That which endures......

In the warmth of my home, the pussy willows which I brought home from a horseback ride on January 12th are now fully emerged and covered with pollen. On the day of the ride the temperature was just on thawing, and then plummeted to -40C within 36 hours.

Pussy-Willows-Jan.-2012.jpg


At last count there were 34 varieties of Willow to be found in the Yukon Territory of which 23 can be found in Central Yukon. They are one of the most hardy and enduring of species.

http://www.flora.dempstercountry.org/V.A.2.Salicaceae/Salicaceae.html
 
A large stick insect, locally known as 'tree lobster' has been presumed extinct for more than 80 years but Dryococelus australis has been found alive on Ball's Pyramid. They live there, and, as best we know, nowhere else.

map-lord-howe-island-300.gif


Four insects were collected of which two died. The other pair has been successfully breeding and now comes the question of when and where to release them back to the wild.

carlile_nick.jpg


Here's the story: About 13 miles from this spindle of rock, there's a bigger island, called Lord Howe Island.

On Lord Howe, there used to be an insect, famous for being big. It's a stick insect, a critter that masquerades as a piece of wood, and the Lord Howe Island version was so large — as big as a human hand — that the Europeans labeled it a "tree lobster" because of its size and hard, lobsterlike exoskeleton. It was 12 centimeters long and the heaviest flightless stick insect in the world. Local fishermen used to put them on fishing hooks and use them as bait.

Then one day in 1918, a supply ship, the S.S. Makambo from Britain, ran aground at Lord Howe Island and had to be evacuated. One passenger drowned. The rest were put ashore. It took nine days to repair the Makambo, and during that time, some black rats managed to get from the ship to the island, where they instantly discovered a delicious new rat food: giant stick insects. Two years later, the rats were everywhere and the tree lobsters were gone.

Totally gone. After 1920, there wasn't a single sighting. By 1960, the Lord Howe stick insect, Dryococelus australis, was presumed extinct.
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Here is a video of one of these fascinating insects hatching.


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http://media.theage.com.au/system/ipad/lord-howe-island-stick-insect-hatching-3085551.html
 
It would seem to be a distinctly human trait to preserve records of our memories, both individually and collectively.

From charcoal drawings on cave walls unto the present age of digital data, we preserve those things that are special to us.

Almost two years ago, a foal was born here that is likely to be the last foal I raise on the property. For that reason he is 'special' and represents a considerable portion of my life's learning and energy in his arrival at this place and time, a conscious choice of selective breeding with the specific purpose of being my equine companion in future years.

My husband did all of the video work and editing in this short piece, and the music is also original work by my husband, a studio musician, who does not care to perform publicly. That he agreed to use his music for this piece is also special. :)

The preservation of memories, a most enduring human trait.

 
Great video! Loved the horses, and the music was good, but what was he saying about underwear?
 
Trooper said:
Great video! Loved the horses, and the music was good, but what was he saying about underwear?
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LOL....

It's a teaser.

"You make me hungry when you wear...
Your Sunday dress, no underwear."

Can't have panty lines showing, you know...

Not quite a perfect fit for the video but young horses are hungry little critters and mares don't sport underwear. :D
 
The night sky was superlative this night as I stood beside my vehicle allowing it to run for a few minutes before I headed in to work, the time being 12:30 a.m. A gossamer veil of northern lights subtly illuminated the clearing and I could just make the outline of the mountains in the distance and the tall pines 100 yards away. The temperature was already below freezing and forecast to drop a few more degrees yet and the stars glowed brightly against the moonless sky.

I was facing to the east when a movement caught my eye and I fixed my gaze upon a bright spot in motion at nine o'clock on the horizon. A brilliant comet with a wide streaming tail was arching toward the earth as if caught in slow motion. It seemed to take about three seconds to complete it's journey before vanishing soundlessly below the horizon. I glanced at my wristwatch and in the reflection of the taillights of the car, I noted that it was 12:32 a.m. I would have to do a search on-line in the morning to see what I might learn.

A quick search leads me to believe that I witnessed a 'fireball' of the Lyrid meteor shower that happens every year around this time. Weather conditions were absolutely optimum for viewing and my departure schedule coincided with the peak meteor activity. Many times I have been aware of the timing of forecast meteor schedules and scanned the skies in vain, most often hampered by inclement weather. Last night, I had no expectations and the viewing was all the more special for being totally unexpected.

