As I approached a sandy road cut in my vehicle, I saw movement ahead and quickly counted four kits and one adult fox playing much too close to the road.  I pulled over when I could, and meanwhile the foxes had scrambled for safety up and over the embankment and into the forest; several looking down at me from their higher perch.  Then I drove to a nearby side road and saw the family again, this time gathered in a meadow.  I stopped and got a few pictures before the family went back into the forest.  When I first parked the vehicle to try and get a picture, the adult was relaxed enough to be laying down, eyes half-closed in a squint that looks so restful.  My sequence of pictures shows the adult laying down along, then one kit coming up and nuzzling, then the adult looked directly at me.  Then the adult rose when it saw I was staying and stared with eyes wide open and intent on me and my intentions.  Eventually it decided to leave and took the kits with her.

I later went back to the main road and discovered the fox den on the other side of the road from where I first saw them, near the top of the sandy road cut.  This is the second den I have located in Lake Superior State Forest, and each one has been near the top of a steep (but not very high), sandy road cut.  In each case the den entrance was in the open, without any obstructing vegetation.  The fox knows to dig the den just below the root line of the trees and other plants; this allows easy digging but provides a stable roof of soil held in place by the roots.  This fox didn't pick such a good den location, however, being right at the edge of an asphalt highway–upon which I later saw two of the young foxes playing.

These Red Foxes interested me because the adult was not red; two of the kits were not red; and the two remaining kits were the typical Red Fox warm golden-red hue I've seen before (except in Alaska's Denali National Park, where I saw a jet-black Red Fox).  The coloration here was varied in shades of dark gray and black and reddish ochre that is known as the "Cross Fox."  There is a black line down the back and another black line that goes over the shoulders and down the legs; I suspect that when trappers skinned out a fox of this coloration and laid it out flat, the cross looked distinctive.

As I'm sitting here at the picnic table in the campground, I'm less than 100 yards from the fox den.  In fact, twice since I've been in camp an adult fox trotted by.  The second time, the fox was briefly curious enough to walk up hesitatingly and check me out from about 25 feet away.

I should mention the habitat.  In this sandy soil the tree cover consists mostly of Jack Pine, Paper Birch, and Bigtooth Aspens, with a lot of bracken and reindeer lichen as ground cover.

I'll see what tomorrow morning brings.  [Note:  the next morning I saw a single young Cross Fox outside the den in a drizzle, with the others probably warm and dry inside.]

Also today I saw a pair of fresh Sandhill Crane tracks crossing a road.  I also saw a wet path roughly a foot wide crossing a road from wetland to wetland; I'm sure it was made by either a River Otter or a Beaver.

As I'm typing this a deep dusk, a whippoorwill is calling across the lake and mosquitoes are hovering around me with their incessant whine.  It is a chilly June evening, and I'm wearing a layer of down.

This is part of a weblog documenting my travels and photography. I am primarily a nature photographer and you can see more of my work at http://www.leerentz.com

Click on the photographs below to see a larger version with captions.

More to come soon. I swear!

]]> http://creativerampage.wordpress.com/?p=211 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:47:33 +0000 creativerampage http://creativerampage.wordpress.com/?p=211

"Let a Person Walk Alone With Few Wishes, Committing No Wrong, Like an Elephant in the Forest"

~Unknown

Elephant in a beautiful shimmering sliver, upcycled from another one of my favorite brew labels. Elephant image has been encased forever under super shiny, waterproof high gloss resin. This piece looks absolutely stunning in the sunlight!

Sterling silver plated bail.

Measures approx. .75 x .75.

Comes with your choice of a vegan friendly black cord and lobster clasp or a 22" ball chain which can be cut to size.

Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. About 6% of the Earth's land mass is classified as jungle. Jungles are vital to sustaining the ecosystems of the Earth as we know it. About 57% of all species live in jungle environments....MORE

I got my results from the Nuchal Translucency test and the baby is doing well.  The results were good, so no need to worry about the down syndrome nor the trisomy 18.  It was really cool to see the baby on the screen for the first time.  He was not moving too much but was kicking and boxing.  At some point he even sucked his thumb.  I just couldn’t stop laughing when I first saw the image on the screen.  It really is a miracle to see this little bundle, 13 weeks old at the time, already  fully formed, with a fast heart beat. 

