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| One of the midwestern states located in central U.S., Missouri is bordered by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee (E), Arkansas (S), Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (W), and Iowa (N). |
| The Missouri flag was designed by Marie Elizabeth Oliver from Cape Girardeau. The flag consists of three large horizontal stripes of red, white and blue. In the center white stripe is the Missouri coat-of-arms. Thanks to the efforts of Missouri students, Mrs. Oliver's original flag has been restored and is on display in Jefferson City. The legislature adopted Mrs. Oliver's design as the official state flag on March 22, 1913. |
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| Flowering Dogwood Hawthorn Blossom |
| Missouri State Flower and Arboreal Emblem |
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| On June 4, 2002, the Missouri Fox Trotter became Missouri's official state horse. This painting represents the ideal Missouri Fox Trotter and hangs in the Capitol as a celebration of the Missouri State Horse. |
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| The breed is best known for its unique gait, known as the fox trot--a four-beat diagonal gait in which the horse appears to walk with its front legs and trot with its hind.
The gait, however, is not a mixed patter of footfalls; it has a clear pattern of diagonal foot movement where the front foot hits the ground a split-second before the opposite rear foot. The head shakes in unison with the rhythm of the gait. The tail perfectly balances the movements of the head. Because the horse has a four-beat motion rather than a two-beat trot, the gait is easy to sit. The horses, unlike some other gaited breeds, do not have high-stepping action, but rather a very smooth, comfortable ride. The fox trot can be maintained for great stretches of time, reaching speeds up to 12 mph. A Fox Trotter can also perform a speed fox trot which goes 12-18 mph. The Fox Trotter also performs the flat-footed walk and the regular canter. Some Fox Trotters can also perform various lateral ambling gaits, such as the running walk or singlefoot. However, the fox trot is considered a more surefooted gait. |
| The Missouri Fox Trotter has three natural gaits: the long and easy-going flat foot walk, the smooth and comfortable fox trot characteristic of its name, and the "rocking horse" canter. No special shoeing or training is required for these horses to perform their gaits and their good disposition and trainability are among their many desirable characteristics--making them one of the most versatile and loved of horse breeds within the equine registries. |
| Developed from horses in the Ozarks, the breed is characterized by a gentle disposition and an easy, fluid 4-beat diagonal gait. Bloodlines can be traced from early settlers coming into the Missouri Ozarks from neighboring states of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Their horses were depended upon for their surefootedness in this mountainous region and their ability to do whatever was needed around the homestead, ranging from plowing, hauling logs, and working cattle, while at the same time able to double as a stylish buggy horse or riding horse for the family. |
| The Fox Trotter is not a high stepping horse, but an extremely sure-footed one; and, because of the sliding action of the rear feet, rather than the hard step of other breeds, the rider experiences little jarring action and is quite comfortable in the saddle for long periods. |
| The head and tail are slightly elevated, giving the animal a graceful carriage; and the rhythmic beat of the hooves, along with the nodding action of the head, give the animal an appearance of relaxation and poise. |  |
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| Paddlefish Missouri Aquatic Animal Emblem |
| One of the most interesting fish found in the Mississippi River system is also one of the most unusual--the paddlefish. Like its closest living relative, the more well-known sturgeon, the paddlefish is an ancient fish that has been cruising the rivers and tributaries of the Mississippi River system for hundreds of thousands of years. |
| The paddlefish has several nicknames such as "spoonbill catfish" and "spoonbill sturgeon." Both these nicknames and the name "paddlefish" refer to the odd, paddle-shaped rostrum, or snout, of this fish. The paddlefish also has a cartilaginous skeleton, with only the jaw having hard bone. |
| The paddlefish is a filter feeder, a behavior which has earned it another nickname, "freshwater whale." As the paddlefish swims along near the surface of the water, it opens its mouth wide and uses its gill rakers to filter out tiny plankton. From time to time it closes its mouth to swallow. The paddle, which is covered with taste buds and numerous nerve endings, helps locate concentrations of plankton. The paddle is also believed to act as a stabilizer and to reduce drag when the paddlefish has its mouth open for feeding. |
