From Planet Earth
Calendar
Upside Down Tree: To many encountering the Baobob Tree
for the first time, it looks as though it were planted upside down...with its
roots sticking up in the air. The
legends of Africa where the tree grows, further the myth that the gods planted
it that way because...they were tired of hearing the tree moan for lack of
water. Actually, the Baobob's
branches are on the top and its roots firmly in the ground. It does have a unique ability, though, to
survive...even flourish in its harsh environment.
The Baobob is is protected
by a thick trunk, nearly 100 feet in circumference. The tissues of the trunk are like sponges,
capable of retaining as much as 32,000 gallons of water. This storage capacity allows the tree to
survive the dry season of several months.
The longevity of the Baobob is also legendary. Some trees are believed to be 6000 years old.
Did You Know?
(from the Canadian
Wildlife Federation 2014 Calendar)
The Porcupine is one of
Canada's best-known animals ~ famous for its spiky quills, obscured by long
guard hairs. Less well-known ~
Porcupines are the second largest rodent in Canada, next to the Beaver.
Message from the
Canadian Red Cross
(This month's sunset
photo: East Quoddy Lighthouse, Campbello
Island, New Brunswick)
November is CPR month. Effective CPR provided immediately after any cardiac
arrest, can double a victim's chance of survival. Knowing what to do in these critical minutes
can save a life. Take first aid training
from the Canadian Red Cross so you know what to do. Visit www.redcross.ca/firstaid.
MADD Fact
Nationally, the
number of drunk driving deaths
has been cut almost
in half since MADD was founded in 1980.
Niagara Falls and
Great Gorge
(from Niagara Falls Canada Calendar 2014)
Hop the helicopter to
be right on the brink
of the Niagara River's deep greens and blue... as it rushes and
gushes
the rim of the
Horseshoe Falls ~ truly mighty and magnificent!
Amazing sights are part of the Authentic
Falls Experience that has been presented to the world by Niagara Parks since
1885. Royalty...state
leaders...celebrities...and honeymooners
~ all make up the millions of
visitors that explore Niagara Falls
and Great Gorge every year.
A small picture insert...The
Bridge of Flowers...is also shown, a walkway adorned with baskets of yellow
flowers along its sides (which I've not yet discovered).
Special Event Days
November 2 (Sunday) ~
Daylight Saving Time ends.
November 11 (Tuesday)
~ Remembrance Day
November 16
(Saturday) ~ International Day of Tolerance
November 19
(Wednesday) ~ World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse
November 20
(Thursday) ~ Sir Wilfred Laurier Day
November 21 (Friday)
~ World Fisheries Day
November 27
(Thursday) ~ Thanksgiving Day (United States)
...wrongly stated in
October
Flower and Garden
Philosophy
Friendship is a
sheltering tree.
(Samuel Taylor
Coleridge)
Trivia Tidbits
Right or Left? Researchers at the University of Adelaide in
South Australia have found evidence that left-pawed dogs may be more
aggressive than right-pawed dogs. Just
as the left-and right-handedness in humans, dogs showed a preference for using
one paw over the other when doing a tricky task. In its study, 75 dogs of different
breeds were observed as they attempted
to get food out of a cylindrical toy.
The researchers identified which paw each dog favoured. Owners of the left-pawed dogs reported
their dogs were aggressive, especially when approached by strangers.
In a personal ad, the
abbreviation ANI means what?
Finish the popular
saying, “Birds of a father......”.
Septuplets consist of
how many babies?
What travels around
the world, yet stays in one spot?
What did the zero say
to the number 8?
Answers to the
above are in random order:
seven...age not
important...postage stamp...nice belt...flock together.
November Musings
How silently they
tumble down and come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet,
rich and rare
beneath the trees
without a care...
Content to
sleep...their work well done.
At other times
they wildly fly until they nearly reach the sky...
twisting, turning
through the air
'til all the trees
stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to
earth below to wait...like children for the snow.
(Elsie N. Brody ~
“Leaves”)
November comes and
November goes
with the last red
berries and the first white snows.
With night coming
early and dawn coming late,
there's ice in the
bucket and frost by the gate.
The fire burns and
the kettles sing
and the earth
sinks to rest until next spring.
(Elizabeth
Coatsworth)
Merle
Baird-Kerr...written October 12, 2014
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