Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 43

3 October 2021 - TIPS FOR YOUR WELLBEING

 

TIPS FOR YOUR

 WELLBEING

 

G'day folks,

Now in lockdown again due to Covid 19, I thought some of these tips might help others.

Most of us tend to go through our daily routines in a similar manner every day. We are so used to this daily rhythm, to the point where our actions can become automatic – we can go through a whole day in that robotic fashion, following the same fixed orders our brain sends us. But shouldn’t you be the one in control of your mind rather than vice versa?

A good way to regain that control is by practicing mindfulness. This technique originates in Buddhism, and it started gaining popularity in the west by the late 1970s when it was incorporated in medical practices and mental health treatments. Nowadays, mindfulness programs are applied in schools, hospitals and even prisons around the world. 


When we get out of bed mindlessly in the morning, without a guiding thought or a specific goal for the day, we give our minds “permission” to operate through the subconscious. When that happens, our decision-making process is aimless and can feel random or meaningless. You can overcome that feeling by creating a mindful morning routine. Instead of checking your phone and your e-mails first thing in the morning, try to do the following:   1. When You Wake Up, Sit Up in Bed For a Few Moments – Close your eyes, and feel the sensation in your body when you’re sitting up. Feel the weight of your body and the softness of your bed. Make sure you are sitting up straight.   2. Take 3 Deep Breaths – Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. After that, let your breath take its natural course and listen to it. Pay attention to the movements happening in your body when you breathe – how your chest and abdomen rise and fall.   3. Ask Yourself ‘What Are My Intentions Today?’ – Think of the people you’re about to see today and the activities and tasks you will do. What are your intentions? Maybe leaving others with a positive impression of you? Or feeling more at ease in your interactions?  4. Set a Goal For the Rest of the Day – For example, “today I will be kind to myself, joyful and patient with those around me”.   5. Check on Yourself During the Day – Stop what you’re doing from time to time, take a breath and remind yourself of the goal you set in the morning. Practicing these steps over time can lead to an overall improvement in your mood, and in your relationships.

Clancy's comment: Mm ... good advice, especially for me. Hope these help.
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1 October 2021 - PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN AT THE RIGHT TIME

 

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN 

AT THE RIGHT TIME

 

G'day folks,

Often in life we realize that we dove in a little too deep or have ended up in a situation that the only valid response to would be, “HOLY CR*P” along with other four letter word expletives. Here are examples of people who definitely need a change of shorts after their near death experiences. Timing is everything in these photographs however, I sure would love to see the end result in these scenarios. Seeing some of these I would probably have had a heart attack if I was in their shoe.

Clancy's comment: It's all about timing.

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13 August 2021 - WHEN DID CLIMATE CHANGE ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA?

 

WHEN DID CLIMATE CHANGE

 ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA?

 

G'day folks,

Australia has always been shaped by floods, droughts, and blistering heat. How big and how intense these events were is poorly understood due to the limited historical and observational records.

  As the world’s driest inhabited continent, Australia often has droughts. In fact, there have been twelve major droughts recorded in Australia since the 1860s, the most severe being between 1895–1903, 1963–1968, 1982–1983 and 2002–2003. 

 

 What is drought?

Drought is a prolonged, abnormally dry period when the amount of available water is insufficient to meet normal use. There is no universal definition of drought. Meteorologists monitor the extent and severity of drought in terms of rainfall deficiencies.

It is generally difficult to compare one drought to another, since each drought differs in seasonality, location, size and duration. This is, in part, due to the different climate drivers from the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans that can influence variations in rainfall.

The Federation Drought from 1895 to 1903 was the worst in Australia's history, if measured by the enormous stock losses it caused.

 Historical records provide rough estimates of the extent and intensity of droughts in parts of Australia since the late 1700s. For example, captains’ logbooks from ships anchored off of Sydney describe the Settlement Drought (1790-1793), which threatened the tenuous foothold of early European settlers in Australia. And farmers’ records describe the Goyder Line Drought (1861–1866) that occurred in areas north of the known arable lands of South Australia.

