I've been out of town for three weeks in the last five. All that time, Hatikva, my little Sunbird sailboat, has sat idle, tied up pier-side in the warming water of mid-summer. I also live in an area where the second half of summer is dominated by jellyfish, stinging sea nettles that fill the bays and…Read more Barnacles and Irony
Midnight Sun
I recently returned from a vacation in Iceland. I spent a week just south of the Arctic Circle, one week after the summer solstice. There's a lot to talk about following such an amazing trip (and I will), but having recently written about dark skies, I thought a lot about the almost-24-hour daylight we…Read more Midnight Sun
Journey’s End
Another adventure comes to an end. A week aboard a 41-foot ketch in the Florida Keys. Tough to go back to real life, but always looking forward to getting home.
Dark Skies
"The Lorax", by Dr. Seuss, is a cautionary tale of environmentalism, one in which all resources (truffula trees) are completely consumed to make consumer products ("You Need A Thneed!"). The landscape, devoid of trees, becomes a barren wasteland, no longer suitable for life. It's a classic tale, a metaphor for human excess and a call…Read more Dark Skies
Discovering Iceland
We just returned from a whirlwind exploration of southern Iceland. More to come on this beautiful country!
Tearing Up Jack…
I really enjoy trail-riding on my mountain bike (an old Specialized Rock Hopper). At the same time, I hate what mountain bikes do to some of my favorite trails. It's a conundrum, forcing a little bit of self-examination and recognition of hypocrisy that I haven't figured out how to resolve. To be clear, I'm not…Read more Tearing Up Jack…
Opposition (Astronomy, Week of 6/16/19)
Happy Father's Day all! A least to all the fathers out there. I haven't been sharing any astronomical thoughts for a while, as I've been too busy being a dad, myself. But despite my lack of writing, I've consistently been looking up. Enough to notice that Mars has slipped away and almost disappeared into the…Read more Opposition (Astronomy, Week of 6/16/19)
