Tag: nature

family

The Octopus

Andi

Not long ago I saw several video clips divers had taken of Octopuses punching fish, for seemingly no reason. I thought “hey, sometimes I’d like to be able to punch someone that got too close to me too.” and I laughed about it. I love Octopuses and their odd, sometimes petty, intelligent behaviour. They are brightly colorful, and more clever than we had imagined. They are definitely my favourite creatures of the sea. 

If you have a child, you have probably seen Finding Dory, and probably already know that Octopuses have three hearts. Side Note: Hank is the best character Pixar has made, at least in a long time. It may have been a kids movie, but this fact is true. Two of the hearts move blood beyond the gills, while the third pumps blood to the organs. Their hearts also stop beating when they swim, which is probably why they are mostly seen crawling along the ocean floor. Which means having eight arms that can act independently comes in handy. The majority of octopus neurons reside in their arms, not their heads. This enables the animal to use one of its arms for one task while simultaneously using the others for something different. This has also been studied in regards to maneuverability and problem solving. Scientists have done experiments by giving octopuses various challenges to solve, time and again proving their intelligence. They are able to check all sides of an object at the same time to find an opening or latch instead of focusing on just one spot at a time. In the wild, they’ve been observed covering themselves with rocks and shells, rolling into a ball and laying still to hide from predators. 

Octopuses have blue blood. This is due to an adaptation of the cold deep ocean, evolving copper based blood instead of iron based blood, which appears blue. Since many cephalopods live deep in the ocean, they need to be able to transport oxygen throughout their bodies, and their blood makes it possible to do that. This however makes them incredibly sensitive to changes in acidity. If the water around them changes too much it could become fatal for them as it would make it impossible to breath. Considering how much our oceans are being harmed and polluted, the change in water acidity is a large concern. Of course, not only for the octopuses, but it poses a threat to them as well. 

Many have noted how weird cephalopods look. They’ve got these crazy tentacles and oddly shaped heads, and gigantic eyes. In fact, they’ve often been the inspiration for monsters or aliens in entertainment. Even Cthulhu has tentacles. But perhaps Octopuses look so zany because they haven’t changed very much at all for nearly 3 million years. Fossils have been found of creatures that look, basically the same way our modern octopuses do. And why would they need to evolve? They are perfect specimens the way they are. Despite having existed for millions of years, octopuses have a remarkably short life span. Most only live 10 years or so. They live and grow and then mate, and then they die. For such a fascinating and smart animal, it is not on this earth for very long sadly. If there were one thing I wish octopuses could evolve, it would be a longer life span. 

There are so many different kinds of Octopuses, and that isnt even touching on the other cephalopods like squid or cuttlefish. These weird boneless creatures are constantly amazing and confusing us. We still have not seen a squid fight a Sperm Whale for instance, but we know they do it, and that the squids win sometimes. We’ve barely even seen the giant squid that fights them. Every time we study the octopus, we learn something new. They can open child proof bottles for instance, with no fingers. Cephalopods are insane! They are the best sea creatures, I think because they are such a mystery still. So fascinating. 

Art

The Butterflies and the Bees

Andi

Its been a minute since I shared a photo I took. Granted, because of stay at home orders we haven’t been out as much these last few months as I would have liked, but we all have to do our part.

On one of our Nature Walks, we discovered several bees. Bees are our friends, and we love them. What was so incredible was that butterflies were also all about. It just so happened that a bee and a butterfly landed on the same flower and then stayed there together. I was so fascinated by this. Luckily I was able to snap a quick pic before they flew away.

Art

Octopus Watercolor

Andi

I’m really proud of this painting. A couple friends and I started doing watercolor tutorials together over Zoom a few months ago when the Stay at Home orders were issued. Before that, we had tried to get together in person to paint together. I’m honestly surprised how well the paintings turn out because none of us are professionals, but they almost always look good.

But this one is extra special. This one is an octopus. Octopuses are my favorite sea creature and my second favorite creature in general. They sit on the top with the Cats and Elephants. They are brilliant and clever and snarky. Look up some of the aquarium and diver stories about them. I love nature in general, but octopuses hold a special place in my heart.

The template was all blue and purple, but as a looked at it, I didn’t like the blue. I decided he shouldn’t be blue, he should be orange. Which immediately reminded me of Hank the septopus from Finding Dory.

