Science Probe

SCIENCE PROBE

“Jade Rabbit is Hopping on the Moon's Far Side,”

reported Ken Moritsugu in The Associated Press.

China's recent successful touchdown is hailed on streets of Beijing!

“A Chinese space rover explored the lunar terrain ~ the world's first mission on the far side of the moon. Jade Rabbit2 drove off a ramp the previous night and onto the soft, powdery surface after a Chinese spacecraft made the first-ever soft landing on the moon's far side.

A photo posted online by China's space agency showed tracks
left by the rover as it headed away from the spacecraft.

“It's a small step for the rover,
but one giant leap for the Chinese nation,”

Wu Weiren, the chief designer of the Lunar Exploration Project,
told state broadcaster CCTV ~ echoing U.S. astronaut, Neil Armstrong' famous comment
when he became the first human to walk on the moon in 1969:

“This giant leap is a decisive move for our exploration of space
and the conquering of the universe,” Wu Weiren added.

China's space community is taking pride in the successful landing, which posed technical challenges because the moon blocks direct communication between the spacecraft and controllers on Earth.

He Qisong, a space expert at the East China University of Science and Law stated, “The landing on the far side shows China's technology is powerful. China has already positioned itself as at least as good as Russia and the European nation. It means our science and technology ability is getting sronger and the country is becoming more powerful.”

The news inspired dreamier thoughts ~ probably, after some years,
ordinary people like us can travel up there to have a look!

“The Chinese rover has 6 powerful wheels, allowing it to continue to operate even if one wheel fails. It has a maximum speed of 200 metres per hour and can climb a 20-degree hill or an obstacle up to 20 metres tall. The surface is soft~ and it is similar to that when you are walking in the snow,” said rover designer, Shen Zhenrong. “The far side is called the dark side because it can't be seen from Earth and is relatively unknown, not because it lacks sun.”

(The foregoing was published January 5, 2019 in The Hamilton Spectator)

Almost all of the space programs' important advances in scientific knowledge have been accomplished by hundreds of 'robotic spacecraft' in orbit about Earth ~ and on missions to the distant planets: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

NASA's INSIGHT Lands on Mars!

“Cheers erupted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which operates the spacecraft, when sent back acknowledgement of its safe arrival on Mars. That was the end of a journey of more than 6 months and 3 hundred million miles. (Published in Science Insight)”

In the months ahead, INSIGHT will begin its study of the Martian underworld ~ the aim of helping scientists understand how the planet was formed ~ lessons that could also help shed light on Earth's origins.

It will listen to tremors...'marsquakes'...and collect data...that will be pieced together in a map of the interior of the red planet. Mission scientists have described the region as resembling a parking lot, or Kansas, without the corn! The mission is not interested in rocky terrain or pretty sunsets!

Planners chose the flattest, safest place that the spacecraft could land!

“Mars is the next frontier ~ what the Wild West was ~ what America was 500 years ago.
It's time to strike out anew.
Mars is where the action is for the next thousand years.
The characteristics of human nature is curiosity and exploration.
When we strip away that, we won't be human anymore.
Many of our problems on Earth can only be solved by space exploration.
The next step is in Space. It's inevitable!” (Unknown Author)

Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

~ published in News Canada ~

“Practising Green Habits goes beyond sorting your trash. Introducing new technologies can help reduce your carbon footprint and save you money. From smart thermostats...to electric vehicle charging stations...integrating technology in the home...can provide peace of mind.

Here, the Electrical Safety Authority shares 3 ways to reduce your environmental impact, using smart technology.

Heat your home efficiently: Choosing a wi-fi thermostat is both effective and efficient. These devises learn your schedule and preferences to optimize your energy usage and can help save money on your heating bill. There are electrical considerations to keep in mind when making the switch. Work with a licensed electrical contractor to ensure the proper voltage and wiring required.

Light your way to cost savings: Replacing incandescent light bulbs for LEDs, will make a big impact on your monthly utility bill. Plus, with the addition of 'smart plugs', you can control them from anywhere to only have 'lights on' when needed. While many of these smart gadgets are available online, they may or may not be approved for use in Canada. Look for a recognized certification mark to ensure they're safe and have been properly inspected.

Fuel up on electric power: Beyond the home, consider further reducing emissions by making the switch to an electric vehicle. Not only are they a better option for the environment, they can also help save you money by not having to fill up at the pump. Depending on the existing electrical service to your home and the size of the charging system, a service upgrade may be required to increase the electrical service to your home to a minimum of 200 amps.

