Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 98

30 November 2019 - A COLLECTION OF MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS

A COLLECTION  OF MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS
G'day folks,
These cute things enchant me. Mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and are almost as diverse as the animal kingdom. It’s easy to ignore them since many are tiny, and often grow in dark, hidden places, which has made classifying them into groups quite difficult. This collection will show you five species of mushrooms, yet all of the members of the species differ from each other so much that it is difficult to believe they’re from the same family.






























Clancy's comment: Extraordinary, eh? All of their shapes are so different, but I wonder if that relates to the type of wood they have grown on.
I'm ...

29 November 2019 - EXTRAORDINARY PISMO BEACH BUTTERFLY GROVE

EXTRAORDINARY PISMO BEACH BUTTERFLY GROVE
G'day folks,Thousands of migrating monarchs wait out the winter clustered in the eucalyptus trees at Pismo Beach.  If you find yourself heading to the Santa Maria Valley on the central California coast to escape the chilly northern winter, make sure you stop by the Monarch Butterfly Grove at Pismo Beach. There, you can gaze upon thousands of delicate winged beauties who have had the same idea.    Each year, as many as 25,000 wintering monarchs come to roost in the eucalyptus grove at Pismo Beach, about 20 minutes north of the city of Santa Maria. The butterflies cluster densely together in the trees, lining the branches with curtains of brilliant orange that can stretch for several feet.  At first glance, these butterfly congregations look like clumps of leaves that blend in with the landscape and can be easy to miss. But a closer look reveals an overwhelming number of monarchs huddled together for warmth and protection. The butterflies hang upside down from the branches, each with a wing down over the one below it to create a shingle effect that helps protect the delicate creatures from wind, rain, and predators. When the sun comes out, the insects start to break off from the group and spread their wings and bathe in the warmth. On a sunny afternoon, they can be seen fluttering through the air looking for nectar and water to drink. 






  These beauties are part of the western monarch population in North America, which migrates down from the northern states west of the Rocky Mountains to forested areas along the Pacific coast in central and southern California. Pismo Beach is one of just five monarch roosts in the Golden State that host more than 10,000 butterflies each year, many of which have braved a dangerous journey of over 1,000 miles by the time they reach their winter home.  At the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, there are telescopes placed around the grounds pointed at the largest clusters of butterflies so visitors can get a closer look at the vibrant hues and recognizable orange, black, and white pattern of the monarchs’ wings. For the best viewing experience, visit the park during the high season between November and February, before the weather starts to warm and the butterflies begin their long journey back north.

Clancy's comment: How can these delicate things fly 1,000 miles? Extraordinary, eh?I'm ...

28 November 2019 - STEPHANSDOM CRYPT IN AUSTRIA

STEPHANSDOM CRYPT IN AUSTRIA
G'day folks,The crypt of the imposing Stephensdom holds royal intestines and thousands of skeletons.  In the middle of Vienna, the dark and imposing St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) draws thousands of tourists to gaze at the grand architecture. But there is something to be seen below as well: just beneath the stone floors lie the skeletal remains of over 11,000 people. 
  Surprisingly few visitors opt to enter the crypt. The entrance to the underground tomb is hidden in plain sight, as an innocuous staircase on the left side of the main floor. The vast Stephansdom crypt is divided into a number of smaller crypts and catacombs, and is still an active burial spot. The last tenant to move in was Franz Cardinal König, the archbishop of Vienna, who was laid to rest there in 2004. Most of the bodies of the Habsburg royalty are interred nearby in the Imperial Crypt on Neuer Markt square. 

