ExperimentalEdits

Turkeys are a bird that is most often associated with Thanksgiving or any holiday dinner. They are large birds that give good meat, and are a staple of farmyards, hobbling alongside their fowl counterparts, chickens and ducks. The turkey in this video lives on a small farm in rural Nova Scotia, and as the largest of the birds around him, fancies himself king of the flock. He will strut his stuff amongst the chickens, and often sits atop the coop gobbling at all the other birds around. A turkey’s gobble is an iconic sound, one known by most children along with the moo of a cow or the meow of a cat. The gobble of this turkey is particularly loud, and has, on multiple occasions, disturbed neighbours doors down with his cacophony when he gets going. The turkey in this video is waddling around the mesh on the top of the chicken enclosure, having flown up there where no chicken can touch him. Worried about him tearing the mesh, the local farmer gives the turkey clear directions to get down, in a somewhat comical manner pointing for the turkey to get down like a dog who might follow commands. When the turkey flies to the front of the enclosure, what we don’t see is that the farmer has prodded the turkey in the back with a stick, a slight nudge to move him forward. Turkeys are large birds, and when the turkey in this video comes to roost briefly at the front of the enclosure, we see exactly how big this bird is. To makes his size more magnificent, he jumps from his roost, spreading his wings and flying to the ground, in a visual display of his intricate plumage. At the end the turkey is corralled into his pen, chased with a stick in a comical manner, dodging left and right before escaping into his pen to strut again amongst the lowly chickens.

This video was shot in Hawaii, and takes place in terrain that was once covered in molten lava flows. The cooled lava leaves behind a rugged terrain of hardened brittle rock. Black, grey and folded in the weird rippled patterns, although cooled, you can see the way in which the lava once flowed and tumbled over itself not long ago. People often use the terms magma and lava interchangeably when talking about the molten rock that flows from volcanoes. In fact, magma is the term for the molten rock when it is underground, what flows beneath the earth’s crust. The moment this magma erupts from a volcano and is exposed to the air it becomes lava. Hawaii is an extremely active volcanic zone, made up of a series of islands that were created by underwater volcanoes, many of which are still active today. At the end of the video we see plumes of smoke rising from the ocean in the distance. This is in fact an active lava flow that is pouring in the Pacific Ocean, super-heating the water around it and cooling quickly, vaporizing the sea water into a plume of vapor. There are still many active lava flows in Hawaii, and the one the people are standing on can’t be that old. At the beginning of the video as the person filming picks up a piece of the cooled lava, we see that it is brittle and porous, flaking off the rocks and cracking easily. With such a newly formed and unknown terrain, there is an air of mystery. Cooled lava flows are not a sight that people see every day, and the mystery of the terrain is highlighted in the music, which makes the video both intriguing and quizzical. Eventually, if lava does not flow here again, plants and animals will slowly start to colonize this rocky terrain. In ecology this is called primary succession, when biological organisms are able to colonize an untouched area for the first time, like a newly cooled lava flow, or the area uncovered from a retreating glacier.

The sculpture in this video is utterly unique. Located in downtown Montreal just outside Concordia university, it is a spectacle to behold. On days with just a slight breeze, the spinning arms of this kinetic sculpture begin to move, create an illusion that your eyes are drawn too. As it is art, the representation of this sculpture is different to everyone. Some might view it as the arms of an octopus moving and shifting as it prepares itself to jet forward in the ocean. Perhaps it is a jellyfish, quietly dangling in the ocean abyss, undulating in movement, or even a flower opening itself up on a sunny day. Whatever people view it as, it is doing its job as a piece of art well; different in the minds and imagination to everyone. Art is a subjective endeavor, and it takes many forms. To some, art is paint on canvas, and nothing more. To others it is cinema or music, and everything in between, and to the creator of this piece, art is a sculpture that moves in the wind, and has people take a moment out of their day to think of something else, and appreciate the piece flowing in front of them. This sculpture is called “Di-Octo II” and was created by kinetic sculpture artist Anthony Howe, who creates many other works similar to this. The emotions that one might get from this sculpture and indeed this video are not ones of joy or anger or sorrow, but instead a sense of eeriness. The sculpture moves in a way that is entirely inhuman, indeed alien, and with its flowing arms and shifting size can be somewhat unsettling. But as art is meant to be in all shapes and form, no matter how weird or bizarre this piece may seem, it is perfect, in balance, form, and overall appearance, just the way it is.

