lesha's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=lesha2005-10-31T01:54:30ZMoon Trees (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/Moon+Treesleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-10-31T01:54:30Z2005-10-31T01:54:30Z<b> <i>Moon Trees: Living Symbols of Space</i></b><p>
<b>The History of the Moon Trees</b><br>
In the early 1950s, a man named <a href="/title/Stuart+A.+Roosa">Stuart A. Roosa</a> took a job as a <a href="/title/smoke+jumper">smoke jumper</a> in the <a href="/title/United+States+Forest+Service">United States Forest Service</a>. As part of forest-fire fighting efforts, his job was to <a href="/title/parachute">parachute</a> into the wildfire, drifting through a thick canopy of branches and leaves and pine needles.
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Though Roosa eventually left the job to become an Air Force test pilot, he would often reminisce about the stately trees he'd seen in his Forest Service days. In 1966, when he was asked to become an astronaut in the <a href="/title/Apollo">Apollo</a> moon missions, Roosa decided not to take along the usual souveniers-- instead, recalling his affection for his smoke-jumping days, the man would pack a small metal canister of tree seeds.
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Working with Stan Krugman, Forest Service director for forest genetics research at the time, Roosa decided upon a handful of species that would grow well in numerous places in the United States: <a href="/title/redwood">redwood</a>s, loblolly<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Bee hummingbird (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/Bee+hummingbirdleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-10-15T00:38:52Z2005-10-15T00:38:52Z<b>The Smallest of Birds</b><br>
The Bee Hummingbird (<i>Mellisuga Helenae</i>)<p>
<i>Basics</i><br>
Range: <a href="/title/Cuba">Cuba</a> and the <a href="/title/Isle+of+Pines">Isle of Pines</a> (an island southwest of Cuba)<br>
Weight: ~1.8 grams<br>
Length: ~2 1/4 inches<br>
Habitat: Woodlands, Shrubbery, Gardens<p>
<i>What does a bee hummingbird look like?</i><br>
As the world's smallest <a href="/title/bird">bird</a>, the male bee hummingbird is astoundingly tiny and the female only a fraction larger. Their beaks and tails compose more than half of their lengths, lending them a slightly cartoonish appearance. The size of a bee (as its name would imply), the birds can sometimes weigh less than a <a href="/title/penny">penny</a> and are often mistaken for insects. <p>
The male birds are very vivid, with a crimson throat, a blue-green iridescent back, and a white belly. Females are slightly more subdued, with green backs and a white belly.
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<i> How do they live? </i><br>
The Bee Hummingbird's diet is composed chiefly of <a href="/title/nectar">nectar</a> and small <a href="/title/insects">insects</a>. As such a tiny animal with such a<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Kate Chopin (person)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/Kate+Chopinleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-10-10T04:55:38Z2005-10-10T04:55:38Z<b>Kate Chopin: Biography of an American Feminist Author</b><p>
<i>Her Parentage</i><p>
Thomas O'Flaherty, the father of Kate Chopin, was a highly successful <a href="/title/Irish">Irish</a> immigrant. A shrewd businessman, he was a founder of the <a href="/title/Pacific+Railroad">Pacific Railroad</a> and became very prosperous. His first wife died, leaving him with one son, George. 6 months after that wife's death, the middle-aged man married a woman half his age: 16-year-old Eliza Faris, a French-<a href="/title/Creole">Creole</a> girl of a well-bred, but impoverished family.
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Chopin's extended family also included some interesting characters. Her great-great grandmother was granted the first legal separation in <a href="/title/St.+Louis">St. Louis</a>, gave birth out of wedlock, and financed <a href="/title/keelboat">keelboat</a>s to some success. Both her great-grandmother and grandmother had been widowed young and never remarried.
