What's a pika?

�> � � �� It's a small, grass eating rodent also known as a rock rabbit

or coney, usually native to cold, dry, high altitude grasslands and
deserts. We have quite a population of them in Colorado. Excellent
eating, by the way, tasting much like rabbit.

Thanks for the info. I found another sight on them shortly after C&Cing. My 
issue here is that the creature is not described. Even if I know what a pika 
is, describing it makes it more real and adds a little more dimension to 
Genma's actions.

"Extant" is a real word, and oddly enough, despite it's similarity
to the word "extinct", it has the opposite meaning. From _WordWeb_:

Adjective: Extant

� � � �� 1. Still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost

This was my eyes playing tricks on me and listening to my expectations a 
little too much. Excuse me for my mind's flatulence.

Old growth cloud forests are exactly what they sound like.. forests
that are usually engulfed in fogs or cloud on a semi-permanent basis. Just
such forests can be found in the mountains of China, and in a very few places
in South America and on the northern Pacific coast of North America. They're
usually cold, damp, and (by human standards) unpleasant.

� � � �� We have a few - and highly protected! - such spots in the US. 

They're

rare due to the conditions required to maintain what amounts to a 
semi-permanent
fog bank that doesn't move or burn off OR freeze off.

Okay that's great. I was ignorant of this and now I am less so. Again, I 
think that maybe this could be described in the fic, but then again maybe 
this is something everyone is supposed to already know. I guess I didn't get 
the memo:-)

Genma (and Don) are quite right. Cold, constantly damp, havens for
fungus of every sort, such cloud forests are pretty to see, miserable to
live in, unless you're specifically adapted to them.

I don't think I ever accused Genma (or Don) about being wrong about this. I 
did go off the deep end with my notions of mutant pandas and their relevance 
to theology, but other than that I just sought to point out that there are 
readers like me, who are ignorant of such things as pikas and cloud forests. 



-W.B.R.







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