Tagged With "Columbian Ground Squirrel"
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Re: The Best Things To Do In Boston
From Logan Airport you can take the Metro into the City. When you've seen enough at the first stop - get back on the Underground system and come up to ground level at the next stop. Repeat as often as time will allow. Great way to spend 8 hours between flights. Only the Bostonian's would drink green beer on Paddy's Day.
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Re: August 5, 2017: The Potter and his Wife
It may be throwaway, but it is clay and it returns to the ground to be reused again at sometime in the future.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan, 21, 2014: Raccoon, Vancouver, British Columbia
And they are smart. When my kids were young, we used to camp every summer in Maine, at a site where raccoons came every night to feast at the cans. One year I decided I'd had enough, and brought chain tethers to keep the lids on. Worked fine, the lids stayed quiet all night. But in the morning, when we left our tents, we found that our two stryofoam coolers (which were not in use) had been shredded, all the implements from the table were on the ground, and the ropes securing our storage tarp...
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #14: A Sewer Journey
IslandMan - Good one ! Your island home of Malta is an interesting case in point of modern water and wastewater management. The limestone and clay geology there leads to rapid groundwater runoff during the winter rains. Because of this, precious water is reused after treatment in one of the two above ground sewer plants. Water has always been a very valuable resource on the island. Perhaps you might like to make a report sometime about the natural springs and history of the Maqluba doline in...
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Re: Crashing the geocache
Your welcome. I wish them a lot of fun. Of course dogs don't find geocaches but they are a good excuse to look on things in or on the ground
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?
As a confirmed acrophobic, I had trouble even looking at the pictures. But then I can't have an accident if I can't even imagine doing the climb. I'll concentrate on not falling down the stairs in my home and maintain my preference for looking UP at mountains from flat ground or water.
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?
Ha ha Port, if scattered from the "fish back", you will not likely reach the "flat ground or water" there. Most likely will be blown upwards towards the sky
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?
Originally Posted by Dr.Y: " ...if scattered from the "fish back", you will not likely reach the "flat ground or water" there." Note I stipulated "in this lifetime". I figured if I'm to experience such a thing, it'll have to wait until I'm ashes. But better late than never, right?
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Re: Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Kennedy Space Center
Last launch I watched was from the East Coast of Florida - maybe near Cocoa Beach. The Sky was complete darkness, just a few stars and the moon. We were listening to the launch radio station from about T minus 15 minutes - as NASA described the last minute checks. A few seconds before launch time you could see the ground at Cape Canaveral illuminated like a bright white flare. The steam from the launch pad turned into a white cloud and on "Zero" the rocket was moving slowly into the air. For...
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Well, it's worth noting that Hawaiian has still not gotten Ohana off the ground, literally. They're citing FAA's cutbacks due to sequestration and then the shutdown as the reason. Island Air used to be a Hawaiian affiliate, flying Dash-8s and ATR-42s into small airports and feeding passengers into Hawaiian. Ohana was/is their plan to stay in that market with ATR42s. Island is unhappy with its ATRs (both the 42 and the larger 72), but doesn't seem to be able to solve any of its problems. I...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 8, 2013 : The Sanctuary Knocker, Durham Cathedral, a World Heritage site
It's an impressive image, Mac, made all the more interesting by the story behind it. One sometimes forgets the role the church played in "forgiveness" acts through the centuries. I'm always astounded at the quality of craftsmanship behind these thousand year old items. In many ways, we've lost ground, not improved on their skills. Thanks for the education, and sharing this photo!
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Re: Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument
Quite an extensive piece of work DrF. Very interesting. And a pleasure to read. Is the site still hot below ground ? I've visited a few volcanos and climbed the crater. But knowing its been dormant for so long doesn't inspire me to overstay my welcome !
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
I agree it's a spectacular sight not to be missed and that there's more to Greenland that just the ice sheet. 2014 will see me on my 7th month-long visit in the last 9 years. I will again hike alone from Sisimiut on the west coast to a location north east of Kangerlussuaq (something like 110 - 120 miles) and then join colleagues doing wild goose research. By all means aim to set foot on the ground there and enjoy camping in the remote arctic landscape - being alone out there is a unique...
