#>driest

[tribbetherium]

The Middle Therocene: 45 million years post-establishment

Buggin' It: Therocene Insects of HP-02017

HP-02017 may be a planet of hamsters, but they are not the sole occupants of this seeded world. Many other organisms were introduced into this planet, organisms that were necessary to maintain the biosphere, ones that the local flora and fauna could not live without. Primarily pollinators and detrivores that were introduced to the planet, they too had been evolving for millions of years into strange new forms, converging on those that were absent on the initial roster of seeded life.

Among these are small, web-spinning hunters in the undergrowth that at first glance would appear to be spiders- until one counted their limbs and body segments up close. This insects, the spooders (family Saturnarachnidae), are in fact wingless, neotenic moths that have retained their silk glands from their larval form, which they now use to spin shelters and capture small, flying insects, while their long, coiled proboscis has adapted to become shorter and sharper: perfectly suited for piercing and draining the bodies of other insects.

Indeed, the spooders are among the less peculiar of the wingless moths here, as some, such as the weedsuckers (family Foliosuccidae) have become sap-sucking forms that fill a niche akin to aphids and plant lice. And some take their neoteny even further, by never metamorphosing out of their caterpillar forms at all: some remain, mature and breed in their familiar leaf-eating form, while others become predators, such as the caterpedes (family Chilopodamimidae), which have become scurrying, centipede-like predators on the undergrowth that hunt smaller insects.

Another strange insect that has filled the niche of another are the draclets (family Mimodracinae). Darting about in the air with four slender wings and a long tail-like abdomen, they look very much like dragonflies, but are in fact wasps: wasps that lost their stingers during the predator-free days of the Rodentocene and, with the coming of the ratbats, instead developed speed and agility as a means of escaping their enemies. They themselves are aerial hunters, with most species hunting smaller flying insects like bees, flies and moths that they snatch out of the air with modified grasping legs, and one species, the indigo draclet (Megaloculodracinus maleficens) is a specialized hunter of other species of draclets.

But by far the most widespread and diverse insect groups are unsurprisingly the beetles, which, as with Earth, are the most successful of all the insects. They attained a diversity surpassing all other insect clades back on Earth, and here, with the absence of some competitors, the beetles evolved into a wide variety of species and forms exceeding what they have on their original homeworld.

From an assemblage of various detrivore beetles initially introdused as decomposers arose many species that converged with other insects: some, such as the horned yeetles (family Iactoceridae) and the bioluminescent bulbugs (family Lucionoctidae) would converge upon other species of beetles like rhinoceros beetles and fireflies, while others would take on more distant insect niches. Fauxhoppers (family Pseudocaeliferidae), which fed on leaves and grass, would develop powerful jumping hind legs to escape predators, becoming close analogues of grasshoppers, while bloodsucking dreadbugs (family Dermopestidae) would converge on ticks and fleas: becoming external parasites infesting hamsters (the thick, shaggy coats of mison in particular) where they in turn are hunted by a different type of beetle, the nitpickers (family Pestivenatoridae), which have formed a symbiotic relationship with mison, feeding on the abundance of parasites attracted to their hides and in turn keeping the pest populations at a manageable level.

The beetles even thrive in the most inhospitable conditions and in unusual lifestyles as they evolve to fit their new environment. Even in the driest hottest deserts some of them endure: some, such as scurrabs (family Sabuloperfossoridae) which burrow under the sand to escape the hot sun, while others, such as the sandbugs (family Argentopteridae) have highly-reflective exoskeletons to deflect the excess heat- standing out like a shining beacon, but to no selective cost, as they live in the most extreme environments that no predatory hamsters could tolerate.

And one family, the wood-boring treeroyals (family Regnocimexidae), would even form complex societies similar to termites and ants, derived from a collective strength-in-numbers gregarious behavior that in time gave way to true eusociality. Minors, majors and soldiers are all females, whose size and caste is determined by the amount of food they recieved as larvae, while queens, which are born seasonally, being the only females able to reproduce. The drones, the only male caste, are able to disperse and join other colonies to mate with their queens, but unlike ants and bees, drones do not die immediately after mating and instead play a part in the hive's society, with numerous males serving as the queen's harem throughout her lifetime, and also helping to regulate the hive's temperature by fanning their wings.

But of course, actual ants are no slouches when it comes to kingdom-building in this planet, and in fact are partly the reason why the treeroyals evolved a colonial lifestyle to begin with. Thousands of species span the globe, filling a tremendous number of niches and forms that are far to numerous to each describe in their entirety.

Among the most remarkable species, of course, are the sailing raftants (Nauticomyrmex naviformis), a species that is native to the northern floodplains of Ecatoria, where they are forced to constantly deal with rising floods and sweeping currents. As such, they have evolved the ability to merge their bodies together to form a floating raft: a tactic used by Earth's fire ants, but the raftants take it one step further: they spend nearly their whole lives adrift in a raft, with each group taking turns to be at the top or down below, while the queen and her brood of eggs, larvae and pupae are kept safe and dry in the middle of the mass, a royal chamber made of their own linked bodies. Raftants are omnivores: feeding on fruit, seeds, nectar, insects and occasionally carrion, and it is one of the few times that the drifting colony anchors itself into place, using bridges of twigs and ant bodies to hold the raft in place while workers climb up and carry food back into the floating nest.

But the raftants have more to worry about than just floods, for a different- and more vicious- species of rafting ant makes its home in these waters: the hook-jawed pirant (Yarharomyrmex fidelldi), a predatory species that like the raftants, travels over flooded basins in masses formed of their own bodies. Feeding mostly on aquatic insects and small shrish, they have a particular tendency to target the floating raftants and in an undermatched colony, can result in complete eradication. Pirants are notable in possessing a unique caste called rafters, which, similar to water striders, can actively propel themselves across the surface of the water, and hundreds of these rafters quite literally carry the rest of the colony on their backs. Posessing a strong sense of smell, they can detect the scents of other ant colonies from some distance away, and once the target is located pheremone signals are released to the rafters to steer the colony towards their victims, and when the colony locks on to the prey's raft, the large-jawed majors -- the raiding party-- quickly climbs aboard, fiercely dispatching the crew and making off with the loot: the nutritious brood and reproductives of their quarry.

All in all, the insects of this planet easily number in the billions of individuals and tens of thousands of species, greatly outnumbering the hamsters themselves. Though small, simple and low on the food chain, they are ever-present and numerous, and form the root of the ecosystem that all life on the planet could not survive without. In a way, they were the dominant species of this planet from a certain point of view, just as on Earth: where amphibians, reptiles, synapsids, dinosaurs and mammals rose and fell in Earth's long history, but insects ruled all throughout and long before- an inextricable part of the planet's order that goes underappreciated in the shadow of bigger beings.

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

[laraehrlich-blog]

Original content owned & copyrighted by Green Global Travel.

Cruises have gotten a bad rap lately: One recent scientific study found that air quality on a cruise ship deck was “worse than the world’s most polluted cities.”

But not all cruise companies feature gigantic cruise ships carrying 5000+ passengers. In our eyes, small ship cruises are much better for travelers, locals, and the environment alike.

The best small ship cruise lines typically have less than 300 passengers, a lower guide-to-passenger ratio, and expert local guides. These small luxury cruise ships have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a more intimate and immersive travel experience.

Some small luxury cruises focus squarely on nature and wildlife, while others focus more on the history and culture of a destination. But in general, small cruises are less about the amenities of the ship itself and more about exciting shore-based adventures.

Whether you’re taking a river cruise in READ MORE: The Importance of Community-Based Tourism

  WHY SMALL SHIP CRUISES ARE SUPERIOR

Galapagos Islands Cruise Ship – The Eric by Ecoventura

More Personal Space

With the  On a luxury cruise ship packed with several thousand people, you often feel like a nameless face among the huddled masses. But on a smaller ship with 20-50 people, you feel more like a treasured guest,  with ample room to roam.

This makes it much easier to find your own personal space away from the crowd, to have quiet time or special moments as a couple or family.

READ MORE: 0 Romantic Places for Your World Travel Bucket List

Drinking curacao on the island of Curacao

Better Personal Service

When you’re just one of the 5,000 cruisers packed into a huge floating city, it’s unreasonable to expect the attention to detail that comes with four-star service.

For travelers willing to sacrifice luxury in exchange for rock-bottom prices, the affordability and But there’s also a lot to be said for the value of the experiences you get on small boat cruises. There, all the staff (including the cruise director) knows your name and preferences, and can provide more personalized recommendations.

Having a bartender who knows you want a Blue Hawaiian with your Happy Hour appetizers may not make or break your trip. But traveling with a company who makes you feel like more than just a number-coded wristband goes a long way towards making your trip feel special.

READ MORE: The Top 0 Things to Do in Curaçao

Peruvian Amazon River Cruise excursion – swimming in the Amazon River

Connect with Like-Minded People

When you’re on a small ship with just 20-50 passengers for a week to 0 days, you tend to get to know everyone on board to some degree.

Instead of being sat at the same table with the same people night after night, on small cruises there seems to be an unspoken agreement that passengers will swap dining tables nightly.

It’s like a game of musical chairs, giving you plenty of opportunity to find out who you click with.

Inevitably, you’re bound to meet a handful of folks that share your same ideals. Especially when you take a nature/wildlife or history/culture-focused cruise, which each tends to attract a certain type of traveler.

Going on life-changing adventures with perfect strangers can create some surprisingly strong bonds. Perhaps you’ll even meet your future travel buddies!

READ MORE: Small Ship Cruising the Peruvian Amazon

Peruvian Amazon River Cruise Boat docks on the river bank

Small Ships Go Where Big Ships Can’t

You’ve heard the old saying, “Size doesn’t matter”? Well, in the case of cruise ships, it does. And in this case, bigger is very rarely better.

Small ships are simply more nimble than large ships. Unless you’re going to a mega port, big cruise ships often have to ferry their entire passenger load back and forth via small boats or Zodiac rafts.

We have great memories of our small ship cruise through the Greek Islands. Although our boat docked in When you’re cruising in places like the rivers of Europe or the READ MORE: Happy Accidents on Aegina Island, Greece

  Galapagos Islands Cruise gives you intimate experiences with Galapagos wildlife

Exclusive Experiences

One of our favorite things about travel is getting a chance to learn first-hand about the history, culture, nature, and wildlife of a destination.

While other travel bloggers may prefer to explore places on their own, we love the knowledge we gain by traveling with local experts.

 As a longtime professional writer, I’m continually asking our guides questions, taking notes, and interviewing local people. We ultimately use a lot of this information to make our posts more in-depth and authoritative.

Because the number of people on small ship cruises is limited, there is usually at least one guide for every 8 to 2 passengers. With such intimate access to an expert, you’re virtually guaranteed to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

READ MORE: NatGeo’s Don George on Travel Writing

  THE WORLD’S BEST SMALL SHIP CRUISES

Africa Cruises: Nile River Cruise, Seychelles Cruise, Botswana Cruise

Antarctica Cruises: Antarctica Cruise, New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands Cruise

Asia Cruises: India Cruise, Philippines islands Cruise

Caribbean Cruises: Coastal Cuba Cruise, Lesser Antilles Cruise

European Cruises: Greek Islands, European Christmas Markets Cruise, Black Sea Cruise

North America Cruises: Northwest Passage, Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

South America Cruises: Chilean Fjords Cruise, Galapagos Islands Cruise, Peruvian Amazon Cruise

South Pacific Cruises: Great Barrier Reef Cruise, Micronesia Cruise, Polynesia Cruise

CRUISES

Elephants along the Chobe River (Botswana) Image by hbieser from Pixabay

Chobe River Cruise (Botswana)

Botswana is currently on our African safari bucket list, primarily because of the country’s forward-thinking approach to READ MORE: 55 Interesting Facts About Elephants

Nile River Cruise, photo via Pixabay

NILE RIVER CRUISE

If you’re interested in ancient history, READ MORE: 20 Longest Rivers in the World

Seychelles Cruise via Pixabay License

Seychelles Cruise

Located nearly ,000 miles off the coast of mainland Africa east of important marine areas. Together, these marine reserves cover more than 8,000 square miles.

The Seychelles are collectively very small, with a total population of around 94,000 people spread across 77 square miles of land. But their natural beauty makes them a favorite on lists of the world’s most beloved islands, with some visitors describing it as like “a garden of Eden.”

Highlights include the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens, Curieuse Marine National Park, Veuve Nature Reserve, and Morne Seychellois National Park. About 42% of the archipelago is set aside for conservation, protecting wildlife such as the rare Seychelles Black Parrot, Seychelles Giant Tortoises, and some of the world’s largest seabird colonies.

A Seychelles cruise is the best way to explore the islands’ myriad attractions. These range from idyllic READ MORE: The World’s 30 Best Exotic Islands to Visit

CRUISES

Antarctic Cruise

There’s a lot of very good reasons why taking a cruise to The Antarctic peninsula is also one of the world’s best places for watching wildlife. We saw everything from pods of Orcas and READ MORE: 30 Antarctic Animals You Can See on an Antarctic Cruise

Rockhopper Penguin image by Michael Frankenstein from Pixabay

Cruising New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands

You may know that New Zealand is divided into a North and South island. But did you know that the country also boasts remote archipelagos of islands, which have been collectively named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their pristine wilderness and READ MORE: Ecotourism in New Zealand (Top 0 Things to Do for Nature Lovers)

CRUISES

Brahmaputra River, photo via Pixabay

Brahmaputra River Cruise (India)

The northeast Indian state of Assam, which shares its border with Bhutan and Bangladesh, has emerged in recent years as a bright spot in Asian ecotourism

.

This is thanks in large part to Kaziranga National Park, which is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A luxurious cruise down the mighty Brahmaputra River is arguably the best way to explore the region, offering amazing opportunities to see some of the region’s Elephants to Sloth Bears, the endangered South Asian River Dolphin, and thousands of bird species. In short, it’s a must-see for animal lovers! 

READ MORE: Indian Animals: A Guide to 40 Incredible Indian Wildlife Species

Philippines Islands Cruise image by Guy Goddard from Pixabay

Cruising the Philippines islands

Located in Southeast Asia near READ MORE: Top 5 Things to Do in Coron, Palawan (Philippines)

CRUISES

Cuba Mountains, photo via Pixabay

Costal Cuba Cruise

President Obama loosened the decades-long restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba

several years ago, causing a dramatic surge of interest in traveling to the Caribbean island.

With Donald Trump actively working to reverse these improved diplomatic relations, there’s never been a better time to explore mass tourism.

Lesser Antilles Cruise

When most Americans think of the Caribbean, they tend to think of perennial sun/surf/sand hotspots such as the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica.

But the more remote islands of the Lesser Antilles (which form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean) are generally less over-developed and more pristine than those crowded mass tourism destinations.

Included among the Lesser Antilles islands are Martinique, St. Lucia, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Grenada, which has recently emerged as a haven for ecotourism. Popular activities in the region range from bird watching and snorkeling/Dominica. From the gorgeous waterfall and diving READ MORE: 20 Best Caribbean Islands to Visit

  CRUISES

The Swallow’s Nest on the Black Sea in Crimea image by Irina Rassvetnaja from Pixabay

Black Sea Cruise

As bodies of water go, the Black Sea is pretty strange. On the map, this inland sea looks more like a giant lake, connected to the Aegean Sea (and the Mediterranean) by the narrow Bosphorus Strait.

But, with 68,500 square miles of surface area and a maximum depth of 7,257 feet, the Black Sea is considerably bigger than the ancient archaeological sites.

Must-see sites you can visit while cruising the Black Sea include Instanbul’s Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, Romania’s Danube River Delta, the Ukranian city of Odessa, and Sochi Olympic Park, the first theme park in all of Russia. 

READ MORE: 40 Fascinating Facts About Russia’s Amur Leopard

Christmas Market in Hamburg, Germany via Pixabay license

European Christmas Market Cruise

Although we’re not at all religious, our family goes bonkers for Christmas, especially anything to do with READ MORE: 75 Christmas Traditions Around the World

Greek Islands Cruise

From to the ancient history of Athens

 to Meteora’s majestic mountains, mainland Greece has plenty to offer travelers with an interest in nature, culture and history.

But for a true taste of Greek tradition, it’s hard to beat small ship cruises through the countless s are tiny (7.4 to 59 square miles) and quaint: Many mainland residents have vacation homes there, so it’s a great place to catch locals in a celebratory mood. They’re also considerably less crowded with tourists than some of the more famous islands.

The Cyclades, with around 220 islands, is the densest and most popular grouping in Aegean archipelago thanks to Delos, Mykonos, and Santorini. For ancient history, the Dodecanese Islands (especially Rhodes) and Crete are hard to beat.

READ MORE: 40 Photos Of Greece That Will Make You Want To Go

AMERICA CRUISES

Northwest Passage Cruise

The Arctic Circle is considered to be one of the planet’s last truly wild places.

The Arctic region encompasses northern Alaska and A small ship cruise of the historic Northwest Passage is arguably the best way to explore the Arctic. It offers unique opportunities to see explorer’s bucket list.

READ MORE: Polar Bears Photo Gallery

Cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

Stretching from Washington State’s Puget Sound north to the Alaska Panhandle, the Inside Passage is a coastal route in the Pacific Northwest. Popularized during the Klondike Gold Rush, the route allows ships to avoid the bad weather and often rough waters of the open ocean. 

Today, around 36,000 boats navigate portions of this route each year, from massive cruise ships and freighters to smaller AdventureSmith and Alaskan Dream Cruises. The Alaskan portion encompasses ,000 READ MORE: Visiting the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

AMERICA CRUISES

Caguach Island, Chiloé Archipelago, photo by Robert Gould CC BY-SA 3.0

Chilean Fjords Cruise

When it comes to Chilean travel, the wine region around Santiago and the dynamic landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park in READ MORE: Exploring Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Swimming with Galapagos Penguins

Galapagos Islands Cruise

A small ship is vital if you want to really explore the The Voyage of the Beagle,  Thanks to its remote location and UNESCO/National Park protection, the wildlife of the Galapagos is plentiful.

Endemic species such as READ MORE: 30 Amazing Galapagos Island Animals

Peruvian Amazon River Cruise

Amazon rainforest

’s total area of 2,00,000 square miles. Unfortunately, that country’s unsustainable exploitation of its natural resources has damaged this once-pristine ecosystem, perhaps irreparably.

For a better taste of the Amazon rainforest’s world-famous biodiversity, you’ll want to take a READ MORE: Cruising the Peruvian Amazon

PACIFIC CRUISES

Great Barrier Reef, photo via Pixabay

Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Don’t believe the hype! Click-bait headlines claimed Australia’s Great Barrier Reef dead in 206 after a cheeky column by Rowan Jacobson appeared in Outside. But news of the demise of the place UNESCO called “the most impressive marine area in the world” was greatly exaggerated.

Yes, the reef suffered READ MORE: 0 Awesome Australian Road Trips

Manta Ray in Micronesia, photo via Pixabay

Micronesia Cruise

Spread across the western Pacific northeast of Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia is comprised of more than 600 islands.

The country is made up of four island states– Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk, and Yap– and known for its palm-shaded beaches, ancient ruins, and thriving indigenous cultures. If you want to see the best of them in one trip, a cruise is really the only way.

The islands are widely ranked among the READ MORE: 5 Rare Sharks Worth Saving

Polynesian Islands Cruise

There are so many beautiful Polynesian Islands, it would be impossible to pick just one favorite.

But, with less than 2,000 miles separating tropical hotspots such as Tahiti and Fiji, a small-ship cruise offers the perfect way to explore numerous gorgeous getaways in just a few weeks.

From pearl diving in Bora Bora and birdwatching in the Cook Islands to READ MORE: 2 Photos of Tahiti To Fuel Your Fantasies

  The post 20 Best Small Ship Cruises for Your World Travel Bucket List appeared first on Green Global Travel.

[love-we-write]

Cosmic Railway

pt. i: wandering around the far ends of the sky Character: SoulmateAU!JakexMC. Ambiguous platonic/romantic  Genre: Hurt/Comfort, friendship/romance Words: 2,099 Summary: When he sleeps, he knows the images in the dreams are vivid; lifelike in their imagery. Emotional. Tangible. Like he could reach out to the images and come out into another moving world. But, he’s reminded that they are dreams once he wakes up. Because when he opens his eyes to the white ceiling of his room, the tangible become invisible and the emotions elude him.

“The human race, if stripped down to its innermost core, are basically stardust. That is, stars that became supernovas are responsible for many elements that make up the periodic table; iron, oxygen, and carbon, all of which - through billions of years of evolution - make up the human body.

It is amazing now to think that the entire long course of human history - stories of entire generations spanning a breadth of colorfully rich cultures and beautifully complex civilizations, our collective experiences of both wisdom from history and wonder for the unknown future - all originated from the humblest beginnings of stars we now look at the sky. The realists of humanity state that we are all, in our core, only remnants of residual gas extending back billions of years. The romantics sonnetize that the souls of the stars which died billions of years ago reincarnate and reside in us, the soul that makes us who we are.

It is then the combination of the two, the interlinkage between poetry and physics that attempts to explain the phenomenon of soulmates; for the Type Ia supernovae in our massive galaxy is a result from the merging of two stars in a binary system; two stars that revolve around each other via their gravitational attraction, slowly becoming closer until they merge and collide in a massive explosion of light.

It is this occurrence from which some postulate that the elements, the remnants of these two stars, even as they descend through the billions of years of evolution, will continue to find and feel a strong pull to one another, no matter where they end up. And it is within the stars that they’ll find each other---”

“You CANNOT seriously tell me that you believe all this... do you?” Jake raises an eyebrow, pure unadulterated skepticism in his voice as he stops Hannah mid-read. He swears, he really did try to sit through the whole reading, and he’s quite proud at being able to resist rolling his eyes for that long - Jake thinks today might be his all-time personal record for the longest time without being a smartass - but by God, a man can only hold his tongue through so much prosaic lunacy for so long. As he predicted, Hannah’s head rose from behind the book covers, shooting Jake with an offended glare, one which he fired back with an equally offensive shit-eating smirk.

Okay, maybe there is also the fun of riling his little sister up, but of course Jake would never admit to that.

The book titled ‘Written in the Stars’ - very aptly corny, Jake dully noted - now lay shut on the bed, serving as an almost metaphorical boundary between the romantic Hannah on one side, and her two more skeptical siblings on the other.

“Hey, it could be plausible! There are some sound reasonings in there!” Hannah jabs an accusatory finger at him.

“Yeah, and the elements that come from these stars also form those plants right there, and while you know I’d pay good money to see it, I don’t think anyone would come into my room and suddenly claim to feel some pseudo-spiritual attraction to a flower pot,” Jake answers with precise and deliberate dullness. Almost as if it’s responding to his point, the plastic flowers swayed a bit from the wind.

The plants are gifts from Hannah. They are fake of course, put in a jar with the driest of rocks - there is a joke somewhere that Hannah made about the plant being as dry as he is but Jake digresses. Jake couldn’t deny that the small pots of plastic greens and artificial blue blossoms give a bit of color and comfort against his stark white bedroom. And the fact that it is durable and not subject to his non-existent gardening skills is a bonus too.

The flower pots now lay beside his projector given by Lilly, whose reassurances lean on the pragmatic side; two of his most treasured items in this room.

Beside him, he could feel Lilly’s amused glance. She too is skeptical over Hannah’s more rose-colored views of the world, finding it hard to believe in a theory that spans millenniums’ worth of coincidences and chances. But unlike Jake, she opts instead to listen to Hannah quietly from the sidelines, only swallowing what opinion she has, and letting both of his older siblings banter it out.

“It explains the recurring dreams, though,” Hannah argues back.

“Sleep disorders. Unmet needs, past unresolved issues. I can give a whole list of reasons that’s more scientifically plausible for the dreams,” Jake shoots sarcastically.

“Wow, what a grudge you must have had to dream of the same thing every day for years. Any daddy issues we should know about?”

“Well, listing all issues I have will last me a lifetime but let’s not get into the technicalities.”

“We both know you don't believe that bullshit or else you wouldn't have asked us for help, you cynical asshole.”

“Well, thank you. I like to be appreciated for my talents--- ”sensing the tightness in his chest, Jake quickly drops the petty back-and-forth and turns his head away from his sisters. He coughs and wheezes out in succession, painful explosions hacking away at his throat with a vengeance.

A cough. Wheeze. Violent hacks. Breathless gasps. And then, the routine repeats.

Lilly shook her head, a small glance to the darkening skies outside, gently reminding them that their time is almost up.

“You need rest, anyway. And I need to start my shift at the motel,” Lilly reminded Jake as she put on her jacket and wrapped her scarf. Behind her, the last streaks of orange in the sky are slowly making way for more inky blues and one by one, squares of lights begin appearing one by one from the once darkened window panes of nearby buildings.

Outside, they picked up on the muffled shuffling of hurried footsteps across the corridors. Anytime now, the friendly figure of Jennifer Hanson will peek inside and it will be the same flurry of ushering Hannah and Lilly out and his usual nightly routine.

Jake turns and grins at Hannah as she starts to put on her scarf.

“Just put the book on the table. I’ll try to give it a read if I have time, I’m not promising I’ll tolerate it though.” he turns and takes Lilly's hand. “You should get to the motel quickly, don’t give Mrs. Walter any more reasons to chew your ear off.”

With Lilly’s quick squeeze on his hand and Hannah ruffling his hair, both of them stepped outside and Jake was left alone.

Later that night when everybody settles down and retreats into the night, when the sky is at its blackest and when all of his routines for the night are settled, Jake sits alone in the solace of his room. Leaning back into his pillow, Jake stares up and reaches out to the night sky up above him; inky black skies spattered with hundreds and thousands of bright white stars, far away in a place where he could not go yet brought so close that it feels within reach of his fingertips.

You wouldn’t get this kind of view where he lives in Duskwood. He lives in a small but populated area, and the lights out of the houses render this view almost impossible. But people would be surprised at the number of hackable data records from research telescopes and commercial observatories around the globe. With Lilly's projector connected to his laptop and some quick coding lines, he has traveled to see the night skies of various countries he has not yet visited; from the ones overlooking emerald hills to the ones sinking behind snow-dusted fields.

Sitting there against his pillow alone in his room painted with the thousand stars from the night sky over the dusty Chilean desert, his thoughts wander off to the dreams. The same recurring dreams that have been plaguing his nights since the past… Jake cannot pinpoint the starting point for these daily odd occurrences when it felt like he has been experiencing it every day for almost forever.

The dreams that do not feel like a dream. Is there anyone out there who is experiencing the same dreams as he did?

Could it be as Hannah said, that these dreams are a shared red thread between him and someone out there; two souls finding each other due to some divine design some billions of years ago?

Jake is determined - and hopeful - that he will understand the meaning behind these recurring dreams, but sometimes it’s hard not to get frustrated when he cannot even describe what dream it is that he has been having. They are like the stars currently on his ceiling; so near and yet still so unreachable.

When he sleeps, he knows the images in the dreams are vivid; lifelike in their imagery. Emotional. Tangible. Like he could reach out to the images and come out into another moving world. He remembers feeling; what were the emotions he felt he could not remember, but in his dreams, he feels and he feels so strongly. It doesn’t feel like dreaming.

But, he’s reminded that they are dreams once he wakes up. Because when he opens his eyes to the white ceiling of his room, the tangible become invisible and the emotions elude him.

They are the dreams that felt so real when you sleep, and yet when you wake up and try to tell anyone else of it, they disappear from your recollection. No matter how vivid it was in your sleep, it disappears like mist 5 minutes after you wake up and it leaves you with frustration because the only thing you can recall was how vibrantly you had dreamt it.

Those are the dreams that haunt him. Those dreams that color him with emotions, that feels so tangible and so real that it feels like he’s living a whole other life, and yet disappear when he wakes up, leaving him desperately grasping at a hint of recollection.

Every night, he dreams of the same thing. And every morning when he wakes, he forgets them all. The only thing that remains is the fuzzy afterimages of pillow-white magnolias and scarlet red chrysanthemums against a sea of lush emerald green, accompanied with a slate-gray feeling of emptiness in him that contrasted all the colors.

In the midst of the night, as he’s falling asleep, a small voice inside Jake wonders if there really is another person on the other side in that tangible world he sees in his dream.

You woke up with a jolt in your bedroom; breath heaving and heart beating a mile a minute. You are almost sure the pounding is not just in your ears, but deafening across your deathly quiet room.

It’s those dreams again. The dreams that do not make sense.

Curling up into your bed, you feel the emptiness seep into you again, the pictures you so vividly see in your sleep slowly fading to gray. You cried internally, quiet mousy sobbing filling the room as you desperately chased for the remembrance of your dreams.

For no matter how brilliant the colors you see in your dreams, you can only vaguely remember seeing small potted irises against the spatterings of stars in the night sky. And for the briefest of moments like the flash of a shooting star, you felt the remnant of something akin to hopefulness and cheer coloring you. But then it goes away, and like everything in your life, you only see and feel the lull of numbness around you.

The fight between the small voice wanting to find some form of joy against the voice incessantly nagging about your meaninglessness, mixed with the burning voice of shame for feeling the way you do; all three form a cacophonous orchestra inside you that you learned to tune out dully.

Those distant memories of hope and determination do not feel like you. They feel like someone else’s. And yet, that moment of brief wonder - no matter whose it is - is one of the few times where the fight inside you tips towards that diminishing voice of wanting hope.

As you take your usual route to work, you pass through the vast field of magnolias and chrysanthemums, the field that serves as a reprieve and your daily escape. The magnificence of scarlet red and snow-white against emerald green that you see every day brings a small joy in you and you desperately hold on to that sliver of happiness with everything you have.

More Chapters

pt i: wandering around the far ends of the sky

pt ii: weaknesses that you don't show anyone

pt iii: in the midst of time, let's meet

pt iv: a place where you can be at ease

pt v: rendezvous under the twinkling starry sky

pt vi: to return besides my beloved you

pt vii: no matter how many times, let's cross paths again

[wigmund]

From NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day; June 16, 2018:

Rain Soaks the Empty Quarter

Spanning the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, the Rub’ al-Khali is the world’s largest contiguous sand desert. It is also one of the driest places on Earth; however, that status temporarily changed after Tropical Cyclone Mekunu passed over the region in May 2018.

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired these false-color images of the eastern part of the desert in Saudi Arabia, near the border of Oman. False-color (bands 7-5-3) makes it easier to distinguish different rock and soil types and to detect the presence of moisture. (See this image to see the desert in natural color as photographed in May 2011 by astronauts on the International Space Station.)

Read More about the rains down in Arabia and take some time to do the things we never had at earthobservatory.nasa.gov

[allynewbold]

Smokeless Firepit: Our Best Selling Three, No Smoke Campfires For 2021

Sitting around a smokeless firepit getting a charge out of the organization of loved ones, or essentially unwinding as you look at the night sky in wonder – is one of life's basic joys.

Let's be honest, scarcely any things in our every day schedules match an old fashioned campfire.

It's likewise quite possibly the most improving – regardless of whether it's through the narratives told or new recollections made.

It doesn't make a difference whether you're in the terrace, on the yard, or a long way from home at a camping area.

Nothing makes a late spring's night more complete than having the option to appreciate an excellent fire.

However, there is a significant disadvantage, smoke! in the event that this is a concern for you, at that point dread not.

This is something that can be tackled with next to no exertion, so continue to peruse and you will figure out how to effortlessly beat this and guard your family solid and, just as ensure the climate.

Or then again, whenever pushed for time you can go straightforwardly to the chapter by chapter list for our 3 top of the line smokeless fire pits.

The Smokeless Firepit Solves a Huge Problem

The most serious issue with most open firepits is the inordinate smoke they will in general deliver.

No one needs to take in smoke. As the breeze shifts, smoke regularly moves in various ways, influencing everyone in your hover around the fire.

At the point when you need to have a fire at home it tends to be the one thing that keeps you down in light of the fact that there might be somebody in your family with breathing issues and unfit to endure smoke.

Fortunately, there is an answer, and that arrangement is found as the smokeless firepit.

In any case, we've discovered one – as well as five of the absolute best versatile and smokeless firepits you'll see anyplace.

5 Excellent Ways to Beat The Smoke

A smokeless firepit is the most recent development in the firepit market and on the off chance that you need to appreciate a sublime fire and the unique climate it builds up without the tricky smoke – a smokeless firepit is the best way to go.

You can peruse other smokeless firepit reviews in the event that you decide, however we've made it outstandingly simple for you.

That is on the grounds that we burned through three and a half days looking at each smokeless fire pit on the commercial center today. At that point we limited it down to our main five.

This takes out the requirement for you to look unendingly all alone. You can begin with this rundown of five and tight it down to the one you think meets your specific requirements and spending plan.

Doing so will save you incalculable dollars and squandered hours – hours that could be vastly improved spent getting a charge out of a smokeless fire.

Solo Stove Bonfire Firepit

Our #1 Choice: Top Quality Award-Winning Outdoor Design.

The Solo Stove bonfire smokeless firepit is surely an amazing thing.

It's done in high-grade 304 tempered steel, and a smooth snazzy, present day plan.

Simply take a gander at this thing and you'll probably concur that it would look extraordinary on your porch, out in your patio, or at any camping area you dare to, yet this infant has unquestionably more taking the plunge than simply great looks.

It's our top pick in view of the nature of the actual item – and the quality experience it consistently creates for proprietors, and I should concede looks had an impact in our decision as well.

Purchasers love the Solo Stove smokeless firepit for various reasons. It's a moderately smaller fire pit – yet at 19.5 crawls in width and 14 inches tall – it's an ideal size for a thundering bonfire.

But at the same time it's lightweight, tipping the scales at only 20 pounds, so you can take it with you to any campsite or wild escape you want.

It's a quality, very much made item. The key to the adequacy of the Solo smokeless firepit lies in the plan of the actual item.

The Solo Stove bonfire sends a twofold walled, hardened steel construction with different wind stream openings at the base.

This channels cooler air up through the twofold dividers, warming that air as it moves upward, this preheated air is then scattered out over the fire, making an optional consume.

What this cycle basically does is consumes particles that would somehow or another be smoke.

What you're left with is a delightful fire with next to no – assuming any – smoke.

The fire consumes totally, leaving only cinders, making cleanup brisk basic, and simple. Simple, no pressure, no wreck.

What Buyers Like Most

Gives an excellent fire and a controlled consume insight

Phenomenal form quality and works precisely true to form

Arrangement is brisk and simple

Cleanup is quick and basic – it leaves almost no wreck toward the night's end

Wise plan that performs well by and by

Snazzy plan implies this fire pit offers a genuine expression in any yard or on a porch

It delivers no smoke and uniformly appropriated heat

What Some Buyers Didn't Like

Gets hot during use

Doesn't accompany a top

Appears to be somewhat expensive

Flame Genie Smokeless Firepit Runner Up: Efficient Long Lasting Burn Using Wood Pellets.

Fire Genie offers an elective innovation in a successful and effective smokeless firepit.

Rather than consuming ordinary firewood or propane – the Flame Genie consumes minuscule wood pellets all things considered.

The outcome is longer consume times, more warmth created, and a bigger fire for you to appreciate. Doesn't that sound like the ideal patio bonfire?

The effective consume made by the Hi Flame smokeless firepit implies that there is negligible cleanup toward the finish of the fire.

You won't need to stress over possessing a scent like a woods fire or having your garments (or close by tents, coverings, or covers) getting little openings in texture from flying ashes – that can without much of a stretch occur from an open pit bonfire.

It's more modest than the Solo Stove Bonfire – yet similarly as strong.

The Flame Genie smokeless fire pit is a more smaller size estimating 13.5 creeps in width by 12.5 inches high.

That implies it's not difficult to take with you and fit in any RV trailer or tent trailer – even the storage compartment of your vehicle.

Curiously in our current reality where most consumer items are produced abroad where work costs are a lot of lower – this one is made in the USA.

It's ideal for little porches or yards, back end gatherings, and camping areas as well.

Two completions are accessible dark and treated steel. We suggest the tempered steel finish for more noteworthy toughness.

Wood pellets are a proficient consuming fuel for a fire pit. That is because of their low dampness content.

Pellets are exceptionally dry with way less dampness content than even the driest firewood. This outcomes in a more complete consume that leaves only remains in the lower part of the fire pit.

With a fire Genie smokeless fire pit, there's significantly less work included so that implies you have more opportunity to appreciate the fire, regardless of whether you're out in the wild or sitting in your own lawn.

What Buyers Like Most

Produces awesome brilliant warmth

Showcases a delightful fire that is enjoyable to observe

You don't need to burn through any time planning for a fire or dabbling with it once it's going

Effectively huge enough for four to six grown-ups to lounge around serenely

An all around planned item and a cunning idea for a smokeless fire pit

Quality firepit at a sensible cost

A strong item implies it offers strong worth

Transmits almost no smoke so you're ready to sit nearer to the fire

What Some Buyers Didn't Like

There's somewhat of an expectation to absorb information included

Pellets might be hard to situate in certain regions and costly in others

After the underlying consume – the fire appears to be somewhat poor of your consideration

Outland Firebowl 823 #3 on our list: Compact, High-Quality Steel Propane Fire Pit

The Outland smokeless firepit is a quality fire worked to improve your experience – regardless of whether you're lounging around the yard at home, or investigating in the wild.

The outcome is that it produces comfortable warmth and a clean smokeless fire. You get the vibe of a wood-consuming fire – without the issues or limits.

The Outland smokeless firepit is a steel fire pit that estimates 19 creeps in breadth and 11 inches tall.

It weighs only 22 pounds making it an incredible choice to take with you on any trips and having the option to appreciate a snapping, genuine wood fire, where different campfires probably won't be permitted.

What's diverse about the Outland Firebowl 823 is that it utilizes propane as its fuel source.

Outland ships the Firebowl with a completely movable controller, pre-joined to a 10-foot propane hose – so you can keep the tank securely far out.

It additionally accompanies a rubber treated chrome valve control handle, so you can shift the measure of propane and make a fire that is only the manner in which you like it.

Likewise included is 4.4 pounds of regular basalt, which sits over the component and makes a more reasonable, glinting fire.

Constructed of great steel and completed in a defensive veneer finish, the Outland Firebowl 823 should keep going for quite a long time.

The producer has focused on subtleties to take care of business. For instance, they currently utilize tempered steel latches just as the burner, for more noteworthy life span.

What Buyers Like Most

No gathering required

Cheap option in contrast to a wood-consuming fire pit

Lightweight and convenient

Doesn't give any indications of warmth on a superficial level on which the fire pit sits

Fills in as a great swap for a genuine campfire

The ideal answer for sluggish individuals who would prefer not to go through huge chunks of time minding genuine wood-consuming fire

Removes the cerebral pains from having a normal fire

What Some Buyers Didn't Like

You will be unable to utilize it appropriately when there's a solid breeze (the fire can vanish)

It can produce a slight smell of propane, which may bother a few people

Utilizations a considerable measure of propane

Conclusion

It can seem like the quest for the best smokeless firepit can continue endlessly. Furthermore, it can – on the off chance that you need to look at each brand and model all alone.

Be that as it may, we've done the hard work for you and limited it down to the best five picks.

These are gives over the best of the best. Each is a smokeless firepit that conveys a somewhat unique encounter.

Our top pick by and large is the Solo Smokeless Firepit. It's a result of magnificence, class, splendid plan, and remarkable quality.

Yet, your particular requirements might be unique.

On the off chance that you need greatest movability – choose the Popup Smokeless Firepit.

On the off chance that you need something more modest and more reduced, go with the Flame Genie.

Regardless, you can pick any of our best five smokeless fire pits – and save yourself a huge load of time, cash, and vulnerability.

I trust you have discovered this data accommodating in choosing which Firepit is best for your conditions and spending plan.

On the off chance that we have encouraged you, if it's not too much trouble connect, we couldn't want anything more than to catch wind of your experience, great or not all that great, we will consistently tune in.

Stay safe and stay warm.

Before you go, you may get a kick out of the chance to investigate our other well known pages on Fire Pits recorded underneath.

[kaajoo]

The World's Most Famous Valleys

10. Valley of the Ten Peaks (Canada)

The Valley of the Ten Peaks is located in Banff National Park in the western province of Alberta. It is aptly named for the ten snow-capped mountains so magnificently reflected in the blue, mirrorlike surface of Moraine Lake. Measuring approximately 3,424 meters high, Deltaform Mountain is the tallest of the ten behemoths. What part of the valley floor is not filled with water is covered in dense forest that many critters call home. The Valley of the Ten Peaks is such an iconic representation of Canadian wilderness that it used to feature on the back of their twenty dollar bill.

9. Yosemite Valley (United States)

Stretching approximately 7.5 miles, Yosemite Valley is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of Central California. Formed by glaciers over thirty million years ago, it is most famous for its sheer granite cliffs. Rock climbers come from all over to challenge these monolithic beasts, particularly El Capitan which rises nearly a thousand meters above the ground. Blanketed in shadow, these rock formations turn blue at night. Less dangerous hiking trails offer casual tourists gorgeous panoramic views of lush forests and green meadows. The valley is also home to countless waterfalls, including Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America.

8. Kalalau Valley (United States)

Kalalau Valley is located on the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i. Surrounded by cliffs measuring more than 610 meters high, this natural hideaway is often referred to as Kaua‘i's Cathedral and is only accessible by foot, kayak, or helicopter. The sun and frequent rain have transformed this valley into a thriving paradise where flora grows along the steep cliffs and fauna live within the forests and surrounding hills. At the end of the trail cutting through the greenery, mangoes, passion fruit, and cherries grow next to a waterfall. Because of its designation as a state park, nobody is permitted to live in Kalalau Valley.  

7. Valle de la Luna (Chile)

Valle de la Luna—or Valley of the Moon—is a part of the Atacama Desert in the South American country of Chile. The bleak landscape is composed of various rock formations carved by strong wind and sand. Numerous dry lakes and caverns dot the region. It is considered to be one of the driest places in the world, with some parts last receiving rain hundreds of years ago. Because of this, there is little wildlife to be found there. As its name implies, it is famous for resembling a barren moonscape. In fact, a prototype of the Mars rover was tested in the valley due to its unique lunar-like terrain.

6. Lauterbrunnen Valley (Switzerland)

Located deep in the Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland. Known for its 72 waterfalls, its very name means “many fountains.” The most famous is Staubbach Falls, which at 300 meters, is one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe. Tourists can walk through wildflower meadows and clusters of trees in full view of snow-capped mountains, breathing in the fresh valley air. It is also a popular skiing region in the winter. The surrounding area is so picturesque that Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien modeled the Elven kingdom of Rivendell after Lauterbrunnen Valley.

5. Valley of Flowers (India)

The Valley of Flowers is a high-altitude Himalayan valley located in the state of Uttarakhand. Rising over 3,000 meters above sea level and stretching across 87.50 square kilometers of land, it is known as one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in India. Revered by both mountain climbers and botanists alike, the valley is blanketed with alpine wildflowers. From mid-July to September, hikers can wander among the bursts of purples, pinks, and blues. The region is also alive with incredible wildlife, from Asiatic bears to the Himalayan blue sheep. In 2002, the Valley of Flowers was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

4. Barun Valley (Nepal)

Barun Valley is located in the Himalayas in the Asian country of Nepal. It is situated at the base of Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world, and contains some of the world’s last untouched ecosystems. Among the forests, waterfalls, and wild orchids roam rare animals such as musk deer and the endangered snow leopard. It is such a mystical-looking paradise that it is known in Buddhist folklore as a place where no one ages. According to ancient religious literature, Barun Valley will be one of seven places left in the world where life can thrive in the wake of a global cataclysmic event.  

3. Jiuzhaigou Valley (China)

The Jiuzhaigou Valley is a nature reserve and national park in the Sichuan Province of China. Spanning 720 square kilometers, it is a breathtaking region known for its many lakes and springs. A local legend tells the story of how the Goddess Semo dropped a mirror made of wind and clouds that shattered to create the countless lakes that dot the valley. The most impressive is Five Flower Lake, an ethereal paradise where ancient tree trunks swim among the cyan water. The region is also home to many endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan takin. Tourists can accompany guides on daily hikes or set up camp for a few days.  

2. Danum Valley (Borneo)

The Danum Valley is a conservation area in Borneo, the largest island in Asia. Relatively undisturbed by human interference, this 438-square kilometer tract of land is mainly tropical rainforest, which grants it a misty, almost eerie quality. It is home to some of the world’s most astonishing creatures, such as pygmy elephants, East Sumatran rhinos, gibbons, and mousedeer. The valley offers tourists the opportunity to trek through the jungle or swim in its many rivers. With over 300 species of birds, it is also a fabulous spot for bird watching. Efforts have been made to nominate the valley as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1. Valley of Geysers (Russia)

The Valley of Geysers is located in the Russian Far East, approximately 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The basin itself stretches 3.7 miles and is considered one of the most important geographic discoveries of the twentieth century. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is famous for containing the second-largest concentration of geysers in the world. These ninety or so geysers can be as hot as 480 degrees Fahrenheit. They are surrounded by lush green vegetation, but tourists are only permitted to visit the main geysers along the pre-marked safe paths. The valley is only accessible by helicopter.

[sciencespies]

Strong winds create Australian 'megablaze'

https://sciencespies.com/environment/strong-winds-create-australian-megablaze/

Strong winds create Australian 'megablaze'

The catastrophic bushfires in Australia have killed at least 26 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes

Gale-force winds in Australia merged two enormous fires into a megablaze spanning an area four times the size of Greater London on Friday, while tens of thousands rallied to again demand action on climate change.

“The conditions are difficult today,” said Shane Fitzsimmons, rural fire service commissioner for New South Wales state, after days of relative calm.

“It’s the hot, dry winds that will prove once again to be the real challenge.”

Temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria, where attention was focused on the two fires that linked to form yet another monster blaze of more than 600,000 hectares.

Fire service spokesman Anthony Bradstreet told AFP it is believed the blaze was sparked by dry lightning.

A “state of disaster” was extended 48 hours ahead of Friday’s forecast of scorching temperatures, and evacuation orders were issued for areas around the New South Wales-Victoria border.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were more than 130 fires burning in the state, with just over 50 not yet under control.

On Kangaroo Island off South Australia, the largest town was cut off as firefighters battled dangerous infernos, forcing some residents to flee to the local jetty.

The severe fire conditions have been fuelled by a prolonged drought and worsened by climate change

The catastrophic bushfires have killed at least 26 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched some ten million hectares (100,000 square kilometres)—an area larger than South Korea or Portugal.

University of Sydney scientists estimate one billion mammals, birds and reptiles have been killed in the fires.

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated losses from the fires have so far totalled Aus$939 (US$645) million.

The severe conditions have been fuelled by a prolonged drought and worsened by climate change, with experts warning that such massive blazes were becoming more frequent and intense.

Australia experienced its driest and hottest year on record in 2019, with its highest average maximum temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius recorded in mid-December.

‘Scott, take it personally’

In Sydney and Melbourne, thousands of people again took to the streets to demand Australia’s conservative government do more to tackle global warming and reduce coal exports.

