Recent entries in the "ants for my desk" contest

Back when I was working more directly with leafcutter ants, people would always ask if there was any way I would give them a colony to keep on their desk. I had to say no: they make for finicky pets, and it isn't practical to keep just one colony due to the risks of fungus loss.

Fast-forward to now. These folks have a booth up in the conference Expo. These ant farms look very classy, although they aren't cheap (nor should they be).



They aren't made for leafcutter ants, but they still look like a lot of fun.

I also spotted an advertisement in our conference booklet, for Termites for your desktop. This also looks super-cool. Again, not cheap, but it shouldn't be.

Edited to add... Seeing all the other art at the meeting makes me want to do way more ento-art. For instance, it would be SO COOL to figure out how to do gyotaku with insects, on ceramic pieces. Come to think of it, maybe I'm dredging up memories of the entomology art show that happened when the meeting took place in Austin several years ago.

Seen Around Denver

Every day here, I am glad I went to the effort of taking the train so I could bring the Jolly Roger along with me. I'm only riding a short distance between an AirBnB and the Convention Center, but it's helping me gear up for the day and wind down at the end. And it turns out that Denver has a bike path system that's surprisingly similar to the bike path network that threads through Lincoln. I've missed that kind of low-key biking (which is all I can manage, really, at this altitude).


I have to admit, I wasn't quite expecting to have to scrape frozen snow off the Jolly Roger this morning, but no big deal, really.



threemeninaboat says recent bike-ped bridges have been constructed with a nautical appearance to celebrate Denver's history as a port city (sic?). They are mighty fine.

Here's another one, crossing over the interstate, along with two public art installations. I suspect only one of the two installations occurred through official channels.



This spot is phenomenal. It's called Confluence Park, because it's the point where Cherry Creek joins the South Platte River. It is surrounded by bike-ped promenades.


The river bed has been reengineered with pools on one side, riffles on the other. Mesmerizing.


Old train bridges crossing Cherry Creek have been repurposed for multiple different uses, including as additional bike-ped crossings. Note all of the luxury condo complexes behind the bridge. My mind would be boggled by all the new housing construction, except I've seen my fair share in Seattle in recent years. Maybe some day it will actually somehow alleviate the increasing homeless population in the West. We must hold on to some level of hope and determination.

There are tons of murals along the Cherry Creek trail, all quite beautiful. But this one is my favorite. You can't see the full detail in the photo, so you'll just have to go and visit in person someday. When you do, I recommend taking the California Zephyr to get here.