Hey, Fans of Nature Photography!

Today is Nature Photography Day. It’s a day to promote and practice the wonderful art form of nature photography. A true master of the craft, Ansel Adams is one of the most well-known names in the field of photography. I covered him recently as one of photography’s great pioneers! Check out that Blog post by clicking right here.

It is so much fun to simply go traipsing through your local wilderness whether that be a forested path, a beautiful shoreline, flat prairie, rolling hills, or rocky desert and capture the visual glory of the natural world all around you to share with folks who didn’t have the experience or to help people see a common experience from your unique perspective.  

While the beauty of nature is never lost, it can shift quite drastically from one season to the next. Summer, of course, is when everything is at the peak of its liveliness and so Nature Photography Day has been set for June 15^th, just a week or so before the official first day of summer!

Indeed, the summer air is always buzzing with an incredibly active energy. Life abounds! The vegetation is rich with a lively green. Creatures of all kinds are moving this way and that for one thing or another. Birds are chirping. Bugs are literally buzzing. It’s a party!  

Get out to immerse yourself in nature and see what you end up seeing! You might come across some deer or beavers if there’s water around. Everything of the wilderness is growing which means it’s ever-changing. What something looks like today may no longer look the same tomorrow. So capture its existence as it is in the moment you come across it.  

Learn about nature and enjoy capturing it on camera. Nature is all around us. You don’t need to be any kind of professional. Just take part with whatever equipment you have and whatever nature there is around you. Happy Nature Photography Day and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Pen People!

Today is designated to honor the massively popular ballpoint pen! Why today? Well, it *ahem* MARKS the anniversary of the patent being filed for the ballpoint pen back in 1943. Aside from Gel pens and Rollerball Pens (which use the same, basic mechanics), Ballpoint pens are likely the only pens you’ve used in your life unless you have an interest in calligraphy or comics.

Before the invention of the ballpoint pen, people wrote with anything handy that came to a point—traditionally a bird feather—that would get dipped in ink. After a while, the fountain pen came along—typically a wooden body with a metal tip to it that featured a small reservoir that you could fill with ink and continue writing for a longer length of time before needing to refill.  

So how’s the Ballpoint Pen work?

Ballpoint Pens are made to last for weeks and weeks of writing instead of just paragraphs or pages. They function by dispensing ink over a small metal ball at the very point—usually steel, brass, or tungsten carbide. As you move your pen across a paper surface, the ball rolls and leaves an inky trace behind its path.

The design was intended to be a cleaner and more reliable alternative to dip and fountain pens and has become the world's most-used writing instrument with millions being manufactured and sold every day! Despite its current standing in the world, Ballpoint Pens were initially thought to be an inferior pen because handwriting didn’t look as good. School children continued using old-style dip pens for a while before Ballpoint caught on.

Ballpoint Pens have also been called Biro Pens, named after László Bíró who typically gets all the credit for the Ballpoint Pen. Indeed, he IS the inventor of the modern Ballpoint Pen, it is one John J. Loud who is responsible for the Ballpoint technology. His pens, while wrote great on leather, were extremely rough on paper. The patent eventually lapsed and Mr. Bíró jumped on a newer version that wrote nicer on paper.  

Take today to appreciate what a wonderful invention the Ballpoint pen is. Write a note to a friend, a family member, or directly to yourself and do it in ink! Happy Ballpoint Pen Day, Folks! And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Yo, Camp Fans!

Today is National Yo-Yo Day. The Yo-Yo is an ancient toy that people have been dropping and catching for roughly 3000 years, maybe longer. It’s surprising to discover how old it is. Of course, it’s a simple enough construction: just an axle rod connected to disks on either end with a string looped around the axle. What’s surprising is that the concept of this toy was discovered that long ago!

But it’s true. 

Depicted on a terra cotta vase thought to be from 440 BC, this image I included shows a boy playing with a Yo-Yo—proof that the toy really is that old. Terra cotta (which literally translates to ‘baked earth’) is a popular material, and was especially so during ancient times. Yo-Yos were certainly made of terra cotta and other materials. Greek records describe wood, metal, and painted terra cotta toys in 440 BC.

