Everglades National Park

I want to share my trip to Everglades National Park that I took with Vinny, my hubby, my BIL, Carl, and Grace, my SIL when we were in Florida this week.

Everglades National Park (Shark River Valley)

The Everglades are a subtropical wetland located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee. Water leaving the lake in the wet season forms a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long, flowing southward across a limestone shelf to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. The Everglades are shaped by water and fire, experiencing frequent flooding in the wet season and drought in the dry season.

The Everglades is made up of sawgrass prairie, sloughs (free-flowing channels of water) tree islands and cypress swamps above a limestone base.

The Everglades are dying. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was signed into law in December 2008 but restoration hasn't begun because of the divisive politics of the region.

---

We visited during the dry season (winter) when temperatures are temperate and mosquitoes are at a minimum. We were able to get pretty close to the alligators which were usually found basking in the sun on the edge of sloughs. We were warned to stay at least 10 feet away and more if it was a female with babies.

There are panthers in the park and manatees and dolphins but we weren't lucky enough to see any. There are pythons too but the Everglades is not their natural habitat. People who had pythons as pets let them loose in the park and now they have become a nuisance. There is a program in place to eliminate them.

theteach

The Interviews

The best interviews -- like the best biographies -- should sing the strangeness and variety of the human race.

~Lynn Barber~

My first interview is with Ivanhoe of From Ohio With Love The link will take you directly to her answers. Why don't you go on over and find out about a really nice person?




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boliyou has answered my questions here at her blog called endomental. Stop by her blog and find out the meaning of the title of her blog...


This isn't boliyou. It's a picture of elmo she took at Christmas time. Ha!

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Ralph at Airhead 55 has answered my probing questions. He's an interesting guy! And find out why he named his blog Airhead 55. Click here.

Here's Ralph and his lovely wife, Patti.

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Stay tuned Geraldine of My Poetic Path is up next.

Geraldine has posted her interview at her blog My Poetic Path. She's actually a published cookbook author!

Here she is with Ms. Mitzi:

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Jamie of Duward Discussion has posted her interview. Go on over to her blog and find out what makes this smart, brilliant blogger tick!

If you'd like to be interviewed just let me know in the comments. Just say "Interview me!" and I'll send you out interview questions in your e-mail. If your e-mail address isn't on your blog, e-mail me so I have it. Further instructions are here.

theteach

Looking at the Sky on Friday

The View from the balcony in Hollywood, Florida, 1/26/09

theteach

~STICKY POST~

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR CURRENT POSTS

Dear Blogger Friends

I'm taking a few days off to go and chase the sun... I'll be ending up in Florida visiting my BIL and SIL at their lovely condo on the ocean. I understand the weather will be warm and the water will be too. Oh what a change of pace for me and husband, Vinny.

If I take some interesting pictures while I'm away I'll post them if I can. Otherwise, I'll be back in front of my computer on Friday.

Meanwhile I've prepared posts here for Manic Monday, Ruby Tuesday and Monochrome Monday on Wednesday. My Sepia Scenes post will go up on time at Sepia Scenes on Wednesday afternoon for Thursday.

See you when I return. I'll miss you!

theteach

Monochrome Monday on Wednesday

Grieving Woman

Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, NY

Aileni is the gracious host of Monochrome Monday. Go on over to Monochrome Maniacs to see other participants.

theteach

Ruby Tuesday

Last week Mo of Manic Monday suggested the word OFFICE for the prompt for his meme. I was going to do my home office until he suggested Obama and the Presidential Oath of Office. I blogged about the Oath of Office. because it was so appropriate for last week.

So today I'm going to show you my home office because there are a lot of RED things there.

Here's the collage I made:


Click on the picture to embiggen.

My office has a lot of books. That's an understatement, eh? There are so many books I have to double shelve them, ones in front and in back. I also have a TV in my office and it's ON ALL THE TIME! It's background noise and keeps me company while I work.

Why don't you look around your office. Do you see a lot of RED? Why don't you post photos of your office for our next Ruby Tuesday.