  In another section, known as the ducal crypt, the organs of princes, queens, and emperors are kept. Along with some bodies and hearts, over 60 jars of imperial intestines rest in the ducal crypt, including one containing Empress Maria Theresia’­s sovereign stomach.  Not long ago, the seals on one jar broke, leaking 200-year-old visceral fluid onto the floor. The stink was apparently so awful that it took a day or two before someone was willing to go down and address the situation. In 1735, Vienna experienced an outbreak of the bubonic plague. In an effort to keep the Black Death at bay, the numerous cemeteries surrounding the Stephansdom and the charnel house (a building for storing stacked bones) were emptied, and thousands of bones and rotting corpses were thrown down into the pits dug in the floor of the crypt. The downside to this arrangement was that the smell of the catacombs would occasionally waft up into the church and make religious services impossible. 
 To combat the unfortunate smell, as well as make room for more bodies, a few unlucky prisoners were lowered into the pits where they were forced to scrub the rotting flesh off the plague-ridden and disordered bodies, snapping and breaking the skeletons down to individual bones, and stacking them into neatly ordered rows, skulls on top. It seems that they never finished the job–to this day, one can still find sections of the crypt scattered with piles of disorganized bones and deteriorating coffins.

Guided tours only. On special occasions like “die lange Nacht der Kirche” (“the long night of churches,” a yearly event), the crypt is open to the public. 



Clancy's comment: Interesting how traditions have changed.I'm ...

27 November 2019 - A HEAP OF INSPIRING QUOTES

INSPIRING QUOTES
G'day folks,
It's time to check out some great quotes from folks around the world.
























Clancy's comment: I like the comment from Martin Luther King Junior.
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26 November 2019 - DAWN DOIG - GUEST AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

DAWN DOIG - GUEST AUTHOR& ILLUSTRATOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview an author from Canada. Sadly, I don't often have the chance to interview folks from that great country.
Welcome, Dawn ...
1.   TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.


I started writing when I was a young child.  I entered a writing contest that was held by the local newspaper every Christmas and won several years in a row.  When I was 13 years old, I wrote my one and only novel.  It was called ‘The Miracle Chimp’ and it made my younger sister cry.  It remains unpublished in storage in Canada.  I loved writing poetry as a child and made cards on a regular basis for people’s birthdays or wrote poems to ease my mind.  When my children were young, I wrote them each a book with moveable parts.  They loved to sit and have them read to them.  One has been published as a picture book, but the original is the only one with moveable parts.   
During my career as an audiologist, and while working overseas in Kuwait, I penned ‘And So, Ahmed Hears.’  It was first published as a humanitarian project by Widex Canada in 2008 and was republished by Pen It! Publications in 2018.  It is the only one of my books translated into another language and is available in Mongolian.  The past couple  of years have been a whirlwind for me as I have had seven more books published.  Many have been inspired by children I have worked with in two incredibly rewarding careers as an audiologist and teacher of English as an additional language. 


2.   WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?


I think I covered this in #1 above J I could write more if more is needed!




3.    WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?


Many of my books have come to me in dreams.  I literally get up the next day and write til the whole story is down. 







4.   WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?


Hearing children say, “Ms. Dawn!  You’re a real live author!”  I love it when children (and adults!) tell me how much they have enjoyed my stories.




5.   WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?


Marketing. Promotion.  Getting my books into the hands of children around the globe.  I have written many of my books about children and for children.  Knowing they have touched the heart of a child somewhere is so incredibly rewarding.


 


6.   WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?


I was an audiologist for 23 years.  I helped hearing-impaired infants, children, and adults in Canada, Kuwait, England, and Saudi Arabia.  Communication is such an important part of being human.  We need to be able to hear and we need to be able to talk (even if it is with our hands).  I completed my second master’s degree five years ago and am now a teacher of English as an additional language in an international school.




7.   WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?


‘And So, Ahmed Hears’ will always be very dear to me because it was the first book I had officially published and it was inspired by so many amazing, beautiful children I had the opportunity to help as an audiologist.




8.   WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?


I have written and illustrated a book featuring many of the cartoon characters I created when I was 12 years old.  I have to finish colouring the illustrations.  I have started another children’s book and am in the initial stages of a memoir.




9.   WHAT INSPIRES YOU?


Where do I begin?  The children I work with inspire me every day along with my family, our pets, the countries we have lived in and the people we have met around the globe.  Things that make me laugh inspire me, the beauty of the world and the interesting cultures I have experienced inspire me.  The challenges people face inspire me.







