Comments on: We rock http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/ How can we live without the unknown before us? —Rene Char Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:53:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » September wrap-up http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-220191 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » September wrap-up Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:26:56 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-220191 [...] The past month at Via Negativa began with the International Rock-Flipping Day reports, which I managed to get four posts out of. I was surprised and gratified by the response to this impromptu event, which was sparked by a comment at a VN post in late August. I linked to all the other IRFD participants I could find at the end of my second post. I was also pleased to see some dissenting voices — bloggers who preferred to leave under-rock denizens undisturbed. [...] [...] The past month at Via Negativa began with the International Rock-Flipping Day reports, which I managed to get four posts out of. I was surprised and gratified by the response to this impromptu event, which was sparked by a comment at a VN post in late August. I linked to all the other IRFD participants I could find at the end of my second post. I was also pleased to see some dissenting voices — bloggers who preferred to leave under-rock denizens undisturbed. [...]

]]> By: Burning Silo » Blog Archive » International Rock-Flipping Day http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-218134 Burning Silo » Blog Archive » International Rock-Flipping Day Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:01:37 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-218134 [...] Earlier this week, Dave from Via Negativa contacted me regarding the idea of launching an International Rock-Flipping Day. This was in response to his earlier post We Rock, following which Fred Garber commented: How about an event where all of your readers turn over a rock at the same time on a certain date and take photos or write descriptions of what they see? If you don't have a rock, you can look in the fridge in some forgotton bowl and see what is in there. [...] [...] Earlier this week, Dave from Via Negativa contacted me regarding the idea of launching an International Rock-Flipping Day. This was in response to his earlier post We Rock, following which Fred Garber commented: How about an event where all of your readers turn over a rock at the same time on a certain date and take photos or write descriptions of what they see? If you don’t have a rock, you can look in the fridge in some forgotton bowl and see what is in there. [...]

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » IRFD 4: Lonesome mud http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-206583 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » IRFD 4: Lonesome mud Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:33:00 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-206583 [...] This is the rock bridge I cross a dozen times a day on my way between my house and my parents’ house. It’s an eight-inch thick, four-foot long slab of Juniata sandstone, bashed from its resting place in the middle of the Plummer’s Hollow boulevard by my Dad’s bulldozer during a major road upgrade project back in 1994, and installed by yours truly, with tractor, a few months later. It spans a drainage ditch where water only intermittently appears on the surface. But since we let the lawn revert to weeds (about the same time we improved the road), the surrounding area has turned into a wetland of sorts, and one can often hear lonesome water gurgling a foot or two underground. [...] [...] This is the rock bridge I cross a dozen times a day on my way between my house and my parents’ house. It’s an eight-inch thick, four-foot long slab of Juniata sandstone, bashed from its resting place in the middle of the Plummer’s Hollow boulevard by my Dad’s bulldozer during a major road upgrade project back in 1994, and installed by yours truly, with tractor, a few months later. It spans a drainage ditch where water only intermittently appears on the surface. But since we let the lawn revert to weeds (about the same time we improved the road), the surrounding area has turned into a wetland of sorts, and one can often hear lonesome water gurgling a foot or two underground. [...]

]]> By: Sherry Chandler » International Rock-Flipping Day http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-205603 Sherry Chandler » International Rock-Flipping Day Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:24:25 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-205603 [...] Spread the word! Tomorrow is International Rock-Flipping Day, via Via Negativa: How is it possible — I said to myself on Monday afternoon when I was putting together my post about flipping over rocks — that I don't have a single good photo of the rocks in our woods? Even more unforgivable, I don't have any photos of the creatures that live underneath them: no ant colonies, no salamanders, no caddis fly larvae from underneath the rocks in our creek. Nada. So I was very receptive when Fred Garber suggested in a comment that we pick a day for everybody to go outside — go as far as you have to — and flip over a rock (or two, or three). We could bring our cameras and take photos, film, sketch, paint, or write descriptions of whatever we find. It could be fun for the whole family! [...] [...] Spread the word! Tomorrow is International Rock-Flipping Day, via Via Negativa: How is it possible — I said to myself on Monday afternoon when I was putting together my post about flipping over rocks — that I don’t have a single good photo of the rocks in our woods? Even more unforgivable, I don’t have any photos of the creatures that live underneath them: no ant colonies, no salamanders, no caddis fly larvae from underneath the rocks in our creek. Nada. So I was very receptive when Fred Garber suggested in a comment that we pick a day for everybody to go outside — go as far as you have to — and flip over a rock (or two, or three). We could bring our cameras and take photos, film, sketch, paint, or write descriptions of whatever we find. It could be fun for the whole family! [...]

