From the galaxies above…
to the sea floor below…
and everything in between.
Let us find the tools to see past the noise of the day,
and recognize the heroes and miracles
that surround us every day.
Happy New Year, dear Readers.
Written by Jet Eliot.
Photos by Athena Alexander.
When the sun goes down and the night turns black this Halloween, there are plenty of wildlife creatures to send shivers up the spine.
Owls, our most famous nocturnal creature, have serrated feathers for silent flight. They can glide right past you invisibly and soundlessly…all you know is a faint breeze on your face.
The shadows of the rainforest can make the small creatures large…
and the large creatures gigantic.
And where would our scary nights be without bats? In Australia the bats are so big their scientific name is megabats. Here are two species of megabats.
In the Trinidad rainforest we discovered a steady stream of these Long-tongued Bats shooting out of the lodge basement every night at cocktail hour, like clockwork.
A walk through the Australian rainforest brings out animals most of us have never heard of like brushtail possums and sugar-gliders.
Even creatures who are not nocturnal, like this lizard, lurk in the night…they have to sleep somewhere.
One night while Athena was photographing sugar gliders, cicadas came in, attracted to the lodge’s yard light.
I was admiring their bright green color and thinking how much bigger their cicadas were here in Australia, than ours at home. Bigger than my thumb.
I thought they were very cool…until one landed in my hair.
I screamed. Panicked and beat my hands through my hair like a crazy person.
And Africa has a very animated night life when it comes to wildlife. Moths as big as birds; and of course all the nocturnal mammals that are out hunting–lions, leopards, hyenas, to name a few.
The African savanna at night is like no other place on earth. Bumping along in a jeep past the black expanse, at first you see nothing. But then you start to see eerie eyes shining back at you. Pairs of eyes. Everywhere.
The eye shine has to do with a reflective layer behind the retina that helps the animal see better in the dark.
We were cruising along when we heard a lot of sloshing. The guide whispered for us to get our cameras ready.
Here’s what the light revealed.
The most terrifying night sound I have ever heard was in the Amazon rainforest: the howler monkeys. I’ve mentioned it before, but will include a sound clip again.
Howler monkeys are territorial so when one starts howling, announcing its supreme existence, they all start up. It has a stereo effect that permeates the forest in the most haunting way, sounds like a combination of tornado winds and deep-voiced gorillas.
Imagine hearing this in the dark as you’re walking to the bathroom.
Wild monkeys, hyenas, leopards, owls, bats…a great way to get your Halloween sufficiently spooky. And while these animals may get your heart jumping, erratically even, they’re really not interested in hurting you…well, some aren’t.
Written by Jet Eliot.
Photos by Athena Alexander.
Giant Eagle Owl, aka Verreaux’s Owl, Botswana, Africa
As we step forward into a fresh new year, and decade, here are some wise words from a few of my wild friends.
Greet each day with a smile.
Crocodile, Kakadu Nat’l. Park, Australia
Enjoy the search for life’s nectar.
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Belize
Wear your true colors …
Yellow Tangs, Big Island, Hawaii
but on crabby days, lay low.
Sally Lightfoot Crab, Galapagos Islands
Eat good foods …
House Finch, Gold Dusk Gecko Eating Papaya, Hawaii
and drink plenty of water.
Young African Elephant Drinking Water, Botswana, Africa
Share the resources.
Bighorn Sheep and Moose at pond, Rocky Mtn. NP, Colorado
Wildlife, who have to physically work for every bite, like to remind us humans of the importance of movement. They tell us to …
Exercise …
Sable, Botswana, Africa
and stretch.
Leopard, Tanzania, Africa
I’ve watched plenty of wildlife simply having fun, especially ravens.
Common Raven, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Wildlife remind us to:
Hang out with our mates …
Grey-headed Flying Fox colony, Sydney, Australia
and cherish our loved ones.
Baird’s Tapir, juvenile and mother, Belize
Try to get along with everyone …
Hippo with heron, Zambia, Luangwa Valley, Africa
but when it’s not possible, take leave.