10.              WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?


Children’s picture books.




11.              DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?


If an idea comes to you, write it down.  You may not use it right away, but you may be surprised when it makes its way back into your consciousness and turns into a story.




12.              DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?


Generally, no.  I usually just sit down and write.  I wrote a story about Cameroon and experienced probably what people would refer to as writer’s block for the first time.  It was not so much writer’s block as trying to figure out the best way to share the story without offending anyone.  I had to think a lot about the characters, how I wanted the story to unfold, and how I wanted it to end.


 
13.              DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?


Nope.  Whenever the inspiration hits.




14.              DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?


My bed.  I did my homework on my bed throughout school, including university.  I am comfortable sitting on the bed with our cats curled up with me. 




15.              WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?


Seeing others reading my books and expressing emotion as they read them.  Smiling through “Kydee” as she romps around the pages or crying along with me as they read ‘Go Away, Shawn!”  (I cried the whole time I was writing it).




16.              WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?


I have a few.  Dr. Seuss always and forever. I love writing in rhyme, too, and as someone who teaches English to children, I believe it helps children learn to read.  Diana Gabaldon for the imagery she elicits from her writing.  James Patterson for the suspense.  I must add that one of my all-time favourite children’s books is ‘Stellaluna’ by Janell Cannon. The artwork is breathtaking.  I think everyone should read ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by Norton Juster.




17.              WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?


A 5-star rating on Amazon!


18.              WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?


Haven’t had one yet.  I think they keep them to themselves or I just haven’t sold enough books yet.







19.              WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?


Certainly.  One of my books coming out next is full of real happenings from my childhood!




20.              OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?


I love to bake.  I love to create yummy things, share them, and watch people enjoy them.  I find baking very stress-relieving.  I also love to travel.  We have lived overseas for years so I have travelled extensively with my husband and our children.  I love to visit Disneyland – I’ve been to all of them and they are magical.






21.              DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?


Nope.  I have three university degrees, including one in Linguistics, so I think I have a fairly good grasp of the English language.




22.              DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.


Spending the day baking Christmas goodies.  The power doesn’t go out, the water remains more than a drizzle, and the gas canister doesn’t run out of gas til the last pan comes out of the oven.




23.              IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?


My husband.  We have been together for 33 years and he is my rock. 




24.              WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?


Smarten up. Stop fighting over land, who has the biggest guns, who owes who what.  Sit down and have a game of Hand and Boot. Winner doesn’t take all, but now start talking about things that really matter and listen to each other.  Our world is a mess.  People are starving. People are living in unbearable levels of air pollution and it’s killing children.  Our oceans are filthy, our deserts are growing plastic water bottles.  Stop inventing more things to kill each other and start thinking about ways to help each other.




25.              WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?


Live overseas for now and teach.  I would love to have three months to go to Borneo and volunteer at the Orangutan sanctuary.  They have a Baby Orangutan School there now.  That would be an incredible experience.  I am an avid collector of all things monkey.


26.               WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BOOK TRAILERS? DO THEY SELL BOOKS?


No opinion.







27.              DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?


For sure.  The book I am illustrating right now is celebrating the 12 year old introverted me of yester year.




28.              DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?


Yes!  I am bewildered by some of the books the ‘big’ publishers select for publication.  That’s not intended to insult anyone, but I seriously do question some of their choices.




29.              DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?


Yes indeed.  I belong to several Facebook groups and when authors post about how many thousands of books they have sold it gets extremely disheartening.  I have eight books out now and our students tell me how much they enjoy them and yet all the energy I expend on spreading the word about them seems so futile. It is so difficult for an unknown author to get discovered.


30.              WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?


Ah – it has not yet been released so I can’t say too much.  I read it to my father and he laughed so hard.  He said, “That is so well done.   Good for you, kid. What a story!”  The main character reflects on experiences from my own childhood.  It is comical and was a lot of fun to write.  “Kydee’ was also a lot of fun to write and this adorable kitty still makes us laugh every day.




