January 5, 2024

Overview for this week.

1. The 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography awards were announced. I was delighted to see the joy and emotion of the animals captured in the photos.

2. In Reaching High I wanted to give an update on the Annapurna expedition that I featured last week. All team members are safe and sound back at base camp for now.

3. I wanted to throw the Flock Spotlight on high-altitude journalist Angela Benavides this week. I rely on Angela’s reporting to keep me up to date on expeditions in the Himalaya.

4. NASA is going back to the moon in 2024 with the Artemis 2 mission. A two-man crew will complete a lunar flyby for the first time since 1972.Since my youth, I've been fascinated with space exploration. Alan Shepard, the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon was from my hometown of Derry, NH and an alumnus of the Pinkerton Academy, my secondary school. It made a big impression on us that someone who had gone to our school was walking on the moon.

5. In Wellness I look at the health benefits of humming, which are surprisingly similar to meditation. Sometimes it is the simple things in life.

6. I check in with Kimberly Gomer of Body Beautiful Miami. Remember, she offers virtual sessions and is here for you in the new year.

7. Reid Park Zoo got a special Christmas present this year. The Zoo's Grevy's zebra, Anna, gave birth to a foal Christmas morning!

8. In the Kid's Corner we revisit two future engineers and their KiwiCo STEM project kits.

9. The Brisbane International tennis tournament in Australia was interrupted last weekend by an uninvited guest, a venomous eastern brown snake.

10. We have a couple of corrections to last week's Flock. We would like to apologize to Cita Scott and Patience Professional Dog Training for getting their names wrong.

11. Baby Zeus is doing well and receiving training from Patience Professional Dog Training in the Pet's Corner.

Now, to this week's Flock.

Laughing Dormouse PHOTO: ANDREA ZAMPATTI

COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

From: Forbes, By: Cecilia Rodriguez, January 1, 2024

They can act inadvertently witty, comically clumsy, laughingly foolish or simply truly funny. But are they aware of it? Do wild animals have a sense of humor? Or are humans the only species to possess that characteristic?

Family Disagreement PHOTO: VLADO PIRSA

COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

It’s an old debate with many experts trying to define what constitutes “humor” and research in the field concluding that animals probably lack that particular sense. In which case, the funny side of animals is in the eye of the beholder — in this particular case, of the photographers lucky enough to be at the ‘right time, right place’ to capture the unwittingly amusing actions of wildlife across our planet.

Angel Bear PHOTO: ADAM PARSONS

COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

And it’s from that rich source of material from around the world that the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, with their annual competition, has been bringing smiles to millions of people and helping organizations that protect wildlife.

Happy New Year Everyone PHOTO: MIROSLAV SRB, CZECH REPUBLIC

COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

Last week, week we shared the status of the Txikon Team's winter expedition attempting to summit the Himalayan peak, Annapurna, in north-central Nepal. At that point they had made it to Camp 2 and were headed to Camp 3 with supplies that they will need for a summit attempt and a possible Camp 4. This week, we are happy to share that all team members have made it back to Base Camp where they will rest up and wait for favorable weather conditions to make a summit attempt in the near future.

From: ExplorersWeb, By: Angela Benavides, January 2, 2024

All members of the winter Annapurna team returned to Base Camp on Jan. 1 after depositing their loads at Camp 3

Comments by Alex Txikon on social media, plus reports of good weather, had raised hopes that the climbers might go for the summit.

“If the weather, the mountain, and our physical condition allow it, we will try to reach the summit in the next few days,” Txikon had written before setting off from Base Camp four days ago.

The entire climbing team went up heavily loaded. They reported cold but stable weather as they reached Camp 1 and Camp 2. However, the climbers decided to turn around at Camp 3 yesterday.

“We were too loaded, and with strong winds at high altitude, we went down,” Txikon wrote.

In the end, the climbers reached the same altitude that they did on the first rotation at Christmas: Camp 3 at 6,400m.

At least, Camp 3 is now completely supplied. Next time, the team will climb further and decide whether to set up a fourth camp or try to reach the summit.

From: ExplorersWeb, By; Angela Benavides, January 3, 2024

International teams will finally return to the North Side of Everest this spring. But don’t expect crowds or novices among the climbers. The China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CMTA) has established strict limitations, in addition to the natural filter of higher prices.

A handful of outfitters have confirmed climbs on Everest’s north side with ExplorersWeb. Others might join in the next few weeks. It is a change from the disappointment of 2023 when international companies eventually canceled their plans to climb to the highest point on Earth from Tibet. One U.S. team from National Geographic kept struggling to get last-minute permission to climb the mountain in the post-monsoon, but they didn’t get very far either.

Angela Benavides is a high-altitude mountaineering and climbing journalist writing for ExplorersWeb. Angela is one of the most prolific Himalaya high-altitude reporters out there. Angela has more than 20 years of experience covering high-altitude expeditions and mountaineering.at this time, I believe that she is the reporter whose coverage I have used the most in the Reaching High section of the Flock.

The Orion spacecraft during trans-lunar injection, to bring an Artemis mission to the moon.

(Image credit: NASA)

From: Space.com, By:Elizabeth Howell, June 22, 2023

Artemis 2 is the second scheduled flight of the Artemis program and the first crewed Artemis mission. 