Myspace Graphics

I'm in Florida for the next few days so I won't be able to visit you right away but I hope you'll leave a comment and sign Mr. Linky. When I get back I'll be around to visit! :)

theteach

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities. - Dr. Seuss

Manic Monday - snow

Have you always wanted to:

• learn how to make fake snow?
  
• Operate a snow blower?
  
• Drive a snow plow for a great urban area?
  
• Build the best snowman in your neighborhood?

Well, Snow College is for you!

Snow College* is a 4 year college located on the top of Mt. Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe. It is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about 50 miles (80 km) east-southeast of the city of Portland, on the border between Clackamas and Hood River counties. Mount Hood's snow-covered peak rises 11,249 feet (3,429 m) and is home to twelve glaciers and one college, Snow College.


Our students upon graduation can call the shots when it comes to lucrative jobs in the fields of global warming, making snowboards, raising snow leopards, riding snowmobiles.

The mission of Snow College – to educate students, to inspire them to love learning and to lead them to serve, cannot be accomplished without an outstanding faculty. Snow professors are unencumbered by research unlike their counterparts at 4-year institutions.

Every Spring we hold our famous festivals:

The Alumni Avalanche
The Great Badger Hunt

Directions to the College:

Drive straight up the side of Mt. Hood for just over 2 miles and park.

	Collegiate License Plates Show your Snow College Spirit by proudly displaying your Snow College Collegiate License Plates on your vehicle. Display your Snow College Spirit "The Warmest Snow on Earth" that is "The Smart Place to Start." More information on Collegiate License Plates can be found on the Utah DMV Website.

*Disclaimer: Snow College is a real college run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They have nothing to do with anything expressed in this post.

-- Joke Generator -->

Jokes!

theteach

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!
AND
GONG XI FA CAI
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Lots of morning shadows and sloppy snow and ice. And a bright red/orange pail.

Go over to Hey Harriet and check out other participants and Erika's collages.

theteach

Always check your child's homework...

I received this in an e-mail today. I thought I'd share it with you for a laugh!

Here's the reply the teacher received the next day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last
week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single
shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that
several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture
doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me
selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly
before she turns it in.

Sincerely, Mrs. Smith


theteach

MIMOSA AWARD

I chose a couple of days ago to color my blog background Pantone's new color for 2009 -- MIMOSA

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

Pantone announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.
“The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

So I decided to create a MIMOSA AWARD and give it to some very wonderful people who epitomize hope and reassurance every day in their blogs. According to Pantone "The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation." The following bloggers are all these things!

I give this award today to

Terry of Canadian Blogger

Jamie of Duward Discussion

Daryl of On the m104

Sandy of Writing in Faith

Mo of It's A Blog Eat Blog World

Dianne of Forks Off the Moment

I would like to hold on to this award for a while so I can give it out again. No one has to pass it on. However if you post about the award or put it in your sidebar please link back to me.

theteach

Looking at the Sky on Friday

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” Rabindranath Tagore

Visit Tisha at Crazy Working Mom who is the host of the wonderful meme.

theteach

Creative Photography

Through a crummy old hurricane fence and a wrought iron fence painted blue, a sunset.

For Roger's Creative Photography


It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!
- Friedrich Nietzsche

theteach

Monochrome Monday on Wednesday

Japanese Maple in my backyard

theteach

MIMOSA

~STICKY POST~

Please scroll down for RUBY TUESDAY

INAUGURATION UPDATE: Michelle Obama is wearing MIMOSA this morning! Take a look!


I KNOW IT'S A TERRIBLE PHOTO. I TOOK IT FROM THE TV.

I knew she was with it! And don't say it's just YELLOW! :)

Myspace Graphics

I chose a couple of days ago to color my blog background Pantone's new color for 2009 -- MIMOSA

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

Pantone announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.
“The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

theteach

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday is a meme that asks you to post your own photo(s) with a little RED or a lot of RED in them.

I suggested we do MACRO shots today on Ruby Tuesday.

