Debi Boucher - "Realtor Showcase" Real Estate Slideshows/ Photographer

No! I don't mean Virgo, you September babies! Thought it was a typo, didn't you? LOL

No, this post is about Virga which is a weather phenomenon we often see, sometimes as a spectacular display. I was on the Eastern plains of Colorado recently, and was completely taken by the clouds that formed on the horizon. The day started out clear and sunny, and changed as the afternoon wore on.

I live in the mountains, so I have to leave my community to get out further east to enjoy the big skies of Colorado. It's worth the drive!

VIRGA

Streaks or wisps of precipitation, such as water or ice particles, that fall from clouds but evaporate before reaching the ground. From a distance, the event sometimes may be mistaken for a funnel cloud or tornado. Typically, it may fall from altocumulus, altostratus, or high based cumuonimbus.

Virga, also known as 'fallstreaks", is Latin for the word 'broom', and often looks like a wispy torn curtain hanging from the bottom of a cloud.

I might have been a storm chaser in another life....

Anyone know how if that pays? LOL

This is the image most of us conjure up when we think of a wolf. An evil beast that howls at the moon in the night, amber eyes watching from the woods, sending chills down our spines.

But, unlike humans, wolves kill only to eat. Wolves in the wild are afraid of us, and will do everything they can to keep their distance.

From the Yellowstone Insider...during the 100 years of the 20th century there were between twenty and thirty attacks in North America (including Alaska and Canada, which have relatively high populations of wolves). Of these, three were fatal, all because of rabies. No attacks have been recorded in Yellowstone since the reintroduction of wolves more than a decade ago. For comparison, during the 20th century there have been 71 fatal grizzly (brown) bear attacks in North America. Each year in the United States, 16-18 people die from dog attacks.

The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation

There is a place in Guffey, Colorado that is a sanctuary for abused and abandoned wolves. The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation , a non-profit 501 3C, was started by Mark Johnson in 2001. It sits just outside the eclectic town of Guffey, on 35 acres that was donated for 'life' by caring neighbors.

I had the privelege of visiting there this past Sunday, and the experience was one I'll never forget! To see why, click here - (seriously, you've GOT to see this!)

I Was A Chew Toy For Wolves

Mark provides 'sanctuary, rehabilitation and and environmentally natural housing for captive-born wolves and wolfdogs who have suffered from injuries, neglect and abuse'. The Foundation's Mission Statement is:

"Encourage an interest in and understanding of wolves by providing opportunities for people of all ages to interact with wolves, to learn about wolves and living safely with wildlife, and to understand the important role we humans have in the continual survival of wolf populations".

There are four wolf pups at the Foundation, three of which are Ambassadors. Mark welcomes visitors to come and interact with the pups, takes them out on 'field trips' to schools, organizations, and other events to help promote a better understanding of the wolves and our need to develop a better understanding of the role we humans have in the survival of wolf populations.

A visit here will help you to better understand why wolves are not a good idea for a pet, and their plight at the hands of many of those who discover this the hard way. The tales Mark tells of the abuse many of these animals have suffered would break your heart.

The Foundation is open to the public by appointment for tours, and gladly accepts donations for the upkeep of these beautiful animals. You don't have to visit to help. You can go here, to the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation website to learn more about how to be a part of the solution.

Excuse me? Uh.... What's the story with the boot?

LOL

Ladybug! Ladybug!

Fly away home.

Your house is on fire.

And your children all gone.

All except one,

And that's little Ann,

For she crept under

The frying pan.

Britain, c.1744

In Medieval England farmers would set torches to the old hop (used in
flavoring beer) vines after the harvest in order to clear the fields
for the next planting. This poem was sung as a warning to the ladybugs
that were still crawling on the vines in search of aphids. The
ladybugs' children (larvae) could get away from the flames, but the
pupae, referred to as "Nan" in some versions, were fastened to the
plants and thus could not escape.

From: Copyright © 2004 Sharon Birnbaum About Ladybugs

LADYBUG FACTS

Convergent Ladybugs, properly know as lady beetles, feed on aphids in the Colorado plains in the spring and summer, making them very popular with farmers and gardeners. In the fall, when there are no longer enough aphids to feed on, they migrate to the mountains by the millions and go into a condition called 'diapause', where they stop reproduction and slow their metabolism. There are more than 80 species of ladybugs in Colorado, but the convergent ladybug is the only one that 'heads for the hills' in the fall, where they burrow under leaves, and find hiding places in logs and such places to spend the winter. In the spring, they return to the lowlands and the cycle begins again. This year, a more than average abundance of ladybugs have been noted in Colorado and other states.

