There is good news coming from the world of endangered species. Last spring, two rare Southeast Asian clouded leopards were born at the Jardin des Plantes park in Paris, France.
It’s July and the zoo is happy to introduce Pati and Jaya.
The cubs were born on May 14th, but official birth announcements were not made until the zoo was sure the mother and babies were in good health.
I love this cute photo of the cubs. The one on the bottom looks pretty tired from all the attention. Photo from AP News/NPR.
Clouded leopards are found in parts of China and South East Asia. It is hard to estimate how many there are in the wild because they are reclusive animals.
They are threaten by poachers that are after the leopard’s skin and fur. They are also hunted for medicinal uses too. These are some of the things I can’t believe people are still doing to animals.
On the bright side, clouded leopards have been born successfully in the U.S. too. Last summer, two other Clouded leopard cubs were also born into The Smithsonian National Zoo. The zoo is trying to preserve the species, but has not been successful mating the animals. It’s been nearly two decades since a birth at the zoo.
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I love the artwork by George Barbier. Here is two I’ve managed to scan from my note cards.
George Barbier was born in Nantes, France in 1882. He was a popular fashion illustrator and costume designer during the 1920’s Art Deco period. His illustrations were usually found in French fashion magazines and now can be found in art museums (as well as stationary).
“Voice me ailes!” - Look at my wings! This artwork was first printed in 1922 in French fashion magazine.
The drawing really brings you back to a different era. From the fashion to the sailboats in the background. I also like the simple yet elegant black dress, but can’t imagine looking like this all the time.
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The German news magazine show DW, which is broadcast in English, is one of my favorite shows. I don’t really catch it too often, but am happy to find they have a channel on Youtube.
This series is from the “Great Gardens of Europe.”
The Loire Valley is also known as the Garden of France. The valley is filled with world-famous castles (chateau) and beautiful botanical gardens too.
Chateau Villandry was completed toward 1536 and was the last of the large chateaus built in the Loire Valley during the Renaissance. Balloon ride over the geometric garden would be amazing. Image source.
The misty garden of Chateau Villandry, looks like a nice place for a walk. You can take a virtual tour here.
“The Loire Valley was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. We report on two examples, the Gardens of Villandry and Chateau Rivau. Known for their strictly geometric settings, romantic rose gardens and medieval plantation and innovative landscaping, Villandry and Chateau Rivau are two classic examples of the renaissance garden design.” - DW
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I always thought Google Maps was pretty cool. And now it’s even cooler when I heard about what artist Bill Guffey was able to do with them.
Some of Bill Guffey’s artwork is inspired by by screengrab of Google Maps street view. He is a self-taught artist from Kentucky. He has done some traveling, but have now found Google street view to be less expensive way to be inspired. And with only the click of a mouse he could be just about anywhere in the world.
Some of my favorite paintings by Bill are shown here.
This painting was done with a screen grab from Google Streetview Italy. I’ve always loved looking at photos of Italian balconies, especially ones filled with blooming geraniums.
“Currently, Guffey’s portfolio includes 100 images inspired by Google Maps street view. In April, he finished painting images from each of the 50 states, subbing in Washington DC for Hawaii, which is not yet available on Google Maps. Last week, Guffey painted a few scenes from Eastport, Maine. This week, his blog displays paintings of Angwin Vineyards in Angwin, Calif., and the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colo.” - CS Monitor.
I’ve seen buildings covered in ivy’s before, but never have I seen anything like what Patrick Blanc did with these buildings. Patrick Blanc is a French artist that does vertical garden art.
The neat thing is that the plants don’t need soil to grow. Just give it sunlight, minerals and water. Patrick has also devised an automated system to water the plants from top to bottom. He said it’s very much like how it’s done in nature. Just like when the water runs down the rocks and cliffs. Maintenance is also very easy, you just have to check on it a couple of times a year.
The natural benefits of the Vertical Garden include improved air quality, lower energy consumption, providing a natural shield between weather and inhabitants.
Patrick Blanc considers himself more than just an artist. Blanc is also a botanist and the Vertical Garden is derived from the many observations he’s made in natural places. Mostly in tropical areas for more than 30 years now.
His artwork is considered to be a living painting. In French, he refers to it as “le mur vegetal” meaning vegetal wall. His latest spring 2009 project is in Paris at the Rue d’Alsace.
Image source:
PingMag - You can also read the whole interview with Patrick Blanc here.
L’Occitane is a bath & beauty company from southern France that was started in 1976. They have a good following and has been around for some time now. Anything French to me is worth checking out. But I have not tried any of their products because everything is so expensive! Once in a while I do like to spurge on beauty products just to see if I’m missing out on anything.
Luxurious L’Occitane Boutique. Photo by L’Occitane.
So I tried the Amande (Almond) Shower line. It includes the Amande Delicious paste, Amande soap, and Amande Shower Oil. I have only tried the shower oil and the paste. I like the paste as it’s in a jar and has ground almonds in it. It works like a body scrub and leaves your skin soft and smooth. It has a nice almond floral scent too. Most floral scents are too much for me and could trigger a headache, but this one was on the lighter side.
The shower oil was more like a cream that takes forever to rinse off. I didn’t use the shower oil with a puff, but applied it with my hand. There weren’t any bubbles at all. The fun thing about showers for me is the bubbles, even small ones. I then decided to use it as  shaving cream for my legs. This worked great as the almond oil created a smooth glide and is very moisturizing.
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If you live in the south of France and need to find a cat hotel, you can go to Le Jardin des Chats. The hotel is located between Nimes and Montpellierare. The over night stay is $12 (U.S.) per cat. First time clients receive a 20% discount. There are other services such as grooming and an animal taxi service. You can also watch your cat while on vacation with webcams. It’s been noticed that the cats seem to enjoy their time at the hotel so much they don’t even want to leave.
Le Jardin des Chats was born out of necessity by Amandine and Arnaud. When they needed to travel, they didn’t want to put their cats in small caged kennels surrounded with barking dogs. That just wouldn’t be very comforting to cats. Amandine also didn’t like the ideas of asking friends or relatives to check on their cat too often.
These cats are from the homepage of Le Jardin des Chats. The one in the middle looks just like my cat!
The process took them five years to put together. They had to get permissions to build the cat hotel in their back garden. They took courses in health, hygiene and safety in the professional care of animals. They passed the tests and received a diploma. They also had to find a veterinarian that would be available should there be emergencies. By summer of 2007, they were officially opened for business.
Gallery photos of Le Jardin de Chats from French Entree. The cat hotel is located in the south of France. The gray and white kitty under the log is another cat that looks like mine. I really like this place, I think cats will love it. Especially sleeping in the garden sun all day.
