tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43944816984780899402024-03-19T05:38:52.588-07:00Wild Ramblings of a Western WomanColleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-1043444285322403602013-03-25T18:48:00.000-07:002013-03-25T18:48:25.628-07:00Weeklyish Squee! The Love of a Pack of PupsThis sweet video warms my heart. How can anything in the world seem awful when there is such beauty and joy in the world? How?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ofCZNgnPtqU" width="560"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-71082421225814473432013-01-31T08:43:00.000-08:002013-01-31T02:11:19.075-08:00Hilarious "True Facts"I recently came across a funny video on another blog that I read regularly, <a href="http://www.epbot.com/" target="_blank">Epbot</a>. It is written and created by Jen Yates who also created the <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/" target="_blank">hilarious blog <i><b>Cake Wrecks</b></i>.<span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></a><br />
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On Epbot, Jen mostly posts geeky fun stuff and steampunk stuff and DIY crafty stuff and sometimes posts humorous videos. Since I really dig her sense of humor, I often giggle and find them amusing. However, this video (and many in the rest of the collection) had me gaffawing and chortling loudly. As an environmental educator by profession and a lover of all things sciencey and documentaryish this video just perfectly struck my funny bone.<b> </b>So on to the main attraction...<b><i><br /></i></b><br />
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The creator of this series, Ze Frank, knows exactly how to suck you in
thinking you are watching a real nature documentary. That Morgan Freeman
voice is so commanding. (Go watch the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch5MEJk5ZCQ" target="_blank">'True Facts About Morgan Freeman'</a>). I recommend exploring the rest of<a href="http://ashow.zefrank.com/" target="_blank"> Ze's website</a>
as well. It isn't exactly all about science/nature but there is some
fascinating and creative stuff going on in the community he has
facilitated. You could easily find yourself falling down the rabbit
hole....Watch these videos and enjoy the belly laughs. <b><br /></b><br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>True Facts about Seahorses</b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UqYUTTqupOY" width="560"></iframe>
<b><i></i></b><b><i><br />"That is how a sea-whores do" </i></b></h4>
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<b>True Facts about Angler Fish</b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z-BbpaNXbxg" width="560"></iframe> <i><br />"Here the angler fish waves a lovely pashmina shawl" </i></h4>
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True Facts about Echidnas<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L6kAE06mJAQ?list=PLOHbM4GGWADc5bZgvbivvttAuWGow6h05" width="560"></iframe>
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<i><b>The baby echidna: "a blood flavored crunchy gummy bear</b>"</i></div>
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By the way, there is another video creator who shares fascinating info about nature in a quite hilarious manner. I wrote about it a while ago....<i><a href="http://wildramblingsofawesternwoman.blogspot.com/2011/11/wild-website-randalls-wild-wild-world.html" target="_blank">.Honey Badger Don't Care!</a></i> Enjoy. </div>
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Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-29944953867324942872013-01-21T21:41:00.000-08:002013-01-31T02:12:26.419-08:00The Ultimate JoyI love listening to podcasts and one of my favorites <a href="http://wildramblingsofawesternwoman.blogspot.com/2011/04/podcast-radiolab.html" target="_blank">that I mentioned a long time ago is RadioLab</a> hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. Every week I get to hear them explore an new and exciting science topic. Episode 3 from season 11 aired on December 17th and was called <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2012/dec/17/" target="_blank"><i>Bliss</i></a>. Their investigation was all about what makes people exceptionally happy to a point that their lives are changed.<br />