31.               HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.


First, having your books published.  Second, having people buy your books, read them, tell you how much they enjoyed them, then telling others so they also will buy them and read them.


32.              WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?


My books tap into so many different topics, so it depends on the book.  ‘And So, Ahmed Hears’ was written to increase public awareness about childhood hearing loss so I hope it heightens awareness about the importance of early diagnosis.  ‘Petra Pencil Pines for Pizza’ is about dysgraphia.  A friend of mine whose son has dysgraphia told me she wished I had written the book when he was little so he would know he was not alone.  ‘E El Gi Piddr’ celebrates the challenges and successes of learning English as an additional language in a new school in a new land.


33.              WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES? EVER WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY?


I would love ‘Go Away, Shawn!’ to be a movie, but there is so much about the story that is not in this book.  There is a whole history to it.  ‘What a Bath’ would make a great video game.







34.              HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?


I haven’t designed one, but so many have told me that it’s the cover that draws them to the book so I believe a lot of thought has to go into it.




 
35.              WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?


If I could sell enough books, I would buy the communication device for my brother first and foremost.  I have had the GoFundMe for over a year now and it has been a struggle trying to raise the funds.  Then I would retire.  I would buy a house with an amazing wrap around porch and open a B&B.  It wouldn’t be called a B&B, though.  It would be Bruce and Dawn’s B&D (Bed and Dessert) and at the end of a long day weary travellers would join us for a cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate (the only hot drink I like) and a homemade yummy before they retire for the evening.  Then I would curl up on the bed with our cats and write another book.  I would love to have my cartoon characters made into plush dolls. My father always dreamed he would have my ‘Big Shoe Bears’ all over his yard.  That would be awesome!






36.                WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?


Difficult.  I haven’t found the answer to this yet.  My ‘Big Shoe Bears’ would be wonderful as plush toys or ornaments.  Petra would make a lovely pencil for anyone!  Snuggle up with Wadee and feel your anxiety melt away J




37.               ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?


I self-published a cookbook on MagCloud (Just Frickin’ Bake It) and a children’s book on Blurb. The rest are published through Pen It! Publications.






38.              DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.


Adventurous, hard-working, Organized, Compassionate, Sensitive




39.              WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?


People who lie or are deceitful and their actions do harm to others.




40.              WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?


‘An Echo in the Bone’ by Diana Gabaldon.  Fabulous!







41.               WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE?


She never stopped dreaming.




42.               WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?


One of my books becoming a best-seller and earning enough money so I could buy the communication device for my brother.  He could try it and my elderly mother could stop wondering if he will ever be able to communicate again.




43.               ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?


Be kind and, if you can, help someone in need.  The world needs more kindness.









 WEBSITE


Clancy's comment: Well done, Dawn. Wow, a book translated into Mongolian is some achievement. Best wishes.
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25 November 2019 - WEIRD STUFF AND WEIRD PEOPLE

WEIRD STUFF AND WEIRD PEOPLE
G'day folks,
Well, welcome to the real world ...


























Clancy's comment: There ya go.
I'm ...

24 November 2019 - NEW DELHI SHOPKEEPER HELPS POOR KIDS TO LEARN

NEW DELHI SHOPKEEPER HELPS POOR KIDS TO LEARN
G'day folks,‘The Free School Under The Bridge’, where hundreds of children living in shacks and hutments close to the Yamuna Bank metro station get education, is run by its founder Rajesh Kumar Sharma. Hoping to change the lives of the capital’s have-nots, a shopkeeper in Delhi has been running a makeshift school for more than 300 underprivileged children beneath a metro bridge in the Yamuna Bank area for the last over eight years without any assistance neither from the government nor any NGOs.



The sole breadwinner of his family of five who live in Laxmi Nagar, Sharma belongs to Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district and runs a small grocery shop in the same locality to support his family.




The 49-year-old’s journey of teaching more than 300 children of slum dwellers, ragpickers, rickshaw-pullers and beggars began with two children in 2006 when the idea came to his mind while wandering around the empty fields close to the Yamuna river.

