Nature's Miricles Nature's Miricles

Golden giants in warm Mexican waters

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico. The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters. Gliding silently beneath the waves, they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks. She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

"We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at its best."


Cow-nosed ray migration, 2009

Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.
The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

If you like the photos, send an email to Sandra Critelli, or visit her website at www.sandracritelli.com. All Rights Reserved.

Where Can I Find That? #8 Where Can I Find That? #8

Logo design by Debra Pearlman of Pearl Productions LLC

Dear WCIFT,
The other day when it was pretty cold my car would not start and had to have my friend help me by jumping it. Why does my car not start because it is cold outside? - Frozen Solid

Dear Frozen Solid,

Being stuck in the cold is no fun! The short answer to your question is your car requires more power to start and move during colder weather. If you do not plan on driving your vehicle everyday at least start your car. Additionally, have your car checked out by a professional. Just like getting your own physical your car also needs one. Locally we have many car care facilities to choose from: Kinney’s Auto, Performance Auto & Body, Barber & Fricke Automotive, Scott’s Auto, Cone Tire, LaFlammes and Kings Auto all of which can be found in this paper, plus many others by searching your local chambers. Also, ensure you have cold weather gear for your car which can be found at your car care professional and Cambridge Auto Parts – extra windshield wipers, anti-freeze, oil, an ice scraper, and of course jumper cables. As a further safety precaution drive at a slower pace in bad weather, and make sure you have a fully charged cell phone just in case.

Dear Eagle,

Happy New Year, and now its tax time and I’m scared and unsure that I can complete the forms by the April 15 deadline and I don’t have people! - Tax Man is knocking

Dear Tax Man,

We just barely come off Christmas and New Years and the smell of fear sets in as the calendar gets closer and closer to April 15. Have no fear because tax folks are here. Our search turned up nine tax and accounting services in our part of the county. Cambridge Tax and Accounting Service, Christine Brominski Accounting, Crepeau and Associates Inc, Cristaldi Accounting, Dana Clark Financial, Dickinson & Company, H & R Block, Mohan & Mohan and Summit Lake Bookkeeping. Each offers different services and you should call and interview them to determine if their services match your needs. However, do not delay the 15th is closer than you think!

Valentines Day is day is just a mere few weeks away! We will focus on interesting, inspirational and meaningful ways to tell those you love – that you LOVE them! Chocolate and Flowers will be included.

Readers please send us your questions eaglenews@gmail.com or tvobv@nycap.rr.com

Where Can I Find That? is brought to you by the Towns and Villages of the Battenkill Valley, The Cambridge Buzz, and The Eagle.

Playing in the cold! Playing in the cold!

My friend Holly, who lives in Huntington, VT, knows how to make the most of winter, no matter what the weather. She says, "Too cold to ski...no problem, go sledding!" Enjoy her sledcam view of the run she and her husband made behind their house.

Dance Party to Raise Funds for Food Pantries Dance Party to Raise Funds for Food Pantries

ZUELA is a horn-driven electric dance band that plays all original instrumentals with an exotic world beat flavor. Their music is influenced by reggae and African dance music, and features exotic scales and styles from all over the world. Led by well-known area musician Barry Hyman, ZUELA has been together since 2001, and their brand new cd, "Off The Map," can be heard at http://cdbaby.com/cd/zuela2. ZUELA consists of Lyle Somers on drums, Jacob Goldstone on sax, Lucrezia Alcorn on bass, Andrew Horning on guitar, and Hyman, who writes and arranges all the material as well as playing guitar. ZUELA will be joined on this occasion by special guests Lucas Sconzo on guitar, Nick Hetko on keyboard, Susan Stiner on mandolin, and Josh Kennedy on vocals and guitar.

ATHENA with percussionist JIMMY C, brings her original soul music with spirit to the evening's concert. From tender ballads to belting bluesy, jazz-tinged wails, Athena gets the audience going from the first note. Her engaging style, humor, and passion for music brings audiences to their feet time and time again. ATHENA trained at the Berklee College of Music as a jazz pianist and vocalist. Fronting her own band for years in Boston and traveling the country, ATHENA has gained wide experience as a performer. Melding jazz, world rhythms, pop, folk and blues, ATHENA's music brings in themes of love, loss, longing, connection and spirit. Her goal is to bring people together using music as a touchstone.

The plan is to raise hundreds of dollars for local food panties. Please come, and please tell all your friends to come. It would be so cool if we could raise a significant amount of money for the food pantries!!! Admisssion is by Donation

Jermain Hall is on Niles Road in White Creek.

From NY locations: Get on County Route 68 (the White Creek Road) which heads east off of Route 22 halfway between Cambridge and North Hoosick. Follow CR 68 about five miles to White Creek. Take a left on Niles Road at the big corner, go one block, and turn right at the stop sign. (Still on Niles Road.) Jermaine Hall is on your left in about a quarter of a mile.

From VT locations: Take the White Creek Road out of North Bennington. This becomes County Road 68 at the NY border. Just after the big corner, as you come into White Creek, turn right on Niles Road. Then go one block, and turn right at the stop sign. (Still on Niles Road.) Jermaine Hall is on your left in about a quarter of a mile.

Please bring ALL your friends. All ages welcome. Call Barry at 518-677-5641 if you have a question. Hope to see you there!