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
HistoryDigger, I'll explain. At the end of the first day of tulou visits, the large tour bus rendezvoused with a small van and it was indicated that I should bring my things and come with a young man. Since no one could explain, I had to simply trust and go along, an interesting sensation. I later realized that I was the only one who had opted for the second day. The young man drove me to a very basic village of mostly new buildings built, I suspect but of course don't know, for...
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Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
Here's a good quote Paul PORTRAIT OF AN UNHEALTHY CITY - NEW YORK INTHE 1800'S by David Rosner Columbia University When a horse died, its carcass would be left to rot until it had disintegrated enough for someone to pick up the pieces. Children would play with dead horses lying on the streets. In addition to lacking street cleaning, the city also had no sewage system and no flush toilets. Garbage--which included both human and animal waste--was basically thrown out windows and onto city...
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Re: Whom did you say was flying this plane?
Yes, Bling, but flying is a three dimensional activity, not a two dimensional one, at at gar greater speeds! And Google is not infallible by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, flying is three dimensional but the dimensions do not change. The ground is the ground, however you get to it. The airport runways do not move right and left. The skies are now virtual highways, with planes flying along set paths. That is data for the computer guidance system. Have there been problems with the...
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Re: Water rationing set for Rome
Fortunately, I've booked a ground floor apartment. But I know about rationing & conserving, having lived in the desert and through droughts more than once. I promise I'll be careful.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #37
Looking closer...no sign of a bell, so not a church steeple. When you look closer, too many people (tourists?) for a firewatch station. Long walkway...must connect to some building? Otherwise, why so high off the ground. Can't be a pedestrian bridge; no way down from the walkway level. I'm stumped!
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Re: Gumbo’s Pic of the Day, August 22, 2014: Postcards from Greece - The Donkeys
Mac, I think your photo is using a tricky angle. I believe there's a small television in front of those 3 donkeys that you've cleverly concealed. Everyone loves World Cup football, even these three! Honestly when I first saw that image it looked to me like they were watching something small near the ground and a television was the first thing that popped into my mind!
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#72)
Paris has the Metro & the RER and I've been in at least one above-ground Metro station, but I'd be hard pressed to remember which. I think the RER is entirely above ground outside the city, and the occasional one in town, at least one along the river.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 16th, 2014: Isle of Man TT Week
I think you've caught the spirit of what attracts many to riding, a sense of breaking free of the ordinary, of the ground itself...but I hope you weren't standing too close in front of him!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 23, 2015: Skógafoss, Iceland
Thanks for the comment, Garry, and a good question. The waterfall is almost a sea level and only a few kilometers from the ocean. So it is very moderated by the Gulf stream. So far as I could tell, the cliff and ground around it are caked in ice in January and February and hard to navigate. Flow is down, but the water continues flowing even in the coldest months. This photo was taken mid-September. It was a cold and windy day, but most days in Iceland are.
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Re: Gallery: The View From Home
It's good to see the California drought may be coming to an end. Even in the UK - where we get more than our fair share of rain- we get droughts. The 9 month drought of '76 gave us ground levels sinking and causing damage to buildings. Now the ground levels are sinking in California. The worst drought you've had since 1894.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 15th, 2015: Winter Flowers ?
It's a beautiful flower, Garry, and wish that they were blooming out there now. I'm looking at a foot of snow on the ground as I write this. Last year in Calgary was one of the longest and coldest winters on record. This winter is somewhat milder, but still with enough cold days. What does this mean when added to what you describe? I have no idea. My own view is that we've only been studying the planet's weather for about a century with some detail now. That, in the scope of the history of...
