"Commit to the Lord WHATEVER you do, and your plans will succeed."
- Proverbs 16:3
"That's All Folks!"
Monday, May 28, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Beauty Around
Close your eyes and feel the cool breeze on your face as it twirls and dances through the air.
Let the sun’s warmth wash over you as the sun’s rays radiate around.
Hear the gulls cries as they swoop and soar in search of a meal.
Watch the boats slowly make their way through the blue river water.
Take a breath and enjoy the beauty around.
It is another glorious day of Spring!
"That's All Folks!"
Monday, May 14, 2012
Wrestling with Seals...
Today turned out to be a very cool day. I got to sleep in, then after getting up made my way over to the Marine Science Center. Once there I went to talk with the people at MARC about volunteering this weekend because the schedule hadn't been made yet.
Then I went to connect with Meagan, someone I'm helping out with research. I ended up working there for a couple of hours. I was looking at pictures of seal populations and numbering how many males, females, and pups were in each picture. I would enter the data into a spreadsheet and make note of things like: how many pups were with females, how many pups were without females, were there any dead pups, any harems(males and females together), was there any mating taking place, any pups nursing. Then I would have to mark that each seal was entered into the data sheet by putting a ^ next each on the picture. It was fun and I'll be doing more of that in coming weeks.
When 2:30 rolled around today I made by way back to the MSC for my first time working at MARC. (I was suppose to work there this past semester, but I had an afternoon shift that was always cancelled because the center was really slow.) Anyways, today I learned how to make the food trays for the 3 Harbor seal pups that we have in (there pupping season just started, so are starting to get them in). Then one of the workers showed me how to restrain the seal, so we are able to tube feed the pups. Tube feeding is required because the pups haven't learned how to feed on fish yet. Hence, we stick a tube down their throat [gently] and put formula into their stomachs. After seeing how to restrain the pups, I got to do it for the other two pups. The first time was a bit of a struggle. Her flippers kept coming out from under me, but eventually I got it restrained. The second one didn't take as long, but he did wiggle a LOT more. :D It was lots of fun and I get to work there all of Wednesday, Thursday afternoon, and Friday afternoon. Yippee!
"That's All Folks!"
Then I went to connect with Meagan, someone I'm helping out with research. I ended up working there for a couple of hours. I was looking at pictures of seal populations and numbering how many males, females, and pups were in each picture. I would enter the data into a spreadsheet and make note of things like: how many pups were with females, how many pups were without females, were there any dead pups, any harems(males and females together), was there any mating taking place, any pups nursing. Then I would have to mark that each seal was entered into the data sheet by putting a ^ next each on the picture. It was fun and I'll be doing more of that in coming weeks.
When 2:30 rolled around today I made by way back to the MSC for my first time working at MARC. (I was suppose to work there this past semester, but I had an afternoon shift that was always cancelled because the center was really slow.) Anyways, today I learned how to make the food trays for the 3 Harbor seal pups that we have in (there pupping season just started, so are starting to get them in). Then one of the workers showed me how to restrain the seal, so we are able to tube feed the pups. Tube feeding is required because the pups haven't learned how to feed on fish yet. Hence, we stick a tube down their throat [gently] and put formula into their stomachs. After seeing how to restrain the pups, I got to do it for the other two pups. The first time was a bit of a struggle. Her flippers kept coming out from under me, but eventually I got it restrained. The second one didn't take as long, but he did wiggle a LOT more. :D It was lots of fun and I get to work there all of Wednesday, Thursday afternoon, and Friday afternoon. Yippee!
"That's All Folks!"
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Thar She Blows
One awesome about being in Ocean club is that we take fun trips every year. Last year we went to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and this year we went whale watching of the coast of Massachusetts. So much fun!!!! The day dawned a beautiful sunny and clear day (turned overcast later in the day). We took off from campus and traveled down to Gloucester, MA. We made it to the whale watching place safely, but with a few minor detours. :D
This was our boat!
Shortly after arriving we boarded and made our way to the top deck where I proceeded to take random pictures of the harbor. Gloucester is one of the oldest and largest fishing towns, so the harbor was filled with lots of different types of fishing boats...
After sitting for a little while and listening to a little intro from the naturalist aboard we were on our way...
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| Coast Guard to the rescue!!! |
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| Lighthouse on Ten Pound Island |
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| One of two castles of Gloucester. |
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| The breakwater |
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| The other castle |
Then we were out of the Harbor and on our way to Stellwagon Marine Sanctuary. It is a very good place to find whales and other creatures because the fish are abundant, which makes it the perfect feeding ground. For an hour and half to two hours we journeyed the Atlantic ocean without spotting any whales. Despite that fact, it was still fun just feeling the wind on my face and seeing water all around me. And then....we arrived at the south end of the marine sanctuary. It was then we finally spotted the whales. There was 10-12 humpback whales and 3 minke whales feeding. It was so awesome seeing these magnificent creatures that God created.
