Category Archives: Nature

Bear attacks are rare…yet be prepared!

Posted on May 5, 2021 by | 11 comments

Earlier this week I read a story about a woman in Colorado who was attacked and partially eaten by a bear. She had taken her dogs out for a walk and not returned home. The woman’s boyfriend found the dogs at home and not his girlfriend so he started to search for her. He found her dead from an apparent bear attack. Tragic.

Bear attacks are rare in America yet they do occur. And you should always be prepared if you live in bear country.

Soon I’ll be visiting my father in northeast Washington where bears are not uncommon. Many years ago he did have an encounter with a mama bear and her cubs while he was fishing. He had a firearm , remained calm, and was able to retreat from the river to his vehicle with no interaction with the mama.

Since then, he always carries bear spray and has it at hand.  When I’m visiting him and we go for hikes in the mountains or stop off at a rest area we carry bear spray:

Me and dad (above) walking his doggies at a rest stop. I’m carrying bear spray in my left hand. You never know when you might need it. Better to be safe than sorry!

Here‘s some tips for carrying/using bear spray from the National Park
Service. Also, watch this video:

Know the basics of what to do during a bear encounter and how to survive one. Remain calm, don’t approach bears for a “photo op,” and leave them their space (and yours) to retreat.

And always, be prepared!

DCG

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Donkeys and horses dig wells that help life thrive in the desert

Posted on May 3, 2021 by | 5 comments

I had no idea these animals did this!

Science News reports that donkeys and horses “dig into the dusty sediment to reach cool, crystal clear groundwater to quench their thirst. New research shows this equid ingenuity has far reaching benefits for the ecosystem.”

This provides a major source of water during dry times in the American southwest, benefiting many desert animals. Read their whole report here or watch below:

https://youtu.be/KvoKJJWTNdw

Here’s some video footage that shows many species using the wells:

https://youtu.be/BGG97nLljhk

So fascinating how God’s animals adapt to survive their environments!

DCG

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Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

Posted on April 29, 2021 by | 13 comments

This week in my Oklahoma town we had a tornado warning the other night. We’ve been in this state for over seven years and have yet to see one. I never saw one when I lived in Georgia either, even though we’d go outside when the tornado siren went off!

Tornadoes happen frequently in the south during this time of year. Check out a tornado compilation here:

The US has the most tornadoes than any other country each year.

How are tornadoes formed? From Popular Mechanics:

“Tornadoes are usually born from thunderstorms. High intensity tornadoes form from supercell thunderstorms, a storm that has a “deep rotating mesocyclone.” Supercell thunderstorms are usually when you’ll hear a tornado warning. A regular thunderstorm will hit before a supercell and for this to occur, a specific set of ‘ingredients’ need to come together.

Humid air, which rises, collides with cold air in the atmosphere above it. This creates wind shears, rolling columns of wind that spin above the space where the hot and cold air meet. The warmer air creates an updraft that takes one of the horizontal wind shears and moves it into a vertical position.

The peak of the updraft has two spinning columns on either side of it—the larger of the two columns overtakes the smaller one and becomes the thunderstorm. From here, the storm is able to expand due to the warm air being sucked into the spinning column.”

Read the whole Popular Mechanics article here.

Read more tornado formation/characteristics here or watch below:

Have you ever seen a tornado?

DCG

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How to attract hummingbirds to your yard

Posted on March 15, 2021 by | 3 comments

Spring is on the way!

Last month I wrote about how to attract butterflies to your yard. Now let’s take a look at how to bring hummingbirds to your yard.

Hummingbirds apparently can remember feeding locations and will return to the best feeders. The food is a simple recipe: refined sugar and water (don’t add the red dye!). See easy recipes here or here.

Some fun facts about these birds:

  • There are more than 325 unique hummingbird species in the world. Only eight species regularly breed in the United States, though up to two dozen species may visit the country.
  • Hummingbirds do not suck nectar through their long bills, instead they lick it with fringed, forked tongues.
  • Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, though their feet can be used to scoot sideways while they are perched.
  • A hummingbird’s wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second depending on the direction of flight, the purpose of their flight, and the surrounding air conditions.

Carol from the “Hummingbird Spot” has a great YouTube channel with tons of videos that are all things hummingbirds. Check out how many hummingbirds she attracts to her patio:

See all of the Hummingbird Spot videos here for more tricks and their amazing videos of hummingbirds!

DCG

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Where the Atlantic meets the Pacific Ocean

Posted on March 10, 2021 by | 4 comments

Did you know that where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean meet the Pacific Ocean, there actually is a visible border?

Below is a video showing the border between the Atlantic Ocean (light green color) and the Pacific Ocean (darker blue color).

https://youtu.be/bK7PBIOn2Rc

Rickie Anderson writes for Healthy Water Guide, November 27, 2020:

The Pacific and the Atlantic are the vastest oceans in the world. In a nutshell, the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean border goes from Cape Horn, the tip of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in South America, to Antarctica’s shores.

This border space is where the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean meet. The area of sea is the Drake Strait or passage, named as such for Sir Francis Drake. Drake was an explorer during the Elizabethan era (the 16th century)….

The water of the Atlantic Ocean is denser than that of the Pacific as it contains more salt. The Atlantic is also much colder than the Pacific, which also makes its waters more condensed. The two different currents run into each other at Cape Horn….

Sometimes, yes, the oceans do appear to be different colors. This distinction happens when events like silt and sediment from melting glaciers or rivers washing down into the oceans occur.

For a while, the oceans will appear to be different hues until they blend. The appearance of varying shades of the sea does not last, however. Eventually, the waters of the two different oceans do merge.

