Horseshoe Crabs

Photo credit: Carl Safina

On my way back from the Keys a few weeks ago, I overheard a conversation between two students. One sat next to me in the airport terminal, the other sat on a beach counting birds that were feasting on horseshoe crab eggs.

Then, this morning, Carl Safina posted the following excerpt from his book, "The View from Lazy Point:"

"When horseshoe crabs were new under the sea, fish did not yet have jaws, corals were just evolving, and flowering plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals did not exist. Hundreds of millions of years later, dinosaurs would rise, flourish, and vanish. Right around closing time, we've strolled in, and they're still here."

Just a thought...

Octopuses Really ARE Cool ~!

Every once in a while I'm reminded that there are other creatures besides fishes that deserve the 'COOL' label.
Yep, Octopuses are cool.

For Birds, Bees, and Fish in the Seas...

... add, don't subtract.

Fish boy goes skiing

OK.
So, my son is my best fishing bud. I taught him at a very early age, and thank goodness he still likes fishing with me. It's a copasetic and competitive deal. He can out-fish me when he tries and there's a lot of "Who got more?" or, "Who's fish was bigger?" But we always have a great time and don't really care about the score. Keeping score just makes it more interesting.

Anyway, he's now a student at Montana State University. He's a long way away from the ocean. And yet, he rode his bike miles and miles, then hiked a few more to go fishing for trout. When the season turned and the snow started to fall, he hung up the fly rod and bought a season pass to Bridger Bowl - the ginormous ski resort outside of Bozeman.

Big mountains. Steep runs. Deep passes and drop-offs. Lots of snow.

Thus, his latest and greatest back-flip into snow that will evaporate or melt into water which will eventually find its way to the ocean. So we can catch more fish. Together.
Yay.

Two Kinds of Bears

Every once and again someone creates a video that is all at once goofy, spoofy, and funny while also being educational. Enjoy!

Barber Lab Quartet

(Power outages due to multiple summer storms... between trying to beat the heat and stay ahead on my work, I've gotten a bit behind on the fun...)

This is great. A clever spin on evolution in the 'Coral Triangle' which has been found to be home to the largest diversity of fishes on Earth. Science set to music with a few funny inside jokes thrown in... Every researcher dreams of finding new species ~!
>

Surprise!!!

If this doesn't make you laugh... check your pulse ;)

Bait-stealer

When I think of Bait-stealers, I think of Pinfish, Lizardfish, Blue crabs. Never Dolphins!
This guy was clever, delicate, and lucky! Instead of a free treat, he might have gotten hooked.

I wonder how much one of these underwater video cameras costs? Imagine the crazy things we'd discover.

Holy F'in Carp (Crap) !!!

Hoo Boy! Every once in a while something makes me laugh so hard I can't breathe! Holy crap this is funny. Think of the amount of time and planning that went into this little adventure! The props, the editing, and music sound-over... A bunch of guys doing guy stuff. (PETA would h-a-t-e this!)
Footnote: Asian carp are an invasive species, so here in the States, there is no love lost. Thus the nails, spikes, sabers, tennis rackets, and pitch-forks...


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Paula Predicts...

This is just goofy: An octopus named Paula predicted the Super Bowl.
What's even goofier? That this was newsworthy.
Goofier still? The fellow at the end of the clip disagreed with the octopus!
HA! What a hoot.

Open Letter to my Sons

Pluto.
By way of explanation, we have a cat named Pluto who has been with us for over 17 years. We adopted him from our local SPCA. Family stories about Pluto's escapades are too numerous to recount. In the simplest terms, he is a part of our colorful family fabric.

Recently, he's begun to decline. Blindness has set in on top of recurring ear issues. Antibiotics help his ears, but only to stave off dizziness. He's almost completely deaf. His remaining senses are smell, and touch. If he walks straight, he walks straight into. If he walks abreast, his whiskers signal him to turn. Corners trap him completely -- so when he gives up, he sits and stares into nowhere.

As we approach the end of our relationship with him in this life, I want to keep my sons abreast of developments. They have known, loved, and helped me care for Pluto since he came into our lives. But they are both away at school, and I am in my office with Pluto as my charge. And, this cat has been my ever-present companion. For many many years, he made homes in the cubby holes among my shelves of artwork. He chased the shadows of birds feeding at my windows. He meowed to get into my attic, and I waited for his meows to get out... But I digress...

Open letter to my sons:

Pluto is doing really well, considering.

After much thought, I've realized much of my fear was not about how he is - he seems OK. He's not sick sick, and besides weak kidneys, he's just disabled! I was afraid I couldn't take care of him. But, how would I know if I didn't try???? It's going to take some effort, but that's part of the deal when you adopt a pet. You're in it for the long haul...

So, after a couple of weeks of his blindness and deafness, we seem to be figuring it out. He gives signals, I read the signals and try to give him what he's asking for. Loud MMMOOOOW! may mean he wants to go out, or he's just lost. After he eats, he sometimes likes to have some water. So, if he can't find the bowl, I take him there and put his paws on the rim. He realizes he's at the bowl, and either tests it with his paw, or begins to drink. Fascinating.

