Blog: Beachcombers strike gold with whale 'vomit'
January 24, 2006 11:15 AM PST
They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure. But in this case, one whale's bile is man's perfume.
Ambergris is a fatty excrement spewed by whales, and it can float for years in the ocean before washing ashore. The foul-smelling bile can solidify over years, soaking up the sun and ocean breeze to eventually turn into a sweet, smooth lump of perfume. In fact, it is used as an ingredient for perfumes and medicines.
An Australian couple walking on the beach found the rare substance recently, and not knowing what it was, turned to the Internet to investigate. An ecologist finally deemed the rock to be ambergris, or what some scientists and scavengers call "floating gold." According to a report from the BBC, the couple will net $295,000 from the discovery.
Still, ambergris is banned in the United States under endangered species legislation. Wouldn't it be great if cat's vomit was worth the same?
Posted by Stefanie Olsen
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
Our La Mirada
Here's Debbie's La Mirada site address. Have fun exploring.
Bob
http://www.ourlamirada.com/
Bob
http://www.ourlamirada.com/
La Mirada - My Town
Believe it or not I've started yet another website. In conjunction with a dear old friend, I'm now working on documenting the history of the City of La Mirada, where I live. La Mirada is a wonderful place to live. Just 17 miles from Los Angeles, out at the farthest edge of L.A. county, lies La Mirada. It's a quite town with little crime, friendly people, and a true community spirit. I've lived here since 1963.
My friend Debbie has started a website called Our La Mirada. She is posting some great pictures of times past. In fact, if you have any pictures that reflect La Mirada's past, even if they are just your kids playing in the park, let Debbie see them. Email them to her or at least tell her about them and she just might add them to her collection.
I've been taking pictures for her of places that have remained the same in our fair city. However, it became obvious that we were really creating a lot of work for ourselves, so we decided that I would cover more current events and post pictures of what La Mirada looks like now, while continuing to try and find new resources for Debbie. She now lives in Indiana, so it's a bit tough for her to scrounge around down here.
I've even talked to the city proper and they've been very supportive so far and seem glad this is happening. It appears that they are also in the midst of collecting photos for a new book, so perhaps we can all help each other out.
I'll post the websites here soon for you to look at. I'm at work right now, waiting for the last child to be picked up, so I don't have access to the URL at this moment. Debbie even has some old pictures of me on her website. You'll have to see if you can find me.
Have a great day.
Bob
My friend Debbie has started a website called Our La Mirada. She is posting some great pictures of times past. In fact, if you have any pictures that reflect La Mirada's past, even if they are just your kids playing in the park, let Debbie see them. Email them to her or at least tell her about them and she just might add them to her collection.
I've been taking pictures for her of places that have remained the same in our fair city. However, it became obvious that we were really creating a lot of work for ourselves, so we decided that I would cover more current events and post pictures of what La Mirada looks like now, while continuing to try and find new resources for Debbie. She now lives in Indiana, so it's a bit tough for her to scrounge around down here.
I've even talked to the city proper and they've been very supportive so far and seem glad this is happening. It appears that they are also in the midst of collecting photos for a new book, so perhaps we can all help each other out.
I'll post the websites here soon for you to look at. I'm at work right now, waiting for the last child to be picked up, so I don't have access to the URL at this moment. Debbie even has some old pictures of me on her website. You'll have to see if you can find me.
Have a great day.
Bob
Monday, January 02, 2006
Rain
It's really raining today. First time in 50 years it has rained on the Rose Parade. Glad I wasn't there. Most people just go once to that parade. It is SOOOO cold, standing there in the morning, waiting for it to start.
I was coming home from Sam's Club. I had just bought food for the school's snacks and a tree had fallen over from Creek Park on Santa Gertudes and was blocking 2 lanes of traffic. Luckily, hardly anyone was dumb enough to be driving in the storm. Except me, of course.
I was coming home from Sam's Club. I had just bought food for the school's snacks and a tree had fallen over from Creek Park on Santa Gertudes and was blocking 2 lanes of traffic. Luckily, hardly anyone was dumb enough to be driving in the storm. Except me, of course.
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