Here’s another explanatory video, showing 15 other borders between two waters:

https://youtu.be/U93QRMcQU5Y

~E

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Did ‘ya know? Goats climb trees!

Posted on March 1, 2021 by | 4 comments

I came upon this video over the weekend…goats hanging out in a tree! This actually isn’t surprising given their rock climbing abilities.

According to Treehugger.com, many goats climb trees to seek food. This is apparently common in Morocco, where food can be scarce and argan trees produce a fruit that is particularly appealing to goats. The video below is from Morocco.

This climbing ability is great for goats to find food, evade predators and move quickly. Their unique sense of balance and design of their hooves help them maneuver the most precarious spots. Watch:

Read more about goats and their climbing abilities here or here.

DCG

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Bison and Prairie Dogs: Visiting God’s Creations!

Posted on February 28, 2021 by | 8 comments

Now that winter is over (hopefully) and spring weather is knocking on our door, it’s time to get out and visit nature and all of God’s creations!

Here in Oklahoma we have a wild refuge that is home to many creatures: American bison, deer, Texas longhorns, otter (that surprised me!), and of course prairie dogs. Here’s some photos from our last visit:

American bison: Big, furry creatures!

Some people exited their vehicles to take pictures of the bison. We did not!

Watching the Texas longhorn cross the road.

Prairie dogs coming up real close to us!

The prairie dogs were not shy around humans at all and were so cute! Did you know that the largest-ever prairie colony in the US covered over 25,000 square miles in the Texas Panhandle? It was home to more than 400 million prairie dogs in the early 1900s! Read about that “dog town” here.

Here’s a video from the American Prairie Reserve that highlights how prairie dogs are an important part of the ecosystem:

DCG

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Meet “Chunk” the groundhog!

Posted on February 19, 2021 by | 3 comments

Meet Chunk the Groundhog. He’s found a garden that he (and a buddy) love to visit. Chunk has also found a very easy-going garden owner who lets Chunk take advantage of the bounty.

Chunk lives underneath the shed by the garden and loves to stare into the camera while eating. Chunk’s gotta a pretty good set up!

Chunk’s got his own YouTube page and lots of videoa. Check it out here! Or check out his Instagram account here.

DCG

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Remain Calm: Tips for driving in winter storms

Posted on February 16, 2021 by | 11 comments

The winter storm Uri is hitting many states which means snow and ice. There’s a lot of drivers in hard-hit states who are not very familiar with driving in winter conditions (Texas and Oklahoma, for example).

I grew up in the Seattle area where many are not prepared to drive in the snow. Also, Seattle has a lot of hills so it can be a little more complicated. Here’s what driving in a typical Seattle snow storm looks like:

It’s really not complicated to drive in the snow and one should be prepared to do so in case you have an emergency and need to drive to the hospital or get supplies. Here’s some guidance from Les Schwab on how to drive in winter conditions. This brief video also offers some basics:

The biggest mistake I’ve seen drivers make in both Seattle and Oklahoma is slamming on their brakes. That’s a big no-no! Drivers also tend to drive too fast, tailgate and pull out suddenly in front of a driver.

While many prefer to stay home during winter conditions, it’s really a good time to practice driving. There are less cars on the roads and you can familiarize yourself (a big empty parking lot is a good place to go) with how your car – and you – react to winter driving conditions.

Mostly importantly, remain calm. If you know how best to react, you will feel secure in the fact that you’ll get to your destination without a fender bender.

Safe driving!

DCG

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Peace of Mind: Be Prepared for an Emergency

Posted on February 14, 2021 by | 10 comments

If last year’s pandemic taught us anything, it’s that you need to be prepared. Whether it be a natural disaster, pandemic or some other catastrophic event, having emergency supplies on hand provides peace of mind for you and your family.

Today the winter storm “Uri” is blowing through much of the south and heading through the midwest to the northeast. We woke up in Oklahoma to a “balmy” seven degrees with windchills well below zero. Althought we don’t have much snow (it has been accumulating since this AM and coming down harder now), with the Oklahoma winds it’s way too cold to venture outside if we don’t have to!

View from our front door this morning:

Fortunately we were able to make it to the grocery store on Friday (along with the masses) and snag the last loaf of bread and package of hamburger buns on the shelf. It was like another pandemic starting all over again!

Minus some perishables we’ll also need to purchase, we are always prepared for some kind of emergency (tornado, earthquake, etc.) and keep supplies on hand. It is much less stressful to gradually accumulate emergency supplies than trying to run out (if you even can access roads/stores) and purchase items at the last minute.

You can find lots of resources on the web for what kind of supplies to keep on hand. Here’s a suggested list from the American Red Cross. Our list includes the following:

  • Batteries, flashlights, candles, matches
  • Old school AM radio
  • Canned foods (rotate your inventory to avoid expiration) and MREs
  • Pet food
  • TP and paper towels
  • Toiletries (soap, saline solution, etc.)
  • Medical emergency supplies
  • Plastic garbage bags
  • Water
  • Cleaning supplies (in particular bleach)

We also have this product: DB Power Portable Car Jump Starter.

This jump starter also serves as a flashlight, emergency light, compass, and  cell phone/laptop charger. Every couple months I check the charge on this and it holds a charge pretty well.

While not everyone can afford to acquire and keep an extensive amount of emergency supplies on hand, anything you can start to accumulate will provide you peace of mind in case of emergency.

If you have any great ideas to add to an emergency kit, please share with us. And if you’re stuck in this storm, hope you stay safe and warm!

DCG

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