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Re: SkyMall's Business Dwindles With Increased Internet Usage In-Flight
Sorry, DrF, but they ARE gone. The name and remaining assets will be auctioned, and there's a fair chance a website under that name will survive, but the paper version in the seatback is doomed. Here's why. First, from the airline point of view, the small fees received from SkyMall no longer match the cost of having cabin and ground crew maintain the placement. That's why Delta stopped placing it a few months ago, and others seemed poised to follow. Second, SkyMall only looks like a catalog.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#105)
And so the ball rolls…but it is neither garden nor park. But the sharp-eyed doctor is correct: it is not viewed from ground level. And that’s the first day’s hint.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#105)
Let's get down to ground level. Not at the place, but in the same town. Toss me some more ideas, and tomorrow you'll get another clue!
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Re: Aw shucks. Danes are no longer the World's Happiest People
The idea that the Danes, and other Scandinavians, are the happiest people has always puzzled me. A Canadian friend, who lived in Denmark for decades, described them as the most depressed people, with the social problems that come with such conditions. It makes me wonder if the criteria for such lists & studies have little to do with conditions "on the ground".
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Re: Midland Provincial Park, Alberta
My Grand Father worked in UK Coalmines around the 1900s . Stories he could tell were both amazing and scarey. Miners were exempt from War Service during WW1 as they supplied an "Essential Service". Women were employed at the Mines but never went below ground. Mules were used below ground - pulling bogeys - and never came back to the surface during their lives.
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Re: Aarhus: Is it strictly for the birds?
Seagulls are just rats with wings. They ruin lake fishing when you scatter ground bait. Scare the fish. Take 12 inches of fishing line. Tie a hook at each end. Make a ball of bread at each hook. Shoot into the sky with your bait catapult. Catch a seagull at each end. The noise they make scares the rest of the flock. Instantly fly away !
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Re: Luggage to withstand airline handling
We alternate, depending on trip configuration, on two "soft" but not very 21" Delseys and a single 25" Swissgear of similar construction. They're all from a lower-price territory than Eagle Creek, but have worked well for us. But my experience with the Swissgear has taught me to watch one thing I didn't think so important before: the wheels. The Delseys are a 'trolley' style with two wheels; they're easy to move over almost any terrain, even cobblestones. But the Swissgear is a 'spinner,'...
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Re: Luggage to withstand airline handling
Good point about the wheels. It was while pulling a suitcase across cobblestones that I became devote to the trolley-style wheels. Even Eagle Creek and Pacsafe bags can be purchased on sale or at discounted travel supply vendors. Whatever you buy, be sure it is a well constructed bag with heavy duty zippers and latches that won't fall apart on you when you travel (which has happened to me with a cheaper duffel-style roller made by Sierra Design).
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Re: Kruger National Park - South Africa. Pt 2
I would not want to approach a bull elephant in my car, but having done several safaris, the animals all but ignore you in the Range Rover vehicles. Apparently they only see a box on wheels. They do not have the ability to discriminate what's inside the box. But if you step out of the vehicle onto the ground, they will become aware of you and you now are on today's menu. The best travel experiences of my life were the days I've been on safari. It's not cheap, but is most memorable. So...
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Re: easyJet's founder launches cut-rate food store
I really do like this idea because a lot of people are too proud to go to food banks if they are in need and at least they can get a few things there. Also , if it spreads its a good way for travelers to pick up a few snacks for the road. Here are the items for sale listed on the site : Tea Ground Coffee Chicken Curry Sugar Orangeade Pasta Mushroom Sauce Digestives Chick Peas Sardines and Sauce Cream Crackers Pasta Sauce Flour Tomato Ketchup Variety Pack Cereal Potatoes Jaffa Cakes Fruit...
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Re: IRS gains power to get passports cancelled
There are so many business men into Tax Avoidance schemes that the Government cant watch them all. So I suppose a warning off Uncle Sam saying - " Hey - I'm serious - behave or I'll ground you" could stop their lavish life styles. If everyone paid their Tax due notice then we wouldn't have all the cutbacks on services.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park
Originally Posted by Grouchy Gumbo: The last pic is of my cousin Priscilla, who lives in Prospect Park. I see that you gave her a little gnosh. Not that she needs it. She seems to be putting on a little extra "winter coat" this year. She has a fine home. I would really like to visit the park sometime. Grouchy, I'm curious how a squirrel manages long distance travel to visit relatives. Maybe you can enlighten us mere mortals.
