A red stop sign.  A flashing yellow light.  A sign along the trail displaying a coiled rattlesnake.  These are visual signals that tell us to slow down, back off or avoid the area.  In nature, these visual signs are known as aposematic coloration or markings.  They are used to warn potential predators to stay away.   That’s one reason why ...

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the stores are full of pink cards and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.  One of the iconic images of this season is of winged Cupid with his bow and quiver of arrows.  Did you ever wonder where this image came from?  I just assumed it was simply another one of those ancient Greek and Roman ...

How long does an application of nail polish last?  Regular nail polish begins to chip after few days.  Gel polish supposedly can last up two to three weeks.  But imagine a polish that can last for hundreds or even thousands of years?  There is such a polish and it is found on rocks in deserts throughout the world, including the ...

  It’s Friday night.  You’re tired after a long week of work and want to take the family out to dinner.  What would you choose:  (1) a specialty restaurant or (2) a buffet?  Each choice has advantages and disadvantages.  The food choices at a specialty restaurant tend to be limited but of higher quality.  In contrast, the food choices are ...

According to my online dictionary, peregrine has two meanings: (1) foreign (2) roving or wandering.  Which made it a perfect choice for the name of a new species of Monkey flower – Mimulus peregrinus – “the wanderer”.  Announced in July 2012, this was not simply a newly DISCOVERED species but a “NEW SPECIES”, an example of evolution in action!  According ...

This is a “Best Of Halibut Hal Fishing Trip”   Halibut Hal’s Fishing Trip November 24, 2012   Saturday night we arrived at CISCO Landing and boarded the “Mirage” prior to the 10PM departure.    Joining me was Steve “the fishing machine” aka “Banana Steve” and twenty other anxious fishermen.  The boat already had two bait tanks full of live squid ...

This Report is a Best of Wendy Langhans It truly is a “feather in his cap” and it does looks a bit like elbow macaroni.  But technically, it’s known as a head plume, or more commonly, a “top knot”, a head ornament that consists of six overlapping black feathers in the shape of a comma.  It’s hard to miss – ...

This is a “Best Of Halibut Hal Report”   Halibut Hal’s Fishing Trip – May 4, 2012   On Friday, May 4th, at 4:30AM I arrived with my fishing buddy, Ron, in Santa Barbara.  The 65 foot “Stardust” left the dock at 5AM with us, along with 26 other anxious fishermen.    Luke, our skipper, decided to head up the coast ...

  Have you ever attended a large party, where many conversations were happening all at once?  It can be hard to focus on just conversation, even if you’re participating in it.  Now, for a moment, consider that there are thousands of conversations going on around you at this very moment.  Conversations of which you are unaware; conversations that are occuring ...

It’s that time again…for the KHTS AM-1220 fishing report:   Freshwater Report: 1)  Castaic Lake…Despite the rain, fishing for both trout and stripers improved (the recent trout plant might have something to do with it).  For stripers…try fishing near Kong Island, Necktie Canyon or the Marina.  A 19 pounder was caught this past week!  Some bass are being caught near ...