 

One of Australia's most famous poets, Dorothea Mackellar, penned a famous poem that summed up this continent in 1906. 

“I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me!”

I was also inspired to write my first credible fiction book about the subject of drought, 'Gunnedah Hero' . Fourteen books later, that book is still my best seller. I have also written a screenplay for it and published the sequel, 'A Drover's Blanket'.

Here is a quote from the book:

'I will never forget one particular day in December of 1910. It was the day my brother, Angus, and I talked about my father’s trip up the long paddock – a day that changed my life forever. Years of drought had forced Dad to head north, droving our remaining cattle along the public roadways, searching for feed and water to keep them alive. He’d also be taking what was left of Uncle Jake’s herd and Mitch Saunders’ herd as well; maybe a hundred head all up. Angus was twelve years-of-age at the time and he was concerned about Dad leaving. I was too. According to The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Australia had lost nineteen million sheep and more than two million cattle since 1905. Five hard years of drought had decimated Australian farming communities.'

 

'Gunnedah Hero' is the award-winning story of a 14-year-old drover, Smokey 'Gun' Danson, who takes his cattle up the 'Long Paddock' in 1910 during one of the  worst droughts in our history. 

 

 

BLURB:

 Fourteen-year-old Gunnedah ‘Gunnie’ Danson has a 500-word assignment on drought, and his late grandfather has left him a box containing a manuscript. It’s been written by Gunnie’s great-great-grandfather, Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson after his journey up the long paddock during a harsh drought as a fourteen-year-old drover in 1910. At the back of the manuscript is an envelope. It’s NOT to be opened until Gunnie has read the entire story.

 Gunnie spends the weekend at Wiralee Station; a cattle station that’s been in the family since 1848. There, he reads the awesome manuscript and learns of Smokey’s adventurous journey.

Gunnie overhears several secretive conversations during the weekend. His snobby Aunty Kate wants to divorce his uncle and sell Wiralee Station. He finishes the manuscript and opens the mysterious envelope. Will it legally prevent his aunt from selling Wiralee Station? 

AMAZON

BOOK REVIEWS
 

To purchase a signed paperback, email me at:  clancy_tucker@hotmail.com

 

Footnote: The gentleman featured on the cover of my book is master drover, Mark Arbuthnot. Sadly, Mark recently passed away, having been the chief advisor for the filming of  'The Man From Snowy River' one and two. An extraordinary horseman and a great guy. 

 

Below, you will see the cover of the sequel to this book, 'A Drover's Blanket'.

 

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30 September 2021 - HOMES ON A CLUSTER OF ISLANDS ON CANADA - U.S. BORDER

 

HOMES ON A CLUSTER OFISLANDS ON CANADA - US BORDER  G'day folks,

Between the Canada-United States border, there is a beautiful place called Thousand Islands. You might know the name because of the extremely fattening (but delicious) salad dressing, but there is more to Thousand Islands than that.

 It’s an archipelago consisting of 1,864 islands stretching for about 50 miles. Some of the islands are smaller than others, ranging in size from 40 square miles all the way down to an island small enough for just one single house. In order to be considered an island in the Thousand Islands you must be above water lever all year-long, have at least 1 square foot of land, and have at least one living tree.

The largest island is Wolfe Island. It’s about 18 miles long and 5.5 miles at its widest point. This island houses approximately 1400 residents. Some islands are larger than others and may have a few houses, while others may just have one house with your only neighbors across the water.

 

 There is a ferry service that is from the mainland. They can call the ferry service if they need help with transportation.  A lot of the islands are powered by hydro-electric power and their telephone service is carried using cables that are made for being underwater, and they go from island to island.

 

Clancy's comment: Great for fishing, but not for me. 

