Random picture thread for Friday

Alaska’s Northern Lights have returned to once again illuminate the fall foliage below as viewed from my home.

It was just days ago that this same fall foliage was the backdrop for an epic battle between two Bull Moose that I captured on video and which was then broadcast on television.

In the video below taken early this morning the Northern Lights are seen for the second time since the Moose Battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQm-12ZtKc

And here are some still photos of the Northern Lights as taken today:

This video as linked below begins with a stunning view of Mount Spurr, the active volcano closest to Anchorage, and then pans from Mount Spurr located 80 miles distant all the way to The Port of Anchorage.

Located between Spurr and the Port is Mount Susitna located just across the waters of Cook Inlet. Also known as “Sleeping Lady” you can see its resemblance to a native Indian Maiden laying on her back with her long flowing hair extending back towards Mount Spurr.

Disguised under the billowing clouds that extend from Mount Susitna to the Port of Anchorage are Mount Foraker and Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keeeW8t8_uQ

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has currently issued a Code Yellow Advisory for Mount Spurr due in part to seismic activity consisting of over 1,600 earthquakes here in Alaska over the past three days. Lava is also currently flowing.

In addition to Mount Spurr as it is seen in the above linked video, here are a series of photos I took of it ten days ago. In the photos it is, at 11,000 feet, the tallest of the snow covered mountains. (Its most recent eruption was in 1992 when it blanketed Anchorage with a layer of ash. That eruption was a category 3. Prior to that in July of 1953 it had a category 4 eruption and as a child I recall having had to stay inside for the rest of the summer due to the deep ash everywhere.)

The other active volcano close to Anchorage which has buried Anchorage in dust in the recent past is Mount Redoubt located 110 miles southwest from the city. It holds the distinction for having been the second most costly volcanic eruption in America with 160 million dollars in lost revenue and damages. The damage most remembered was a destroyed KLM Jumbo jet that plummeted 3 miles from ash that caused its engines to stop before they could be restarted just 2,000 feet higher than the 10,197 foot height of Mount Redoubt. It underwent a series of eruptions in 1989-1990 to include the one that brought down the plane, and its most recent eruption was in 2009.

Pictured below is my photo taken of Mount Redoubt just hours ago as the sun was setting. It is visible on the distant horizon just to the right of the pair of pine trees.

Ironically today October 17 is the "Great Alaska ShakeOut Day" which calls for school children and others throughout Alaska to a "Drop, Cover, and Hold" at 10:17 AM as a practice response to an earthquake.

FWIW this day is also the arrival of the Hunter's Moon. Pictured below is my photo of last night's 99% illuminated SuperMoon which as a completely full moon will be 100% illuminated today.

Note as photographed the moon is hanging from a branch of the "Moon Tree" as seen from my house.

@1northcoin said:
Everybody Loves Pandas.
Last month, after climbing the Great Wall of China and paying a visit to The Forbidden City, the itinerary in Beijing China included a Panda encounter at the Beijing Zoo. In this below video the Panda comes up and approaches me before retreating back.

Share here the experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlgA0bdDNs

The Giant Panda has a thumb similar to that of a human which is not found in other bears.

In the below video, watch as a Panda at the Beijing Zoo in China uses his thumb to pluck and strip bamboo leaves off of a bamboo branch.

This “sixth toe” in their front paws forms from a special bone in their wrists called the Seamus bone. As seen in this video that I took on a prior visit to the Beijing Zoo, the Panda uses its opposable thumb to grasp and pull off the bamboo leaves and then shove them into its mouth to eat,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp9TOhWGaNA

Here are some still shots from the most recent visit to the Beijing Zoo's Pandas:

And here are photos from the prior visit to Beijing Zoo's Pandas:

They are back!

Coin show kids

For this Friday's posting, the sun came up HUGE this morning:

This is the Cartagena, Columbia skyline as we were pulling out of the port and headed to New Orleans.