Posted in Climate Change, Environment, fun, history, pictures, seasons, weather, Wildlife, tagged climate, environment, nature, parks, seasons, travel on August 13, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Below are photos from our visit today (Monday, 8/13/12) to Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, because of the extreme heat Yosemite Falls was dry as a bone and Bridal Veil Falls was nearly so. The park was still impressive, as were the efforts to reduce traffic congestion. Even so, portions of the park must be near gridlock on weekends.
Bridal Veil Falls
Yosemite Falls
El Capitan
Entering the Yosemite Valley from Route 41
Posted in Climate Change, Environment, Geology, history, Nature, seasons, States, Travel, tagged Crater Lake, environment, geography, geology, nature, Oregon, parks, volcanoes on August 10, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Phantom Ship
Phantom Ship in the foreground and Mt. Thielson in the background
Crater Lake Lodge
Vidae Falls
Posted in Environment, fun, history, Land use, Nature, seasons, Travel, Wildlife, tagged California, environment, National Parks, nature, parks, tourism, travel, volcanoes on August 8, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Lassen Peak (volcano)
Brokeoff Mtn (volcano) in the background
Lake Helen
Sulphur mud pots
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged climate change, Earth Day, ecology, environment, global warming, Love, nature, peace, pollution on April 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Happy Earth Day to everyone!
Please take a moment express your gratitude to this lovely “Blue Boat Home” that we all inhabit by doing someone to enhance and care for our planet.
Peace my friends, Rick
Posted in Animal rights, Environment, Nature, politics, Wildlife, tagged animal rights, bobcats, environment, hunting, nature, wildlife on January 13, 2012 | 6 Comments »
The following photograph was printed front and center on page three of the Lansing State Journal, yesterday (1/12/12) in full color. How repulsive! Why can’t some people be satisfied with taking photographs instead of rifle shots? And why should the newspaper glorify this action with such a prominent location?
Source: Lansing State Journal
The photograph above accompanied a story about how the hunter used his wily skills to shoot and kill this 40 pound plus bobcat. Personally, I found the whole story and photograph to be extremely repugnant. I also felt a deep sense of grief over the death of the bobcat – it did not need to, or deserve to die in such a cutthroat manner. This beautiful bobcat should have been allowed to live a full and productive life instead of it being cut short in an act of selfishness.
Why kill this magnificent and beautiful animal? What purpose does it serve other than to feed the hunter’s exaggerated greed and ego. I don’t have a problem with hunting for the purpose of providing food, but the idea of killing this bobcat (which are not vast in numbers anymore) as some sort of ego-boosting trophy is just despicable and makes me sick.
Posted in Canada, Entertainment, Environment, Europe, fun, holiday, Land use, Nature, Peace, Travel, Uncategorized, Wildlife, tagged environment, nature, travel on December 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, USA
The January 2012 issue of Conde’ Nast Traveler includes a list of the twelve most tranquil (quiet) places on Earth. The list is based on the degree to which non-natural noises and sounds are absent allowing the visitor to experience nature in all its sonic beauty and tranquility. Here’s the list provided in the magazine (do not believe it is on their website yet). those shown in bold are also UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Source: Conde’ Nast Traveler, January 2012
Posted in Environment, fun, fun friday, Nature, tagged astronomy, nature, sundog, weather on December 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
My cellphone photo of a beautiful, albeit fairly small “sundog” seen over Greater Lansing, Michigan on Thursday afternoon, December 1, 2011. Way cool! And yes we do have snow on the ground after getting 8-10 inches on Tuesday night and another inch last night. Hard to believe it was 65F last Friday.
A weblink is provided for more details on sundogs.
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Posted in Climate Change, Environment, Nature, pollution, tagged environment, nature, pollution, trees on October 7, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Source: tumblr.com
Posted in Environment, Nature, Wildlife, tagged animals, muskrats, nature, wetlands, wildlife on July 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
You heard it here first fellow swimming rodent fans — muskrats eat phragmites! Do not know what phragmites is. Below is a picture of a wetland overwhelmed by this plant species that is turning many wetlands into devastated monocultures.
According to the Phragmites Management Sourcebook submitted to Hudsonia,
“It has been stated or implied that Phragmites is little-used as food by native animals in North America (e.g., Marks et al. 1994). Rhizomes, culm bases, and young shoots of Phragmites are eaten by common muskrat and probably by American beaver. Phragmites marshes in the Hackensack Meadowlands often support substantial muskrat populations (Kiviat, pers. obs.). Young shoots are eaten by cottontail (Richard Casagrande, Yale University, pers. comm.).”
As the report notes, coming to the rescue are muskrats, as well as beavers and cottontail rabbits. Those lovable (to Eco-dude – me), furry, little marsh managers that pond owners often despise are a partial solution to a major environmental problem. Unfortunately, hunters like muskrats too, but maybe we need to rethink the hunting and varmint removal of muskrats considering the new benefits derived from them.
Posted in Environment, fun, fun friday, Nature, Travel, Wildlife, tagged animals, bird watching, birds, nature, wildlife on June 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Thought this was a cool video, even though technically it is part of an advertisement for a resort in Alaska. It does look like a lot of fun. Thank you to Susan for forwarding the video to us. It is perfect for Fun Friday.
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Rick Brown