tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63888340303636096282024-03-19T04:33:11.971-07:00naturalactsRob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-58923328308753359102012-11-01T10:30:00.001-07:002012-11-01T10:30:14.971-07:00HURRICANE SANDY <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Gf0KXoP6eYU" width="420"></iframe><br />Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-19002622691090645602012-10-14T04:41:00.001-07:002012-10-14T04:41:37.375-07:00Giant Vegetables at Harrogate Autumn Flower ShowThe Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, one of Britain’s most prestigious
gardening shows, took place last weekend – September 14 to 16. The show
offered thousands of gardeners, landscapers and horticulturists a chance
to celebrate this year’s successes and look forward to the new growing
season. The show featured the battle of the giants where gardeners from
across Britain show off colossal vegetable and flower crops in hopes of
earning a coveted award from the judges.<br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-15" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jsT5G6kvqOM/UGFq38IugXI/AAAAAAAAdt4/5Fx1eNxVgO0/giant-vegetables-15%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-15" width="790" /><br />
Weightlifter
Jonathan Walker prepares to lift a marrow weighing 119lbs 12oz (54.3kg)
above his head after it won the Giant Marrow Class in the Harrogate
Autumn Flower Show. The marrow was grown by Peter Glazebrook from Newark
who took six first prize awards in the Giant Vegetable classes at the
show.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6388834030363609628" name="more"></a> <img alt="giant-vegetables-2" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z9sDHMqU8nY/UGFq6fjTDsI/AAAAAAAAduA/yjLRuRKi-YI/giant-vegetables-2%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-2" width="790" /><br />
Giant
vegetable grower Peter Glazebrook with his world record onion. It
weighed in at 18lbs 1oz (8.16kg), beating his previous world record by
almost two ounces. He won all six classes in the giant vegetable
competition during the show at The Great Yorkshire Showground.<br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-11" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wwv2UT7aVFA/UGFq9mEF1qI/AAAAAAAAduI/TvFb4HBqI6Q/giant-vegetables-11%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-11" width="790" /><br />
Peter Glazebrook wheels in his prize-winning giant cabbage, which weighs 81lb 6oz (36.74kg)<br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-10" border="0" height="529" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9cLtfjnq7Og/UGFrB6K2cGI/AAAAAAAAduQ/vhAkBp0vs6M/giant-vegetables-10%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-10" width="790" /><br />
Visitors look at carrots in the Giant Vegetable competition.<br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-1" border="0" height="495" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vQeFQWLq38k/UGFrEtPYXJI/AAAAAAAAduY/LdRA8SGJocs/giant-vegetables-1%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-1" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-6" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rtpxyqUROOQ/UGFrHcpYPhI/AAAAAAAAdug/x8MC2xOIA9U/giant-vegetables-6%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-6" width="790" /><br />
Displays of seasonal fruits and prize winning apples.<br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-4" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5eZcgtFqLN4/UGFr-pmMElI/AAAAAAAAduw/cbhgCcP1qDk/giant-vegetables-4%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-4" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-5" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eyakm0dGzFM/UGFsC7YUevI/AAAAAAAAdu4/r89ZebDzUOY/giant-vegetables-5%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-5" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-7" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JeX_GUN4-Gw/UGFsF9-9_UI/AAAAAAAAdvA/mRJCyHTmo5U/giant-vegetables-7%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-7" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-8" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O4sz5AIL5UY/UGFsINeKhDI/AAAAAAAAdvI/BIiM3cdSFBw/giant-vegetables-8%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-8" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="giant-vegetables-9" border="0" height="493" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RIPuzaRiOEI/UGFsK6PjSRI/AAAAAAAAdvQ/bFwGIz0DypE/giant-vegetables-9%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="giant-vegetables-9" width="790" />Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-5239184981817777042012-10-14T04:37:00.002-07:002012-10-14T04:37:22.171-07:00The Moving Island of SchiermonnikoogSchiermonnikoog is a small island off the coast of the
Netherlands that has been continuously moving to the south and the east,
due to the combining effect of tidal current, prevailing wind and the
sea. Just 762 years ago the island lay roughly 2 km to the north of its
present position, and it had a significantly different shape. If you
work out the math, that is 2.62 meters per year, on average.<br />
The
island doesn’t actually move. The sea erodes the island at one end and
deposits fresh slit on the other causing the island to shift position
and assume a slightly different shape each passing day. There is not
much to see in the pictures though and my searches for satellite images
documenting the movement of the island drew a blank. <br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-1" border="0" height="376" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ncrJm-T3FeU/UGcnES18v3I/AAAAAAAAeP4/lhpRelfqCHU/schiermonnikoog-1%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-1" width="790" /><br />
The
name ’schiermonnikoog’ is derived from the monks who used to live on
the island. "Monnik" means "monk" and "schier" is an archaic word
meaning "grey", referring to the colour of the monks' habits. "oog"
translates as "island". The name Schiermonnikoog therefore translates as
“island of the grey monks.”<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6388834030363609628" name="more"></a> The island is
small – measuring 16 km by 4 km wide and is the site of the Netherlands'
first national park. The only village on the island is also called
Schiermonnikoog, and about a thousand people permanently reside on the
island. Because the island is small and flat, residents have to take out
a special license to keep their own cars and only 200 islanders own
cars here, making the few streets the island have virtually car-free.<br />
Tourism
is the main source of income on Schiermonnikoog. The island houses a
campground, a ferry pier, a tidal harbour for small vessels and
approximately 15 hotels and hundreds of vacation houses and apartments.
Up to 300,000 people visit the island every year, staying in the 5,500
beds available in holiday homes, apartments and hotels.<br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-0" border="0" height="425" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SLW5pf_ATSA/UGcnGqfzj_I/AAAAAAAAeQA/L1AoHi_3li8/schiermonnikoog-0%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-0" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pim_dg/7135030741/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-3" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--T8GeVKlSQE/UGcnKK6efOI/AAAAAAAAeQI/g0Gz7MnsXqI/schiermonnikoog-3%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-3" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21933510@N07/3093781880/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-4" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9njxZvfLMBY/UGcnNF0Ye2I/AAAAAAAAeQQ/OVe8A3v0Ui0/schiermonnikoog-4%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-4" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21933510@N07/3093776868/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-5" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-r73v576cank/UGcnQRDY_tI/AAAAAAAAeQY/e3N0fAkz8Ik/schiermonnikoog-5%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-5" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21933510@N07/3093775536/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="schiermonnikoog-6" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4OLYIazcMd8/UGcnUSBgR4I/AAAAAAAAeQg/eLun6IOeldI/schiermonnikoog-6%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="schiermonnikoog-6" width="790" />Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-51300236991906239992012-10-14T04:34:00.001-07:002012-10-14T04:34:57.673-07:00Horizontal Waterfalls in Talbot Bay, Australia<ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 280px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 336px;"><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 280px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 336px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32661317?byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe></ins></ins>
<br />
The Horizontal Falls or Horizontal Waterfalls are located in
the Talbot Bay in the Kimberley region of western Australia. Although
called waterfalls, this natural phenomenon actually consist of a pair of
openings or gorges in the McLarty Range through which massive amount of
water are pushed by tidal waves, creating temporary waterfalls up to 5
meters high. When the tide changes, so does the direction of the flow.<br />
The
twin gaps are located on two ridges running parallel approximately 300
meters apart. The first and most seaward gap is about 20 meters wide and
the second, most spectacular, gap is about 10 meters wide. When the
rising or falling tide occurs, the water builds up in front of the gaps
faster than it can flow through them. This in turn creates an amazing
waterfall effect as the water rushes through and then down to the lower
levels on the other side of the ridgelines. The process is reversed and
it is repeated again in the opposite direction.<br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-9" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Xym-N1NyD4Y/UGqP5W55KiI/AAAAAAAAeSk/7yW7HxB20hU/horizontal-falls-9%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-9" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.pbase.com/image/126197982" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6388834030363609628" name="more"></a> The
tides in this area have a 10 meter variation which occurs over six and a
half hours from low tide to high tide and vice versa. On a slack tide
it is possible to drive boats through the two gaps to the bay behind. <br />
The waterfall phenomena has been described by David Attenborough as "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world".<br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-1" border="0" height="592" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bPBMh5RQj3w/UGqP9ILMi_I/AAAAAAAAeSs/gHOwbxYjyg0/horizontal-falls-1%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-1" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltzingvan/6144317068/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-3" border="0" height="263" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7bu8nXpgWLc/UGqQAXYSrKI/AAAAAAAAeS0/EywhuUqrH5c/horizontal-falls-3%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-3" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrfoxbmva/5636132241/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-5" border="0" height="528" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4m0Ap6cuhmA/UGqQE4TD-2I/AAAAAAAAeS8/StTNLWeVVgE/horizontal-falls-5%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-5" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joy_snow/4031480840/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-6" border="0" height="641" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-He4r-ndt2Rk/UGqQJ8UsN5I/AAAAAAAAeTE/vNHM_QDif2E/horizontal-falls-6%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-6" width="724" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerry-hobman-pask/3364615983/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-7" border="0" height="503" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vLI7AnlZg94/UGqQN1hAkWI/AAAAAAAAeTM/T5ICtLK-9is/horizontal-falls-7%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-7" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greers_photos/3166357836/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="horizontal-falls-8" border="0" height="524" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-A4fnDyu70RM/UGqQcjyYsKI/AAAAAAAAeTc/RFcM2_tgydU/horizontal-falls-8%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="horizontal-falls-8" width="790" />Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-51612698082658737532012-10-14T04:30:00.002-07:002012-10-14T04:30:57.466-07:00Terrifying Yet Beautiful Pictures of Fire Tornadoes
<div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template">
<span class="post-comment-link">
</span>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6388834030363609628" name="1325610121860772809"></a>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title">
<a href="http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/09/terrifying-yet-beautiful-pictures-of.html">Terrifying Yet Beautiful Pictures of Fire Tornadoes</a>
</h2>
<div class="post-header-line-1">
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Posted by
<strong>Kaushik</strong>
at
<strong>9:06 AM</strong>
</span>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content">
Film-maker Chris Tangey of Alice Springs Film and Television
was filming a wildfire in Curtin Springs, Australia, when a small
twister touched down causing it to build into a spinning flame. Just
300-meters away was a 30-meter high fire swirl which 'sounded like a
fighter jet' despite there being no wind in the area. <br />
The so
called fire tornado or fire whirls generally form when superheated air
near the surface of a large fire zone rises rapidly in an airmass where
sufficient horizontal or vertical vorticity (spin in the atmosphere) is
also present. Much like a dust devil or whirlwind, the rapidly rising
air above a wildfire can accelerate and turn the local vorticity into a
tight vertical vortex, now composed of fire instead of dust.<br />
Most
of the largest fire tornados are spawned from wildfires. They are
usually 10-50 meters tall, a few meters wide, and last only a few
minutes. However, some can be more than a kilometer tall, contain winds
over 160 km/h, and persist for more than 20 minutes. The tornado that
Tangey caught on camera reportedly lasted for more than 40 minutes.<br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-5" border="0" height="437" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7QUMNHr0HiM/UGR5BoQmRUI/AAAAAAAAeGc/10XU63u3MOg/fire-tornadoes-5%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-5" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6388834030363609628" name="more"></a> An
