Posts Tagged ‘nature’
One of this year’s trends is the resurgence of animal prints and skins, in both fashion and home. These luxuries are not for everyone , however ; either for ethical or financial reasons. But, alas, we all have an opportunity to participate in this trend. “It takes a village to raise a trend. ”
Alligator and crocodile have always been considered luxuries (there are only a few differences b/w the two including their snout shape and what water they live in) . Expensive bags and accessories are readily available. The red Coach crocodile bag is rich looking , even in pictures (this will take a $7000 bite out of you). I am absolutely coveting the Zagalini puffy croc satchel. If I win the lottery this week (because I don’t have an extra $11,800) - this bag is mine. (more…)
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The lichen’s beauty is in the many different colors it can exhibit from rock to rock.
“When you take photos the lichen almost looks like flowers,” Dininger said. “The lichen pulls different minerals out of the rock and that is how they get their color, pink, lavender, orange, yellow, green and even black,” she said. “It’s a very cool phenomena and after it rains the lichen look brilliant.”
Vasquez Rocks is a wildlife sanctuary and all natural and cultural features are protected by law. There is no wood or rock
gathering allowed.
Photo from UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research.
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The first total lunar eclipse in 2 1/2 years is expected to begin at about 5:30 p.m. Atlantic time this Saturday. The moon will be seen best (or maybe I should say not seen) by those along the east coast of the United States and Canada, as well as South Africa, Europe, and much of Asia.
The main shadow will begin to cross the moon and the moon will continue to get darker until it disappears at about 6:44 p. m. Atlantic time. The moon will not reappear until around 9:14 p. m.
Just before the moon disappears, its color usually changes to a red or deep orange; the color varies because it is caused by refracted rays of red light passing through the earth’s atmosphere that bathe the moon in color. The hue and depth of color depends on the amount of dust in the atmosphere, with the main contributor to the deepness of red being the amount of volcanic ash.
Lunar eclipses, unlike solar eclipses, can be watched safely with the naked eye - so no need to worry about enjoying the show!
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Purple was recently one of the hottest colors on the runway, then it made a splash in home interiors, and now purple has even taken honors as a trendy color for carrots.
The “Purple Haze” carrot is one of the 2006 winners recognized by All-America Selections as “a flower or vegetable for significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on the market.” With a deep purple exterior and bright orange interior, it is sure to be a hit with gourmet chefs.
Where might purple turn up next?
See all of this year’s winners.
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The Chesapeake Bay, not far from where I live, is famous for crabs, and locally, we celebrate summer with many crabfests.
As I was reading about an upcoming Blue Crab festival this morning, I remembered a fun tidbit about these colorful crustaceans and wanted to share it with you.
Did you know that there is an easy way to tell the difference between a male and female blue crab?
Male blue crabs have claws with blue tips and female blue crabs “paint their fingernails” red.
For more fun facts, humorous t-shirts, and useful information about blue crabs, visit www.bluecrab.info
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Like most of us, meteorologists recognize that hovering, slate gray clouds are a sure sign that rainy weather is approaching and that white, puffy clouds signal a clear and pleasant day ahead. What the local weatherman knows that most of us may not is why some clouds are light and others dark, and what the color of a cloud indicates.
Clouds are composed of tiny droplets of water that have condensed on particles present in our atmosphere. Though water droplets are basically transparent, they scatter sunlight which produces the pearly white cloud color we see most often in the sky.
As clouds accumulate more moisture, the space between droplets becomes larger and larger, permitting more light to penetrate deeper into the cloud. This causes light to be absorbed rather than reflected, making the cloud appear darker. The amount of light absorbed versus light reflected is what produces clouds that range from bright white to almost black.
Clouds often take on a blue-gray hue when light is scattered by rain droplets. They can turn an ominous green when light is scattered through ice, and greenish clouds often signal heavy rain and hail, as well as a potential tornado. Large quantities of smoke in the air produce yellowish clouds and are often the result of a forest fire.
Although clouds may appear pink, red, or orange at sunrise or sunset, they don’t actually change color. They simply reflect the long, reddish rays of sunlight that are predominant at those times of day and thus produce a beautiful backdrop for the beginning or ending of our day.
Photos courtesy of Cloudman
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