RenoVous

  Pterosaurs have incredibly lightweight skeletons, so finding one intact is pretty rare. In the Solnhofen Limestones in Germany, paleontologists came across a perfectly preserved hatchling.  And it is tiny, with a wingspan of less than 20 centimeters. "The odds of preserving one are already slim, and finding a fossil that tells you how the animal died is even rarer," reports lead author, Rab Smyth, from the University of Leicester Centre for Paleobiology. The fractures suggest a powerful twisting force, such as a severe storm, that caused catastrophic injuries. It should be noted that several young pterosaur fossils have been found in this area, and now scientists understand why - adults would likely have survived the storm. Here they explain the conditions:

 Saturday we just took a drive to escape the rain - Deus had mentioned Hwy 4 so we ended up taking Ebbett's Pass.  And it was a hell of a road, as he warned. We stopped at the above Everly Falls.  We turned off for Highland Lakes, and found a decent spot or two for forest camping along the North Fork Mokelumne River. But we decided to stay on and follow the pass down to Angel's Camp, though we had some regret as we entered the humidity of the valley.  We went back towards Jackson and up 88. Back in town we decided to give the desert a try, maybe even run into some burners.  But we had the space all to ourselves for a camp night. A Monday swim for the pups.

This week I thought we might check out some fashion along with some background. The festival began in 1932, and includes the Venice Biennale, one of the world's oldest exhibitions of art. The first film to be presented: Helen Hayes was voted best actress, which she followed up with an Oscar. This year: Cate Blanchett, Father Mother Sister Brother Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine Noomi Rapace, Mother Colman Domingo, Dead Man's Wire Shailene Woodley, Motor City

  I finished this over the weekend, but it wasn't quite the Haunting of Bly Manor  I had been set to expect. It's much more complicated and confusing than that. For one thing, we have an unreliable narrator - her information is limited, colored by her own emotions and biases. And the ending sure lacks any real closure. This was something short to pass some in between time, for September I haven't decided yet - more ghost stories, or a psychological thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. What have you been reading?

 The world's oldest pool of water has been found deep within the Kidd Creek Mine of Ontario, Canada. Geologist/Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar led a team into the rock, 1.8 miles below the surface. She even tasted the water, explaining that she was looking for a salty taste.  Saltier tends to be older.  She confirmed it is much saltier than seawater.  Bitter too. The team found traces that indicated life had once been present. "By looking at the sulphate in water, we were able to see a fingerprint...the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale." Without light, the microbes survived using substrates produced from radiation. As long as the water and rock are in contact, the reaction that creates the sulfate will continue to occur naturally and persist potentially billions of years.

The Rainbow Bridge is part of a beautiful meadow where our beloved pets wait for us after they've passed away.  The original story was written in 1959 by Edna Clyne-Rekhy of Scotland, following the death of her dog, Major.  It was a loosely referenced thing until 1994, when "Dear Abby" printed the piece in full. Next month will be a year since our Chewber passed. One of my favorite forever movies is All Dogs Go to Heaven.

  Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals. Since 1999 it's been more of a rock, punk, hip hop festival, but it's been active since 1955 as a jazz festival. This year's show took place last weekend, but I came across a nod to 2004, and a band I haven't thought about in a while. Kerrang! Magazine is always on site, and in 2004 they awarded The Darkness best live band. This was awarded best single, and this song really feels 2004. And of course, the best band on the planet award goes to.... They performed in 1997, 2003, 2008, and 2015.