Healing Resources Healing Resources

In the depth of winter cold, and it certainly has been cold this year, it's good to turn our thoughts from the dark to the light. Tonight the constellation of Leo the Lion, harbinger of spring, appears in the sky.

Closer to home, there are some wonderful sources of light in our lives: healing resources. One is Cambridge OPEN, where the wellness professionals offer Reiki, Healing Touch, Therapeutic Hypnosis. Spiritual Response Therapy, Massage, Ear Coning, Flower Essences, Reflexology, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, and Intuitive Energy treatments. I recently had two sessions with healing touch practitioner Sue Van Hook, with wonderful results.

Another healing resource is Healing Realms, a network of wellness professionals in Southern Washington County.

To this I would add the work of Rachel Naomi Remen, whose books Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings, have been a great source of healing wisdom for me. Sample chapters of these books are available at Remen's website: http://www.rachelremen.com/.

Photo Credit: Roger Wyatt

Laptops for kids in Cambodia Laptops for kids in Cambodia

One of my sisters, Michele, lives in Cambodia part of the time. She has a simple house with a thatched roof, with a satellite dish in the backyard that permits her to telecommute to her consulting work. On her last trip over to Cambodia, she took four XO laptop computers, developed through the One Laptop Per Child project, which is designed to provide low cost laptop computers to children and schools in the Third World. Michele is planning to turn over her laptops to the local village, but for now, her house serves as a learning center. To find out more, go to Michele's blog at http://jumpstartcambodia.wordpress.com/.

Sunday Morning CD Sampler Sunday Morning CD Sampler

Sunday Mornings with Spoonful Catering

Date: Sunday, January 11
Time:9a-12p
Location: The Rice Mansion Inn
16 West Main St. Cambridge

Sunday Morning CD Sampler brought to you by Spoonful Catering at

the Rice Mansion Inn on 3 consecutive Sunday's...
January 11, 18 & 25

Sample appetizer style plates using locally gathered and regionally produced foods.

Savory Plates $5 each. Choose from:

Chicken & Winter Vegetable Hash with a Poached Egg
Butternut Squash Quiche in all butter whole wheat pastry, Mixed Greens Vinaigrette
Creamy Spinach- Shallot Shirred Eggs, toast
"Kunik" (locally made brie), Mixed Greens Vinaigrette with pears & pecans, Murray Hollow Bread

Sweet Plates $5 each. Choose from:

Almond Coffee Cake, whipped butter yielding house-made almond filling tucked into a yeast raised coffee cake
Cranberry Upside Down Cake, maple whipped cream
What can we say ~ Fresh Cranberries, dark brown sugar, butter...

Beverages:

Help yourself to Coffees, Teas, Hot Mulled Cider ~ $1.50 for a cup plus a refill
Order a French Press or a Pot of Tea ~ $2.50 & $4.00
A selection of sweeteners, lemon, half n' half, whole milk

Music:

The Reverend Al Greene, Charles Mingus, Diana Krall, Howlin' Wolf, John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman, Lizz Wright, Lowell George, Mudcrutch, Oscar Peterson

Questions call 518.692.9037 or 518.677.5741

The Rice Mansion Inn offers an entirely a smoke free environment - inside and out

And Don't Forget...

Winterfest Ice Breaker "Fire and Ice" begins January 30 in the Village of Greenwich, Feb 6-8 in Cambridge and February 14 in Salem - More information will follow.

For more information visit the Towns and Villages of the Battenkill website at www.visitbattenkillvalley.com

Everyone Needs a Friend Everyone Needs a Friend

This is a beautiful rendition of a wonderful song.

On the Wing On the Wing

On the Wing
By Hilary McLellan

Teach me to be a bird on the wing
to float high on fresh, cool currents of air
to savor the panorama around me, the breeze,
the power that holds me aloft.

Teach me how to move in the air,
to navigate the currents
on a magic carpet that seems alive,
that shares its power to hold me aloft.

We can learn alot from the animal kingdom We can learn alot from the animal kingdom

I love cats. Yes, I'm one of the Cat Ladies of Cambridge. People say cats are aloof, not as affectionate as a dog, but I have found them to be a wonderful source of affection and intutitivness. So maybe the Middle East can learn something from this cat. Enjoy

Did You Know? Did You Know?

Did you know that the Cambridge Buzz was started by a group of friends who call themselves the Buzz Wave Collaborative? We began with a simple idea...helping build awareness of our communities and businesses by using the latest technologies. Our goal: Building Community One Link at a Time.

Since starting the Cambridge Buzz blog, several area businesses and municipalities have taken advantage of the blog and its speed in reaching the community. We have readers from all across the country, many who have come to our area because of what they see on the blog. Hotel rooms have been booked, books have been purchased, and antiques have been sold because of a posting on the Cambridge Buzz. Now you can put the Buzz to work for your business by advertising on or sponsoring the site. Take advantage of the fastest growing way to reach your customers and constituents. Here are some of what your ad dollars will get you:

1. Sidebar button linking to your website or to Blog post about your business
2. Permanent listing and link to your website under the “Advertiser Link” sidebar list (if you do not have a website will link back to the Cambridge Life or Where Can I Find That? posting on the Blog.
3. Blog Sponsorship Available. Permanent and prominent display of your logo with link to your website.

For more information about advertising on the Cambridge Buzz call 518-677-8471. Read about the Buzz Wave Collaborative and help keep our community growing one link at a time.

Elephant and Dog Prove Best Friends Elephant and Dog Prove Best Friends