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They opened with a fascinating and funny story about Aleksander Gamme, an adventurer who embarked on a solo trek to the south pole and back by himself over a period of 86 days. Along the way he would stash items in buried caches to save weight. On his return, he would dig them up often not remembering what he had put in them. The video below is made by him while digging up one of these caches. Make sure when you watch it you have the captions turned on so you can understand what he is saying. But even without that you can understand his complete and utter joy and excitement when finding cheese doodles and candy bars in the cache. I can't think of a time that I have ever been so blissed out and happy that I hollered like he does. It made me smile and giggle. What a wonderful feeling. I look forward to a day when I experience such a profound joy that I cannot help but whoop! and laugh like him. Enjoy this heartwarming video (captions on). <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2012/dec/17/" target="_blank">And be sure to check out the RadioLab podcast.</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="380" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vC8gJ0_9o4M" width="560"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-91729945921020817472013-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:002013-01-01T10:30:00.077-08:00Weekly Squee! Holiday Goats!Even though it has been a week since Christmas, I thought I would share this holiday cheer provided by sweet, jumpy goats. You can visit their website at <a href="http://www.gigglewiththegoats.com/">Giggle with the Goats</a>
or view their other videos at their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Guffey115/videos" target="_blank">YouTube channel. </a><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b4_EdJ-XkUA" width="640"></iframe>
Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-21391653414687334442012-12-28T19:48:00.004-08:002012-12-28T19:48:58.214-08:00Free Meat with a side of Misogyny<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Colleen is cutting steaks from the bottom round of Elk." class="size-medium wp-image-318" height="400" src="http://www.mineral2.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_9766-333x500.jpg" width="266" /></blockquote>
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This Christmas brought an abundance of fresh elk meat when a couple of friends came upon a recently road killed young bull. Instead of writing it all down myself, <a href="http://www.mineral2.com/personal/free-meat" target="_blank">I'll just provide a link to their webpage for most of the details</a>. Here is a brief excerpt from his blog:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"In these parts, elk meat is a coveted delicacy, so when you come
across a free find, you don’t just pass it up. As I mentioned before,
the body was in fairly good condition. The body was also still warm,
which meant this was a fresh kill. Erin had me continue home to grab a
rope and a sled so that we could haul the carcass back home and salvage
the meat. Erin called our friend <span style="color: black;">Colleen,</span>
an avid hunter, and had her talk my wife through removing the viscera.
The next day, she came out with her knives and bone saw and, for the
price of half the meat, helped Erin to butcher the elk." Matt Singer</i></blockquote>
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By all means read his whole entry for the complete story. It was a great adventure. The only sour note I experienced was the day after I talked her through gutting the elk.<br />
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I was running some errands to get the supplies we would need to do the butchering and stopped by the local outdoor store to inquire about the salvage permit that is required by Idaho Fish and Game. Unlike some states, Idaho allows salvage of road kill and you just need to get a free permit. I assumed I could do the paperwork at the same place I buy my annual hunting and fishing licenses. So I walked up to the counter and two young men were standing there and asked if I needed help. I smiled and said I needed to get a salvage permit for an elk. The both laughed at me, looked at each other and the male customer also standing at the counter. "We have no idea what you are talking about!" ***guffaw, chuckle, snark*** It looked at them and said that the permits are required by Fish and Game to salvage roadkill and since I buy my hunting license here I thought they would have them. They still grinned and looked confused and humored by my request. "We don't know anything about that (tee hee, silly girl). Maybe you should call the state patrol." Their condescension and patronizing attitude oozed from them. I just looked at them and said, "No, I'll call Fish and Game" and walked away. I was so very angry at their disrespect and it was all I could do to not lay into them about treating customers property. You'd think the staff at the biggest provider of hunting licenses in our area and the largest hunting store within 80 miles would be aware of such regulations. Instead I was treated like a silly girl interrupting their gun talk. I was in need of a bone saw and decided to ask the woman in that department instead of interact with those two buffoons again. Thankfully she was professional and extremely helpful. In all my years shopping for guns and hunting equipment I have never had such a negative interaction with staff in these departments. Instead of letting the bad behavior of these two boys bother me too much, I decided to write about it here and will likely include it in my dissertation when I write about treatment of women in hunting/outdoor stores.<br />
