an afterthought

the recent event of my earlier post about the "return of the stingray" prompted my memory this weekend about one of my favourite things to do when i visit california.

i have been fortunate to have spent quite a bit of time in california and seen all of the coast, driving the length of PH1 and stopping in many of the cities along the way [this was during my numerous visits, not just one trip! i would never have been able to do it in as much detail].

one of the things i liked most was visting the monterey bay aquarium and having the experience of seeing their extraordinary exhibits of ocean life. i even got to "pet" [touch] the baby bat rays in the shallow water exhibit. damn, i wanted one of those for a pet! ok, kidding. it's a fabulous opportunity to view california's oceanlife, if you ever get the chance.

second best, is to visit online the monterey bay aquarium and see for yourself some of what they offer. check out the kelp forest video. amazing to see.

first snow

late friday afternoon, just as the sabbath was to begin, we experienced our first snow of the season. it brought me back to when i was younger, when around this time, children were getting costumes ready for that much loved pumpkin event [hallowe'en] often with a snowsuit underneath as it was so damned cold.

i took a small avi format video which i will try to upload later to be inserted here. something fun to see for those of you who have never seen snow yourself.

i was actually happy about this "premature" white event as it has literally been years with no snow this early on, sometimes not until december. that is so odd for canada. while i do not live in the "great white" of the northern parts of canada, not having snow until so late into the winter is of great concern and is yet another instance of the effects of global warming.

our northern parts of canada are warming increasingly year by year and changing the whole eco/environments of the inuit people, their way of life [what remains of it, traditionally] and the lifecycles of all wildlife such as the polar bear and whales. as the oceans warm, they must move in search of food encroaching on the local human populations where they would never normally venture.

a short article called, Atmospheric and Climatic Change in the Canadian Arctic, briefly explains things.

and for something really fun, try making your own virtual snowflake. my friend sent me this link during the summer when i was sweating to death from the heat.