Quote of the Day
by Leslie Cox; Thursday; December 26, 2024
This Boxing Day, stay rooted in joy and gratitude and
your optimism will surely be contagious!
~ Unknown
Did you know?
by Leslie Cox; Monday; December 2, 2024
Did you know…
…this unfortunate Christmas fact? Apparently, according to a report from the Consumer Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are roughly 15,000 people who wind up in a hospital emergency room in the US every year because of Christmas holiday decorating mishaps. The three most common accidents were falls, cuts and back strains.
As a huge fan of holiday decorations myself, I beg everyone to be careful when they are setting up their light show and decorating their house. That big star on top of the roof is only worth it if proper protocol is adhered to and using appropriate safety equipment.
We want to keep the “Merry” in “HoHoHo”!! ‘Tis the season after all!
Quote of the Week
by Leslie Cox; Sunday; December 1, 2024
December 1st is here! Time to deck the halls and spread cheer.
~ Unknown
Did you know?
by Leslie Cox; Monday; November 25, 2024
Did you know…
…that paper wasps exhibit logical reasoning? Something which has always been considered a capability solely restricted to humans?
A study undertaken at the University of Michigan on two species of paper wasps, Polistes dominula and Polistes metricus, found these wasps had a grasp on transitive inference. The wasps were able to make a logical arrangement whereby if A is greater than B, and B is greater than C, then A must be greater than C.
The study also found that paper wasps can also recognize other individual wasps by looking at their faces.
This trait might also be true in their recognition of certain humans. I have often worked side-by-side with one or more paper wasps…me squishing azalea sawfly larvae and the wasp feasting on their breakfast or lunch. My hand has often brushed the wasp with no aggression erupting from the wasp.
Quote of the Week
by Leslie Cox; Sunday; November 24, 2024
There is no question that climate change is happening; the only
arguable point is what part humans are playing in it.
~ David Attenborough
On the heels of two bomb cyclones…only two days apart…that hit Vancouver Island and BC this last week, this quote from David Attenborough is very appropriate. The question is: why are we not recognizing our part in the changing climate and doing as much as we can to ease the burden we are placing on our planet?
This giant Pacific octopus appeared on the Ocean Networks Canada video camera which is set on the sea floor off Bamfield on Vancouver Island’s west coast. It was clinging to rocks and coral as it was buffeted by the currents whipped up by the bomb cyclone on Wednesday, November 20th.
Kate Moran, president of the organization based at the University of Victoria, says the shallow waters off Bamfield have current speeds which typically increase to a high of 60 centimetres per second over a twelve hour period. However, during the bomb cyclone, the currents were changing direction rapidly and cycling between speeds of 15 and 200 centimetres per second. At the same time, waves reached heights of 10 metres in the area which created immense pressure and a “dramatic environment” for the octopus.
