Pandemic

Yes...I have to go there just because somethings I encountered during the start of it are too good to not be shared.

Well first off...the "swine flu" just seems fishy to me to begin with. A combination of flu strains that should only infect different species. What was it...swine, avian, and human strains combined. It sounds "designer" but I'm not going to go there. I've had to hear enough about the Avian flu and West Nile Virus to make me what to smack people around. I work at a place that houses a lot of birds and people would refuse to visit because of these things. I got calls regularly when they started talking Avian flu. But I digress...

Back to where I wanted to go...being in New Jersey and in an area where there were confirmed cases made things very interesting. Places were canceling public events for fear that it may spread. A family event at a local college was canceled "just in case." I often wonder for how easy it is to get a hold of hand sanitizer how things can spread so quickly. I have issues with hand sanitizer but I'll go there some other time.

We can discuss misinformation and panic here. Think back to Y2K and all the craziness that occurred with that. People panicked for no real reason there...so some computers made it 1900 instead of 2000...that wasn't going to make the world end. With the H1N1 (I think that's it) people apparently forget that the "regular flu" kills a bunch of people every year as well. While I was giving a tour for a school group I heard something I couldn't even believe I heard. One adult said to a child "don't lean on that tree you might get the flu." I can understand being concerned but honestly...can a human get the flu from a tree? I heard lots of things like that.

I had the flu at the end of last year...even had to go to work with it. I didn't spread it to anyone since I was careful with everything I touched. My 83 year old grandmother didn't even get it and we live in the same house. If you know to wash your hands and wipe down phones after you use them there shouldn't be that much of an issue. Don't they teach cleanliness early on in the schools...washing hands and stuff. I know they have hand sanitizer in all the classrooms.

I'm just going to stop there...when I teach survival programs..I always say that panic is the worst thing you can do...I think that applies to life in general. This is all just my thoughts on the situation and hopefully it doesn't offend anyone.

I've made it back here finally

spider
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

So much for my New Year's resolution of posting something everyday..or even every week. Such is the life of someone with 3 jobs.

I've found some interesting things this year so far. I got to hear a bunch of Pine Barrens Tree Frogs a couple weeks ago during an astronomy event. Oddly(well not really) I spent more time listening to the frogs than looking through telescopes. I've been hearing stories of bears and now the possibility of bobcats being in the Pines which is awesome. I've been seeing more wildlife in general this year. I even have a pair of Orioles nesting in my yard which has never happened before.

As for the picture...I'm just excited my new camera can let me get pictures like that. The previous camera I just scared them away before I could get close enough for a picture like that. Gotta love the crab spiders.

There will be another entry after this on a topic I just have to touch on.

I was being entertained by this

Great Blue Heron
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

I actually got to spend a good amount of time outside yesterday for things other than work. I decided to check out a place I hadn't been to in quite a while. I got to see quite a bit of wildlife. The fish were jumping out of the water. Lots of turtles everywhere. I even got to see an Osprey swoop down and catch a fish...way too hard to get a picture of that for me right now :(

I saw this Great Blue Heron standing out on the lake...was almost toward the center of it...I got all excited and took this picture. I stopped and thought about it for a little and was wondering how it was standing on top of this mass so well. Usually the legs are further in the water. Upon closer inspection I noticed there were a bunch of turtles by the heron. It actually looks like the bird is standing on the turtles. (you may have to click on the picture to get a bigger view to see the turtles. Maybe I am just imagining things.

Anyways...I'll have more stuff to come now that I can get out more and my schedule is not at crazy as it has been the past couple months.

Gray Squirrel

Gray Squirrel
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

I found this guy at work today. It looks like something attacked him. We have found a few squirrels that look like they got into a fight with something and survived. Not quite sure what happened to this guy but he gets around really well and everything.

