This threw me off because it’s been years since I heard of numbats. Spellchecker doesn’t even think it’s a word. I believe I last heard of them when I was kid watching animal shows too. So, what is a numbat?
This marsupial is found in Australia and also called the banded anteater. They are only 14-18 inches long and resemble squirrels with their long bodies and bushy tails. Numbats are diurnal (active during the day) and only eat termites, which is why habitat loss is a problem for them. Let’s get to the conservation thing before a fact list though.
Numbats are endangered with their biggest threat being invasive species of red fox and feral cats. Europeans released the red fox on purpose, which destroyed nearly all of the populations. Only two populations survived in areas with a lot of hollow logs for them to hide in, but there were less than 1,000 wild numbats. In 1980, an extensive breeding and research program began, which led to reintroductions to fenced off/fox and cat free areas. A plus of the numbat is that it is easily reintroduced to areas it previously thrived in as long predators are reduced or not present. So, it is still endangered, but making a slow recovery.
Some facts:
While a marsupial, numbats do not have pouches for babies. Instead, they have some protection around their teats for their litter of 4 to feed on as they finish maturing.
A single numbat can eat 20,000 termites a day.
Their tongues are half the length of their body.
Instead of teeth, they have blunt pegs to crush insects.
All of their water is gained from eating termites.
Similar to wombats, a numbat will protect its burrow by blocking the entrance with its butt.
Gestation is only 14 days and the young are born underdeveloped.
Numbats are the faunal state emblem of Western Australia.
Being solitary, small, and not very fond of traps, they are difficult to locate and get clear population counts. Only recent technological advancements in remote cameras have helped in figuring out their numbers.
I actually wore a costume for Halloween since the class was doing a theme. Minions was chosen, but I knew I wouldn’t reuse anything with a Minion on it. Instead, I went with my idea for last year, which I couldn’t do because of a court date. I went as GIR (robot singing up there), but in his ‘dog’ form:
GIR
It was a hoodie, so I brought two taco plushies to keep one in each pocket. GIR needs tacos or he will explode. I also wore a sign that said ‘4IN XCHANGE MINYUN’ to fit with the group. Only one person recognized the character though, so I don’t know if I’ll try to be this creative again. Doesn’t help that I couldn’t keep the hood up.
That was really the highlight of the week, especially since I went out trick-or-treating with my son. His costume was a success in that it looked good and didn’t fall apart. He hated the wig like two years ago, so I suggested his next request should be someone with short or simple hair. Next year isn’t my time to make or buy a costume though, so I have two years to prepare for the next and possible final challenge. I mean, he really only has two more Halloweens before he turns 18. Time is flying.
As far as writing goes, I only managed to get through 2.33 chapters of Darwin & the Demon Game. It wasn’t even Pokemon Go that caused the delay since I couldn’t play it until 3 PM on Saturday. You see, I was on my way home from an appointment last Saturday morning and thought I’d swing by the park before grabbing lunch. Couldn’t find a space and was leaving the lot when my car starts making this loud grinding noise. The whole thing is shaking as I’m hoping I can reach my usual mechanic on the other side of town. Sound kept getting worse, so I stopped at the first place I came to, which was down the block from my house. Turns out, my front passenger side tire blew and I was basically riding the rim. So, I was stuck home waiting for that call about the bill and then about the repairs.
You would think this would give me plenty of extra writing time and I was trying to get stuff done. Unfortunately, this threw me off so much that I was having trouble focusing on the story. I kept thinking about how I thought a month ago that the tire looked weird, but didn’t act on it. I kept thinking about how the money I put aside for a new laptop was going to the tires. In the end, I did get a full chapter done before I got to pick up my car and finally hit the park. Still, it threw me off so much that I wasn’t able to take full advantage of things.
I did try to do more during the week, but work and parenting was crazy busy due to Halloween AND it being the last week of the quarter. I might get a little more done this week on a few evenings. Next weekend is a 3-day also, but I have to use most of Saturday to take an online ‘Defensive Driving’ course. That takes 6 hours, so I might edit while I wait for the timer to let me move on to the next module. Always read faster than that thing expects me to. That gives me most of Sunday to use and maybe a little time on Monday before I get my son. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
As far as the editing timeline goes, I think my goal is to finish the hand edits before the holiday break in December. That will allow me to type them all in during the actual break and print out the last of the finished books. Can’t guarantee that this will happen, but it’s a dream. No idea when I’ll publish again too. Feels like it’s been so long that I don’t know what to do. Keep forgetting to reach out to the woman who did the covers for War of Nytefall too. We talked in August of 2023 about the Darwin covers to work on in the future, but then . . . My life took a header into a wood chipper.