extreme example of fire tornado is the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake in
Japan which ignited a large city-sized firestorm and produced a gigantic
fire whirl that killed 38,000 in fifteen minutes in the Hifukusho-Ato
region of Tokyo. Another example is the numerous large fire whirls (some
tornadic) that developed after lightning struck an oil storage facility
near San Luis Obispo, California on April 7, 1926, several of which
produced significant structural damage well away from the fire, killing
two. Thousands of whirlwinds were produced by the four-day-long
firestorm coincident with conditions that produced severe thunderstorms,
in which the larger fire whirls carried debris 5 kilometers away.<br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-6" border="0" height="440" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0hElY1kYRLo/UGR5EiphUOI/AAAAAAAAeGk/-u7FV1N4WTo/fire-tornadoes-6%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-6" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-7" border="0" height="436" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VCN8_mTlKGY/UGR5Gi3XRjI/AAAAAAAAeGs/xdHtKrBkAOc/fire-tornadoes-7%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-7" width="790" /><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-8" border="0" height="436" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OJXJtUOBJkA/UGR5IwUlfoI/AAAAAAAAeG0/7ydUg8F67d4/fire-tornadoes-8%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-8" width="790" /><br />
Video of the fire tornado Chris Tangey recorded below.<br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes (2)" border="0" height="1024" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Br_1jT-Ke_g/UGR5L37ohWI/AAAAAAAAeG8/P9s5K-5ywSg/fire-tornadoes%252520%2525282%252529%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes (2)" width="768" /><br />
Fire tornado at a training fire Long View Fire Dept. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37095580@N08/5443667892/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-9" border="0" height="394" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7WK3ANFBzcA/UGR5NnXnJ2I/AAAAAAAAeHE/78lyYci1zvE/fire-tornadoes-9%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-9" width="790" /><br />
Fire tornado just south of Seminole, Okla., during the December wildfires in 2005. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintseminole/78329204/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-0" border="0" height="1188" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RQ--oT0Hf2s/UGR5R9i9BbI/AAAAAAAAeHM/UkinwfwOqPs/fire-tornadoes-0%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-0" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29700000/TORNADOES-tornadoes-the-natural-disaster-29717813-800-1204.jpg" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-1" border="0" height="628" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6BetSwwHLDw/UGR5VYesnsI/AAAAAAAAeHU/kczd7sLSnlM/fire-tornadoes-1%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-1" width="790" /><br />
A popular photo of unknown origin.<br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-2" border="0" height="559" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ezmkZ3HoF9c/UGR5YBUkRnI/AAAAAAAAeHc/A6jnkPDlz1c/fire-tornadoes-2%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-2" width="790" /><br />
A fire tornado captured on camera on the night of 14 September 2004 near the southern Argentinean town of Ushuaia. <a href="http://www.professorfringe.com/news_stories/fire_tornado.htm" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-3" border="0" height="485" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6TKUjkeNifs/UGR5Z4Zc4fI/AAAAAAAAeHk/hl2Y6x_EMz4/fire-tornadoes-3%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-3" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_xavier/3078774097/" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes-4" border="0" height="526" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EevCfQK3db0/UGR5ezXUX2I/AAAAAAAAeHs/1guKTHUmgeU/fire-tornadoes-4%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes-4" width="790" /><br />
<a href="http://207.56.207.81/dep_fi4.jpg" rel="nofollow">Photo credit</a><br />
<img alt="fire-tornadoes (1)" border="0" height="829" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tWNjwHKPDM4/UGR5hhDapyI/AAAAAAAAeH0/YHcbEkGeUA8/fire-tornadoes%252520%2525281%252529%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="fire-tornadoes (1)" width="750" /></div>
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Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-57361284677370256452012-06-23T08:31:00.001-07:002012-06-23T08:31:09.097-07:00The bee orchid<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yFftHXbjEQA" width="420"></iframe><br />
A species of orchid from Israel that looks and smells like a female bee tricks male long-horned bees into pollinating them.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-1736145607742904372012-05-22T20:00:00.001-07:002012-05-22T20:00:42.942-07:00What does it feel like to be bitten by a black widow spider?<span href="http://www.quora.com/Black-Widow/What-does-it-feel-like-to-be-bitten-by-a-black-widow-spider#" id="__w2_r3JDQP1_toggle_link"><span class="inline_editor_value">It
was a sunny Sunday morning in the summertime of 2006 in Redwood City,
California, and the Mrs. was back East with her gal pals for a weekend
of recharging her batteries and reconnecting with old friends.<br /><br />I
was holding down the fort with the munchkins (boys 4 and 1 3/4), and in
the interest of creating a morning diversion, we began to make
preparations for a walk in the local hills. Sunscreen on, snacks
loaded, water filled, stroller out - you know the drill.<br /><br />I
grabbed a pair of old shoes from the garage, and hastily threw them on
over my bare feet, and continued my charge around the house to build
momentum to get out the door. About a minute later, I realized that
there was some wiggling in the toes of my right shoe, and just as I was
about to take my shoe off, I felt a ***** on my 2nd toe - not painful,
but a bit annoying.<br /><br />I took my shoe off on the outside steps, and
dumped it out, discovering a jet black inky spider with a body the size
of an engorged pea. I instructed my son to grab his bug-catcher which
was conveniently nearby, and I dumped the spider into the clear
container for inspection.<br /><br />Imagine my horror when I rotated the
container and got a glimpse of a distinct reddish/brown hourglass figure
on the belly of the black black spider. OK, I reasoned, I'd lived in
those parts for the better part of nearly 4 decades, and I'd NEVER heard
of anyone seeing (let alone getting bit by) a black widow spider, so
presumably this is just a copy-cat spider that is harmless.<br /><br />Well, I suppose before heading out for a walk, I ought to be safe and call the urgent care and see what they think. <br /><br />After
being reassured that there was "no way" I had been bitten by a black
widow, the attending physician confessed that she was looking at
information on Google (!!!) and started to ask me questions about what
it looked like.<br /><br />After 20 minutes on the phone (with the boys
starting to melt down), and getting on the Internet myself, I began to
experience my first tell-tale symptom -- a slight cramping in my lower
right leg.<br /><br />At this point, the doctor changed position entirely, and strongly recommended that I get medical attention immediately.<br /><br />OK, kids, time to pile into the wagon. We're heading to the ER.<br /><br />Ten
minutes later, I walked through the doors at the ER at Sequoia Hospital
in Redwood City, CA, with holding the hands of my two boys, along with
the bug catcher.<br /><br />"30 minutes ago, THIS spider, bit me on THIS toe, and now THIS leg is cramping."<br /><br />The
otherwise bored doctors and nurses who were numbed by their predictable
flow flow of blunt trauma, heart palpitations, and other mundane dramas
rapidly appeared out of the woodworks and collectively shouted a big
"Yah!!!". This, they thought, was soooo cool.<br /><br />Note: Capturing
and bringing in the actual spider was by far the smartest thing I did
all day, as it brought me instant celebrity and credibility, as the bite
itself was completely and somewhat disappointingly unremarkable.<br /><br />It
was delicately but firmly suggested that I make some phone calls and
line up some child-care, as soon I'd be all jacked up full of morphine
and other things that would make me a less-than effective father.<br /><br />I
was able to get ahold of my neighbor friends, who gamely dropped what
they were doing, and came to pick up my boys. We had a long discussion
about how to orchestrate the movement of cars and carseats, including me
driving their car home, which was completely naive given how F-d up I
was about to become.<br /><br />By now the cramping had migrated into my
groin area, and I was beginning to wonder what was in store. I was told
that an anti-venom does indeed exist, but it's kept in Arizona, and is
highly toxic in and of itself, so they don't fly that in unless I was
otherwise at risk (toddler, elderly, poor immune system). So, my fate
was to get jacked up on opiates and survive the onslaught of the
neurotoxin from the spider which would otherwise cause tremendous pain
and cramping for the next 6 hours.<br /><br />At this point I texted (SMS)
my wife (who was on her way to the airport to come home from Boston):
"Hey there. I'm in the ER. Got bitten by a black widow. Love ya." So
much for a relaxing end to her fun getaway.<br /><br />Several hours of
mental bliss later, I was discharged from the ER, and picked up by my
Dad, who took me to the pharmacy to pick up my meds (vicodin for pain,
muscle relaxants). I was slurring words, and otherwise out of it, and
happy to get home to relax.<br /><br />The next 48 hours were literally a
blur. I barely remember any of that time, and mentally, lost track of
days and hours. It freaked my wife out when I said I thought my Mom had
spent the night so I guess I was hallucinating.<br />We assumed at the
time, that the meds were the culprit, but now later, we're pretty sure
the delerium was a byproduct of the neurotoxins.<br /><br />The medical
literature suggests that recovery happens within 3 to 5 days. Nights 3
and 4 and 5 were complete disasters for me. For some completely unknown
reason, I was sweating profusely at night. As in, literally soaking
through my sheets and changing my sheets 3 times on one night and twice
the next. Wet, not damp.<br /><br />Specifically, I was leaking sweat out
of my legs. I'd wipe them off, and they'd bead up immediately. It was
freaky, to say the least.<br /><br />Also, I was having trouble
concentrating, or being coherent for up to 5 days. Sleep was next to
impossible, and I was getting worn down. I later learned my wife was
doing her own Google searches to see what the risks were of permanent
brain damage. And, I think my life insurance was promptly renewed
shortly thereafter.<br /><br />The doctors switched me over from vicodin to
valium (one makes the pain go away, one makes you not care about the
pain). Finally, I got a decent night sleep on Thursday, and a good one
on Friday. I awoke on Saturday morning (Day 6) feeling like a human
being for the first time, and proceeded to clean the garage like a
freakin' maniac.<br /><br />Upon further inspection of my shoe in question, I
discovered that the spider was harboring an egg sac inside my shoe.
How rude of me to put my foot in there. She was actually quite
restrained in waiting so long to bite me, and it turns out that these
deadly creatures are incredibly passive. This is why it's so rare that a
bite happens, as in fact, I discovered, these spiders are everywhere in
the area where I was living.<br /><br />If this happens to you, hang in there, and ride it out. You will get better, but it takes some time.</span></span>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-56508690350312826662012-05-07T07:43:00.002-07:002012-05-07T07:43:18.638-07:0010 Things You Probably Didn't Know About CockroachesCockroaches. Just the word makes you cringe, doesn't it? Well, perhaps
if I share some recently discovered social traits of cockroaches,
you might, well, understand them better.... Though I'm not saying you
will necessarily welcome them into your home...<br /><br />Some interesting findings from research published by French and U.S. biologists in the journal<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/f73664227g0x15w7/" target="_blank"><i> Insect Sociaux</i></a> (Social Insects)... <br />
<br /><span class="inline inline-right"><img alt="Cockroaches hang out with their families: image via wix.com" class="image image-_original" height="192" src="http://petslady.com/files/images/df7c311af1e670278415ffcc2e7d3cde.jpg" title="Cockroaches hang out with their families: image via wix.com" width="256" /><span class="caption" style="width: 254px;"><strong>Cockroaches hang out with their families: </strong>image via wix.com</span></span>1. Cockroaches may be creepy to humans, but they are actually quite sophisticated social creatures and pretty friendly too. <br />
2. Of the 4000 or so species of cockroach, only about 25 have adapted themselves to human environments. (Be thankful for that.)<br />
3. Though not formally recognized as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusociality" target="_blank"><i>eusocial insect</i></a>,
which is the highest level of socialization among insects, the
cockroach has several attributes of those insects, including family
recognition and family living arrangements with generations of the same
family living together.<br />
4. Cockroaches form close-knit egalitarian societies and make communal decisions for the greater good. <br />
5.
The termite, which is considered to be eusocial, is now known to be a
direct descendant of the cockroach. (A new way to look at termites.) <br />
6. The main difference between<i> eusocial</i> (bees, ants, termites, etc.) insects and <i>egalitarian</i>
insects like cockroaches, is that eusocial insects have a queen female
that is the only female allowed to mate, whereas in egalitarian insects,
any member can mate.<br />
7. Cockroaches use their body chemicals
(cuticular hydrocarbons) to communicate to others about where the best
food can be found or where they can safely seek shelter for the day.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<span class="inline inline-middle"><img alt="Several generations of a cockroach family live and eat together: image via stopbuggn.com" class="image image-img_assist_custom" height="409" src="http://petslady.com/files/images/Brown-Banded-Cockroach-family-578x430_0.img_assist_custom.jpg" title="Several generations of a cockroach family live and eat together: image via stopbuggn.com" width="550" /><span class="caption" style="width: 548px;"><strong>Several generations of a cockroach family live and eat together: </strong>image via stopbuggn.com</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
8.
