Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Agate







Most agates occurs as nodules in volcanic rock or ancient lava, where they represent cavities originally produced by the disengagement of volitiles in the molten mass which were then filled wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. When cut transversely, the agate shows a succession of parallel lines, giving it a banded appearance. Such stones are called banded agate, riband agate and striped agate. Many agates are hollow, since deposition has not gone far enough to fill the cavity, and in such cases the last deposit commonly consists of quartz, often amethyst, having the apices of the crystals directed towards the free space so as to form a crystal-lined cavity or geode.


AGATE BELIEFS

In many traditions agate is believed to cure the sting of scorpions
and the bites of snakes. Sooth the mind. Prevent contagions. Still thunder and lightening and
promote eloquence

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USES IN INDUSTRY
Agate is used to make jewelry, knives, inkstands, marbles and seals.Because of its hardness, and its ability to resist acid, agate is used to make mortars and pestles to crush and mix chemicals. Also because of the high polish of agate it has been used for centuries for leather burnishing tools.

Until next time.

Peace be with you and have a wonderful day.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fun With Plants










One snap and time is frozen in an image that is a lifelong keepsake.
I am an amature photographer, but regardless of how much, or how little I know
about photography I am always looking for something to snap at. Some of the pictures are taken from my flower beds and around my local area.
Other Pictures are taken in my travels.
I find that taking pictures is calming and very relaxing. The thrill and anticipation
of photography for me is seeing the end result.
Begonia
Dahlia


Interesting root system



Pansies















Pansies and Violas














Violas



















Peanut Plant














Bee Balm

















Another one bites the dust. Since the racoon had
deceided to relocate, my plants are going to pot. Two hours after the pic. was taken, the flowers
disappeared. Oh well, such is life.



















Until next time.
Peace be with you and have a wonderful day.









Saturday, June 14, 2008

Fun With Animals




CANADA GOOSE








The pictures of the Canada geese were taken at Granville Park in Vancouver, B.C.



The black head and neck distinquish the Canada Goose from all except the Barnacle Goose. There are seven subspecies of this bird of varyng sizes and plumage details, but all are recognized as Canada Geese. This particular species is 30-40" long, with a wing span of 50-71". The male weights between 7-14 lbs. and can become very aggressive when defending territory. The female is slightly smaller, weighing 5.5-12 lbs. The Canada Goose is a migratory bird with the wintering range being most of the united states.
BLACK SQUIRREL

Pictures taken in Calgary, Alberta

For years, the grey squirrel was predominant driving its red cousin into the remotest corners of the country.
Now the mutant black squirrel has arrived and is playing havoc through parks and woodlands.
The testosterone-charged black is fitter, faster and more fiercely competitive than both the greys and red. The mutant blacks are leaving the grey squirrel population in fear.
The black squirrel is the result of a single mutation in the DNA of greys, giving them higher levels of the pigment melanin in their fur.
Sex selection is also boosting their numbers because female greys appear to prefer the blacks as mates

PIGEONS
Taken on the balcony of the Tropicana Motor Inn in Vancouver, B.C.


Pigeons are characterised by their stout bodies, short necks, small heads and thick plumage. All pigeons have soft swellings (ceres) at the base of the nostrils, regurgitated from the crops of the parents, and have specialized bills through which they can suck water steadily. Their main diet is nuts and seeds.


PHINX LARVA
Picture taken on a scorching hot sidewalk in Calgary.
There is not much difference between the tomato and tobacco hornworm sphinx. Both species are pests in vegetable gardens.
This particular sphinx hornworm is the tobacco hornworm. The tobacco hornworm is more common in gardens.

Many of the tobacco hornworms overwinter as pupae in the soil in the vicinity of previously infested gardens, emerging in late May or June.

Female moths lay large pearl-colored eggs on the upper surface of leaves. The young caterpillars hatch and feed on the plant for a month or more. They have big appetites and consume large amounts of leaves as they grow older and larger. After feeding they wander away from the plant and pupate in the soil. In the Southern areas of the region, a second generation frequently occurs with caterpillars present in late July and August and during warm summers.

SEAGULLS



Taken in the wee hours of the morning in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The larger species of Gulls are resourceful and highly-intelligent birds.
Many species of Gulls have learned to co-exist successfully with humans and have thrived in human habitats.
HONEY BEES



Honey bees are distinguished by the production and storage of honey, and the construction of nest out of wax.
Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees.

Rabbits

The rabbits are coming back. For awhile we did not have many rabbits coming around. We had an unexpected visitor hanging out. It was a racoon that used to frequent our rooftop. As long as the coon was around, the rabbits stayed away. The coon is gone and the rabbits will play. My neighbour plays music when she is working outside. The constant noise of the radio got too annoying for the coon. He deceided to seek a quieter lounging area.

Until next time

Peace be with you and have a wonderful day.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Jasper




Jasper is a versatile mineral with a hardness of 6.5-7 on the mohs scale. Because of the hardness of jasper, you can bring the rock to a high shine.


Jasper is found world wide and there are many colors found in this rock. Some of the colors are grey/white, different shades of blue, purple, brown, red, pink, green and yellow. Jasper contains organic material and mineral oxides which produces the many beautiful patterns seen in this rock.

There are many types of jasper . Jasper is an opaque and fine grained variety of chalcedony. Patterns can come from the formation process, and flow patterns in the sediment and volcanic ash, that was saturated with silica to form jasper. Therefore producing bands and swirls in the rock. Jasper is a form of chalcedony and is composed primarily of silicon dioxide.



Picture jasper is a complex mixture of different impurities that form the wonderful scenic patterns

Because of the versatility of jasper, it is used for vases, seals, ornamentation, and jewelry. Years ago when snuff boxes were in use, they made fancy snuff boxes out of jasper.




Healing Powers Of Jasper

Yellow Jasper... Is for stomach, liver, intestines and spleen area.

Light colored Jasper...Are best for healing.
Green Jasper...Respiratory, heart and chakra, general tissue regeneration
Mineral assimilation and general healing.
Darker Colors...Are more grounding and used for protection.

Picture Jasper... Aid for successful businesses.

Dalmatian Jasper... Aids memory retention and development of psychic memory.

Fancy Jasper... Used for depression.

Poppy Jasper... For happiness and contentment.
Until next time.
Peace be with you and have a wonderful day.