Today, he runs two shifts -- one from 9-11 AM for 120 boys and the other 2-4.30 PM for 180 girls -- with the help of seven teachers who live in nearby areas and in their free time, volunteer to teach the students – aged between four and 14 years.

 The open house school, whose roof is a Delhi metro bridge, has five blackboards painted on the wall of the metro complex and some stationary such as chalks and dusters, pens and pencils. The children, who sit on the ground covered with carpets, bring their own note books and study in groups. The place is far from traffic and the noise of frequently passing metro trains hardly gets noticed by the students.Sharma, who could not complete his B.Sc and dropped out of college due to his family’s poor financial condition, says that no one should be deprived of education due to poverty and to fulfil his or her dream, he dedicates over 50 hours a week to the children.




Although he started the movement of educating the poor children on his own, Sharma is now assisted by teachers Laxmi Chandra, Shyam Mahto, Rekha, Sunita, Manisha, Chetan Sharma and Sarvesh who take classes on their free will and none of them get paid for the deed.

Sharma says that he has never been approached by any government representative for any kind of assistance although he has seen many regime changes ever since he started his journey 13 years ago. However, he has no complaints against anyone, saying “I am driven by my selfless goal of educating these poor and underprivileged children whose smile is more than enough for me.” “Initially some NGOs contacted me and tried to be associated with the makeshift school but I never allowed them as they all looked suspicious. None of them were serious about the children’s education and their future. “All they were interested in was making money by showing something and claiming something else. I did not approve of their way of functioning which had many loopholes and room for discrepancies,” he said.



 “Some people visit the school occasionally and distribute biscuit packets, fruits, water bottles and packaged food. Some youngsters celebrate their birthdays with the children, cut cakes here and have food together by sitting beneath the bridge. “Such occasions make them feel that they are also the part of the society no matter where they live or what background they belong to,” he said.   Clancy's comment: Wow. Great work, eh?  I'm ...

23 November 2019 - MOVING PICTURES

MOVING PICTURES
G'day folks,
Welcome to some more of those moving pictures. Most of these are amusing. 




























Clancy's comment: I loved the pandas and the kitten and the dog.
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22 November 2019 - UNIQUE CAVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

 UNIQUE CAVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
G'day folks,
I'm certainly not interested in being in confined spaces but you may be.
If you want to really stray off the beaten tourist path, it is a terrific idea to go underground and discover the enigmatic world of caves, tunnels, mines and caverns.  As you will be able to see from this collection of amazing underground tourist destinations, you can find so much more than bats and a few stalactites underground: a hidden history and nature lies beneath the ground, waiting to be discovered by the brave travelers who dare visit.








Clancy's comment: There ya go. Interesting the way nature produces these enchanting places. Oh, by the way, this is how I always remembered the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. 
StalaCtite: C for ceiling.
StalaGmite: G for ground.

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21 November 2019 - VINCENT VAN GOGH - 2000 WORKS OF ART.

 VINCENT VAN GOGH - 2000 WORKS OF ART - 
G'day folks,
I can't say this guy has ever been one of my favourite artists, but he sure has become posthumously famous. However, as an author, I understand how difficult it was for him. Today, it is also a battle for authors to gain some traction and sell heaps of books. Having said that, I often say that I will also become posthumously famous. 
Vincent Van Gogh was an artist highly underrated in his time, barely known except perhaps, for the cutting off of his ear. Out of over 2,000 works of art made over 15 years, Van Gogh reportedly only sold one painting while he was alive, to an art collector for 500 francs. Now, many of his paintings are recognized as the most expensive works of art, sold for upwards of $50 million and found in collections all over the world. 
His paintings greatly contributed to the foundation of modern art as it stands today. Most of his iconic yet unknown paintings were created by him in the final 10 years of his life, between 1880 and 1890. Here are some of the works of art from the creator of Starry Night , Vincent Van Gogh. 
















Clancy's comment: Sold one painting whilst he  was alive? Mm ... And years later, they sell for 50 million! Sad, eh?
I'm ...