The Lynx and the Lasagna

BY K.S. ABBOTT

After an arduous cross-country winter trek from Ohio, we arrived at our new home in rural northeastern Nevada on Christmas Eve. My husband and son began unpacking the car while our Labrador happily bounced around their feet.

As we approached the house, we discovered that the kitchen door had blown open during a snowstorm. There was a snowdrift across the kitchen floor, with paw prints in it. The prints were smaller than a bear’s, so I wasn't too worried. We shoveled out the snow and proceeded to unpack.

Our furniture had arrived earlier, and the Christmas tree was in a stand, ready for us to decorate. So, I decided the next order of business was a hot meal.

I was in the kitchen preparing lasagna for dinner when there was a commotion in the living room. The Christmas tree had tipped over, crashing against the wall, and the dog was trying to hide under the couch. Then it occurred to me that the paw prints led into the house but not OUT again. A lynx had been hiding behind the Christmas tree! She climbed up the tree and leaped up onto the crossbeam of the vaulted ceiling. She tried climbing higher toward the ceiling, then changed her mind (much to my relief because the top beam leads to the loft bedroom!). She dropped back down to the crossbeam and sat there, looking at me standing in the kitchen with my casserole dish. I was pretty sure she was eyeing the lasagna.

I was torn between admiring her beauty, as I had never seen a lynx up close, and wondering how to get her out! Here was a wild CAT that could eat my DOG. That would be a twist!

The solution was simple. I opened the kitchen door. She leaped down, ran past me and out the door (which I closed quickly). Apparently, lynx don’t like lasagna.

Welcome to the Wild West, right? But that wasn't the end of the story. Later, I noticed a musky odor under our son’s bed. I knelt down and saw what I thought was a large amount of fur, as though the big cat had laid down and shed some of her fur. I asked my husband to move the bed so I could sweep it up. It wasn't fur. It was the remains of a large bird. So, our houseguest had already enjoyed a Christmas dinner.

Nevada Magazine Goes Green

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2009 issue covers the future of green energy in Nevada, as well as the green building and living trends in the Silver State.

With a climate as conducive to harnessing geothermal, solar, and wind power as any on Earth, Nevada is positioning itself as a leader in the green movement. Companies such as Ormat Technologies (geothermal), Sempra Generation (solar), and Nevada Wind Company are either expanding or planning to incorporate in the state.

Other stories in the issue support the green theme, including how to eat green and reduce your carbon footprint—which in turn promotes healthy eating habits. Other stories focus on green building and LEED certification, including Incline Village’s Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, Reno’s Patagonia outlet, and Las Vegas’ Springs Preserve and CityCenter, the new mega resort which opens in December.

Nevada Magazine’s Tour Around Nevada continues in Laughlin, the sixth town recognized in the campaign in which people vote for their favorite rural towns. The top vote getter for a particular two-month period (Nevada Magazine is published every two months) is recognized in a later issue. The stories provide a snapshot of each town’s attractions and history. To vote for your favorite Nevada town (Carson City, Las Vegas, and Reno are excluded), e-mail editor@nevadamagazine.com and include the town and “Tour Around NV” in the subject line.

In other news, the 2010 Nevada Historical Calendar (see image below), produced by Nevada Magazine, is available for purchase. The price is $12.99 plus $3.99 shipping and handling. To order, visit NevadaMagazine.com or contact publisher Janet M. Geary at 775-687-0603 or jmgeary@nevadamagazine.com. There is also a link on the NevadaMagazine.com homepage that allows customers to order a combination one-year subscription to the magazine and 2010 calendar for $22.95.

Reno Aces World Series Dinner

Matt Williams, who grew up in Carson City and was a three-sport (baseball, basketball, and football) star at the high school in the early 1980s, had a few surprises for a crowd of about 600 Reno Aces season ticketholders who turned out to see him speak at the Silver Legacy on October 28. The attendees were treated to dinner and a viewing of the World Series opener between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. Of course, there were a few of us media hounds in attendance as well.

Williams, a former Major League Baseball player best known in Northern Nevada for his seasons spent in a San Francisco Giants uniform (1987-1996), answered questions from the crowd after he gave a short introduction speech.

The toughest pitcher he ever faced? No, it wasn't Pedro Martinez or Roger Clemens, two of the dominant hurlers during Williams' prime — it was Mark Portugal. "You know those Bugs Bunny cartoons where the pitcher throws the ball and it's 'Strike one,' 'Strike two,' 'Strike three' all on the same pitch," Williams said. "That was what it was like facing Mark Portugal. His fastball was only 82 (mph), and he had a devastating change-up." Portugal and Williams weren't always in opposing dugouts; they were Giants teammates in 1994 and '95.

That may have not been the most shocking answer, however. When a man asked, "Which one of your teammates had the best work ethic?", the last thing I expected to come out of Williams' mouth was "Manny Ramirez." The two were Cleveland Indians teammates for only one season in 1997, but Ramirez made quite the impression on Williams with his intense batting-practice sessions, mostly focused on learning how to hit a slider. The mercurial Ramirez has taken heat in recent years for his sometimes lackadaisical attitude.

Williams is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team he won a World Series with as a player in 2001. The D'backs are the parent organization to the Triple-A Aces, which made Reno their home starting with the 2009 season.

For a 2010 Reno Aces home schedule, click here. For more information, visit the Aces official Web site.