Walk Around The Lake

... in just a few million footsteps.

On April 29 2010, Kate Crowley & Mike Link, veteran naturalists, set off via foot & kayak to circumnavigate Lake Superior.

145 days later they'd gone full circle.
It was 1555 miles. (2503 km)
That's quite a walk.

They took video, and collected valuable data on water quality, invasive species, ecology, geography, and human impacts all along their hike. So it was a scientific venture as well as a personal adventure.

link to their interactive map

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Their trek struck a chord with me because my family traveled to see Split Rock lighthouse, one of their landmarks, when I was a child. The shore was rocky, the lake was clear, cold & endless.

And I was chilly after only a few minutes.
Can't imagine how bone-cold you'd be after 5 months.

They saw these moose tracks along the shore...

...and maybe it went in circles around them but
I bet it didn't go as far as they did. :)


For TT's 'Full Circle' day
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Into The Woods

Walk among Redwoods... in the middle of the Pacific ocean.

An experiment 95 years ago led to a forest on the slope of a volcano. Someone decided to see if these California trees could survive in the relatively cool temps of Maui's upcountry, 5000+ feet up on the non-lava side of the Haleakala crater.

Now they're over 100 feet tall and still growing.


Looking up in Poli Poli State Park, Hawaii.



Normally I'm not in favor of adding non-native plants to the Hawaiian islands, but if redwoods can survive where no native plants could grow, it seems okay.
Any botanists want to weigh in?

fyi: If you go hiking on Maui, remember to refer to any area uphill of the town of Haiku as 'upcountry' - you'll sound a bit less like a tourist.

But as your burnt skin peels like a banana,
you're still gonna look like one.

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for TT's 'country' day
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Fun On A Boat With Your Chum

And look, a new pal drops in...



I have an irrational fear of 'Jaws', so this week's shark news gave me the creeps. Some researchers had a 9 ft, 1000~pound Great White Shark breech next to them, and then fall right into their boat. Yikes.

But in the end it did more damage to their pride than their persons.

And so, after they got over the shock, the crew ended up helping it back into the water.

What nice shark chums.
Wish one of them had a video cam...

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The Hazards of Being Beautiful

A new giant cat may become extinct before most humans know they exist...


Here's 22 seconds of its first ever footage:



This is the Sundaland Clouded Leopard,
filmed in Sumatra for the first time.

This cat was filmed using a camera trap in Berbak Nat'l Park. Can you imagine being the first person to watch it? You're expecting yet another day of wild pigs, and then suddenly there it is!

...But then you'd realize that as soon as you report its existence, others will come to hunt it either for fur or 'conservation'. Having seen the disaster the Chinese wrought upon their pandas, I've lost faith in the programs that drag animals out of their natural habitat.

And we all know if it looked like a warthog it'd be left in peace.
I hope its future isn't as cloudy as its pretty pelt.

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fyi: found a 3 min slideshow of clouded leopard info:



*And sadly, just as the video says, it is true that many female leopards in captivity were killed by males. Just because the 'scientists' never bothered to study those leopard mating habits in the wild, before putting random leopards together. Shameful.

for TT's 'cloud' day
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Frozen In Time

* 'OMG, them waves done froz!'...




*Did you run into this 'flash-frozen wave!' hoax too?

Here's the scoop:

Those pictures actually originate from Tony (an Antarctic scientist)'s photo gallery. His 'Dome C' collection clearly calls these ice formations 'bergs', not 'flash-frozen waves'.

Why anyone started that rumor... who knows?

But here's a link to the rest of his pics.

Because they're still cool to look at. :-)
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Chill Out

'Night Waves', my 'Art Every Day' for day 11 of 30.
Made with the new online program: Flame Painter.

From my first time using this program - I do like the way the hues mix and spread as your hand moves. Its fun to just relax and let the colors flow.

* _{Find other's art via Twitter hashtag: #aedm2010 (or search twitter)}

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Plus a few soothing waves for your day as well:

Nine minutes of waves, trees & breeze.

Since this is also ThemeThursday's 'relax' day. Aren't you envious of the person who got to film the video above? Its chilly here today, so you know I am...

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Wylde Cat Life

'Wylde Woman with Cat'
{left}

is a coloring page, drawn & donated by Tammy V. for this November's art month. ('click' to go see her)
- Thanks Tammy!

I used a detail from her image to make...

'Wylde Cat'
My 'Art Every Day' piece for 11/8

Yes, again with my left hand.
But just coloring in this time.
Hey, had a busy weekend. ;-)

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A little extra fun: 'I Love The Cat Life'sung to the tune of 'I love the night life'

Whoever re-wrote these lyrics must have a cat...

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*Not quite wylde enough? Need more wild-cats?
Click for mentalfloss's page of rare cats

including this beautiful Margay Cat

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TrekNature in living color

Nifty bright flowers, plus


colorful fauna, and more.


I ran into this giant gallery of nature photos by accident, when I found this cool (large) photo of a Canadian red fox with jet-black kits. There are -lots- more here, and the photographers often explain where/how they get the shot. Plus you can join and critique. Nice website.

Great Falls

Want a big surprise on your vacation too?... Here's how:

Drive home thru NJ, via I-80, and stop for gas at exit 57.

You'll find a waterfall there that's 77 feet tall.

2nd only to Niagara in the east U.S.. Who knew?

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Way back, by Alexander Hamilton's statue:


Other side of the park, looking into the chasm:


link to more (not mine) Great Falls photos
(thanks to andy_szymczak, whoever/wherever he is)

wikipedia: Great Falls NJ

A few seconds of the falls in action:



Why doesn't NJ use *that* in their ads vs 'Garden State'?

I can see it now: 'Visit Noisy Joisey Falls'...

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*fixed post

Icy Beet Cake

*click* for entire cake
Panda Tai-Shan gets a cake for turning 4.

recipe:

shredded beets & beet juice, frozen.
add an apple, plus
bamboo shoots and leaves (ha!)

''Zoo nutritionists spent two weeks designing the one of a kind icy birthday treat .''

Two weeks and still he gets -cold beets-?
Lucky they didn't spend a month - the poor guy would've gotten a green turnip pie with a school-paste crust.

btw, At 4, Tai-Shan is now a "teen bear".


link: 10 pics of his b-day

Sandy Pants

...in a 'sculpt like a pirate' fest.

''Yo ho ho and a bottle of sand-glluuuue''
The 11th annual (world's largest) Sand Castle Festival is underway in Belgium this week. Weirdly, even though its in a seaside town, the event appears to be held indoors.


And this year's theme is pirates, so for inspiration the sculptors spent an entire day watching pirate films.


link: more pics via WCBS.

p.s... includes a sculpture of Michael Jackson(?)

Tall Trees Anyone?

This ad popped up yesterday:


Brings whole new meaning to 'tree huggers'...

just knew I'd find it on yourubes

more for shaving enthusiasts: chest, back,
hard way: guy shaves back w/ golf club.
not least: humor vid set to song 'short dick man'