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“On October 22nd, I received the sad news that Professor Dong Zhiming had become extinct.” said Stegosaurus. “He was the very nice scientist who discovered my Cousin Wuerhosaurus in 1973 and whom I met on my last visit to China in 2022.”

I knew Cousin Wuerhosaurus would want to know but as he was in transit via slow boat after visiting me, and only left my cave in early October. I knew that if I crafted a raft, I could float forthrightly to Tibet and get there before Wuerhosaurus. He does not have a yard outside his cave, but there are other things I can do to make his cave comfortable and I can return the favor he did to me while I was myself away this summer.

I arrived in Tibet on November 18th, climbing carefully up the mountain in which Wuerhosaurus' cave can be found. Wuerhosaurus lives simply in a very sparse environment and it is quite remote. This is beneficial to him because he spends so much time in meditation.

Thus, there was not much to do in his cave or directly outside it as it was so sparse and there was no grass growing that needed trimming. So, I remained in my cousin's cave waiting for his arrival hopefully my presence would soften the news of Professor Zhiming's extinction.

Wuerhosaurus arrived at his cave on November 19th, which is a little bit earlier than his usual arrival dates. He must have gotten swept up in a good tide that sped his arrival.

Wuerhosaurus was surprised to see me in his cave, of course I was not expected and he'd just visited with me in Colorado. So he asked If I had decided to enter a life of introspective meditation like my cousin Lexovissaurus and Loricatosaurus.

“No,” said Stegosaurus. I have for you some sad news which I learned not long after you left my humble abode. Your father, Professor Dong Zhiming has become extinct, as of October 20th”

“Blessings be upon him.” said Wuerhosaurus. “He was a good father; he discovered me and dug my fossil from the earth. He even named me, though I was and remain only partially discovered. What a generous thing to do, as my fossil did not remain in a box on a shelf for a mammal's generation; He took the time to do all these things for me, and many others, including some of our distant cousins. A dinosaur could not ask for more from such a mammal as was Professor Dong Zhiming. Let us enter into a state of meditation and prayer for his soul, and when we are called upon to return to the outside world we'll have a press conference held and make a statement to the public. “

Stegosaurus agreed that this was proper, and followed the example of his cousin, and they both remained in prayer and meditation for the rest of November and for the greater part of December; most of the rest of the year. Stegosaurus' first priority was to take care that his cousin had family nearby to help in this time of grief. He believed in taking care of his own first, above all others. This is, after all, the key principle of the Holiday Season, and they both found peace within.

Professor Dong Zhiming ( 1937 ~ 2024 ) A Tribute

My cousin Wuerhosaurus got on his slow boat and floated forthrightly, albeit slowly, home to Tibet in early October leaving me no guests to entertain or, at the moment, anywhere to go.

I had no lawn work to do, since my cousin had maintained my yard over the summer while I was in Kentucky. I needed to let the forest around me grow given how much my cousin and I had eaten during his visit. So, I rested my claws and caught some sun outside my cave while I thought about what to do. Thinking takes a while when you have a brain the size of a walnut, so it was October 30th before I decided what to do.

I have seen about this time of year when I visit the areas populated by mammals small mammal children dressed up in unusual costumes, some very outlandish, even a few that look like me.

They go from building to building gathering candies and trinkets in the early part of the evening.

It seems to be some part of an ancient ritual the mammals call Halloween. I don't care too much for sweets; I only have 64 teeth, and even though they grow back no matter how many times I might lose one, I still want to be cautious and take care of my teeth so I wouldn't eat chocolates but I wouldn't mind dressing up and wandering around downtown Boulder to see if any one recognizes me as a Stegosaurus or under my disguise. So the next step is to decide what I could disguise myself as.

My epiphany on this matter occurred when I considered what my father, Othneil Charles Marsh thought of the placement of my spiff, sexy plates when I was first discovered in the year 1877.

His initial thought was that they naturally lay flat upon my back, so that they looked like roof shingles.

All these years later, it gives some mammals the impression that I am a giant turtle.

