Day 4908: The Dandelion & The Tree Kangaroo.

    

"Division": torn junk collage, acrylic, digital.

                                                                       

  

Want music?

    Click: Soloman Ray, Grace Don't Quit.

2GN2S

The Dandelion

"I remember blowing on a dandelion as a child. It seemed magical, so delicate and beautiful. But my real appreciation came when young WonderWoman gave me a tortoise for Mother's Day. We named her Toyota, and she seemed to love dandelions above all else.  She moved eagerly to them and we thought even her expression changed when she ate them."

Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant. Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. Seeds are often carried as many as five miles from their origin!

Birds, insects, and butterflies consume nectar or seeds of dandelion. Honey from bees pollinating dandelions is quite delicious.

Dandelion flowers do not need to be pollinated to form seeds.

Root of dandelion can be used as a substitute for coffee.

Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders. Tea made of dandelion act as a diuretic.

If you know dandelions, they’ll grow shorter stalks to spite you.

Dandelions are, quite possibly, the most successful plants that exist. They are masters of survival worldwide."

"The dandelion is the only flower that represents the three celestial bodies of the sun, moon, and stars: The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moons, and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.   Azkay Kayra

Hope climbed back into the trees when no one expected it.

After nearly 90 years without a confirmed sighting, scientists have rediscovered a rare tree kangaroo alive in the wild. Once feared lost forever, this gentle forest dweller quietly survived decades of habitat loss and human pressure.

The discovery has sent waves of optimism through the global conservation community. It proves that even the most elusive species can endure when given a chance. More importantly, it reminds us that protecting forests isn’t just preservation, it’s survival. Sometimes, hope doesn’t disappear. It hides and waits to be found.

 

  

 

A 4+ minute video, Cherry Tomato, here

 

 

Just because ...

Accenteur mouchet 

 Saturday's Smiles ... 

Hoping you feel all the good things in your day.

  

 

 

Day 4907: Thich Nhat Hanh, on life & GPS Inventor, Dr. Gladys West.

"Victoria": junk collage, old photo, digital.

Victoria Claflin Woodhull (1838-1927) was born into poverty in an abusive household, and was married to an alcoholic womanizer at age 15. After she divorced him, Woodhull went on to own a newspaper, become the first woman to own a Wall Street stock brokerage and was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement. In 1872, she became the first woman to run for President of the United States, choosing Frederick Douglass as her running mate.

  

Want music?

    Click: Ed Sheeran, Andrea Bocelli

2GN2S

"When you are a young person, you are like a young creek, and you meet many rocks, many obstacles and difficulties on your way. You hurry to get past these obstacles and get to the ocean. 

But as the creek moves down through the fields, it becomes larges and calmer and it can enjoy the reflection of the sky. It's wonderful. You will arrive at the sea anyway so enjoy the journey. Enjoy the sunshine, the sunset, the moon, the birds, the trees, and the many beauties along the way. Taste every moment of your daily life."

  

Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, on life.

The world just lost the mathematical genius behind GPS technology.

Gladys West, the mathematical titan who developed the essential foundation for GPS, has died at the age of 95. 

Born in 1930 in rural Virginia, West spent her childhood picking crops before a scholarship to Virginia State College launched her into a 42-year career with the U.S. Navy. 

As one of only four Black professionals at the Naval Proving Ground in 1956, she worked in quiet brilliance to solve the complex algorithms that account for the Earth's gravitational irregularities. Her calculations were not just academic exercises; they were the indispensable building blocks for the satellite navigation system that billions of people rely on today for everything from global shipping and aviation to daily commutes and smartphone apps.

For decades, West’s monumental contributions remained a "hidden" chapter of American history, recognized only late in her life through inductions into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame and the prestigious Prince Philip Medal. Her legacy is one of profound perseverance, having navigated the systemic barriers of the Jim Crow South to redefine how we perceive and navigate our planet. Though her work powers the digital maps on every smartphone, she famously retained a personal preference for paper maps, a humble nod to her roots and the physical world she spent a lifetime mapping. West passed away peacefully surrounded by family, leaving behind a world that is infinitely more connected and precise because of her brilliant mind.

source: NPR. (2026). Gladys West, mathematician whose work paved the way for GPS, dies at 95.

  

 

A 5+ minute video, Perfect Symphony,  here.

  

 

Just because ...

California Condor

 

Friday's Smiles ... 

 

   

Hoping you feel all the good things in your day.