bali. The Balinese fill their temples with statues of the strange half-bird, half-god creature known as Garuda, a lion-like Barong, lots of sinuous snakes, and Hanuman the monkey god. The cultural heart of Bali is Ubud, home to the Monkey Forest which contains the Monkey Temple. I wrapped a sarong around my waist before we entered to show respect, and I know I was curious as to what we’d find.

The temple grounds were filled – no, overrun – with crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys. Dozens of them rested on the platforms to the Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal temple. Many more watched us from up in the canopy of thick jungle trees and vines. Worst of all, a horde of monkeys scampered our way as we drew near. They were used to people and accustomed to visitors who bring them food. We walked slowly, not making any sudden movements, keeping our arms stretched out with our hands opened. I hoped my empty palms signaled: no food here!

Monkey Temple Gang
Monkey Temple Gang

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we left the grounds. But I wonder about the sanity (to say nothing of the later health) of tourists who bring bananas and fruit to hand to the macaques. Those critters are feral!

Bali has another indigenous species: bats.

Text
Bali bats from hell

A huge colony of the largest fruit eating bats I have ever seen, all with wingspans of an easy three feet, hung upside down in a very tall tree. I was horrified by their size.

Then they began flying. In the middle of the day. Bright tropical sun highlighted the reddish membranes of their webbed skins. They flew in loops, more and more gigantic bats, circling lower. I began to feel dizzy as a scratchy voice in my head murmured, “I’ll get you, my little pretty …”

Macaques and bats had morphed together into L. Frank Baum’s flying monkeys. Never underestimate the power of imagination in children…or adults. That movie scene still haunts me. Like I said, to this day I don’t much like monkeys.

PS: But, do go to Bali!

In honor of Margaret Hamilton, 9 December, 1902 – 16 May, 1985 

NOTES: © Jadi Campbell 2025. Previously published as Baum, Bats, and Monkeys. All photos © Uwe Hartmann. Uwe’s photos of our trips and his photography may be viewed at viewpics.de.

I am a Best American Essays-nominated writer. My books are Broken In: A Novel in Stories, Tsunami Cowboys, Grounded, The Trail Back Out, and The Taste of Your Name. Recent awards include Finalist for the 2025 Compass Press Book Award for The Taste of Your Name and Finalist for Greece’s Eyelands 11th International Short Story Contest.

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