Sunday 13 May 2013

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Happy Sunday!

Happy Mother's Day

It's Sunday and it's also Mother's Day in the United States. We dedicate this Sunday post to momma elephants and their babies.

Here is a painting of a mother elephant and her baby in the rays of an African sun.

Elephant Mothers And Grandmothers

Most animals don't have grandmothers, but elephants do. With lifespans of 70 years, highly social structures are nurtured in the herd. Older female elephants maintain a long relationship with their daughters and then provide much needed support with rearing of the young.

Research shows that calves are more likely to survive infancy with living grandmothers. This phenomena was found with both Asian and African elephants.

"Calves of young elephant mothers under 20 years of age had eight times lower mortality risk if the grandmother resided in the same location compared to calves whose grandmother was not present," according to Dr. Mirkka Lahdenperä, a lead author of a study. The benefit of having a grandmother was especially true for inexperienced adult daughters. 

Elephant calves are dependent on their mothers for food for the first two years of life, nursing frequently throughout the day. Keeping a watchful eye on the infant to make sure they don't separate from the herd is a full time job. Grandmother elephants help protect and care for the baby elephant and provide guidance and support for the daughter.

A photograph of a mother elephant and her baby hold their trunks together, evoking the preciousness of their connection.

Happy Mother's Day to all our mommas.

Elephants and Sun, artwork by Heni Sandoval
Elephants bathed in sun rays, artwork by Melly Terpening
 

 

Sunday 22 April 2018

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Happy Sunday!

Earth Day is on Sunday this year.

We celebrate the sun shining on our Earth and all the life that dwells in its bright rays.

Earth Day – April 22

Earth Day is a day to officially celebrate our entire planet and renew our awareness of our responsibilities toward the earth.

It's a day to educate our children – what we can do to be responsible citizens, living in peace with all of God's creatures. 

Artwork by Art Projects for Kids

Seattle And Puget Sound

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Get Your Rain Coat

Seattle is known for its rain and cloudy weather. If you live here, you learn to carry on in spite of it.

One of the first things to do is invest in a waterproof rain coat. A rain coat makes everything possible and you feel invincible.

Then off you go. Because you never know when sun breaks will shine through.

Especially at this time of year, with fall moving into winter, changes of sun, rain, mist, and clouds are mercurial. 

This rain coat is from an Eddie Bauer outlet store. When you're on the ferry, the wind blows your hair everywhere in the obligatory photo-op with the Seattle Space Needle in the background.

Puget Sound

 
“In geography, a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord; or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land.”
— Wikipedia
 

Seattle sits next to the large body of water known as Puget Sound.

Interesting facts from Explore The Sound:

  • Puget Sound covers 1.6 million acres and has 2,500 miles of shoreline.

  • The region’s 2.1 million acres of state-owned submerged saltwater lands are home to 211 fish species, 100 sea bird species and 13 types of marine mammals.

  • There are 68 state parks and 3 national parks, as well as wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands that border Puget Sound.

  • The Sound helps drive $20 billion of economic activity in Washington State.

  • The Puget Sound region encompasses 12 counties populated by approximately 4.3 million people.

  • Ninety cities and towns border the Sound.

  • There are 19 major watersheds in the Puget Sound region.

Out On The Water

The deep, salt-water of Puget Sound laps at the shore of Seattle. While it's wondrous to observe from land, it's even more satisfying to be out on it.

On this day, we headed out on a private boat. Although the forecast called for rain, we were lucky to have none during our time on the water. Just another example of making your plans and seeing where they take you.

We encountered powerful waves due to a strong wind. Our boat rocked up and down and we imagined ourselves as pirates on a wild sea. 

The boat captain adeptly navigated the waves that tossed us like a bucking bronco and he maneuvered our boat into calmer waters. The sun glistened and danced across the water in happy delight.

Being In Nature

We expand their connection with nature when we are outside, be it on land or water. Atoms hum together in a song of the universe whether they be liquid, vapor or solid. The song spins out loving threads binding us in a tapestry that sparkles in the firmaments of the heavens.

Being in nature uplifts our hearts and the Seattle area provides ample opportunity to be outdoors.