What do all three of these things have in common (other than the potential for one remarkably funny limerick to be made of them together)? They are the various subjects of some of my most recently published written work.

Terms of venery (or, for those of you who are more daring with your language, venereal nouns) is the topic of my “Did You Know?” column in the most recent edition of The Backyard Birds (Volume 12, Number 5). In this essay I consider the wonderfully creative and at times playful use of language in describing groups of different types of wildlife.

Over at The Binocular Site, the under-appreciated and amazingly useful Porro prism binocular is my most recent topic. Too often today mistakenly dismissed as antiquated or lacking in optical sophistication, the Porro binocular is in reality a remarkably versatile instrument that anyone who uses binoculars would do well to understand more fully lest they overlook a potentially valuable optic for their chosen activity.

Finally, in “From Under My Hat,” I reflect upon an unfortunate incident that recently occurred in our own little town whereupon a young boy from a devout, church-going family found himself afraid and confused following a long string of mistakes that allowed an evangelical Christian group to advertise their visiting crusade in three of our public schools.