NEW ROVER

I just bought this 1990 Range Rover Classic.  This is now my new project but also my new everyday vehicle (gas prices willing) I will put more pics up as I get to work on it.  I will be trying to improve it as much as possible.

Adams Nature Preserve cont.

Adams Nature Preserve

The photos before...

The photos below are from Stone State Park outside of Sioux City Ia.  They were taken using a Nikon D40  with a 18-55 mm lens at various apertures.  These were taken for my Advanced Photography class, in which I am focusing on Black and White Nature Photography with no man made influences in the photos themselves.  I am trying to capture the most pristine landscapes with very vivid contrast between shadows and sunlight.  All my pictures are taken using no-flash and are cropped using Photoshop.

Thats all for now...

Why Evolution is True: Ch. 1

I just started this book, i found it in Detroit airport and thought it looked very interesting.  I like books that are centered around nature and science, and i am not a huge fan of fiction.  this book was written by Jerry A. Coyne and he starts the book talking about nature being a well oiled machine with parts that work together.  In example he talks about the hummingbird and how it is suited to be able to reach down into flowers for nectar and i return the flower has adapted itself to release pollen onto the hummingbird who then pollinates the next flower without any idea that he had.  This annalogy reminds me of the Jack pine for some reason it is not a direct parrelelism but who cares.  the jack pine needs fire.  the cones of the jack pine are cerotinous (sp?) meaning they need extreme temperature (fire) to open. Fire needs lots of material to burn this hot and to be able to sweep through an area, as the jack pine wants.  the jack pine drops its lower branches to the ground and also when the needles die out on those branches  they become very dry and easily burnt.  these dry needles on the ground promote fire very well, which helps the fires move on the ground.  The dead, dry lower branches at the bottom of the tree help bring the fire to the top of the tree, this is the ladder effect.  i relize that the fire is not a living creature but the fire does rely on the jack pine tinder to be able to spread.  The jack pines need the fire in order to spread there seeds along the freshly burnt floor of the forest.  T.B.C.

ME

so as i stated before I am a 22 yr old student at Briar Cliff university in Sioux City Ia.  It seems that everyone has one of those defining moments in their life when they discover who they are or who they want to be.  My defining moment, I cant remember, because my moment came at an intersection on a country road in south central nebraska.  I was 18 months and dont remember anything about the day, and have never been able too.    We were blind sided by another vehicle and in short i was left with severe bleeding in my brain.  From that point on I was faced with a number of obstacles that in my young mind seemed impossible.  I was to relearn everything from walking to talking. The doctors said i could never perform "gross motor skills" such as running and jumping.  this last weekend I completed a four yr long goal of mine to become an All american at the Naia Indoor Track and Field Meet.  This feat, for me was the pinnacle of 22 yrs of hard work and standing there on the platform, recieving my plaque, I couldnt help but think of everything i had overcome.  When i was in grade school i didnt have many friends, young children can be very mean and me being the different person i was, was an easy target for the bullies.  I hated going to school, between my elementary and junior high yrs i switched schools, to a place where no one knew who i was.  it was a new chance for me.  but once i arrived at my new school i was challenged yet again, I was entered into Special Ed courses.  In the end i graduated on time and am now near graduation here at BCU. I will be graduating with a major in Environmental Science, with an emphasis in Wildlife Ecology and a minor in Graphic Design.  i will be elaborating on all of this to come as it comes to me, expieriencs, thoughts etc.  I love to read also and am going to be elaborating on thoughts that come to me as i read these.

First Blog.

This is my first blog.  I am a senior at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City Ia.  I am an Environmental Science major with a Graphic Design minor, who also runs track here at BCU.
I am interested in tracking my travels and also posting my photos.
-erik