I learned the word "crepuscular" while editing the Wikipedia article on Campbell Russian dwarf hamsters. It's just too close to "pustule" to have anything to do with twilight.
Yesterday I learned that, not only does the big W have a policy against "original research," but there is now some fuss because the current policy is that primary sources should be used "rarely." I understand the reasoning behind this, but it seems there are those who are quick to slapdown an article with "NOR! NOR!" simply because they admire the way their name appears in the rollback history. Or something like that.
I haven't been accused of violating NOR yet, but I had to make an edit to the dwarf ham article because there's an edit war over the average lifespan of a dwarf hamster. Unfortunately, all sources are anecdotal. So, I included both statistics (18-24 months or 18-36 months) with a note that sources vary, then in the discussion put in a comment on my own hamster lifespan statistics.
As for other people's dwarf hamsters, I've met two who reached the age of three, and one was a Chinese hamster and the other was a winter white/Campbell mix. So, it's possible, but I doubt it's the average. Perhaps things are different in a lab environment where there is more culling, but that's just speculation. The only place I've seen the lifespan given as 18-36 months is in Petco/Petsmart, and these are the same places that suggest (sugary) yogurt drops for the diet and call any non-brown dwarf a "Fancy Siberian" and double the price. (They also almost always use unsafe slotted wheels, but let's not get into quibble territory.)
And that is everything that flies around my brain when I see "Crépuscule sur la Côte Normande":
To: Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Jackson, 13 Woodbury Road, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. If you click on the map link, you'll see that everybody lives on Woodbury Road. Everybody. Maybe I'll add this to the Stourport Wikipedia article. Wait, no, that would be "original research." Also a little bit wrong.
Postmark: 17 July 1985
"Dear Gran and Grandpa,
"Arrived here safely. The weather so far has been fine. The site we are staying at is very nice. We are having plenty of practice speaking French and dad is just getting used to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. The beaches around here are very nice and kept very clean. We will have some photographs to show you when we get back. Hope you had a nice holiday and we'll see you soon.
"Love from The Nottingham Branch (en France)"
This is so sweet. I have nothing to say. Other than I think the sun knows something, and those riders may be enjoying a false sense of security.
"Normande" also reminds me of the Normandie Auto Court aka Normandie Motel, formerly at 708 S. Las Vegas Boulevard. I'm sure I have a postcard of it that could be photo'd right now and add real value to this post, but someone has let the "scrapbooking bucket" get deep. Very deep. Here's someone else's postcard. (Severely overpriced, which is probably why it hasn't ever sold.)
And here is what's left of it, down in the neon boneyard:
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