. . . Mount St. Helens blew its top. Say a prayer for the 57 people who were killed by the explosion, and for those they left behind. One is constantly reminded that for all the destructive power of which our armed forces boast, Mother Nature can put them all to shame whenever she feels… Continue reading 40 years ago today . . .
Tag: Nature
Faking an oil discovery to extort foreign aid?
It appears that the Republic of the Congo – not the “big” Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, but its little brother, formerly known as Congo-Brazzaville – may have faked the discovery of new oil reserves in order to extort foreign aid to preserve an ecologically sensitive site. Der Spiegel reports: On… Continue reading Faking an oil discovery to extort foreign aid?
Amazing critters
Earlier this month I posted a photograph of octopus eggs that fascinated me. In response, a reader sent me the link to this video report on the critters, which is even more interesting. I’ve seen many octopii in the wild, during my youth in South Africa, but I never knew all that about them. I’ll… Continue reading Amazing critters
Fascinating!
A friend sent me this photograph of octopus eggs, with the baby octopii clearly visible inside the egg sac. I don’t know where it first appeared. Click the image for a larger view. I’ve never seen so clear a view of those baby critters, although I’ve run (or swum) into them on the coast of… Continue reading Fascinating!
Wolves, cattle, wilderness and control
I’m reminded, yet again, that in so many cases, government edicts or actions don’t necessarily have anything to do with the problem they claim to address. Instead, they’re an attempt to impose greater control over part or all of the populace, so that bureaucrats and special interest groups can force their will upon them. Gun… Continue reading Wolves, cattle, wilderness and control
Sunset over the Northern plains
Courtesy of Daily Timewaster, here’s a beautiful time-lapse video of sunset over Bowdon, North Dakota, in 2017. The videographer, Mike Olbinski, writes: We were chasing northeast of Bismarck, North Dakota and as storms were dying out, we decided to go for a lone cell on the backside of a line of storms. We knew it… Continue reading Sunset over the Northern plains
Flying through the water – literally
Here’s a fascinating video taken earlier this month of thousands of Mobula rays in the sea off Baja California. They look like birds flying, but they’re swimming, using a flying motion. You can read more about the event here. I’d love to see that in the flesh. Peter
Flying over Everest – some amazing video footage
Helicopters (the Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, specifically the B3 high-altitude version, the first helicopter to land on the summit of Mount Everest in 2005) are used to rescue climbers in difficulty in the Himalayas. Here’s a montage of footage shot from them during their missions. Some of it is amazing. I almost got vertigo watching some… Continue reading Flying over Everest – some amazing video footage
Nature, red in tooth and claw
Tennyson’s famous phrase was (and still is) very familiar to those growing up in Africa, and I daresay in places like Alaska and other wildernesses too. It’s the simple fact of life. Nature is predatory and ruthless, and almost all animals die through being killed and eaten by others, sooner or later. Those who die… Continue reading Nature, red in tooth and claw
Peekaboo!
Found on Gab yesterday (clickit to biggit): Too cute! Peter