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » International Rock-Flipping Day http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-202258 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » International Rock-Flipping Day Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:40:33 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-202258 [...] How is it possible — I said to myself on Monday afternoon when I was putting together my post about flipping over rocks — that I don’t have a single good photo of the rocks in our woods? Even more unforgivable, I don’t have any photos of the creatures that live underneath them: no ants’ nests, no salamanders, no caddis fly larvae from underneath the rocks in our creek. Nada. So I was very receptive when Fred Garber suggested in a comment that we pick a day for everybody to go outside — go as far as you have to — and flip over a rock (or two, or three). We could bring our cameras and take photos, film, sketch, paint, or write descriptions of whatever we find. It could be fun for the whole family! [...] [...] How is it possible — I said to myself on Monday afternoon when I was putting together my post about flipping over rocks — that I don’t have a single good photo of the rocks in our woods? Even more unforgivable, I don’t have any photos of the creatures that live underneath them: no ants’ nests, no salamanders, no caddis fly larvae from underneath the rocks in our creek. Nada. So I was very receptive when Fred Garber suggested in a comment that we pick a day for everybody to go outside — go as far as you have to — and flip over a rock (or two, or three). We could bring our cameras and take photos, film, sketch, paint, or write descriptions of whatever we find. It could be fun for the whole family! [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-201780 Dave Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:47:46 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-201780 Bill - They go down deep, just like the crayfish. That's why clearcutting is fatal for them, in fact - if their instict was to wander rather than to burrow and wait for the return of the wet, they'd be O.K. But it's interesting that you mention salamanders. More so even than finding ant colonies, finding salamanders is a great way to get kids interested in being in the woods, we've found. David - Let us know how it goes! Bill – They go down deep, just like the crayfish. That’s why clearcutting is fatal for them, in fact – if their instict was to wander rather than to burrow and wait for the return of the wet, they’d be O.K.

But it’s interesting that you mention salamanders. More so even than finding ant colonies, finding salamanders is a great way to get kids interested in being in the woods, we’ve found.

David – Let us know how it goes!

]]> By: David Harmon http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-201761 David Harmon Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:12:31 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-201761 Cool -- I'll have to suggest this amusement next time I'm out with my niece & nephews (ranging 3-8yo)! Bill: Yeah, life sucks when you're that small! I remember seeing the classic orange guys all over in various forests in my childhood, but I haven't seen too many recently. I'll be looking aroung here (VA) this autumn, though! Cool — I’ll have to suggest this amusement next time I’m out with my niece & nephews (ranging 3-8yo)!

Bill: Yeah, life sucks when you’re that small! I remember seeing the classic orange guys all over in various forests in my childhood, but I haven’t seen too many recently. I’ll be looking aroung here (VA) this autumn, though!

]]> By: Bill http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-201753 Bill Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:52:32 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-201753 There'd be a LOT of unhappy salamanders around here if that sort of thing were done in the spring, though only for a moment until the lids were lowered back down. I can't move anything around here in the springtime without having the feeling I'm murdering salamanders. According to the salamanders each old half sunk railroad tie, or oak pallet left out over winter is a where it is by necessity of life and death. Wonder what has become of those salamanders in this dry time, verging on drought. There’d be a LOT of unhappy salamanders around here if that sort of thing were done in the spring, though only for a moment until the lids were lowered back down. I can’t move anything around here in the springtime without having the feeling I’m murdering salamanders. According to the salamanders each old half sunk railroad tie, or oak pallet left out over winter is a where it is by necessity of life and death. Wonder what has become of those salamanders in this dry time, verging on drought.

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-201731 Dave Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:07:01 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-201731 Fred - We have fossils like that in shale outcrops on the younger side of our ridge (Reedsville Shale, early Devonian). <em>How about an event where all of your readers turn over a rock at the same time on a certain date and take photos or write descriptions of what they see? If you don't have a rock, you can look in the fridge in some forgotton bowl and see what is in there.</em> That's a fantastic idea, but I wouldn't want to restrict it to my readers. Could be a blogosphere-wide event, similar to, but much more limited and less scientific than, the Bioblitz last April. Fred – We have fossils like that in shale outcrops on the younger side of our ridge (Reedsville Shale, early Devonian).

How about an event where all of your readers turn over a rock at the same time on a certain date and take photos or write descriptions of what they see? If you don’t have a rock, you can look in the fridge in some forgotton bowl and see what is in there.

That’s a fantastic idea, but I wouldn’t want to restrict it to my readers. Could be a blogosphere-wide event, similar to, but much more limited and less scientific than, the Bioblitz last April.

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/we-rock/#comment-201727 Dave Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:02:21 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/08/20/we-rock/#comment-201727 Yes, thank you - that's a very important point (and one of the considerations, in fact, that led my calling this blog <em>Via negativa</em>). E. O. Wilson's <em>Journey to the Ants</em> is a great book, if you haven't read it - a true nature classic deserving a place on the shelf beside J. Henri Fabre, Howard Ensign Evans and Edwin Way Teale. Yes, thank you – that’s a very important point (and one of the considerations, in fact, that led my calling this blog Via negativa). E. O. Wilson’s Journey to the Ants is a great book, if you haven’t read it – a true nature classic deserving a place on the shelf beside J. Henri Fabre, Howard Ensign Evans and Edwin Way Teale.

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