I love Hank. He is cranky. He wants to be left alone. He is constantly caught up in his friends hijinks. I am Hank. If I were an animal, I would be him. He is my favorite Pixar character. Which is not an easy feat considering he’s competing with the likes of Joy, Woody, and Dante. I am almost positive Hank was based off of someone in the Pixar studio and I want to meet this person, we would be friends.

So instead of blue and purple, I painted this guy orange and red with only seven arms in tribute to my Pixar friend Hank.

family

Coming Up

Andi

Coming up, you may notice an increase in crafting or recipe posts, probably some humor in my flubs in both areas. I’m doing this because it is what we are doing more, but also because I’m sure people are going to need lots of ideas.

We are navigating uncharted territory. I doubt there are many 102 year olds around that have seen a pandemic this extreme and could tell us what to do. We do have records however of plagues and pandemics from history and one of the things they tell us, keep your distance.

But self isolating, staying home and quarantining sucks. And I don’t mean that simply in a, “aw man do I hate this”, kind of it sucks, I mean it is unnatural for us and we grate against it. Isolation makes depression easier to take hold, it brings us down, it puts our minds on edge. We aren’t meant to be removed from other humans for a long period of time.

Humans are also not meant to be inside for long periods of time. We need contact with nature or we go insane. I don’t have the scientific intelligence to properly explain why, but I do know that the human mind needs to be around plant life. Even fake ones are helpful. Plants are calming to our minds. Being outdoors is invigorating and refreshing to us, and is necessary for our health.

During this time when most of us are under some kind of stay at home order, we have to find different tools to keep us healthy. Most of the orders right now allow you to go out to walk your dog or excersize. Take a walk. Walk your dog. Walk to the grocery store next time.

But even if you do not wish to walk or jog, get yourself outside somehow. I went to get some gardening supplies and the worker there told me he had seen more than the usual customers lately. A lot of people had told him, if they were going to be stuck at home, they might as well do something productive in their yards. It made me smile. I am glad people are taking to the outdoors to beat their blues. The butterflies are going to love this spring with all the extra flowers bored people are planting.

But let’s say you don’t have a yard to plant in or take your kids to play in. You live in an apartment with nothing but a small balcony. That’s ok! Go sit on it! Get some pots and flowers and plant them. Buy a bird feeder and hang it from your balcony. Sketch pictures sitting outside. Drink your morning cup of coffee on the balcony.

Many people are taking to video calling to get their human interaction while in isolation. It’s a good idea. But add onto it, the outdoors. So call your grandma from the patio instead of the couch.

Open up your windows every day the weather will allow it. Let that sunshine and fresh air into your home!

For the length of these Stay At Home orders, I challenge you to find some way to get outside every single day. However that looks for you. I will be happy to provide many ideas of what you can do, especially with kids, but it’s up to you to step out the door.

family

Hedgehogs

Andi

Guys, theres a little detail about myself you should know. I hate hedgehogs. I know they look cute adorable, but they are secretly mean!

This is not without reason. A reason I will share with you.

A few years ago, I went with a friend, to a pumpkin patch. This was before kids, and we were just there to have fun together. They had several farm animals there you could pet or feed, or just look at. Lots of pumpkins of course. A camel you were able to get rides on. And then there was this hedgehog. It was sitting a small box like enclosure, not really being supervised. You could pick it up and hold it. So we did. My friend held it first and it was calm and relaxed. Then she handed it to me and that tiny cute little furball took the opportunity to bite the daylights out of my finger. This thing has a tiny mouth and thin pointed teeth. It was like being poked with itty bitty needles. I screamed and dropped it back into the box. My finger hurt like the Dickens. That hedgehog showed no remorse whatsoever either.

In retrospect, it was not supervised. It was in a small box. There was only one, and it probably hadn’t been taken away for a break. It was more than likely striking out in stress and anger for being over handled. It was just my unlucky finger that got the strike.

But it still hurt. Listen, hedgehogs have needle like teeth, and they will bite. Be aware.

It’s also worth noting the friend that was with me sent me a hedgehog themed card last Christmas. She’s taunting me at this point.

I still have it.

family

The Cactus

Andi

I have a lot of plants I like. I’m really a kind of plant person, I have them all over my house. One of my favorite plants is the cactus. I like how it appears harsh and even dangerous at first, but it also produces some of the most beautiful brightly colored flowers of the plant kingdom.