When forming a decision about the best place to find shelter, all
members of a 'clan' will make the same choice. They even make the same
decisions on where to get their food. <br />
9. Lone cockroaches are
rare. Young cockroaches need to be in close contact with other young'uns
to mature properly. Isolation can result in an inability to join a
group later in life and in an inability to mate. Additionally,
cockroaches can become physically sick and die prematurely from
isolation syndromes.<br />
10. Cockroaches lay a trail of feces (not
attractive to human olfactory senses) by which others can identify
relationships - "kin recognition." Among other things, kin recognition
keeps roaches from mating with other relatives. (Guess that means they
are <i>smarter</i> than some humans!)<br />
<br />
Dr Mathieu Lihoreau
of the National Centre of Scientific Research in Rennes, France, who led
the cockroach studies, believes that further research on cockroach
social behavior will provide greater information about the social
evolution of animal, and possibly even human, societies.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-75925809629798521312012-04-23T06:27:00.000-07:002012-04-23T06:27:15.488-07:007 Most Incredible Skyscrapers Being Struck by Lightning<h1>
<a class="next" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=1"><span></span></a>
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<a href="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/intro2.thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking the Empire State Building" border="0" class="image image-thumbnail " height="67" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/intro2.thumbnail.jpg" title="" width="100" /></a><span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking the Burj Khalifa" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x434 " height="434" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/teaser_burj.img_assist_custom-600x434.jpg" title="" width="599" /><span class="caption" style="width: 597px;">Photo: </span></span><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=12"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=13"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=1"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=2"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a> </div>
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<em>The tallest building in the world being struck by lightning.</em><br />
<em>All images are copyrighted and used with permission of the photographers.</em><br />
With a deafening sound, the lightning bolt strikes the building’s
antenna, while onlookers instinctively cover their ears and scramble for
safety. Meanwhile, visitors inside the giant skyscraper are torn
between grabbing their cameras and running for cover, shocked by the
reality of being trapped within a building being struck by lightning... <br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking Chicago skyscrapers" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x402 " height="402" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/intro.img_assist_custom-600x402.jpg" title="" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo:</span></span><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=13"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=0"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=2"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=3"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a> </div>
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<em>Lightning striking the skyscrapers of Chicago.</em><br />
What exactly happens when lightning strikes a skyscraper? Let's take
the Empire State Building as an example. The iconic Art Deco tower – a
veritable old-fashioned gentleman among today’s skyscrapers – was,
according to some sources, designed as a giant lightning rod from the
day it opened its doors in 1931. In fact, scientists from the American
Institute of Electrical Engineers recorded every single one of the
Empire State Building’s lightning strikes between 1934 and 1937 on film,
in order to determine the speed with which lightning strikes (10,000
miles per second, apparently, although that figure is still open to
debate). The recordings continued as, in the words of one weather blog,
“scientists measured some of the very first oscillographic readings of
lightning currents there using tethered balloons in the 1930s, 40s and
50s.”<br />
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<a class="next" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=3"><span></span></a>
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking the Empire State Building" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x401 " height="400" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/intro2.img_assist_custom-600x401.jpg" title="" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<em>This
fantastic image of the Empire State Building being hit by lightning was
taken on June 9, 2011. A violent thunderstorm passed through the city
that brought torrential rains and hail. Whether this marked the last
storm of spring or the first of summer, it seems the weather gods were
out to give New Yorkers some excitement!</em><br />
In a nutshell, skyscrapers are steel cages comprising various
compartments that divide and subdivide the energy from a lightning
strike until it is safely guided to the ground where it spreads out. A
skyscraper thus functions in a similar way to a Faraday cage – a shield
or enclosed space made of conducting material – that, like a plane,
protects people from natural electric sparks such as lightning. Safe in
this knowledge, sit back and relax while you enjoy these images of seven
of the world’s tallest and most iconic skyscrapers being struck by
lightning, shown in order of their height.<br />
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<a class="next" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=4"><span></span></a>
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x437 " height="437" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/7_q1.img_assist_custom-600x437.jpg" title="7. Q1, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=1"><span class="inline inline-none"><br /></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=2"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=4"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=5"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a> </div>
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<h2>
7. Q1, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia</h2>
As
well as surfing, theme parks and hot air ballooning, visitors to
Australia’s popular Gold Coast can add another attraction to their
thrill list: going to the suburb of Surfers Paradise and watching
lightning strike the Q1 landmark – while snugly inside it. Inspired by
the Olympic torch and standing at a whopping 1,058 feet (322.5 m), the
Q1 is the world’s fifth tallest residential building. As one source
claims: “Visitors like to lay out on the floor during thunderstorms to
watch lightning strike the Q1's impressive 97.7 meter spire.” Judging by
this incredible image, it must be one heck of an experience, and
certainly not one for the faint of heart! <br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x396 " height="396" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/6_the-center.img_assist_custom-600x396.jpg" title="6. The Center, Hong Kong" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=2"><span class="inline inline-none"><br /></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=3"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=5"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=6"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a> </div>
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<h2>
6. The Center, Hong Kong</h2>
We’re
lucky to be able to include in our list this award-winning photograph,
which was featured in the 2010 National Geographic Photography Contest.
It truly is a spectacular capture of lightning striking Hong Kong’s The
Center during a storm on September 13, 2009. What makes the lightning
and the skyline appear almost pixelated is not a camera error but a
reflection of the lightning bolt in the raindrops on the window. At
1,135 feet (346 m), The Center is no. 31 on the list of the world's
tallest buildings.<br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x396 " height="396" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/5_empire.img_assist_custom-600x396.jpg" title="5. Empire State Building, New York City, NY, USA" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<h2>
5. Empire State Building, New York City, NY, USA</h2>
The
1,454-foot (443-m) Empire State Building is struck by lightning about
23 times a year. Surprising, perhaps, that this number is not higher,
given the building’s prominence on the city’s skyline and the number of
thunderstorms that occur in New York – to say nothing of the fact that
the building’s antenna was designed as a lightning rod! <br />
In this picture from August 19, 2011, we can see the Empire State
Building lit up in the Indian tricolor (most likely in honor of the
Indian Independence Day on August 15) and being hit by lightning. Stuck
at New Jersey's Hoboken train and bus terminal because of the severe
thunderstorm, photographer Sugata Banerji made the best of the situation
and set up his tripod. Good thinking!<br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking Empire State Building" class="image image-preview " height="640" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/5_empire_2.jpg" title="" width="426" /><span class="caption" style="width: -2px;"></span></span></div>
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Another bolt
of lightning striking the Empire State Building, this time on August 8,
2011 during another severe storm. On the night of April 12 of the same
year, the building was even struck three times in a row during a bad
thunderstorm. So much for the old saying that lightning never strikes
twice! It sure does, so be aware! <br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x400 " height="399" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/4_sears.img_assist_custom-600x400.jpg" title="4. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, IL, USA" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<h2>
4. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, IL, USA</h2>
Here’s
an image of the Willis Tower being struck by lightning on April 4,
2010. At 1,451 feet (442 m), the building formerly known as the Sears
Tower is the ninth tallest skyscraper in the world and is thus bound to
have its fair share of lightning strikes. A couple of years before this,
when an observer had asked how the antenna could withstand the
lightning, Tom Skilling, WGN-TV's chief meteorologist, offered a helpful
explanation. Skilling said: “The antenna is not being hit directly –
the appearance not withstanding. Instead, a corona of charged ions which
pools up around the antenna is interacting with a charge descending
from above to give off the light we see in these lightning strikes.”
Interesting!<br />
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscrapers" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x337 " height="337" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/3_petronas.img_assist_custom-600x337.jpg" title="3. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia" width="599" /><span class="caption" style="width: 597px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<h2>
3. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</h2>
Number
six on the list of world’s tallest skyscrapers, the Petronas Towers
have a height of 1,483 feet (452 m). Like the other skyscrapers in this
article, they too see their fair share of lightning strikes over the
course of a year – with this photograph taken on April 29, 2010. Though
the reflection of the room and its lights on the window pane takes away a
bit from the image, the dramatic, sideways forking of the lightning
against the towers more than makes up for it. For a real-time feel of
