FUR

Home in the TetonsBetter known for ranches than resorts, Jackson Hole has a new retreat to help change its rough-and-tumble image. The three-story Amangani opened in October within Spring Creek Ranch, a 1,000-acre wildlife area that looks across meadows and pastures to Wyoming's Teton Range.Built of Oklahoma sandstone, Douglas fir, cedar and Pacific redwood, the resort features the clean lines and simplicity its Far Eastern heritage might suggest. Amangani, which means "peaceful home" in Shoshone, is the first American resort opened by Amanresorts, a Hong Kong-based chain.

Fur -- and heaven knows what else -- may fly on Friday and Saturday when the Flying Karamazov Brothers perform "Sharps, Flats and Accidentals" as part of Center Stage's Off Center Festival.Although the members of the four-man troupe -- Howard Jay Patterson, Paul Magid and newcomers Mark Ettinger and Roderick Kimball -- are neither brothers nor aerialists nor, obviously, named Karamazov, they are jugglers, musicians, actors and comedians."Sharps, Flats and Accidentals" is primarily a compendium of greatest musical hits from their past shows.

MOSCOW -- Anyone who hopes to persuade a Russian not to wear fur better have the cunning of a fox, skin thicker than a mink's and the humor of a hyena. People here consider the fur hat a birthright, and a prudent woman who could never dream of buying a car would think it unremarkable to have a full-length fur coat parked in her closet.Toni Vernelli was well fortified yesterday, full of sly strategy, the warmth of conviction and a willingness to laugh. Snow was in the forecast, and she and two Russian confederates were parading along the sidewalk, pretty much naked, shouting, "Only animals should wear fur."

The glory of New England; My favorite placeMy sister's wedding took place at the Swift River Inn, a 100-year-old dairy farm that remarkably had been transformed into a rustic and quaint inn in western Massachusetts. Here in Cummington, and its next-door neighbor Plainfield, the Berkshire Mountains rise up and out of the wondrous landscape.My senses were in for a treat that weekend. The fall foliage was at its peak that first weekend of October, and the brilliant orange, yellow and red hues of the autumn trees, bunched together atop the mountains, complemented the worn and weathered farmhouses and outbuildings in the valleys below.

BLACKWATER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE -- There's a war going on here, and the bad guys are winning.To look at this peaceful scene, where late autumn sunlight shimmers on the wings of a soaring bald eagle and turns the still waters mirror-bright, you would not know that the marsh's heart is literally being eaten alive.But a South American rodent called nutria is rapidly helping to destroy one of the East Coast's loveliest and most productive wetlands. Lacking natural enemies in North America, the nutria chews up marsh grasses at the root, turning the dappled mosaic of rushes and shrubs into miles-wide swaths of shallow, lifeless water.

VIENNA -- Donald Webster took the dead muskrat in his hands, pinched the fur above its hind legs, drew a quick slit with his pocketknife and set about rolling the pelt over the animal's head."

Columbians should sue to gain reformsResponding to Mike Rethman's Dec. 15 letter on the demise of the Columbia Municipal League: Mr. Rethman was wrong; they failed because they had no plan to terminate the Columbia Association. Many people refused to sign their petition for fear of ending up with two bureaus of finance.CA was created by Howard Research and Development, in the covenants, to administer the covenants. These covenants are legal documents placed on each parcel of land in Columbia and filed with the county land records.

THE NEW Labor government of Britain is shaking tradition. To that end, Lord Gilbert is the first defense minister to hold a Ph.D. from New York University, to have worked as an accountant in Canada or to have fought for the rights of animals.So he ordered the army to review the busby, the bearskin hat worn by some 3,000 guardsmen at Buckingham Palace and a million postcards, to see if fake fur isn't feasible.All this to save the Canadian brown bear harvested by Inuit people under Canadian government supervision and dyed to look like European black bear.

A roundup of new products and servicesCookie ConnectionGood Fortunes can help you get a message of love to your sweetheart in a unique way this Valentine's Day or any other day. The California cookie company is offering a gigantic, hand-dipped fortune cookie with your personal sentiment inside. Wish someone a "Happy Valentine's Day" or say "I love you" with a 6-inch-by-5-inch cookie that has been dipped in your choice of dark chocolate, white chocolate or caramel and covered, perhaps, with sprinkles or nuts.

Now that winter has settled into teen temp mode, outerwear to suit is becoming a shopping consideration.The fashion advance guard did its coatwork early in the retail cycle, preferring to pay full price for being the first to bundle up in stylish shearling.The careful shoppers are just now looking to take advantage of post-holiday sales. And they may still have some luck snagging this season's status coat.In the way of fashion, clothes of humble origin often gain snob appeal, and shearling coats, which were once the commonplace cold weather wear of ranch hands, have now achieved chic status.