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After the long day of butchering the young elk, I came home with tons of steaks, a few roasts and stew meat. Luna will even get a few good bones to chew on. I really can't imagine getting a large cow or bull elk or even a moose. It takes a lot of time and energy to get your food prepped and stored. If anyone ever tells you that hunting is an easy way to get meat, don't believe them. It is hard work but so very worth it! We may not have done the hunting part of the equation this time but we did all the work required after. I am grateful that my friends happened upon that elk when they did so that his death provided us with some meat as I didn't get a deer this past season. His short life will nourish ours. <br />
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Well, I've got some stew cooking right now and it is about done so I'll sign off now and wish you all a wonderful new year. Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-37121587462961567972012-12-25T10:03:00.001-08:002012-12-28T12:33:56.566-08:00My Puppy the Penguin<b>UPDATE: The video has been fixed</b> <br />
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My lovely dog Luna is a very active happy pup. Sometimes I think she is part cheetah, part kangaroo, part pig, and part penguin. Which doesn't leave much room for the labrador retriever. She is faster than all the other dogs she meets, she can do a vertical jump up to 5 feet, she loves to roll around in the mud and she absolutely loves snow. I first discovered her love of snow a couple years ago while at my friends farm. We were traipsing through the fields and the snow was quite deep and there was a steep hill ahead of us. Luna and my friends' dogs were just running about having fun but when we got to the steep hill, Luna laid down and slid down the hill on her belly head first, ran up to the top of the hill and did it again. From that moment on I always took her out to play in the deep snow. She shows such exuberant joy in flopping and sliding around in the snow. <br />
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This video is from last year but is the best one I've gotten yet. The dog barking in the background is Lana, a white German shepherd that my friend was fostering. This is one of Luna's favorite places to visit. Lots of land to run around free, her best buddies to play with and her auntie Erin who spoils her rotten. Life is good.Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-23245755476876512872012-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:002012-12-24T10:00:02.974-08:00Weekly Squee! Dolphin and Cat as PlaymatesThis adorable cat and dolphin seem to be hitting it off quite well. The folks filming appear to be on a boat in the ocean and their little gray tabby keeps reaching for the dolphins and then rubbing faces with them. I can't help but wonder if there is any communication going on between these two beings and species. What drives two completely different species like this that never naturally interact to suddenly be so social? Things to ponder while watching this adorable video over and over.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pm63pDCkZWg" width="640"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-53519723856479378202012-12-07T22:09:00.001-08:002012-12-07T22:09:57.356-08:00Liquid FlowersRecently I came across a fascinating article about a photographer who takes the most amazing splash photographs. It sounds simple yet the results are amazing. You drop items into puddles of colored paint with different viscosity, snap a photo and Viola! You get images like these.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2el6RiNr5RJ0hi2mBO7X1u-t1Rn-hzpYssrsZIrSiE83ogtEpAgSNlSQe61wHceAyvlkLTS2uGx1J9UvzoCrV2v38SWp_PD7SwPdigDP54Z5MiGJjBarz5g3ua-P2IqzGbFA7Q32bFc/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2el6RiNr5RJ0hi2mBO7X1u-t1Rn-hzpYssrsZIrSiE83ogtEpAgSNlSQe61wHceAyvlkLTS2uGx1J9UvzoCrV2v38SWp_PD7SwPdigDP54Z5MiGJjBarz5g3ua-P2IqzGbFA7Q32bFc/s640/flower.jpg" width="515" /></a></div>
The artist is <a href="http://jacklongphoto.carbonmade.com/" target="_blank">Jack Long</a> and I can't stop looking at his photos and trying to figure out just how he did it. Did he defy the properties of physics to make this happen? Is he a charlatan who photoshopped it all? Is it a dream?<br />
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The reality is just as fascinating. After months and months of trial and error with different types of liquid and different ways of making the paint splash up, and taking countless photos, Jack was able to create these images. He won't share his secrets but I trust that these are real and not photoshopped. These photos are the labors of love of an artist.<a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/stunning-flowers-are-actually-paint-splashes-photographed-at-the-right-time.html" target="_blank">You can see more of these splash flowers here. </a><br />