The proper name for ladybugs is ladybeetle, or, in Latin, coccinellid.

A ladybeetle's life span is one year.

A ladybeetle larvae can eat 150 aphids a day. Adults eat up to 50.

Photos taken in Mueller State Park, Colorado September 27, 2009

Cripple Creek, CO ---In the late 1800s, thousands of fortune-seekers made their way to Pikes Peak. Gold had been discovered, and that discovery started the country’s last great gold rush.

Now, more than a century later, visitors to the region can make their own discoveries at the newest member of Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association, the Pikes Peak Heritage Center at Cripple Creek. This new state-of-the-art interpretive center that overlooks the town of Cripple Creek.

Visitors to the Pikes Peak Heritage Center can learn about gold mining yesterday and today, geologic and human history, view displays that showcase the unique mountain environment, and learn about regional recreational activities and attractions.

This 11,600-square-foot facility is built in a style that is reminiscent of historic Cripple Creek and features interactive displays that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the past glory days of this world-famous gold mining camp, when it was a rambunctious community of miners, ministers and madams. Other displays showcase captivating historic photography, flora and fauna, the area’s world-class dinosaur discoveries and Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.

-From the Heritage Center website

DBoucher Photography

Nature and Wildlife Photography Notecards

Position yourself above your competition - Utilize a "Real Estate Showcase" Slideshow as a listing tool. Gift a DVD copy to the buyer at closing to share with out of town friends and family - Post it on your own website - Realtor Showcase Members can upload it to Realtor.com - Post it on your blog to showcase your listings.

Photos taken by Debi Boucher, DBoucher Photography, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced without express written permission. Memories DVDs Real Estate Slideshow and Web Presentations, "Real Estate Showcase", to assist with Real Estate marketing and advertising. More affordable, more interesting, and more captivating than a virtual tour!

A Not-So-Wordless-Wednesday Peek Into A Scientific Study

On Monday, I was fortunate enough to be the guest of Brian Linkhart, Professor at Colorado College, as he and his students continued their yearly documentation of the "Flammulated Owls". These tiny owls are only about 6 inches tall at maturity, and live deep in the heart of old growth forests from southern Canada to Mexico, where they migrate in the winter. Professor Linkhart has been studying these owls for 28 years, in an effort to learn more about these little known owls of the forest.

Rarely seen, they make their nests in woodpecker holes high in the trees, and prefer the old growth forests (where trees are 100-200 years old or more), of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The eggs of these owls incubate for about 22 days before hatching. The female remains with her owlets for about five weeks, while the male hunts moths and other insects with which to feed his family.

Professor Linkhart tells me that the Flammulated (Greek for 'flame shaped') Owl is considered 'sensitive', as opposed to threatened or endangered, but more study is needed to determine the effects of deforestation on these tiny, docile creatures.

We traveled along a rough dirt road deep into the forest around the Manitou Experimental Station north of Woodland Park, Colorado. Quietly, we approached an old aspen known to house an owl family. The photos that follow document the process of the study.

A camera set on a very long pole is raised about 35 feet up to 'peep' into the woodpecker hole to see if the owls are in residence, (they are). A net is raised to cover the hole and prevent the female from taking flight.

Professor Linkhart carefully removes the owls from their nest, and lowers them to the students waiting below.

Flammulated Owlet, about 20 days old.

The students then take blood samples,

weigh, and measure the owls and their wings,

band them,

and take detailed notes, carefully documenting all the information gathered.

The owls are treated with great care, and no harm comes to them. I was surprised at how calm and docile the mother owl was at being handled. When the study was completed, the owls were carefully returned to their nest.

We share our planet with so many other creatures - most of us are not even aware many of them exist - and the choices we make effect us all. Let's start making better choices. For all of us.

For photos of endangered animals, visit my website, Species in Peril

Many thanks to Professor Linkhart and his students for this amazing opportunity to learn about, and photograph, the Flammulated Owls in Colorado.

DBoucher Photography

Nature and Wildlife Photography Notecards

Position yourself above your competition - Utilize a "Real Estate Showcase" Slideshow as a listing tool. Gift a DVD copy to the buyer at closing to share with out of town friends and family - Post it on your own website - Realtor Showcase Members can upload it to Realtor.com - Post it on your blog to showcase your listings.

Photos taken by Debi Boucher, DBoucher Photography, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced without express written permission. Memories DVDs Real Estate Slideshow and Web Presentations, "Real Estate Showcase", to assist with Real Estate marketing and advertising. More affordable, more interesting, and more captivating than a virtual tour!