Find more tips online at poweryourlife.ca.

Good Advice by John Wheeler:
“In any field, find the strangest thing
and then explore it.”

Written by MBK March 7, 2019
Comments welcome

Wisdom of Animals

While walking in the park one day, Monica heard a singing bird on an outstretched limb and with heart-felt love, pondered a quote by William Shakespeare :

I would not wish any companion in the world, but you.

They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations
caught with ourselves. They show us what’s missing in our lives...
and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally.
They connect us back to who we are...and to the purpose of why we’re here.
(Quote by Trisba McCagh and illustrated by a herd of elephants
treading through a tropical grassland.)

Human Comprehension
My favourite monkeys are superior to man in this:
When a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey.
Michael Chazall’a belief is that the animals of the world exist
for their own reasons. They were not made for humans more than the black people were made for white...or women created for men.

Mahatma Ghandhi reasoned that “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress
can be judged by the way its animals are so placid and self-contained.
I stand and look at them ~ and long to be with them.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition;
they do not awake in the dark, and weep for their sins.
They do not make me sick discussing their sins.
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.
No one is dissatisfied...no one is demented with the mania of owning things.

Farley Mowat believes we have doomed the wolf, not for what it is, but for what we deliberately perceive to be.

Animals are such agreeable friends: they ask no questions...they pass no criticisms.
(George Eliot)

“Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions...grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”
(Alfred A Montapert)

“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen, though. That’s the problem,” stated A. A. Milne.

How is it that animals understand things...I do not know; but it is certain that they do understand. Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words, and everything in the world understands it. Perhaps there is a soul hidden in everything, and it can always speak without making a sound to another soul.
(Hodgson Burnett)

Let us remember that animals are not mere resources for human consumption. They are splendid beings in their own right, who have evolved alongside us as co-inheritors of all beauty and abundance of life on this planet.
(Marc Bekoff)

Laura Adams Amer believes that Marc could tell by the way animals walked that they were keeping time to some kind of music. Maybe it was the song in their own hearts that they walked to. Animals are more than ever a test of character, or of mankind’s capacity for empathy, and for decent honourable conduct, and faithful stewardship. We are called to treat them with kindness, not because of fright or power, or some claim to equality. But, in a sense, they all stand unequal and powerless before us.
(Matthew Scully)

For centuries, poets have tried to give a voice to animals and some readers have felt empathy and sorrow. If animals did have voices...and they could speak with the tongues of angels, they would be unable to save themselves from us. What good would language do? Their mysterious otherness has not saved them...nor have their beautiful songs, coats, skins, shells, and eyes, stated Joy Williams.

The other mammoths were as protective of the dying as they are of the newborns...and they gathered around trying to make the fallen one get up. When all was over, they buried the dead ancestor under piles of dirt, grass, leaves, or snow. Mammoths were even known to buy their dead animals, including humans, stated Jean M. Auel

Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what is missing in our lives...and how to love ourselves more completely, and unconditionally. They connect us back who we are, and to the purpose we’re here.
(Tricha McCagh)

Maybe it’s animalness that will make the world right again. The wisdom of elephants...the enthusiasm of canines...the grace of snakes...the mildness of anteaters. Perhaps being human needs enthusiasm of canines...the grace of snakes...the mildness of anteaters.

To see ten thousand animals untamed and not branded with the symbols of human commerce is like scaling an unconquered mountain for the first time...or like finding a forest without roads or footpaths or the blemish of an axe. You know then what you have always been told, that the world once lived and grew without adding machines and newsprint and brick-walled streets...and tyranny of clocks.
(Beryl Markham)

Compiled by MBK, Dec 24, 2020
Comments always welcome

This Land is Our Land

 

“THIS LAND IS OUR LAND”
said: bird, goats, whales, aquatic habitat and the shagbark hickory.

Cattle Egret is a transient species primarily in southern Canada, from the west coast to the east coast and Newfoundland ~ with 100 to 500 breeding birds. Special it is ~ being the only African avian immigrant to move to Canada. This globe-trotting egret is the most widespread and abundant heron in the world.

Its immigration to Canada begins with a hurricane in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Africa. One day, around 1890, a small flock of these itinerate egrets (or perhaps just a single egg-laden female) was sky-jacked by the winds of a tropical storm and transported 4,600 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean to Suriname in South America. By 1933, this adaptable wading bird was nesting in the Caribbean.