Ned Potter
ABC World News

Did you see it?

If the visibility was clear from your location after midnight Saturday night and if the Lyrid meteor shower of 2012 is good to you, you were able to see the sky falling.
Every year at this time, the Earth passes through the orbit of an old comet called Thatcher, and the result is a meteor shower -- shooting stars, usually about 10 to 20 per hour, streaking across the night sky as debris from the comet enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
The comet is far away from us now; Thatcher orbits the sun once every 415 years in a long, elliptical orbit. But debris from it has spread out along its path, mostly pieces of dust or rock smaller than grains of sand. As they come slicing into the upper atmosphere, at speeds of more than 100,000 mph, they burn up 50 to 70 miles over our heads. It is a quiet, vivid way for them to end.




The Lyrids are one of the weaker annual meteor showers (most skywatchers prefer the Perseids in August or the Geminids in December), but this year the Lyrids coincide with a new moon.
"Typical Lyrids are about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper," said Bill Cooke, who heads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "And it's not unusual to see one or two fireballs when the shower peaks." So-called fireballs happen if an unusually large piece of debris makes it into the lower atmosphere, breaking up -- sometimes audibly -- at altitudes of less than 20 miles from Earth.
In general, there are more shooting stars in the morning hours because the morning side of the Earth faces forward as we orbit the sun, so it's less shielded. While the shower actually peaks Sunday morning, meteors are often spotted several nights before and after.
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The 'shooting star' that I saw looked very much like this image for scale and brightness.

Shooting-Star.jpg


(Note: No photo credit that I can find to give the photographer their due.)

Upon reflection, few things are more enduring than our fascination with viewing the night sky and speculating upon the origins of the universe.
 
As a test, I dug out this thread that I started to see if the search function actually is active but only searching the database since it was activated. I had remembered which forum I had placed it in and didn't have to backtrack terribly far to find it. For the thread content itself, I have observed that we are a species that both thrives on change and is discomfited by same, even when the change is a positive one of our own instigation.

We are particularly adverse to change over which we have no control and little or no prior warning as witness the reactions to the recent upgrades at this very forum. I am mindful that this forum is provided with no charge to it's members beyond a donation solicitation which is not ardently trumpeted and while the site may generate a bit of revenue from on-line ad clicks by some viewers, that is hardly my concern as I don't click them. What I appreciate is that I have a free-to-me toy that someone else has the maintenance of.

There is nothing as enduring as human nature and I don't expect we shall evolve beyond that anytime soon. Never shall all agree on a thing, anything, for we are all viewing the universe from different perspectives in space and time.

change-quotes-graphics-5.jpg
 
I think the horse back at that time was bigger and shaped different. Marco Polo saw the I cant remember its name eagle that could pick up an elephant. In North America the homing piegon was so numberous the flock would block the sun for couple of days. Story goes some kid killed and ate the last one.
scheherazade said:
Yes.....not proportionate to the 'horse' we know today, yet I wonder if the species of that era was, perhaps, considerably different in some aspects of scale? The ability of the artist to convey proportion must also be considered as I know that many of us could not do justice in attempting a sketch, and also there is the thought that perhaps the scale is 'artistic license'.

Thank you for your astute observation.

On another note, the remains of an ancient horse were found while excavating for gold near Dawson City by an acquaintance of mine.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/yukon-museum-exhibits-remains-of-extinct-horse-54281122.html
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Im thinking total different horse and other different horse some where else finally meet up and interbred maybe. Or we just have the ability to domesticate over and over again. The ancient horse you speak of I dont think is so ancient it lived along side modern humans.
 
My computer is being slow im not clicking site. How did your acquaintance know the horse was ancient?
Maybe they draw the head small to emphasize the muscular and beautiful body of the horse or its power (horsepower).
Im sorry about all my spelling errors.
 
One day my uncle told me something that is so true.
"everything you can imagine has happened"
lion and lamb leopard and kid have lied many times over and over.
the bible uses the example as a heavenly day or peace.
I live my life and love it and make it heaven.
I am in proverty in America but what does that really mean.