From About.com: Macro photography can be a fun and educational thing. Macro photography allows you to take close up pictures of basically anything. It's amazing to look at these extremely close-up photos of insects or flowers or even moss.

Here are some tips to get started:

• Like any other photo that you take, simplify.
• Fill the photo with your subject.
• Sharp focus is a must.
• Try shooting from different angles. If you’re looking for deep saturation of the colors, use front lighting. If you’d like to bring out the texture of your subject, side lighting is the way to go.
• due to the narrow depth of field, the background will usually be thrown completely out of focus, which allows the natural background to be nice backdrop,. Just make sure you don’t have anything distracting in the back that’s recognizable.
  

Try taking a photo of a bee in resting in a flower. You’ll be astonished by all the little details your camera will pick up. Now I know for some of you that’s a bit of a risky thing. So try taking a picture of a little pebble. You wouldn’t believe how nice nature photos are when taken close up. A picture of a raindrop barely clinging to a leaf or tree branch can really get some good reactions from friends.

There is so much out there that we forget about. Next time you think there's nothing to take pictures of, just look a little closer.

My macro for today:



Can anyone guess what this is (besides a very RED apple)? It has a practical purpose.

I used Photobucket's Duotone effect, played around with it a bit and faded it.

Thanks for participating in our meme. Now why don't you leave a comment and sign Mr. Linky, Hmm?



Update: Anything goes for next week. So have fun!

theteach

Manic Monday - Office

Mo gave us the word OFFICE for Manic Monday. A word that is particularly appropriate for the soon-to-be Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

The swearing-in of the President of the United States occurs upon the commencement of a new term of a President of the United States. The United States Constitution mandates that the President make the following oath or affirmation before he or she can "enter on the Execution" of the office of the presidency:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Presidential Oaths of Office

The information below is courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. It has been compiled by the Office of the Curator from contemporary accounts and other sources in the files of the Architect of the Capitol.

