1. Put it in a zip lock sandwich bag. It will be safe from the moisture and sand scratches; but you have to make sure that both the bag and your cell are completely dry, unless you want to turn the bag into a steamer.

2. Put it in your beach bag, but place it under your underwear and socks – hopefully they will serve as a deterrent.

3. Leave it in a locker, but carry the locker key with you when you swim. You can put the key in your shorts (if they have zipped pockets), in your water shoes if you wear them, or tie it to your bathing suit or around your wrist. Even the cooler is an option if you get really desperate.

4. Password protect your cell phone when you go to the beach.

5. If you see that your cell is overheating (some phones will display the warning message), put it in a cool place (if there’s nothing at the beach, place it under your towel or bag), or switch it off. Never handle it when it’s too hot to touch. Never.

6. Download the beach waves ringtone and use it if you don’t want to switch the ringtone off. This way it won’t be drawing attention when it rings. And you won’t be irritating the people around you (unless you have that bad habit of speaking loudly on the phone – if you do, kill it immediately!).

7. Add your home number as “01 Return to” to your contacts list. If you’re lucky enough and the person who found it wants to get in touch with you, this way it will be easy for him to find out who to call.

8. If you have dropped it in the water, there may be a way to salvage it if it hasn’t been in the water for too long. Dry it off and place it in a plastic bag filled with dry rice – it can help to absorb the remaining moisture, but you’ll have to keep it like that overnight.

9. Just in case, have a chit chat with a few people around you at the beach. Make sure that they remember you, so no one else can pretend that it’s their belongings, while you’re in the water.

10. Take an old lotion bottle, clean it well, cut the top part almost entirely (it should stay attached to the bottle on one end) and put your cell phone, keys, money in it. Keep the bottle in your bag, so that the possible thieves can’t see where you’re pulling the phone from. This way, no one will notice that you have any valuables with you.

It’s good to be free to carry your cell phone with you everywhere you go, but it’s also a good idea to make sure it’s safe. If you have anything to add, please share your tips!

Venice Beach:

Cambria:

Elephant Seal Point:

Julia Pheiffer Burns State Park:

Andrew Molera State Park (we camped here):

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge:

Amazing memories

Tay

related articles

• for the love of water
• fish portraits
• underwater photography

l. How hot is the pavement? If it’s too hot for you to stand on barefoot, then it’s too hot for your dog to walk on.
2. Consider going early, really early in the morning before the sun has had a chance to heat up the pavement.
3. Carry some bottled water for you and your dog.
4. Rest if need be on your walk. Observe your dog. If he/she looks tired, stop and rest a few minutes.
5. Try to walk in the shade. Look for a route that is mostly shaded. It will be better for you and your dog.
6. If you jog while out with your dog and the temperature is 80 or above, consider leaving your dog at home in the air conditioned house.

Just remember you are not the only one going on this walk. Take into consideration the comfort, health and safety of your dog.

See you on the good side of healthy.

Who thought up water? Something so simple. Two H’s and an O. Specialized bonds that share charges in a way that attracts or repels. It designs its own environment. Goes where it pleases and in fact heads into the areas where it’s under-supplied. Where it’s needed most. Thirst is quenched, by chemical design, when water flows.

Psalm 107 says ~

He satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

Not to say he makes everything lush and green…

^{33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.}

But just add water and voila!

^{35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
37 they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.}

Wrinkles fixed. Cracks filled in. Hunger satisfied.

Whole again. Useful again. Beautiful again. Fruitful again.

Humanity is thirsty. We hunger and eat but are not satisfied. We are cracked and broken. Leaking in our disrepair. We thirst for a drink that will fill us to overflowing.

But look at this:

Gold in all the broken places

What a beautiful image. Our cracks filled with precious gold, more beautiful in their repair.

Godly osmosis.

Quenched and overflowing with water for a parched land. A thirsty humanity.

Just a drink of water.

Holy.

1. Decide what you want to grow.
Do you love pesto? Buy a couple basil plants. Do you eat tomatoes on all of your salads? Grab yourself a few tomato plants. The beauty of having your own garden is that you can grow exactly what you want to eat. Don’t be scared to venture out and buy a more exotic herb. There are many varieties of mint, from chocolate to pineapple. Aloe vera, which soothes burns, is another great plant to have on hand. Also consider choosing plants to create a variety of colors and texture in your garden.

