Sunday, April 1, 2012

A IS FOR AARDVARK — AN EXCUSE TO BE CURIOUS

A is for Aardvark
an interesting creature
at the top of the list,
this critter's the feature.

Introducing the Aardvark

The aardvark is a medium-sized animal that lives in sub-Saharan Africa. It eats ants and termites, lives in burrows, and is active at night. It looks a bit like a pig, but isn't closely related to pigs. (Which is why it's important to check on appearances.)

Picture from Google images
The name aardvark is an Afrikaans word, meaning "ground pig" or "earth pig" — from the fact that it burrows.

The aardvark is sharp claws, which enable it to dig through termite or ant hills. It's long tongue helps the aardvark to quickly devour its prey. 

This Is Important, Because . . . ?

The only thing I knew about aardvarks, before I started this post, is that the name begins with two letter "A"s.

But I'm curious enough to want to find what's behind the name.

Curiosity is probably one of the most important attributes of ay blogger. From my days as a journalist I recall the easiest ways to find a story is to ask:

• Why is something not where it should be, or
• Why is something where it shouldn't be. 

That's an appeal to curiosity.
So, be curious about the world.


Similarly, a bloggy friend, Lydia, lists three "Instructions for Living Life":

• Pay attention
• Be astonished
• Tell about it

(The three principles are from Mary Oliver. Lydia found them courtesy of another bloggy friend of ours, kj.)

In Conclusion

If you're stuck for something to say, just look around for a while.

And after you've paid attention to what's out there, and been surprised, astonished, intrigued or puzzled, you've got something to write about.

That's what will happen here during the A to Z (as in Eh to Zed) Challenge.

Blessings and Bear hugs.

25 comments:

DL Hammons said...

This is going to be a really interesting month and if I'm not careful I might actually learn a thing or two. :) I'd heard of these animals before, but don't recall ever seeing a photo of one.

What a great start!

Changes in the wind said...

I like it!! Looking forward to more.

JJ said...

Okay. I'm in. I am your newest follower.

Violet said...

Blessings and bear hugs right back! Love aardvarks. So odd and sweet faced. Love those ugly/cute critters!


Violet @ Revolution ~ Evolution

The Quintessential Magpie said...

You know, I know some folks who would pay that aardvark to come and eat some pesky termites that have come to visit. Does he hire out??? That's an idea. The termite companies could have aardvarks sniff out termites for them!

Thank you for dropping by, Rob-Bear! I have missed you and my other blogging friends SO much. I'm on Mr. Magpie's computer and am out to visit everyone who came by. This is awful not having my own computer, but hopefully that will change in the not too distant future.

Love to you...

XO,

Sheila

Stephanie V said...

Thanks for my morning smile. I love the learning, the cheeky little asides and your personality which shines through. I'll be back.

Kristy said...

I like your advise! Look around and you have something to say. I'm also a curious person and I like lyndas rules of life.

Manzanita said...

Dear Bear, They are a curious looking critter. Kinda porcupinish without the quills. I should have one for a pet to clear out my ant population. Have fun with the April posts.

Beth Stilborn said...

Enjoyed this very much, Rob-Bear! And good to find another Eh-to-Zedder! Thanks for visiting my blog this morning.

Wonderful words from Mary Oliver (a poet who never fails to impress me).



All I can say in addition to your post is... don't vark too aard! (I assure you that isn't original -- saw it on a sticker many many years ago!)

Beth Stilborn http://www.bethstilborn.com

Julie Daines said...

Cool. My son used to want an aardvark for a pet. We said no.

kj said...

hello bear, okay, i've found you here. i won't be confused any longer

so does this mean i will learn something new everyday? next from the letter B? i like that. i like new learning.

B could be BEAR but it could be Bodacious or buffalo or Butte Montana :^)

i also just learned you have been a journalist.

:^)
xo
kj

Gossip_Grl said...

Nice start to the blog challenge and can't wait to read the rest of your April postings. :)

Nicki Elson said...

Aardvarks are rather astonishing. Though I have to admit that my daughter's stuffed Cordy Roy Aardvark is much cuter than the one in the picture.

Irene said...

I have to admit, I wasn't exactly excited about the aarvark. I'm familiar with it and the word is almost the same in Dutch where Afrikaans comes from. I suppose you do have other surprises up your sleeve and I'm looking forward to them. xox

Golden Eagle said...

I love those instructions. :)

I am looking forward to your posts in the Challenge!


The Golden Eagle
The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

Rob-bear said...