In 1941 it was spotted in the United States ~ and by 1952, it had strayed into Canada. Since then, roving cattle egrets have been sighted in every province as well as in Yukon and Northwest Territories.

A few years ago, a starving stray egret was spotted in Churchill, Manitoba. Soon after, a hungry polar bear abruptly ended its travel adventure.
(the foregoing written by Wayne Lynch)

Groups of Goats have been deployed in Edmonton and Calgary as their public works departments assess just how effective goats can be in controlling noxious weeds by eating them. They call it targeted browsing ~ which beats uses of herbicides.

Endangered Salmon: Three new viruses are attacking endangered Chinook and Sockeye salmon which researchers at the University of British Columbia have found. These viruses affect both farmed and wild populations emphasizing the potential role that viral disease may play in the population of wild fish stocks and the threat these viruses may pose to aquaculture.

Brown or Norway Rat (across Canada, except Alberta. This common pest escaped from European ships around 1775. They damage crops...mess up houses...prey on wildlife...and spread disease. Crop damage led the grain-rich province of Alberta to wage a war against them.

European Starling: About 100 were released in early 1890s by a Shakespeare fan group in New York's Central Park...intending that North America would have all the bird species that Shakespeare ever mentioned. Today, more than 200 million European starlings harass native birds and eat eggs.

Coyote: Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in the 1980s ( and now in Southern Ontario) the coyote has increased its range to urban development. Coyotes are threats to wildlife ~ our deer and caribou.

Right Whales: The advocacy group Oceana is calling for the US and Canada to unite in a bi-national campaign to protect the North Atlantic right whale. After 8 more died in Canadian waters this past summer, their population is hovering around 400 animals.

Shagbark Hickory

From the fall harvest to through solstice and Christmas activities, nuts are a 'must have' for seasonal occasions. Carya Ovata says she enjoys filberts, walnuts and Brazil nuts but intends to serve some lesser-known nuts ~ something native to my little corner of Canada. That's how I came across a Canadian population of the shagbark hickory tree. They are sweet and tasty and conjure an admixture of walnut and pecan. They are local: occurring naturally only on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and western Quebec. There are also 'old stands' near southern Lake Huron ~ surmised, were planted long ago by local Indegenous peoples. Growing tall, the shagbark hickory trees can live for over two centuries. Their most distinctive feature is the bark, which on mature trees only, is 'shaggy' with long strips that peel off ~ and dangle before eventually dropping to the ground.

North America's Indigenous peoples used this flexible wood for excellent hunting bows. European settlers used the wood to make barrels and wagon wheels. Later, it was popular for sports gear such as skis and racquets. To this day, the hard wood, burning hot and long, is ideal for for smoking meat (as in hickory smoked). Historically, the sap has been used to make syrup ~ yet only pales in comparison to maple.

Bitter Harvest

Among European birds, mechanized olive harvests are a serious threat.

They are dying by the thousands.

The next time you reach for that bottle of olives for your martini or for hors d'oeuvres for a party, you might want to think of this horrifying fate for some of the world's birds ~ being sucked up by a huge vacuum cleaner ~ and then sold to rural hotels to be served as delicacies!

According to the scientific journal Nature, this past May, more than 2 million birds are being sucked out of olive trees in Portugal and Spain every year. Olives are harvested from October through January, which coincides perfectly with the migration patterns of songbirds seeking warm climates to spend the winter. The birds roost in the trees during the night ~ and that's precisely when the olives are harvested. Olives apparently taste better when harvested at night ~ because the cooler temperatures allow for better retention of aromatic compounds.

Mechanical harvesters, taller than the trees and armed with floodlights and rows of vibrating teeth, move along the rows of olive trees ~ seizing each one ~ and shaking it violently to loosen the fruit ~ and direct it into powerful vacuums. Blinded and stunned by the bright lights of the vacuum-like harvesting machines, the sleeping birds are literally sucked right off their perches into them.

We're talking warblers, thrushes, wagatils, finches and robins, including at least a half dozen species already on the decline. The machine operators then sell the dead birds to local rural hotels for human consumption. In one region of Portugal, alone, a half-dozen birds are killed each night per hectare of olive tree grove,which amounts to 96,000 birds lost per year. In Spain, an estimated 2.6 million birds are vacuumed up annually..

Millions of migrating birds from the United Kingdom pass right through those countries on the way to their wintering grounds in northern Africa.

