INCREDIBLE LAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Wouldn’t it be an awesome experience to be fortunate enough to relax by any one of these lakes surrounded by the magnificence of nature?  The natural beauty of these lakes is unsurpassed ~ an artist’s dream come true! 

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me!

I’ve created a video for you that I uploaded to YouTube ~ sit back, relax and enjoy ~ turn up your speakers!!!

 

 Five of my favorites are:

 PLITVICE LAKE

The stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Lika region of Croatia. The park is surrounded by the mountains Plješevica, Mala Kapela, and Medveđak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of travertine, are situated on the Plitvice plateau. Waterfalls connect the lakes, and the tallest waterfall is Veliki Slap at 70 meters (230 feet) tall.

FIVE-FLOWER LAKE

The pristine water of Wuhua Hai, or Five-Flower Lake, is the pride of Jiuzhaigon National Park in China. This lake contains such auspicious colors of nature, such flourishing flowers and trees of various kinds that it gives a multi-colored exquisite grandeur. This is why the lake is also called the ‘five-flower lake’. The lake displays all sorts of colors but the main to be sighted are blue, dark green, pinkish red, even goose feather yellow and light yellow, etc. This lake is actually one of the dozen natural lakes. It is quite shallow, and its bottom, which is as clearly visible as through clear glass, is littered with fallen tree trunks. The water of this lake never freezes and never dries up.

LAKE BLED

Lake Bled is located in Slovenia in the region of  Upper Carniola. It takes it’s name after the Bled castle. The lake finds it’s beauty in the reflection of the marvelously beautiful castle standing magnificently on a rock overlooking the lake. It is a well known tourist attraction because of it’s mystic and royal appearance and cultural rooting of the castle.  The island on the lake has 99 steps and a beautiful and touching tradition is that groom carries his bride up these steps on their wedding day.

YUCATAN CAVE LAKE

Yucatan Cave Lake is yet another masterpiece of nature. The lake is considered forbidden though, but the lake itself is so beautiful, one can hardly resist the sight. It is found in Mexico, in the basement of Tiger Che in Yucatan peninsula. The lake consists of various caves in and around it, and they are the real amazing and delightful sight. One can hear deep and beautiful musical instrumental sounds, more like the sounds of bells, if any flat place there is struck hard with a fist.

LAKE TAHOE

At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), Lake Tahoe is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction in both Nevada and California.

~ AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ~

Naturally I’d be remiss if I neglected to include one of our own beautiful Canadian lakes ~ Moraine Lake ~ located in Banff National Park, Alberta

Moraine Lake is a glacially fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet (1,885 m). The lake has a surface area of .5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi).  The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The color is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.

Link ~

http://www.theworldgeography.com/2012/03/12-of-most-beautiful-lakes-in-world.html

GREAT LEADERS’ QUOTES ~ INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO

Watching this video, “Great Quotes from Great Leaders“, by Peggy Anderson, from Simple Truths will certainly be an inspiration for you!

All of the quotes from these very famous leaders will certainly stand the ‘test of time’!

Video link ~ Great Quotes from Great Leaders

The following are my top seven favourites from the video ~ not in any special order.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

 “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
Nelson Mandela (1918 – )

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

 “The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been kindness, beauty, and truth.”
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

 “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945)

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
Helen Keller (1880-1968)

“I believe the unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

Great Quotes from Great Leaders allows us to learn from some of the greatest leaders of all time—those who have inspired, comforted, persuaded and motivated those around them. With more than 400 quotations and 75 photographs, Great Quotes from Great Leaders is a collection of timeless wisdom that echoes the integrity, strength of character, and passion of these extraordinary men and women. So learn from Great Quotes from Great Leaders and apply their wisdom to your own life.

What a wonderful world it would be if all leaders today applied the “timeless wisdom that echoes the integrity, strength of character, and passion of these extraordinary men and women” everyday in their lives!

I hope you enjoyed this inspirational video and will share with others.

ENDANGERED SHARK POPULATIONS

Just after publishing my June 6, 2012 blog,”OMG – Great White Shark versus kayaker”, I received a current WWF newsletter featuring the concern of endangered shark populations.

I am including excerpts from that article and urge you to visit WWF’s site to read through comments submitted and related links.

May 14, 2012
Posted by staffblogger Jarrett Corke, Shark Project Coordinator, WWF-Canada

“For as long as I can remember, sharks have been my passion… Over the past year, I’ve been working at WWF-Canada on shark conservation in Halifax, Nova Scotia, tackling the most pressing issues for Atlantic sharks.