I am now back to work after 2 weeks of wonderful vacations in the country.  We went camping with my brother-and-sister-in-law.  My sister-in-law is pregnant as well, but is 6 months pregnant of a second child.  She had quite a belly.  It was funny to be the two pregnant women sleeping in tents.  I slept really well, but I can’t say as much for her… 

My husband and I then went to a cottage that we rented for the week.  We just ate, read, paddled around the lake and sat by the fire.  We just felt like spending those 2 weeks away from the city, ideally surrounded by trees, in the nature.  So this is what we ended up doing.  While I was relaxing and reading by the lake, I understood what was really drawing me to go to such places.  I realized that I needed a break from all the solicitations from the city.  It seems like I can never fully relax in the city.  There’s always a few of my senses that are solicited, in a rather aggressive way, compared to when I sit by a lake, or walk in the forest.  That is why I didn’t want to end up in another big city somewhere else in North America or Europe.  As a bonus, our vacations ended up being cheap. 

I am now reading the Autobiography of Gandhi.  I am reading it with great interest. I am back to meditating a bit, and am starting some prenatal yoga class this week.  I just can’t wait to go.  I guess all this is helping me to keep this forest feeling inside me.  I am just learning so much from Gandhi and his great lifestyle, one of simplicity.  His reflections and the path he went through are of utmost interest to read and be inspired by him. Definitely, the fact of being pregnant makes me want to be a better person, as my husband and I will be the first model to our child. 

           AFTERMATH 

A careless smoker’s embered match

Among pine needles fell,

And suddenly the forest burst

Into a living hell.

A smoldering fire was all it was,

When flames ignited brush,

But soon the hiss and pop of flames,

Destroyed the forest hush.

Behind a searing wall of flame,

Where smoke’s a heavy pall,

Forest creatures lie in death . . .

There’s nothing left at all.

Yet fate has spared a little one.

I wish that he could tell

The story of his own escape,

As those around him fell.

He limps on smoking ashes

Where the fire has died down,                                   

A bear cub with his paws scorched raw --

Fur singed from tail to crown..

His thirst is almost maddening.

In pain he wanders on,

Looking for a water source

And grass to rest upon.

Would that the smoker see the cub

In all his misery,

And know that he himself’s to blame

By acting carelessly.

9/24/00 -   Phyllis DeWitt-VanVleck

Sometimes Japanese regions are neither wierd nor wacky. Pull up your map and zoom in to the extreme lower right end corner of the grid and you'll find Tempura island. You won't find any batter-fried foods here, just breathtaking views and countless romantic spots. As I told a friend, it's like an English muffin; there are all these little nooks and crannies.

When you land on the island you start on a platform facing an arched walkway that leads to the main building. To your right is an autumn forest bathed in golden light; to your right is a misty summer grotto where dapples of sunlight illuminate waterfalls and a river below. Venturing further into either of these areas is rewarded. In the autumn world you'll find deer and a romantic tumbledown cottage. The summer side will find you in a hilltop jacuzzi with stunning views of the region. Nearby you can lay in a field of pink flowers, because... hell, that's somebodies fantasy.

On either side of the arched walkway are platforms and smaller buildings. They appear to be for dances or events (or group Tai Chi) but nothing is posted. In fact, the area is surprisingly devoid of signs or anything stating its purpose (though after a while the romantic intent is obvious). Once in a while you'll find a donation kiosk, but that's it.

On one side of the main building you'll find a warm spring (it look warm, anyway) and a fallen tower. Why? Like I said, nooks and crannies. The region is not empty, but neither is it crowded. If one spot is occupied it's easy enough to find someplace equally romantic to move on to.

On the other side of the main building a seashore scene punctuated with glowing flowers. I've never seen glowing flowers growing out of the seashore before, but who cares? It looks great and there's a couch where you and the one you love can lounge and watch the sunset. My friend Mori IM'ed me about her visit after I told her about the region and made a good point -- it's always sunset in Tempura.

The main ballroom itself is just a stunner. There are intricate architectural details, and amazing building textures I've never seen anywhere else in Second Life. The ballroom floor reflects the surroundings so it looks like real marble (thank you, Windlight). There's more to see in the domed tower and rooftop platform.

On either side of main ballroom are beautifully appointed honeymoon suites, complete with cuddle rugs and funny functional canopy love beds. Be warned, however, that the doors don't lock. On my first trip to the region these rooms were empty. When I returned to take pictures I accidentally barged in on a couple in flagrante delicto, and the second suite was occupied as well . No, I didn't take pictures, you sickos.