The cactus belongs to the Cactaceae plant family and is classified as stem succulents. A succulent has a thick skin and water may form up to 90% of the total mass. Cacti are a specific kind of succulent that has adapted to dry, desert like conditions. Not all succulents are cacti. In fact only about a quarter of the 10,000 species belong to the cactus family. The classification derives from the fact many succulents have water in their leaves, whereas a cactus only has water in the stem of the plant.

The word cactus comes from the ancient Greek word Kaktos. The word hasn’t really changed much. Just exchanged the K for a C.

Most cacti have a rounded shape. Instead of stems and leaves, they have areolas and spines. The spines prevent animals from eating the plant and sometimes kill bugs or rodents. They also prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the surface. They also provide some shade to the plant. Cacti still employ photosynthesis, but since they don’t have traditional leaves, they do it a little differently. They also respond to rain shower much more quickly than most other plants. They bloom and grow very quickly to comply with the harsh dry climates they are native to.

Many believe cactus have natural healing properties, though not much scientific study has been done on the topic. The studies that have been done confirm they are high in antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties.

A cactus in the home does help to clean the air around it. However a spiny cactus does also bring a negative energy and may disturb fang shui if placed in the wrong place. It is suggested to place cacti outside or on a patio or balcony. At the very least a large open space and not near a bedroom.

I have a Christmas Cactus in my livingroom. It does not have spines. It may bloom anywhere from November to March. Mine already bloomed this year for a solid two months. It in fact has one bloom still hanging on, but I do not see any new ones budding. Last year, it did not bloom until late February. The flowers are a bright purple pink color. I name my plants, and this one is named Rita. It just seemed like a purpley slightly pink shade of a name.

This is the second Christmas Cactus I have owned however. I watered my first one on the same schedule as my other plants and accidentally drowned it! Cacti and Succulents don’t need to be watered as much as an ivy! Lesson learned.

Cactus is a charming plant species, with huge variety and vibrant color. I love them.

Art, family

Photograph of Jellyfish

Andi

Another picture I took that I simply adored. I love nature and how incredibly beautiful it is. Nature puts on an artistic display for us to stand in awe of. It’s not all pretty landscapes and picturesque flowers either. It comes in odd shapes and colors, but still striking in it’s own form of beauty.

The other day we went to the aquarium and my children were profoundly fascinated with all the different creatures. The ocean is full of beauty and color and some of the weirdest animals on earth. I particularly liked these jellyfish. They look like they’re wearing frilly dresses. Those big southern bell dresses with petticoats and bloomers. And they were kind and stayed put so I could take their picture. Some of the other fish weren’t so cooperative.

My tidbit to you is to go outside and find something you love, something you find pretty, and take its picture.

family, My Story

Vacations with Kids

Andi

My vacations have changed in adulthood. For one, I now have bills to pay, and responsibilities. After we had kids, planning a trip got much more complex, and more costly. Some might think our trips got boring, or I’ve stopped travelling, but I find neither to be true. They may be farther apart, but they still happen. In some cases I’ve been forced to find unique places near home, but that’s also shown us some absolute gems. Some of them may be focused around visiting family, but they’re still full of adventure. And as the kids grow, we’ll be able to make the same exciting memories with them that my grandparents made with me.

Did you know Arkansas had mountains? Because I didn’t. I guess I didn’t pay close enough attention in Geography class. For my Grandpa’s 90th birthday we took him camping on Mt. Magazine which is in AR. I was shocked by how beautiful it was. We went in the Fall, right as the trees were starting to change. It was all outdoors and the kids could run and run and keep running. The park staff was wonderful, and the park itself was clean and cared for. I love mountains and find them majestic. Mt. Magazine was no exception.