Well, now, I wonder, could I make a convincing turtle? There was only one way to find out. I flattened my spiff, sexy plates over my back so in my mind at least, they looked like the shell of a turtle. Once this was accomplished, I set out to find a group of small mammal children on the evening of October 31st. I stomped forthrightly in the way I thought a turtle would stomp if the turtle weighed 6 tons and was 9 feet tall and 30 feet long. When I found the areas where mammals live, I happened upon three small mammal children. One shambling along behind his friends hunched over, a second dressed as what appeared a kind of soldier, and a third was dressed up as …... I think it was …. me.

“Look!” exclaimed the hunched over mammal child. “It's a Stegosaurus!”

The mammal children were amazed as I stomped up to them. The mammal child disguised as me was particularly excited.

“Ah no,” said Stegosaurus, “Can you not tell? I am a turtle! What are you?”

“I am a Hunchback!” said the hunched over mammal child.

“I am a Roman Centurion!” said the mammal child dressed as a soldier.

“I am YOU!” exclaimed the third mammal child who was, indeed dressed as me.

“I am a turtle!” Said Stegosaurus; “Do you think I make a convincing turtle?”

The mammal children were torn between being honest, and not wanting to hurt my feelings, I could see, by their hesitation and reaction to my question. Maybe I wasn't a convincing turtle, but was going to have fun anyway. I quickly changed the subject. I asked them, “What do you each have in the buckets you are carrying with you?”

“I have a Milky Way bar,” said the Roman Centurion.

“I have a peanut butter cup,” said the Hunchback.

“I have string cheese,” said the mammal child dressed as myself.

“Can we have a ride?” he asked.

“You can,” said Stegosaurus; “But tonight the rule is you have to pretend I am a turtle!”

The mammal children heartily agreed, and we had an evening of great fun, going from house to house and collecting candies for them. One very nice elderly mammal saw that I was not fond of candies and gave me a nice meal of aloe plants. In return, I ate the grass in her yard, which needed trimming.

When we had visited all of the nearby mammal homes, I announced my plan to return to my home cave and let the mammal children off of my back.

We parted most cheerfully, and I promised to return and visit again another day.

I returned to my home cave delighted with my evening adventure; I had a great time, but I think in the future I need to work on a more convincing turtle costume.

Stegosaurus stomped forthrightly home to Colorado in early September, knowing that he'd soon receive a visit from his Chinese cousin Wuerhosaurus. As he approached his home cave, he found his cousin kindly maintaining the lawn just outside his humble abode.

“Hail, Wuerhosaurus! Thank you so much for trimming my lawn; it must have overgrown while I visited the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

“It was very tall,” admitted Wuerhosaurus. “I have been here since August 2nd and now have things under control.”

“What brings you to Colorado, USA?” asked Stegosaurus.

“I have news for you regarding your cousin of France, Lexovissaurus and his lovely wife Loricatosaurus.“

“Is everything okay?” asked Stegosaurus. “Are they extinct? I have not heard from either of them in more than a year!”

“They are fine; I have spoken to them personally.” assured Wuerhosaurus.

“It seems they have disappeared just like Apu,” rejoined Stegosaurus

“I know,” said Wuerhosaurus with sympathy. “The truth is that upon leaving Japan, Loricatosaurus decided to seek the unknown of her existence as I myself do, through meditation within. Accordingly she and her husband came to my home in Tibet and asked me how to become Buddhist. Her adoring husband who has long suffered the psychological effects of being nomen dubium agreed also, just for the sake of his love for his wife. He had taken an oath never to abandon his wife in her most dire time of need, and as proud as he was of his homeland France, he knew his wife was the only thing more important and he should never stomp away, avoiding his responsibility as her caregiver and companion. He understood the value of an oath, even with a brain the size of a walnut, unlike some mammals which could, but will not, be named.

“Sigh,” said Stegosaurus. “They are both good dinosaurs and will be missed immensely.”

Then, after a pause, Stegosaurus asked, “What other news do you have? Anything good? I find myself in sudden need of good news,”

“In the long run, the news is good for them,” answered Wuerhosaurus. “If they truly exist, complete fossils will be found; otherwise they will fade away; in the short 51 years since I was myself unearthed I have gained much spiritual peace and understanding. All partially discovered and nomen dubium dinosaurs deal with this and excel quite well. Be prepared for the peace, it will come when needed. Fear not.”

“This is good news,” admitted Stegosaurus. “Now let us leave my cave to dine in the woods. I learned of many tree species in class this year. I met a couple of trilobites in my travels and wish to tell you all about it.”

