Keeping up the sailing theme - the "Dove" was the smaller of two ships carrying those who founded the colony of Maryland in 1634. It took an act of courage to venture across the Atlantic.
“Hatikva” Sails Again!
I've had a sailboat sitting, for a long while, in a place not very well suited for a boat of any kind, much less one with a 25' mast. It's been sitting on a trailer in my garage, and it's been sad. I bought her from a co-worker. Spent a few months fixing things -…Read more “Hatikva” Sails Again!
Cryptochromes and Bird Migration
Spring is here! Around here, the trees are budding, the weather is alternately windy, stormy, and cold - and the birds are returning. Flocks of robins cover the neighbors' lawns, and the ospreys have returned to claim and improve last year's nesting sites. Bird migrations have long been a mystery to us simple humans. We've…Read more Cryptochromes and Bird Migration
Inspiration From An Interplanetary Snowman
Back on New Year's Day, 2019, the world got its first glimpses of MU69, a tiny rock orbiting our Sun almost a billion miles farther out than Pluto, in the heart of the Kuiper Belt. This rock represented our first up-close look at such a distant solar system object. Though it dwells in the same…Read more Inspiration From An Interplanetary Snowman
Growing Daylight
At my latitude, yesterday we saw 10:30 hours of daylight - and that's increasing as we leave Dark Winter behind and enter the Groundhog Days. Hopefully we'll start seeing enough daylight that we're not stuck at work for all of it!
On Groundhog Meteorological Prognostication
I'm a little late posting this, but hey, busy weekend. So... There are many, many groundhogs out there. Several are consulted each February 2 on the prospects of an early spring. (Punxsutawny Phil is merely the most famous of these prognosticating rodents.) I wondered - how good are they? I mean, just so we're on…Read more On Groundhog Meteorological Prognostication
Super (Cold) Blood Wolf Moon
Cold, and windy, but mostly clear - just some high cirrus passing by every once in a while to give the Moon a hazy halo. I tried to capture a timelapse of the whole event - that's being processed and hopefully comes out well. In the meantime, here's a montage of the eclipse as viewed…Read more Super (Cold) Blood Wolf Moon
Lunar-tic
Tonight's the night! The much-hyped Super Blood Wolf Moon (aka total lunar eclipse, in January, while the Moon is at perigee) is visible tonight from both Americas. Western viewers get to see it in the evening, while Eastern viewers have to stay up a little later, but see totality when the Moon is at its…Read more Lunar-tic
Junco Snack Break
Snack break - we're in round two of a two-step snowfall here in the Mid-Atlantic. First was 5 inches of snow worn down by some sleet and freezing rain, and now it's a serious snowfall bringing maybe as much as another 5 inches. We had several birds stock up during the lull. These dark-eyed juncos…Read more Junco Snack Break
Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?
By now, I'm sure most people are aware of the effects the ongoing partial US Govt Shutdown is having on National Park services - the new cycles have been filled with reports of vandalism, illegal camping, destruction of property, overflowing trashcans, filled pit toilets, etc. I'm struggling to understand why, in a way that gives…Read more Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?
Red
Red -- Only female American Holly trees grow the iconic red berries in the winter. Male trees, always nearby, lack them.
Outdoor Resolutions For 2019
I had a pretty good year of adventure in 2018. I didn't manage any BIG trips, stayed mostly on the East Coast (with a brief stint in Hawaii), but managed quite a bit of hiking, backpacking, paddling and wandering, and a total of 26 nights spent in a sleeping bag - MOSTLY in a tent,…Read more Outdoor Resolutions For 2019
Fresh
I'll admit, this wasn't taken today! I'd rather be seeing this than low 40's and rain, to be sure... This time of year, I always seem to be looking forward to the next snowfall.
New Beginnings
For me, 2018 closed in a cold rain. The year has been a challenge on many fronts - nothing insurmountable, but pressures have altered priorities, focused attention and activity. Engaging with the "friends I've never met" has had to take a back seat. But a New Year is a time to set goals (not just…Read more New Beginnings
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 