So when I received an envelope last week addressed to Mr. Jarrett Corke with the words ‘To the General Shark Scientists of the World’ written in pencil along the edge, I was intrigued.  Inside were two letters, … the first letter. Written by the father of an exceptional young boy by the name of Jack Titterrell from Bowmanville, Ontario, the letter explained that his son had taken it upon himself to create these signs in the hopes of spreading his message – save the sharks. The second letter, dictated by Jack to his father, explained why he thinks people should take more care to avoid the unnecessary killing of sharks.”

Jack’s reasons (See the blog for the information included in each numbered section) included: 

1) “Sharks are endangered and I want them to survive.”…
2) “Sharks are nature and swim so fast.”…
3) “If they don’t survive, they will become extinct.”…
Jack is right to be concerned. Sharks are in trouble and they need our help. The loss of these predators may have direct and indirect effects on marine ecosystems, not only impacting other marine organisms, but us too – the human communities that rely on ocean resources.
To learn more about what we do to help protect sharks, visit – http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/species/sharks/

http://blog.wwf.ca/blog/2012/05/14/dear-general-shark-scientists-of-the-world/?utm_source=panda_mail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=panda_mail_June_2012

DANGER ~ RECYCLE YOUR UV LAMPS!

If you have been following our Rainsoft Ottawa Product description series you know that  ultraviolet (UV) light water disinfection systems are an excellent choice and much more effective than other systems in eliminating unwanted and dangerous microorganisms in your water (city or well).

For those of you who haven’t watched our videos, I am including our Rainsoft UV light water disinfection system video.

I would like to bring your attention to “Keeping Tubes Out of Our Landfills” article in the July/August 2012 issue of WATERCANADA magazine.

We know that: 1) a UV light water disinfection system is a popular choice for eliminating microorganisms, and 2) a UV light water disinfection system is a safer and more environmentally friendly system than a chemical system.

BUT…

It’s vital that you know that these UV lamps contain mercury so disposing of them in a responsible manner is extremely important. Otherwise the mercury will be released into our environment when the old or broken lamps are trashed.

Contact with mercury poses threats to human, animal and environmental health.

Please ensure you dispose of these lamps at a hazardous waste disposal site to keep everyone safe and healthy.  According to the WaterCanada article some provinces do not have a recycling programme in place and some manufactures accept the cost of having the bulbs returned to them for disposal.

If you have any questions regarding the Ultraviolet Water disinfection systems, or about UV lamp disposal please don’t hesitate to call Rainsoft Ottawa at 613-742-0058

 

“LET’S GET TANKED”, NYC’s WATER TANK PROJECT UPDATE WITH NEW VIDEO

 ~ ENJOY THIS SUPER VIDEO AND MUSIC ~  

Please visit my 3 previous blogs on New York City’s Water Tanks for plenty of background information and lots of photographs:
1) New York City‘s Water System  –  How Bizarre! –  April 3, 2012,  2)  New York City’s Water Tank Construction  –  Apr. 4, 2012 and 3) Word Above the Street’s, “The Water Tank Project – Apr. 5/12

Water Tank Project updates ~  

1)  The project is to last for twelve weeks during Summer 2013, and
2)   That the art work will be created off-site – artists participating in TWTP will donate original works of art, which will then be scanned and printed on vinyl material that will be installed on carefully selected tanks. These artist designed tanks will spark a global dialogue about the future of one of our most precious and endangered resources: WATER.

Video link ~

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/734752095/the-water-tank-project?play=1&ref=users

Here’s the latest artistic addition to the Manhattan skyline – with thanks to Architizer.com blog, June 5, 2012: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/42914/reclaiming-the-water-tower-as-public-art/

Photo: Robert Banat

…”The latest in the trend is artist Tom Fruin‘s imaginatively transparent and colorful “Watertower” project, which he recently installed on a DUMBO rooftop. The piece, which opens this Thursday, June 7, maintains the proportions and size of a typical water tank, but has been rendered a glass tapestry of salvaged materials. Visible from Lower Manhattan, the sculpture is a De-Stijlesque jigsaw of upwards 1,000 polychromatic fragments of discarded and recycled Plexiglas Fruin collected from building sites all over the city. During the day, the sun sets the water tower ablaze, while at night, projection designer Jeff Sugg will illuminate the structure with a light show boogie woogie planned to play every nightfall throughout the year”

Mary Jordan
Founder/Creative Director, Word Above the Street

 PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ~ this is a mammoth and most worthwhile undertaking of Mary Jordan and Word Above the Street to raise global awareness about the future of one of our most precious and endangered resources: WATER.

