sasysquatchgirl

Odd Things you Find in Nature…The Rainbow Eucalyptus

Have you ever encountered a tree so colorful and magnificent that it looks as though an artist’s painting just came to life?

No? Well, meet the Rainbow Eucalyptus tree. It’s a botanical wonder that adorns the natural world with its strikingly colorful bark.

Native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, the Rainbow Eucalyptus is a true sight to behold . Its distinctive feature is its multi-colored bark, which changes hues as the tree sheds its outer layers. As the bark peels away, it reveals an array of colors—from bright green to blue, purple, orange, and maroon. This kaleidoscope effect is due to the varying stages of maturation and exposure of the bark to the elements.

While its appearance is captivating, the Rainbow Eucalyptus also plays a vital role in its native ecosystems. It thrives in tropical climates, often found near rivers and lakes. The tree can grow rapidly, reaching heights of over 200 feet. Its towering presence provides essential shade and habitat for various wildlife species and its leaves and bark are also used by natives for medicinal purposess.

If you’re like me, and your first thought was adding this living artwork to your backyard , there are a few things here to consider. This tree requires a warm, humid environment and ample space to grow. It’s not well-suited for colder climates, as it cannot withstand frost. Which means sadly I won’t be able to grow one. However, if you live somewhere with the right conditions, you can enjoy seeing this beauty in your own yard everyday. Seeds are easy to purchase online.

The Rainbow Eucalyptus is a reminder of nature’s own incredible beauty. As we continue to appreciate and protect these unique species, we ensure that future generations can marvel at their splendor too one day. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast or simply someone who appreciates the wonders of the natural world, the Rainbow Eucalyptus is sure to leave you an awe of its marvelous colors.

I wish I could enjoy having my cup of coffee each morning sitting in my favorite chair just staring at this tree.

Do you have a rainbow eucalyptus in your yard? Let me know, better yet, send me a photo, I’d love to see one!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Wolf Moon on Monday…

The Wolf Moon, the first full moon of January which shined down on us last night, carries with it a mystique that’s been woven into folklore and legends across cultures.

In Native American traditions, it is named after the hungry howls of wolves heard during the frigid winter months. These howls were thought to signify the wolves’ yearning for the sustenance and warmth that the cold, barren landscape lacked. This moon marked a period of hardship and endurance for both the wolves and the people who lived alongside them.

In other cultures, the Wolf Moon is associated with transformation and inner strength. Legends speak of mythical creatures that were said to roam under this luminous moon, including werewolves, who would shift from human to wolf under its silvery light. The eerie glow of the Wolf Moon was thought to awaken a primal instinct within, urging individuals to connect with their wild, untamed nature.

There are also tales of spiritual awakenings and mystical encounters happening beneath the Wolf Moon. It’s a time believed to be ripe for introspection, releasing old habits, and setting intentions for the year ahead. Some legends even suggest that the Wolf Moon opens a portal to the realm of spirits, allowing for communication between the earthly and the otherworldly.

It’s fascinating how a single celestial event can inspire such a rich tapestry of stories and beliefs!

And sadly, I apologize that I wasn’t able to publish this last night due to a teeny hiking injury, but, better late than never! 🌕🐺✨

Odd Things you may Find in Nature… Hair Ice

This is hair ice, it’s a rare type of ice formation where the presence of a type of fungus in rotting wood produces thin strands of ice which can resemble hair or cotton candy.

One of the first records of this ice was recorded by Alfred Wegener (who also discovered the continental drift) in 1918. He observed a strange ice forming only on wet dead wood and a theorized that a specific fungi must be the catalyst for the smooth, silky hairs of ice.

Hair ice forms on humid winter nights when the temperature is just below freezing. It’s most likely to form on dead alder branches.

Hair ice resembles hair or cotton candy. Hair ice is also known as frost flowers, frost beard, or ice wool. A fungus called Exidiopsis effusa is responsible for hair ice. The fungus produces thin threads of mycelium on branches, and hair ice grows on those branches.

Hair ice is not poisonous to touch, but it is also not edible. It’s a very rare occurrence, so if you’re lucky enough to see some on your morning walks too, please take some nice photos, and if you have time send one along to me, I’d love see and share them!

Sheriff the Dog…

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

I thought I’d participate in a few of these January prompts for fun. So when I was little my dad won three stuffed animals at a carnival for me and both my sisters. I think he won the seal for me. Don’t quote me on that though.

