Blog breakdown

Snagged from the Sept. 26, 2011 issue of The New Yorker, by Roz Chast:

Sky lanterns pose threat to animals

Chinese Sky Lanterns, popular at this time of year and at other festive occasions, pose a serious threat to wild and domestic animals. Cattle have died trying to eat the wire frames.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11173662/Dont-light-sky-lanterns-for-Bonfire-Night-says-Government.html 

Anniversary of Battle of Wounded Knee

The Battle of Wounded Knee took place on this date, 29 December 1890:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=755822994510776

More info. at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre

Native American sayings

Donkey

Cute donkey in our neighbor's front yard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey

Boxing Day walk

Boxing Day walk at Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve:  http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/
It is 55 degrees F. which is amazing for December 26th in this part of the world. No snow in sight.

Photos: Marge Ishmael

Car sale sign

Christmas Eve

A deer ambling past my window on Christmas Eve morning.

Yesterday: bird watching on the Wooded Isle and Sunset on Wooded Isle:

New York State says no to fracking

 

New York state says no to fracking, citing health concerns:

http://news.yahoo.com/citing-health-risks-york-state-203621508.html;_ylt=A0LEVjNF65hUVZkAB3YPxQt.

Families who get sick from fracking turn to scientists:

http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/07/22/15127/families-sick-fracking-turn-scientists?utm_campaign=syndication&utm_source=yahoo-news&utm_medium=calais-related-link 

Why we need the Winter Solstice

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/opinion/why-we-need-the-winter-solstice.html?_r=0

Fracking and Lima climate talks slammed

Photo: Free Source

Above photo shows fracking wellpads in Wyoming in the USA: "a total and utter form of destruction” the International Tribunal on the Rights of Nature was told.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/andes-to-the-amazon/2014/dec/10/fracking-redd-lima-climate-talks-slammed-nature-tribunal

Back to nature by George Monbiot

Photo from BBC Earth

You only truly live in the wild, according to George Monbiot:
http://www.bbc.com/earth/bespoke/story/20141203-back-to-nature/index.html

Chicago's bison statue

Bison statue at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago: http://www.naturemuseum.org/
I can recommend their butterfly haven: http://www.naturemuseum.org/the-museum/exhibits/butterfly-haven

Full Moon

Photo: Marge Ishmael

This was a photo I took of last Saturday's Full Moon on December 6th.  The full moon that appears in December is called the Cold Moon. During December, winter has come and the cold fastens its grip -- hence the name "Cold Moon".  It was sometimes referred to as the Long Night Moon by Native American tribes. The winter nights are at their longest and darkest.  The moon is above the horizon for a long time and the midwinter full moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low sun. 

Small things

Seven dead whales

This story is courtesy of the IFLS website: http://www.iflscience.com
Info. on sperm whales at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whale

I read the following story and thought "I wonder if this was caused by the warming seas and the fact that fish are moving because of those warming seas?"

"A pod of sperm whales has been found dead on a South Australia beach after an extremely rare mass stranding event. The situation is made even more bizarre by the fact that sperm whales have not been observed in this area for more than 25 years. 

According to local TV reports, the whales had been seen recently swimming in the area by locals, but on Monday 8th six were discovered dead along the shore of Parara beach, Yorke Peninsula. Another whale was found alive, several kilometers from the rest of the animals, but onlookers were unable to save it and it later died. An eighth whale was also found alive struggling in shallow waters, and eventually environment workers were able to help it back into the open ocean.

At the moment, it is unclear how the animals managed to become stuck in such shallow waters, but some think they may have ventured into the area while hunting for fish. Others suggest that one of the whales may have entered shallow waters because it was sick, and then the other group members may have followed. Samples have been taken for analysis and will be tested at the South Australian Museum to see if scientists can dig up any clues that can explain this curious beaching incident. In the meantime, officials have to try and work out what to do with the carcasses because they could explode as they decompose, and may attract sharks to the area."

Reading to kindergarten-age kids

Probably one of the most fun and rewarding activities -- reading to little children! I recently became a reading mentor to kindergarteners at a local elementary school in Chicago.

Here is Kwame reading Harold and the Purple Crayon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_and_the_Purple_Crayon

Here is Abigail reading Maisy's Christmas: http://www.amazon.com/Maisys-Christmas-Sticker-Lucy-Cousins/dp/0763625124

Crows are smart

People say crows are incredibly smart and I suppose this proves it! Crows in Japan deliberately leave nuts in the road, and wait for cars to run over them and crack the hard shells. https://www.facebook.com/IFeakingLoveScience

More info. on crows at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_%28genus%29

Icy Lake Michigan

Today we were at 63rd Street Beach.  Didn't see much birdlife but lots of ice!

Texas fracking ban

"The fracking ban that comes into effect on Tuesday in the heart of Texas might never have happened at all, if industry had not insisted on fracking beside a local hospital, a children’s playground, and the 100-year-old farmhouse that was Cathy McMullen’s retirement dream. That brought fracking a step too far. McMullen believes such overreach – typical under the Texas regulatory framework – helped turn a ruby-red Republican town against fracking."

Read more @:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/02/denton-texas-fracking-ban-oil

Cute baby bats

Here is a video showing cute baby bats, rescued after an extreme heat event in Australia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat