My favorite North American mountain ranges

Sutter Buttes – Source: sacredland.org

A minimum of 2,000 foot elevation was required for consideration. Some of these listed below are part of larger mountain ranges. Enjoy!

• Cascade Range (California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia)
• Blue Ridge (North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania)
• Grand Tetons (Wyoming)
• Big Horn Mountains (Wyoming)
• Sutter Buttes (North Central California near Yuba City- known as the world’s smallest mountain range)
• Black Hills (Western USA and Canada)
• Canadian Rockies (Alberta and British Columbia)
• Sierra Nevada (California and Nevada)
• Wrangell Mountains (Alaska)
• Sierra Madre Oriental (Mexico)
• Appalachian Mountains (USA Eastern States)
• Pacific Coast Ranges (California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia)
• Great Smoky (Tennessee and North Carolina)
• Adirondacks (New York)
• White (New Hampshire)
• Ozarks (Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma)

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Why not permanent wildfire breaks?

Areas that have experienced wildfires > 250 acres – Source: nasa.gov

While traveling through wildfire  country of Northern California and Southern Oregon, including being re-routed 80 miles because of a fire in Lassen Volcanic National Park, I had a thought. Instead of a hell-bent chaotic rush to build temporary wildfire breaks during a fire emergency, why not just construct permanent wildfire breaks to protect populated areas and other important features?

Current wildfire locations – Source: http://www.smokeybear.com/wildfire-map.asp

Considering wildfires are a natural event that are necessary for the healthy regeneration of Western forests, it seems to me that permanent wildfire breaks would allow precious resources to be used more efficiently and effectively.  Those areas outside the firebreaks would be allowed to burn as long as they do not jump the pre-constructed breaks.

Am I missing something with this suggestion? It seems being proactive would be much less costly than having to react to each outbreak of wildfires in remote areas that don’t pose a danger to populated areas.

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Images of Crater Lake National Park – Oregon

Phantom Ship

Phantom Ship in the foreground and Mt. Thielson in the background

Crater Lake Lodge

Vidae Falls

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Images of Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Peak (volcano)

Brokeoff Mtn (volcano) in the background

Lake Helen

Sulphur mud pots

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“I’m a Pepper”…in more ways than one

Source: flickerhivemind.com

The famous tag line , “I’m a Pepper” was used by Dr. Pepper for many yeast as its advertising theme and slogan. And while I love Dr. Pepper (my favorite soft drink), it is not the only pepper that I love.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are wonderfully yummy alone or prepared as part of a dish. Green are good too, but not as flavorful. I also like banana peppers and ground pepper. To the left is a photo of stoplight peppers (red, yellow, and green). And yes, they are sold in packages here as stoplight peppers.

I am also a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, especially after Chad started to sing “Hail to the Victors” (Michigan Fight Song) at a concert in Buckeyetown, peppermint flavored gum and candies, as well as pepperoni served on pizza at certain occasions. I also like listening to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.

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The only pepper I am not a big fan of are jalapeno peppers, though I can handle the more mild ones.

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There’s no doubt it’s a serious drought when…

• You can use your lawn as sandpaper or a bristle brush.
  

  Source: examiner.com

• Shade is for rent by the hour.
• Wrigley’s stops selling Rain chewing gum in your town.
• Arid Extra Dry sells out in all the stores.
• Vultures start circling you when you are outside.
• Camels decide to migrate to your town.
• Climate change deniers evaporate (their ideas are all wet).
• Bookings for rain forest vacations jump exponentially.
• You could bake a cake on the driveway.
• Businesses finally learn to stop watering their asphalt and concrete with sprinklers.
• The scorpions come to town (the insects not the band).
• Bald becomes beautiful again.
• You wish it was January.
• Everyone has the dry heaves.
• No one wants to grill out anymore.
• You feel like you are being sandblasted on windy days.
• Fish sue!
• Lightning bugs are required to douse their lights to prevent wildfires.
• Car washes clean by only spit and polish.
• There is absolutely no need for crop dusters.
• Even Endust is overwhelmed.
• Spit and urine are hoarded.
• It stops being humorous – which for many it unfortunately has (see photo below).