He had challenging potty visits to the mulch beds today. RAIN! He did not like that. And I did not like the cold. But, whatever...

This afternoon I went to visit Tory and Bill, and left Pluto asleep on the couch. I'd checked all the doors, including the cat door. When I got back, I couldn't find him!! Freak out! I turned on all the lights and searched every crevice. He was No Where. I thought, 'No way he's in my office.' But, lo and behold, there he was, curled up and asleep on my floor. How the HECK did he find his way up there??? Who knows. He seemed happy.

Then later, he went down the stairs on his own (!), but after bumping his way around the fish room he decided he'd had enough and started to meow. I rescued him; took him outside; he did his business; then found his way to the dog bed and licked himself in front of the fire.

I've ordered Dad NOT to leave Pluto outside by himself. Fingers crossed.

See attached pic of Pluto in my office.

Love you guys. Be good!

XXOO, Mom

Goldfish Salvation

I hope each of my dear readers gets to watch this... It is absolutely incredible. And proof that art takes all forms, but artists all share one trait: passion.

Enjoy!

Fish Prints

Here's the skinny... I really didn't think I'd ever get into this. I never had the time! Always under deadline, always focused on a big project (think: Aquarium or Book or Kids :)

But, I've been needled for years by my friends and compatriots to sell, offer, make available(however you'd like to describe it), prints of my illustrations. Online or in stores. Whatever. There was pressure.

See, I've been blessed with this freaky, geeky gift. I have an ability and desire to illustrate fishes precisely, exactly, and lovingly. The illustrations that come out of me are pretty amazing. I look at them and go: "Cool!" But I'm not just patting myself on the back like, "Yo! I'm Awesome! Fly Val!" It's just what I do. It's what I've always done: marching to my own drummer. When I nail an illustration, when it looks JUST like the subject, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

And, obviously, I love fishes. So I feel a deep need to further understanding, appreciation and conservation of them and their environments. So, I've honed my gift to illustrate, sharpened it, and used it to the best of my ability. If I hadn't...shame on me. I'd have wasted a gift.

So, after almost a year of research and thought crunching, I decided to go for it and finally share the illustrations.
Inspired and coached by my nephew, Leigh, I've launched Val Kells Fish Prints.

Love fish. They rock.

Very cool: Murmuration

Wow.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

What's In A Name???

Oh this is TOO funny!!!
Coloquial names are all over the map! Channel bass = Redfish. Striped bass = Rockfish. Little tunny = Albie!
This video is a shining example of the confusion that odd common names can elicit. (What would he think of the Voodoo whiff or the Sarcastic fringehead? :)
This fellow should come to my house -- it is crawling with Daddy longlegs! The resident toads love 'em. YUM!

Landshark

Land Shark
Get More: Land Shark

Abissi Sparkling Wine - Hmmmm

Many years ago, we visited Portofino, Italy. Of all the places we'd been to from Brussels, to Florence, to Lucerne, to the Italian coast -- Portofino was by far the most spectacular and mesmerizing. The buildings are ancient, beautiful; the streets were cobbled; boats rock in the port; vineyards and farms frame the town and cling to cliffs that fall into the Mediterranean. If you EVER get the chance to go there.... go there!

Anyway, this is an interesting combination of entrepreneurship and use of natural resources. Harmless to the environment, the bottles are stored for a year in cages under the sea while the water rocks them and keeps them dark and cool. If I can get my hands on one, would't that be nice?

Click here to read article.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/08/23/dining/100000001012767/making-wine-in-the-mediterranean.html

Shark Week Live - Day Five? (I'm losing track...)

DISCLAIMER: Bad language.
I've pretty much given up on Shark Week. There's nothing new to report, and I haven't learned anything useful. It's all White Sharks, Bite Cams, and now, "Air Jaws" -- which my son told me is a repeat... The heck with it.
So! Instead of repeating myself redundantly over and over again, here is a collection of parodies!
First, a really bad parody of the music and theme with lots of bleep words -- really bad:

Shark Week's (unofficial) Theme Song - watch more funny videos

This has one bleep word, but at least it's funny:


Then this!!


I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Shark Week (and it's chocked with bleep words). But I'm punch drunk on chum and this is flat out funny:


HAPPY SHARK WEEK! (one day to go??)

Random: Peacock Spider

This is so amazing, I couldn't help sharing. Evolution at its finest!

You Might Be A Fish Nerd If...

Oh Yeah...! Finally! The definitive Fish Nerd List. Sadly (or perhaps happily?), I qualify. I laughed my way through this list, while nodding my head, 'Yeah, that's me. Yep, me again. And, again...and again..." Too funny. I actually knew the lyrics to "Fish Heads", and the video cracked me up. Alas.... Fish Nerds. We are a pathetic, yet deliriously giddy bunch.


FISHNERD.COM