Geology is the study of the Earth, what it's made of, how it came to be made out of those materials, and the processes that have acted, and continue to act, upon those materials, including natural and human-caused disasters at the local and global scales.
Animals or insects whose food source is exclusively or partially the carcasses of dead animals, garbage, or other food sources that have been overlooked by, or are undesirable to, other creatures.
A sudden flood that occurs when a large amount of rain falls in a short amount of time, often characterized by fast-moving water and destruction. Flash floods are common in Southwestern arroyos, canyons, and other permanent and ephemeral water systems, especially during the summer monsoons, and can be very dangerous.
In this instance the word embryo is used to describe the developmental stage of a thundercloud. However, the word embryo is typically used to refer to the early developmental stage of a creature.
Also known as wapity (meaning "white rump" in Shawnee), the elk is one of the largest species of the deer family. It is recognizable by its size, its light color, and the male's impressive antlers. It was once widespread throughout North America, but due to extensive hunting and loss of habitat is now is mostly confined to the Rocky Mountains and southern Canada. Elk were native to New Mexico, but by the late nineteenth century relentless hunting had eliminated the original populations. New Mexico and private individuals have collaborated since 1910 to reintroduce the North American elk into the area, and it is again abundant in northern New Mexico, and west across into northern Arizona following the Mogollon Rim, and can also be found in growing numbers in the southern parts of the state.
A sinuous, vertical column of air that twists from the ground into the atmosphere, a dust devil is a small version of a tornado. Developing during hot, dry conditions, dust devils are a sign of instability in the atmosphere caused when air near the surface of the earth rapidly heats and rises, pulling in its wake dust and and small debris.
Because of their beauty and mobility, dragonflies have earned a special place in various cultures around the world. Although European cultures have tended to associate dragonflies with evil and darkness, many indigenous cultures throughout Asia and the Americas associate the dragonfly with good work habits, happiness, good fortune, and, of course, the essence of life itself, water.
The dragonfly is a large predatory insect generally found around watery areas. The dragonfly can be found hovering near lakes and swamps as the dragonfly larvae (the nymph/baby) is aquatic. The dragonfly nymph is capable of producing a painful bite for humans, where the adult dragonfly poses no threat.
The dragonfly is best known for its beautiful colors and the way its body and wings sparkle when the dragonfly is flying around the water. Dragonflies have long, thin, and generally colorful bodies. They have large eyes and two pairs of transparent wings. As with other species of insects, the dragonfly has three body parts (the head, thorax, and abdomen) and six legs, but it is unable to walk on solid ground. In flight, however, the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions which are upward, downward, forward, back, and side to side.
Because of its prevalence throughout the Southwest, Hillerman is probably referring to the mule deer, named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. There are several additional subspecies of deer, including the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related white-tailed deer, mule deer are generally more associated with the land west of the Missouri River, and more specifically still with the Rocky Mountain region of North America.