These have to be the laziest dogs ever. Not once did they get up to move from their comfy laying positions. Most dogs would jump up and greet a new person who comes around, but when this guy stops by to say good morning, these dogs can barely muster up the energy to lift their heads. This isn’t from neglect or malnutrition, these dogs are well fed and taken care of. No, instead they’ve taken to just laying about, enjoying the day by snoozing or resting in one place. One dog appears to be a possible mix of German Shepard, and the other a black lab. When you think of lazy dog breeds, neither of these come to mind. A German Shepard for instance, is usually full of energy and well trained, as they are often used as police dogs. With the German Sheppard mix in this video, if you decided to rob the house, it probably wouldn’t even bat an eye. The black lab at least shows some kind of excitement at a new person coming around. He at the very least picks up his head and wags his tail, maybe looking in the hope he will get a few good boy pats. As the cameraman walks over to the lab we can see his tail a-wiggling, excited by someone new. But still, in his lazy dog fashion, he never gets up. If you threw a tennis ball for either of these doggos, I’m sure they’d wag their tails and think momentarily about getting up, but ultimately resign themselves to the comfortable position they’re already in. This video was shot on one of the Hawaiian Islands, so it’s possible that both these pooches are just on island time, not ready to get moving until at least midday. They live that laid-back island doggo lifestyle. Even though neither pooch ever bothered to get up, and even if they are the laziest dogs in the world, they are still of course, good boys.

The clouds in this video are a bizarre sight to behold. Stretched thin and in a uniform repeating pattern, rippling across the sky, they resemble a series of waves stretching out into the ocean, or the pattern of sand strewn on a beach. While there is a simple scientific explanation for this event, to the uneducated and common eye it looks simply eerie. These clouds are abnormal, unlike the fluffy white masses of moisture we normally see dotting the sky, or even the massive hulk of a storm cloud. Instead these clouds look almost extra-terrestrial, like a formation you might see on another planet. The music in this video only helps to heighten the ominous and mysterious mood. The soundtrack as the camera pans over the clouds in the sky make them seem almost creepy, an odd contrast to the positive blue sky above. This odd rippling formation is called cirrocumulus clouds, which have the common name of “mackeral sky”, referring to the scaled pattern on a mackeral fish. These clouds are an indicator of change, and form ahead of approaching weather fronts. The appearance of mackeral sky means a storm is coming, as warm winds from an encroaching thunderstorm are flung out, and mix with cool air high in the sky. It is the push and pull of the cool and warm air meeting that causes these clouds to form in the sky. Mackeral clouds in the past were watched closely by fisherfolk, as a weather forecast wasn’t as easily accessible to people back in the day. The sight of mackeral clouds meant a storm was on the way, and thus came the common saying, “Mackerel sky and mares' tails make tall ships carry low sails.” So when you see these odd clouds forming above you, know that they aren’t as bizarre and out of this world as they may seem, but simply that a storm is on its way.

Bouldering is a pastime that is quickly growing in popularity, with more and more people getting in to the sport every year. Bouldering is almost the same as rock climbing, except there are no harnesses, pullies or ropes holding a person in place, and the walls are often not as high. For safety, at bouldering gyms there are always large soft mats below the walls, so a fall has a safe landing. Climbers will chalk their hands for better a better grip on the rocks before scaling up specific paths marked on the wall. When bouldering outside of a gym on real boulders, portable safety mats are usually in place below. This video was shot near Crystal Crescent Beach in Nova Scotia, and the Atlantic Ocean can be seen in full display. The man in this video is bouldering in the wild, outside on large rocky outcrops, next to the raging sea. His hands are always moving about the face of the boulder looking for the perfect grip to elevate him to the next step, and his feet are moving about doing the same. His climb is a little more dangerous than most, as he has no safety mat below him to catch him if he should fall. The lead up to the climb shows that some of the best bouldering isn’t done in your backyard, but after a bit of a hike, as we see the climber walking through the woods and along the rocky Atlantic coastline before scaling the granite slab. The shot of the afternoon sun shows a hazy sky, and sets up a perfect afternoon to be outside climbing. Most shots of the climber show his furry companion tagging along, a slim Doberman, who waits below the boulder playing with her ball, ready to greet the climber when he comes back down again. Though she can’t climb herself, the hike was surely enjoyable. After a good afternoon of exercise and fun, in the end we see two friends walking away from their day across the rugged Atlantic landscape, fading into the distance.

The beach is always full of treasures. No matter what beach you find yourself, you can find interesting rocks, shells, seaweed, and sometimes a little bit more. With the constant flow of the ocean, debris is always being pushed around, and occasionally interesting items will wash up on shore. This video is an interesting example of that. It starts with a man going beach combing on a sunny day. He mentions the ocean going in and the ocean going out, neglecting to use the proper word for this phenomenon. After scanning the beach, he spots what appears to be and interesting item and walks over to investigate. After brushing aside seaweed and sand, we see exactly what he has found, and the pun is complete: Tide. The ocean has brought in the Tide. This is a classic dad joke. A pun that is both silly and terrible at the same time. It’s clear that he’s pranked the viewer, who may have expected a treasure more grandiose, but from the tone of his voice you can hear the smile and the smirk as he laughs at his own joke. Even without an audience you can hear the groans from people as they roll their eyes at this terrible joke. The tide really does come in and go out every day at the beach, though not in the literal sense that this man means, and instead from the pull of the moon, and ocean currents. With the tide, plastic debris and other assortments of trash wash up on the shore every day, and while most won’t be treasures, it is important to clean them from the beach nonetheless. Picking up trash from a beach will limit its spread in the ocean, make our beaches cleaner and friendlier, and help save countless sea creatures along the way, who may mistake trash for food if it isn’t scooped up. While this video may be simply be a terrible dad joke to some, to others it may always be a reminder to clean up our beaches and our oceans, so that they may be enjoyed well into the future.