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Re: Name Your Favorite Restaurants for Atmosphere, Past or Present
That sounds like a great meal, PortMoresby! Thanks for sharing with us. I'm curious about the fern dish. Were they the young coiled ferns just budding from the ground (known as "fiddleheads" in eastern Canada), or were they the more mature plant? It's pretty rare for a restaurant to serve fern in my experience.
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Re: Can it be ?? smart airlines are upping Economy Class
There was a time in the early days of business class when it was simply a section in the front of economy, more like premium economy today. The gap has certainly grown over the years with business class getting swankier and economy losing serious ground. I've often wondered where the bottom would be. We can only hope that today's steerage is the bottom and the creep will be in the other direction although I have no illusions that up will be a more difficult road than down. It always is.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, August 14, 2014: The CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario
Hi Travel Luver! Yes, I have walked on the transparent floor many years ago (pre-digital photography era, which reminds me that I need to get those slides transferred to digital). Unfortunately on this last trip to the CN Tower I did not have time to take the ride up to the observation deck. It probably goes without saying that if you are afraid of heights, the observation deck of the CN Tower may not be the attraction for you. Your adventure begins with a long but quick elevator ride to the...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 3, 2014: Ceramic Making in Avanos (Turkey)
On my first visit to a ceramics store in Turkey I received an interesting culture lesson. The guy in the store was also the producer of these fascinating pieces of artwork. His late father had passed the business to him and that was the family tradition. I struck a good deal on the items I bought and thanked him for his patience in showing me how the ceramics were made - with the help of photographs from his factory. His father had been to Washington DC and was head of ceramics when the...
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Re: Vineyards, Burgundy, France
It`s a great story, PortMoresby! The kind of adventure that would appeal to me. A week of walking sounds just about right. And my knees are telling me to stop going into the mountains and seek flatter ground! I`m curious how you arranged the transportation of your gear as you were walking from one place to the next. Did you carry it all, or did you return to the same base every night? And, I hope, there was some cheese to go with that wonderful looking wine!
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Re: Flood of new agents to speed up Customs at JFK and Newark
You're both right of course. No one has the moral high ground on delays. When you transit an airport with several terminals you do need to enter the country first. But hub airports like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bahrain have all been so polite and helpful it makes you realise that there is a better way. I use Philadelphia airport now to enter the US. It rates alongside Orlando as a pleasant experience. Last year I went through passport control in Philly. When asked, I told the officer that...
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Re: Replacing iPhone Abroad
Hello HistoryDigger, I have some friends in Cologne who might be able to give you some on the ground advice. I'll send you their contact info via dialog. Check for the top right corner for a message.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 18, 2014: Lower Manhattan's New Skyline
You may have noticed that NYC has 2 areas of very tall buildings - The Battery/Financial District and Midtown, separated by an large area where building height is limited. This was not just due to zoning. The reason is geological. The bedrock is very close to the surface in Midtown and Battery so there is support for very tall buildings. However, From 34th street down to Canal the bedrock is much deeper and the ground is more sandy/gravely, so it was unsafe to build tall buildings in area.
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Re: Stockholm's Skansen Museum Park: Where Gumbo Was #27
I'd never heard of this museum, PHeymont, and find it all fascinating. Another reason to visit Stockholm! But I did guess the building was a cache (name used in Canada for structures like these people use to store meat in the winter without any access except a ladder). Not claiming victory as I had no idea where it was, but you want a building without windows, large doors (although you need a way in, be it from the bottom or side) or an ability to chew threw on ground level to protect your...
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Expect to pay more for travel in 2015
It appears as though we'll be paying more to travel next year, no matter where we'll be traveling. Ground transportation, airfare and accommodations are all expected to rise between. Average price increases may range from 3-7%, depending...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Drayton Hall
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Middleton Place
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are fairly common in western North America. Many people call them gophers but this is not correct. A gopher is an animal that lives underground and stays there. Most people have never seen one. Ground...