Thirty-two cold-stunned sea turtles were flown in for treatment at facilities, including the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas, Texas.
All of the turtles are juvenile Kemp’s ridleys, an endangered species, rescued after they were found in distress in the area of Cape Cod, in coastal Massachusetts.
Eleven were being transported to the ARK, according to Lee Harrison, president of the non-profit Friends of the ARK organization. (Harrison also is a South Jetty staff photographer.)
The rest went to the Texas Sealife Center and the Texas State Aquarium for rehabilitation.
Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that require warm temperatures to stay alive.
When the water temperatures dip below 50 degrees, sea turtles can suffer from decreased heart rate and circulation.
Lethargy can be followed by shock, pneumonia, and possibly death.
It is good that Texas could help out and good that there is an organization that flies turtles to points of rescue.
And now a relaxing story from the North.
Photo courtesy of Aurora Borealis Observatory
As winter begins to settle across the Northern Hemisphere, webcams in wild places have been picking up some startling sights.
Pictured is a reindeer in a snowy birch forest. The aurora pulses overhead in swirls of iridescent light as it grazes. It’s beautiful, a truly relaxing sight.
Today’s JohnKu talks about the new year. I hope you have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve.
Keith Channing is still on break, so it is time for a finger-point prompt once again. Today, we have opened that non-New York Times bestseller, Eternal Road – The final stop by the world infamous author, John W. Howell. Randomly it was opened to page 167, and again randomly, a finger was pointed to the page. Of course, the word closest to the finger is prompt. In this case, the word is ‘thunderstorm.’ Since I have no idea what will come out as I proceed, I hope you will enjoy whatever it is.
“That noise. I can’t believe we can hear it. The sound of a ball rolling on a wooden floor.”
“That is thunder.”
“Thunder? Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Yes. It is the sound that lightning makes.”
“Huh?”
“When there is lightning, the thunder is the resulting sound.”
“Okay. But I see lightning, and then the thunder comes later.”
“That’s cause light travels faster than sound. So an old trick is to count the seconds from the time you see the lightning until you hear the thunder.”
“What does that tell me.”
“How far away the thunderstorm. One mile for each second.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“Not sure. Maybe school. All I know is you don’t want to be outside when there is a thunderstorm.”
“There’s that sound again. I didn’t see any lightning.”
“Maybe it is because the curtains are closed.”
“Why do they call it a thunderstorm? Shouldn’t it be called a lightning storm?”
“Yeah, good point. I’m not sure.”
“Maybe that should be something we investigate.”
“Yeah, along with how come we hear thunder with no lightning.”
“I think I have the answer.”
“Okay, tell me.”
“We live above a bowling alley, Mr. Thunder expert.”
One thing not to do is mess up a schedule for a post that was supposed to run two days after Christmas. You may have noticed that I scheduled the Top Ten post by mistake, and it ran yesterday. Sadly this kind of thing throws everyone off. I do apologize.
Rather than pull it down, I decided to let it run and explain it today. If you missed it, here is a link. Top Ten Link
Since we are coming to a close in 2021, I thought it would be fun to capture some of the past Views of the Neighborhood by giving a sample of some of the best subject views. We don’t have a catered event, but I’m sure you can remember some of the best menus. We won’t need to get on the bus since we have already gone there. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.
The most Holiday laughs
Cutest Holiday topper.
Best Axis Deer shot.
Funniest Turkey
Best Halloween
Best waterfall.
Best trash.
Best art show
Best bluebonnets
Best Twiggy and Lucy photo (at least the happiest)
Best non-holiday mailbox topper
Best tree planting.
Best spring flowers.
Best Fawn.
Best treasure hunt.
Best Snow (January 2021)
I hope you enjoyed the tour, and I wish you a great week.
This post ran on December 29th, 2015. I think there is still some relevant advice. I hope you enjoy it even though it ran one day early.
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Since this is Monday, you should expect a Top Ten list. This week will be the same as the others for the last year. So YES, here is the Ten Things Not to Do list (although a little late today). This week’s list was inspired by a New Year’s Eve party I attended (or maybe many). I’m not saying if I was a perpetrator of any of these things, but I hope you enjoy them.