Tree climbing is a pursuit many of us shared in our childhood, scrambling to the tops of trees that stood in our backyards, at school, or in the local park. The curiosity one feels as a child often leads us to interesting places, and a treetop is one of the best places to be. Many people are afraid of heights, unable to ascend a ladder, look out over a balcony in a tall building, stand on a suspension bridge, or in this case, climb trees. But the vantage point one gets from overcoming that fear and looking out from a height is unrivaled. From bridges or balconies, planes or trees, the view from up top can be spectacular, a vista of ocean, hills, forests, or even as simple as different view of your own backyard. The climber in this video is in the middle of a forest, far away from backyards and buildings. He climbs with little fear, determined to get to the top. Branch by branch he ascends, climbing as if the tree were as simple as a ladder, ready to be rewarded with the view above. Once he reaches the upper boughs, moving them aside to get a better view, we see a fantastic view. He has climbed higher than the treetops around him, overlooking most of the trees in the forest, above the canopy, having climbed straight through it. The view he sees stretches far in every direction, showing a large lake, islands and more forest, all silhouetted against the backdrop of the setting sun. The sun is glimpsed by the camera multiple times on the ascent, but it isn’t until he’s reached the top that we can truly appreciate the sunset set out before him. He’s climbed at just the right time; enough light penetrates into the forest below to ensure every branch is seen. If he climbed any later, the sun would have set, and tree climbing may be too dangerous to do in the dark. The tree he climbs is a tall and resolute eastern hemlock.

This video shows a man fishing with an unexpected catch. He is fishing close to shore which usually means fish of a smaller size, as fish that are from open waters or the deep sea, won’t be caught. To his surprise, moments into what seems like a relaxing afternoon fishing, a big one gets on the line. He struggles to reel it in, bending the rod and shifting back and forth in an effort to pull the fish from the ocean. After a few moments of struggle, the line goes slack, and as he continues to viciously reel in the unknown beast, we see exactly what it is, and the truth is shocking… A small toy shark. The shark looks to be a Great White Shark, and although in actuality it isn’t the real fish, it is still the truth that he reeled in a Great White Shark. The unexpected toy shark is one you might see in a bathtub, swimming around the soapy suds with kids as they scrub themselves clean. With its blue-grey body, red gills and white belly, it has all the distinctive features of a Great White Shark, only as a small child’s toy instead. Great white sharks are killers in open waters, who snacks on seals, otters, dolphins and a large variety of other marine mammals. They are among the largest fish in the world, and are feared predators, gaining much of their popularity in the mainstream media after the film Jaws was released. The smile of the fisherman at the end of the video relays his mirth that he’s pulled a prank on the viewer, who expected a larger and more fearsome predator. It was a joke from the start, with the rod being tugged and bent to look as though a great struggle is happening to reel in a big fish, when in reality, it was nothing more than a toy to begin with. The actions of the fisherman fooled the viewer, who expected a Great White Shark, but got a practical joke instead.

This video shows a mother spider on the same plant as her hundreds of tiny little baby spiders, in a lush green forest in Ontario. She sits below as if to be a protector, should anything come to harm them. Many people will shriek and run away at the sight of even a single spider, but their views are often misguided. Spiders are helpful creatures, ridding the world of annoying insects. Nobody likes mosquitoes, houseflies, blackflies or any form of biting or annoying insect, and that is exactly why all these baby spiders are so important. They will grow up to eat many pests that annoy us, to clear the air of incessant buzzing and reduce the itches one might feel after a walk in the woods. They are mother nature’s population control, eating mosquitoes and gnats, houseflies and horseflies. As much as people may despise them, we need them, because without spiders, a summer’s eve around the campfire would be filled with many more mosquitoes. Each one of these baby spiders will grow up to catch a plethora of insects, helping themselves, and us at the same time. The strength of a spider’s webbing is incredible as well. The thin wispy silk is strong enough to house all these little spiders, and pull two separate plants together as well. In fact, spider silk is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, which goes to show just how extraordinary these little creatures are. Although spiders can be creepy, there is a simple beauty to them as well. The baby spiders in this video can be seen as cute, harmless in their infancy and size. Tiny and delicately suspended in their web they are a fragile form of nature that benefits us all. The vibrancy of the colors, the green of the leaves, the yellow of the flowers and the hues of grey and brown on the little spiders, adds to show how beautiful nature can be. With the relaxing music in the background, baby spiders suspended in a web between two flowers, and a watchful mother below, the video is almost poetry of our natural world.