A ‘state of disaster’ declaration was extended 48 hours ahead of Friday’s forecast of scorching temperatures

“Change the politics not the climate,” read one sign, reflecting an increasingly charged argument over the cause of the fires.

Researchers say the bushfire emergency has sparked an online disinformation campaign “unprecedented” in the country’s history, with bots deployed to shift blame for the blazes away from climate change.

One hashtag in particular, #arsonemergency, has gained traction rapidly and conservative-leaning newspapers, websites and politicians across the globe have promoted the theory that arson is largely to blame, rather than climate change, drought or record high temperatures.

Timothy Graham, a digital media expert at the Queensland University of Technology, told AFP his research showed half of the Twitter users deploying the hashtag displayed bot- and troll-like behaviour.

“Our findings show a concerted effort aimed to misinform the public about the cause of the bushfires,” Graham said.

Researchers say the bushfire emergency has sparked an online disinformation campaign ‘unprecedented’ in the country’s history

“The campaign is nothing on the scale of what we have been seeing in other countries, such as the 2016 US election, but this amount of disinformation in Australia is unprecedented.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday tried to parry journalists’ questions about whether climate change would make horrific bushfire seasons the norm.

“Look, we have covered that on a number of occasions now,” Morrison said testily, adding that reviews will take place once the bushfire season is over.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were more than 130 fires burning in the state

Towamba volunteer firefighter Tony Larkings, 65, said battling the fires in recent weeks had been a “hot, dirty and dangerous” task.

“It’s been horrendous. It’s never been like this before,” he told AFP.

He was deeply critical of Morrison’s response to the bushfires, calling it mere “lip service” and slamming the leader’s response to public criticism.

Thousands of firefighters were preparing for the worst with temperatures expected to soar

“His great statement was ‘I don’t take this personally’,” Larkings said.

“Scott, take it personally.”

Explore further

Australia bushfires spark ‘unprecedented’ climate disinformation

© 2020 AFP

Citation: Strong winds create Australian ‘megablaze’ (2020, January 10) retrieved 10 January 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2020-01-strong-australian-megablaze.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

#Environment

[ntrending]

Yellowstone thrived after its 1988 fires, but dry summers threaten all progress

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/yellowstone-thrived-after-its-1988-fires-but-dry-summers-threaten-all-progress/

Yellowstone thrived after its 1988 fires, but dry summers threaten all progress

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the 1988 Yellowstone fires—massive blazes that affected about 1.2 million acres in and around Yellowstone National Park. Their size and severity surprised scientists, managers, and the public and received heavy media coverage. Many news reports proclaimed that Yellowstone was destroyed, but nothing was further from the truth.

I was there during the fires and returned that fall to view the aftermath. Burned forests extended for miles, with blackened tree trunks creating a stark and seemingly desolate landscape. But peering down from a helicopter, we were surprised to see that the fires had actually produced a mosaic of burned and unburned patches of forest.

I have studied the recovery of Yellowstone’s forests since 1989, watching landscapes of charred trees transition into lush young forests. Fires play an important ecological role in many ecosystems, and Yellowstone’s native plants and animals are well-adapted to historical cycles of disturbance and recovery. Today, the burned landscape is dominated by thriving young lodgepole pine trees.

We learned much about how ecosystems respond to such fires because they burned mostly in national parks and wilderness areas. Post-fire management was minimal, and nature took its course through most of the burned area.

Because Yellowstone’s forests were remarkably resilient, the 1988 fires were not an ecological catastrophe. Today, however, climate and fire trends may be pushing forests beyond their limits. The rules of the game are changing fast.

Heat, drought and wind

Extreme weather conditions drove the 1988 fires, as they have fostered many recent fires across the West. Summers in Yellowstone are usually too cool and moist for such large fires, but the summer of 1988 was and remains the driest on record there.

Amounts of fuel (dead logs and pine needles on the ground and live trees) were not unusual, and there is no evidence that suppression of prior fires had much, if any, influence on the 1988 fires. Hot temperatures, severe drought, and high winds set the stage.

Gusts over 60 miles per hour prevented me from flying over the fires in early July, well before the blazes made their biggest runs. Roads, rivers and even wide canyons spanning the Yellowstone and Lewis rivers did not stop flames from spreading on windy days. Strong winds carried burning branches ahead of the main fire front, advancing fire spread. The fires also continued to burn at night.

How burned forests recover

Severe fires have burned in Yellowstone at 100- to 300-year intervals for the past 10,000 years. “Crown fires” burn through the forest canopy, killing the trees while triggering a flush of new growth. Such fires are business as usual in Yellowstone and many other forests at high elevations and far north latitudes.

Lodgepole pines have thin bark and are readily killed, but often bear fire-adapted cones that allow them to regenerate right after fires. When heated, the cones release vast quantities of seeds that produce a new generation of trees. Fires also create ideal growing conditions, with plenty of mineral, soil, and sunlight.

In Yellowstone, wildflowers and grasses sprouted from surviving roots because soils did not burn deeply and retained key nutrients needed for plant growth. Native species steadily filled in the bare spots. Aspens—long a species of concern in the northern Rockies—established from seed throughout the burned pine forests, many miles from the nearest mature aspen trees. Many are doing well at higher elevations than their pre-fire distribution.

Yellowstone’s ecosystems recovered rapidly on their own. I suspect that many visitors no longer “see” evidence of the 1988 fires as they admire scenery and wildlife amidst a sea of green. Similar patterns of natural recovery following 20th-century fires have also been observed in Rocky Mountain, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks, which also have evolved with fire for millennia. Historically, high-severity fires kill trees but do not destroy the forest.

Warming climate, more fire

The 1988 fires ushered in a new era of major wildfires that are burning more western forests each year. Summers and winters are getting warmer, and the hot, dry weather associated with large fires is no longer so rare. Snow melts earlier each year, fuels dry out sooner, temperature records are broken and fire season gets longer. Recent fires have burned in many national parks and monuments, including Bandelier, Rocky Mountain, Glacier and Yosemite.

A warmer, drier climate means that drought is getting worse in places that are already hot and dry. In the western United States, human-caused climate change has dried fuels and nearly doubled the area burned by forest fires from 1984 to 2015.

And while lightning ignites most fires in the northern Rockies, human ignitions are lengthening fire seasons in populated areas. Even in the moist mixed forests of the southern Appalachians, severe drought allowed a human-caused fire that started in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to rage into Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

What lies ahead?

Even forests that are well-adapted to large, severe fires are at risk in a warming world. By the late 21st century, hot, dry weather like the summer of 1988 could be the rule rather than the exception in Yellowstone.

Large fires are expected to occur more often, and are already starting to reburn forests long before they have had enough time to recover. In Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, fires in 2016 burned young forests that regenerated from fires in 1988 and 2000. Our studies of these recent fires have documented greater burn severity and fewer post-fire tree seedlings. Survival of these young trees is not guaranteed, as they are starting out in a much warmer world.

National parks anchor many of the country’s last intact landscapes, and are among our best living laboratories for understanding environmental change. Research on the 1988 fires now provides a reference for assessing effects of more recent fires. Yellowstone will still maintain its beauty, native species, and power to inspire us. However, only time will tell whether Yellowstone’s forests can maintain their ability to recover from fire in the decades ahead.

Monica G. Turner is a Professor of Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This article was originally featured on The Conversation.

Written By Monica G. Turner/The Conversation

[kansascityhappenings]

Joe’s Weather Blog: A coming cold change (MON-11/27)

Good morning…haven’t had an opportunity to really write up a weather blog for the last few days..I’ve had the time…just no real material to dive into. Yes the weather has been “boring” which is good for 98% of the population during this time of the year…but not so great when you try to write interesting blogs about the weather with some “meat” in them for you to chew on and ponder. As you know, one of my rules about the blog is I try and NOT waste your time just to throw a few paragraphs together and with all the nice weather out there lately…it’s been tough to come up with something. We’ll try today and look for a change in the weather scenario in about 10 days or so…

Forecast:

Today: Filtered morning sunshine then sunny skies. Windy and warm for late November. The record high is 71° set in 1960…today I think we’ll fall short of that record by 1-4° (officially at KCI). Highs today in the upper 60s to near 70°. The winds will again be an issue…from the SSW at 20-35 MPH, especially later this morning and this afternoon.