If there is any downside to the region it's so jam-packed with prims that it can often be laggy. Your mileage may vary. Even so, its worth exploring, if only to find the stuff I haven't told you about.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/tempura%20island/128/128/0

Rockefeller Forest is the largest remaining old growth redwood forest in the world which is less than 17,000 acres with one of my top runs of my trip along the Bull Creek Flats South trail straight from the Albee Campground about a 11 mile round trip through a mesmerizing landscape of chunky trees that will hopefully outlive all of us.   The bumpy, narrow Mattole Road leading to the campground follows the flat through five miles of old growth and is one of the world's best redwood drives. The largest trees in the park are found here; of the world's ten tallest trees, three are on Bull Creek Flats, although their exact location is a secret.

Not only so you get to see some of the tallest in the world but you are also very close to the "Lost Coast".

The Lost Coast was one of few areas along the California coast that the highways people thought they ought to leave alone and not build a road through it, subsequently it is a wild piece of coastline with a few access roads and lots of hiking trials.  The most famous is the Lost Coast Coastal Trail which is about 64 miles with camping and water along the way.  Unfortunately the amount of wild fires in the area made this a less than desirable hike for us!  You don't have to hike all of this and can break it down into smaller hikes of course.  There are also mountain biking trails which are due to be ready by autumn 2008 too.

How to get there

This is 45 miles south of Eureka and 20 miles north of Garberville off of Highway 101.

Where to Stay

We loved No.33 in Albee Campground.  This campground is much more remote than the others in the park and has tonnes of trails straight from the campground.  This site looks out across a meadow which has a little apple orchard in it - a favourite of the local black bears in late season.

between the hundred-foot pines

pushing pale fingers to the blue-green

ground. The gold ghost eases into

aquamarine as sun-flecked ferns

bounce and curl around a mossy

stump. They make a glowing mist

in the deep viridian shadow. Fists

of mushrooms the color of hot coals

crowd the rotten wood.

.

There's no hard ground here. Each

step sinks a little on centuries of

soft needles and decomposing leaves.

.

The state calls this forest a "cathedral."

We know it's a city. In the trail mud, signs

of a busy intersection--bobcat, raccoon and deer--

a bear and her child walked here looking

for a place to eat.

.

We're tourists among the skyscrapers,

clumsy gawkers and picture-takers. We

teeter on the unfamiliar terrain, jostle

past with cameras and bags while

the patiently annoyed residents take

side streets to avoid us.

.

Bird traffic rings and whistles in the

branched canopy as we wander among

the laurel, through its alleys and

walkways.

.

Those who live here marvel and

complain about what it takes to

sustain us: ice cream, fire, electric

guitars.

.

And we strangers on these streets

watch amazed at the inhabitants,

their exotic cuisine and odd habits.

We say it's beautiful here but "I

could never live in this place--I'd

always be lost."

.

This was submitted for Read Write Poem Prompt #34.

by Erik Baard

As I walked past the Sunnyside Railyards yesterday I spotted a tree with a crown that each year is generously laden with green-gold pods. It’s rising up from beside the tracks, reaching eye level for strollers on the south side of the overpass. It occurred to me that while I’ve seen this kind of tree countless times throughout my life, I didn’t know its name.

When I focus on a tree these days, the first question I ask is its name, followed by “can I eat it?” For the latter obsession, I blame Wildman Steve Brill. The foraging instinct that he reawakened in me is useful not so much as a survival tool as a prime mover toward general ecological knowledge. Once I’ve asked that, the other questions come flooding: If I eat it, with what species am I now competing for food? If I can’t eat it, what chemicals are there to thwart me, and why? What species are able to eat it and what’s different about their physiology? Did those species co-evolve with the tree because they are superior vectors for spreading seeds?

Anyway, I did some digging and found some foresters who want us all to do some more digging…to uproot the species.

Oh, “Tree of Heaven!” Oh, “Ghetto Palm!” It’s amazing how a species can be viewed with such difference. We’ve already considered how the pigeon is “revered and reviled,” to use Andrew Blechman’s phrase, as a carrier of both the Holy Spirit and disease. Anthropologist Mary Douglas defined dirt, as opposed to soil, as “matter out of place.” The Ailanthus tree is indeed “out of place”; it’s an invasive species from eastern and southern Asia and northern Australasia. I also guess it doesn't help that the male flowers of this tree smell like cat urine.

