Godzilla Tree

Just saw a picture of the "Godzilla tree" for the first time today. Got a kick out of it, so thought I'd share.

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Open Thread

Wish I'd had time to do more sightseeing before coming home, but what are you gonna do?

Anyway, here's a picture I took as the plane was about to land in Washington D.C.

Didn't actually spend any time in that city--just long enough to catch a connecting flight. But I got a decent picture, so I thought I'd share.

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Post Towel Day Thoughts

Donna commented,

Guess it's Towel Day. Guess I know what I'll be wearing to work.

Think Howard will wear his towel first?
donna in evanston | 05.26.09 - 9:21 am

I started to respond in the comments, but it got long enough--and link-filled enough, that I decided I should just bump it to the front page.
..............
Towel Day was yesterday, actually
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

But I'm sure it's the thought that counts. ;) As it happens, I went to the gym yesterday, so I was celebrating even though I wasn't aware of it.

This is from an article I just found:

May 25th is a High Holy Day for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans: it's Towel Day, the annual celebration of the life and work of the hoopiest frood of all, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy creator Douglas Adams.

There's some delicious irony there, what with the "High Holy Day" reference. Douglas Adams was, by all accounts, rather "devout" in his atheism. I recall reading a story about a man in hospice care who was comforted, as he approached death, that he knew where his towel was. Adams, when he heard about this, was apparently somewhat uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if that was because he was easily embarrassed, or if it was because of his concerns about the negative effects of religion.

But whether or not one believes in a "higher being" of some sort, I think we routinely see plenty of evidence that, as much as we might wish we could, we're not driving this thing. Speaking to an atheist, I would never say "Let go and let God"--in fact, even as a lifelong Christian I've never expecially liked that saying. But I think that there comes a time for most of us that we need to learn to "let go" of our sense of being in complete control of the events in our life.

I've already done half a dozen impossible things before breakfast today, so I will have to come back to these thoughts a little later...

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Feeding the ducklings in Virginia Beach

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The BABY CARDINALS fledged today!! (Day 10, right on schedule!)

O Frabjous Day!  Callooh Callay!  The baby Northern Cardinals have fledged away!

Northern cardinals breed between March and September. They usually raise two broods a year, one beginning around March and the second in late May to July. The second nest is often parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds. Nests are built by the female in dense tangles of vines or twigs in shrubs and small trees. The female lays 1 to 5 (usually 3) white to greenish eggs that average about one inch in length and one-half inch in diameter. Incubation begins when the last egg is laid, and is performed solely by the female. The male brings food to the incubating female. The eggs hatch after 11 to 13 days of incubation. The female broods the chicks for the first 2 days. Both parents feed the chicks a diet of insects. Both parents also remove fecal sacs from the nest. The chicks begin leaving the nest 7 to 13 (usually 9 to 10) days after hatching. The parents continue to feed the chicks for 25 to 56 days after they fledge from the nest. After leaving or being driven out of their parents' territory, young birds often join flocks of other juveniles. They may begin breeding the next spring. (Halkin and Linville, 1999)

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These must be the Witchducks...

Vimeo, the video uploader/converter used at Tumblr is being a PITA. Suddenly I have to wait forever to have my video converted--or, I could use their *paid* version and avoid such problems. Fortunately, Demetrius was able to send me a converted version of the video I took with my phone. Hopefully this works.


Just a quick reminder to anyone not knowing the history here. When I first arrived here in Virginia Beach, I was amused to see a street sign for a Witchduck Road. Weeks later, I decide I need to look for a new church, and find one which has a Wednesday evening bible study on Jonah. That sounds interesting to me, so I look up the church address so I can Mapquest it, and, guess what, it turns out it's on North Witchduck Road. I was going to go for the bible study anyway, but I was of course tickled at the coincidence.

Since I spent last weekend at home in Columbus, today was the first time I was actually able to attend a Sunday service at the church. After church, wanting to kill some time because I invariably come back to my hotel room either before or during the time when housekeeping is making the rounds, I decide to do a bit of exploring. I looked at the blinking blue dot on Google Maps (on my phone) that indicated my position, and saw that further north on the road there was a Witchduck Bay.

Well, goodness, I've got to get a picture of Witchduck Bay. Even if it is raining.

I drive a few blocks and see a "No Outlet" sign, so I turn around. And just then I see a "duck crossing" sign. So, I pull over to take a picture of that. (Hey, I gotta have souvenirs when this is all over with!)

And then, the very moment I have pulled over to the side of the road, I see Mama Duck hurrying across the street with her little ones. Now *that's* timing!

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SUPPORT THE KITTIES! (But don't tell them about this nest.)

It's hatching day for the baby Cardinals next door! Our neighbour called over and invited me to slip by and take a quick photo. Apparently, my lens was set for close-up, which is too bad. I was in a hurry to click the photo and leave the area, as the parent bird was in the bush and startled when I arrived. She left the nest (to distract me), so I was able to get a photo. I definitely saw two babies, and there could be a third. Or one may not have hatched yet and be under one of the others. They sure are NEW! They look exhausted from all the effort of busting out of the egg. I hope to try to get another photo on Monday after I'm back from Maine. That may prove more challenging with the parents guarding their brood.