Who knows how many spend their nights in those olive groves?

But, if we North Americans decide to stop eating their night-harvested olives, maybe that will get their attention. It certainly worked for dolphin-safe tuna.

(the foregoing are excerpts from observations by David Bird)

Lastly, a mother Brown Bear and her cub invite us to explore the Wonders of Canada's Wilderness.

The foregoing assembled by MBK...October 31, 2019

Chemistry on Ice

When skating their 4-minute “Ice Dancing” program, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir had not watched the rendition of the French pair who were strong contenders for the Gold Medal at Pyeong Chang's Winter Olympics.

“That's the beautiful thing about skating,” stated Scott.

He recalled a long-ago conversation with Canada's best figure skater that stuck with him.

“Kurt Browning told us once, You compete against other skaters ~ but everyone gets their own 4 minutes. So just control that!”

Of interest: The top two 'Ice Dancing' teams in the world, both share the same coaches in Montreal: former Canadian 'ice dancers' (Patrice Lauzon and Marie-France Dubreuil). During workouts, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir watched the highly skilled French skaters, hundreds of times.

So many contributing skills mold the persona of our Tessa and Scott ~ from the Arts, the selected Music, the Athleticism ~ and today they have become entrepreneurs in this world of 'ice dancing'.

Consider the arts of Tom Thomson and Canada's Group of Seven.

Mix in the athleticism of Wayne Gretzky.

Add the musical combos of Daniel Lanois, folk-song Lauriate of Gordon Lighfoot and Leonard Cohen whose immense music contribution over several decades...is so memorable.

In most musical compositions, there is emotion and sexuality in the lyrics.

All Tessa's and Scott's presentations 'tell a story' and this story complements the foregoing attributes.

With music from Roxanne, they created a legend which won them GOLD!

We still enjoy skating together over these 20 years, states Scott, and I believe that's why we still are. It's more than a friendship...it's romantic as we develop the story as we work with our skilled personnel behind the scenes. Our working relationship is so strong in realizing the essence of the story to be told through choreography and the practised movements on ice. The audience hopefully watches as our story unfolds before their eyes. The presentation captures their attention which in turn captivates us to dance to the music and its lyrics.

Their future is unknown to us ~ but be assured, they will continue to skate and perform in a new capacity and venue. We love you both: TESSA and SCOTT! And wish you much success and enjoyment in your development of 'of dance' and whatever is your next project!

Everybody's youth is a dream ~ a form of chemical madness.
(F. Scott Fitzgerald)

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances.
If there is any sensation, both are transformed.
(Carl Yung)

Everybody is a genius!
But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.
(Albert Einstein)

Other News from the Canadian Front

'Best Buds' Stand Side by Side on the Podium: “When Canadian Brittany Phelan moved to the skicross discipline from alpine a few years ago, she quickly struck up a friendship with Kelsey Serwa, also Canadian. They describe themselves as 'best buds' now and are often inseparable...training together, hanging out regularly and sometimes even racing against each other. Skicross entered the Olympian lexicon in 2010. On Friday, they stood side-by-side on an Olympic podium. Serwa won Gold and Phelan took the Silver in the women's skicross competition at the Pyeong Chang Winter Games, giving Canada a repeat 1-2 Olympic finish from four years ago in Sochi.

Serwa said, “We didn't come out here to participate. We came out here to win!

To do it together is unbelievable. I'm so pumped!”

Canada's Flag Bearer? Canada has a long list of worthy candidates to receive the closing honour. Tomorrow, Sunday, is the Closing Ceremony for the current Winter Olympics Two possible flag bearers are Kim Boutin and Michael Kingsbury. Personally, I believe Canada should have two...in that when Canada's Team entered the stadium for the Opening Ceremony, it was our long-time ice-dancers, and medal winners over the years, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who carried the flag.

Pup Rescue: Meagen Duhamel and Eric Radford not only won a Bronze Medal, they made news by rescuing a pup from South Korea's 'dog-meat-trade' and planned to whisk home another one.

Written by MBK...February 24, 2018
Comments appreciated

Hamilton LRT

 

So Hamilton is being offered 3.4 billion dollars to build an LRT? Is this not just a single line LRT from University Plaza to Eastgate? How does that cost so much?

If we're talking LRT lines snaking all over the city and up the Mountain to the Lime Ridge Transit Center, well, I'm listening.

Previously, businesses along King St objected to the LRT. While it is obviously good for business once running, it is challenging on business during construction.