® DL Hammons: Thank you for stopping by and leaving a kind note. I hope April is an interesting month for all of us — new reading, new friends, good stuff.

® Changes in the wind: Thanks for coming by. I hope you find more good stuff, here, and elsewhere.

® JJ: Thanks for signing on. Is that an old Underwood or Remington typewriter? Is it yours? Piece of history there.

® Violet: Thank you for coming by and leaving a comment. When I first saw your name, I thought you may have escaped form a Peanuts cartoon. But you're the wrong Violet. I hope we meet again.

Rob-bear said...

® The Quintessential Magpie: So great to see you back, Sheila. Computers are great when they work. When they don't work, somebody wants to borrow yours.

Here's a suggestion. Why don't you set up office in an area infested with termites or ants, and start an Aardvark importing business. You could make lots of cash, I bet. Enough to get yourself a new computer.

® Stephnie V: Glad you dropped by. Thanks. And really, I'm not cheeky; more puckish or playful, I think. Or are you telling me it's all the same thing?

® Kristy: Sorry you are going though such a rough time. Hope things pick up for you. And I hope you can drop in on others doing the A - Z Challenge.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Your A to Z series is going to be fun, I think. Wouldn't an A to Z kid's picture book series be fun starting with Andrew the Antagonistic Aardvaark? :D

Patricia Stoltey

That Janie Girl said...

Hey…I'm going to try to follow all your posts! And just to let you know, yes, I'm alive…and well…

Just super busy.

Trying to help my man heal, a little more each day…

Have a million things I could post about but just can't get down to writing them…hopefully I'll remember them.

Love and bear hugs and blessings to you…thanks for checking on me!

Rob-bear said...

® Manzanita: Porcupine without quills! I should have thought of that. Good catch, m'lady.

See my note to Sheila. Maybe you could become the Montana distributor of imported Aardvarks. Or maybe start a breeding colony — if it's not too cold.

® Beth Stilborn: Thanks for getting back to me.

I have yet to make the acquaintance of Mary Oliver. A situation I need to correct. And I promise
1. not to vark too aard, and
2. to tell my friend Da Blog Fodder about your (stolen) idea. We gotta share the wisdom.

® Julie Daines: You denied your child an Aardvark? Aren't you worried that, as an adult, he'll be depraved because he was deprived? You could have set him up in the business of ant and termite control. He could be making a fortune by now.

Thanks for visiting.

® kj: Thanks for moving over. Now you'll be where the action is. I could have bucolic or bacterial for B, but I'm going with Bird. Bird is the word. (You remember the song, don't you?) Does this mean Bear is for the Birds? Come and see.


® Gossip_Grl: Thanks for stopping by. You can add my thoughts to the gossip you're spreading.

Rob-bear said...

® Nicki Elson: That Cordy Roy Aardvark is a cutie. And cuddly I'll bet. Maybe you and Sheila could work out a proposal for her Aardvark import business. Buy two Aardvarks, and get a Cordy Roy for free!

Well, whatever.

® Irene: Nor sufficiently thrilled by Aardvarks? Oh, well; I can't please everyone.

Other surprises? If you're not surprised by an Aardvark, I don't know how I could surprise you. I'll have to work on that.

® The Golden Eagle: Thanks for dropping by. I'll get to your blog in a bit. It's been a busy day here!

That Janie Girl said...

I posted! It's a miracle! Thanks for reminding me - and caring!

xoxoxoxox to Bear!

Rob-bear said...

OOPS. I'm getting a little lost here. Bear is challenged by getting so much information at about the same time. As Winnie the Pooh put it so properly, "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words bother me." Having to Deal with A Lot Of Comments at one time bothers me, too.

® Patricia Stoltey: A children's book would be delightful. I could get my grandchildren to help me write it, and they could illustrate it, too.

But let's go with Andrew the Adventuresome Aardvark. Antagonistic we can do without as a model of children's behaviour. Even if they are that way quite a bit of the time.

® That Janie Girl: Glad to know that you're alive and well; not so glad to hear about your man. Hope he is well-heeled, soon. Or is that well-healed?

Bear's habit is to check on people who are too quiet for too long. If a simple check does't work, I get the St. Bernards organized. For Search and Rescue. That almost always works.

And I'm glad you were able to post.

Blessings and Bear hugs, everyone.

Youngman Brown said...

I had a course in college where all we did was read Mary Oliver. I hated it at first, but ended up loving it, and still love her.

Rob-bear said...

® Youngman Brown: Thanks for the extra encouragement to check out Mary Oliver.