Phillipine pulp wood or beautiful tree?

A Rainbow Eucalyptus tree - click to enlarge
Photo: WikiCommons

  Very interesting.  Eucalyptus trees, a broadleaf evergreen, are known to have shaggy, shedding bark, they usually look like they're peeling away.
  On this particular species the new bark is green and the older dark turns orange, red and maroon as it ages.  Native to the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean it grows wild in the Philippines, and is known as a Mindanao tree.  It is also grown in plantations to be used as pulp wood for the manufacture of paper.  Useful and beautiful, this is a unique tree, at least to me.

In another view - click to enlarge
Photo: WikiCommons

Higher up (will not enlarge)
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
 

An electricly charged, fighting, flyby

Please pay attention to the commas in that title, they may tell the story.  Here are some of the remaining National Geographic reader photos; the last of which I'll use.

click to enlarge

  In this photo one billion (with a B) flash over Costa Rica, hopefully it didn't hit anything.
Photo by James Hogan for submission to National Geographic.

click to enlarge

  Here are two foxes, they are playing not fighting. The Photo by Blaine Korel was taken at a drained lake in Virginia.  It must have been a lot of fun watching these two.  Maybe we all should have a camera ready at all times.  How else would you catch something like this?

A Snowy Owl hunts in minus 30 degree weather. - click to enlarge

This beautiful owl was photographed by Markusdidinkus Stevens for submission to the National Geographic.  I don't know what Mr. Stevens was doing out in those temperatures but I'm glad he caught the owl on film (or was it digital?).

It's tough out there!

  For the most part these are photos submitted to the National Geographic by readers.  The photos are the story, they capture a part of nature some of us only think about.  One photo (LPGA) is just a good look at a tournament delay - but sort of an unusual one.

Photo: Stefan Potles Getty Images - click to enlarge

  Here is the photo of the Tournament delay.  It happened yesterday during the Australian Women's Open Golf Championship - but not while I was watching, I would have loved to see it live.

Photo: Phil Lanoue, National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  Here are two Great Egrets fighting over a prime fishing spot.  We don't know who had it first.  They're hopping mad!

Photo: Patrick Castleberry, National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  This Alligator tried for a while to eat the turtle.  After a while he gave up, and the turtle walked away - a lucky break (no pun intended) for the shelled critter.

Photo: Frederick Ross National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  Another alligator sneaks up on a Great Blue Heron which has caught a fish.  The Heron ate the fish and made it's escape.  Gators don't have much luck, today at least.

Mexico to Alaska?

A Humpback whale breaches near the Farallone Islands just outside the Golden Gate - click to enlarge
Photo: Frederic Larsen, San Francisco Chronicle www.sfgate.com

Each year the Grey Humpback Whales travel the Pacific Coast, from Alaska to Mexico and return; and each year whale watchers and scientist are thrilled - at time over-thrilled!  Take a look.

Whale watchers get a close up near San Luis Obisbo, California in August 2012
Photo: AP via www.sfgate.com

Two whales (count them) are too close to this man in the kayak in October 2011
Photo: AP via www.sfgate.com

Just a couple more.

A cold ride. - click to enlarge
Photo: National Geographic favorites

  I found just a few more of these spectacular photos.  The top one must be somewhere off Newfoundland, or maybe Norway.  I don't really know there is little information given.
  Maybe tomorrow I'll do some homework and write about something that makes sense; but that would be a radical concept for me.

Yikes!
Photo: National Geographic favorites

If this wasn't from that magazine, I'd say it's fake, actually I do think it's fake.

Drying off and holding on
Photo: National Geographic favorites

Just a short look

All the fish in the sea don't swim in the same direction - click to enlarge
Photo: National Geographic

  Here are but a few of National Geographic photos of the year for 2012.  You can see a whole lot more by going to Google and searching National Geographic pictures of the year.
  Make sure you enlarge these photos to get the full effect of each.

East of Iceland
Photo: National Geographic

A fox has pounced on a mouse, suppertime
Photo: National Geographic

Whats up there?

The other day, while out running errands, Linda and I had an opportunity to see a stunning exhibit; way up in the sky Crepuscular Rays were making the whole southeastern sky look like a lace curtain.  Of course we have no photo, it's hard to stop in traffic near a large regional mall at this time of year.
But, there are photos I have found that will show a few other things you may witness from time to time; and maybe some will be once in a lifetime events; for me that's with ever increasing odds.

Lenticular clouds

Lenticular clouds look like a flying saucer, wind, temperature inversion, and a weather front may all play a part.  One thing is certain they are usually seen over or near mountains.

This cloud appeared over Mexico City...

...just before an earthquake hit the area.  Although the two events may not be related; if I lived in Mexico and say a cloud like this I'd be worried.  To me it look like I made a mistake while painting with watercolor with too much water on the paper and cobalt blue bled into an area where I didn't want it.

Storm clouds, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I don't have a name for these other than Storm Clouds.  This photo was taken right before a severe thunderstorm.  I'm thinking they may be more familiar to those in the west and midwest. Wilbur?

Not really a cloud at all.

This "cloud" is a result of steam rising from cooling towers of a nuclear powered electric plant.  I guess there is a time when pigs do fly!  Very interesting to say the least.

Listen...

...can you hear it? again and again,
Do you ever wonder, where it's all been?
All of the water, in that great sea,
It'll stop you from thinking; what's in it for me.

A short trip to Schoodic, what pleasure,
to enjoy a great natural treasure;
so much to see, so little time,
but the pleasure was all mine.

Of getting there puts one under duress,
should check for construction I guess;
Who knew that 1A was littered and dusty,
that you would be in one place so long as to be rusty?

Oh, but it was worth it, made it easy to forget you;
once you see the place you set out to get to.
We went to see the sculptors at work too,
wonderful to see what some people can do.

But back here on earth, we must not regress,
to go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com and press;
the "great purple button" it's true,
it was just made to be pushed by you!

If the big hill of life gets hard to climb
and doesn't seem worth it, at least half the time,
take an old tried and true, a favorite of mine,
and take life One Day at a Time!

Enjoy!!