Tonight: Fair skies and mild with lows near 50°

Tuesday: Becoming cloudy and turning cooler with highs in the 50s (some upside on the south side) and as a cold front comes through the temperatures may actually back off a few degrees in the afternoon. Also there may be some areas of drizzle developing with the front and behind it.

Wednesday: Variable clouds with some light drizzle or a few AM showers possible. Cooler but still above average with highs in the 50-55° range

Discussion:

Well for the 2nd time in 4 days…we’re going to try for a record high…and believe it or not…I’m looking into the record highs for December 3rd too as I’m expecting a warm finish to the the upcoming winter. The record today of 71° set back in 1960 is in range BUT there are issues getting to that lofty number. 1) is the cirrus clouds that are filtering out the sunshine this morning…2) is that our temperatures above us will not be as warm as they have been (in the warm days we’ve had recently) but in the end I’m still expecting 67-70° highs this afternoon.

All of a sudden we’ve gone from seeing temperatures some 5+ degrees below average for the month to, after today, almost average temperatures for November. We’ve had 17 below average days and counting today…10 above average days BUT this will be the 6th double digit above average day compared to 5 double digit below average days…that’s a lot of swinging temperatures but in the end…the month will be pretty close to average.

Perhaps a harbinger of the upcoming winter…lots of flips coming I think. Not terribly unusual for the Plains though overall.

The last blog dealt with the winter snow forecast…well obviously snow right now ain’t happening…nor can it because…well duh…it has to get cold first.

That won’t be this week…but it may be towards the middle of next week. At least getting colder…not so sure about the snow risk (of consequence). I should also put this out there now, I’ll repeat it many times when looking farther ahead into the future…I’ll typically be talking about snow chances of significance…let’s say 1″ or more…when looking longer range. Sure there can be some flurrries…or some lighter snows (and a lot of times those can create some problems in and of themselves) but those smaller scale issues will be dealt with closer to the main event…anything bigger will be speculated farther away (if that makes any sense).

That’s a long ways of going about in saying, as I mentioned on the air over the weekend…I’m not seeing that potential of anything bigger for awhile at least…more than likely 10+ days. So snow lovers will have to wait longer to get anything to crow about…or to shovel I think.

There is a more significant change in the weather likely though towards the middle of next week. That will be a trend for about 10-20 days of colder air masses coming back into the region again. It can’t snow when it’s almost 70° outside…so the first step is to get some cold weather in play in the Plains.

This should come about in response to a storm that’s wayyy out towards the west of the Aleutian Islands right now…can you see it on the satellite loop this morning…it’s in the upper right side of the images…

By tomorrow into Wednesday it will be into the Islands…and it will be a seasonably strong storm up there.

943 mbs…is the strength of a hurricane on this side of the world…and a strong one at that…but up there where there is the cold polar air to it’s north…these storms wrap up incredibly on an almost routine basis. Our model data has shown this evolution for awhile…so confidence in the downstream effects are increasing.

What we don’t know though are the details how this will play out…that storm in AK will be in the center of the Islands up there later Tuesday…then slowly progress towards the Gulf Of Alaska later Thursday…then be off the west coast of CA/OR later Saturday and then move into the SW part of the country on Sunday. That part is more than likely at that point…from there though things get dicier and it’s influence on our weather gets iffier.

There are two model camps…one would be that the storm “cuts off” and gets separated from the main jet stream to the north…another would be that the storm keeps moving along…and impacts our area with stronger effects (more precipitation…probably rain…and perhaps even some severe weather somewhere here or southwards?

I’m posting a map for next Monday night…a week from today.

Or will there be a wild card system dropping in from the western part of Canada…that kicks a chunk of the current AK storm towards the NW of KC…we get some rain and then dry slotted as the colder air behind the storm wraps through the region…as the “wild card” system becomes the predominant storm in the SW part of the country and we wait for that to come out after the middle of next week?

The later scenario could be more interesting for snow lover’s IF we get cold enough. That timing would be towards the end of NEXT week though.

The ensemble data which should be used from this far out…is in the camp of a more “progressive” system which I tend to agree with. We haven’t seen a cut-off low in the SW part of the country yet this fall…one of their driest and warmest falls out there is because of this…but I’m not sure of the real path of the storm at the end…I do feel confident of the colder look though coming sometime after the 5th or 6th or so…

Let me illustrate that better for you…let’s look at the 5,000 foot temperature trends over the course of 5 days…ending in the 6th of December (from 12/1-12/6 at 6PM). That red corresponds to warmth to a large degree…and remember this is a 5 day average…

Now let’s jump 5 more days into the future…for the period of 6PM on the 6th through 6PM on the 11th…ALL that green and whitish shading is a LOT of cold air at that level (5,000 feet or so).

Notice as well…with us cold…that there’s warmth (it’s relative up in northern Canada). So the cold has been displaced towards the USA…it’s still cold even in Canada…but instead of being 30 or 40 BELOW Zero…it’s closer to 10 below zero..

So utilizing the charts above…whats the takeaway? 1) a likely storm towards the 5-8th time period…2) odds favor rain as the main precipitation 3) MUCH chillier air flows in sometime between the 6th-9th…4) this type of cold will ebb and flow for awhile but for at least 7-10 days after the 6th-8th we should be cold on average with some brief warm-ups possible in that span before another cold shot moves into the area. 5) overall it appears mostly dry though without significant moisture after whatever storm ushers in the change to begin with…this would take us almost towards mid month. 6) let’s watch for any “clipper” type systems after the 9th or so

So there you have it…at least for now and obviously VERY much subject to change. For snow lovers…at least it’ll be getting cold again…just not seeing any significant storms lining up for us (snow-wise).

Our feature photo comes from this morning from Angelita Crow…

Joe

  from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/11/27/joes-weather-blog-a-coming-cold-change-mon-11-27/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/joes-weather-blog-a-coming-cold-change-mon-11-27/

[goodman63dowd-blog]

9 Hair Care TRICKS FOR Long And Strong Hair

If you want to grow healthier scalp faster without the use of expensive, toxin stuffed products, then this is the article for you! The first essential, in my opinion, is to keep both the scalp and hair perfectly clean. It may seem superfluous to say that to women who realise the need of keeping the whole body clean. Especially is this the truth in regards to to Englishwomen, who have a bath tub every day. I am perfectly sure that much washing of the hair with normal water is bad. As a matter of fact, I wash my own hair as rarely as is possible. I cannot give any exact interval of days or weeks when the hair is usually to be washed, for your will depend on circumstances. The Natural Wild hair Blueprint will be your guide throughout the span of building a successful natural head of hair voyage. The blueprint is based on everything that people have learned over time reading cosmetology literature, scientific periodicals , executing research and by working with naturals about the world and enjoying their natural hair improve with this coaching. Perms and leisure using relaxer or thermal reconditioning involve chemical alteration of the inner structure of the scalp in order to influence its curliness or straightness. Wild hair that is subjected to the use of a everlasting is weaker because of the application of chemicals, and should be treated softly and with greater care than head of hair that isn't chemically altered. Your ends are the driest part of flowing hair and it's very easy to allow them to snap or separated. Make sure that you're by using a conditioner that detangles as long as you're washing your hair so that you don't have to tug at the knots with a clean afterwards. Make an effort to leave the conditioner in so long as possible when you're showering so that it can completely absorb into the cuticles of the shaft. You are able to either shave your hip and legs or exfoliate your skin layer while you're waiting for the conditioner to soak in. It's important to watch your diet. Eating unbalanced diets ends in deficiencies as well as your hair won't get the nourishment it needs. It's also advisable to carefully watch your intake of both supplement A and E as high levels of both these supplements have been linked to hair loss. relaxer ri-laks-er (noun) a type of cream or cream making head of hair less curly, and much easier to straighten by chemically relaxing” the natural curls.