Nothing else is really going on, especially with the weather refusing to settle on autumn or summer. Been battering my sinuses, which are already suffering from exhaustion and nocturnal anxiety. Going to try to get more sleep and relaxation over the weekend. The only real plans are helping my son study for 2 quarterly tests, play some Pokemon Go, and watch a movie. The tests are the hardest part because they’re in the subjects that I’ve barely helped him with this quarter. Just the timing of homework and tests, so I have very little idea on what he’s supposed to do. Stressing both of us out, which is why Pokemon Go and a movie are going to be essential.
Goals of the week?
Study hard this weekend.
Catch Pokemon hard this weekend.
Rest hard this weekend.
Edit more Darwin & the Demon Game throughout week if possible.
So, today is the day we honor authors. I assume this was started in a country and/or during a time where people respected such a career. At least authors who don’t already have a movie or TV series deal. Anyway, here are some funnies and hopefully a book sale or two comes your way today.
I do at least one October post involving Halloween music, which are usually rock and metal. Well, that’s today, so enjoy these songs and videos to get into the mood. There is creepy and occult imagery in a few of them in case you’re squeamish. Yes, there are two that I always post, but they are classics of the season. (I skipped the memes this year because the ones I kept finding were either insulting, lame, or highly political.)
(Gotta put the long one on, but you can skip to the song part.)
So, I’ve shown a bunch of strange and obscure cryptids this month. At least, they were obscure to me. That got me thinking about how people might know about one cryptid and take it as common knowledge. Yet, nobody knows about them outside of the region or experience circle.
For example, Long Island has the Montauk Monster, which was a strange body that washed up onshore. Probably a rotting animal, but it stirred a lot of conspiracies. We also have TONS of ghosts to the point where abandoned asylums need to be watched by police around this time of year because people try to go in and see the specters. We’ve got the Amityville House on Long Island too, but people know that one.
All that being said, I want to know what’s the creepy cryptid of your area. The one that you don’t think a lot of people know about or is simply a local legend. Share and teach us about the eerie lore you’ve just come to accept.
First teaser after Quest of the Brokenhearted went live for 99 cents. So, exciting. While this isn’t Kira’s first battle in the story, this is the first official champion that she faces. I had a lot of fun writing the scene and it set the stage for all the others being difficult challenges that required a lot of thinking on ones feet. Both for me and Kira since I never had a clear idea of how to beat these guys.
That thing definitely looks scary. Also, it’s really big and in the open, which makes one wonder how it’s a mystery. Where did this thing come from?
First, let’s go over what it looks like. Clearly, the Slide-Rock Bolter is huge, especially the head and mouth. Yet, it has tiny eyes. The tail is split and hooked, which it uses to grip onto the top of a slanted mountain. Even though it’s found on land, it resembles a giant fish or eel. Not sure what in the area could have inspired the lore, but what it does is rather frightening.
The Slide-Rock Bolter comes from lumberjack lore in the 19th and 20th century. It is specifically found in the Colorado mountains around slanted mountains, which it uses as perches. After hooking onto a steep slope, it would wait for a few days. Then, it would let go and slide towards another mountain where it would latch on to get ready to go again. It’s mouth would be left open to release a slick grease, which made it build up speed and go even faster with each second. With it’s mouth open, the Slide-Rock Bolter would devour everything in its path from people to trees.
A story talks about a park ranger who found a way to kill the Slide-Rock Bolter messing with his area. He set up a fake tourist filled with explosives and put them in a spot that the creature would notice. The monster took the bait and blew up along with half the buildings of the nearby town of Rico. This place was known for mining, which could mean that the creature was blamed for a mine explosion.
That’s actually why the Slide-Rock Bolter might have appeared in legends too. During the time it appeared in lore, more people were starting to move into the Rocky Mountain regions and explore. Tourists would go missing and it was easier to blame a mysterious beast than anything else, especially if there was a high number. You also had avalanches and mudslides that occurred, which is why the Slide-Rock Bolter goes down steep slopes and takes out everything. If people weren’t there to see the event, but only find the aftermath, they might think it’s a monster.
Can you think of any other natural disasters that are blamed on legendary beasts?