Humpback Whale, Kenai, Alaska
And because we are granted many days in each new year, there are bound to be some bad days too. The wisdom there is:
When life gives you dung, be a dung beetle.
Dung Beetle, Serengeti, Kenya, Africa
It’s good to be industrious …
Leafcutter Ant with leaf spear, Belize
but don’t forget to take time to perch …
Keel-billed Toucan, Belize
and relax.
Guatemalan Black Howler Monkey, Belize
Never stop singing …
Dickcissel, Texas
and just keep hopping.
Grey Kangaroos, Australia
Wishing you the best in 2020, my friends. Thanks for sharing the sparks of 2019 with me.
Written by Jet Eliot.
All photos by Athena Alexander.
Blue Monkey, Mt. Kenya, Kenya, Africa
Green Honeycreeper, male, Trinidad
In this fresh new year — try to find a spark of joy in every day.
It could be a spot of bright nature;
Azure Kingfisher, Australia
or something new you’ve never seen before;
Male Kudu, Botswana, Chobe River
Conversely, joy could appear in something you see every day, but never stopped to appreciate.
Monarch Butterfly, Horicon Marsh, WI
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly, California
We can find joy in remarkable human engineering feats;
Sydney Opera House, Australia
or inspiring people;
Gandhi Statue, The Ferry Building, San Francisco
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
or art, so many forms of art.
Ancient Kangaroo Rock Art, Kakadu NP, Australia
Chihuly Sea Star, Seattle, WA
Some of the most cheerful joy comes in simple forms.
American Robin nest, Wisconsin
California Honeysuckle, lonicera
There will be times, however, in the new year when difficulty or despair take over.
Joy might not be readily accessible in the darkness.
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
For these times, go to sleep, rest…
Grey-headed Flying Foxes, Sydney, Australia
… and try again tomorrow.
Warmest thanks to my blogging friends and readers, for a year filled with joyful sweet moments, warm words, happy smiles, vicarious adventures, stunning images, and heartfelt sharing. Gentle wishes for a new year filled with joy.
Written by Jet Eliot
All photos by Athena Alexander.
White-bellied Woodstar, Peru
Maui, Hawaii
Ulysses Butterfly, Australia
On this holiday, one that is shared across the globe, here are a few of earth’s wild and worldly inhabitants to remind us how to find peace.
Enjoy the gifts of food
Purple Finch, California, USA
and water, and help those who do not have it.
Zebra, Zambia, Africa
Take in the glories of nature wherever it appears.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, Costa Rica, Central America
Practice courage and perseverance,
Lioness and African Buffalo, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, Africa
and navigate the dark.
Northern Potoo, Mexico
Paddle through adversity.
Domestic cattle, Belize, Central America
Take time to relax.
Basilisk Lizard, Belize, Central America
Find whimsy
Hippopotamus, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa
and be flexible.
Spectacled Flying Fox Bat, Australia
May each day begin with song
Common Yellowthroat, Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin, USA
and dance,
Blue-footed Boobies, Galapagos Isl., South America
with times when you shine
Galapagos Sea Lion, Galapagos Isl., South America
and sparkle.
Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Costa Rica, Central America
Take comfort in your community
Parrolets, Mexico
yet reach out beyond it.
White Rhinos, Kenya, Africa
Demonstrate patience and compassion to the young
Thornicroft giraffe mother with baby, Zambia, Africa
and old.
Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Isl., South America
Embrace these basic elements of life,
and you will have peace and love
every day of the year.
Lambs, California, USA
Thank you, my friends, for another great year of sharing.
Written by Jet Eliot
Photo credit: Athena Alexander
…the sweet nectar of life
this holiday season and
throughout the new year.
Tufted Coquette, male, Trinidad
One of the world’s tiniest hummingbirds, the tufted coquette is about the size of a credit card. They live in rainforests and gardens, in a few countries in and around South America. Hummingbirds are a symbol of joy.
Photo credit: Athena Alexander
On this Memorial Day weekend, I share with you some of the beauty of America.
