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[image ID: Text reading Texas State Aquarium staff stated that the animals have been getting a little restless. One of the employees had an idea to let some of the land animals spend time with some of the sea animals, and it has worked out brilliantly.

Putting the sloths near the dolphins was the biggest surprise of all. The dolphins are absolutely delighted with the sloths, and the sloths, normally very quiet animals, have been squeaking replies back to the dolphins for hours at a time. Who would have guessed these two species would be such a great match?

There is a photo of two dolphins in a large pool, their heads peeking out above the water to look at a brown sloth, who is hanging on a branch. End ID]

once upon a wardrobe favorite evil queen outfits 

The old hemlock forest at Tibbs Run Preserve bows under the weight of a late fall snowstorm this past weekend.

Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland by howard-sherwood

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Today it was Sid’s turn for a pretty portrait, and he knocked it out of the park.

as soon as i figure out whether there’s any practical difference between ‘that’ and ‘which’ in a sentence, you’re all finished

#paramecium

The Cochno Stone is by far one of the most interesting, and beautiful, cup and ring carvings in Europe. Located in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, the Cochno stone is 42 feet long and 26 feet wide. It features approximately 90 carved indentions and grooved spirals, as well as a ringed cross and a pair of 4-toed feet.

It was discovered in 1887 by Reverend James Harvey and was exposed to the elements since its creation, yet miraculously maintained its immaculate petroglyphs.  In 1964, however, Glasgow University archaeologists recommended it should be buried beneath several feet of top soil to protect the stone from vandals. It remained buried for 51 years, as housing developments also threatened the stone’s safety.

However, in September of 2015 the stone was excavated and completely exposed for a mere 36 hours to allow archaeologists and researchers to conduct some studies, gather new information, and take images and sketches so that they could create a replica. Afterwards, it was promptly buried once more.

There are many different interpretations of the carvings. Some say it’s a map which shows other settlements in the valley, others says it could have been used in sacrificial ceremonies where milk or water was poured into the grooves, or that it’s an astronomical map indicating constellations to help guide prehistoric farmers and indicate when they need to complete their harvest. What’s most likely, however, is that the stone was used for many different purposes over its many hundreds of years of existence, and that over time its utility varied based on the needs of the community surrounding it.

Similar stones and carvings have been found around the world, including Hawaii, India, and Africa.