To begin yo-yoing, you need to let the Yo-Yo drop with the free end of the string looped on your finger. The Yo-Yo is intended then to wind itself back up to your hand. One of the oldest tricks in the Yo-Yo book is called ‘The Sleeper’—the Yo-Yo spins at the end of the string for a noticeable amount of time before returning to your hand. A slew of other tricks have since been invented.

The Yo-Yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California opened its doors in 1928. Company owner, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant set up shop with a dozen handmade Yo-Yos and by the end of the next year, he was operating two additional factories, producing 300,000 Yo-Yos every day! The toy was a mega hit.

Have you ever tried your hand at the Yo-Yo before? Pick one up today if you have one around and find out what you can do! Happy National Yo-Yo Day, Everybody. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Lace up your boots and go hit a local trail. If you’re passionate about hiking, biking, bird watching, geo-caching, horseback riding, or other trail-oriented activities, there’s bound to be a nearby trail for you to enjoy today! No matter what kind of outing you have planned, it feels good simply immersing yourself in the scenic landscape of the natural world.

Here are some great reasons to enjoy, share, and appreciate National Trails Day today—check ‘em out:

Your Own Backyard
Most people live within driving distance of cool trails that are just waiting to be discovered and explored by you. Park trails offer us a chance to escape the bustling city life for a while without traveling too far to experience the peaceful existence of the natural world and enjoy the fresh air of the wilderness.

Togetherness on the Trails
Most trails are maintained by means of volunteer labor, so if you have interest in helping out—don’t hesitate! Check out the American Hiking Society’s website right here to look into volunteer opportunities for yourself. You can also look into events being held in celebration of National Trails Day or hosting an event yourself to take charge and bring your community together.

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
Delivering an aspect of physical exertion that treadmills and exercise bikes cannot, trails incorporate beautiful winding turns that feature new landscapes and provide a treat for your eyes. Trails provide an abundance of mental health benefits as well; the air you breathe in is much crisper and brings a fresh supply of oxygen to your brain, resulting in a happier you.

Shop our site for an excellent pair of Trail Shoes and find a trail in your neck of the woods! You can check out the video below to learn about the American Hiking Society and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Green Thumbs!

Or, in today’s case, maybe more of a brown thumb…every successful garden starts with rich, black, healthy dirt. Today is a salute to making your own soil! Today is Learn About Composting Day! Did you know that you can make your own soil? All you have to do is keep all your organic trash! It’s normal to lots and lots of people to throw their egg shells, fingernails, coffee grounds, orange peels, vegetable scraps, and so on out with the rest of their garbage on ‘pick-up’ day.

But if you throw these natural items away into a different space together—a compost pile—and let time work away at the properties of all those things, it will eventually transform into rich, dark soil. It’s trash, so it’s sure to get stinky; you’ll want to keep your pile far enough away from your house, or in a sealed container in your basement or garage.

So what’s included in compostable items? A LOT! More than I have time to mention here on the Blog. Just anything that is organic. Organic items simply refers to products (food and otherwise) without any added chemicals or artificial agents. Of course vegetable scraps and yard trimmings are natural. Candy wrappers and batteries are not.

You may be surprised at all the different things you can compost, however. Like I stated before, the list is extensive! Things like newspaper, cardboard, paper towel, brown paper bags, etc. 

Also, everyone can compost! In order to do a lot, you probably want a designated spot in your yard. But if you don’t have a yard, you may still be able to work something out where you keep your compost inside a enclosed plastic bin that you keep in a garage or basement or an apartment solarium perhaps…. Make your own soil from compost just for the fun of doing it! And you can use it for windowsill and other houseplants that you have around. They’ll love the quality soil!

This means of recycling is interesting and makes you feel good about reducing and reusing. It’s incredibly easy. And, everyone can compost! Try out composting for yourself and Happy Learn About Composting Day. As always, thanks for reading!

- John