masterwordsmith-unplugged

Here's a very interesting post on beautiful natural illusions.

See it to believe it.

CLICK HERE to enjoy the splendour of it all.

The Penang National Park spans 1,213ha of land and sea and is used byscientists, researchers, and nature lovers to explore its natural treasures.

Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, this pristine site is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species. Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, located at the northwestern tip of Penang, was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003.

Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980, signifying the State and Federal governments’ environmental protection efforts.

Penang National Park was established to preserve and protect flora and fauna as well as objects with geological, archaeological, historical,ethnological, scientific, and scenic interests.

Natural attractions of Pulau Pinang National Park include the Hill / Lowland Dipterocarp Forests, Mangrove Forest areas,sandy beach habitats, the unique seasonal meromictic lake and the open coastal seas. Stands of Seraya (Shorea curtisii) trees, common feature of coastal Dipterocarp Forest, can be easily seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1000 species of plants recorded which are dominated by the family Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminoceae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae.

Part of the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve had been logged before 1955; no forest areas there have been logged since 1955. All logging activities were stopped in 1996, and Malaysian public funding has been allocated to develop the Penang National Park, within guidelines.

More here.

CLICK HERE for a video on the Penang National Park.

An Irish farmer who claims to have bred a cross between a sheep and a goat is launching a charity competion to find a name for the rare creature.

Paddy Murphy, who also runs a village pub in Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare, has been overwhelmed by the interest after a YouTube video of his new arrival went viral.

The hybrid – sometimes referred to as a geep or a shoat – is believed to be extremely unusual.

Murphy said he delivered the animal late at night, and it was only the next morning that he realised it was a bit different.

CLICK HERE for more.

Recently, Angela sent me some pics and short notes on the topic in this post. Feeling curious, I googled for more information and came across this post which said:

If you’ve spent any time online recently, you might have noticed a striking photo making its rounds. Feast your eyes on Glass Gem corn: a stunning, multi-colored heirloom that has taken Facebook and the blogosphere by storm. With its opalescent kernels glimmering like rare jewels, it’s easy to see what the buzz is about. This is some truly mind-blowing maize.

For the staff here at Native Seeds/SEARCH, the viral explosion of interest in Glass Gem has been thrilling—but not surprising. As the proud stewards of this variety (along with the bioregional seed company, Seeds Trust) we are lucky enough to have grown and admired this extraordinary corn ourselves. Rest assured, this is no Photoshop sham. It is truly as stunning held in your your hand as it is on your computer screen. When you peel back the husk from a freshly harvested ear to reveal the rainbow of colors inside, it’s like unwrapping a magical present. And this is a gift that is meant to be shared far and wide.

Like many heirloom treasures, Glass Gem corn has a name, a place, and a story. Its origin traces back to Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer living in Oklahoma. Barnes had an uncanny knack for corn breeding. More specifically, he excelled at selecting and saving seed from those cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Exactly how long Barnes worked on Glass Gem—how many successive seasons he carefully chose, saved, and replanted these special seeds—is unknown. But after many years, his painstaking efforts created a wondrous corn cultivar that has now captivated thousands of people around the world.

Approaching old age, Barnes bestowed his precious seed collection to Greg Schoen, his corn-breeding protégé. The weighty responsibility of protecting these seeds was not lost on Schoen. While in the process of moving in 2010, he sought out a place to store a sampling of the collection to ensure its safekeeping. Schoen passed on several unique corn varieties to fellow seedsman Bill McDorman, who was owner at the time of Seeds Trust, a small family seed company then located in central Arizona. (Today, Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Native Seeds/SEARCH.) Curious about the oddly named Glass Gems, he planted a handful of seeds in his garden. The spectacular plants that emerged took him by surprise. “I was blown away,” McDorman recalls. “No one had ever seen corn like this before.”

CLICK HERE for more.

Thanks to Angela who shared the link to this video showcasing Niagara Falls A View From The Toy Copter
CLICK HERE to enjoy the video.

Simply awesome.

It is a 3-minute video clip of the full moon rising over Wellington, New Zealand. It was shot, on a calm summer evening, as people gathered on the Mt. Victoria Lookout point to watch the moon rise.

This stunning video is one single real-time shot, with no manipulation whatsoever. The camera was placed on a hillside over 2 kilometres from the Lookout point, and was shot with the equivalent of a 1300mm lens.

The amount of planning, trial and error, and luck that went into this are mind blowing. He has been trying to capture this for over a year with many failed attempts. But 2 nights ago it seems everything was on his side, and it all came together in a way even he couldn't have hoped.

I honestly can't say enough good things about this video - from the magnitude of the visuals, to the intimate stories playing out with the people, to the sheer  humbling nature of seeing the awe-inspiring reality of this giant rock in the sky that we so often don't stop to appreciate.

One thing I encourage you to do is watch this on the biggest screen you have - don't  waste it on an iphone screen.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

Thanks to Mr SKT who shared this post.

THE ROBIN'S NEST.....That nest got a little crowded towards the end.

I can't imagine anyone of any age not enjoying this!

The video clip in the attached link is amazing.

An American robin lays her four eggs in a hanging basket and the home owners set up a camera to film the results.


CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Thanks to Angela who sent me this link.

Something interesting to share!

This is really breathtaking, but make sure you click the icon on the right hand side to get the full screen.

Here's a spectacular view from Mount Everest !

This full screen panorama was published in connection with the 50 year anniversary in May 2003, in honor of the first two men who reached the top of Everest 50 years ago on May 29,1953. The top of Mount Everest was reached for the first time by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Since then 1,200-1,500 have climbed to the top. Nobody knows the exact number. More than 140 climbers have died on the way.

On May 24,1989 the Australian photographer and mountaineer, Roderick Mackenzie, reached the summit. He was no 271 since 1953. He made, as far as I know, the only 360 degree panorama from the top.

Roderick Mackenzie made the image at the top of Mount Everest on May 24 1989. Below , in his own words,are his feelings of the event.

THE VIEW FROM MOUNT EVEREST:
360 DEGREES.
BREATHTAKING !
SPECTACULAR !

CLICK HERE

NB : When you see the panorama, click the icon on the top right corner to make the image full-screen !