I will admit that the streetcar lines added to Spadina Chinatown in Toronto are definitely a big improvement. And you can very conveniently take a streetcar from Union Station to Chinatown. And it looks nice too.

What I find ironically funny is that Hamilton had an LRT long before it had buses. Back then, the Mountain was mostly farmland, and there were no roads up the Mountain as there are now. A funicular operated at the south end of James St. There was even a small hotel at the top of the funicular.

Hamilton’s public transit system today, albeit all buses, is called HSR, which stands for Hamilton Street Railway.

Long ago, the rails were pulled up, but electric buses known as "trolley buses" continued to run with a busy network of overhead power lines in the downtown area into the early 1970's.

Later, those wires were removed. Most recently, a new downtown bus terminal was opened on MacNab St, and moved from Gore Park.

Now they want to spend $3.4 billion to build a Hamilton Street Railway? I may look stupid, but I'm not really stupid.

But $3.4 billion? Who is paying for it? With what money? Oh, they're just printing money to pay for it? Who pays for the printed money? Printed money steals from everybody's savings, forces everybody to pay more for basic commodities, and forces everybody into higher tax brackets as they have to earn more, cheaper money, to pay for basic living expenses.

That's if the general public continues to trust the federal government, and continues to accept their funny money. Once no one accepts it, it will become worthless, and will hyperinflate.

To come back on a positive note, I have used the LRT's in Calgary (C-Train) and Silicon Valley (VTA), and they both work very well. Calgary Transit reports that it costs $1.00 per passenger mile to move someone on a bus and only 10 cents per passenger mile to move someone on the C-Train. So there is a huge cost saving in operation: the notion being that an LRT tends to pay for its up-front investment in long-term operation.

And it has its share of accidents. Buses have accidents too. Calgary had a two year old boy fall off a downtown platform in front of an arriving C-Train. The operator tried, but could not physically stop his train in time.

That accident could easily be attributed to careless supervision, as the child's uncle had allowed the child to run aimlessly around the platform without training the child in basic rail safety.

(But if they allow a four-year-old kid to choose his gender identity, why not let him choose his own train platform safety. Let him choose what food he wants to eat. Let him choose if he wants to go to school. Let him choose when to come in at night.)

Composed by ABK, May 2021

Childhood Imagination

If your six-year old-son likes to pretend he is Batman, and likes you to call him Batman, you do not send him to school in a Batman costume, except on Oct 31. 

And you do not insist that all of his school teachers call him Batman.

And you do not threaten legal action against a teacher who refuses to call him Batman, but insists on using his given name.

Likewise, if your six-year-old daughter likes to pretend she's a mermaid, then let her enjoy her imagination and make-believe at home, or give her a mermaid themed birthday party.

You do not demand that her elementary school accommodate her wearing a fish tail to school every day. And if she wants to do that, you tell her no.

It is your responsibility as a parent to train your child in the difference between imaginary make-believe and reality.

On the same note, if your little girl likes being tomboyish at home, and likes playing in the dirt, well that's fine at home, but when she's going to school or out with Mom and Dad, she is expected to be neat and clean, and (preferably) feminine looking.

It is a parent's job to lead by example, and to train their children in proper standards.

In a related story, and just showing a right way to interpret such interests;

A certain little boy, we will say about six, was particularly fond of the movie Frozen. They had the usual collection of Disney cartoons, but this little boy couldn't get enough of Frozen.

He would sing the songs, and dance in the living room while it played. His mother worried a little bit that he seemed overly obsessed with the female characters.

Shopping for school needs, she offered him a Batman lunch box, but he had instantly gravitated over to the girls' section, and was looking over the Princess themed items. And he proudly pulled out a light blue Frozen-themed lunch box depicting Anna and Elsa with a huge smile on his face.

"I want this one."

His mother worried that things were going too far, and he shouldn't be using such girlish things in public.

"Those are meant for girls," she tried to explain. Boys at school will tease you.

"But I love it!" he pleaded.

After a while she found there was no changing his mind, and she bought it for him. And he happily used it every day without any complaints.

It didn't take this wise mother long to figure out that her son had a crush on Princess Anna. He loved watching Frozen because that was the only way he could see his beloved Anna.

He was singing and dancing in the living room because he was imagining that he was dancing with Anna.

He had no effeminate tendencies at all, and she felt so ashamed of herself for even worrying about anything so silly. She thought back to her own childhood, when she used to dress up in a princess costume and dream of marrying a prince.