“I will be delighted to learn. Let us go to dine at once. I could give a break from that marvelous invention grass for a good tree or two.” And, so it was that Stegosaurus learned the fate of the French branch of his family, and the whole time he was in Colorado, his cousin Wuerhosaurus never mentioned them again. They entered the age of legend, and Stegosaurus was consoled by his many happy memories of his proud, Nationalistic cousin and his strong, resourceful, intelligent wife. Very briefly they appeared, simply because they were thought of, but stood silently without saying a word. Stegosaurus waved to them, with a tear in his eye.

Wuerhosaurus was practiced in peace, and sure in his path so he did not cry, but he did try to comfort Stegosaurus as Lexovissaurus and Loricatosaurus faded away, disappearing as quickly and suddenly as they had appeared.

“They may someday waken and return from Tibet, or fade into nothing in time,” said Wuerhosaurus. “What will be cannot be seen; but what you and I can do, Stegosaurus is pray for peace and remember fondly our cousins with full love in our hearts.”

After a wonderful afternoon meal with Brother Horse ( Windsurfer ) I bid my kin farewell and as I stomped away reflected how wonderful it is that we can still be friends in spite of a difference of opinion. I wish the mammals would use their larger brains and learn this.

I decided to stomp up and over to Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum in Louisville, Kentucky. I did not want to eat the arboretum there as I had eaten the one in Lexington right well, and being a conservationist ( albeit a hungry one ) I didn't want to eat all the trees in all the arboretums in the commonwealth. I had come to this particular Arboretum to see another tree I won't eat out of respect: The Ginko Biloba, which is a tree older than I am. After the meteor came, the once plentiful Ginko was confined to the land of China, being extinct everywhere else. It was this way through Woolly Mammoth's age, the last great Ice Age. And there they remained in the orient, until the year 1840 or so ( maybe it was last week, not sure ), when the famous mammal Senator Henry Clay heard of their existence there and convinced it was, either Diplomats he knew in China or visiting missionaries to bring him seeds back to Lexington. This they did, and when Senator Clay received them, Ginkos from this stock were planted at his home Ashland in Lexington, and in other nearby areas. The largest of these still living resides here at the Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum.

After paying my respects to such an elder tree, I became hungry and stomped into the woods in search of dinner. I planned to return home to Colorado soon, and wanted to be sure I ate a good meal before I stomped up the road; It is a long road to travel from Kentucky to Colorado !!

I climbed up into the hills well beyond the city of the mammals to seek the best trees. First I found a really nice grove Sassafras albidum; very delicious !! If you haven't tried it before I can highly recommend seeking them out. They are native in this land and very abundant. It has such distinctive flavor; the mammals used to use it to flavor Root Beer, up until last week, or maybe, it was 1960. Not sure on the date but they sure are delicious. They also sometimes taste as if they have a cinnamon flavoring to them.

Next, I climbed up higher into the woods, and then came down the other side into some rich, moist bottomlands; and there it was that I discovered much to my delight a nice collection of Fagus grandifolia, These trees are most abundant in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and her neighboring States. You have to go into the forests to find them because they do not live well in the urban areas where the mammals live. Small mammals, though, wildlife gets along with them well, Fagus grandifolia provides them homes, and nuts to eat. Their leaves are a deep green in spring and summer; and later in fall and winter a bronze colour and tan. Oftentimes, the leaves will remain with the tree all winter; that is, unless I come along and eat them, which I ( hint ! ) did !

Thirdly I wandered through this bucolic Appalachian paradise in search of the fruit of the Asimina triloba , and let me tell you, this tree, ever since I discovered it has provided some of the most delicious fruit you can find in the wild areas of the world. I am still surprised at how wonderful it is; the Asimina triloba provides after gourds, the second largest fruit native to America, right after gourds. The fruit it provides tastes very similar to bananas. They are more likely to produce such fruit when they are standing alone as individual trees; much less likely when grouped together in a thicket. They like shady lowlands, and in addition to their fruit bear the most delicious burgundy flowers.