<a href="http://jacklongphoto.carbonmade.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://jacklongphoto.carbonmade.com/" target="_blank">His website</a> has other examples of his work that demonstrate his mad photographer skills. I like the ones that look like jelly fish just about as much as the ones that look like flowers.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqihlRSkURdeZhL2oxZnWBzFeAOgyyrQ-gK7Aq8Bw8-nIszspuq03FrqMKreV7da-g1cz5luz2b2WaVIfq3sfJKDjH9fhWC6fqiWfSw8_HmLu7UJn-WeKlQemPsA2LPQPD29bSWGf7wV8/s1600/jellyfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqihlRSkURdeZhL2oxZnWBzFeAOgyyrQ-gK7Aq8Bw8-nIszspuq03FrqMKreV7da-g1cz5luz2b2WaVIfq3sfJKDjH9fhWC6fqiWfSw8_HmLu7UJn-WeKlQemPsA2LPQPD29bSWGf7wV8/s640/jellyfish.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that is a splash of paint and not a jellyfish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love how art is influenced by science and science is often influenced by art. Shows that the two seemingly different thought processes are interlinked. Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-67314290089496693012012-11-19T19:07:00.000-08:002012-11-19T19:07:00.122-08:00Weekly Squee! The Owl and the PussycatWatch this awesome video of a barn owl and a black cat who are long time friends. The cat is named Fum (means 'smoke') and the barn owl is Gebra (means 'frost'). Gebra is a falconry bird and trained to hunt for her caretaker. Both Fum and Gebra often play together. They have a website with more photos and information: <a href="http://www.fumandgebra.com/">www.fumandgebra.com.</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mWhD5bc6Fmg" width="560"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-84398264726925394962012-11-12T10:30:00.000-08:002012-11-12T10:30:01.340-08:00Weekly Squee! Rock N' Roll OtterAdorable otter likes to play with a little stone. Either she's bored or easily entertained.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5usIxO_beYw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-79186263645519352052012-11-05T10:00:00.000-08:002012-11-05T10:00:06.102-08:00Weekly Squee! Jumpy Red FoxEverybody loves playing on a trampoline!
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c8xJtH6UcQY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-75647271327333346162012-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:002012-10-29T10:00:05.341-07:00Weekly Squee! Dog and Fawn PlaytimeI couldn't believe this video was as long as it is. This golden retriever and young fawn were playing for a while. I would have thought the fawn would run into the woods sooner. But apparently they were both having a grand old time.
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OB8qRjMC8lo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-45149847541623639862012-10-26T15:05:00.002-07:002012-10-26T15:05:51.859-07:00Sharks Falling from the SkyI just saw this <a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/a-small-shark-falls-from-sky-onto-california-golf-course-employee-rushes-shark-to-ocean" target="_blank">amazing article online about folks who rescued a leopard shark that fell from the sky.</a> Sounds like a 'too weird to be true story' that should be investigated on Snopes.com but I trust the source and find it to be a sweet story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx1Klp_yxoP8Y6bOBMjVhyphenhyphenaA16Xo54I9E75LnzrwM18MNw7SeHBAf7ErnZBqF-JAuFhR6r7cnaoNyPs2TNTzCE7vvj81cKVM7iM4VvM64ThMv7wi5_gQw8gQ5va2nW3E_rjnNRXxxbe0/s1600/Shark_Golf_RAW_1351265464569_317533_ver1.0_640_480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx1Klp_yxoP8Y6bOBMjVhyphenhyphenaA16Xo54I9E75LnzrwM18MNw7SeHBAf7ErnZBqF-JAuFhR6r7cnaoNyPs2TNTzCE7vvj81cKVM7iM4VvM64ThMv7wi5_gQw8gQ5va2nW3E_rjnNRXxxbe0/s400/Shark_Golf_RAW_1351265464569_317533_ver1.0_640_480.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Apparently a large bird grabbed the 2 foot long shark from the ocean and was carrying it off when, just 5 miles from the shore, it dropped the little guy onto a golf course near the 12th tee. Luckily a course marshal saw it flopping around and decided to rescue it. With the help of other staff, they got it into some salty water and then drove to the shore near Dana Point to release it. It took a minute to revive and then flopped and swam off. I hope it was okay.<br />
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Nature is weird, wonderful, funny, sweet, and can teach lots of lessons if we just listen. Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-51161890854945169252012-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:002012-10-22T10:29:00.292-07:00Weekly Squee! Shirley and Jenny: Reunion of Two Circus ElephantsThis video will make your heart sing and ache. I remember hearing about the story of Shirley and Jenny, two circus elephants that lived out the end of their lives at a sanctuary in Tennessee. They had been in a circus together 20+ years before and were reunited at the sanctuary. This video starts mid story but shows the reunion of these two old gals. It shows so very clearly how animals have emotional lives. Deep emotional lives. Get some tissue before you press play.