the split-second event, make sure to check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-skKIdeX7A">video</a>. <br />
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Being Struck by Lightning <a class="next" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=12"><span></span></a>
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-preview " height="627" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/2_taipeh.jpg" title="2. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan" width="421" /><span class="caption" style="width: -2px;"></span></span></div>
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<h2>
2. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan</h2>
Our
number two is the number five when it comes to its standing among the
world’s tallest skyscrapers, at an impressive 1,670 feet (509 m). This
incredible lightning strike – which seems to be directly attacking the
tower’s antenna – was captured on August 3, 2007. The Taipei 101 has
also earned the moniker of world’s tallest green building, due to its
recycled water system. Now if only the energy of that lightning strike
could somehow be converted and used for the building’s power needs…<br />
<h1>
y Lightning <a class="next" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=13"><span></span></a>
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<span class="inline inline-none"><img align="none" alt="Lightning striking skyscraper" class="image image-img_assist_custom-600x401 " height="400" src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/1_burj.img_assist_custom-600x401.jpg" title="1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE" width="600" /><span class="caption" style="width: 598px;">Photo: </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=10"><span class="inline inline-none"><br /></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=11"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=13"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a><a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-7-most-iconic-skyscrapers-earth-being-struck-lightning?image=0"><span class="inline inline-none"></span></a> </div>
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<h2>
1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE</h2>
It's
fitting that the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is number one on our list
because, standing at a colossal 2,717 feet (828 m), it is also the
tallest skyscraper on Earth. In this image, we can see two bolts of
lightning seemingly crashing at once into the top of the building
against an amazing purple sky. <br />
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</div>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-33853360363601313092012-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:002012-03-30T16:19:20.064-07:00Did You Ever See An Eagle Do The Breast Stroke?<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/87xNpOYOlQ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-87017224475079599292012-03-27T12:04:00.000-07:002012-03-27T12:06:51.081-07:00Marula fruit - African booze tree.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K52I3D1g2u8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />Watch the elephants knock the fruit out of the tree and all the animals eat it off the ground. This is a real video from a documentary about Africa. The video is funny. These are trees that grow in Africa which, once a year, produce very juicy fruit that contain a high percentage of alcohol. The tree is known as the "Elephant Tree," because elephants have a fondness for the fruit. As soon as the fruits are ripe, animals come there to help relieve themselves of the heat. You will easily know who had over-indulged.<br /><br />The tree is the Marula tree. You can buy a great liqueur named "Amarula," which is made with the fruit and cream.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-14379709103622953052012-03-19T08:24:00.000-07:002012-03-19T08:25:03.772-07:00The Life of Flowers<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27920977?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/27920977">The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/vorobyoff">VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-882020417320950962012-03-08T07:30:00.002-08:002012-03-08T07:34:54.676-08:00The Rising Threat of Urban Black Bears<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjvQ-cAGdCO2mSas2ziN9o1ww5ndw-djr_tGMuoeR3fmHG8WZnio0dBm5Yf9luKfWRuRI46K5ijl8n8rkXrQn37IdYF7pPr8hVimZ8Y_L_5Ft8WRefK6SIi5BKG9xwTPjQvllXGPQeZCG/s1600/flickr-3735268826-original-375x500jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjvQ-cAGdCO2mSas2ziN9o1ww5ndw-djr_tGMuoeR3fmHG8WZnio0dBm5Yf9luKfWRuRI46K5ijl8n8rkXrQn37IdYF7pPr8hVimZ8Y_L_5Ft8WRefK6SIi5BKG9xwTPjQvllXGPQeZCG/s400/flickr-3735268826-original-375x500jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717550134339240370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bpgm-xUXzSCyzJ7Ivw-SfIZfqCKgRb6JBnO28NiYpLYIXfijA4AMaUz1VVdB4n2n5ofyQ90DyR_tj8lWMsQCUKf0D-4fvxIFMwE5m5R3o1-WHRTbWn5Xxfpwh2OkLj2iZ3Zr3jkOI1bg/s1600/close-american-black-bear-face-333x500jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bpgm-xUXzSCyzJ7Ivw-SfIZfqCKgRb6JBnO28NiYpLYIXfijA4AMaUz1VVdB4n2n5ofyQ90DyR_tj8lWMsQCUKf0D-4fvxIFMwE5m5R3o1-WHRTbWn5Xxfpwh2OkLj2iZ3Zr3jkOI1bg/s400/close-american-black-bear-face-333x500jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717550134672713122" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMW9hoS3KP30gZwcxzpJ-ERBNPPADzR7mdkkcgXajmlQA_47Keb7BiYUCddLsFLeQlYQVcEc6r5YCamZRVxB32zdXecTDAvWKEyopeAR2e0eU0GbmUHL5WnXjQKMR4x-F1p8HG1tR_P1O1/s1600/beary-bearjpg_0_0.img_assist_custom-600x472.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMW9hoS3KP30gZwcxzpJ-ERBNPPADzR7mdkkcgXajmlQA_47Keb7BiYUCddLsFLeQlYQVcEc6r5YCamZRVxB32zdXecTDAvWKEyopeAR2e0eU0GbmUHL5WnXjQKMR4x-F1p8HG1tR_P1O1/s400/beary-bearjpg_0_0.img_assist_custom-600x472.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717550127916215090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuqPqtnzk1qrf2ZVNEEAwuBAOo5-mtx6iGLVFLMDZBE-peuyS-wB0mSnCmB5dgA7u6OVbVWdNhlboZQ7FO1RfStTORJhxB6djUB17goUoEo2BGziNNgoYpilf1_7eD8Q2Z2Gm3XxsJiSZ/s1600/bear-hunting-500x333jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuqPqtnzk1qrf2ZVNEEAwuBAOo5-mtx6iGLVFLMDZBE-peuyS-wB0mSnCmB5dgA7u6OVbVWdNhlboZQ7FO1RfStTORJhxB6djUB17goUoEo2BGziNNgoYpilf1_7eD8Q2Z2Gm3XxsJiSZ/s400/bear-hunting-500x333jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717550125857023330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-DTVPUUL0dqeJCZfi7z6vyc3PQXBm9DeLm6VXNoNy2RZAE-nO2yxX9iVXiDfuQmKXHmXp13il4bpII6b1pSVz74U7kwdzRVsSWv5isBR9SkYlU21qDZquIr3wu1sfKVC9z6ir2VgsGBc/s1600/louisiana-black-bear-500x334jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-DTVPUUL0dqeJCZfi7z6vyc3PQXBm9DeLm6VXNoNy2RZAE-nO2yxX9iVXiDfuQmKXHmXp13il4bpII6b1pSVz74U7kwdzRVsSWv5isBR9SkYlU21qDZquIr3wu1sfKVC9z6ir2VgsGBc/s400/louisiana-black-bear-500x334jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717550178579094098" /></a><br />One of the many pleasures of visiting the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the sight of a black bear roaming free. Although they were hunted to near extinction, they have always been part of the Smoky Mountains experience. Today they are a healthy population size — some might say even a little too healthy.<br /><br />Many bears are now leaving the park and wandering around where they are not welcome, and complaints against bears — as well as bear attacks on people — are on the rise.<br /><br />Bears are wild, unpredictable, and dangerous. They are good at climbing trees, can swim, run at 30 miles per hour and may weigh as much as 600 pounds. They are, however, naturally shy and tend to stay away from humans. The danger comes when bears get hungry. Their diet generally consists of seeds, nuts and insects, but they will also eat small mammals and fish. Bears need to consume a staggering 20,000 calories a day before they hibernate if they're going to survive the winter. In dire circumstances, a person could easily be considered their next meal.<br /><br />When they come out of hibernation in the spring, the bear's food sources are often lacking in their natural habitat. Backyards are a bonanza, and bears won't hesitate to grab a snack from bird feeders, garbage cans, grills and compost piles. If a bear has approached one house, it's likely it will approach another, and relocation is often unsuccessful as a bear will happily travel 300 miles for a reliable source of food. Once a bear learns to associate an area with an easy meal, it will often return.<br /><br />Bears that begin finding food in back yards and garbage dumpsters (some even enjoy handouts from humans!) begin to encounter human-like problems too. Free from the stress and exercise of looking for food, bears become complacent. Bears that live around human habitats tend to weigh more, get pregnant at an earlier age, have larger litters, and often die violent deaths due to traffic collisions.<br /><br />While complaints concerning bears stem from their being a nuisance, bears still attack people. Violent bear attacks are most likely due to people spending more time in the black bear’s native habitats. The common myth is that a mother will kill to protect her young, but the majority of bear attacks are by lone, predatory males. These are likely young males that have been driven away by their mother and are not yet ready to take on the older males bears. <br /><br />If left unchecked, the bear population will become a real concern. As they reach carrying capacity (the maximum number of bears that can live on the finite resources in a given environment), their native habitats will no longer be able to support them. More bears will then move away from forests and woodland and make their homes in urban settings, increasing the likelihood of bears encountering people. Since non-lethal methods of control are often ineffective, more bears would then have to be destroyed.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-44883970126423933562012-03-08T06:18:00.002-08:002012-03-08T06:20:56.959-08:00Elephant Playing in the Waves<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXzT43yUpUgLdpsU0Zvd40HYHszuNlH5hssPcMo17O-v77g8XVC9xGPw_L4V1O9Z5K_FkZ6ZSwCsvh9j-goGoBnj1SKLFmkIoBL4NEXGtxlFztV4zFIYj5WS7k1WFpq1MGUPfOrdkscy2/s1600/Elephant-waves06.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXzT43yUpUgLdpsU0Zvd40HYHszuNlH5hssPcMo17O-v77g8XVC9xGPw_L4V1O9Z5K_FkZ6ZSwCsvh9j-goGoBnj1SKLFmkIoBL4NEXGtxlFztV4zFIYj5WS7k1WFpq1MGUPfOrdkscy2/s400/Elephant-waves06.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531126314418658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R-JQjPZQVMCNhtavQYBcwRih3L2oMkpvDxYzNUwAo7oznqvOmFOkDlaXrgBcw0tQDrqBk4YNMNfZzWpZqLZTFVI6BRlia5E2Hn9h5CwniV3s6in3TAWswlcyQmZGgB-KtFv7aL-6YKMD/s1600/Elephant-waves05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R-JQjPZQVMCNhtavQYBcwRih3L2oMkpvDxYzNUwAo7oznqvOmFOkDlaXrgBcw0tQDrqBk4YNMNfZzWpZqLZTFVI6BRlia5E2Hn9h5CwniV3s6in3TAWswlcyQmZGgB-KtFv7aL-6YKMD/s400/Elephant-waves05.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531049631116946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYNMwh0Rv11JLSMIDNbpHzKGTQkdXIgN_lSwQJAyxRneFfjx4taBc-VxFYekkmyrZQWENtSp_Q0jGG8eUeJ_dmcGoZNlYT4kr2fCFmUEA_xX6UGEs1eTg9-RJmyVqsJMLIxhrR_jfljwq/s1600/Elephant-waves04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYNMwh0Rv11JLSMIDNbpHzKGTQkdXIgN_lSwQJAyxRneFfjx4taBc-VxFYekkmyrZQWENtSp_Q0jGG8eUeJ_dmcGoZNlYT4kr2fCFmUEA_xX6UGEs1eTg9-RJmyVqsJMLIxhrR_jfljwq/s400/Elephant-waves04.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531045498783266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aINLjNRLBN_VS7loBx9f2TJHH7nD8noiHCmMZCksDUxLEax0jTbz_vpMbdU8tEbMGNgtPu55QWaCTdrkfxIsfGpE5ZgaGlL56rQyZjgzE6b7xh92g5CnVLzDUhIsUuZ5ccI-fT7A_NCu/s1600/Elephant-waves02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aINLjNRLBN_VS7loBx9f2TJHH7nD8noiHCmMZCksDUxLEax0jTbz_vpMbdU8tEbMGNgtPu55QWaCTdrkfxIsfGpE5ZgaGlL56rQyZjgzE6b7xh92g5CnVLzDUhIsUuZ5ccI-fT7A_NCu/s400/Elephant-waves02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531036471680786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyfwrGF5gnekRE5np7y8KUc6TIfkyYHAM2wS2n_541ZH8shbY2PeqvY66Zn5OvKbp05y0MXs7G6TLxW7qjer1bhnJYn3L609WOWxFatOB2yVIeppxbMLEAxpJPCtaTIDuk9d1w5PW9reE/s1600/Elephant-waves01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyfwrGF5gnekRE5np7y8KUc6TIfkyYHAM2wS2n_541ZH8shbY2PeqvY66Zn5OvKbp05y0MXs7G6TLxW7qjer1bhnJYn3L609WOWxFatOB2yVIeppxbMLEAxpJPCtaTIDuk9d1w5PW9reE/s400/Elephant-waves01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531032195051890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yed7v5uM77i4Ad2eSrHUh39FxA7DPYnz7Mhq_IfR57szdVUM46_dSc9jzxaj7JFpr1K2L5j86bUZd5nX9Lvd0l8cN7NjiL2yQfm2S1CbtY7iQD_YykuUp2tI3TejBDgyuR4qXmIZQ37J/s1600/Elephant-waves07.