NUDIBRANCHS UPDATE ~ INCREDIBLE FACTS AND VIDEOS

Since I first posted “NUDIBRANCHS – SAY WHAT?”,  May 14, 2012), I’ve found the time to delve further into these fascinating and exotic ocean creatures.  You will be thrilled and amazed with the facts shared on these YouTube videos and the awesome video footage from around the world (Indonesia, Philippines, Bali)

First a few very interesting facts:

Nudibranch ~ means “naked gills”
Nudibranchs ~ are sea slugs
~ are beautifully colored tiny vessels of danger
~ store toxins/stinging cells they steal from their prey
~ more than 3,000 species
~ range in length from 1/4 inch to over 1 foot
~ are hermaphrodites (meaning they have both male and female sex organs)
~ are found in oceans from Antarctica to the tropics

I won’t overload you with information, for as they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

“Nudibranchs”, by Jean-Michel Cousteau, Ocean Adventures ~uploaded by KQEDondemand on Dec 5, 2008 ~ “They might be tiny, but nudibranchs can pack a poisonous punch. Learn more about these extraordinary creatures”.

 

This next video is amazing ~ the music, “The Tahiti Trot” is very artistically adapted to the bizarre antics of the nudibranchs  ~ an award winner in my opinion!!!

“Colorful nudibranchs in Lembeh Indonesia” ~ uploaded by George Delveroudis on Jul 5, 2010 ~ “… But they are the most colorful creatures on Earth and their body patterns exceed the imagination of the best designers on the planet.”

“Nudebranches of Amed – Bali Reef Divers – Dive Bali” ~ uploaded by balireefdivers on Nov 9, 2010 ~ courtesy of Hero Productions ~ “These nudibranches were seen around Amed and Tulamben this season… wide variety of nudibranchs species around here… Night dives at Jemeluk are also a great opportunity to see these creatures!”

http://www.balireefdivers.com

T.G.I.F. ~ Superb Inspirational Movie

Sit back, relax and turn up your speakers for this inspirational movie by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher from Simple Truths, “Learning to Dance in the Rain”. The words, the photographs and the music are beautiful!  Enjoy!

Learning to Dance in the Rain by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher can change your attitude about facing adversity. It’s not the adversity, but how we react to it that determines the joy and happiness in our lives. Learning to Dance in the Rain shows us that while we all face challenges, embracing the power of gratitude can change your life forever. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or can we, with gratitude…learn how to dance in the rain?

“Learning to Dance in the Rain.”
“Life is not about waiting
for the storm to pass…
It’s about learning to
dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but understanding the power of gratitude can change your life forever. Sarah Breathnach said it best… “When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present…we experience heaven on earth.”

VIDEO LINK, “LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN” BELOW ~

We all face adversity in life, it’s how you react to it that determines your joy in life. An inspiring book to guide you through life’s rough patches…Truly understanding the power of gratitude can change your life forever.

Visit Simple Truths web site for many more inspirational books and videos.  I recently purchased 2 books for my family – books arrived in just a few days and were extremely well packaged. Included with the purchase were videos and lovely gift cards decorated with coordinating graphics.

Another inspiring video to share with your families, friends and co-workers.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP THE BRUTAL SLAUGHTER OF THE MAJESTIC WHALES

IT’S JUST HEARTBREAKING TO THINK ‘MASS SLAUGHTER’ OF THESE GENTLE MAJESTIC MAMMALS!

 

WE HAVE TO DO OUT PART – THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE!!!

I am re-blogging my original blog: “TELL JAPAN: NO FUKUSHIMA DISASTER FUNDS FOR BRUTAL WHALE SLAUGHTER!” which I posted last January 14th. I noticed today that THIS PETITION IS STILL OPEN.  This time I am including the information from Avaaz‘s web site:

“593,045 have signed. Help us get to 750,000 – Posted: 14 December 2011
Right now, the Japanese whaling fleet is barreling south to hunt thousands of majestic whales, escorted by a 30 million dollar security force paid for out of the tsunami disaster relief fund!

Anti-whaling champions were successfully blocking the Japanese whale hunt — which is exactly why the Japanese government decided to swipe money from relief efforts to stop the activists from bothering the boats while they engage in their brutal slaughter.

If we can stop the whaling security and get the relief money back for desperate Japanese citizens still languishing in radioactive hotspots, we could help end the whale hunt for good. Japanese PM Noda is already under enormous pressure after scandalous failures to compensate victims of the nuclear disaster.

A massive global outcry can spark outrage inside and outside Japan and force Noda to use precious relief funds to save people, not kill whales – Please sign the petition and share this campaign with everyone.”

