Archive for February, 2010
SelectPlusLevees Fail in MissouriLevees Fail in MissouriThe Associated PressThe Mississippi River is overflowing 90 percent of the levees in one Missouri County as officials announce the levee breaks are easing pressure on many further downstream. (June 20)[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE] [Notes:aerials of WINFIELD, MO levee break]Emergency officials in Missouri say it’s likely more levees will fall victim to the Mississippi River.Three broke Thursday in the Show-Me State including this one in Winfield. The breaks send water gushing toward homes and farm fields. Officials say those levee breaks are actually lowering crest predictions downstream since tens of thousands of gallons of water won’t be flowing south. [Notes:CANTON, MO - sandbagging efforts] Midwesterners along the Mississippi are doing what they can to fight the floodwaters, but it’s an uphill battle. [Notes:FOLEY. MO - man on roof]This man in Foley says he moved to a tent on the roof of his home. He says from there, he can keep an eye on his property. [Notes:CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Bush visit] Up river, in Iowa, the waters are receding. That’s where President Bush went on Thursday to see the devastation. [Notes:COLUMBUS JUNCTION, IA - McCain visit]And he wasn’t the only politician checking out the damage. Republican presidential hopeful John McCain also got a personal tour of the mess in southeast Iowa. [Notes:WQAD MATERIAL - courtesy - various of wedding] Meanwhile, a couple in that Iowa town decided the high water couldn’t spoil their plans to tie the knot. Curtis White is in the Iowa National Guard. He’s on flood duty, he and his fiance’ Daniele Ritter decided to move their Wednesday wedding so it could happen WHEN it was planned.Of course, how it actually happened was a lot different that how it was planned. Ritter walked up highway 92 instead of a church aisle and the National Guard chaplain presided over the ceremony. ___ ___, The Associated Press
Duration : 0:1:20
1950 Encyclopedia Britannica dramatization of the expedition made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast.
Produced by Emerson Film Corporation
Public Domain Film
Note: Although Encyclopedia Britannica placed their name upon this film there are several historical inaccuracies. Captain Meriwether Lewis, Presidential-appointed leader of the Expedition, is relegated to a minor role while William Clark portrayed as the main commander. Some of this may be due to the fact that a Clark was the technical advisor. This film also has some mild stereotyping of race and gender typical of the period in which it was created.
You are watching part one of a two-part presentation on the fascinating history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery).
Duration : 0:8:58
This happen 04/03/08 at Thomas Point above baton rouge , la
Duration : 0:1:3
These picture are of my adventures on the Lower Mississippi River. I did 3 trips totalling over 150 miles.
1st trip in 2004 with John Ruskey.
2nd trip in 2006 with John Ruskey & my younger sister.
3rd trip in 2007 on my own in my kayak.
All music is by John Ruskey. www.island63.com
There’s nothing like paddling our country’s greatest river!
Duration : 0:9:25
Northern Pike one of the most exciting and strongest fighting fish for brackish and fresh water. These exciting adversaries are a carnivorous fish. They are most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere. These area’s include: Canada, Alaska, The Ohio Valley, upper Mississippi River and its tributaries, the Great Lakes and the states surrounding them (Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska).
An interesting fact on Northern Pike is the latin translation of their name which is “waterwolf”. These fish are cunning, fast and predators to other fish.
General description of a Northern Pike: they are a light green, almost olive color, with some yellow or white along the belly area. There fins have dark spots ranging from quite a few on some fish while others may have few. Their gills have little to no scales on the bottom half and they have a large pore which is for sensory on their head. Most Northern Pike’s grow to a rather large size with length’s around 57-59 inches and weighing approximately 52-57 pounds are not just another fisherman’s tale.
Germany is the proud owner of the heaviest pike recorded, she ( most large pike’s are female) was caught in 1983 was 5ft long and weighted an impressive 61 pounds. Northern Pike in the United States are not are large as their foreign counterparts. One of the largest known caught was in September 1940 in Great Sacandaga Lake in New York state weighing 46 pounds.