Lastly, before I began my return trip to my native Colorado, I went in search of the lovely Gymnocladus dioicus, sadly endangered, so I didn't eat it, just like the Ginko. So, I just stomp by from time to time to pay my respects. These wonderful trees thrive in the northeastern Bluegrass areas, where they like rich, moist soils, usually found by ravines so it is good fortune that I came down to the ravine to drink; Its problems reside in the fact that there has been excessive harvesting of their seed pods ( roast them first, mammal friends, otherwise you shall experience that they are quite toxic and become very sick or extinct. ) and they are also prized because of their beautiful flowers. Fortunately these trees can thrive in residential areas so the mammals like to plant them, they are somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, drought, and its opposite, occasional flooding.

I hope if you are just stomping around aimlessly someday that you consider a visit to the most wonderful State of Kentucky; I always dine well here. Well, at least everywhere except Lexington's Old City Cemetary;as some of those markers are quite old. Not as old as myself assuredly; but still, for this area of the world, they take care of the situations around them. This is definitely won by someone who is a caring conservationist. Cheers !! Thus, properly fortified, I began to make my way home to Colorado. Leaving in late August, I was resting in my home cave by late September, or basking in the late Summer sun, shining upon the land of my birth.

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“When I finished eating the Community Arboretum in Lexington in June, ( Don't worry, it will grow back; I didn't eat it all! ) I decided to stomp forthrightly to some bucolic field somewhere just to see if I could visit with Brother Horse. The mammals were surprised to see a Stegosaurus stomping around this time of year when it is not time for the Stegosaurus Races; and even then, those who usually do only notice us when they are inebriated.

Nonetheless, because of my popularity I was soon surrounded by Mammals, especially small children saying to me, “Where are you going, Stegosaurus? Nice to see you this time of year; What brings you to town? The Stegosaurus Races have already passed for the year.”

At the same time many small children clambered around me, as they usually do, asking for rides on my back, and I stopped to address all the questions, which one has to do from time to time when you are such a famous dinosaur as I am. I try to be kind, so I addressed the questions first.

“How kind of you all to ask. If many more of you show up, I will have to hold a formal press conference, and you know how I love press conferences. I am here in the grand Commonwealth of Kentucky to visit Brother Horse. I hope maybe he will share some of that great new invention with me, Kentucky Bluegrass. Grass is one of my most favorite new inventions, and some of the best is right here in Kentucky. Now mammal childrens, I said, specifically addressing my most popular constituency, Yes, you may have rides on my back if you are careful and let your mother or father help you up safely.

I knelt down on my knees to make it easier for the mammal children to climb on me, and though a few did need help from their parents all made it safely and the mammal children were overjoyed as children are ( I love that about them ), as I stomped forthrightly down the road and back again.

“Yay!!!” They exclaimed. “Thank you, Mr. Stegosaurus !! Thank you for spending time with us, you are our favorite dinosaur of all dinosaurs!”

“You're welcome, and thank you for the compliments. There are a lot of dinosaurs out there, and you chose me as your favorite for some reason. That really means a lot to me,” said Stegosaurus.

“Have a nice time visiting Brother Horse!” said the mammal children. They waved enthusiastically as I stomped forthrightly down the road.

Shortly after leaving the crowd and adoring mammal children, I came upon a wonderful field of Bluegrass, rolling hills of that most wonderful of new inventions, grass. And there he was, in the middle of the field, Brother Horse !!

“Hail, Brother Horse !” I exclaimed, finding the entrance, but that same entrance blocked by a metal gate

Brother Horse looked up, but I already was thinking of a way I could bypass the gate and enter the field with him. I thought until my thinker was sore, and eventually came to the realization that Brother Horse jumps fences all the time, and I am related to him, so maybe I COULD jump the fence just like he would if he had the notion to do so. I went to the nearest hill overlooking the field and figured if I could get a running jump, I might be able to leap over the fence. It works in my mind, but remember my mind is only the size of a walnut.

I took a running jump and imagined myself gliding safely over just like Brother Horse does, but alas !! As I leaped over the gate, my cool, spiky tail and its spikes hooked themselves on the gate, which pulled the gate up from the earth, with a great clatter, and then I hit the ground, not on my feet as I had hoped, but landing sideways on my shoulder, the impact of my 6 tons leaving a mark upon the Earth.

When Brother Horse saw and heard the commotion, he galloped over shortly to my aid.

“Stegosaurus!” He exclaimed. “Are you Okay?”