Top Ten Things Not to Do on New Year’s Eve.
10 On New Year’s Eve, do not try to set a personal record for alcohol consumption. If you do, at best, your evening will close early. At worst, New Year’s Day will represent your personal purgatory, just begging for relief. (Getting off your knees might be the first step to redemption)
9 On New Year’s Eve, do not set resolutions that you think would be great to accomplish if you were a superhero. If you do, at best, you will not last a week on your new plan. At worst, you will consider your failure at resolutions to be among one of the many failures for the year. (Now you need to be talked down off the ledge)
8 On New Year’s Eve, do not think your goodwill to humankind feeling leftover from the holidays should be demonstrated by public displays of affection for everyone you meet. If you do, at best, most will try to dodge your advances. At worst, there will be one person who will think you are the new lost love that they have been searching for their whole life. (Now you have someone stalking you for months despite the restraining order)
7 On New Year’s Eve, do not think your stomach deserves to be challenged with copious amounts of strange food. If you do, at best, your later hours will be spent in a degree of discomfort. At worst, your stomach will get even when you least expect it. (Yes, it is two in the morning, and that’s you calling trains into the ceramic microphone)
6 On New Year’s Eve, do not think your off-key singing throughout the year will suddenly get better with the addition of Champaign. If you do, at best, you will still draw the same looks you got for the rest of the year. At worst, you will begin to gather stray cats and dogs who think you are calling them for dinner while singing Auld Lang Sine. (Better find some kibble fast)
5 On New Year’s Eve, do not think your famous green monster punch will be enjoyed by everyone. If you insist everyone try it, at best, your party may end early. At worst, you may be responsible for sending some guests over the edge due to a strong allergy to Everclear and, if not an allergy, certainly a diminished capability for strong drink. (hint green carpet spots never come up)
4 On New Year’s Eve, do not try to surprise your significant other with a mystery destination that you promise will make the best New Year’s Eve ever. If you do, at best, you may have selected a place that has some negative memories. At worst, you may spend the entire evening lost in a strange neighborhood which will not be the best destination. (It might be the most memorable as the prime reason your significant other is no longer significant and not your other)
3 On New Year’s Eve, do not get all romantic if all year you act as if romance was as welcome as the measles. If you do, at best, you will look ridiculous. At worst, you could cause a significant upset to the person you are ordinarily ambivalent about. (How was that first dose of pepper spray?)
2 On New Year’s Eve, do not think it a good idea to put that lampshade on your head. If you do, at best, some will laugh not with you but at you. At worst, the shade is an antique given to the host by a grandmother just before her demise, and now it is on the floor under your fanny after you slipped on a bottle and fell to the floor. (Oh, though you would like to know, the video on U Tube has gone viral)
1 On New Year’s Eve, do not think you have to stay up past a reasonable hour to see in the New Year. If you do, at best, the next day’s activities will be a challenge. At worst, you will throw off your sleep cycle, not to mention nodding off at your mother-in-law’s New Year’s Day family gathering. (The pool of drool on the damask fabric of the antique couch will be your mark forever)
Two widowed penguins seemingly comfort one another as they gaze upon Melbourne’s lights. St Kilda, Australia. Tobias Baumgaertner, Finalist Community Choice Award
An excerpt of a story by By Margherita Cole on December 29, 2020, in My Modern Met. For the whole story, click on Margherita’s name.
“I posted this image of these two Fairy penguins a little more than half a year ago, and since then it has circled the globe, it has been seen by millions, and I have received thousands of messages and comments of how these two little guys have touched and mended broken hearts, brought joy, hope, and love into your lives,” Baumgaertner said on his Instagram. “It has become a symbol of togetherness and love. Times are still not easy for many of us, [so] I repeat what I wrote back then. During times like this, the truly lucky ones are those that can be with the person/people they love most.”