2. Get your supplies
Good soil is key. After buying your plants in the little plastic tray, transfer them to a slightly larger pot. Fill in with soil. Compost soil is naturally nutrient-packed & available from local landscaping companies. You may want to invest in a cute watering pot while you’re at it or some stylish gardening gloves. I love Target for this!

3. Water!
Herbs can dry out quickly, so it’s important to water them daily. If you have tomatoes, check the soil before you drown them in water. If the soil is still moist, hold off for the day. Tomatoes are easy to over water  so make sure the soil is dry before pouring. Water at the base of the plant, not on the leaves.

4. Enjoy
When your plants are ripe for the picking, try some of these recipes that use fresh herbs and vegetables. I love putting mint & fresh strawberries to my water jug. Let it sit overnight and it’s the perfect summer drink!

Seas/lakes/rivers represent a home, not for human but for a lot of aquatic species, they are the place where they reproduce, evolve and where human and other species can eat from. Our oceans feed one in four people on the planet every day, so if we continue destroying them, what will happen? Not only water represent the home of a huge number of animals, it is also a major employer all around the world, like for Greece, many communities live from fishing and any other activity relying on it. The major problems seas are facing is over-fishing, meaning that we fish much more fishes that nature produces. This has a disastrous result the last 20 years, 30 % of Europe’s commercial fish stocks are now fished beyond SBL (safe biological limits) and in 2010 70% of commercial stocks were fished above maximum sustainable yield and a lot of commercial marine fish species are threatened, like the Mediterranean tuna, of extinction. Plastic pollution, marine pollution, noise pollution are also causing this damage on fish stock. We need balance.

Our seas and ocean are key factor to our surviving, not only because Earth is the only planet on our solar system that has liquid water, they produce 50% of the atmospheric oxygen we breathe. So if we continue polluting them, how good can become this oxygen? Finally they also regulate the climate and make our planet habitable. They are integral to our very survival, for the simple reason that it has a key-role in the cycle of water, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the H2O cycle, see following scheme:

The water cycle involves exchanges of energy impacting temperatures powered from solar energy. Globally water evaporation occurs by 86% from the oceans, by evaporative cooling. This process helps cooling the entire planet’s temperature enough for human to survive (without this effect the surface temperature would be at 67 °C (153 °F). Aquifer drawdown and the pumping of fossil water increases the total amount of water in the hydrosphere is also a fact contributing to the rise of sea-levels. Many human activities impact the water cycle, and should implement special management processes in order to take water cycle in account: agriculture, industry, alteration of the chemical composition of the atmosphere, construction of dams, deforestation, removal of groundwater from wells, water abstraction from rivers, urbanization.

Imagine a world where the seas are un-swimmable, if fishes there are, they are uneatable, where the seas are forbidden in order to keep out of contaminations… Wouldn’t be just hell on Earth? Sustainable water management but also human awareness and correct behavior are a crucial element for our future, because “healthy and resilient ecosystems provide the services needed to sustain human wellbeing and our economy”. Inform yourself, care about your waters and behave as a responsible human.

Sources:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, http://www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com/

The European environment | State and outlook 2010 Marine and coastal environment © EEA, Copenhagen, 2010 www.europa.eu

European waters — current status and future challenges, European Environment Agency, © EEA, Copenhagen, 2012 EEA Report No 9/2012 www.europa.eu

Article “Océans: bientôt des déserts bleus?“, Alternatives Economiques n° 314 – June 2012, written by Manuel Domergue, http://www.alternatives-economiques.fr/oceans–bientot-des-deserts-bleus_fr_art_1149_59107.html

Water cycle, Wikipedia information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cycle

Related Articles:

Related articles

• How Does the Water Cycle Work? (pbeardsleyschoonmaker.wordpress.com)
• The Cycles of Water (seaborn11.wordpress.com)
• Did you know? (MissBlue Blog)

Photo credit: http://www.conexaomaritima.com.br

The Brazilian city of Sao Paulo will host the Brazil Energy Week from next 3 June until 7 June. The summit comprises a series of international conference sessions, networking meetings and major exhibitions which focus on four areas: solar energy, waste, wind energy and bioenergy.