I could show you a picture of the main street of Eureka Springs, or the haunted Crescent Hotel. But I’m sure most people have already seen those. The Crescent Hotel is famous, even being featured on ghost hunter shows. I do reccomend the ghost tour if you are ever in the area. It was so creepy! Which equates to a good ghost tour. No, I’m going to show you a picture from Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a big cat animal rescue located just outside Eureka Springs. The huge majority of big cats in captivity are NOT in zoos or refuges. They are in people’s homes attempting to be kept as pets. As with any wild animal, it is not a pet, and is very dangerous to try to keep it as one. All of the cats and bears at this refuge have beven rescued from roadside zoos (not the same as a legitimate zoo, never pet a wild animal or animal cub, places who allow this are not caring for their animals) circuses, or private homes. The cat pictured I chose because I love love black cats. My cat is black. When I get another, it will also be black. Black cats are very rare, and that makes them even more special. I could not recommend supportng and visiting this place more. Another wildlife refuge I recommend visiting is PAWS (performing animals wildlife sanctuary) in California. They specifically take in animals from circuses, most of which are elephants.

This is also Eureka Springs, but a different quirky place I loved. Really, if you like oddball things, Eureka Springs is the place for you! This is at a place called Quigley Castle and it caught my eye because I wasn’t aware of any castles in Arkansas. And it’s not in a traditional sense. It is a house built entirely by a woman and her husband with rocks they collected from the river. The walls of the house looked like these benches pictured. The wife decorated her garden with glass her husband found and liked. 3 of the 4 interior walls were bare dirt so plants could grow up the walls. On the ground level, the wife had an aquarium built into the floor. The top level had her butterfly collection covering the walls instead of paint or wallpaper. The family still lives in the home and despite my thinking that the rock would wash away in storms, the home still stands firm a couple generations later. This house screamed eccentric at me and I loved the sound it made.

Want to visit a random, hole in wall place? Got you covered. This is Brown Mansion in Coffeyville, KS. This is one of the most interesting eccentric mansions I’ve ever toured. (Aside from Quigley Castle in Eureka Springs. I just like odd homes) The Brown Mansion is fitted with almost exclusively Tiffany glass. Plants displayed everywhere, a working elevator, and a full ballroom. The original owners operated a spa and some of those pieces are also featured, such as a vibrating chair to help relieve constipation. All the light fixtures are fitted with electric and gas, as the house was built right at the rise of electric lights. President Taft even visited this home on his campaign trail. If built today, it would cost over 4 million dollars to build. Definitely worth a stop and a gander.

Some of our best vacations have been the peaceful, quiet ones. The ones where I’m able to sit in nature with my feet in the water. Its calming to just sit in nature. Life can get to flustered and hectic. Your mind going 90 different directions at once. It’s good to have a few moments of simple silence and peace. This is rural Oklahoma, close to my Grandpa’s lake house, where I was able to slip away from the family and have few serene moments of silence.

I have family in Missouri, so driving through Kansas City is not a rare occurance for me. Despite that, I’ve never been to a lot of places in and around MO. This is the World War I Museum and Monument in Kansas City, MO. Unintentionally, we went on Memorial Day weekend, which meant the place was more crowded than usual. It was still a well designed musem, simply full of information and artifacts. I don’t think my kids were quite old enough to appreciate what the museum was about. They were mostly interested in the cars and airplanes. I’d suggest waiting until late elemtary, middle school age before taking a child to this museum.

I understand having small kids can limit vacation possibilities. But really, the the importance is not necessarily the extravagance of a trip. What is important is that you are with the ones you love and building life long memories with them.

family, My Story

Young Travel

Andi

This tidbit of my life story is going to be a little more lighthearted than the last one. That one was kind of heavy, so let’s lighten up a moment shall we?

I said before I traveled a lot with my grandparents when I was young. My most fond memories are from the trips I took with them. Really, I’ve been a lot of places in my lifetime, and I realize how fortunate I am to have had such experiences. I got down the photo box and dug out some of the photos. There are so many trips we took, I can’t fit everything into one post. These are all from when I was very young, most with my grandma and grandpa, sometimes also a sibling. It also reminded me I really need to digitize my photo albums and probably organize them better. 😬

If you remember, I told you my Grandma loved flowers, particularly wildflowers. I have myriads of these photographs of just wildflowers. She would spot some and make us pull off the road so she could get out and snap a photo. I have no idea where this was taken, or how old I was. But even now, her passion lives on everytime one of us pulls out one of these and smiles remembering how much she enjoyed the flowers.

