RenoVous

  The bat chat took place on the road to Genoa, so we went on through and stopped at Mormon Station .  I needed the stamp in my State Park Passport. On the way way home, we stopped by the river. And....I found another lost shoe.

  I met a silver-haired bat once and I just kind of fell in love.  He had a cute face and the fur is so soft.  It piqued an interest in me.  Over the weekend I attended a bat chat through the Nevada Department of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy of Nevada. There's a bridge over the Truckee River that becomes home to Brazilian free-tailed bats during the summer.  They come to give birth so by August-September, when the pups are able to fly as well, the burst at dusk is something to see, and I look forward to it. There are 23 species of bats in Nevada, and while not the most for a state, it is the most diverse.  Of those, only the spotted bat is considered threatened, but numbers are declining in several species due to habitat destruction and hibernation disruption. The silver-haired bat, for example, will often hibernate between sections of tree bark, which is also where they roost. The Nevada Bat Working Group put together the first bat conservation plan...

 In honor of Pride Month and the season of protest we currently find ourselves in, fighting still for equal rights.... June 28, 1969 Gay clubs had long been a target for police, with raids happening at least once a month.  Patrons would be lined up and arrested if in drag - this included women who were required to be wearing three pieces of feminine clothing.  Typically, bar owners received a tip off and the raids occurred early enough in the day that business could carry on. This time was different.  Undercover officers entered without warning, and later in the evening.  Once the police announced themselves, there was too much confusion and running around.  They were not able to line up the patrons, and many in drag refused to go with officers to have their genitals checked, refusing identification, so the police intended to arrest them all. As they waited for transport, the crowd outside grew.  As the employees were loaded up, someone shouted "Gay Po...

  Taraji P. Henson - Host Lizzo Janelle Monae Lena Waithe Chloe Bailey Saucy Santana Brandy Janeisha John Marsai Martin KJ Smith

 

  Becoming a park in February 1919, the Grand Canyon is a Wonder of the World as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scientists estimate the canyon formed 5-6 million years ago, as the Colorado River carved its way through the rock.  The Vishnu Basement Rocks, found near the bottom of the inner gorge, formed 1.7 billion years ago when magma hardened and joined the region.  According to tribal history, the Havasupai have lived in and around the canyon for more than 800 years.  Much of their land was taken with the creation of the park, but in 1975 they regained a large portion.  They make money from tourists, especially from Havasu Falls. Now, on this day in history (2013), Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk a high wire across Little Colorado Gorge, which is near the park. History

 Just a few shots from this nearby spot I stopped in at, wanted to see what the walking area was like. Seriously though, how many times have you come across ONE shoe on a road or path? And we went to the Drive-In on Friday.  Hubby had to see Top Gun.

  Celebrating the tallest animal on the longest day (or night, depending on your hemisphere). This day is not only about loving these animals, but conserving them as well.  The IUCN Red List indicates their numbers are dropping, even when they included subspecies.   Additional research has concluded there are four distinct species of giraffe: Masai, Northern, Reticulated, and Southern. From these, there are subspecies such as the Angolan giraffe, the Luangwa giraffe, and the Nubian giraffe. As a whole, giraffes are considered "Vulnerable." The Kordofan giraffe is critically endangered, and 60% of their population live on a conservation in Chad.  Compared to the others, Kordofans are relatively short, and they have more irregular spots on the inner legs. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is involved in initiatives in 17 African countries, impacting over 100 million acres of giraffe habitat. This year, the day is dedicated to bringing giraffe back to Mozambique....

  I thought we might touch on yesterday's holiday, and today's observance thereof, through a fashion lens.  That may seem insignificant, but I found an article that mentioned the freedom of throwing away the clothing associated with their lives as slaves, the freedom of self expression that remains important to this day. "Growing up, it was customary to wear your nicest outfits as a way to honor the enslaved who had no control over their clothing choices." "Negro cloth" was a coarse and uncomfortable fabric used for slave clothing, and some states had laws preventing slaves from wearing anything "finer, or of greater value." Of course, there were no colors in those textiles, and no individuality. BruceGlen hosted a Juneteenth Trap and Soul brunch with a live gospel performance and a line-up of Black-owned vendors.  Their new collection, "Look Mom," is a dedication and a celebration. AWET is a loungewear designer who launched during the p...

 It's been a boozy week, so let's look at the science of fermentation, which is the chemical process that converts sugar found in fruits or grains to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. Wine, beer, and alcohol all begin with sugar and yeast, which provides the necessary enzymes for the chemical process.  Spirits take the extra step to distill the alcohol, removing excess water until the desired proof is obtained. Many believe that mead is the oldest alcoholic drink, sometimes referred to as honey wine.  Residual samples found in ceramics date it from 2800 to 1800 BC, and the ancient Greeks considered it "the nectar of the gods," since bees were seen as messengers of the heavens. Mead is also referenced in literature throughout history, such as in  Beowulf  and The Canterbury Tales. Some histories suggest it originated in the African bush in the hollowed out portions of Baobab and Miombo trees where wild bees would nest.  During the rainy season, the hollows w...

 Yesterday concluded a two week period of Reno and then Sparks Food and Drink Week. First I stopped at Black Rabbit Mead Company.  I went for the Hawaiian Embers, with hints of pineapple and jalapeño. The special at the Ale House was Twisted Tea BBQ Tots, and they were delicious. On tap, I got a local Revision brew, Disco Ninja. Last night I went to Great Basin Brewery and had their Sausage and Beer Flight. That empty taster there is my favorite, Nitro Outlaw Milk Stout. For three visits, I got 6 raffles.  We'll see if I win anything this year!

  The North American Nature Photography Association established this day to bring awareness to their work, but mostly, the fragility of the subjects of their work. So take a walk today, and take a photo. Unless we do more to protect the natural world, the picture may in fact last longer.