Even wrapped in fur, Sheila Dixon doesn't like being left out in the cold. In an interview that aired on WJZ-TV this week, the mayor said she was disappointed that she didn't get a shout-out from Barack Obama, Elijah Cummings or Martin O'Malley during the president-elect's whistle-stop in Baltimore. Obama came to town three days before his inauguration - and, as luck would have it, eight days after Dixon's indictment. "Was I bothered by it? Yes," Dixon told WJZ's Adam May. "Others noticed it and were upset that not even he or the governor or Congressman Cummings mentioned my name.

WASHINGTON - For the inauguration of a president who promised to be a friend of the environment, what would you expect but carbon-neutral inaugural balls, hybrid Lexuses, organic menus and valet bicycle parking? Political correctness will rule the day. Two Green Inaugural Balls are planned, including one featuring a green carpet made from - what else? - recycled rug. Official invitations to the Jan. 20 inauguration are being printed on recycled paper. The homeless will be handed unsellable furs.

Ever notice that although summer heat usually means exposed body parts in minimal clothing, somehow fall styles seem sexier? Maybe it's that old-fashioned idea our grandmothers touted - that it's more intriguing to leave something to the imagination. In any case, fall is here, and if you haven't assembled your cool-weather wardrobe yet, we're here to help. Here's what some key Baltimore stylists and boutique owners say is on the fashion menu for those who care about what they wear. Natalie Graham, stylist, designer and owner of DollHouse Boutique (525 N. Charles St., Baltimore, 443-874-7900; dollhouseboutique.

The Howard County Fair in West Friendship drew birds and animals - and their human friends. Participants learn the values and skills that keep the county's agricultural roots thriving. See a photo gallery at baltimoresun.com/picturethis

Even before prosecutors started sniffing around for Sheila Dixon's fur coats, her people were worried. Should the mayor wear fur? Forget the animal-rights politics. Dixon, a black belt known to threaten bodily harm with high heels, said she'd take care of any PETA types who'd dare douse her with red paint. Dixonworld was worried about racial politics. Fur plays fine in black churches and neighborhoods, where it is seen as a symbol of success. But in white areas, be they working-class or upscale, not so much.

THERE WAS A MOMENT this winter when it was so bone-chillingly cold, even those of us with built-in fur coats needed an extra layer or two. Dog owners across the city bundled their pooches in parkas and pashminas, scarves, sweaters and even little doggie booties. WONDERING IF YOU WERE GLIMPSED? Check out baltimoresun.com / glimpsed for another fabulous dog, as well as archived photos of fashion-forward locals and critiques by fashion writer Tanika White.

Creativity is one of life's true mysteries, but that hasn't stopped people from attempting to analyze and trivialize the source of the artistic impulse. Yet the mystery always triumphs, as it does in the simplistic but strangely poetic Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. Fur stars Nicole Kidman as Arbus, one of the 20th century's signature American photographers. "Her startling portraits of dwarfs, transvestites, freaks and nudists," wrote biographer Patricia Bosworth, "redefined people's notions of normal and abnormal."

Outraged over the death of a Cecil County dog that was caught in an illegally set fur trap last weekend, the Humane Society of the United States is offering a $2,500 reward for information about the incident. The dog, a German short-haired pointer named Santini, was killed while walking with its owners on a trail near their Perryville home, according to the Humane Society. When the dog went to investigate meat that had been placed in a bucket-like container, a metal trap sprung and clamped around his neck.

One of Baltimore's biggest companies, Constellation Energy Group, could be gobbled up by a Florida utility. What's the most serious fallout for Charm City? Losing one of Baltimore's last Fortune 500 companies? Bummer, but we'd get over it. Losing thousands of jobs. Even bigger bummer. Losing Molly Shattuck as a Ravens cheerleader. Ugh! Perish the thought! I phoned Ms. Molly the other day as news of the merger was spreading to ask what it meant for her cheerleading career. If CEO-hubby Mayo had to look for a new job, would she limit his search to NFL cities?

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Well, not the Russians exactly, but their clothes will be in stores through the fall and winter. Look for the trend to continue into summer. Elements of Russian style - also called Russe - are everywhere this fall. Earlier, designer runways were filled with fur hats, trim military jackets, embroideries, voluminous skirts in flowery prints, boots, gold bangles and pendants. Diane Von Furstenberg even named her fall 2005 collection "Winter Palace," after the former imperial residence in St. Petersburg.