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29 September 2021 - BOWLING IN AN UNDERWATER AQUARIUM

 

BOWLING IN AN UNDERWATER AQUARIUM G'day folks,

Uncle Bucks Fish Bowl and Grill is an underwater themed bowling alley that will make you wish traditional bowling allies did not exist!

They are just getting started with eleven locations scattered across the United States, putting any other bowling alley to shame with their hand painted murals and large fish hanging from the ceiling. This heavily ocean themed alley will make you feel as if you are inside of a fish tank.

Uncle Buck does not mess around, the attention to detail inside of the entire building is astounding!  It is a truly unique atmosphere, complete with twelve bowling lanes, a restaurant, bar, and store.  The island themed bar features a 750 gallon saltwater aquarium with scores of beautiful fish.

The restaurant, resembling a high-end yacht club, offers a full menu complete with a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and burgers.

 

Clancy's comment: Looks stunning. Love bowling, but only do it when I'm in Thailand. 

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26 September 2021 - THE ANGEL OF THE NANJING RIVER BRIDGE

 

THE ANGEL OF THE 

NANJING RIVER BRIDGE

G'day folks,

The Nanjing River Bridge is an architectural marvel that lies over a portion of the Yangtze River. The massive bridge holds a 22,000-foot railway track, a number of piers, a viewing tower, and a 4-lane highway.  Despite its structural beauty, this bridge stood as a landmark of tragedy. Between its completion in 1968 and 2006, approximately 2000 people took their own lives on this bridge. In 2008, Chen Li, a vegetable vendor that walked along the bridge every day, caught sight of a man about to take the plunge. He intervened and pulled the man away from the ledge.  
At that moment, he decided to devote his life to saving others. He has since spent his weekends patrolling the bridge for people with signs of depression. Chen Li notes the way they walk, their shoulders slumped, and the heaviness in their steps. He spends his time talking to them and trying to give them hope.  He also hands out pamphlets on suicide prevention and awareness, hotline details, and even lists his own number as an emergency contact. His remarkable kindness has resulted in hundreds of lives being saved and has been documented in the award-winning documentary film, Angel of Nanjing.  
For more than a decade now, Chen Li has watched over the residents of the city and done what he can to lift the spirits of sad souls he sees walking across the monumental bridge. 

Clancy's comment: Well done, Mr Chen. 
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25 September 2021 - MAN MAKES IGLOO FROM MILK CARTONS

 

MAN MAKES IGLOO FROM MILK CARTONS
G'day folks,

Winter is probably my least favorite holiday.

 It’s cold, it’s gloomy, and it seems to last forever. But if you don’t mind the snow, winter allows you to be extremely creative with your activities. This is what Daniel Gray did when he was visiting his girlfriend’s family up in Canada. It was cold and snowy, so he got a crazy idea to build this DIY project in their backyard. Yes, winter doesn’t seem like the best time of year to start a backyard project, but luckily he needed it to be cold for this to work. He started by freezing empty cartons of milk for a month to build a backyard igloo. Check this thing out! It’s nothing short of seriously impressive.

  

Clancy's comment: Well done! I think I'd rather sit inside and write, but each to their own.

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24 September 2021 - KINDERGARTEN CLASS INVITED TO BOY'S ADOPTION

 

KINDERGARTEN CLASS 

INVITED TO BOY'S ADOPTION

 

G'day folks,

It's great to have some happy news. 

In the United States alone, there are approximately 135,000 children that are adopted every year. I’m sure every single one of those have their own personal story to tell.

 

But one five-year-old wanted to share this special moment with all of his classmates. He invited his entire kindergarten class to his adoption hearing at the Kent County courthouse in Michigan.

These pictures say it all. Michael Orlando Clark Jr was excited to have all of his classmates surrounding him as he was adopted by his forever family.

 Each of the classmates held big red hearts on wooden sticks to celebrate.

  

Clancy's comment: Don't ya just love kids? What a memorable moment.

