Seven, almost eight, cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) in a Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum)

[Bo Zarts]

While not as wise as a tree full of owls, cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) are very intelligent as evidenced by their ability to count past the number seven. ("Hey Carl, you are number eight and this tree is only rated for seven of us! Get your tail-feathers somewhere else." )

Texas/Louisiana Boundary Wetlands - November 2023
©2023 Bo Zarts Studio

[Traildogbob]

1. I so love people

That use binomial nomenclature in Latin to ID species. As a Forest Ecology Wildlife science college faculty person, we required all student to know over 130 tree and plant species and over 200 animals by Genus/species. Many from kingdom all the way through specific epithet.
And all the students that came thinking they were gonna hunt and fish in their careers and Math (Statistical analysis of field data) wasn’t needed, were in for a huge shock.
And correct spelling was required. Spell check just laughed at them. Try writing a paper loaded with Latin ID of species.
Our drop out rate from a class count of nearly 200 as freshen, usually ended in 35-40 graduating.
Math and Spelling And writing and that damn science. Who needs it. Just learn the BuyBull and fake white history.
Now they can’t afford gear to hunt and fish with Walmart jobs where none of that edumacation stuff matters.
But, as a young high schooler I always thought, why the hell do we have to take Latin?
Wish I would have taken 4 years of it in high school before college.
Nobody will hike with me, because of Latin ID of everything,

[Bo Zarts]

2. My dad required all of us kids (5) to take two years of Latin in high school ..

He was a professor of entomology, so the binomial nomenclature was often "spoken" around the house. I took taxonomic botany and zoology at the university level, along with lots of other bio and chem courses.

But the clincher was what I did with my "free time" in Vietnam; I took a college-level Latin correspondence course. At least it kept me out of the bars. Mostly.

Bo

[Traildogbob]

3. Time well spent.

I learned all the names, but only know a few of what the names actually mean. It would have helped a lot to know that other than just memorizing them.

[ShazzieB]

4. I wanted to take Latin my senior year.

But it wasn't available at my tiny high school, despite being listed in the course offerings. It was French or nothing at that podunk school.

It could have been worse; my best friend's husband went to an even tinier high school that offered NO foreign languages. But I still regret not having that opportunity.

[airplaneman]

5. Does Pig Latin count?

"Evenyay, almosty eightay, ormorantcay inyay ayay Baldyay Ypresscay eeytray."

-Airplane