Her son's behaviour was less common for a boy his age, but hardly anything to worry about.

She saw his interest for what it truly was: a perfectly healthy and appropriate male desire for feminine beauty.

So she went down to the Disney Store, and they showed her some high end, ornamental princess dolls, and she ordered an Anna doll and gave it to him for his birthday.

Biodiversity's Benefit

“We Need to Work Together to Improve the State of Nature”

(wrote Carolyn Zanchetta who is 'stewardship and co-ordinator' of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club.)

The following are excerpts from her recently published writing.

“In the depth of winter, our communities are cold and grey, and getting outside feels like an insurmountable task. Winter might not evoke scenes of living nature or vibrant wildlife, but there is still so much alive and active when we look around and appreciate the subtle beauty of nature in winter.

“Bright red cardinals flit from tree to tree competing with blue jays and juncos for space at the feeder.

Nuthatches and chickadees call back and forth from the forest. Without leaves obscuring the tree branches, this is one of the best times to spot owls, with the particular delight of visiting snowy owls around Windermere Basin and the Beach. Hear coyotes yipping near the escarpment. See squirrels sprinting along the power lines. Watch fish swim under the ice in Cootes Paradise. Deer freeze, watching you cautiously from the trail. Lichen colourfully coats the trees along the street as the snow piles up. The large variety of evergreens provides ample habitat for the sparrows that fluff their feathers to stay warm. These majestic trees are a glimmer of hope for the coming spring.

A plethora of diversity that we never see, contributes even more than we could know to our ecosystems ~ and even our health!

Biodiversity is the variety of life within a region,
or throughout the types of habitat in the area ~
and also within the genetics of a species.

“A healthy ecosystem, a healthy community or a healthy species is diverse and resilient, able to adapt to change and overcome. But this essential variety of life is at risk in our communities and throughout the world. Everywhere, species populations are declining. Habitat loss, pollution, climate change and invasive species all threaten the flora and fauna that live alongside us.

As the Hamilton Naturalists' Club celebrates a century of protecting nature, there is a renewed focus on conserving and enhancing our biodiversity.”

When previously, have we ever been informed about 'climate change'?
Only in current years have I realized our animals' great losses of habitat!

Consider the wolves and coyotes who now inhabit the edges of our cities!

Each seasons' weather is now unpredictable!

I recall April 6, a Thursday about 20 years ago we had a giant snowstorm

Awareness of these 'bio-diversities' is Nature's Wake-Up-Call to you and me!

Critics Slam Proposed Oil Exploration Near 'Unbelievable' Sable Island

To me, the most graceful animals on Earth are horses and deer.

Although having had a yen to travel several islands, Sable is one I'd dearly love to visit, Just off the coast from Nova Scotia, it is a massive shifting sand dune adrift in the wilds of the North Atlantic and we must safeguard its tenuous existence. Its primary inhabitants are wild horses who have bred and lived on this island for many, many years. To visit the island, one must obtain a permit.

From Halifax, Nova Scotia, Brett Bundale reported in The Canadian Press:

A call for energy companies to bid on exploration rites around Nova Scotia's iconic Sable Island has prompted swift condemnation from a coalition of environmental...fishing...and tourism groups.

The rugged and wild wind-swept sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean is a place of endangered species...wild horses...and legendary shipwrecks.

On Monday, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board launched a competitive bidding process for two exploration licences to probe for fossil fuels in the shallow waters encircling Sable Island.

Gretchen Fitzgerald, the director of the Atlantic Canada chapter of the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, said at a news conference:

“This is a test for how we must change if we're going to truly tackle 'climate change' ~ and protect global biodiversity.”

A colour photo of peaceful Sable Island uninhabited by mankind illustrates...barren land...some tree growth..and grasslands.

We do not see the wind and drifting sands ~ the ideal home for my yet unseen wild horses.

The foregoing assembled by MBK, Feb 7, 2019

Challenge of Life

As a concerned citizen believing in justice, I was recently informed about someone ignoring the procedure to to suit his purpose and doing only what was beneficial to his cause,

And you are convinced that we are beset with challenges!

Recently I read about animals who struggle with life.

Human Parents Feel for Mama Bear Trying to Corral Her Cubs

A mother bear caught on video trying to coax four rambunctious cubs across a busy Connecticut road has parents across the internet nodding in sympathy.