Habitat’s for Northern Pike are usually slow moving streams, lakes and reservoirs withing the shallow area’s with alot of vegetation. They are also known to be in cold, clear and rocky water. Northern Pike’s are predators therefore they are capable of holding perfectly still for very long periods of time while waiting for prey.
They have great acceleration speed and tend to catch prey by their sides and immobilising or killing with their sharp teeth to which they then turn the prey lenthwise and swallow. It is know to eat other fish however occasionally they like to vary their diet by eating water voles, insects and even ducklings.
Fishing for Northern Pike can be rewarding yet requires alot of patience and knowledge. Their are three periods of time to fish during what is known as open water season. The first period is right after the ice has melted and near spawning areas. These area’s are especially great in lakes and reservoirs near vegetation in shallow water.
They will put up a spectacular fight so there is not room for error when trying to best a champion like the Northern Pike. The second period which is the best for catching larger pike is during June or early July when the water is starting to warm and the pike start to move to deeper and cooler water. The third period is when the water starts to turn cold again, during fall. This is when they start to move back to shallow water, however this is also one of the most difficult times to try to catch pike as they are much more sluggish and tend to not eat as often as before.
Water temperature signals the start of any and all movement. As the surface temperature reaches 67-70 degree’s they start to go deep into the cooler water and as the surface temperature cools they start to return to the more shallow water.
In summary Northern Pike’s are exceptional fish to fish for, look at or simply to just admire. They are very capable predators and they put up a great battle. So if you are up to a challenge and want to fish for something unique this the fish for you.
Martin Brinkmann
Multi-purpose amphibious vehicle capable of both land and water operation. Hydratreks are manufactured in Covington, TN and are ideal for search & rescue missions, border patrol, wildfire programs, right of way maintanence, recreation & hunting, remote construction, levee management, mineral exploration, geological & geophysical survey, people & equipment mover, flood water evacuation, emergency pipeline operations, etc.
Duration : 0:3:8
On April 27th 1865, the overload steamboat Sultana, carrying upwards of 2,400 passengers and crew, mostly Union Prisoners of War returning home from Confederate POW Camps including the Andersonville Death Camp, was torn apart by a boiler explosion in the resulting fire storm 1,900 sick and wounded soldiers, women and children parished in the worst maratime disaster in United States History
Today the tragedy of the Sultana is completly forgotten overshadowed by the end of the Civil War and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln a few weeks before, dispite the fact more people died in the Sultana Disaster then on the Titanic, or the Lusitania, the only memorials are a few obscure plaques in forgotten cemetaries
I apologize for the lack of variety among the pictures in this video but that should serve as a testimant to just how forgotten the Sultana and the 1,900 who died on that horrible night truely are.
Music: Sleeping Sun
Artist: Nightwish
Subject: The Sultana
Duration : 0:2:59
I took a state La Crosse Queen Riverboat Cruise in La Crosse WI USA.
Duration : 0:1:44
Hot air balloons glow at The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race in Natchez as the Bop Beats perform Great Balls of Fire, October 2009
Duration : 0:1:9
“Above all other birds it is the soaring eagle, with its size
and weight, that gives the most abiding impression of power and
purpose in the air,” declared Edwin Way Teale in Atlantic
Monthly in 1957. Unique to North America and revered for its
majestic appearance, legendary strength and longevity, the bald
eagle became the national emblem of the United States in 1782
and continues to be an easily recognized symbol of patriotism.
Once endangered in all of the lower 48 states, bald eagles came
dangerously close to extinction. However, due to increased
awareness, protective legislation and widespread conservation
efforts over the past fifty years, the bald eagle population is
making a remarkable comeback, and eagle watching is becoming a
popular pastime for nature lovers across the country, especially
in Arkansas as well as parts of Missouri.
Kelly Farrell, Park Interpreter for DeGray Lake Resort State
Park in Bismarck, Arkansas, has seen hundreds of bald eagles
during her numerous jaunts as an eagle-watching tour guide. “It
never gets old,” she remarked. “They are amazing and captivating
each and every time I get a glimpse.”
Park Interpreter Sarah Keating of Lake Dardanelle State Park
concurred. “The feeling of seeing this majestic bird soaring
across the lake for the first time is still awe-inspiring even
to me. Therefore, any time you can help a visitor experience a
‘first’ like this is truly gratifying.”