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yed7v5uM77i4Ad2eSrHUh39FxA7DPYnz7Mhq_IfR57szdVUM46_dSc9jzxaj7JFpr1K2L5j86bUZd5nX9Lvd0l8cN7NjiL2yQfm2S1CbtY7iQD_YykuUp2tI3TejBDgyuR4qXmIZQ37J/s400/Elephant-waves07.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717531052260996994" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-68767007230521013582012-03-07T11:13:00.006-08:002012-03-07T11:33:54.696-08:00Facts about the Praying Mantis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yVhAsOWHwHxntyGL4rVwgSjtACfmKDkM4JN0_MGphllc8z12tnJMvDszXHRc9mDq0dIUtnUqUmklqNPpGH_f09wmnENaascZWsC7VAaWgCZGXENrlsgtzOYcCBGdNp9FDxlL7NmMtY3l/s1600/PrayingMantisMatingEuropean-30jpg_0.img_assist_custom-600x400.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmSuEiaZvwgwfcKqOzr8Lds70dZTR_NWRrdhNx076wRwkk6-ZZga66bfOt8jHiHxU9uAMJhsM1Odxvhkp4tL_tpXawXTKiP_TJQqjZTIhq0xRZLpfWx1rynNFE4vdf8ThSsJxa7jV-hCj/s400/sexual-cannibalismjpg.img_assist_custom-600x450.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717237407070986434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSTfEYIFsI8iXYSdH_X3ZVOjfitqaFx92LJ3nLTTeyEOP6uiM5YWkcDETIhQ61xV4-btbWpWdT4IrG509usF_W0D7vzULGNcxZf9h3HAlJ-rMCVHL-XGlFxfugyCAZ34a_8OTUmjm47sM/s1600/mantis-bugjpg.img_assist_custom-600x599.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSTfEYIFsI8iXYSdH_X3ZVOjfitqaFx92LJ3nLTTeyEOP6uiM5YWkcDETIhQ61xV4-btbWpWdT4IrG509usF_W0D7vzULGNcxZf9h3HAlJ-rMCVHL-XGlFxfugyCAZ34a_8OTUmjm47sM/s400/mantis-bugjpg.img_assist_custom-600x599.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717237249987131250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iKve_PimCffMsplCTq-VEXQElZVL8dkXIlBXz03i21EknbgsATVuG7DRTXZpY4XRM96qAMqMSOL-uheeC089Ayj8dDVGDgPClEV5L8kqeDL2NAPAguefv4dRQi3RvyMvfuGjiia_EZrm/s1600/defense-modeJPG_1.img_assist_custom-600x480.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaooVVhX3vkp1Mz3HLihW9rEwdz8EmuTXK2ry3WbQ4q4vpxGfbBQiNYOADqAEjbPXzYkC6mEN9oCinXSwz5T1rCYdahQVdn1bEeMOw4uAf_10mP3qywocilBoIVMgUXdSiImST_SmSqSFH/s400/399px-PrayingMantisSexualCannibalismEuropean-76jpg_0.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717236720287268242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFkslsNsSKSgGny62ry4ktM8a-ZSfXf3uI3T2HwhOF9Ugh6zLF6jLk7Ot_FDZJUxB4Y-pEqEtuZSWoPmojIGZ8qIrABweAc-F7SjUbEYpwyBjWri8w6JlH202vDmcUzX4YPiS-vn7wIJ8/s1600/663px-Prayingmantisindiajpg_0.img_assist_custom-600x543.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFkslsNsSKSgGny62ry4ktM8a-ZSfXf3uI3T2HwhOF9Ugh6zLF6jLk7Ot_FDZJUxB4Y-pEqEtuZSWoPmojIGZ8qIrABweAc-F7SjUbEYpwyBjWri8w6JlH202vDmcUzX4YPiS-vn7wIJ8/s400/663px-Prayingmantisindiajpg_0.img_assist_custom-600x543.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717236734153351938" /></a><br />The praying mantis is one of nature’s most mysterious and captivating creations. Voracious yet often elusive by nature, and appearing in an enormous variety of sizes and colors, this star of the insect world garners a lot of attention – and rightly so! We thought it would worth trying to get to grips with this most intriguing of creatures. Here you’ll find more praying mantis facts, pictures of praying mantises and sundry praying mantis information than you can shake a stick insect at! Read on to be enlightened…The praying mantis is a fascinating insect that was bestowed with the evocative first part of its name due to its prominent front legs, which are typically positioned in a stance similar to that people adopt when they are praying. This insect is, however, sometimes mistakenly known as the ‘preying mantis’ – and yet the misnomer does fit, as this carnivorous creature is a highly skilled hunter, ambushing or stalking other insects and small animals with sublime patience and expertise. Praying mantises belong to the order Mantodea, and typically the family Mantidae. In total there are around 2,200 species of mantises, or ‘mantids’ (the two terms can be used more or less interchangeably, although there are 14 mantis families that are technically not mantids). Many mantises are distributed across Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, though species can be found in tropical and temperate climates worldwide, including parts of the United States, Australia and Europe.Praying mantises are sometimes grouped into a superorder with their close relatives, cockroaches and termites, but are not to be confused with stick insects or crickets and grasshoppers – rangy-looking insects which are nonetheless unrelated. Interestingly, the name ‘mantis’ is derived from the Greek for ‘prophet,’ while the scientific name for the European praying mantis is Mantis religiosa. The praying mantis seems to have been associated with things divine for quite some time – surely due to its distinctive stance.Praying mantises range in size from half-an-inch to a colossal 12 inches long. In the wild they can live for up to a year – taking into account their entire life cycle – though a lifespan of 6 months is typical for adults. How long they survive depends on how well they defend themselves – for the praying mantis is prey as well as predator. Insectivores such as scops owls, bullfrogs and chameleons will all gladly munch on a mantis given half a chance. Luckily for them, however, mantises have some excellent defense strategies at their disposal, and number one among these is camouflage.<br />Praying mantises are specialists when it comes to blending in with their environments; their green, brown or grayish hues masking them from the unwanted attention of aggressors. In fact, mantises have perfected the art of concealment to such a degree that as well as camouflaging themselves in foliage, they can also mimic their habitat, appearing as parts of trees like leaves and twigs; as grass, flowers – even as rocks. Extreme examples of this adaption come in the form of certain species in Africa and Australasia that have the ability to turn themselves black after fire, thus hiding themselves in their scorched surroundings. This phenomenon, known as fire melanism, shows just how advanced the survival mechanisms of the praying mantis are.<br />As well as concealment and camouflage, in defensive situations mantises also make use of their excellent eyesight. Their large compound eyes, made up of many dedicated zones called ommatidia, are said to have a range of more than 50 feet. They can also turn their heads 180 degrees, making them extremely difficult creatures to sneak up on. However, should an enemy come into its field of vision and threaten it directly, the praying mantis may be left with no other option than to stand its ground. <br />In the event that a mantis is directly threatened, many species will raise themselves up, fanning their wings and spreading their forelegs as they do so. If this does not repel the threat, the mantis will attempt to strike, pinching or biting at its attacker. As an extra warning display, some species can also make a hissing noise by releasing air from their abdomens.<br />While the praying mantis can be preyed upon, it is perhaps better known as a fearsome predator in its own right. So what does the praying mantis eat? What constitutes praying mantis food? Well, these rangy creatures are exclusively carnivorous, meaning the praying mantis diet is one of other insects such as moths, flies, grasshoppers, crickets and even locusts. It is, after all, a specialist bug tracker. Such insect prey aside, praying mantises have also been known to overpower and devour scorpions, snakes, frogs, fish and rodents! Hummingbirds have also fallen foul of the mantis’s voracious appetite, unfortunate victims of its lethal attacking strategy.<br />Praying mantises are masters of the art of ambush, closely studying their prey while lying in wait before they make their move. Using camouflage to blend in with its environment, the typically green or brown colored mantis can be a formidable predator, with the element of surprise often working in its favor. As soon as the prey strays too close, the praying mantis will strike with devastating speed too fast for the human eye to easily discern. Using its powerful, spiny front legs to snare and pin its target, the mantis does not let go easily. Once the praying mantis’s grip is applied, the victim has little hope; the mantis will not wait – eating its prey while it is still alive, struggling hopelessly in its death throes. <br />As well as eating insects and other small animals, the praying mantis is also famous (or should that be infamous!) for sexual cannibalism. This gruesome – and controversial – phenomenon is usually observed when mantises are kept in captivity, although it has been known to occur in the wild. When mantis mating takes place, the female has been observed biting off the head of the male. This cannibalistic decapitation can occur after but also during the act of copulation. As the male’s sexual movements are controlled by the abdomen rather than the head, early theorists of this mantis behavior proposed that it was a strategy on the part of the female aimed at gaining nutrition while boosting her chances of reproductive success. Yet, whether this grim performance takes place because it increases the chances of fertilization – for both sexes – or whether, as some have contended, it is actually the result of human observation, it remains the subject of much debate among experts. <br />Whether or not sexual cannibalism occurs, praying mantis mating typically involves the male jumping onto the female’s back and gripping her with his forelegs. Once the female has been successfully fertilized – which tends to occur in autumn in most temperate climes – she will lay between 10 and 400 eggs, depending on the species. The eggs are laid in a foamy mass, known as an ootheca, produced by the glands in the female’s abdomen. The ootheca is usually secured by the female to a branch or leaf and then left for the liquid to harden such that it forms a protective casing for the eggs over the winter months. <br />As the warmth of spring arrives, the hatching process begins and the baby mantises break out from the ootheca. Newly free, but small and wingless, mantis nymphs are especially vulnerable at this point of their development, with larger insects often taking the opportunity to prey upon the new arrivals. Those that do survive build up their strength by hunting small insects such as fruit flies. As the summer approaches, the nymphs steadily grow through their adolescent stage until they reach full size come the end of summer. Through the process of molting, the nymphs replace their exoskeletons with newly sturdy and flexible outer coverings, and will do so as many as ten times in total. <br />Amongst the most visually inspiring of all the praying mantis species are the various types of flower mantis. These phenomenal mimics take the art of camouflage that most mantises have in common to a whole new level. Becoming almost indistinguishable from the flower they have chosen to make their base, these incredible creatures have adapted to their environment to better enable them to hide from predators as well as surprise and hunt their own prey. One of the largest and most impressive of the flower mantises is the giant devil’s flower mantis (Idolomantis diabolica), sometimes known as the ‘king of all mantids’. Native to Tanzania and other nearby African countries, it likely gains its name from its striking antennae, which have the appearance of ‘devil’s horns’ to human eyes. This species is a great example of why so many people find mantises so captivating, for it is beautiful, strange and also a little frightening!