Several years ago, I made a questionable choice. My wife and I were both shopping for new bicycles, and I quickly set my sights on a (now classic) Specialized Rockhopper. I loved the stance of a mountain bike, the (relatively) compact size, the go-anywhere attitude - and though I didn't have any plans to go…Read more Mountain Biking, Minus The Mountain
Success! A Dutch Oven Lasagna Shortcut
There's a Scout I've been getting to know for a couple years now. He is quick to volunteer to cook for his patrol on group campouts, and he has a favorite go-to recipe for dutch oven lasagna. The problem is, something has ALWAYS gone wrong. It hasn't necessarily been his fault - Cooks and those…Read more Success! A Dutch Oven Lasagna Shortcut
All Things Being Equal (Astronomy: Week of 9/16/18)
Saturday, September 22, it's all over (actually early morning, 1:54AM UTC on the 23rd, but that's late Sat in North America...). Summer is gone, and fall or autumn (whichever you prefer) is upon us. This transition is marked by the Autumnal Equinox, which comes from latin - aequi (equal), and nox (night). "Equal Night", so yeah, this is the…Read more All Things Being Equal (Astronomy: Week of 9/16/18)
When You Pick a Pawpaw…
Quick show of hands, who has ever picked a pawpaw? Did you know you could? I mean, Baloo, the bear, sings about them in Disney's adaptation of The Jungle Book, but have you ever stopped to think about just what it is he's talking about? In the tropics, a pawpaw is a papaya - the…Read more When You Pick a Pawpaw…
Deserted Island
Still catching up on pictures while assiduously avoiding writing... This island was far from deserted - it's Maui. But after traveling here from the Big Island (Hawai'i), this was one of my first moments of downtime. A guy could get used to this...
Mauna Kea
Still catching up, sharing a shot from 9300' up Mauna Kea on the Big Island, Hawai'i. This is just above the visitor's center, and above most of the clouds... unfortunately high clouds rolled in right at sunset and ruined our stargzing, but the mountain views made up for it! I will get around to some…Read more Mauna Kea
Calm Before The Storm
(Note, I posted this most places on Sept 12, as Florence approached - but remote interface for WordPress was acting flaky. Sorry it's late, the sentiment still holds true!) Calm before the storm. Out on the fringes of the Florence cloud deck, thinking of all those enduring the fury. Y'all stay safe!
Hawai’i Nights
During my recent trip to Hawai'i, the astro-geek in me was 1) wondering if I'd be able to see any Perseids, and 2) trying to adjust perspective, looking at the same sky from 20 degrees farther south that I was used to. What I didn't count on was the clarity of the skies - I…Read more Hawai’i Nights
We Don’t Know STEVE
In this age of persistent surveillance and awareness (I'm not talking about people, but of weather, seismic events, astronomy and the like), an age where we are examining both subatomic particles and planets orbiting distant stars, it's easy to forget there's a heck of a lot we don't know. In many cases, we know what…Read more We Don’t Know STEVE
Island Life
When in paradise, it's only natural to slow down a bit. My son paused here to contemplate the island life in Waimea, Hawai'i.
#NightMusic
I tried an experiment via YouTube this week - jury's still out, but I'm discovering that either 1) People don't think this is as cool/interesting as I do, or 2) People are just ignoring me. Still, I have a few people who have expressed interest and promised to play along... so we'll see. I have…Read more #NightMusic
Wild Turkey Crossing!
Wild Turkey crossing! Had to stop the car for NINETEEN of these little velociraptors to run across the road. Get Out There!
Some Catching Up to Do
I knew when I started Flying Squirrel that the biggest challenge would be keeping up, fitting it in. For the most part, that hasn't been a problem - then August happened. =) Two weeks travelling to celebrate my parent's 50th Anniversary (quite a milestone!) followed by a week of work travel and another buckled down…Read more Some Catching Up to Do
Ready to Run
This eastern cottontail rabbit was chilling, literally laying in the yard without a care in the world, until I pulled into the driveway. Then he jumped up on high alert and stood like this, absolutely still, for a minute or two while we sized each other up. Get Out There Troy http://www.flying-squirrel.org
Great Falls of the Potomac
The Great Falls of the Potomac, viewed from the Virginia side. With all the rain we've had lately, the river was raging!
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 