Bald eagles follow seasonal food supplies, so they travel south
along the Mississippi Flyway from around Canada, Minnesota,
Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois when the northern waters begin
to freeze. Migratory patterns vary according to John Morrow,
Park Interpreter at Petit Jean State Park. “Some eagles are here
year-round, and some are coming in from Canada and the far
northern states. Some don’t migrate at all—like in Alaska, where
they are almost as common as dirt.”
Eagles begin to arrive in Arkansas as early as mid-October and
stay all winter long, departing around February and as late as
mid-March. Over 1,700 eagles may winter in The Natural State,
depending on weather conditions. Wintering eagles favor the
Ouachitas and Ozarks for the excellent habitat replete with open
waters, food and shelter. “The locations they choose are usually
remote with little disturbance, and good winter roosting areas
are available,” commented Park Naturalist Merle Rogers of
Roaring River State Park in Cassville, Missouri.
Mainly fish eaters, bald eagles are attracted to the area’s
abundant lakes, undeveloped shorelines, countless streams and
wild rivers. “When the lake’s surface water temperature falls to
41-42º F, there is a mass die-off of shad, a small fish that is
a favorite among eagles,” revealed guide Jay Viator of Belle of
the Ozarks in Eureka Springs. “Young, immature bald eagles, not
yet skilled at catching fish, frequent chicken barns in the area
to eat dead chickens thrown out by farmers,” he continued.
In addition to fish and carrion, eagles feed on turtles,
waterfowl and small mammals, which they hunt themselves or
pirate from smaller raptors. “They are lazy birds!” exclaimed
Park Interpreter Lori Anderson of Petit Jean State Park. “They
want to find food without much work. Being the largest bird
around, the eagle will steal food that other birds catch.”
While bald eagles are unscrupulous when it comes to finding
meals, they remain faithful mates. At age 4 or 5, an eagle
reaches sexual maturity and shifts its focus to both finding a
mate and raising offspring. The typical courtship ritual
includes aerial somersaults during which the pair whirls through
the air with locked talons. Eagles can live up to 30 years in
the wild, and they mate for life.
Producer Gary Cooley of Ozark Mountains Website, Inc., named His
Place Resort on the White River just outside of Mountain Home as
the premier place for watching an eagle pair that returns each
year to nest.
“These eagles are fascinating to watch. The male brings sticks
and other nesting materials to the female, who promptly throws
them away. Then the bickering starts between the two birds,” he
shared.
The peak months for eagle watching are December through
February, and January is Eagle Awareness Month in Arkansas. When
embarking on an eagle-watching expedition, keep the following in
mind:
Get out early. Eagles soar in thermal updrafts, so the best time
to see one in the air is when the temperature is rising during
mid- to late morning.
Stay behind a blind. A tree or car acts as an effective blind.
Eagles sometimes are shy creatures. People walking around or
towards a perched eagle will chase it off its roost, and flying
away drains energy needed by the eagle to survive in winter
temperatures.
Look near the waterways. For the most part, eagles stay 3/4 of
the way up trees while fishing from the banks. Their white heads
and tail feathers are easy to see against the trees along the
shore. Many resorts or marinas on lakes have pontoon boats for
rent.
Look into a guided tour. There are many half- or full-day tours
with expert guides available. For inexperienced boat operators,
running the river in low water can be very challenging.
Report any nest sightings. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
monitors all eagle nests in the state as part of nationwide
conservation efforts. Anyone who observes a bald eagle nest is
asked to report it to the AGFC’s Wildlife Management Division at
877.873.4651.
Be mindful of the law. Possession of an eagle feather or other
body part is a felony with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or
imprisonment. Exceptions apply only to certain Native American
tribes with appropriate legal documents.
Use your resources. Go to for a complete list of eagle-watching
tours and eagle-related events, including DeGray’s 25th Annual
Eagles Et Cetera Festival to be held on January 23-25, 2004.
For information on more eagle-watching opportunities, contact
your local park rangers or naturalists
Jeannette Balleza
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/experience-the-thrill-of-eagle-watching-1278.html