<br />Is it surprising that praying mantises have become popular pet? Given their aloof and ruthless nature, maybe so, and yet considering how fascinating they are, perhaps we shouldn’t wonder. In any case, praying mantises are available for sale in pet stores that trade in these remarkable insects. They are relatively easy to keep: a small tank furnished with twigs and one or two inches of soil is all that is required. The correct temperature for the tank depends on the species and can vary considerably, but close attention should be paid to the specific needs of the species. The diet of any praying mantis pet should be kept similar to what it is in the wild – small flying insects such as moths and houseflies, for example. What’s more, given their occasional cannibalistic tendencies, they are best kept separately rather than in pairs. <br />Despite their popularity as pets, many true praying mantis connoisseurs prefer to see them in their natural habitat. This amazing insect has been referred to as a god in South African indigenous mythology, and the special allure that they hold for humankind shows no sign of waning. Whether employed as a pest controller – the Chinese and European mantises were introduced to the US for this express purpose – or simply viewed as an evolutionary marvel of nature, the exulted position of the order of Mantodea looks set to continue. Their grip on the human imagination reverberates in culture and art, with works from the likes of mathematical graphic artist M C Escher (in his work ‘Dream’) and even the Godzilla movies featuring the mysterious creatures.<br />The praying mantis has also influenced martial as well as visual artists. For hundreds of years, kung fu experts have studied the mantis’s ability to strike and incorporated it into their own techniques. The most famous style of praying mantis kung fu is that of the Southern Praying Mantis. This close-range combat discipline is native to the Hakka people of southern China and places an emphasis on ‘sticky hands,’ the heavy use of the forearms, claw-like fingers, and fast strikes reminiscent of the mantis’s behaviour when it is attacking its prey. Legend has it that the founders of the style created the technique after watching a praying mantis fight and overcome a bird. We can well believe it.<br />All of this goes to show that the praying mantis is a mesmerizing creature full of surprises. Its reputation as one of the most intriguing animals on Earth is unlikely to be diminished any time soon.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-39221603997063513942012-03-06T12:02:00.003-08:002012-03-06T12:07:18.534-08:00Elephants' Migration Trail<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBONfk5GEEYugKOOFl9rHtLHN092mm2RyALg0L9_ZvRrCKEbI9-ODquthtQeT9gU7Rlvi3SJiBbvLgeAo07ZJiidA9te0S6xuq3bucVTNehSvZzzO9a8knHGD13JE8Xwd_r95Mb2Okqwi/s1600/article-1065865-02DBF25300000578-609_468x312_popup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBONfk5GEEYugKOOFl9rHtLHN092mm2RyALg0L9_ZvRrCKEbI9-ODquthtQeT9gU7Rlvi3SJiBbvLgeAo07ZJiidA9te0S6xuq3bucVTNehSvZzzO9a8knHGD13JE8Xwd_r95Mb2Okqwi/s400/article-1065865-02DBF25300000578-609_468x312_popup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716877307625069106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUZiDw9WqhGYXw2GB0egOwCernChLJoEqCNdw-jtrH7_rX00tisU2rgRRKEVqTdWgjMbvCSj6HDDETcvdFKsI3uxJI-8jabWsvTPmxxZPrtKJ1niOsa1N-h6_d14yS9R9aKIVENnxDReG/s1600/article-1065865-02DBF25F00000578-176_468x286_popup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUZiDw9WqhGYXw2GB0egOwCernChLJoEqCNdw-jtrH7_rX00tisU2rgRRKEVqTdWgjMbvCSj6HDDETcvdFKsI3uxJI-8jabWsvTPmxxZPrtKJ1niOsa1N-h6_d14yS9R9aKIVENnxDReG/s400/article-1065865-02DBF25F00000578-176_468x286_popup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716877306358765778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrmPQmyJt2pxZqyhT2ib_QvaScyCCt9AfUsePjSsaya5QDmKzBtuHnpPJu0WMxAE2nGpB0FNZMEWiUOLAOpMpiU_kbxs2yeMdmbN07hcZCVxogRNnVu147KHOTydn7uVv39T73qbdJCty/s1600/article-1065865-02DBF3FD00000578-476_468x312_popup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrmPQmyJt2pxZqyhT2ib_QvaScyCCt9AfUsePjSsaya5QDmKzBtuHnpPJu0WMxAE2nGpB0FNZMEWiUOLAOpMpiU_kbxs2yeMdmbN07hcZCVxogRNnVu147KHOTydn7uVv39T73qbdJCty/s400/article-1065865-02DBF3FD00000578-476_468x312_popup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716877305024883410" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijow6DiaYy2tMRXC6rm2lNr7HA8CenX39ssTtUhPMTQOcuthCw4NX5xOW4FE_3u9wnUnct4YUWYn1gGDlOm1e5l5FqbuHx9bKm6H9naCqEr-_6LpW9m2xv8mo2Mh5kYtbhtqZmVzy5dUpJ/s1600/article-1065865-02DBF35300000578-806_468x307_popup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijow6DiaYy2tMRXC6rm2lNr7HA8CenX39ssTtUhPMTQOcuthCw4NX5xOW4FE_3u9wnUnct4YUWYn1gGDlOm1e5l5FqbuHx9bKm6H9naCqEr-_6LpW9m2xv8mo2Mh5kYtbhtqZmVzy5dUpJ/s400/article-1065865-02DBF35300000578-806_468x307_popup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716877312677163458" /></a><br />Elephants march through hotel lobby after it was built on their migration<br />trail!<br /><br />The Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia happens to have been built next to a mango<br />grove that one family of elephants have always visited when the fruit<br />ripens. When they returned one year and found the luxury accommodation in the<br />way, they simply walked through the lobby to reach their beloved grove of<br />trees.The animals come in two-by-two. Hotel staff and visitors have gotten<br />used to the elephants' impromptu strolls through the lobby. Now the family<br />group, headed by matriarch Wonky Tusk, return every November and stay for<br />four to six weeks to gorge on mangos - up to four times a day. Andy Hogg,<br />44, the lodge director, has lived in South Luangwa National Park since<br />1982. But in all his years of dealing with wild animals he has never seen<br />such intimate interaction between humans and wild animals. "This is the<br />only place in the world where elephants freely get so close to humans," says<br />Andy. "The elephants start coming through base camp in late November each<br />year to eat the ripe mangos from our trees." Living in the 5,000 square mile national park, the ten-strong elephant<br />herd is led to the lodge each day by Wonky Tusk. The hotel was built<br />directly in the path of the elephants' route to one of their favorite foods ....<br />mangos."The most interesting thing about these wild animals," explains Andy, "is<br />that this is the only herd that comes through, and they come and go as<br />they please."<br /><br />Mfuwe Lodge consists of seven camps and the base camp where the elephants<br />walk through. Employing 150 staff, the management of the lodge report that<br />there have been no incidents involving the wild elephants to date. "The<br />elephants get reasonably close to the staff, as you can see in the<br />pictures of the elephants near the reception area," Andy explains. "But we do not<br />allow the guests to get that close.""Guests can stand in the lounge but only as long as there is a barrier<br />between the elephants and the guests," he added.<br /><br />"The elephants are not aggressive but you wouldn't want to tempt them. It<br />is the elephant's choice to be here and they have been coming here for<br />the last ten years. There are other wild mango trees around, but they prefer<br />ours. The lodge was unwittingly built upon their path," Andy says, "so we<br />had no idea they would do this. It wasn't a design error, we just didn't<br />know. The lodge was built and the elephants started walking through<br />afterward.""We keep people at a safe distance, but allow them close enough to see<br />what is going on. These are still wild and dangerous animals, so there<br />must be enough time for people to get away."<br /><br />The hotel is set in an idyllic national parkland. Naturally, the lodge<br />becomes busier for both elephants and guests during November. "We find that<br />we get more people visiting us during the elephant migration because of<br />the unique experience of being so close to wild animals in an unusual<br />environment," says Andy. "But as I said this is a totally natural phenomenon,<br />as the elephants come here of their own accord. It is certainly a rare but<br />magnificent sight."Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-38671920768075255832012-03-03T09:04:00.004-08:002012-03-03T09:17:59.344-08:00The Secret Life of Ants, Shot by Andrey PavlovAndrey Pavlov’s photography has been called many things, but whether it was “fake” or “photoshoped” they all pretty much suggested the same thing. And you can’t really blame people for thinking that while looking at his stunning photos. Let’s face it, it’s hard to believe anyone can train ants to pose for the camera like his subjects seem to do. But the truth is, the Russian photographer has indeed found a way to do just that. Although staged, believe it or not, Pavlov’s photography uses live characters! And here’s how he does it: as I mentioned above, he spent a lot of time studying ants, and he learned that they all follow a very specific path when they’re working. So all he has to do is find them, put the props right on their trail, set up some flash backgrouns and light reflectors, and just stand on the sidelines photographing the ants.But how does someone train ants to do stuff like what we see in Andrey’s photos? He says it’s a proven fact that ants are very fast learners. It’s enough to grab the attention of just one member of the community, convince it to perform a trick, and the others will soon follow suit. He uses all kinds of things to attract the insects, from shiny coins, to his own fingers. It took him about three years to understand and get in touch with the tiny creatures, but now he knows just how to deal with them. He builds all the props himself in the several months he dedicates to his hobby. That’s right, every year, from May to October, Andrey Pavlov moves to a cottage in the countryside, where he likes to photograph red forest ants.The photo series created by this talented Russian photographer is called “Ant Stories”. And what beautiful stories they are… Have you ever seen something this extraordinary?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUILw4VWKoyBiFivVrVbAyxud29DntGXFgqF4RGQ01kOnKe51PCVHPIx5nenAOn-gypHgYeahv55NOZVcES7tjT_-P1Lqk3h6JxkfYGyb962gQOwN-wvcAeflJ9da2Da1u3SeyT-LDUE3/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants14-550x474.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUILw4VWKoyBiFivVrVbAyxud29DntGXFgqF4RGQ01kOnKe51PCVHPIx5nenAOn-gypHgYeahv55NOZVcES7tjT_-P1Lqk3h6JxkfYGyb962gQOwN-wvcAeflJ9da2Da1u3SeyT-LDUE3/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants14-550x474.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715720181530010786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboXHuXX7QWn8zKqJl_Q7cCctnPuXOyfHsqkuMuFkPT29lU69NwzXKaVMvSjc7KY__NsytauROSarhkebzW1uWmd53CG4zhKjUw-lyDkVODz7SqE0mCJnJ9qdee5lSlS2qx_hUG8CJdKqa/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants13-550x393.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboXHuXX7QWn8zKqJl_Q7cCctnPuXOyfHsqkuMuFkPT29lU69NwzXKaVMvSjc7KY__NsytauROSarhkebzW1uWmd53CG4zhKjUw-lyDkVODz7SqE0mCJnJ9qdee5lSlS2qx_hUG8CJdKqa/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants13-550x393.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715720176003377874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIdSFLXwH1inQaTq_IKUoTLhmalJSC_8Mx9hdwYBgTe14OomH7Fra_U0VW_SY8u8D7PW10k5PCZp6uvwIJL3JxcTc9tI7FJSPGFG8lP3LgX5gN597Lb1KDEct9XIXSQPXW23NOubUZcFm/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants11-550x431.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIdSFLXwH1inQaTq_IKUoTLhmalJSC_8Mx9hdwYBgTe14OomH7Fra_U0VW_SY8u8D7PW10k5PCZp6uvwIJL3JxcTc9tI7FJSPGFG8lP3LgX5gN597Lb1KDEct9XIXSQPXW23NOubUZcFm/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants11-550x431.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715720172262130642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifghicgSLZ1RflcmIk_SJ96gIy88UXEdrqYOauYeJwRx5uNaw4_QXoR9JFKFH6PkutIrwlQrNR0drLlNMwAJT1KYH0_h9Ji_2PnrRNk8-QUDIr7i9DLTFpSgnDUTeMs-txxejHHZaaD3H0/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants15-550x418.