Hundreds of people responded to a four-minute video of the bear’s struggles on the Winchester Police Department’s Facebook page. Other videos of the bears also circulated online. So glad the cars waited for them (wrote one mother from Sedona, Arizona.) The trials and tribulations of all mothers! Poor Momma!! Wrote another woman.

The video taken Sunday, shows the bear trying several times to get the cubs safely across Rowley Street which has a posted speed limit of 40 mph, as a police cruiser blocks traffic. The mother bear would pick up one cub with her mouth and carry it to a grassy area, only to have another scamper back into the road.

Police thanked motorists for being patient and keeping the bears safe, using the video as a springtime warning to drivers.

Native American Legend

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life :
“A fight is going onside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil ~ he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,superiority and ego.”

He continued: “The other is good. ~ he is joy, peace. love. hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you ~ and inside every other person too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed!”

Advice from the Earth

Be well-rounded.
Keep a positive atmosphere,
Have a magnetic personality
Celebrate diversity, think globally.
Be good to your mother .There’s no place like home.

Take a quiet walk with Mother Nature.

Composed by MBK March 2021

Spring is Sprung

The first day of Spring, usually calendar indicated
was not on either of my two calendars
in April or May,Our weather change may have been
due to our current “Climate Change” as forecast.

Seems an imminent phenomenon that yearly,
Spring is the 21^st day of a given month.

The neighbourhood in which I reside
is usually a good prediction.

Autumn loudly speaks, turning off Walker’s Line
on to a 2-block residential street.
A local street ~ a tunnel of deciduous trees
becomes gloriously painted in reds and golds.
Jack Frost cannot be rivalled for such a beautious scene,
being the city’s most beautiful street.
Whether ‘drive or stroll’ we are mesmerized
by Nature’s paint brush ~ so colourfully artistic.

Mother Nature, without a calendar
turns Spring lilacs into mauves and whites ...
even the mulberry trees are dressed
in creamy-white blossoms tinged with rose
And when injecting fluid into the barren trees,
they soon embellish the neighbourhood
with tiny leaflets of soft pale greens.
What a Surprise!

My local street is now a green arbour
through which we can drive or leisurely walk.
Hurray for Spring!
And praise to Nature Majesty!
Hurrah for Spring!

So, on my calendars, I’ve greenly accepted
that May 23 is this year’s Opening Day of Spring!

The foregoing was written in May a couple years ago.
MBK...Comments most welcome.

ANIMAL LORE, CULTURE and TRADITION

 Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. (Anatole France)

Animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions ~ they pass no criticism. (Goerge Elliot)

Kathleen Prasade announced, “I got to pet a soft koala bear while visiting a Wildlife Park in Sydney, Australia. This experience allowed me to reflect on the vital role, animals have in my career.”

DOGS and CATS

Kitten Survives Being Tossed from Vehicle in Grimsby: An adorable girl with piercing eyes, Holly has endured cruelty in her young life. A Grimsby resident, Frank England, travelling along a Grimsby road came across a seemingly lifeless kitten on the side of the road. As he passed by, the little creature lifted her head ~ her only way of letting him know she was still alive. Frank said, “She couldn't walk. Taking her to the Grimsby Animal Hospital, the staff revived her ~ saving the 4-week-old's life. Founder, Pam Houston, said England named the kitten 'Holly' after mixed martial artist, Holly Holmes. “She's a fighter with a rash on her head (likely from being tossed from a moving vehicle)...as well she has bruises...cuts...a sprained leg... an 'out-of-alignment' spine...also brain swelling.

(Reported to Grimsby News by Mike Zettel)

New Study Shows Cats Heavier Now Than in the 90's: A new study involving more than 19 million cats from across Canada and the United States, suggests most of the animals continue to put on weight after they reach adulthood ~ and their heaviest weight is higher now than it was 2 decades ago.

Researchers at the University of Guelph analized 54 million weight measurements between 1981 and mid 2016 to get a sense of the typical weight gain & loss pattern over the course of a cat's life.

Data showed cats' mean weight reached its peak between 6 and 10 years of age for the most common purebred breeds: Siamese...Persian...Himalayan.. and Main Coon; and at 8 for domestic cats.

Many people have begun to keep their cats indoors.

Treats can have a big impact on their animals. Pet owners may want to begin weighing their cats at home. Another solution is using technology, like automatic feeders.

The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat ~ observed by Jules Renard.

Pat Brown idealized: One small cat changes coming home to an empty house ~ to coming home!