I'll finally be able to get back to this and I got a new camera so I'll even have better pictures. yay

I wonder how long they will work

I've been seeing a bunch of dog cut outs and stakes with white fabric attached to deter the Canada Geese. usually this is in an open field or near a body of water. I know I have tried the plastic owls and plastic cats to deter other birds from eating strawberries and blueberries and both of those failed. I've seen geese close to the cut outs but not right around them. Seems like they will be like everything else...they will be figured out after a short period of time. Guess time will tell. maybe the next thing with be dogs with moving heads...

On a side note...the Great Horned Owls that live in the woods near me have been hooting up a storm. The other birds are getting ready for their mating/nesting season as the owls are ending theirs. I am hoping the red-tails and the other raptor that I never got to identify return (thinking Cooper's but I only saw it for a moment flying toward the sun)

almost the time of year again

Toad under leaf
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

I can't wait for spring to arrive. Soon I'll be hearing the first frogs of the season. The Red-Winged Blackbirds have returned. I am ready for warmer weather so I can spend even more time out in the woods.

Awesome electric car

This is something I would love to see more of. This is an electric car that can feed the grid!!

Check out the video here. If I can find the full video that explains it a little more I will put it up.

something that drives me crazy

I wonder if this bothers anyone else....when songs have sirens or horns in them. I was driving home today after work. I just got a new car so I am still waiting for my new insurance and registration cards to arrive so I am being rather cautious to begin with. There are a few places on my route that I frequently see police cars. Today one just happened to end up behind me for awhile. I had the radio on and then I hear a siren. My first thought is (insert favorite expletive here)! Then I look in my mirror and see the police car doesn't have it's lights on and then I realize it was just the song on the radio. I don't understand why they have to have sirens in songs..sure it gets your attention but it's not a good type of attention. Same thing with the car horn sounds. Anyways...i really just wanted to see if anyone else gets bugged by that or if it is just me.

Bird counting

Today I was counting birds again for the Great Backyard Bird Count. I took the ecology club out that I run to count the birds...we ended up finding some deer bones. Bones are more interesting than birds.



sadly I didn't get any pictures of birds today...I will be taking my camera out there with me tomorrow and Monday and hopefully I find something cool.

all work and no play makes me something...

I have been so busy lately. I've created a new website for an ecology club I run. I bought a new car (hurray for payment plans). I'm about to start (fingers crossed) part-time job number four. It came the day I got the car...how nice is that. I haven't really had time to do much of anything but work and a little bit of sleep (yeah meals in there too). This is a four day weekend where I am running an event to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Busy is a good thing!

I think it is time for me to sit back for a little before we get into the weekend...I'm going to watch the director's cut of Amadeus :)

one of those days

You ever have one of those days where things are all screwy. Today would be one of those days for me. I'm just really mad I didn't bring my camera. Just to put my day in the simplest terms and to give you an idea of how this day has been. Some one put a penguin in the middle of our not so well frozen lake today. To top it off..it was one of the few days I didn't bring my camera.

snow day

IMG_2915
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

Well the winter storm is more of a winter slush. We had the snow last night and now it is raining. My sister's kids had off from school today so I got to play in the slush with them for a little.

I was wandering around the backyard and found these weird little paths in the snow. I'm pretty sure there is a branch under there making the pattern but it still looked pretty neat.

Other than that we made a slush-man but he fell apart before I could get a picture.

Winter Storm Warning

That's what we're under here right now. I know better than to overreact to that news but people are again rushing to the stores to buy their eggs, milk, bread, toilet paper, and snow shovels. I will never understand why they go for the perishables or the snow shovel since they should have had one from the previous year.

I would love to have a decent snow for a change but right now it seems more like an ice storm which is no fun. I'm just glad I don't have to be anywhere tomorrow.