Dairy Farm, Mayville, Wisconsin
Jackson Lake, Grand Tetons, Wyoming
Little Cowboy, Rodeo, Grover, Colorado
Cows, Wildflowers, Carrizo Plains, California
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone, Wyoming
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Pronghorn, Great Basin, Nevada
Moose in Aspen Grove, Alaska
Mt. Rainier, Washington
Black Oystercatcher, California coast
Haleakala Crater, Maui, Hawaii
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska
Dickcissel, Attwater Preserve, Texas
Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin
Texas Longhorn
Nene, Kauai, Hawaii
Snow geese, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California
Space Needle, Seattle, Washington
Lava beach, Honaunau Bay, Big Island, Hawaii
USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Chromatic Pool, Yellowstone, Wyoming
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Denali, Alaska
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Big Horn Sheep, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Anise Swallowtail Caterpillar, California
Wood Duck, male, Calif.
Roadrunner, California
Bobcat, Point Reyes, California
Pawnee Grasslands, Colorado
Maui, Hawaii
Big Sur, California
Redwood Forest, Humboldt County, California
Cypress Swamp, Jesse Jones Park, Houston, Texas
Alligator, Sanibel Island, Florida
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
All photos by Athena Alexander
Monarch Butterfly, Horicon Marsh, WI
May you find the tender leaves of hope
wherever you turn in this new year.
Photo credit: Athena Alexander
Line one: William Shakespeare, King Henry VIII (1613)
Lioness, Africa
Time to relax,
Otter, Kenai, Alaska
and enjoy~~
Denali, Alaska
Plenty of beauty on your path,
Elephants, Tanzania, Africa
lots of love,
Purple Finch, California
health,
Kangaroos, Australia
and hoppin’ good times.
Elegant Trogon, Mexico
Happy Holidays, my friends, and many thanks for your valuable friendship~~
Photo credit: Athena Alexander
A good last minute gift is a digital e-book, and I know just the one — it’s hot off the press, suspenseful, and written by someone you know. Also available in paperback.
Purchase from the publisher or Amazon or any major online book retailer.
Calif. Academy of Sciences green roof, San Francisco
As we celebrate Earth Day in an era when human population and cities are burgeoning, it is inspiring to see the growing utilization of green roofs.
A few of the environmental virtues of green roofs:
Click here for more info.
Toronto, Canada; Mtn Equip Co-op Store (MEC) roof. Courtesy Wikipedia.
Defined as a building roof partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, green roofs have become a new trend in the 21st century…but they are not new.
Until the late 1800s, sod roofs were the most common roof on Scandinavian log houses. Sod roofs, made with birch bark, kept the house insulated from cold and moisture.
Osterdalen farmstead, Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo, Norway. Courtesy Wikipedia
More here about the old sod roofs.
Eventually sod roofs fell out of vogue, but were revived in the 1960s in Germany. Today Germany has the most green roofs in the world; where they are part of the landscaping apprentice education.
Calif. Acad. of Sciences, SF. Courtesy Wikipedia.
San Francisco’s natural history museum, The California Academy of Sciences, was completely renovated in 2008 due to earthquake damage. This gave them an opportunity for new environmental upgrades, including a green roof.
SF Academy of Science. Green roof, “rolling hills” in center.
In the center of this large city, the roof provides 2.5 acres (1 h) of rolling hills and fields. A living science exhibit, the roof is open to museum viewers.
I visited there recently and not only was there a terrific view of Golden Gate Park, but white-crowned sparrows serenaded and butterflies fluttered past me.
Courtesy Wikipedia
The Academy reports 30-35% less energy consumption than required. More Calif. Academy Living Roof info here.
Green roofs vary depending on the depth of the planting medium. The deeper the layer of earth, the more installation and maintenance is required. A waterproof membrane and root barrier are always involved.
Shasta Daisy
Rooftop container gardens, though beautiful, are technically not green roofs.
Learning how to maximize our urban centers into earth-friendly expanses will go a long way toward supporting and enhancing our growing population.
Photo credit: Athena Alexander unless otherwise noted
Chicago City Hall. So many abundant flowering plants here, beekeepers harvest 200 lbs of honey/year. Courtesy Wikipedia
Jet Eliot 