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First they came for Charlie, now they’re coming for the kitties.

On Tuesday Evening the Alachua County Commission will hold a hearing concerning a “special exception permit” for Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary, Inc.

Haven Acres was established in 2003 by three people, including an experienced animal control officer, in an effort to “help the many stray, feral, and unwanted cats in Alachua County”. They purchased over eight acres of agriculturally zoned land in Alachua County. Given the zoning, they are permitted to have an unlimited number of farm animals, such as pigs or goats, but they can only have up to 20 cats without getting a special exception permit.

A group of people from High Springs, which is part of Alachua County have been fighting to prevent the cat sanctuary from getting this special exception permit. I’ve written about it in a post on my own blog, The Cat Farms of Florida. If you are interested in more of the background, please read my post there.

This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten all riled up about actions of ‘elected’ officials in Alachua County. I’m sure many of you remember the adventures of Citizen Grapski.

So, please, spread the word about Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary.

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M A Y ~ Let the planting begin!

This is the daffodil my 20 month old granddaughter brought me for Mother's Day. ♥

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Jonah and the big fish

Attended the first week of a bible study series entitled Jonah, Refracted this week. The woman leading the class showed us some different illustrations of the Jonah story. Some of the art was very old whereas other versions, like the one seen here, were contemporary.

Something about the face on that fish amuses me, so I wanted to post it. It was a fun group, and there was lots of commentary about the different portrayals of Jonah. In response to this particular image, people were remarking on the look of terror that is captured on his face. Such an emotion is, of course, appropriate to the situation.



I was thinking of that when I saw this illustration on the airplane's safety instructions. This woman looks remarkably serene and unruffled. It doesn't even look like her hair is wet.

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This is a photo of a Cardinal's nest!  I took the photo on Sunday, May 3rd, after my next door neighbour called and invited me to do so.  The nest is in a juniper bush right beside her front door. To take the picture, I poked the camera lens into the bush and clicked.  It just took a few seconds and we didn't overly disturb the nest or the parents.  I may see if we can get a photo later on of the babies, the same way.

HAPPY SPRING!  Happy week before Mother's Day!  ♥


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DemocracyFest Scholarship Program (Apply or Contribute)

One of the founding goals of DemocracyFest is to produce an event that is affordable for all liberal/progressive activists to participate in. That is why we are probably one the most neurotic Board of Directors out there when it comes to being fiscally conservative with our budget and keeping our ticket prices as low as possible (about 1/4 the cost of attending similar political conferences).

DemocracyFest is a political festival for liberal/progressive activists which features trainings, speakers and entertainment; teaching people how to make a difference and have fun doing it! Prior DemocracyFests have been held in Massachusetts, Texas, California, New Hampshire and Virginia. Over 4,000 activists have been trained to help on campaigns and make a difference in their communities. The 6th Annual DemocracyFest will be held July 17th-19th in Burlington, VT. Full event tickets are only $55 and can be purchased here:

http://www.DemocracyFest.net

However, we realize that no matter how low we can keep our ticket prices, there will always be activists out there who really want to attend, but do not have the financial resources to afford any ticket cost, and that is why we have the DemocracyFest Scholarship Program. If you are in need of a scholarship, please apply here:

Apply For A Scholarship

DemocracyFest is very proud to say that we have never turned down a scholarship applicant who wants to attend, but can not afford to do so. Making DemocracyFest accessible to activists from all economic standings in life is so important to us that members of our all-volunteer Board of Directors have even used our own personal money to fund these scholarships when necessary. But none of us are rich (far from it!) and we can't afford to pay for every scholarship applicant ourselves. Can you help? Our direct cost for each scholarship attendee is $100 (includes 2 meals and a shared hotel room). You can contribute $100 to sponsor a scholarship applicant here:

Sponsor A Scholarship

Thank you for supporting DemocracyFest and our Scholarship Program!

David, Denise, Ellen, Jessica, Laurie and Quintus
The DemocracyFest Team
http://www.DemocracyFest.net

Open Thread

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESSICA!!!

Happy Arbor Day

Trees are our friends. This Arbor Day, show that you care:

• Take an ent to lunch.


• Plant a tree.


• hug a tree.


• Save a tree; use e-mail

This message has been brought to you by the National Confederation of Ent Moots.

Visit The Arbor Day Foundation for more suggestions on how to observe this day.

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Happy Earth Day, Mom!

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

Another Day, Another Kitten

Kittens are good for you. Remember to check The Daily Kitten regularly. You'll be glad you did.

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Spring, Spring, Spring

Two Eagle Chicks

Due to technical problems, there is no live eaglecam this season. You can, however, view pics in the 2008 Gallary.

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Google Mapping

Amazing to think that I will be leaving for a month long project in Virginia Beach in just under a week. As some of you know, my project in Columbus lasted longer than expected, so I haven't had much time to start planning for such an extended period of time away from home. But pictured in this post is the one thing I have done--I've started to find some of my points of interest on Google Maps.

And now off to bed, as I still need to go in to work tomorrow morning.


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