Brazil Energy Week includes the following events: SolarTech Expo Brazil 2013, Waste Management Brazil 2013, Brazil Wind Power Expo 2013, Small and Medium Wind South America 2013 and Bioenergy Business Forum 2013.

SolarTech Expo Brazil 2013 conference programme will address the challenges and opportunities of solar energy sector in South America, financing and legal aspects, concentrated solar power and solar energy storage among other subjects.

Waste Management Brazil conference sessions will discuss about best practices, successful waste management projects in Brazil, bioenergy market and trends and prospects, among other issues.

Brazil Wind Power Expo 2013 will focus on the wind energy industry in Brazil, integrated wind in Brazilian energy mix, wind farm developers and technology, among other topics.

Small and Medium Wind South America 2013 includes core themes such as financing wind energy projects in Latin America, small and medium wind market, energy storage and the supply chain.

Bioenergy Business Forum 2013 will give the participants the opportunity to share knowledge and learn about relevant topics for this industry sector such as the Brazil biomass market commercial potential, Brazil bioenergy industry landscape, the biofuel market in South America, Bioplastic, Biochemicals and Biofertilisers Market in Brazil and Americas, among many others.

Rocio Troncoso

More Information: Brazil Energy Week.

Related Posts: Offshore Wind Energy Summit, Making Buildings More Energy-Efficient, European Biomass Conference & Expo, Middle East and North Africa Solar Conference, Oman Power and Water Summit.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asparagus_image.jpg)

For me, there is nothing more frustrating than going to the fridge to find that the fresh and delicious asparagus you purchased a couple of days previously has now lost its proud stance and is looking somewhat shrivelled. Well, I decided to do a simple experiment (perhaps an obvious one) – however it was successful none the less.  To revive a sad looking bunch, pop it in a glass with a little water and give it a day to drink. It amazed me how it came back to life and looked once more like the king of the vegetable patch.

Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of Books I’ve Read

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
While I don’t own this edition of Little Women this is one of my favorite covers. I love this whole reprint Penguin did of classics. The scissors though, and what they represent? (Remember when Jo chops off her hair?) Understated but beautiful.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
When I think about books and covers I remember from elementary school this one comes to mind. You’ll probably notice a trend of either summer/water/love related covers attracting my attention. Plus, the pops of color and the fact that it looks like a watercolor artwork or something? Swoon.

The Help by Kathryn Stocket
Kathryn Stockett is a Phi Mu Alumna (my sorority) and our symbol is the quatrefoil. That little purple design the title is in? Love the simplicity of this cover and the fact that everywhere I went while this blew up the best sellers lists, I was reminded of my sisters.

Paper Towns by John Green
Even though Paper Towns isn’t my favorite John Green book, I absolutely love this cover.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
It doesn’t matter that this isn’t really how I picture Belly, Jeremiah, or Conrad in this story. I am a sucker for sun bursts. You know, by this cover that there’s an epic tale of romance brewing underneath and before I read this story every time I walked in a book store or the library I was immediately drawn to the cover.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I love the simplicity of this cover as well. I know that lime green book from anywhere, it’s always easy to snatch it off the shelf too. It may sound stupid but I refuse to buy the edition with the movie poster cover art.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
This screams of the things I’ve already told y’all I love. Bike rides, summer romance, the beach. I pre-ordered this one (not based on cover alone, but my Sarah Dessen love. I admit though that the cover increased by anticipation ten-fold.)

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly

This was one of my favorite books growing up, and so while the cover isn’t anything fantastic, it brings back sweet memories. It was one of my go to stories. Rainboots, hello!

The Jolly Mon by Jimmy Buffet
This story, and Trouble Dolls have some of the coolest illustrations, ever.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I feel like this is just an iconic cover. I love it and everything it makes me think of as soon as I see it on display.

BONUS because duh!

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
I would love to own like every cover edition of this novel, but luckily I do have one that looks like this old and weathered that I found at a library book sale.

Honorable Mention:
(A few more covers though I can think of about fifty-seven that I want to add!