I couldn’t find a reason for its more flattering moniker, translated from the Ambonese in Indonesia. Folk medicine practitioners do make some intriguing claims for the tree though; Asian tradition holds that the bark is good for lowering heart rate, reducing muscle spasms, and, well, delaying a particular spasm that could cause your Fourth of July fireworks to shoot off a little too soon. Maybe it was an Ambonese wife who named the tree?

The inimitably New York name stems from the hardiness of this tree. Even when the city fails to green a community or lot, Ailanthus trees will find a way to grow. Park Slope has its London planes, while back alleys have the ubiquitous “poverty tree.”

That ability to thrive in urban wastelands spotlights another similarity between pigeons and ailanthus trees: despite being so opportunistic, they are usually benign to other, indigenous species because they specialize in unclaimed niches. There are places, however, where Ailanthus can be a destructive force. At forest fringes and clearings, or where new forests are being seeded, Ailanthus squeezes out slower-growing but essential native trees. One good case of this is Conference House Park on Staten Island. Volunteers are needed to yank young Ailanthus on Monday, from 1PM through 4PM. But be careful not to pluck similar-looking sumac, ash, black walnut, or pecan.

If you can help, RSVP by calling 718-390-8021 or emailing cheri.brunault@parks.nyc.gov as soon as possible.

And even as you’re thrashing the Ailanthus out of our city’s bucolic frontier in southern Staten Island, keep some gratitude in your heart for the shade it provides us when it seeds into the toughest hardscapes of the urban core.

Arrival at Libreville Airport. After customs and immigration clearence, you will be transferred to your guest house or hotel.

Libreville is the capital and commercial hub of Gabon. The "Libre" (before "ville") recalls the legacy of freed slaves who settled here in 1848. Situated on the Gulf of Guinea in Northwestern Gabon, Libreville is home to around 450,000 people.

Overnight in Ibékélia Guest House or in the Meridien Re-Ndama Hotel Libreville or similar (upon availability)

DAY TWO: AKANDA BAY

By boat from Libreville, visit of the Northern coastline, its villages of fishermen (Cap Esterias and Cap Santa Clara), its mangroves ideal for bird watching, and its virgin islands. At the End of the day, the boat will end its way in the village of Wingombe.

Overnight in bungalows on stilts at the Gabon Découvertes lodge of Wingombe village

Santa Clara

DAY THREE: WINGOMBE VILLAGE

Situated on the Atlantic coast of Pongara, just at the point, Wingombe Village benefits from some of the most beautiful beaches. The Lodge is concealed in a small forest reaching high up into the air which gives it a picturesque aspect. The sea in one side and the river on the other make this place enchanting and ideal for nautical activities and for relaxing. You could catch the sight of chimpanzees and much more wild life in the Pongara Park.

At the end of the afternoon, transfer by boat to Nyonié.

Overnight at Nyonié Camp in bungalows.

Wingombe village

DAY FOUR NYONIE

Situated approximately 60 kilometres south of Libreville, directly under the Equator, Nyonié derives an admirable, picturesque landscape from its geographical position where forest, savannah, ocean and hills combine to create exceptional beauty. Go on a safari in a 4WD vehicle to observe the wildlife at close quarters (elephants, buffalo, monkeys, birds…)

The vast deserted beaches invite you to take a leisurely stroll day or night; or just relax and take it easy. Nyonié is truly an extraordinary experience and a unique site in Africa. To prove this, Luth turtles have made it their home (visible only from December to March).

Overnight in Libreville at Ibékélia Guest House or in the Meridien Re-Ndama Hotel or similar (upon availability)

Nyonié

Looks like Kerry McCarthy is having something of an Alan Partridge moment over on her blog ...

A few offhand comments on Dutch coffee houses, cannabis and the smoking ban seem to have attracted the attention of those sane and rational folk at FOREST. So far today she's had 61 comments and still counting.

Aaaah the joy of the internet!

Meanwhile the vegan MP is also reporting she's turned down an invite to the National Pig Association's parliamentary launch of "a report highlighting public sector procurement patterns of pork and bacon". It'll be interesting to see how they take the news ...