Well I am going to try to stay nice and toasy. :)

birds

For the next couple months I get to have birds on the brain. First is the Backyard Bird Count. I will be involved with it that entire weekend. Hopefully we will have visitors coming to help us count the birds. It's great for Green Hour.

tracks on the ice

tracks on the ice
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

I decided to check out the lake at work to see how frozen it had become with how cold the weather has been. I was expecting to see the typical goose tracks in the light dusting of snow but instead I found these crossing the lake.

nose to nose

nose to nose
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

I was bored after I was done work today so I decided to take some pictures. The last time I took a picture of this pine snake she was half this size. The moment I leaned down to take the picture she put her head up like this to where the camera was. she is a total ham for the camera apparently

got a little busy

So I haven't posted on here for several days but I have been busy working on a website for an Ecology club that I run. It's almost done thankfully.

The past few days have been bitterly cold so I haven't really wanted to venture outside unless I had to. Today at work though I did make it out for a short while. I took some pictures which I'll be putting up in their own entry shortly.

So much for a New Year's resolution....oh well I'll still be putting stuff up.

what the??

what the??
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

This may be one of the strangest fish I have ever seen. I have no clue what it is but I am in search of that answer. It is about the size of a ping pong ball.

creative curiosity

I started out attempting one for work and then decided I needed to make one for myself. I am creating my own web page. I have been wanting to learn how to do one for awhile. Eventually I will be looking to start my own forum of sorts. I'll have to wait and see when I'll have time to do that.

On a side note...this will determine what I do tomorrow...



That's right...snow is on the way!! It's about time, even though it is going to change over rain at some point.

The Bus

the bus
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

This happened over the summer but it was one of the oddest things I have seen at work so far. This bus backed down a good portion of our very narrow driveway. The picture was taken as it was backing towards my location. Amazingly the bus driver didn't hit a single thing.

my grandmother

great-grandmother
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

She is such a trouble maker for a woman in her 80's. Here she is with my niece on Christmas. (She didn't know I took this picture)

This woman keeps me on my toes...which is a good thing. I hope that when I am in my 80's my mind will be as sharp as her's.

Sometimes she drives me insane...like today. I got her a Roku box (streams Netflix) for Christmas and she will work it on her own when no one is around but asks me to help her when I am around. Once Spring comes she is going to try to go out and pull weeds like she always does...and people wonder why my hair is going white.

does a bear poop in the woods?

scat
Originally uploaded by naturegirl 78

Yes...yes it does. Found this in the early fall.

This makes me wonder

I remember as a kid you could go to a neighbor's house and get hurt accidentally and nothing would happen spare a reprimand from a parent. Now people are suing neighbors since their child got hurt. When did the world become so sue happy.

I dropped my cousin off at the airport today and on my way back home I saw a billboard with the words "who can I sue now" written on it for a law firm. I found that very disturbing...even disgusting that it exists. Aren't there better things to do with time and money than to sue someone over something stupid? With my luck someone will try to sue me for just saying that it was disturbing...oh well. I guess I will never understand this.

What's in a name

For years my user name has been Nightamazon. I got that name because of my nocturnal tendencies and that I am a woman who will go for things that are primarily for guys. I play video games (not that there aren't a lot of girls who play), I like to get my hands dirty, and I love to take things apart. I worked for several years at Home Depot...not as a cashier or even in one of the more girly areas like home decor. I worked in the hardware department. I learned a lot in there which was great. I eventually moved to the night shift moving freight.

Now I have started to go by Nature Girl. This is just because I get called that a lot at my current job. I just recently found out about the book that has the title. I could also go by Miss Tour Guide but I like the other better. Now I spend a lot of my time outside improving my naturalist skills. Working on my survival skills now...how to start a fire with random things, building shelters, and aquiring food. It's very interesting to learn how much you can do with so little.

Time to get back to exploring the internet for things I never knew existed

The beginning...

As part of my New Year's resolution I am going to start one of these...and try to keep it as close to daily as I possibly can. So part one of the resolution is done..woohoo!! I highly doubt anyone will come through to read my posts but time will tell on that one. I'm going to attempt a picture a day as well. Once I have everything figured out on here things will be more interesting but for now I have to get back to work.