I was looking for that other Ramona cover and found this, and oh my goodness I’m in love.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Not only is this story incredible, (and has one of my favorite quotes) but the cover has a snow globe!

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Another classic cover. I remember my mom reading this one aloud to us.

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Tera Elan McVoy
I love ice cream, and hot pink and teal are two of my favorite colors. The title involves the word “summer.” This one was a no-brainer.

Bloomability by Sharon Creech
This story holds a dear space in my heart as well, and the cover gives me the warm fuzzies. It SCREAMS adventure!

OK, OK I am limiting myself to just ONE more:To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I imagine Scout looking like this, so I think that’s part of why I’ve always loved this particular cover of TKaMB.

pic from weheartit.com

We cannot live without it. Fact.

The human body is 65-70% water. That seems like an awful lot, but water is used by the body to function in so many ways. Water rids the body of waste, prevents sagging skin, helps your muscles contract (and look mighty fine) and helps metabolize stored fat among other things.

Unfortunately, many people are unknowingly dehydrated. That means they’re not getting enough water in their diet. The easiest way to check for dehydration is to check the colour of your urine. It should be between pale yellow and clear. Any darker is a sign that you’re dehydrated, which is dangerous for your health.

The good news is how easy it is to prevent dehydration. It’s widely advised that a person drinks 8-10 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated, but in reality the body gets a lot of the water it needs from food sources. I still recommend drinking plenty of pure, natural water, but here are a list of other ways to keep your water intake high.

• Tea. Be it herbal, fruit, infusion or black with milk, a tea habit can be a very good way of staying hydrated throughout the day. Personally I drink about 6 cups a day in the cold months.
• Hot water with half a squeezed lemon. This is a commonly suggested way to start your day. It tastes good and I find the citrus helps me wake up, so why not?
• Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, spinach and cabbage are all high in water and nutrients and low in calories. The darker the better.
• Tomatoes are 94% water and packed with cancer-fighting lycopene. Plus they taste amazing and go with almost anything.
• Cucumber beats tomatoes by an extra 2%. That’s 96% water which shouldn’t come as a surprise and they’re super refreshing.
• Homemade flavoured water. I find plain water a bit dull sometimes. One way to spruce it up a bit is to add chopped fruit or slices of cucumber to your water and leave to infuse for half an hour. Try melon, strawberry or peach
• It’s still well worth making a habit of drinking water throughout the day. Buy a nice, reusable water bottle and carry it with you. If it’s there you’re more likely to drink from it. Drink when you’re thirsty, sip when you’re not.

I have to add that we also lose a lot of water through sweat, so try to drink more when exercising or in a hot climate. You’ll see great results in your workouts if you make sure of this.

A word of advice though – don’t gulp down a litre of water in a last ditch effort before bed unless you want to be up all night! Speaking from experience there! Whoops!

I stand corrected.

My new 150-500mm lens works perfectly for moving subjects – I just haven’t mastered being quick enough to capture ‘moving targets’ (with it).

The zoom dial is slow and stiff.  For good reason.  So you can get a firm grip on the subject and focus perfectly.

Today I found myself in the position of just being too slow to zoom back out from the subject, (duckie), and missed what would have been, potentially, a great shot.  I think if I had my 18-200mm telephoto on the DSLR, I would have captured it really well as I’m so quick using the smaller telephoto at the Zoo and Botanic Gardens.

And here’s an image (below) where I actually DID capture the action.  It may not be the most exciting ‘shot of the year’, but it does prove that the long telephoto – my new baby – really can capture ‘a slice of the action’.

Below, I have another shot I missed because I was too slow.  (It’s all very well to share your good photos, but I think it’s reassuring and helpful to see ‘the ones that got away’ too).

There’s nothing like a photo…..of……a…..chopped off beak.

And just to keep this post in balance…..

Here’s one that didn’t get away – a male Australian Wood Duck.

I’ll master this heavy, long telephoto lens if it’s the last thing I do.

Bird life was disappointingly scarce on both lakes in the Botanic Gardens today (except for the pink Nankeen Night Herons which you’ll see in the next post).

As all you bird lovers know, some days you see lots of birds and some days you’re lucky to see one.

© H.J. Ruiz