I am sure that even the people in proverty all over the world find that happiness and have love even in the worst of times.
life is heaven
 
Thank you adding content to this thread, forthelongesttime. Great image of a maned wolf. :)

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One enduring feature of our human nature is the desire to share information and discoveries. A friend just sent me the following demonstration of how to very easily separate the egg yolk from the white, Chinese style.
Worth sharing, in my opinion. What a clever idea!

How to separate an egg yolk from the white - Chinese style.

The language in the video at the link below is Chinese. Ignore the language and just watch the demonstration.



Watch the simple and effective method of separating an egg yolk from the white. It is a simple and straight forward application of hydraulics.

Watch here > http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/cooking/1160651.html
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"That which endures . . . makes us stronger?"

I read that in a comic book once. In fact, I've learned everything worth knowing from comic books. (Wait, I've learned a few things from my Uncle Vinnie.)
 
Oystein said:
"That which endures . . . makes us stronger?"

I read that in a comic book once. In fact, I've learned everything worth knowing from comic books. (Wait, I've learned a few things from my Uncle Vinnie.)
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Welcome to the forum, Oystein.

I seem to recall hearing that quote as 'That which does not kill us serves to make us stronger.'

Comic books not infrequently offer teachings disguised as humor and satyr.

Nice of you to give some credit to Uncle Vinnie. :D
 
scheherazade said:
Welcome to the forum, Oystein.
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Why thank you.

I seem to recall hearing that quote as 'That which does not kill us serves to make us stronger.'
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Nietzsche, I believe.

Comic books not infrequently offer teachings disguised as humor and satyr.
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Most are trash. Of course most books are trash too. (Sturgeon's Law.)

Nice of you to give some credit to Uncle Vinnie. :D
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Come to think of it, I don't have an Uncle Vinnie.

You are a decent person, I can tell that. Have a good day!
 
Oystein said:
Why thank you.


Nietzsche, I believe.


Most are trash. Of course most books are trash too. (Sturgeon's Law.)


Come to think of it, I don't have an Uncle Vinnie.

You are a decent person, I can tell that. Have a good day!
Click to expand...

Why does it not surprise me that you have no 'Uncle Vinnie'? :D

As enduring works go, the following is a classic.

Rudyard Kipling
The Law of the Jungle
(From The Jungle Book)



Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.


Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, but never too deep;
And remember the night is for hunting, and forget not the day is for sleep.
The Jackal may follow the Tiger, but, Cub, when thy whiskers are grown,
Remember the Wolf is a Hunter -- go forth and get food of thine own.
Keep peace withe Lords of the Jungle -- the Tiger, the Panther, and Bear.
And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the Boar in his lair.
When Pack meets with Pack in the Jungle, and neither will go from the trail,
Lie down till the leaders have spoken -- it may be fair words shall prevail.
When ye fight with a Wolf of the Pack, ye must fight him alone and afar,
Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack be diminished by war.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he has made him his home,
Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Council may come.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, but where he has digged it too plain,
The Council shall send him a message, and so he shall change it again.
If ye kill before midnight, be silent, and wake not the woods with your bay,
Lest ye frighten the deer from the crop, and your brothers go empty away.
Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need, and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill Man!
If ye plunder his Kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride;
Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the head and the hide.
The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye must eat where it lies;
And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or he dies.
The Kill of the Wolf is the meat of the Wolf. He may do what he will;
But, till he has given permission, the Pack may not eat of that Kill.
Cub-Right is the right of the Yearling. From all of his Pack he may claim
Full-gorge when the killer has eaten; and none may refuse him the same.
Lair-Right is the right of the Mother. From all of her year she may claim
One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may deny her the same.
Cave-Right is the right of the Father -- to hunt by himself for his own:
He is freed of all calls to the Pack; he is judged by the Council alone.
Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripe and his paw,
In all that the Law leaveth open, the word of your Head Wolf is Law.
Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they;
But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is -- Obey!
 
Today I celebrate the fact that I have endured another year, lol, and by such endurance I do justify posting the following video to this thread for the pleasure which it may also bring to others. My age this day is the same as the year in which I was born so a small riddle for the mathematically inclined to solve.

Age is but a number, while women, as all know, are 'timeless' beings. ;)

Enjoy!

[video=youtube;Y5XJbSqwriM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5XJbSqwriM&feature=g-vrec[/video]
 
Thank you for the video. They are wonderful, beautiful, and well bred. You want one, don't you. What are they called? And now I find that I am too young to be your father, so thank you for that too, :).
 
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