“Oh yes, Brother Horse,” replied Stegosaurus, “Just a bit clumsy as usual.”

“Welcome to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. What brings you to visit me?” asked Brother Horse.

Stegosaurus got up off the ground and stood up, saying,”I have been visiting Kentucky since my college class ended; first I visited with Trilobite and Fake Trilobite, then, I went to Lexington and ate most of the Community Arboretum. Now I have come to visit Brother Horse, hoping that he will share some wonderful Kentucky Bluegrass with me. Sorry for the mess; I think I wrecked your gate,”

“Do not worry about the gate,” said Brother Horse, there's plenty of the grass you seek here and I will share with you though I will say that the gate being down does give us options if we want to take an adventure or two beyond the fence.”

“I love this new invention, grass,” said Stegosaurus. “Thank you for introducing me to it. My friend Congresssaurus Triceratops also enjoys it; he remembers it was just invented when he first came out of his shell.”

“Grass is delicious, especially here in Kentucky,” said Brother Horse.

Then, Stegosaurus and Brother Horse grazed in silence for a while, creating a bucolic scene for anyone to see, though nobody did, because in spite of the crowd of mammals earlier, now nobody was around.

After a while, Stegosaurus observed, “Look how many things you and I have in common. What a wonderful thing it is that my head and your head are about the same size. What a wonderful thing it is that we both have tails. What a wonderful thing it is that we are both herbivores. What a wonderful thing it is that we both walk on all fours. What a wonderful thing it is that we can both stand on our hind legs for brief periods of time. What a wonderful thing it is that we are both herd animals; what a wonderful thing it is that we were both discovered by Professor O.C. Marsh; and most of all, we are both beautiful when grazing.”

“Ah, yes,” said Brother Horse. “We have much in common being related, kind of, in a round about way if you stretch things quite a bit.”

“....and let us not forget, we both can run about 5 miles per hour!” exclaimed Stegosaurus triumphantly.

“Three cheers !!” exclaimed Brother Horse. Then, he paused. “Hey, wait,” he said, “Did you say 5 miles per hour?”

“Yes, yes I did,” said Stegosaurus.

“Well, I regret to inform you that I misspoke. I am a horse; I can indeed run faster than 5 miles per hour. In fact, I can run on average about 40 miles per hour; I am an Arabian, and one of the fastest horse breeds on the planet. My name, other than Brother Horse is Windsurfer, and no slow horse is named Windsurfer. I am 15.1 hands, sired of Moses x Riunite, I am horse, and I am fast!”

“As my friend Bob Hope once observed,” said Stegosaurus, “Half these horses should be in wheelchairs. The only reason they fight for the rail is it gives them something to lean on.”

“By this absurdity, do you mean to challenge me to a race?” asked Brother Horse incredulously.

“Ah, but I jest,” said Stegosaurus.

“Do you even know what a wheelchair is?” asked Windsurfer.

“No,” said Stegosaurus.

“Neither do I,” admitted Windsurfer.

“That said, the speed of your Brother Horse is nothing to jest about. Your challenge is accepted. Let us not race here. You have knocked down the gate and thus, we could leave here and go race at the proper venue, Churchill Downs.”

“Where the Kentucky Derby is held?” asked Stegosaurus.

“The same,” confirmed Windsurfer.

“Well, I didn't intend to challenge you, but now I feel obligated if your blood is up for a race,” said Stegosaurus

“You will lose, but I admire your determination. When you take part in the Stegosaurus Races you race with other Stegosaurids, but as I leave you in the dust you will see exactly how fast your Brother Horse is.”

As the two entered Church Hill Downs and proceeded to the racetrack, they noted that no mammals were around.

“With no one around, this will be a very short event,” said Windsurfer.

“I will be generous and give you a few lengths advance ahead of me. I acknowledge that there is a great difference between 5 and 40 miles per hour.”

I feel bad for accidentally challenging you, Brother Horse. I am sorry.” said Stegosaurus, as he took his offered position.

“Fear not, Stegosaurus. When I win we will still be friends. We shall return to my field, and graze in a bucolic setting.” Rejoined Windsurfer.

The race was indeed over almost as soon as it began. Because they were friends, they did not allow the results to change their friendship. They indeed returned to grazing in Windsurfer's field later that afternoon.