DATE	PRESIDENT	LOCATION	OATH ADMINISTERED BY
April 30, 1789	George Washington	Balcony of Federal Hall, New York City	Robert Livingston, Chancellor of State of New York
March 4, 1793	George Washington	Senate Chamber, Congress Hall, Philadelphia	William Cushing, Associate Justice of Supreme Court
March 4, 1797	John Adams	House of Representatives Chamber, Congress Hall, Philadelphia	Oliver Ellsworth, Chief Justice
March 4, 1801	Thomas Jefferson	Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1805	Thomas Jefferson	Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1809	James Madison	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1813	James Madison	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1817	James Monroe	In front of Old Brick Capitol (1st & A Sts., N.E.); now site of the Supreme Court Building	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 5, 1821	James Monroe	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1825	John Q. Adams	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1829	Andrew Jackson	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1833	Andrew Jackson	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1837	Martin Van Buren	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1841	William H. Harrison	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
April 6, 1841	John Tyler	Brown's Hotel, 6th St. & Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.	William Cranch, Chief Judge of U.S. Circuit Court
March 4, 1845	James K. Polk	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 5, 1849	Zachary Taylor	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
July 10, 1850	Millard Fillmore	House Chamber, U.S. Capitol	William Cranch, Chief Judge of U.S. Circuit Court
March 4, 1853	Franklin Pierce	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1857	James Buchanan	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1861	Abraham Lincoln	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1865	Abraham Lincoln	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
April 15, 1865	Andrew Johnson	Kirkwood Hotel, 12th St. & Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.	Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 4, 1869	Ulysses S. Grant	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 4, 1873	Ulysses S. Grant	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 3, 1877	Rutherford B. Hayes	Privately in Red Room, White House	Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 5, 1877	Rutherford B. Hayes	Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1881	James A. Garfield	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
September 20, 1881	Chester A. Arthur	Privately at his residence, 123 Lexington Avenue, New York City	John R. Brady, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court
September 22, 1881	Chester A. Arthur	Publicly in the Office of the Vice President, U.S. Capitol	Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1885	Grover Cleveland	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1889	Benjamin Harrison	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1893	Grover Cleveland	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1897	William McKinley	In front of the Original Senate Wing, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1901	William McKinley	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
September 14, 1901	Theodore Roosevelt	Ansley Wilcox residence, Buffalo, New York	John R. Hazel, U.S. District Judge for Western District of New York
March 4, 1905	Theodore Roosevelt	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1909	William H. Taft	Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol	Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1913	Woodrow Wilson	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 4, 1917	Woodrow Wilson	Privately in President's Room, U.S. Capitol	Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 5, 1917	Woodrow Wilson	Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 4, 1921	Warren G. Harding	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Edward D. White, Chief Justice
August 3, 1923	Calvin Coolidge	His father's residence, Plymouth, Vermont	John C. Coolidge, his father, a Notary Public
March 4, 1925	Calvin Coolidge	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	William H. Taft, Chief Justice
March 4, 1929	Herbert C. Hoover	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	William H. Taft, Chief Justice
March 4, 1933	Franklin D. Roosevelt	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1937	Franklin D. Roosevelt	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1941	Franklin D. Roosevelt	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1945	Franklin D. Roosevelt	South Portico, White House	Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice
April 12, 1945	Harry S. Truman	Cabinet Room, White House	Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice
January 20, 1949	Harry S. Truman	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Frederick Vinson, Chief Justice
January 20, 1953	Dwight D. Eisenhower	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Frederick Vinson, Chief Justice
January 20, 1957	Dwight D. Eisenhower	Privately in East Room, White House	Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 21, 1957	Dwight D. Eisenhower	Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1961	John F. Kennedy	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Earl Warren, Chief Justice
November 22, 1963	Lyndon B. Johnson	Conference room aboard Air Force One at Love Field, Dallas, Texas	Sarah T. Hughes, U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Texas
January 20, 1965	Lyndon B. Johnson	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1969	Richard M. Nixon	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1973	Richard M. Nixon	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
August 9, 1974	Gerald R. Ford	East Room, White House	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1977	James E. Carter	East Portico, U.S. Capitol	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1981	Ronald W. Reagan	West Front, U.S. Capitol	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1985	Ronald W. Reagan	Privately in North Entrance Hall, White House	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 21, 1985	Ronald W. Reagan	Publicly in Rotunda, U.S. Capitol	Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1989	George H. W. Bush	West Front, U.S. Capitol	William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 1993	William J. Clinton	West Front, U.S. Capitol	William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 1997	William J. Clinton	West Front, U.S. Capitol	William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 2001	George W. Bush	West Front, U.S. Capitol	William Rehnquist, Chief Justice

The swearing-in traditionally takes place at noon on Inauguration Day at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., with the Chief Justice of the United States administering the oath. From the presidency of Martin Van Buren through Jimmy Carter, the ceremony took place on the Capitol's East Portico. Since the 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan, the ceremony has been held at the Capitol's West Front. The inauguration of William Howard Taft in 1909 and Reagan in 1985 were moved indoors at the Capitol due to cold weather. Until 1937, Inauguration Day was March 4. Since then, Inauguration Day has occurred on January 20 (the 1933 ratification of the Twentieth Amendment changed the start date of the term).

AOL News:

Obama Rides Rails to Capital Amid Cheers

By JENNIFER LOVEN and NANCY BENAC

AP

posted: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES AGO

ABOARD THE INAUGURAL EXPRESS (Jan. 17) - Tracking Abraham Lincoln's historic path to Washington, President-elect Barack Obama launched a four-day inaugural celebration Saturday before thousands of chilled but cheering onlookers from Philadelphia to the nation's capital. He promised to bring the country "a new Declaration of Independence" — free from small thinking, prejudice and bigotry.

Obama invoked a grand heritage of American giants as he appealed "not to our easy instincts but to our better angels," an echo of Lincoln's first inaugural address. He took note of the enormous challenges that lie ahead and promised to act with "fierce urgency," a phrase often used by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.


Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr.

It has become a reality, Martin!

theteach