Cordwood construction is a method of natural building that originated roughly one thousand years ago in Greece and Siberia. This method involves using pieces of wood that slightly protrude from the mortar, giving the walls an attractive appearance. Usually, the walls are made 12 to 24 inches thick. However, in some parts of Canada, the walls can be as thick as 36 inches. This method appeals to many people due to its ease of construction economy of resources. Cordwood Construction can be separated into two main types: mortar-insulation-mortar (M-I-M) and Throughwall. M-I-M is a more preferable and widely used choice as it allows for better insulating properties.

Without mincing words we would like to present a feature: Self-Publishing, let's call it Samizdat. :-) Sure we aren't Flickr, StumbleUpon or add_whatever_you_like, we're really small in comparison with these giants but we have constant, very attentive and grateful audience. All we can offer you is a place on the main page and attention of all our visitors to your posts, the things that are hard to achieve on numerous social services. Who knows, maybe tiny and humble indie project like AvaxNews will be much more helpful in searching of your audience than facebook for example. %-)

An injured supporter of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga receives assistance in Nairobi, Kenya on November 17, 2017. Kenyan police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga who are trying to gather near the country's main airport and Uhuru park to welcome him back from an overseas trip. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)

Vivid colors and bizarre shapes come together in a false-color image that could be an illustration for a fantasy story. This labyrinth of exotic features winds its way along the edge of Russia’s Chaunskaya Bay in northeastern Siberia, seen as a vivid blue half-circle at the bottom of the image Two major rivers, the Chaun and Palyavaam, flow into the bay, which in turn opens into the Arctic Ocean. Ribbon lakes and bogs are present throughout the area, created by depressions left by receding glaciers. (Photo by USGS/NASA)

“In a nutshell and to prevent my english readers from experiencing eye bleeding after having read too many syntax errors, I’m a french journalist – I work as an editor, not as photographer – who happens to be nuts about photography. Being the happy owner of too many Leica M for a man to shoot, I spend most of my free time shooting my friend and my town, Strasbourg, in b&w and sometimes in colors”. – Manuel Plantin

Photo: “Even detectives got the blues”. Strasbourg, 2011 (Photo by Manuel Plantin)

If you ever wanted to meet a live Pikachu, you might have a hard time finding one. However, there is a creature on this Earth that kind of looks like one. That creature’s name is Thecacera pacifica and it is a species of a sea slug. These little critters can be found in the Indian Ocean from African coast to Indonesia and Vanuatu. Their vibrant orange and blue colors look gorgeous, making it look like some sort of anemone. Also, as you might have guessed from the striking colors of the sea slug, just like most of anemones, this creature is very toxic. Thus, keeping it as a pet isn’t an option.

Dongchuan is a rural place located in the area of Wumeng Mountains. This place became one of the most favored destination spots for Chinese photographers all because of its red soil. The Wumeng’s scenery was first discovered in mid-90s. The first photographers who came here shot some award-winning photos, which made them keep the location of this place a secret. With time, however, more people found out about this place, making them want to visit these arid mountains. The contrasting red soil, yellow buckwheat, and brilliant blue skies make this place a paradise for photographers.

Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet (1,885 m). The lake has a surface area of .5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi). The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The colour is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.