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZXKxgLvIS6Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-80257723582439645102012-10-15T19:49:00.000-07:002012-10-15T19:49:00.920-07:00Science Makes Me Say: Can I Haz Sum Puppeez?I am a sucker for adorable baby animals. I saw the video posted below and was reminded of the scientific reasons I, and so many others, may be drawn to baby animals. It's all because of SCIENCE! ... and a bit of sentimentality. <br />
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<a href="http://www.monmsci.net/~kbaldwin/mickey.pdf" target="_blank">This </a>is the first non-technical science essay I remember reading 20 years ago. Stephen J. Gould wrote about the evolutionary reasons for baby animals, including humans, for being so adorable. He creatively used the changes over time of Mickey Mouse's shape to illustrate the same changes, in reverse, in baby animals. Mickey changed from the rat-like character in Steamboat Willie to the baby-like mouse we see today. Baby birds and mammals start out with very rounded heads and big eyes and as they grow become less 'cute'. These features illicit care-giving in adults. After reading that essay I became enthralled by all science writers, bought books by Gould, David Quammen, E.O. Wilson, and many others. I saw that writing about science for a general audience can be complex, entertaining, understandable and educational. Science doesn't have to be dry. So now, as I face completing my dissertation, I look forward to writing articles for the popular press as much as I look forward to getting published in academic journals, if not more so. <br />
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Now, for that video of adorable puppies that make me want to "Adopt All The Puppeez!"<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EZdEB27jrsw" width="853"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-35747588930821893152012-10-15T10:30:00.000-07:002012-10-15T10:30:01.444-07:00Weekly Squee! Puddle Jumping ElkI've been a long time believer in the notion that animals feel more emotions than people have given then credit for. I've read about mourning animals, seen animals who miss their playmate, watched animals get angry or frustrated, experienced them expressing love or affection, and of course watch them play. Here is a great video that shows the universal joy of jumping in a mud puddle. This young elk is obviously playing in the puddle and it makes me smile.
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BCKfYqjnMoY" width="640"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-9038253709403491242012-10-08T10:30:00.000-07:002012-10-08T10:30:00.716-07:00Weekly Squee! Video by GullThis video isn't so much cute and squee inducing but it sure made me giggle. Photobombing critters and gulls like this one that enter in to the craft of videography make me laugh every time.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RArofHji8CU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-8975095593171482542012-10-03T21:18:00.003-07:002012-10-03T21:20:18.517-07:00Nature Notes: A Parliament of Owls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEium-J03Segl87u8j9UMUpMk-K-q8dQfDJdK7Mmv23u1PZTWawnvatlpVqC1ciV-o2R57skiwsVv2i_5LXPKRAP0fTf5qDIGHxR40gQ1k1XTYpJvqtMHFWZjrgwD-a5Id_9KjcBqBLvtVc/s1600/barnowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEium-J03Segl87u8j9UMUpMk-K-q8dQfDJdK7Mmv23u1PZTWawnvatlpVqC1ciV-o2R57skiwsVv2i_5LXPKRAP0fTf5qDIGHxR40gQ1k1XTYpJvqtMHFWZjrgwD-a5Id_9KjcBqBLvtVc/s320/barnowl.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.treknature.com/gallery/North_America/<br />
United_States/photo210357.htm</td></tr>
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I can hardly contain my excitement tonight. I have finally seen, in the wild, a barn owl. Actually there were at least 4 of them and possibly 5 or 6. After a long day on campus I took Luna to the dog park to get her some much needed exercise right before the sun set. We were doing our typical routine of throw-fetch-retrieve when I saw a large bird fly into the trees next to the park. Every spring there is a mated pair of red-tailed hawks that has a nest there. But this bird didn't look like a hawk at all. It was quite light colored and had a different flight pattern. I watched as a couple more swooped into the area. They continued to gracefully glide back and forth over the field. I quickly knew they were owls but assumed they must be great horned owls. My mind just figured they were gray/light phase great horned owls. Something in my gut just didn't sit right with that assumption and I continued to watch them as I tossed the ball for Luna. She was, of course, oblivious to anything but that tennis ball.<br />
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Suddenly, one of the owls came in my direction and flew right over my head. It was slow enough and close enough for me to easily see the cream colored face with the heart shaped tan outline of the facial disc. I just about wet my pants I was so excited. I realized that all those owls were barn owls - a bird I've only seen in captivity. And there they were just flitting about right next to the dog park. The sun was slowly setting and it was getting darker but I could easily see the white underbelly of each bird. One landed in the dark shadows of a tree and its light color popped out of the darkness. It had the typical thin profile and stance of a barn owl. For 15 or 20 minutes I watched these beautiful birds fly around the trees and swoop close to the field and over the dog park. Finally when it was full dark and I couldn't see them anymore, Luna and I went home. <br />
