Author Archives: KristiV

Suburban Garden: Eggplant and Kale [6]

Posted on 18 July 2011 by KristiV

Across several states in the central and southwestern US, this has been one of the hottest, driest years on record, with no sign of improvement any time soon. South Texas is no exception to this trend, and I don’t venture … Continue reading →

Posted in art journals, drought, Gardening, vegetables | Comments Off on Suburban Garden: Eggplant and Kale [6]

A Houstonian’s Reluctant Ode to Atlantis, STS-135 [12]

Posted on 8 July 2011 by KristiV

*Soundtrack: Last Rendez-Vous (Ron’s Piece) ~ Jean Michel Jarre I’m not a technophile, and harbor no Top Gearian tendencies to become emotional over a BMW or an Opel Cadet or a flight in a jet fighter; I’m much more likely … Continue reading →

Posted in American culture, Atlantis, Houston, NASA, space shuttle | Comments Off on A Houstonian’s Reluctant Ode to Atlantis, STS-135 [12]

Mystery Marks [18]

Posted on 26 June 2011 by KristiV

There are mystery birds, and mystery fish, and mystery skulls, and today I present mystery marks for you to identify: What made the marks on the hindquarters of this horse? Bonus points if you also identify the breed of horse.

Posted in fluff, horses, mysteries | Comments Off on Mystery Marks [18]

Yes, We Can Have Bananas! [19]

Posted on 20 June 2011 by KristiV

On the whole, I’m a fan of Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, in which she documents her family’s experiment with a year-long local, seasonal diet. However, I disagree with her about bananas, which she portrays as a Fruit with … Continue reading →

Posted in air travel, bananas, book reviews, carbon dioxide equivalents, carbon footprint, climate change, crocs | Comments Off on Yes, We Can Have Bananas! [19]

Suburban Garden: Inflatable Rattlesnake

Posted on 14 June 2011 by KristiV

It’s as hot as a defective MacBook battery here, and about as pleasant as residing in a camel’s rectum. Not that I have ever lived in a camel’s rectum, but I imagine that it’s pretty fetid and sweltering. And windy … Continue reading →

Posted in animal control, fluff, Gardening, Texas birds | Comments Off on Suburban Garden: Inflatable Rattlesnake

Hypobloggia

Posted on 14 May 2011 by KristiV

Apologies for the paucity of posts and comments lately, but I’ve been embroiled in course director duties for a major medical school course for the past nine weeks, compounded with a temporally overlapping graduate course. We administered the final two … Continue reading →

Posted in academia | Comments Off on Hypobloggia

The Shape of Springs to Come

Posted on 24 April 2011 by KristiV

Dominating the news, at least at the state level, are the multiple large wildfires burning across much of Texas. We’ve had a few small grass fires within the city limits, but the majority of the wildfires are located on remote … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Gardening | Comments Off on The Shape of Springs to Come

PomPom

Posted on 17 April 2011 by KristiV

Animal control is a problem for most US cities, and seems to be an especially major issue in my city. The problem has been compounded by the current economic recession, with people abandoning or giving up pets that they can … Continue reading →

Posted in animal control, fluff, squee | Comments Off on PomPom

Traffic: On the Road, and in the Lungs

Posted on 27 March 2011 by KristiV

I’d ban all automobiles from the central part of the city. You see, the automobile was just a passing fad. It’s got to go. It’s got to go a long way from here. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Posted in air pollution, cities, commuting, cycling, urban public health | Comments Off on Traffic: On the Road, and in the Lungs

Not Conforming: The Home and Garden Edition

Posted on 4 March 2011 by KristiV

Ever have one of those days in which you feel that you don’t fit in with your current local culture? I have those days a lot lately, and I need to download a small rant. Feel free to join in, … Continue reading →

Posted in American culture, existential_yuppie_angst, fruit_trees, Gardening, rants | Comments Off on Not Conforming: The Home and Garden Edition