There was even a mom, calf pair there. Some of the whales kept swimming under the boat and one humpback was really curious and kept surfacing next to the boat. We were even sprayed once with the water from the whales blowhole. lol. We spent over an hour watching these guys feed. One very awesome thing about the humpbacks is that they blow bubbles and create a ring of bubbles that capture fish and then feed in that circle. Another cool thing is that their side fins are white, but in the water they glow a greenish color. So when looking in the water, you can see these green glowing things moving through the water. :D
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| The start of feeding frenzy! |
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| Look, it's waving HI! |
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| If you look closely you can see the baleen. |
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| The mom and calf pair. Abrasion is the calf's name. |
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| The glowing green. :D |
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| A blowhole. |
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| Thar she blows!!!!! |
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| This here is Wizard. The all white fluke it very rare in humpbacks. |
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| Part of a ring of bubbles |
Those are all pictures of the humpback whales. The minke ones weren't as close and are more shy. On the way back to shore we did see a couple more of humpbacks. Then we hit very thick fog. At one point it looked like we were in heaven because the sun was shining though the fog making it all very bright and awesome. Once we reached the harbor, there was no more fog and the sun was shining with bright blue skies. Then looking back towards the ocean, it was all completely covered in fog. So cool!!!Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. Overall, I spent between 5 & 6 hours on the boat. :D
"That's All Folks!"
Monday, April 23, 2012
A Dream Come True
Yesterday one of my dreams came true. Ready to hear the story?...well then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride (also please keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all time, and don't forget to pick up a gift at the gift shop at the end :D)...
So yesterday, I did an outreach event with a club on campus called MARC Education. It stands for Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center Education. It is a club that is here to educate the public on the Rehab Center on campus, and the club and the Center were doing an outreach event at a local mall which was putting on a Stores for Shores program (different places relating to the environment and such were there).
At the mall, we had a few table set up with some very fun things. There was Harp Seal fur, x-ray pictures of turtles and seals, a spinal cord of a seal that came in with part of it fused, baleen from a Minke whale, part of a vertebrae of a Minke whale and another one from a juvenile Humpback, a Common Dolphin skull, a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle shell, and other fun things like that. For the first part of my shift I was explaining to people what the skeletons were and answering any questions that they had about them or the rehab center.
There was also a little kids area with coloring pictures and something called a blubber mitt. We had Crisco wrapped in the a couple baggies to create a "blubber mitt". Then we had kids place one hand the mitt and then place both hands in a bucket of ice cold water. They were suppose to see which hand stays warmer. Obviously, it is suppose to be the hand in the blubber mitt. I would then explain to them that, that is the reason blubber is so important to whales and dolphins. :D It was fun, however, another really fun part was about to happen...
Are you sitting at the edge of your seats? This is where my dreams come true, but before I tell you it I want to share this information: If y'all don't already know, I'm a little (or maybe a lot) obsessed with the Navy Seals. I think that they are totally awesome and I've always wanted to be one! Now with that information in mind, brace yourselves....I GOT TO BE A SEAL for a little while!!!!!! Yep, for an hour and a half, I was a seal!!! Want to know how? Well, MARC had a dolphin and a seal costumes and I took one for the team and wore the seal costume. GOTCHA! Did you think I was a Navy Seal?...anyways, it was fun being a seal, even though the costume was really, really, hot sometimes.
Besides that, I waved at everyone walking by, high-fives little kids (and some older one), gave some of them hugs, handshakes, and even took pictures with some of them. One really funny part of the gig was seeing people's faces when they first spotted me, most would smile, but some gave me weird looks or tried avoiding me. I even made one little kid cry. :( Apparently I was scary....oh, which reminds me of another funny story. One little girl asked if I was a squirrel. Then when I shook my head no, she called me a chipmunk!!!!! lol...So funny!!!...and that is how my dream came true for a day.
"That's All Folks!"
So yesterday, I did an outreach event with a club on campus called MARC Education. It stands for Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center Education. It is a club that is here to educate the public on the Rehab Center on campus, and the club and the Center were doing an outreach event at a local mall which was putting on a Stores for Shores program (different places relating to the environment and such were there).
At the mall, we had a few table set up with some very fun things. There was Harp Seal fur, x-ray pictures of turtles and seals, a spinal cord of a seal that came in with part of it fused, baleen from a Minke whale, part of a vertebrae of a Minke whale and another one from a juvenile Humpback, a Common Dolphin skull, a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle shell, and other fun things like that. For the first part of my shift I was explaining to people what the skeletons were and answering any questions that they had about them or the rehab center.