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I am still curious as to why they would be in a group of at least 4 and possibly many more. I've never heard of this before and my brief research indicates that <a href="http://www.coveside.biz/barn-owl.htm" target="_blank">they may gather in roosts of a dozen or so birds in the fall and winter</a>. They also are <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/lifehistory" target="_blank">not defensive about their hunting grounds and many birds will hunt the same fields without any competition</a>.It is still odd to see so many together. But it must happen as there is a name for a flock: A Parliament of Owls. What a great name eh?<br />
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I'll continue to visit the dog park and will keep my eyes and ears open for more sitings of these awesome birds. <br />
<br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-48400228290086109972012-10-01T10:30:00.000-07:002012-10-01T10:30:00.343-07:00Weekly Squee! Meerkat Giggles<span style="font-size: large;">A giggling meerkat ... you can't see this and not smile.
</span><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GDuxcEUceW4" width="853"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-57080963378610950172012-09-30T18:18:00.000-07:002012-09-30T18:18:04.289-07:00Magical Images of Magnified SandI recently saw a photo on my Facebook page of magnified sand grains that looked unbelievable. I immediately did some internet research and found that the images weren't photoshopped or created from nothing. They are real photos of real beach sand. The photos are amazing and beautiful. They also reinforce for me the notion that people are really just a spec of carbon in the grand universe we call home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB451yD0Ik2cSfK-VTbvvyg_OZE_XkkGRvKQ6d9-i8EfQJaVDGsr195HQ8DzcFQzFdp8qFRRTrA5dMzaPtleKz8-59P8NXI1Kly9mMMkn7B-ZaAsuSJfXRcKMu_KdkSw_g7-vEumgxoA/s1600/SandMix-web-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB451yD0Ik2cSfK-VTbvvyg_OZE_XkkGRvKQ6d9-i8EfQJaVDGsr195HQ8DzcFQzFdp8qFRRTrA5dMzaPtleKz8-59P8NXI1Kly9mMMkn7B-ZaAsuSJfXRcKMu_KdkSw_g7-vEumgxoA/s640/SandMix-web-copy.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.sandgrains.com/index.html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.sandgrains.com/index.html" target="_blank"> Dr Gary Greenberg is the artist and scientists who took these photos</a>. He started as a photographer and then did work on cancer research, got a PhD in biomedical research and then invented the camera that could take pictures like this. <br />
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No matter how much I learn and how much I see, I'll never tire of learning more amazing things about this planet. It really is a marvelous little rock in space. <br />
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<br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-72609635739408071892012-09-24T10:30:00.000-07:002012-09-24T10:30:02.143-07:00Weekly Squee! Cookie the PenguinThis little guy is so adorable. At the end of the video you get to hear how happy he is to have his belly tickled. Penguins are adorable!
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3wTWWjYTe1I" width="853"></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-59451539073720528882012-09-19T17:38:00.000-07:002012-09-19T17:38:56.243-07:00World's Largest Vertical GardenToday I saw a news post about the world's largest vertical garden. It is amazing and beautiful. The garden covers 1,263 square feet of wall at a shopping center in Italy. <a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/worlds-largest-vertical-garden-grows-on-italian-shopping-center.html">The website has more pictures and a description of how it was done.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/worlds-largest-vertical-garden-grows-on-italian-shopping-center.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWytqewP1PbdE0Us0fdOIRnZYLKKsm6mxqlzYOUhDHm99pgPxh6FPS-CvVWXlKaeJ2MKFzHw8DTZOpWwgpqNjEgfWZFtHVuAAfMW6qKbjLCZRIlpYuCWMOH4D8QaxOM_K1NO6M3kVMxI/s400/vertical-garden-Rozanno-550x412.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vertical Garden in Rozanno, Italy</td></tr>
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A quote from the website:
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The vertical garden of Rozanno is definitely a magnificent sight to behold, but its purpose extends beyond aesthetics. Shopping centre director Simone Rao said: “This is sustainable architecture, which can combine beauty with energy saving while respecting the environment.” The plant life growing on the walls of the building helps regulate the temperature inside, and by reducing direct sunlight, it helps keep energy consumption to a minimum. This man-made wonder also absorbs carbon dioxide and keeps ambient noise to a minimum.