| Prized for its excellent white meat and valuable roe, the paddlefish has been severely over fished. The taste is said to be similar to salmon or swordfish. The roe are important to the commercial caviar business. In fact, much of the caviar that is sold as sturgeon roe is actually paddlefish roe. Over-fishing, combined with changing habitats, has caused paddlefish numbers to drop. However, today many states, such as Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri, have tough laws protecting the paddlefish from over fishing and illegal roe collection. Many state agencies also breed and restock paddlefish into areas where they are no longer found. We hope that one day the waters of the Mississippi River System will find this unique natural treasure restored to its original numbers. |
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| On March 30, 1927, the Eastern Bluebird became the official state bird of Missouri. The Eastern Bluebird, considered a symbol of happiness, is usually 6-1/2 to 7 inches long. While its upper parts are covered with light blue plumage, its breast is cinnamon red, turning rust-colored in the fall. This bluebird is common in Missouri from early spring until late November. The Eastern Bluebird is most likely to be confused with other bluebirds. Male Western Bluebirds have blue throats while male Easterns have orange-red ones. |
| The brilliant blue of the male, complemented by the orange breast is unforgettable. A member of the thrush family, the Eastern Bluebird is significantly smaller than the American Robin. They breed east of the Rockies from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and the higher elevations of Arizona and New Mexico. |
Fledgling Eastern Bluebird | Bluebirds can be found in country farmlands, orchards and semi-open habitats. They naturally nest in tree cavities, but are often displaced by more aggressive House Sparrow and the European Starlings. |
| Fortunately they have adapted well to birdhouses and their population does not appear to be threatened. Many times bluebirds can be attracted to the backyard with mealworms and in the fall with shrubs and trees that provide berries such as the Mountain Ash. The Eastern Bluebird is most at home at the edge of an open meadow. |  Female Eastern Bluebird |
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| If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
- - - Henry David Thoreau, American author (1817-1862) |
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| COLORS OF THE STORM (by Inga Nielsen) |
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| Flabellina babai |
 ONE HUNDRED FAMOUS VIEWS OF EDO (TOKYO) NUMBER THIRTY-SEVEN |
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| TILE KILNS AND HASHIBA FERRY, SUMIDA RIVER |
| The rounded shapes are kilns, and between them lies a pile of pine needles used to fire them. The kilns were used to make tiles and imadoyaki, small ceramic figurines for offerings at nearby shrines. |
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| CHRISTMAS BOXES IN CAMP CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS WINSLOW HOMER |
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| A NEW HAMPSHIRE LANDSCAPE |
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| The spotted seatrout also known as speckled trout,or spotted weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus) is a common estuary fish found in the southern United States. While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae).
These fish have large, prominent canine teeth; dark back with grey or silvery sides marked with scattered ocellated black spots of varying size. Plain black spots are also present on the dorsal and tail fins. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout (Salmo trutta), hence the name. In stained water, this fish's background may take on a golden hue. |
| PART TWO In April 1807, two years after the expedition, the Charbonneau family moved to St. Louis, at Clark's invitation. Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea departed for the Mandan villages in April 1809 and left Jean Baptiste behind. In November 1809 the parents returned to St. Louis to try farming, but left again in April 1811. Jean Baptiste continued to reside with Clark. Clark paid for a more formal education for Charbonneau at St. Louis University High School. Their classroom was located in the storehouse of another of Clark's friends, trader Joseph Robidoux, and the expense was considerable for the time. Brothers James and George Kennerly paid for Charbonneau's supplies for 1820 and were reimbursed by Clark. |  Starting the Fire Michael Haynes http://www.mhaynesart.com |
| Photographer, conservationist; born in San Francisco. A commercial photographer for 30 years, he made visionary photos of western landscapes that were inspired by a boyhood trip to Yosemite. He won three Guggenheim grants to photograph the national parks (1944--58). Founding the f/64 group with Edward Weston in 1932, he developed zone exposure to get maximum tonal range from black-and-white film. He served on the Sierra Club Board (1934--71). |  |
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| DUNE, WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, NEW MEXICO |
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| Bowls (also known as Lawn Bowls or Lawn Bowling) is a precision sport in which the goal is to roll slightly radially asymmetrical balls (called bowls) closest to a smaller white ball (the "jack" or "kitty" or "sweetie"). It is played outdoors on grass or artificial surfaces and indoors on artificial surfaces.