There was also a little kids area with coloring pictures and something called a blubber mitt. We had Crisco wrapped in the a couple baggies to create a "blubber mitt". Then we had kids place one hand the mitt and then place both hands in a bucket of ice cold water. They were suppose to see which hand stays warmer. Obviously, it is suppose to be the hand in the blubber mitt. I would then explain to them that, that is the reason blubber is so important to whales and dolphins. :D It was fun, however, another really fun part was about to happen...
Are you sitting at the edge of your seats? This is where my dreams come true, but before I tell you it I want to share this information: If y'all don't already know, I'm a little (or maybe a lot) obsessed with the Navy Seals. I think that they are totally awesome and I've always wanted to be one! Now with that information in mind, brace yourselves....I GOT TO BE A SEAL for a little while!!!!!! Yep, for an hour and a half, I was a seal!!! Want to know how? Well, MARC had a dolphin and a seal costumes and I took one for the team and wore the seal costume. GOTCHA! Did you think I was a Navy Seal?...anyways, it was fun being a seal, even though the costume was really, really, hot sometimes.
Besides that, I waved at everyone walking by, high-fives little kids (and some older one), gave some of them hugs, handshakes, and even took pictures with some of them. One really funny part of the gig was seeing people's faces when they first spotted me, most would smile, but some gave me weird looks or tried avoiding me. I even made one little kid cry. :( Apparently I was scary....oh, which reminds me of another funny story. One little girl asked if I was a squirrel. Then when I shook my head no, she called me a chipmunk!!!!! lol...So funny!!!...and that is how my dream came true for a day.
"That's All Folks!"
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Happy Easter
In honor of it being Easter, I've decided to tell y'all a very, very important story. It tells us what the meaning of Easter is. So, here it goes...
One day three guys were in an accident and were killed. When they got to heaven Peter couldn't find their names in any of the books and he wasn't sure what to do, so he said, "Ok, here's the deal. If you answer this question right, you can get into heaven. The question is what is Easter?"
The first guy exclaimed, "Oh, that's easy. Easter is when people decorate with lights and put gifts under a tree to give to everyone."
Peter replied, "Sorry, but no."
Then the second guy declared, "I know what it is. Easter is when people gather together and give thanks.
Peter answered, "Nope, that's not it." He turned to the third guy and asked, "Do you know what Easter is?"
The third guy responded, "Yeah, it's when Christ died, rose, saw his shadow and there was six more weeks of winter."
One day three guys were in an accident and were killed. When they got to heaven Peter couldn't find their names in any of the books and he wasn't sure what to do, so he said, "Ok, here's the deal. If you answer this question right, you can get into heaven. The question is what is Easter?"
The first guy exclaimed, "Oh, that's easy. Easter is when people decorate with lights and put gifts under a tree to give to everyone."
Peter replied, "Sorry, but no."
Then the second guy declared, "I know what it is. Easter is when people gather together and give thanks.
Peter answered, "Nope, that's not it." He turned to the third guy and asked, "Do you know what Easter is?"
The third guy responded, "Yeah, it's when Christ died, rose, saw his shadow and there was six more weeks of winter."
The End
Hope y'all enjoyed the story (or joke). I've always loved it. :D I sure hope that there isn't six more weeks of winter. lol.
"That's All Folks!"
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Praise
As you read Psalms in the Bible there is a common theme: praising the Lord. There are countless verses that tell is to sing befor the Lord, rejoice in Him, and to praise Him...
"Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among the peoples." - Psalm 96:1-3
"Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name." - Psalm 97:12
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the rams horn - shout for joy before the Lord, the King." - Psalm 98:4-6
"Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord." - Psalm 98:7-9aThose vereses just came out of 4 of the 150 Psalms in the Bible. Sometimes I think the Lord has to clobber us in the head with what He's trying to say because we can be really stubborn, at least I know I can. That's why, to me, having that many verses about praise is a good reminder because I don't always remember to praise Him when thing aren't going the way I want them to or even the when they are. Psalm is defintitly not the only book of the Bible that talks about worshiping and praisng the Lord. Today I was reading Revelations and found another verse that I really loved...
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth worship the Lord in gladness; come before Him with joyful songs." - Psalm 100:1,2
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." - Psalm 100:4
"...Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." - Revelations 4:8This verse just hit me really hard because praising the Lord should never stop and it didn't here. It's just so awesome to me and that is how I want to live my life: never ceasing to praise the Lord. I want to live my life worshiping and adoring the Father.
"When you know how to praise the Lord in all things, there is very little that can stand in your way." - John Robert Stevens Mantle of Praise"That's All Folks!"
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