Welcome to Bubble Land

I'll depart for a moment from my string of farmer/naturalist blog entries, and share a story about a strange belief that I harbored in my youth: "Bubble Land." Yes, the artwork for this childhood dreamworld is influenced by Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland. I submitted "Bubble Land" for inclusion in the upcoming comics anthology Lies Grown-ups Told Me. The editors were full of praise for the work, but chose not to include it, because they had received a high number of submissions, so selected only those which fit more strictly to the title theme. Even so, I was glad to get their vote of support.

If you know of a laundromat or a purveyor of tea called Bubble Land, it is probably just a coincidence.

Lizards and Dragons

I encountered this bearded dragon at Science Works museum in Ashland, Oregon. The lizard's wild relatives dwell in Australia. Although no dragons are known to inhabit Rock Bottom Ranch, we do keep two leopard Geckos, whom I have named Spiny and Rex. They are as terrifying as the dinosaurs for whom they are named (Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex)... but only to crickets and insects, whom they stalk, pounce upon, and chomp to pieces. Whether rulers of a Mesozoic jungle or a sandy terrarium, reptiles carry an aura of ancient mystery. This bearded dragon, basking in lamp-light, appeared like the king of his little world.