My sister was given this dog with a cowboy hat on, a vest, and a sheriff’s badge. I really wanted that one and since I was the baby she gave it to me. I carried it everywhere, and slept with it every night. I named him sheriff and he was my bestie.

As I was getting older, and he was wearing out and losing stuffing, my mother kept attempting to throw him away and I kept pulling him out of the trash. At some point she won this game. I can picture her and my dad driving to the next town to bury him somewhere as I was always looking for him.

I never forgot about him. He got me through some hard times as I was a child who had health issues and needing many surgeries.

After talking about sheriff one night with my sisters over dinner, my sister went on a quest! As sheriff was a carnival stuffed animal it wasn’t an easy quest but she did it, she found him!

My sister called me up and told me a package was arriving one day and to call her back on FaceTime to open it. I literally couldn’t believe it, my sheriff was back home! My family is crazy I admit we do things like this all the time, but she went above and beyond to find him. And he sits on my bed yet again keeping me safe from all my monsters…

Hunter building deer stand reports Bigfoot sighting in Richland

“Baum, who was in the woods late in the afternoon with his stepfather to build the tree stand for future hunting use, said he immediately knew what he was seeing. Though it was late afternoon, it had been a bright, sunny day, he said.

In other words, the visibility was excellent in the area near Hanley and Woodville Roads, just east of I-71, especially with no leaves on the trees.”

You can read more about this encounter here;

https://www.richlandsource.com/2025/01/07/deer-hunting-treestand-reveals-alleged-bigfoot-sighting-in-richland-county/

Have you had a bigfoot, cryptid or paranormal experience you’d like to share?

Email me at sasysquatchgirl@gmail.com

Investigating the Bigfoot phenomenon by marrying traditional knowledge with science

This story starts down an abandoned forest service road deep in central Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations territory on Vancouver Island. It was fall, two o…
— Read on www.victorianow.com/watercooler/news/news/Provincial/Investigating_the_Bigfoot_phenomenon_by_marrying_traditional_knowledge_with_science/

‘Bigfoot heard screaming and whooping’ in fifth sighting in the US

A witness visiting Connecticut from California reported that they heard what could have been Bigfoot, as they said the scream of the creature had ‘quite a bit of power behind it’.
— Read on www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/bigfoot-heard-screaming-and-whooping-in-fifth-sighting-in-the-us/ar-AA1tXyuG

Men Searching for Sasquatch Found Dead: What We Know – Newsweek

Both deaths appear to be due to “exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness,” the local sheriff’s office said.
— Read on www.newsweek.com/men-searching-sasquatch-found-dead-what-we-know-2007106

Bigfoot Discovery Museum Closing…

The iconic museum, located alongside Highway 9 in Felton, has embodied Santa Cruz’s quirkiness for twenty years.

As Ruggs retires, the museum will retire alongside him.

“Well, anywhere from 30 to 70 people come in the door and, they’ll check everything out, and, I show them our local sighting map, and, they’re usually amazed to see how many sightings there have been in this area. I was amazed, too, because when I opened it, I didn’t expect that to happen,” Ruggs said.

Ruggs says he first saw Bigfoot when he was a kid.

“I looked upstream, and then when I look back towards the woods. Whoa, here’s this big hairy guy standing there looking at me. And we had eye contact for about the count of three. Then I heard my mother screaming. Mikey, where are you? So I thought, oh, jeez, I better get back,” Ruggs recalled.

https://www.ksbw.com/article/bigfoot-discovery-museum-california-santa-cruz-mountains-close/63045200

A big piece of bigfoot history closing its door here. I wish I had a chance to visit it, it was definitely a bucket list stop for me…

Scientists find a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten in the Siberian permafrost

An ancient cat was found almost perfectly preserved in Siberia’s permafrost.

Researchers found the mummy of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub in what is now Russia’s northeastern Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia, in 2020

The kitten still had its whiskers and claws attached when it was pulled out of the permafrost, and was covered in a coat of “short, thick, soft, dark brown fur.” Its hair was about 20 to 30 millimeters long, according to researchers.

You can read rest of article from NPR here…

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/16/nx-s1-5193845/35000-year-old-kitten-siberia-frozen

Sadly, we will probably hear they are going to attempt to bring them back from extinction as well, along with the wooly mammoth and thylacine tiger. We can’t even stop the current extinctions of today’s animals we are causing and they want to add to the crisis. We’ll have to wait and see what comes of it down the road…