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Sat, Oct 25, 2025

12:46pm EDT

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Carrion Luggage

by Waltz in the Lonesome October

Rated: 18+ · Book · Opinion · #2336646

Items to fit into your overhead compartment

Carrion Luggage

Native to the Americas, the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) travels widely in search of sustenance. While usually foraging alone, it relies on other individuals of its species for companionship and mutual protection. Sometimes misunderstood, sometimes feared, sometimes shunned, it nevertheless performs an important role in the ecosystem.

This scavenger bird is a marvel of efficiency. Rather than expend energy flapping its wings, it instead locates uplifting columns of air, and spirals within them in order to glide to greater heights. This behavior has been mistaken for opportunism, interpreted as if it is circling doomed terrestrial animals destined to be its next meal. In truth, the vulture takes advantage of these thermals to gain the altitude needed glide longer distances, flying not out of necessity, but for the joy of it.

It also avoids the exertion necessary to capture live prey, preferring instead to feast upon that which is already dead. In this behavior, it resembles many humans.

It is not what most of us would consider to be a pretty bird. While its habits are often off-putting, or even disgusting, to members of more fastidious species, the turkey vulture helps to keep the environment from being clogged with detritus. Hence its Latin binomial, which translates to English as "golden purifier."

I rarely know where the winds will take me next, or what I might find there. The journey is the destination.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Scary_Soldier_Mike

22 minutes ago
In response to "Facts? Maybe."

I remember coming across the Reno / Los Angeles fact, which I thought was pretty cool. I'm somewhat of a fan of geographical stuff like that, which is why more than a few locations appear on my Bucket List.

Waltz in the Lonesome October

about 14 hours ago
In response to "Mexican Standoff"

GrueSum1

: Another "tell" for when it's fake-Mex is neon margarita lights and Corona ads.

For all I know, it might be tasty. But one time, there were two Mexican restaurants in a strip mall west of Seattle (yes, things exist west of Seattle). One was like the above, with a Bud Light sign for good measure. The other just had the name of the establishment. I chose the latter, and was not disappointed.

GrueSum1

about 14 hours ago
In response to "Mexican Standoff"

We have a small saying here. It's not true, but we always say if when we see a new place. It something like this. "If that sign doesn't sat Authentic, then it's not good Mexican Food.

1 Like

tj says Boris sent me

a day ago
In response to "Mexican Standoff"

I can't say anything about Chi-Chi's, I've never eaten there, but I can say Minnesotans do enjoy spicy food. It's one of my regrets about having the esophagectomy; I can no longer eat foods spiced with hot peppers. However, the alternative wasn't any better.

3 Like

🌝 HowlersMoon

a day ago
In response to "Mexican Standoff"

Having spent an inordinate amount of time eating truly authentic Mexican food lately, I will point out that even the "authentic" American versions are greatly toned down.

Can you say, Fire Breather?

2 Like

Battywyn🎶Prep!

a day ago
In response to "Mexican Standoff"

I definitely prefer authentic to corporate, but corporate always has the nutrition information I need to stay alive.

1 Like

tj says Boris sent me

a day ago
In response to "Dis-Integrated"

Back in the day, as some will remember, we could buy moon rocks. I was always amazed by how many places had moon rocks for sale. It was quite apparent that none of the rocks had been brought back from the moon, but people still believed and bought them. A friend of mine wanted to get one but had missed his window of opportunity, so for his birthday, I picked up a lunar-looking rock and gifted it to him.

2 Like

Battywyn🎶Prep!

a day ago
In response to "Dis-Integrated"

My ex-wife didn't appreciate the "piece of trash" and tossed it. Maybe not a good time to tell you: I chucked mine, too. It was a shard of concrete maybe the size of a Blackberry flip phone. I got rid of it because museums have way better exhibits; it was just collecting dust; and nobody would ever know or believe what it was, since I had no way to prove it, other than the story:

The second time my family moved to Germany (army dad) was in the summer of 1990, right in the middle of the German reunification. Mom worked for an international accounting firm in Frankfurt (Ernst & Young - until the Enron scandal kick-started their eventual demise/ merger/ dissolution/ whatever) and she traveled to Berlin on a business trip. She picked up pieces of the wall for everyone in the family, but the wall had been picked pretty clean by the time she got there, so there were none of the obvious graffitied pieces left. Also, she kept them small, because she had to lug them home in her suitcase (and this was before suitcases had wheels.)

How freaking old am I?? OMG.

I would gladly make a donation to preserve Newton's home, but don't make me take a chunk home. Just say thank you and let the people who know how to preserve history and share it with the world handle it.

My two cents, of course. If any of you are those people, tell me how to make my donation.

2 Like

Waltz in the Lonesome October

a day ago
In response to "Dis-Integrated"

Nosferette

- A friend of mine who was in the Army and stationed there at the time sent me a chunk. My ex-wife didn't appreciate the "piece of trash" and tossed it. I can forgive her a lot of things, including the "ex" part, but not that.

2 Like

Nosferette

Oct 23, 2025 at 11:48am
In response to "Dis-Integrated"

The Berlin wall was sold off in chunks too. In 1989, it would have been most likely legit since there were so many kilometers of it. Now? The odds are approaching zero.

2 Like

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