Thanks to Buzz for Excellence in Three-Day Weekend Articles!
After a couple of rough weeks, I'm out of the woods & feeling more positive. And leave it at that.
© A. Mac/A.G
Good to be back and sharing creative stuff.
RED BOX RULES: AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
From time-to-time, I should remind all members of NT, etc., that when posting photos, artwork, etc., it's important, when posting, that you own, and/or legally represent the licensing, copyright, etc., of what you post, and TO PROTECT YOUR WORK, TO INCLUDE YOUR COPYRIGHT SYMBOL/INFORMATION; and/or, WHEN POSTING COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY BELONGING TO PARTIES OTHER THAN YOURSELF, TO …
• BE SURE YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO POST, TRANSMIT, etc, SUCH PROPERTY, and,
• IF/WHEN SUCH PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED, TO PROPERLY AND CLEARLY ATTRIBUTE THE COPYRIGHTS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNER(S).
VERY IMPORTANT … IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REMEMBER TO POST THIS CAVEAT REGULARLY.
Thanks, A. MAC
Happy to be back in the groove and feeling creative.
Very glad you're doing better.
I'll join you in declaring that as well.
the mac is back!
You may be out of the woods, but let's focus on the trees, even if we never see the forest.
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I've always thought that trees were amazing.
And here's some science to back it up!
Do Trees Talk to Each Other?
A controversial German forester says yes, and his ideas are shaking up the scientific world
Yes, I've seen his theory, and I believe in it, to the extent that it can be applicable to ALL forms of life.
Yes— all forms of life.
(Actually, over time, I’ve come to realize that that is true).
Arvo...you will be back break dancing like that Aussie at the Olympics in no time..🤣🤣
oz has infiltrated my youtube viewing suggestions. I blame you...
Morning...see we sieve out all wusses with Vegemite..
We just sprung two Russian spies the other month obviously didn't pass the Vegemite test... cheap and extremely effective..they will be fed Vegemite constantly now...
Naturally we infiltrated your YouTube viewing...we know you are lacking and underneath it all you really want to be an Aussie and live on the best rock in the world..
Now Vegemite and toasted muffin for brekkie... can't get any better than that.. ripper of a way to start the day..
I'm not very good with foreign languages...
Morning.. no probs...no worries you'll soon pick it up...oh umm wait, second thoughts..
... oh right, you want me to visit, eh. mix a big spoon of vegemite into my dinner, and tell me after, eh? ripper.
You can always rub it on your skin...it's a good croc and shark deterrent...
Just joking but not really.. they love it..makes you extra tasty..
I had no idea oz carnivores sought a balanced diet...
Morning... would love to be sitting in that area on a stinking hot summer's day..
Even just looking at it cools you down..
The tree canopy and the running creek, love places like that..
Where abouts is it please?
somewhere in pennsylvania would be my guess...
sorry, no snappies at that latitude...
good to have you back positive and happy and thanks to Buzz for taking care of things
Yes, big thanks to Buzz.
I will never let A.Mac down.
Happy to have been of service.
A photo dump to show how I setup the new shallow bog aquarium.
Some inexpensive pieces of broken flagstone make a ring to contain crushed red lava stone. The hope here is that water will flow through all this and provide surfaces for beneficial bacteria growth. I ended up expanding across the whole right side.
Some nylon mesh separates the lava from the substate while the black porret foam protects the return pump.
Fitting in all the hardscape - Malaysian bog wood and petrified wood.
A better look at the diy plumbing to keep the soil moist with 1/2" tubing running across the whole land area. There are holes cut into the tubing.
Finished adding all the soil in back and sand in the front and filling it with water to test it all out. Some of the soil spilled into the sand on the right side. I cleaned that up and used some bits of black porret foam to plug the gaps. I also trimmed some of the tubing coming forward.
Initial planting - pink bog lily, rabbit's foot fern and moss in the land area. At the water line is Christmas moss and under the water two different kinds of bucephalandra. I also have some additional rock to replace the elephant skin stone in the photo that is temporarily holding some tubing in place. Additional plants were also ordered this morning. I expect to have them early next week. A mini canister filter with cycled ceramic media is giving the whole system a jump start so as soon as planting is complete I can safely add the fish.
I'm also planning on swapping out the clip light I'm using with a real aquarium light and that black plastic tarp in the background with black canvas curtains.
there's enough cover to put guppies in that tank...
I am going to try the Celestial Pearl Danios, but if that doesn't work then I'll add some male endler guppies. I might pull the endlers from the office paludarium and try to split the CPDs between the these two tanks.
Is "photo dump" a new expression for "step by step" procedure?
I was working on the bog toddy. More rock was added on each end. A string of frogs plant and a calla lily were planted in the land area. The light was swapped out, the mini canister filter was moved to the back and I added a fogger.
A fogger? What does it do? Surely it isn't to fog up the view.
It atomizes the water to create a fog on the water surface. It's just for looks. I ended up turning it off more than on as it spits water outside of the tank.
Okay.
Great start! I’m pacing myself and will post more images later tonight. Keep it going!
Morning...was a magnificent day down the harbour on Thursday..so far we have had a very mild winter but quite low rainfall which is a bit concerning...
The sea was dead calm doesn't happen here that often..
I've never seen that in any open sea situation. It would be unusual even in Canada's Great Lakes.
I have. On the Hawaiian Islands the ocean at north shore beaches can be flat like a lake during the summer even though they can get huge waves during the winter and moderate waves during the spring and fall. Conversely, the south shore can be flat to small during the winter.