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcewMNQ8vHnUqJBEOh2REFWNVEgQsUeaSdyVyxuPotFcQwSfMq2YcLiM0ohCCrFz72xnQ8Xvt4npoOr5e1vm-Q52egwNMSQRr-mUTXFGQLrAxAzzuB3t69l558m9ZH5eUduA7Y8K8RH4c/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants3-550x404.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715718915813061602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim__8sQi-Kzf-KGhvRmVlwD9Jek1VIkCHVMC0hWEV1wtC0O7pd4hFAWcuiDxsAvr1VM7XtCYitghB10qUlh5Jkm4-ymxCzDs_KbAd20pQzWRCmOb8OjhlIJhZqm8XbhOm8jTjpXZG_HClP/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants2-550x411.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim__8sQi-Kzf-KGhvRmVlwD9Jek1VIkCHVMC0hWEV1wtC0O7pd4hFAWcuiDxsAvr1VM7XtCYitghB10qUlh5Jkm4-ymxCzDs_KbAd20pQzWRCmOb8OjhlIJhZqm8XbhOm8jTjpXZG_HClP/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants2-550x411.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715718914902881522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXvSguH5b393Jj924wgAuT2zI26ys5gAI-527zp-OqfOztZKSvmbsbAS_Ptb2wq8IcglGlF7V2QFYd0jDV-MrU-JpIGzvduBh8WJkqoV5ZF3XZvRz3HYEsVlcXbW_wZnfyxvgls3i8oU6/s1600/Andrey-Pavlov-ants-550x347.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXvSguH5b393Jj924wgAuT2zI26ys5gAI-527zp-OqfOztZKSvmbsbAS_Ptb2wq8IcglGlF7V2QFYd0jDV-MrU-JpIGzvduBh8WJkqoV5ZF3XZvRz3HYEsVlcXbW_wZnfyxvgls3i8oU6/s400/Andrey-Pavlov-ants-550x347.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715718929157997058" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-60094242551016270952012-02-24T07:03:00.004-08:002012-02-24T07:18:38.107-08:00Camouflaged Creatures-a photo essay by Alex HydeMother nature has got a wicked sense of humor. She’s also fiercely protective of her creatures as famed wildlife photographer Alex Hyde discovered on his voyage into the world of animals that utilize camouflage for survival. The pictures are awesome and will have you wishing upon a silver star for the ability to blend in.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuw0iQpk7AVuAeFHj3RLVjP0-Md0B7VTJ7j1RK_a4gl1rOxaoJiZC2NO3_tcZJRX2wOhyphenhyphendf3rOYLgCS9gwjZ6l1IuhtiUNlC03bTmhfNFENX9MFGTQV7WYzoof1SewLh20ixJuC7BMJZp/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%252811%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuw0iQpk7AVuAeFHj3RLVjP0-Md0B7VTJ7j1RK_a4gl1rOxaoJiZC2NO3_tcZJRX2wOhyphenhyphendf3rOYLgCS9gwjZ6l1IuhtiUNlC03bTmhfNFENX9MFGTQV7WYzoof1SewLh20ixJuC7BMJZp/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%252811%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712721621626550466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMLzdt9obH9kgcWuJYXknlPQJChTrU6FNqp2IOmnGmz8ShCEVvFNXfElD-pyHSptrMC4WpwNSW85w3LgNlC9T4MEnVOSnV17SufybjApZgSIWsZ6Rb5cUrEUvoGGCIfAA-FQkNDgK2bEd/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%252810%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMLzdt9obH9kgcWuJYXknlPQJChTrU6FNqp2IOmnGmz8ShCEVvFNXfElD-pyHSptrMC4WpwNSW85w3LgNlC9T4MEnVOSnV17SufybjApZgSIWsZ6Rb5cUrEUvoGGCIfAA-FQkNDgK2bEd/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%252810%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712721618763621810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBIZ3Rr2HqOrg3bWvdqmxWUBflSBvHKYELj9lO-3ufmc48cEMlbMgf6oejz_kgBHWsEKr9EKug7GGfNDkYHAIJyfFauq8VoCxbHf0VlBetcMhqCbwJnB9zBEtKtPbBtV-WmrYOmsO_Tdx/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%25289%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBIZ3Rr2HqOrg3bWvdqmxWUBflSBvHKYELj9lO-3ufmc48cEMlbMgf6oejz_kgBHWsEKr9EKug7GGfNDkYHAIJyfFauq8VoCxbHf0VlBetcMhqCbwJnB9zBEtKtPbBtV-WmrYOmsO_Tdx/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%25289%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712721612401501490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweawvpE_nRpzplpZDYwNVW9oYddT2C_Q3nSMz7WoMcBKQtwK6KSMzT_wfx1LJXSDNQ-P3EimsLTX4R0yL6D1mSYSoCP2wl_iHvWp36emd9F1cBWbj4YrYq-9k3g1ykrzogKga2lYstBI1/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%252812%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweawvpE_nRpzplpZDYwNVW9oYddT2C_Q3nSMz7WoMcBKQtwK6KSMzT_wfx1LJXSDNQ-P3EimsLTX4R0yL6D1mSYSoCP2wl_iHvWp36emd9F1cBWbj4YrYq-9k3g1ykrzogKga2lYstBI1/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%252812%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712721627403370370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShrSKiOVlkVjkrLHIuDMiGVIQ29AdYad3NHpwZhEpCafi3xem4QUFBcXzo0osY8tvLsQ9wxIS24bUgWUUgZxUUwGf8CCvzArv4RPWxnjveWjWUEz9MaJgddWAXR9gDiBrSbJNWc51Yd9_/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%25287%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShrSKiOVlkVjkrLHIuDMiGVIQ29AdYad3NHpwZhEpCafi3xem4QUFBcXzo0osY8tvLsQ9wxIS24bUgWUUgZxUUwGf8CCvzArv4RPWxnjveWjWUEz9MaJgddWAXR9gDiBrSbJNWc51Yd9_/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%25287%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712721055700585874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyj1Udd3TJgLlOFJs-Ojw8SC3Y7k5-evytopIrhM-iA7d2C9obYfdgTxYZqj8U7CD9pOoduxKuyOwOqRbAYwQjedrvRFQe_5nUKG9qufabZcJfJFBZ6BOZee8uRCR5MGfDYANg_pN_Ksuf/s1600/find_me_if_you_can+%25286%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFqKKnywf4E_6eomh87Z8CCtRxfpc9FcfGim8paPMNJx4Hvdrl3sM-tQA_hxVMWMQf0P4VrMV-BHH55Jr1beOHQosrUn5UTNBwdEjAS-nzFB9kvGet6ujy2y5h3tSPQjj5JvIVpUNpWor/s400/find_me_if_you_can+%252813%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712718994739128146" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-78842801762631336192012-02-15T09:33:00.000-08:002012-02-15T09:36:14.473-08:00Trees Of Terror<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiNFWS2kBCOqZXFAxh15cr4HWkn3YowC-IZG5oKkXnIgNcl3Iy4PjLw1ebj-QaGH1YEqj3ArjwhFRqjFQE8KL3IQVnRGMD_r3J3zhiOi8OuFdhMIy3LzyEJJQ3e3VNYjA2ub66gVA_aWu/s1600/article-2100602-11B9A621000005DC-263_470x564.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiNFWS2kBCOqZXFAxh15cr4HWkn3YowC-IZG5oKkXnIgNcl3Iy4PjLw1ebj-QaGH1YEqj3ArjwhFRqjFQE8KL3IQVnRGMD_r3J3zhiOi8OuFdhMIy3LzyEJJQ3e3VNYjA2ub66gVA_aWu/s400/article-2100602-11B9A621000005DC-263_470x564.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709417563040546098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYxUHvo5DBUe5ZumgAV3U605pjydr_yaYR_yooS8kKzzUaRVhY24QoJ1L1Y1FSD7JqmOyaAT2Sj_cnAYM5xFbpBgVOfekHvGolH4NNaadgg5GceXmhVVy-iPgX55tthk2Q2yRqaF4wGzM/s1600/article-2100602-11B9A640000005DC-902_470x564.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYxUHvo5DBUe5ZumgAV3U605pjydr_yaYR_yooS8kKzzUaRVhY24QoJ1L1Y1FSD7JqmOyaAT2Sj_cnAYM5xFbpBgVOfekHvGolH4NNaadgg5GceXmhVVy-iPgX55tthk2Q2yRqaF4wGzM/s400/article-2100602-11B9A640000005DC-902_470x564.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709417564898904114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7h-QWM2DMfKS_EltvDaJ0ZEYEwVqJMbiwg3o1ZJsf54NhBmOI2zEkqBAcvP60_T93ZZkmTmb4MD6Y6BhgfSPZmJcwdMUOkO6M7iBChCy-Q_c39xNn8HgFpTaswWJKqyUNWe4vutSr6OH/s1600/article-2100602-11B9B82A000005DC-809_470x657.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2S4fM1-b2kraUS9tw7mOX-M1ZV1JYcPk7wCn5OoxFMQ2niI9uFeYnq6jEl6zJbfewXSmC7JtMb0EbBoVA3cATRlDFuPn2CYj_n2DdwyV8M8VtBOOSid7thKhybCxWxgh-YxPOsw2Puer/s400/article-0-11B693EA000005DC-456_470x657.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709417569570353202" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-2007730178340275252012-02-13T09:35:00.002-08:002012-02-13T09:40:39.074-08:00Whale Shark - The Worlds Biggest Fish!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEDDDwQUZVcBCrgXz_BqlMntge-jK3t4mbibgRqcigezvgV_iRX-e7pudcdRXAQBKgTxPUbFbUhfSiq61LOHo4eukyXIhwiF7sHhCR0YNIKfX4memIu3jJX_1kTipIDJrmjjSBRr-BDIi/s1600/whale-shark-and-diver.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEDDDwQUZVcBCrgXz_BqlMntge-jK3t4mbibgRqcigezvgV_iRX-e7pudcdRXAQBKgTxPUbFbUhfSiq61LOHo4eukyXIhwiF7sHhCR0YNIKfX4memIu3jJX_1kTipIDJrmjjSBRr-BDIi/s400/whale-shark-and-diver.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676547180007282" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP9gagyPi2ybVLnxchIiAGbA0GIpI5IjIoslBaWCCONtZunHDDXpmYCg3Z5uLGkjzo1sG1Xpbzc8yPDKVHmlC8ObNUkvtOL7p96ha8t2IkNf65B0AvfaXhhyphenhyphen7LyKGZpnMMeLzfaIJgZjI/s1600/whale-shark-011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP9gagyPi2ybVLnxchIiAGbA0GIpI5IjIoslBaWCCONtZunHDDXpmYCg3Z5uLGkjzo1sG1Xpbzc8yPDKVHmlC8ObNUkvtOL7p96ha8t2IkNf65B0AvfaXhhyphenhyphen7LyKGZpnMMeLzfaIJgZjI/s400/whale-shark-011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676475789962610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznxcHvAyjEDk8Eu-mvG_PW3Ilb9_Zsco5KPzASb3KbCaAIz65yPVHp2W1woGwH3ILqzLkN40odWvBzWMxhjH68lIA09Ewi_9vipMWMfpAJMZ8PYCii8TcGmfKQsKj7Yrx4Bud3FTwl6eU/s1600/the-world-largest-fish-40-foot-whale-shark.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznxcHvAyjEDk8Eu-mvG_PW3Ilb9_Zsco5KPzASb3KbCaAIz65yPVHp2W1woGwH3ILqzLkN40odWvBzWMxhjH68lIA09Ewi_9vipMWMfpAJMZ8PYCii8TcGmfKQsKj7Yrx4Bud3FTwl6eU/s400/the-world-largest-fish-40-foot-whale-shark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676470332754850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZvwuy81lqQ2Ky8qvNBJ8Hl228ylAB1PzkGJm-M88F_aDHd7rb5kI_B1C7GjLrSgYVbVD1ITDG47eGE9c4niyww7_sXw3gmfl4d5-V0XY9lEmlhTS4RkqD0VQyie1Nyzep63V_HHHAU60/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZvwuy81lqQ2Ky8qvNBJ8Hl228ylAB1PzkGJm-M88F_aDHd7rb5kI_B1C7GjLrSgYVbVD1ITDG47eGE9c4niyww7_sXw3gmfl4d5-V0XY9lEmlhTS4RkqD0VQyie1Nyzep63V_HHHAU60/s400/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676462560071730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvqC1bfZGv7jt4iHXvNnqmtjuwNOEwpKnG4BgmjRLDaniXdqMupTj41dgcp44xUu5IDzIgz1i2nsYqHE7EH32eVZXuX9rLUq9xWn-WHtlgvAp86Udue8mNVItm3o1g6qWZxJQpUpQr3Pw/s1600/bigfishux.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvqC1bfZGv7jt4iHXvNnqmtjuwNOEwpKnG4BgmjRLDaniXdqMupTj41dgcp44xUu5IDzIgz1i2nsYqHE7EH32eVZXuX9rLUq9xWn-WHtlgvAp86Udue8mNVItm3o1g6qWZxJQpUpQr3Pw/s400/bigfishux.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676438881691714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdP3Q4JAJidaT5hb7vwPq2xokVw0kSr_qO6-VTyoXm0yat95j2lwVrzYnAjnQ2P2ubMAdYKOuluTRJCWRVkRdM6iytzmpl_zNwC2HK8UY3-SaSnn-TTpWo5Lb2bpFxL7cvfxldyte8wIf/s1600/whale-shark_754_600x450.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdP3Q4JAJidaT5hb7vwPq2xokVw0kSr_qO6-VTyoXm0yat95j2lwVrzYnAjnQ2P2ubMAdYKOuluTRJCWRVkRdM6iytzmpl_zNwC2HK8UY3-SaSnn-TTpWo5Lb2bpFxL7cvfxldyte8wIf/s400/whale-shark_754_600x450.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708676485855661842" /></a><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/huNfyWy1jDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, and one of the largest creature of any kind alive today. It is classified in the order of Orectolobiformes (five gill slits, anal fin, two dorsal fins, no spines on the fins and the mouth in front of the eyes). In Belize they are most often seen from Placencia or Hopkins, and out by the Silk Cayes.<br /><br />Since whale sharks are night feeders, there really are no guarantees as to when they show up. They are usually visible three days after the full moon at the end of May but sometimes they do not show up until a week later. Although 3 or 4 days before and after the full and new moons in April and May are the best times to interact with the sharks, they are often sighted through the summer months as well.<br /><br />Despite their size, whale sharks are remarkably gentle and curious. The whale shark’s gentle natures makes swimming with them a special treat for divers and snorkelers. The whale shark’s curiosity even pulls fishing parties into its thrall. We have sometimes had whale sharks seem to be asking to be petted as they glide alongside fishing boats.<br /><br />Visit Belize to see these magnificent creatures.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-82806975347380505332012-02-13T09:28:00.001-08:002012-02-13T09:30:26.030-08:00Excellent Winter Morning in the Ukraine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M2_K7WPQsY7dxupWUmoRHCYz4FX22BDtguxbniGAIWHKRS4tqXlV8SMFkB4j_V0TI_3uhmKhvyOsB3co4kaWilhm-2soFvvml2YyGXib7Jz7NDRHZpef9gGgJPbXgIWQalUwcWANGiNZ/s1600/12-782764.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M2_K7WPQsY7dxupWUmoRHCYz4FX22BDtguxbniGAIWHKRS4tqXlV8SMFkB4j_V0TI_3uhmKhvyOsB3co4kaWilhm-2soFvvml2YyGXib7Jz7NDRHZpef9gGgJPbXgIWQalUwcWANGiNZ/s400/12-782764.