Sometimes when we were at Brookwood Grandfather would bring out his Doodlebug. It was a vehicle he had concocted from parts of antique vehicles....Model A here, Model T there, etc. He would crank it up, pop in the family and off we would go bouncing along rambling down roads and and off roads. Often our travels would take us to the Blue Hole, a pond on the property that was edged with blueberry and other wild berry bushes and which was frequented by blue heron and loons. Although I recall wading in the pond my Mother says we didn't swim there. But of course the point of the exercise was the wonderful, bumpy ride in the Doodlebug!

When at home in Ludington Grandfather spent a lot of his time in his workshop. He turned out lovely pieces of lapidary jewelry, tumbling rocks he had found on his journeys. I have a pretty bracelet (its child sized so I no longer wear it) and a picture agate pin. He enjoyed the quiet and relaxation of tinkering with the stones.

Grandfather was actually quite well known. He won a loving cup at the St Louis World's Fair in 1904 and served on the agricultural exhibit counsel for the Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair in 1933. He was vice president of the American Sheep Shearers Union, and Secretary of the International Sheep Shearers Union. His record for shearing sheep set in 1914, 311 Ramboulet ewe fleeces in a 10-hour shearing day, is still considered by many to be a record. He was one of the first to adopt and use the so-called Australian method of shearing which he introduced to every important sheep-raising state through shearing schools and demonstrations. He wrote books on sheep shearing methods and wool handling, and Encyclopedia Britannica produced an instructive film on sheep shearing with Grandfather as the shearer. Grandfather held many patents on shearing machinery. He then went to work for the Chicago Flexible Shaft Co., which later became the Sunbeam Corporation. Grandfather, Grandmother, my dad and Aunt and Uncle spent the next two years as the company’s representative in South Africa, returning to the Chicago offices in 1926. Grandfather was head of the Sheep Shearing Division of Sunbeam Corporation. He traveled extensively for Sunbeam corporation as a consultant to state universities throughout the country, and taught 4-H club members how to shear sheep and handle wool. In 1955, the Michigan legislature named him the state’s Man of the Year in Agriculture. Grandfather's portrait hung in the animal husbandry building on the campus of Michigan State University, with other leading contributors to the advance of the livestock industry until the building was remodeled.

Grandfather passed away in 1963. I am sorry I did not have more time to spend with him. I loved and cherish the time I did have with him.

var addthis_pub = 'hallowich';

Tudo começou em 2003. Foi neste ano que Matt Harding resolveu largar seu emprego (na Austrália), e usar suas economias para vagar pelo continente asiático. A idéia de se criar um site (cliquem aqui, para acessá-lo), para manter seus parentes e amigos informados (de onde diabos ele estava), foi dele. Mas a idéia de gravá-lo dançando (uma dancinha idiota) foi de um amigo dele (e companheiro de viagem). E, obviamente, estes vídeos foram parar na internet e propagaram-se como viral. Fazendo com que Matt se transformasse em uma Cyber Celebrity.

Não estão entendendo nada? Vocês não sabem nem de quem eu estou falando? Bom, então deixem-me apresentá-lo a vocês:

Eu, particularmente, acho tudo isso uma idiotice. Sejam sinceros: "Qual a graça em ver um panaca dançando (muito mal, diga-se de passagem) em vários lugares do mundo?". Mas, querendo ou não, estes vídeo fizeram sucesso e renderam até um patrocínio. Como assim? É isso mesmo que vocês entenderam. Em 2006 a empresa Stride Gum decidiu bancar as viagens (do Forest Gump genérico), para que fossem gravados novos vídeos do Matt dançando pelo mundo.

Mas, enfim! Não vim aqui para falar do passado de Matt Harding. Então, vamos ao presente. Em junho (desse ano) foi lançado o novo vídeo (viral) do Where the Hell Is Matt?, confiram:

Sendo que, enquanto eu fazia minha visita diária ao Sedentário & Hiperativo, encontrei o seguinte post: "Enquanto Matt Fica Dançando pelo Mundo, Sua Namorada...". Obviamente (assim espero), se o Matt tem uma namorada, ele deve levá-la junto em suas viagens. Mas, e se ele não levasse (rs)? A equipe do CollegeHumor resolveu nos presentear com a resposta:

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1357670&w=425&h=350&fv=clip_id%3D1821531%26autostart%3Dtrue%26fullscreen%3D1]

Fonte (do vídeo Where the Hell is Matt's Girlfriend?): Sedentário & Hiperativo

My friend Anthony and I just hung out, shot photos, and skateboarded. Fun day.