Bowls belongs to the boules sport family, and so is related to bocce and pétanque. It is most popular in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and in other Commonwealth nations. |
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| BOWLS AND KITTY |
| Lawn bowls is usually played on a large, rectangular, precisely leveled and manicured grass or synthetic surface known as a bowling green which is divided into parallel playing strips called rinks.
An indoor variation on carpet is also played. In the simplest competition, singles, one of the two opponents flips a coin to see who wins the "mat" and begins a segment of the competition (in bowling parlance, an "end"), by placing the mat and rolling the jack to the other end of the green to serve as a target. Once it has come to rest, the jack is aligned to the center of the rink and the players take turns to roll their bowls from the mat towards the jack and thereby build up the "head". |
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| A bowl may curve outside the rink boundary on its path, but must come to rest within the rink boundary to remain in play. Bowls falling into the ditch are dead and removed from play, except in the event when one has "touched" the jack on its way. "Touchers" are marked with chalk and remain alive in play even though they are in the ditch.
Similarly if the jack is knocked into the ditch it is still alive unless it is out of bounds to the side resulting in a "dead" end which is replayed though according to international rules the jack is "respotted" to the center of the rink and the end is continued. After each competitor has delivered all of their bowls (four each in singles and pairs, three each in triples, and two bowls each in fours), the distance of the closest bowls to the jack is determined (the jack may have been displaced) and points, called "shots", are awarded for each bowl which a competitor has closer than the opponent's nearest to the jack. For instance, if a competitor has bowled two bowls closer to the jack than their competitor's nearest, they are awarded two shots. The exercise is then repeated for the next end, a game of bowls typically being of twenty one ends. |
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| BERRIGAN BOWLS |
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| SWIFTS CREEK BOWLS CLUB |
| Lawn bowls is played on grass and variations from green to green are common. Greens come in all shapes and sizes, fast, slow, big crown, small crown etc. |
| Pademelons are solitary and nocturnal, spending daylight in thick vegetation, mostly in rainforest and wet forest. Habitats next to cleared areas where the animals can feed are especially favored. |
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| The Tasmanian Pademelon (Pademelon is an Aboriginal word) is extinct in mainland Australia because of predation by foxes and large-scale land clearance. |
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| Pademelon are widespread and abundant in Tasmania and can commonly be seen around many of the national parks. Narawntapu National Park offers the most reliable viewing, although they are easily seen in many parks. |
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| The Tasmanian Pademelon is a stocky animal with a relatively short tail and legs to aid its movement through dense vegetation. |
| After dusk, the animals move into open areas to feed, but rarely stray more than 100m (328 feet) from the security of the forest edge.
This species is extinct on the mainland because of predation by foxes and large-scale land clearance. Two other species (the red-legged pademelon and the red-necked Pademelon) occur along the east coast of the mainland (Queensland). In Tasmania, however, the pademelon is both widespread and abundant. Although partially protected, hunting is allowed; its pelt is commercially valuable and the meat is palatable. |  |
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| Red-necked pademelons can be found in the coastal regions of Queensland and New South Wales.
In some places their range has been drastically reduced. Red-legged pademelons can also be found in south-central New Guinea. The Red-bellied or Tasmanian pademelon is abundant in Tasmania. The dusky pademelon lives in Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands. It was previously called the Aru Island wallaby. Before that, it was called the philander (“friend of man”), which is the name it bears in the second volume of Cornelis de Bruijn's Travels, originally published in 1711; the Latin name of this species is called after De Bruijn. |
| DISCLAIMER: Material used in Bitts and Bytes is gathered from various sources--mainly the World Wide Web.
Authorship cannot always be credited nor the source defined. Authenticity of material is assumed to be correct, but is not guaranteed. |  |