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708673912184073026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYZJCWYq06DCfFfn0yFm0w2VwNid4ZMRBWDcWdoWMWI14SS7eMfuj_MGkJkD6Vsl4vTe-K7ctSKJOWLh4t1rYyKiJJByYX_gLjDL2FrH7phQ2ZL5y9IIz8ikEyOSV_l9bx-fuw4lOvROH/s1600/10-779281.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oN5iYPENeqUZdDC94E0Hmb6TXJtBGjN326cgGZj9AE3PLB2mcU0_6240JU-pvaIbkcoz3LnKDP9DElxCYeokrXsqxChyphenhyphenuNpKaXK3o8_86mxulUWrEWZHwzScD0l6QE0mW9m8dlinQ4xs/s400/4-768575.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708673631905713810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEhqYxtWnLpIcYe45yz2quVk1urHGY1SxYM4McbSBCU-VTFaQTpNuLtpPACb8-1A2-0rjWQm-diia18vB9QQQV4MF1gyq8qI9xLH_VnwIKgEnVkvFzIwn9bQ9VgbfW7co-YNi2f7MAKzT/s1600/3-766391.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEhqYxtWnLpIcYe45yz2quVk1urHGY1SxYM4McbSBCU-VTFaQTpNuLtpPACb8-1A2-0rjWQm-diia18vB9QQQV4MF1gyq8qI9xLH_VnwIKgEnVkvFzIwn9bQ9VgbfW7co-YNi2f7MAKzT/s400/3-766391.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708673629284902466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x6B_JCf2fkt0A_d-1Q-jX_SsueB78dVBXJMb3rZdhDY6spT2-yO1UlsYaBd5TPPMGi4PN3fFMok3qeoZs8laPAwaYPgdkdH5PKKa44kVNMtkRC8p3OWovIod_hPM-MKD6OyIeqFKiAfM/s1600/2-764433.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x6B_JCf2fkt0A_d-1Q-jX_SsueB78dVBXJMb3rZdhDY6spT2-yO1UlsYaBd5TPPMGi4PN3fFMok3qeoZs8laPAwaYPgdkdH5PKKa44kVNMtkRC8p3OWovIod_hPM-MKD6OyIeqFKiAfM/s400/2-764433.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708673628159618818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimK4_JZtA5kfeLikV_KNcmc_f3Hb1Avc5beP6j8JuwIbZ1DtfVkVZ42LJ1b5LIzt5KwfHtO7WEdwR9T-uOA8SmLfN-ExLP3vqkeovTEk-h5zz5_Epm0hkN_1-LbrrV3J2qKJPR0VcpsNn/s1600/6-772277.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimK4_JZtA5kfeLikV_KNcmc_f3Hb1Avc5beP6j8JuwIbZ1DtfVkVZ42LJ1b5LIzt5KwfHtO7WEdwR9T-uOA8SmLfN-ExLP3vqkeovTEk-h5zz5_Epm0hkN_1-LbrrV3J2qKJPR0VcpsNn/s400/6-772277.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708673641795485010" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-38607836305789906472012-02-11T13:05:00.000-08:002012-02-11T13:11:51.227-08:00Abyssinian birds Paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCBufW79JjX_hjqX63pqtPV-_TH19JZbpQyU6aGTGvZ9ov9ZXRJotN103vYbrrwGwyFYfYhCjAg3VBkKd98U009tIVEOHmcQNl3YATG5sECbqhKudR4OTU0GFYl5zE7Ay6g44iDT9eOZC/s1600/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCBufW79JjX_hjqX63pqtPV-_TH19JZbpQyU6aGTGvZ9ov9ZXRJotN103vYbrrwGwyFYfYhCjAg3VBkKd98U009tIVEOHmcQNl3YATG5sECbqhKudR4OTU0GFYl5zE7Ay6g44iDT9eOZC/s400/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+13.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707988793211461410" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKs4LNQ-fsIphtMdHUtRPB_GGCs4RI1uc7xK2ExFy56PkT7tNuPDxJ7kJEpBO1AXlvI0HXNSjw6A00i_qAp4H0tj1P8j9FN9pY5lSrY-GANurADtJdgKngFt7vVoExb9TGZAMvhlwy4fx/s1600/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKs4LNQ-fsIphtMdHUtRPB_GGCs4RI1uc7xK2ExFy56PkT7tNuPDxJ7kJEpBO1AXlvI0HXNSjw6A00i_qAp4H0tj1P8j9FN9pY5lSrY-GANurADtJdgKngFt7vVoExb9TGZAMvhlwy4fx/s400/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707988789352933378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Mk70kAZOBISOyqAYMgpz6Pe09RJ3P4RmukYIFoiGegWygXfi7S0V7VvlRaHkI5D-wIjD9k8j81CipLua6SiGCc5-5Qn1tAaLGzLhSlnkSJvcj82RAQFrUMZOzs-YBCElQ_uCuGqMit43/s1600/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+11.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74vjOMaIRdZ7ctStywIdxEfgrmWVX3WjjxjpVWVF255cekEbVB24W2gDUfKnl3H9cVkJOjFvMa8wuWmEA2HjRI-ggJR-uYp4_qr6HChJzGQDEAaNEU9Xsg7yz-1XeciOeiRtKTK4EVxS_/s400/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707988374420082946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHYGibR0JB4JVCv7I99wM6XdS36EjqaX1bQdA6veRN_oeUWIdGUQZT5iT8CUhYd7wAPuicMKS4J4-yRt-rhxcQZSCkIEFmtIRT3kCPyhQB6mIoKNv2NzOq9eZMHwlf1WpSwJq5fd-sx3J/s1600/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHYGibR0JB4JVCv7I99wM6XdS36EjqaX1bQdA6veRN_oeUWIdGUQZT5iT8CUhYd7wAPuicMKS4J4-yRt-rhxcQZSCkIEFmtIRT3kCPyhQB6mIoKNv2NzOq9eZMHwlf1WpSwJq5fd-sx3J/s400/Louis+Agassiz+Fuertes_+Album+of+Abyssinian+birds+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707988382255305154" /></a>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-72436215736374755092012-02-10T18:37:00.000-08:002012-02-10T18:42:33.652-08:00Spectacular 'cloud tsunami' rolls over Florida high-rise condos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzzqHCdBgxNdKu2qJLoTlOm4w2HPq2fh4LK-MqDgAq3mfRSRMm0nnQHK8Y5qQf82Jk-ZxMLm_y-wayORZ6H7Ky-u_-a6J7MpZkuamVlq3MeKwobXWacD7UPIDNkMwqqcBiul99O9RFwf2/s1600/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-04.photoblog900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzzqHCdBgxNdKu2qJLoTlOm4w2HPq2fh4LK-MqDgAq3mfRSRMm0nnQHK8Y5qQf82Jk-ZxMLm_y-wayORZ6H7Ky-u_-a6J7MpZkuamVlq3MeKwobXWacD7UPIDNkMwqqcBiul99O9RFwf2/s400/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-04.photoblog900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707702886574302370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxclbqqoELHczPZnRBUD7tbb4OCKDjdzqr1PXOPTYOgIAnHBl7uSBa0pARXhhf6aNpvvfkwDYSom1iplTOp7gzIwhOOiT0QQXgt3WMKadny6o4GRpLk_6Nxx1CbguJpsDI2VM_DgSAwGE/s1600/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-03.photoblog900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxclbqqoELHczPZnRBUD7tbb4OCKDjdzqr1PXOPTYOgIAnHBl7uSBa0pARXhhf6aNpvvfkwDYSom1iplTOp7gzIwhOOiT0QQXgt3WMKadny6o4GRpLk_6Nxx1CbguJpsDI2VM_DgSAwGE/s400/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-03.photoblog900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707702879749854946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5XfuNbE5EBEoEoCPH1LXr_XRoEWqdRaH3Pkp6U1tdxY88SYcZqatZ6mN3uRWh9H0aKIRJfGVXSzSTFR9zn_3j9DdS21zqwGukUicjkntFlzGnZ7PRDaWHexUffAIGbz3BY2-xSQH7w3H/s1600/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-02.photoblog900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5XfuNbE5EBEoEoCPH1LXr_XRoEWqdRaH3Pkp6U1tdxY88SYcZqatZ6mN3uRWh9H0aKIRJfGVXSzSTFR9zn_3j9DdS21zqwGukUicjkntFlzGnZ7PRDaWHexUffAIGbz3BY2-xSQH7w3H/s400/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-02.photoblog900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707702880653533954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK5-LVCgc-tOTyXrf_nhRazoGjjNB1Cl6by7yKn_mMO0dLeu54LsXUoCI1L70WAP4MH2eSFfQ2nSP5m1iheqD9EeCxE9gsJA9dcNFEbZDiQJomL-tL2TFs9A4MP5TvrK55qFZm0TWl-cj/s1600/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-01.photoblog900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK5-LVCgc-tOTyXrf_nhRazoGjjNB1Cl6by7yKn_mMO0dLeu54LsXUoCI1L70WAP4MH2eSFfQ2nSP5m1iheqD9EeCxE9gsJA9dcNFEbZDiQJomL-tL2TFs9A4MP5TvrK55qFZm0TWl-cj/s400/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-01.photoblog900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707702876051014418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NQV9Gt5r2nLJiM10x_eQKWTFPaEakq6KYrIXH8cSDvTdKgJC1wZGITmIAo_EwQQHZAkHicDHNfbDPzttbSedIwibPuGnmz0RVHoDyqEr7z2YcrMIizFzgScbgwbRan5_ipN82iYFEWDI/s1600/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-05.photoblog900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NQV9Gt5r2nLJiM10x_eQKWTFPaEakq6KYrIXH8cSDvTdKgJC1wZGITmIAo_EwQQHZAkHicDHNfbDPzttbSedIwibPuGnmz0RVHoDyqEr7z2YcrMIizFzgScbgwbRan5_ipN82iYFEWDI/s400/120210-cloud-tsunami-waves-nj-05.photoblog900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707702888470886866" /></a><br />Helicopter pilot Mike Schaeffer was wrapping up a tour when he spotted this incredible weather phenomenon along the coast of Panama City Beach, Fl. on Sunday. As soon as he landed, he alerted Panhandle Helicopter owner JR Hott of the "cloud form waves," and together they went up for a better view. They moved quickly knowing that it is only in very specific weather conditions that this beautiful effect occurs. While the online community has dubbed this a "cloud tsunami," Hott disagrees with the popular moniker:<br /><br /> I wouldn't call it a "cloud tsunami." The term tsunami implies a natural disaster. The event, while it can form quickly, moves gently and slowly. It isn't something that happens with more than a gentle breeze.<br /><br />advertisement<br /><br />While the images appear non-threatening and peaceful, as an experienced pilot, Hott has been trained to treat all fog and clouds as if they are solid objects. He and Schaeffer were very careful approaching in the air to get a better view. Fortunately, because of the location of the condos, they were able to approach the cloud waves from the side and did not place themselves in the direct path of the fog.Meteorologist Dan Satterfield explains this occurrence on his blog:<br /><br /> Cool air offshore was very nearly at the saturation point, with a temperature near 20ºC and a dew point of about 19.5ºC. The air at this temperature can only hold a certain amount of water vapor, and how much it can hold depends heavily on the temperature. If you add more water into the air, a cloud will form, but you can also get a cloud to form by cooling the air. Drop the temperature, and it can no long hold as much water vapor, so some of it will condense out and a cloud will form.<br /><br />Hott will see this happen a couple times a year, but Sunday's visibility was especially clear and he was able to make all these pictures in only five minutes! He is more amazed at the attention his pictures are getting, rather than with the event itself. "This is not so much a study in photography, but a study in how something can go viral," he said. Hott posted the photos to his company's Facebook page and suddenly he was getting requests for the pictures from all over the world. He is happy with the attention, hoping it inspires some to take a tour with him along the coastline.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-87627237516728533782012-01-27T18:07:00.000-08:002012-01-27T18:08:46.335-08:00"Get the flock out of here" Cloud of birds Invade Town La Grange,Kentucky<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q9ahhahWIZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388834030363609628.post-12227774764778308162011-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:002011-12-19T13:45:31.219-08:00How to catch, store, and use rainwaterPlant a rain garden<br /><br />When rain falls in Seattle, homeowner Lyn Dillman smiles: Water that used to run down the street now pools in a thickly planted infiltration basin at the garden’s edge, where it percolates into the groundwater below.<br /><br />“It’s a win-win situation,” says landscape designer Malissa Gatton. “The garden helps reduce this household’s environmental footprint. Anybody could do it.”<br /><br />If you have soil that drains well, a rain garden is a great option. Channel rainwater from the roof into a shallowly buried pipe that empties into an infiltration basin or swale at least 10 feet away from your house.<br /><br />Grow water-tolerant plants such as shrub willows in the basin.<br /><br />Design: Malissa Gatton (inharmony.com or 888/ 472-7748)<br /><br />Who owns the rain?<br /><br />All Western states except Colorado and Utah give you the freedom to catch and use rainfall; some jurisdictions even require it. Here’s how different states see it.<br /><br />Arizona The state offers an individual income-tax credit to cover 25 percent (up to $1,000) of the cost of rainwater-capture systems.<br /><br />Colorado Your roof is considered a tributary to a stream somewhere, so unless you have water rights in that drainage, you can’t legally harvest rainwater. However, state legislators this year will consider a bill to permit the collection of water for irrigation.<br /><br />New Mexico Santa Fe County requires cisterns for commercial buildings and for all new houses larger than 2,500 square feet; smaller dwellings must have rain barrels, berms, or swales to make use of rainfall.<br /><br />Utah Rainwater is state property; homeowners can’t legally keep it. State Senator Scott Jenkins plans to introduce legislation this month that would allow homeowners to harvest rainwater.<br /><br />Washington Existing law is ambiguous, so the state’s Department of Ecology doesn’t enforce laws that might regulate rainfall harvest.Rob Hoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211809421832142963noreply@blogger.com0