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23 September 2021 - JOSHUA CRIPPS - EXTRAORDINARY PHOTOGRAPHER

 

JOSHUA CRIPPS - EXTRAORDINARY PHOTOGRAPHER - G'day folks,

When it comes to photography, timing is everything.

You are trying to capture a special moment in time and there are some moments that will never be recreated no matter how long you wait. Some things happen once in a lifetime and can you imagine a world without photography? We would miss out on so much incredible stuff that we may never have the opportunity to see for ourselves.

When it comes to capturing that perfect shot, planning is key. Especially when it comes to professional photography. You have to make sure that everything lines up perfectly to capture that one special moment in time to share with the world. One photographer named Joshua Cripps had a vision for a shot he wanted to capture that required so much to be aligned that nobody thought it would be possible. The climate, the location, the time all had to be perfect so Joshua could capture the “Ring Of Fire” eclipse in Dubai. But that is only one small portion of this incredible equation turned into an incredible work of art.

Joshua cripp’s vision was to capture the “Ring Of Fire” eclipse in Dubai with a special element. A farmer walking his camel. Just weeks after the pictures were released they went viral. He was near Dubai when he heard there was going to be an eclipse the day after Christmas. He got to work setting up his vision. Everything had to be perfect. There was a lot of planning involved.

“The distance and elevation were driven by two separate things,” explained Cripps. “The 6.15 degree angle was dictated simply by the sun and moon position at the time of eclipse. From where I was standing when the eclipse was at maximum totality, it would be 6.15 degrees into the sky—the information I got from the PhotoPills app.”

“For the shooting distance, that was dictated entirely by my vision of the shot,” he continued. “I knew I wanted the eclipse to encircle the man and the camel. A man and a camel standing next to each other are a little less than 3 meters across. So I needed the sun to appear to be about 3 meters wide in the photo.”

  “There’s a calculation for this called the rule of 100: take the size you want the sun to appear and multiply it by 100, and that gives you the shooting distance. So, to get a 3-meter sun, I needed to stand 300 meters (roughly 1,000 feet) away from the camel.”

There was a small window of only 23 minutes where the sun would be in the perfect location and Cripps was set up and ready to shoot. He ended up capturing this viral photo and it all came together perfectly. What is incredible is how the light is reflecting off the camel’s back and the lead that the farmer is holding. Something that is nearly 93 million miles away was the perfect backdrop for a lone farmer and his camel in the desert.

 Joshua Cripps was a engineer who fell in love with photography over 12 years ago. He turned his hobby and love of nature into a career and now chases his visions around the world.

 

Clancy's comment: Brilliant work. I think the best part about being a photographer is stopping time for just a second and being able to share that moment with the world forever.

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19 September 2021 - ABANDONED ISLAND IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK

 

ABANDONED ISLAND IN 

THE HEART OF NEW YORK

G'day folks,

What if I were to tell you that there is an abandoned New York island between Queens and the Bronx?

With a city that is populated with millions of people, how could there be anything, especially an island, that is completely abandoned? The island is called North Brother Island, and one Reddit user came across the island when kayaking from Connecticut to New York. The pictures he took of the abandoned island near NYC are absolutely amazing, and it still blows my mind that this island is unoccupied. Lucky for us, he decided to stop and take a few pictures of this island.

North Brother is located between the Bronx and Queens.

 

 The island was developed in 1885. It was originally used to build a hospital complex. They used the hospital to quarantine patients who had small pox or typhoid fever. In the 1950’s, they changed the hospital into a rehabilitation center for patients who were addicted to drugs.

  The entire island has been abandoned since 1963, which makes it even more crazy that it hasn’t been developed into something new, especially with its close proximity to New York City. They did try to sell the island to investors in the 1970’s but there were no buyers. In order to develop the island, they had to take into account the cost of construction, how they would get materials there, the cost of a sewage system, plus the noise from La Guardia Airport.

 







Clancy's comment: Amazing, eh? What a waste of real estate.I'm ...