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<i>Her Childhood</i>
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Katherine O'Flaherty was born on February 8, 1851 in <a href="/title/St.+Louis%252C+Missouri">St. Louis, Missouri</a>. Her father, Thomas O'Flaherty, was tragically killed when a bridge collapsed as his<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Daughters of the American Revolution (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/Daughters+of+the+American+Revolutionleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-07-09T04:15:29Z2005-07-09T04:15:29Z<i><b>Daughters of the American Revolution</b></i>
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<i>Basics</i>
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What: Service organization dedicated to historical conservation, <a href="/title/education">education</a>, and the promotion of <a href="/title/patriotism">patriotism</a>.
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Who: <a href="/title/Female">Female</a>s over 18 directly descended from any <a href="/title/rebel">rebel</a> participant in the <a href="/title/American+Revolution">American Revolution</a>.
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Founded: October 11, 1890
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Number of Members: 168,000
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Motto: "God, Home, and Country"
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Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization composed of direct female descendents of Revolution veterans. Based in <a href="/title/Washington+DC">Washington DC</a>, DAR has become a significant contributor to scholarships, memorials, museums, and restoration projects.
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<i>History</i>
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Daughters of the American Revolution was founded on October 11, 1890, by a group of women with familial ties to the Revolution. Worried that <a href="/title/American+history">American history</a> and American artifacts were fading and in disrepair, these women created DAR to help educate the population and better preserve historical items for the future. Along with<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…The Legend of the Piasa Bird (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/The+Legend+of+the+Piasa+Birdleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-07-08T18:15:34Z2005-07-08T18:15:34ZWhen travelling alongside the <a href="/title/Mississippi+River">Mississippi River</a>, driving down the <a href="/title/Great+River+Road">Great River Road</a>, a visitor just leaving Alton is greeted by a strange sight. As he rounds a bend in the road, a wall of tall <a href="/title/limestone">limestone</a> cliffs gleams in the sunlight, rising up from the road at least 50 feet. There, etched into the chalky surface of the rock, is a very odd looking creature. It is vaguely <a href="/title/griffon">griffon</a>-like-- a four-legged animal with a beard, talons, and a pair of wings. The paint has faded from the unrelenting sunlight, but the visitor can still see the tawny gold of the creature's feathery tail. It seems a peculiar subject for <a href="/title/graffiti">graffiti</a>. And it is far too well-drawn. In all honesty, he thinks, it looks like nothing more or less than some logo for a <a href="/title/motorcycle">motorcycle</a> wear company.
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Allegedly an ancient <a href="/title/Native+American">Native American</a> tale, first seen by European eyes through famed explorers <a href="/title/Marquette">Marquette</a> and <a href="/title/Joliet">Joliet</a>, the Piasa (pronounced PIE-a-saw) bird has become the object of much local affection for residents on the Great River Road.<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…The Katy Trail (place)http://m.everything2.com/user/lesha/writeups/The+Katy+Trailleshahttp://m.everything2.com/user/lesha2005-07-05T00:45:54Z2005-07-05T00:45:54Z<b>What is the Katy Trail?</b>
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The Katy Trail is a 200 mile long route that traverses the state of <a href="/title/Missouri">Missouri</a>, from <a href="/title/St.+Charles">St. Charles</a> to Clinton. Actually a <a href="/title/state+park">state park</a>, the entire path covers almost 3000 sq. acres of land. While most commonly a <a href="/title/bike">bike</a> trail, <a href="/title/hiking">hiking</a>, <a href="/title/roller+blading">roller blading</a>, and even <a href="/title/horseback+riding">horseback riding</a> are permitted.
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<b>What is the Trail Like?</b>
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The Katy Trail is relatively new, acquired only in 1987. As such, it is up-to-date and extraordinarily well-maintained. It is mostly flat, with a surface of <a href="/title/gravel">gravel</a> in some areas or simply hard-packed dirt in others. Most areas of the trail are tame, with only gentle dips, which makes it ideal for the beginning biker or families.
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Besides its ease, the trail passes through some of Missouri's most verdant farmland, lovely hills, and quaint villages. Many of the towns on the route have a strong <a href="/title/German">German</a> heritage, such as Augusta, a small community famed for its <a href="/title/wine">wine</a>, and Hermann, home of the Deutschheim State Historic Site. Others<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…