Someone recently asked me if wanted to go with them out to the sand dunes and I laughed. It immediately brought me back to this trip. I was probably about 5, maybe 6. For whatever reason they let my older brother (approx 13) drive the sand buggy, and he crashed it into a giant hill of sand. Kid couldn’t drive straight to save his life in that thing. My strongest memory, having to shower several times to get all the sand out of every crevice. And I was a scrawny little kid back then! Now I’m pudgy and have a lot more crevices for sand to get stuck in! So no, I don’t enjoy having sand in between my buttcheeks, but thanks for the invite.

I was probably 7 years old when my grand parents took me to Yellowstone National Park. Remarkably what I remember most weren’t the buffalo, or the waterfalls. It was the Park Ranger. They had an activity book you could do about the park, and if you finished it, you got to be a Jr. Park Ranger. I did it, very proudly, and gave my workbook to the ranger. It was a woman and I can recall the way she looked, her facial features, her hair, the sound of her voice. I don’t know why I can so vividly recall a person who’s name I never knew and who I won’t ever see again, but I do. I still have the Patch she gave me that says Official Junior Park Ranger. I also have a visual imprint of myself and Grandma sitting at a table behind a huge panoramic glass window watching Old Faithful. I’m not sure where Grandpa was in this memory. Maybe outside trying to take this picture.

At 8, I went to Mount Rushmore. I thought my brother was with us, but he says he’s never been, so I guess it was just me and the grands. I don’t actually remember much about the carving. We obviously saw it or this picture wouldn’t exist, but it’s not what I have in my memory banks. I remember the walking and the trees. We walked so much that day. Ducking into the shade because it was summertime. And I remember the gift shop. There was a museum about the making of the mount and it had a little gift shop. I was allowed to pick one thing and I couldn’t decide on what. I eventually got a sticker book. A sticker book. A shop full of options and I got stickers. Because 8 year old me was a genius.

One thing I find kind of humorous now is my Grandparents just did not have the same concerns my parents did, and it exposed me to different beliefs. I’ll explain. My parents being the religious way they are, insisted we go to church if we were gone over a sunday. So we did, but as Grandma and Grandpa werent like my parents, they didn’t really care what kind of chuch it was. About their only requirement was is it Christian? And is it on our way? Its Sunday, the town were in has a Methodist church, let’s go. Next Sunday, it was a Baptist church, also good. I don’t really remember any of these churches excpet for one. When we visited my great great aunt, we would always go to church with her because she was devoutly Lutheran and would not miss a service. I remember it because the organ pipes covered the entire back wall of the sanctuary and the side walls were solid stained glass. The place was beautiful. I remember walking in and being in awe of the beauty. The church I grew up in was boring and mundane compared to that. Old churches and cathedrals still leave me in awe.

This was at a beach, obviously, but I am uncertain as to which one. It could easily be Padre Island or Pensecola, FL. We went to both. I’m kind of leaning towards Texas though, because we went there more often. I love the beach. Unlike the sand dunes, there’s tons of water right there to wash the sand off. My great great aunt collected sea shells, so when we went to the beach, I’d search for shells to take back to her. Which is most likely what I’m doing in this photograph. The last time I got to see her, she gave me several of her favorite pieces. A bear made if sea shells. A shell necklacehe she had made. I still have these, and I cherish them.

When I was 12, my parents took my Aunt and Uncle on a cruise. As I was still at home, I got to go too. We went to Alaska. Seriously, one of the most beautiful places on earth. I couldn’t find the pictures I took there, all I could find was this tramway ticket. I suppose I will simply have to take another vacation and go back to retake the photographs. I always kind of liked moose, but after I went to Alaska, it was my goal to see one in person. I still haven’t accomplished that goal yet, but I did see a watch for moose sign up in the mountains, so my chances to see one are rising!

I severely love to travel. This of course does not cover every trip we took, but these are some of the strongest memories. I think my grandparents are the ones who first instilled the love of adventure in me. They were my biggest influencers. They are my fondest memories.

family
Andi

I just want to share this beautiful photo I took with you. I wish I had a nicer camera that was able to fully capture the beauty of the mountains, but even with the ditsy one I have, its stunning.

I truly love being in and around nature. The crisp air that fills up your lungs. The fresh odor that people try to replicate and fill their homes with is just all around naturally. The majestic elk posed perfectly on the hillside. It’s so wonderful, relaxing, and peaceful.

When I begin to get overwhelmed with life, I stop everything and go outside just to be in it. To breathe it in and calm my mind.

There’s just nothing quite like it.