The German wildlife photographer spent three nights with the Fairy penguin colony in St. Kilda in hopes of attaining the perfect picture. Although the conditions were difficult, and he wasn’t able to use any lights, his patience finally paid off when he captured two penguins comforting each other in front of the pier. “A volunteer approached me and told me that the white one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner and apparently so did the younger male to the left,” Baumgaertner wrote. “Since then, they meet regularly, comforting each other and standing together for hours watching the dancing lights of the nearby city.”
Today’s JohnKu talks about Christmas Eve. A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.
I am so pleased to welcome Lisa Burton back to my blog today. Lisa is the assistant to Craig Boyack, the author of the Lantern series, and so much more. Lisa is here to tell us about Craig’s new book, The Wreck of the Lanternfish, which is the last book in the Lanternfish Trilogy. I have read the other two and enjoyed them very much. I expect this will be as exciting and entertaining as the other two. So welcome, Lisa.
***
Oh, my gosh! Thanks for having me back today, John. It’s so nice to get out of the writing cabin and visit with real people. You can imagine my world recently has been a gathering of Craig’s strange creatures. I’ve had everything from root monsters to a talking hat to hang out with for the past year.
I’m here today, because Craig is wrapping up the Lanternfish Trilogy. He’s having a hard time with this, because he’s spent so long with these characters. He never thinks of me, but I’ve also spent a long time with them. If you include the supporting book about Serang’s origin story, there are four volumes here. I’ve had to feed them, house them, clean up after them, and take them to photo shoots.
I love animals, so that part’s a labor of love. The anvil bird makes small appearances in all three Lanternfish books. He’s sweet, and talks. I give him grapes. There’s a horselike creature called a snubhorn down in the lower level at the cabin. He’s nice, too, and isn’t a picky eater. Leftovers suit him just fine. When Craig isn’t watching I ride him around the meadow.
Then we come to the Omcrom. These little guys are more like cavemen than anything else. Let me tell you, getting them into a vehicle so we could drive to a photo shoot was a trip. Root monsters yell, “Yay!” then climb right in. These guys are suspicious of everything.
The Fu were simple enough. They come with a medallion that summons them when we need them. They’re kind of like big kitties, and purr when they’re happy. They even earned a happy ending in Wreck of the Lanternfish, and that makes robot girls all gushy inside. You’ll have to read the book to find out what it involves.
There were some gigantic creatures we couldn’t do much with. They showed up for scenes, but had to stay outside the cabin. Things like Fēngbào, the bringer of storms, or Waltus who attacked the ships one day. There’s the moving reef, and even the Grandelor monster who’s still wandering the wilderness in Hollish somewhere.
It takes an effort to write a trilogy. I don’t deny that, but I have to say goodbye to all of them, too. I think readers are going to like the way it all wraps up, and I encourage everyone to check it out.
It’s been a joy talking with your fans today. I should probably get back and clean the cabin from top to bottom before whatever Craig comes up with next shows up. I think he can afford to let me go shopping for a day. Maybe even get my nails done. Lisa needs a new pair of shoes to show off that pedicure.
James Cuttler created a peaceful spot for he and his wife to settle down. Far from the war that ravages their homeland, far from the reputation he earned as the notorious pirate Captain Bloodwater, and far from responsibility.
A royal Prelonian houseguest is a constant reminder of what’s at stake half a world away, of the friends he put ashore to fight the war. He lives in a dream world that’s temporary, at best. It’s only a matter of time before his guest is identified and the black assassins come for her.
He mortgages his precious vineyard to pay for repairs to his ship. If nothing else, Lanternfish will be one of the most powerful ships in the war, if he’s not already too late.
James will have to merge the skills of commander and con man into something new to make this work. He’ll need to avoid those on his own side who would hang him for piracy.
Serang is half a world away, leading her army of mercenary swordsmen toward the Fulminites. Mistrusted by both sides of the war, she appears as a third combatant on the battlefield. She may eliminate the mysterious order, only to succumb to the demons of her own tragic past.
Strap on your swords and hoist the colors one more time as the thrilling Lanternfish Trilogy comes to an end.
