Who Am I?
Part of my name is Bet Crooks, but my friends and family call me something else. Sometimes, it’s not even something rude!
I am writing online as Bet Crooks to keep my kids from disowning me. I need them to visit me in the nursing home (preferably with chocolate!) so I want to keep them happy.
The Mystery of the Writer’s Name
Readers with way too much time on their hands, and a hyper-developed sense of curiosity, may decide to figure out my entire name. It shouldn’t be that difficult: it’s not like I work for CSIS or that I’m in a witness protection program. The only warning I offer is that when you figure it out, you are still going to find the answer incredibly boring. Sorry!
Why I Am Writing Here
My main purpose in writing for this blog and website is to get back into the practice of writing steadily.
My secondary purpose is to try to hide from my kids in the basement. (Another clue! See “The Mystery of the Writer’s Name”, above)
My third, oops, tertiary purpose is to create content for editors to skim before rejecting my submissions with a flourish of red ink.
My fourth, er quaternary, purpose is secret, very hush hush. It has to do with AdSense, AbeBooks, Amazon, and Affiliates. In fact a whole host of A’ses. Um. I think I’ll edit that out later.
Why I Am Specifically Writing Natural Crooks Posts
I once had a personalized t-shirt given to me with the inscription “Nature Nut.” (Thanks, Dad!) The t-shirt has since worn out but the label is as fresh as snow would be in a world with no living creatures, volcanoes or other air-pollution-inducing sources.
I love nature. Seeing something new in the natural world makes me feel more alive. Seeing something old again makes me feel more connected and more at peace. The wonder of discovery never dims.
I even tolerate the icky parts. (Have you seen a “monkey slug?” I mean, really, some things just define the word “icky” without any need for adjectives.)
Am I Qualified For This?
Probably not. Way back I decided to take Engineering rather than Bio because the job market was particularly tight for all new graduates. I’ve never regretted that decision, but it does mean I am only an amazed and interested amateur studying the natural world. Luckily for me, though, many qualified professionals are willing to share their knowledge with people like me. And then I can share it with you!
Engineering taught me one thing: how to solve a problem. (Obviously not how to write a grammatical sentence.) That knowledge has helped me throughout my life in every job I’ve held.
Anyway, enough about me!
Welcome Honoured Readers!
Who are you?
What mysterious force has drawn you here to my website and blog?
If you’re looking for specific information about our natural world and I don’t have anything on offer, please let me know. Maybe I can get something useful written for you in the future.
You can contact me via email, or by posting a comment on an appropriate page.