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Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-26499399357699704232012-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:002012-09-17T11:14:00.635-07:00Weekly Squee! Baby Elephant!Absolutely adorable baby elephant! She is so furry! I just want to cuddle it.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eMmIY7zMJgg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-18572268156887562032012-09-13T16:34:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:36:03.129-07:00Wild Fires in the WestIt has been a rather intense fire season in the west this year. Colorado was on fire earlier this summer and lots of friends were affected by those. Now, the northwest is on fire and I am experiencing the smokey air even though most of the fires in the state are quite far away. Today, all over town it smelled like a campfire and there was a haze of smoke blocking the sun. Friends of mine with lung issues are sure to pack their inhalers with them as they are often in coughing fits when the air gets bad. Others I know are fighting the fires. One tragedy nearby in Orofino, ID involved a young firefighter who lost her life while working. I am forever grateful for those who are willing to do such a dangerous job. I have only ever worked prescribed fires and while I really enjoyed it, I also saw a little of the power of fire up close. It is exciting and scary at the same time. <br />
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In the process of learning about these fires, I have found<a href="http://inciweb.org/incident/3241/" target="_blank"> a great website for tracking them</a>. Inciweb.org provides detailed information about wildfires and it is updated regularly (like every hour or less for big, uncontained, or new fires). Here's a picture of what the map looks like when you choose an incident.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2c5qvKcKqdcNaB-PtVodPxZKCPqmDc-byDPP7Fcjen_sv4TMBkMM-y43_jH6f-w-sHybJ9ZiO0lsuwgcXcfZBXxVXCtuJ3NKMSEgEaZrY-VkJvDKSbhtKCR9UqCadyF0u2GLoDRmKoI/s1600/phtoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2c5qvKcKqdcNaB-PtVodPxZKCPqmDc-byDPP7Fcjen_sv4TMBkMM-y43_jH6f-w-sHybJ9ZiO0lsuwgcXcfZBXxVXCtuJ3NKMSEgEaZrY-VkJvDKSbhtKCR9UqCadyF0u2GLoDRmKoI/s640/phtoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
You can click on the little fireballs to get more details about a specific fire. There are links to closures, news, other maps, etc. If you go to <a href="http://www.inciweb.org/">www.inciweb.org</a>, use the drop down menus in the upper right corner to select a state - click GO. Then you can choose a specific Incident to get the snazzy map you see above. From there you can zoom in or out and drag the map around to see other states too.<br />
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I found this website partly because there is tons of smoke and my friends had a fire near their farm recently. But also because I am traveling through the west and needed to confirm my route. Turns out that the route I had planned is not doable at all. Initially, it looked like it would just be smokey and have delays. Now, the Mustang Complex fire (the giant red blob in the picture above) is requiring the evacuation of towns along the highway I was going to travel. So, now I will spend tomorrow driving along bigger highways (also with small fires nearby), through smokey air until I reach Idaho Falls for a conference. Then, it is off to Tetons and Yellowstone for a quick one-day visit of the parks. A friend who is joining me has never seen the parks so I hope for his sake it is clear enough to enjoy. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Remember to thank a firefighter. They do dangerous hard work to keep us all safe and protect our natural resources!</span></div>
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<br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4394481698478089940.post-50262031811643557182012-09-10T10:50:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:37:36.309-07:00Weekly Squee!: Baby Sloths get Potty TrainedWho would have thunk that watching baby sloths bliss out while eliminating would be so squee inducing? Hey, let's be honest now, everyone likes a good BM.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1x5tjPWwABc" width="853"></iframe><br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13993003745618678833noreply@blogger.com0