Love of Dogs: Charles de Gaulle opined: The better I get to know man, the more I find myself loving dogs. Milan Kundera believed Dogs are our link to Paradise. They don't know jealousy or discomfort.

Police Dog Parker Dies Weeks After Retirement: Rest in Peace, Parker! One of the their recently retired police service dogs has died. We are devastated to share that our universally loved, 'Parker' has passed ~ and our thoughts are with his best friend and handler, Sgt. Tara Vivian,” the tweet said with Parker's picture. We are incredibly fortunate to have had such a loyal member amongst us ~ and had hoped for many years of restful retirement. After K9's last shift on April 21, Sgt. Vivian wrote:

Take my hand ~ and I will go anywhere with you.

(Reported to The Canadian Press by Paola Loriggio)

I agree with Josh Billings who wrote: “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”

Custom Wood Kennels, Memory Foam Beds: (From The Washington Post, Jura Koncius headlines,

“Welcome to the wildly stylish world of modern pet furniture.”

“Pet furniture has come a long way from teal carpeted cat towers and lumpy plaid dog beds. For discerning pet owners who treat their cats and dogs like family ~ designers are creating stylish, even glamourous furniture. Witness the new $5,000 (US) Crystal Clear Lotus Cat Tower by the Refined Feline, with 3 platforms for lounging and a hideaway cubby at the bottom lined in faux fur...scaled with similar nailhead trim and turned legs. Add decor: co-ordinating paint colours...add art and wall hangings...incorporate rugs in each room...a sofa complete with throw pillars...even lamps and toys.

I have studied many philosophies of cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely super, stated Hippolyte Taine.

Arctic Fox Walks More than 4,000 Kilometres from Norway to Canada: Norwegian researchers confirmed this fox's achievement. This young female fox left her birth place on Norway's Scalbard Archipelago on March 1, 2018 ~ and reached Canada's Ellesmere Island by way of Greenland on July in 2018. This distance was among the most ever recorded for an Arctic fox seeking a place to settle down and breed. ~ the institute said in a research article titled One Female's long run across sea ice.

During the walk to Canada, the roughly 2-year-old fox moved at an average rate of 46.3 kilometres per day, the Norwegians scientists said.

If travelled in a straight line, her distance was 1,789 kilometres. The sea ice allows Norway's arctic foxes to reach Greenland and then North America in search of places to breed. With thick fur to survive, they subsist on fish....marine birds.. and lemmings.

The photo of her and a researcher states her walking distance was 4,415 kilometres.

(Reported from Copenhagen to The Canadian Press)

Why Every Garden Needs a Woodpecker: When Adrian Higgins came to Washington, he noticed woodpeckers seemed to be as common as pigeons ~ being reliable visitors to trees, gardens and parks. Impressive to him was the extraordinary coloured plumage. Trees appear to be simple columns of wood ~ but they are whole worlds to the woodpecker: a place of shelter...safety...and food...teeming with insects on and beneath the bark layer. With stiffened tail feathers to act as a brace, they can hammer away with countless skills: agility around the trees ~ and their capacity to turn their beaks, skulls and neck into rapid-fire chisels. In the natural world's symphony orchestra, woodpeckers are the percussionists. In Washington's urban forest, we see woodpeckers frequently because most of the tree canopy has dead trees or branches ~ and it is in the deadwood that woodpeckers excavate a hole to nest.

The cavities that woodpeckers create and later abandon, provide living space for other creatures ~ birds such as titmice, nuthatches and wrens...also for flying squirrels.

The prettiest species is the red-hooded woodpecker ~when I saw one, I thought I had been transported to the tropics: a bird with white body... inky blue wings splashed white.. and an entire red head.

Raccoon Trapped in Vending Machine: Police say a raccoon trapped in a vending machine at a Florida High School, is now free. A deputy stationed at Pine Ridge High School was notified of the trapped raccoon and called Animal Control who rolled the vending machine to an open area of the yard ~ and after about two hours, the raccoon was set free.

Shark Takes Bite Out of Teen's Surf-Board: In Honolulu, a teen surfing off the island of Oahu escaped a shark encounter uninjured ~ but his board didn't. Local media reports 16-year-old Max Kellikipi was waiting for a wave Sunday evening near Makaha Beach when he spotted what he thought was a turtle fin...but it wasn't. The teen says the shark chomped down on the front of his board, just inches from his foot ~ taking off a chunk bigger than his head.

News gathered by MBK...written August 16, 2019