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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Is this cool or what?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Many years ago I was up at Mount Rainier in late September when there was a freak early snowfall. I stood around outside the lodge and noticed there was a mosquito hovering about as the flakes gently fell, but she wasn’t getting caught by them. I watched for long enough to marvel that she managed to dodge every flake. I assumed that eventually one would clobber her and haul her down to the ground where presumably she would perish, which is good actually for I detest the wretched beasts. But I had to feel a certain disdainful admiration for her ability to hover about and apparently dodge snowflakes. I hadn’t realized until I saw this that mosquitoes can survive direct hits from raindrops: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/06/how-do-mosquitoes-fly-in-the-rain/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120617-Weekender">http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/06/how-do-mosquitoes-fly-in-the-rain/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120617-Weekender</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fortunately they still have not evolved the ability to evade my paw. Dodge THIS, Needlenose!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>