Source wowo.com

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“This land is your land” – a 2012 eco-version

Source: mallmemories.com

Saturday, July 14th will be the 100th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth. To honor him and express this eco-bicyclist”s concern beyond those expressed his original lyrics, here is a modified version of Woody Guthrie’s classic folk song This Land is Your Land. The original lyrics written by Mr. Guthrie may be seen through this weblink.

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This land is your land, this land is my land

From Car-lifornia to Wall Street canyons

From clear-cut forests to oil-stained waters

This wasteland was allowed by you and me

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As I was pedaling – a crowded highway

I saw above me – a concrete skyway

I saw below me – more golden arches

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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I’ve roamed on cell towers  – and taken exits

To sprawling cities - paved over deserts

And all around me – neon signs were shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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The sun dawns hazy - as I was rolling

Weeds were waving  – and dust was falling

As the smog now settles - voices start shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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As I tried walking – no sidewalks for me

As I tried biking – drivers scowl right at me

Few remaining places - of peace and safety

Those are the ones for you and me

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Chorus

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Throughout  our cities – empty seas of asphalt

Are clearly saying – whose really’s at fault

And some are grumblin’ – and some are wonderin’

Why this wasteland was allowed by you and me?

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Chorus x 2

(Lyrics based on original song by Woody Guthrie)

Happy 100th Birthday, Woody!

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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If sharks ruled the earth

• I thought they already did?
• The world would be a lot more chummy.
• Razor-sharp teeth would be a fashion statement for more than just vampires.
• Steven Spielberg would be required to change the conclusion Jaws and its sequels.
• Vampires wouldn’t be the only blood-thirsty ones running around.
• Being a loan shark would be an important honor.
• Vegetarianism and veganism would be outlawed.
• Drift nets would be banned (a good thing).
• The San Jose Sharks would have to play their hockey games in an aquarium to standing caudal fin only crowds.
• “Sink your teeth into that one” and “getting hammered” would have whole new meanings.
• Shark fin soup would be replaced by person toenail soup.
• Piranha’s would be made goodwill ambassadors.
• Everyone must drive a Barracuda or a Stingray.
• All vacations must be taken to a coral reef where guests are invited to be…ahem, for dinner.
• When our friends in the U.K. say the term “bloody” they will darn well mean it.
• “Shark Week” would be every week on the Discovery Channel.

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Ten ways to be ready for the next heat wave

Source: nitrofreeze.com

• Repair you snowblower so you mind is fixed on cold things.
• Have 200 pounds of ice ready to put in your bathtub for soaking.
• Install a walk-in freezer for your kitchen.
• Buy stock in slushies, smoothies, snow cones, Eskimo Pies, ice cream bars, ice cream, sherbert, gelato, and anything else cold.
• Wear your winter wardrobe all summer and then take it off when the temps hit 90F. You’ll at least know what your dog feels like.
• Buy a dvd of the movie Ice Station Zebra or The Day After Tomorrow to watch over and over again.
• Move to a cave.
• Buy a tuxedo and install a penguin pool.
• Learn to hibernate in summer.
• Buy Michael Jackson’s cryogenic freeze chamber at a local garage sale or auction.

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A severe shortage of global cooling

With yet another day in triple digits here in Michigan, one has to ask if this prolonged heat wave is linked to global warming and climate change. Personally, I believe it most certainly is.

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However, there are folks out there who sincerely believe global warming is a farce. While I totally disagree with them, perhaps there is one thing we can agree on – there definitely is a severe shortage of global cooling. The charts below shows temperature trends since the mid-19th century and past 1,000 years. Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me.

Source: plantseed.com

Source: plantseed.com

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