I've seen it happen on the gulf.
I was in Hawaii in December around half a century ago, and one of the precious moments that remains in my memory was when I was standing on a cliff at the edge of the ocean at the very southern point of The Big Island looking out over the ocean's huge waves after a big storm and feeling the spray on my face. Surfers came from all over the world then because of the waves.
Over the last few months we have not had the strong winds and gales we normally get along the coast..
I am not complaining as I hate the wind when it blows so hard and it wrecks everything... especially now when the birds are starting to build nests etc..and the chicks get blown out of the nests...
September and October can be the worst for strong wind storms here so time will tell...
Where I am a strong wind means a big rainstorm is imminent.
I saw the biggest waves I've ever seen one day on the north shore of Kauai. The waves were so huge the surfers were avoiding them. I was also standing on a cliff above the ocean. It was an awesome sight.
We're talking about waves, right?
Right, waves, not wives. LOL
Or their absence. A statement like "the south shore is flat" is in the local vernacular. Everyone there would know what you mean.
Well, it COULD mean one is out of money, or being bereft of air, but we'll let the context clarify it.
"The south shore is flat today". In Hawaii it only means one thing.
If someone was out of money they might say: "I got no moa da kine."
More Scenes from Provence
Marché Aux Fleurs - Cours Saleya, Nice (© G. Gam)
Le Vin Devant Soi, Avignon (© G. Gam)
Avignon (© G. Gam)
Makes me regret never touring France.
A good sign for either a wine store or a restaurant.
France is absolutely beautiful. I've been there for several lengthy stays and would love to go back at least once more. We might go next year after Notre Dame has re-opened.
The sign is for a wine store.
great composition x3.
Thanks, dev.
Tropical Sunset, Tree Silhouettes.
© A. Mac/A.G.
I love that.
I was on the deck one night and saw this butterfly sticking out of a hanging mandevilla. I thought it was just a dead insect that somehow blew into the flower and just left it there. The next morning I looked and it was still there, then I noticed it was moving ever so slightly. I pulled off the flower and peeled a pedal away and it very happily flew away. It had wedged itself so deep in it that it couldn’t get back out.
The photo below I found online. I thought I was hilariously captioned “why is this tree sneaking out of the woods?”
it's streaking...
Morning...nope definitely break dancing... could be a gold medal in that..oh wait it's not kangaroo hopping...🤣🤣
I just can't accept break dancing as an Olympic sport. I would consider arm wrestling to be more appropriate.
... uh, no comment...
Morning...I just sat in stunned silence then burst out laughing..
Was wondering what in the hell was a 36 year old chook (female) doing break dancing??..
I have seen my cat do better rolling around in the sun...
I felt some sympathy for her, because everybody went bonkers, but I don't get it...
Nope no sympathy here..not when you find out her hubbie was one of the judges to get her into the Olympics and is her coach..so a free trip to Paris for both..
Geez a 36 yo chook doing break dancing 🤣🤣..I have seen the local kids doing better..
The butterfly was lucky it wasn't a venus flytrap. You just saved a life.
As for that fleeing tree - hilarious.
Bella.
She loves a sunbeam, lol.
She is so great.
Polly had to be put to sleep a couple of weeks ago at 14 year of age. Such a sweet and tender dog. I miss her terribly. Being with her at the vet when she drifted away was so hard, but Bella has helped soften the blow.
Arvo Dig...yes they break your heart when they go..
I have always said, I was there for them at the beginning and I will be there for them at the end..
Walkies Polly...good dog..💔🐾🐾
My cat had to be put to sleep when he was about 14. I was very sad. I had him since he was a year old. It's been at least 20 years and I still miss him every day.
Oh, I'm sorry for the loss of Pollydog. I'm glad you have Bella to help.
And she knows it
That's for sure. I may have shed some tears when my parents died, but I'm not embarrassed to say I cried long and hard when my cat Fidget did.
very sorry about your loss of polly. our furry family members give us so much unconditional love in such a relatively short period of time.
Does she ever.
Thanks for the condolences, you guys.
The top picture clevely puts her between those statues, and the bottom one reminds me of my cat.
A.Mac is good at stretching weekends.
I found this article being locked early on monday mornings to be very irritating...
Meanwhile in our world, the real world it's already Tuesday..
See you mob are dragging up the rear again.. somethings you will just have to get use to..
you reckon I'm a ratbag sook? don't go troppo...
Then ask A.Mac to make it a FOUR-day weekend article from now on.
I find it a it difficult to monitor these articles as attentively as i did when first posting them; my life has changed considerably and I'm not sure I'm doing the articles a disservice as a result.
I will keep this open until Tuesday night and try to stay tuned in.
I support whatever you decide to do amac. this group is already the most peaceful refuge on NT. thank you.
Arvo Mac...
I am with Vangy...it is the only place where sane people can converse and enjoy the friendly banter that this world is so lacking in these days..
Thank you for all your hard work as it is certainly appreciated this side of the Pacific..
Even if you are behind us time wise..but just can't help some things.. 🐨🐨
I have to disagree with you. There is no reason in the world why you cannot enjoy articles posted on groups such as Classic Cars and Boats, Movies and TV Classic and Current, Great Non-Political Articles, Discovery Group and The New Jane Austen Society. I have always welcomed off topic commentary on those groups so long as it doesn't contravene the RED BOX RULES.
I second that accolade.
Which is a good reason to limit them to the three-day duration that their titles indicate.
meh, we could have put that dateline anywhere...
Nah...they just worked out the best country should go first into a new day...and they got it so right..
Calling this one closed.