Artemis 2 will include three astronauts from NASA and one from the Canadian Space Agency. NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover, NASA mission specialist Christina Koch and CSA mission specialist Jeremy Hansen will fly around the moon before returning to Earth. The roughly 10-day-long mission is tentatively scheduled to launch in November 2024.

Artemis 2 will use the huge Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion spacecraft to launch the crew on the lunar flyby mission. The astronauts and mission controllers will collect data on Orion and the crew's performance to assess how ready the Artemis program is to send people to the moon's surface.

Artemis II: Mission Overview

Humming is a simple and natural activity that many of us do without even realizing. It turns out that it also has many healthy effects on our general well-being. Conscious meditative humming can be useful to boost cardiovascular health, calm and relax your nervous system, and help you to relax and recharge.

From: Oprah Daily, By: Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, November 2, 2023

Certain wellness endeavors call for daring, grit, or tenacity. But one of the most reliably enriching, stress-reducing practices around is just plain pleasant: humming. It’s free. It’s easy. And truly, almost anyone can do it. Research has shown that the simple act of humming—from show tunes to improvised non-melodies—improves health conditions and contributes to an overall sense of sunny well-being. Here are five reasons to hum a few bars.

1. It calms the nervous system

One of the most intriguing effects of humming is that by bringing that self-soothing vibration into the body, you trigger a cascade of positive physiological shifts. Most important, it stimulates the vagus nerve, which governs the body’s parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, lowering anxiety and releasing potent relaxing hormones. A resilient vagus nerve, one with good “vagal tone,” a stress index measured indirectly through heart rate variability, helps us regulate our emotions. Researchers are studying the effects vagal stimulation can have in treating anxiety and depression. In yoga, the practice of humming is called bhramari, or “bee breath,” explains Carla Stangenberg, director of Jaya Yoga Center in Brooklyn. “Bhramari pranayama is a fantastic self-generated way to regain one’s agency,” she notes. “When focused inwardly, we are no longer chasing externals.” Stangenberg begins and ends each class by chanting “om,” initiating that humming vibration with a long trailing mmmm sound.

I have featured my favorite nutrition guide and body shaper, Kimberly Gomer and her team at Body Beautiful Miami here before. The post below is from last October 6th's issue of The Flock. Since it's a new year and we're all trying to stick to our resolutions, I wanted to remind you Flockers that Kimberly is here for you. Kimberly offers her services virtually as well as in person, so you don't have to be in Miami to achieve the shape you desire.

Former Director of Nutrition of Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Miami for more than a decade, Kimberly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Body Beautiful Miami. Personal Nutritionist & Dietitian to Celebrities and Royalty and World Renown for her ability to coach people in losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle

• Specializing in Weight Management and Medical Nutritional Therapy to help control Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Heart Health & Hypothyroidism
• Quoted as “expert in her field” in more than 100 publications and interviewed on multiple radio shows
• Nutrition Educator & College Professor
• 20 years of In-Person and Remote Coaching

From: Reid Park Zoo, By:Chelo Grubb, December 28, 2023

Reid Park Zoo had a very special Christmas delivery: a newborn Grevy’s zebra! Anna the zebra gave birth to a healthy female foal in the morning on Monday, December 25. Both Anna and the foal are doing well.

The foal is the third offspring of Anna and her mate Ben. She was on her feet and nursing shortly after her birth.

“The foal is very steady on her feet and has been busy exploring her new home at mom’s side,” said Adam Ramsey, the Zoo’s Director of Animal Care.

Zebra foals are delicate newborns, and staff will be monitoring the pair closely in the coming weeks. Anna and the foal may, at times, be behind-the-scenes. Guests who are hoping to see mom and baby will have their best chance to spot this striped duo in the mornings.

Asher and Hendrick working on their Tinker Kits

Last October we presented two little geniuses and future engineers, Asher and Hendrick Misitano, as they developed their STEM skills by constructing projects from their KiwiCo Tinker Crates. KiwiCo offers subscriptions that deliver new science and art projects each month. Each project has an emphasis on developing creative problem solving and STEM skills. The project crates are curated based on the age of the recipient and create an interactive learning experience that the whole family can enjoy. Currently a six month subscription includes one free month and an annual subscription includes two.

Only in Australia!

From: The Guardian, By Australian Associated Press December 30, 2023

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem had to battle two Aussie opponents in the first round of qualifying for the Brisbane International, with a deadly snake forcing the suspension of play.

The former world No 3 was taking on Australian youngster James McCabe on Saturday, with the Austrian losing the first set 2-6. But the 30-year-old’s ultimately successful fightback was put on hold when courtside fans spotted a snake.

Security staff were called in and the umpire had to temporarily stop play when the snake slithered on to Show Court 2. A snake catcher eventually captured the reptile – a 50cm eastern brown snake – and removed it from the venue, allowing play to resume.

From: Wikipedia

The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake after the inland taipan.

Last week, we mistakenly attributed the post about Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica to Cita George. I don't know how we got her name wrong, but regular Flock readers recognized that it should have been attributed to Flock contributor and roving photographer Cita Scott. I would like to personally apologize to Cita.

Oops! We did it again and got Patience Professional Dog Training's name wrong in or Pet's Corner update on Baby Zeus. Baby Zeus is doing great and enjoying a half-free scholarship to Patience Professional Dog Training. They do a fantastic job and Baby Zeus will come out the better dog for it. 

Baby Zeus playing with his siblings.

What Mothers Do

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our second year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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