Fibonacci Sequence

Lachlan is such fun to have around. His verbal skills are improving daily, and he will repeat almost anything he hears (mama and papa, if you're listening, think about this!), even if it's sometimes difficult to make it out.

I have been enjoying teaching him to say "Fibonacci Sequence." Most folks just look at me sideways and furrow their brows. If you're not familiar with the phrase, you might want to look it up on-line. Among other things, the Fibonacci Sequence is the number sequence that many mollusks (most notably the chambered nautilus) use to construct their seashells. So it's an entirely appropriate phrase for our little islander.

The sequence is 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34.... Each number is the sum of the two previous numbers. The sequence is common in nature (including the patterns in sunflower seeds, pine cones, rabbit populations, etc.).

Here is a good link: http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html Scroll down the page to read about seashells.

Our current monthly Ocracoke Newsletter is Gary Mitchell's essay "I Believe in Pot-Lucks," published January 23, 2006. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012306.htm.

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Fibonacci Sequence

Earlier this week I took a scud (for our off-island readers, that's a ride in a vehicle) out on the beach in my pickup truck. I seldom drive on the beach, but it's been so cold, and hardly anyone else is out there, so I drove up to the edge of the high tide line, stopped, and got out. Immediately I spied an unusual shell. To my surprise it was intact, and without blemish. It was a small helmet shell, and in perfect condition! Not far away I found a number of olive shells, one of which was also in pristine condition.



I was reminded that helmets, olives, conchs and other seashells are constructed on the Fibonacci Sequence, or Golden Spiral. You can learn more by doing an Internet search for "Fibonacci Sequence". It is fascinating!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter discusses place names on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news113009.htm.

Pine Cones

In 2006 & 2010 I wrote about the Fibonacci Sequence. This mathematical sequence is quite dramatic in seashells, but it is also evident in the structure of pine cones. When I walk the Hammock Hills Nature Trail I pass numerous pine cones lying along the path, and I always think of this fascinating sequence. You can see it in the spiral pattern in the photo below.

To read the other two blog posts, and learn more about Fibonacci and his sequence, just click on this link: http://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/search?q=Fibonacci.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of the 2013 Portsmouth Island Christmas Bird Count. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012114.htm.

Trained Bear

I have heard reports that a traveling entertainer came to Ocracoke many years ago (sometime in the 19th century) with a trained bear. Apparently the bear performed circus-type tricks and was a highly popular amusement.

I was reminded of the bear when I read this passage about Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor from 1220-1250:

"Frederick did everything on a grand scale. Popularly known as Stupor mundi (wonder of the world), the young king of Germany, Italy, Sicily, and Burgundy always traveled with a large entourage that included foot soldiers, knights, officials, pages, slaves, dancing girls, jugglers, musicians, and eunuchs, together with his exotic menagerie of lions, leopards, panthers, bears, and apes, all led on chains, hunting dogs, hawks, peacocks, parakeets, ostriches, and a giraffe. A caravan of camels transported his supplies, and Frederick himself would ride at the head of the procession, while at the rear an elephant carried a wooden platform on its back on which were perched trumpeters and archers with crossbows." (from The Man of Numbers, Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution).

I suppose just one trained bear was sufficient to impress Ocracokers.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.