Tell Japan: no #Fukushima disaster funds for brutal whale slaughter! Sign @Avaaz petition here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/japan_disaster_funds_whaling_d/?wdGJicb

FIRST FRENCH “PEDAL POWERED” SUBMARINE: THREE VIDEOS

This is the first time I’ve tried adding a sound track to my blog and it works – thanks to soundcloud.com!  If you are enjoying the music you might like to read ‘my personal note to all my readers’ at the end of the blog before you watch the amazing videos – enjoy!

PEDAL POWERED SUBMARINE 

The world’s first pedal powered submarine, called, “The Scubster”, has been invented in France by Minh-Lôc Truong and Stéphane Rousson, a team of French designers and engineers.   The sub is powered by connecting a pedal belt to a twin-propeller system that can reach speeds of up to 8 km an hour (5 mph ). The Scubster can reach a depth of 6 meters (20 ft), ideal for peddling through rivers, and shallow ocean excursions.

I have included three videos; “A Scubster Story”;  the under ice testing at Piau-Engaly in the Pyrenees mountains in France; and also one from the 2009 International Submarine Race in Bethesda, Maryland.

     Link to YouTube video, “A Scubster Story” –

      Link to Scubster web site –

http://www.scubster.org/eng-Home.html

      YouTube video of winter testing under ice at Piau-Engaly, France –

      Link to YouTube video, 10th Biennial International Submarine Races, 2009 –

Personal note to all my readers –

After checking recent stats on our blog, I am absolutely blown away by the number of readers from around the globe who are sending best wishes and comments (which of course makes my work so much more rewarding).  Countries we’ve heard from so far (all 64 of them!) are listed below.  Rainsoft of Ottawa thanks everyone for your support and for showing your appreciation of my work ‘behind the scenes’. I hope to continue posting intriguing topics that pique your interest, inspirational posts for you to share, environmental concerns that will encourage you seek information from other sources and of course water related posts (conservation, environment, health, sports, marine biology, oceanography, etc.)  It’s also great to ‘tickle your funny bone’ with some of our “Fun Friday” posts from time to time.  Make sure to take time to check through our archives – many informative, enlightening, inspiring  and humourous articles await you…

      United States, Canada, India, Poland, United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines, Germany, Pakistan, South Africa, Lebanon, Dominica,  Costa Rica, Panama, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia, Denmark,  United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, Singapore, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Mexico, Greece, Bulgaria, Portugal, Albania, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Chile, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, Bahamas,  Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Finland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine,  Belgium, Russian Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Ireland,  Peru,  Hungary, Switzerland, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Norway,  Morocco,  Ghana, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Macedonia, Cameroon,  Viet Nam,  Syrian Arab Republic, Ecuador.

KEVIN RICHARDSON THE LION WHISPERER

Kevin Richardson, animal behaviorist, works with some of the most dangerous animals known to man. He sleeps with lions, cuddles newborn hyenas and swims with lionesses.

Animal behaviorist Kevin Richardson has such an intimate bond with big cats that he can spend the night curled up with them without the slightest fear of attack.

Richardson, 32, who is based in a wildlife conservation area near Johannesburg in South Africa, works his unusual magic on other species too. Cheetahs, leopards and even unpredictable hyenas hold no threats for him

A former student of human physiology who once worked with pre and post-operative human patients, Kevin turned to animals ten years ago when he came to the conclusion that he could trust a lion over one of his own kind every time – well, nearly every time.

A close encounter with an aggressive four-year-old male in the early days taught him a lesson he has not forgotten. The animal pinned him to the ground and started biting him until something about Kevin’s passive attitude stopped him in his tracks.

Kevin has always shown an interest in all types of creatures large and small and from an early age at just 3, was breeding crickets under his bed and keeping a pet toad called “Paddatjie”.  He grew from a young boy who cared for so many animals that he was called “The Bird Man of Orange Grove” in his home town to an adolescent who ran wild and, finally, to a man who is able to cross the divide between humans and predators. As a self-taught animal behaviorist, Richardson has broken every safety rule known to humans when working with these wild animals. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal’s spirit with sticks and chains is the best way to subdue them.

Quote from book, ‘Part of the Pride’ –  “As a self-taught animal behaviorist, Richardson has broken every safety rule known to humans when working with these wild animals. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal’s spirit with sticks and chains is the best way to subdue them, he uses love, understanding and trust to develop personal bonds with them.” “In ‘Part of the Pride’, Richardson, with novelist Tony Park, delves into the mind of the big cats and their world to show readers a different way of understanding the dangerous big cats of Africa.”

Link to 4 videos –

http://www.lionwhisperer.co.za/video.asp?menuId=5

Read more – 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464353/The-king-jungle-doesnt-frighten-lion-whisperer.html#ixzz1syuO4Ubd

Kevin Richardson home –

http://www.lionwhisperer.co.za/