Jack Daniels Wood Chips and Smoked Meat

Torn from My Work Again

This morning a friend, living north of me, posted this on Facebook.

Joking with him, I asked what time it would be ready?

It looked like a meal, worth taking a taxi ride, to consume. But, he may have been joking.

Next thing I knew, he said "I'll come by at 2 PM and, pick you up. So, I'm outta here.

Help Wanted

Yesterday's blog post, about a Reuben Sandwich, went kind of wild.

Thousands of people liked it and, are even asking questions about the place.

There aren't enough hours in a day, for me to assist everybody.

If, they would just look at Google Maps, directions, menus and images, can be found there.

In less than 24 hours, this Facebook post of the sandwich got over 8,000 views!

Now, I have to hurry and get ready, to consume some smoked meat.

My friend will arrive shortly.

Bingo - The Best Reuben Sandwich on Island Discovered Today !

Running Late

Just a quickie tonight because I'm later than usual. Vegetarians, don't have to look.

Hanging around the island for some forty years, I've never had one like this.

The place was recommended to me by the proprietor of Bingo's Pub, in Kin Town.

It's called Five Star Deli.

Poke on the link and, you can get directions, see more photos and read my review.

For now, let's just say, I'm on a secret mission. Bye. 

Super Typhoon Lan Cleanup

It Missed Okinawa

The weather dudes got it all wrong this time but, it gave me some time off.

Typhoon Lan, is a big one and will probably, cause some damage in mainland Japan.

Last night, I crashed at 7 PM and, woke up 3 AM this morning, to see the action.

That's what time, they predicted winds and rain would be severest.

It was a little windy but, dry outside so, I walked the dog and, bought some coffee.

At 4 AM, white clouds were visible, in the dark skies. By 5 AM, I was at the office.

Cleanup Some Bird Photos

There wasn't any typhoon cleanup required.  Yesterday was wasted, for no good reason.

So, I dug up an old bird photo from 2015, to demonstrate cleaning up an image.

There are distractions in this photo which, take away from the subject. Get rid of them.

The subject is a Black-crowned Night Heron, located in Namisato, Kin Town, Okinawa.

To make the photo "pop" some sticks, twigs, and undesirables, had to be removed.

A few minutes, of photo editing and, my cleanup would be done. Call this BEFORE.

Here's the AFTER Image

Had I wanted to spend a few more minutes time, some of the off-colored items, would disappear.

Just in case, another wildlife photographer wants, to find the spot, I left it natural.

The cement block and colored rocks are more than likely, still there.

One Other Item

One of these days, WiFi will need to be installed in my house.

Sitting at home, checking email accounts was next to impossible the past 24 hours.

One email, from Academia, came through and, really had me curious.

But, there was no sense in pushing "View Now" because I knew, I'd get nowhere.

They Got Me Confused with Someone Wearing Shoes

There's plenty, I could tell you, about ways of the world and, ladies of the night.

But, I ain't got no Doctorates Degree!

So, I had to get some cleaning up on that Academia site, too.

Don't get me wrong. People with that level of education, I admire. Some, are my friends.

"Michael Lynch" (the guy in that email) probably, is way more educated than me.

So, I spent a few hours, getting my profile, over there, spiffed up.

There are a few thousand, "Michael Lynch" characters on this planet, I'll bet.

But, I bet, there ain't many, doing their research, wearing yellow flip-flops!

My Typhoon Cleanup is done for the day.

NOTE:  For the best typhoon information (On Okinawa) go HERE

Endangered Bat - The Ryukyu Flying Fox

Someday Might Become Extinct

This 2008 image was found and cleaned for presentation and, the research was done today.

It started last week, when a gal asked me, "Are those owls, flying around here at night?"

Out behind my office, the visitor from Hawaii, caught me while on a smoke break.

There haven't been any owls, spotted by me, in the few years, I've occupied this office.

She mentioned, the critters hang from telephone wires, upside down and, I knew immediately.

She was talking about the Ryukyu Flying Fox, which is a Fruit Bat.

Scientific Name: Pteropus dasymallus 

Five subspecies of this animal, exist in the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and the Philippines.

First the Fun Facts

• These bats, won't bite people. So, don't scream as, they swoop down and surprise you.
• They are nocturnal and, usually start flying as the sun is going down. During daylight hours, they hang in trees and, are fairly well camouflaged.
• Adults, with a wingspan of a meter (3 feet) make a good swooshing sound, when they flap.
• Fruit Bats, don't have radar, like others. They navigate, using their eyes and ears and fur.
• The diet of these flying foxes is mainly fruit and leaves, with an occasional insect.

Holy Bat Shitman !

Bats are categorized differently, from one country to another, based upon population size.

At one point the species was declared extinct, in Taiwan. But, somebody spotted, two.

Squirrels, feral cats, dogs, typhoons, deforestation and hunting, wipe the bats out.

Critically endangered on the Japanese Red List, these bats have been declared Natural Treasures.

The IUCN Red List has this bat listed as Vulnerable.

But, they go on to say, "Local illegal cults, operated by farmers in response to crop damage, 

are a major threat, which has been ignored, so far."

In the Philippines (Not all bad people) on certain islands, the bats, have it worse.

Poachers, go after these bats because, they are considered, a delicacy !

REFERENCES

Animal Diversity Web

Animal Info & Endangered Animals

Encyclopedia of Life

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Wordless Wednesday: Vane or Vain ?