Trees that grow high on mountainsides live a rough life. Constantly battered by wind, rain, snow and ice, they are stunted in height, bent, and broken. This log bears silent testimony to endurance, and the adage that sometimes you have to bend if you don't want to break. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott This post…Read more Gnarled and Twisted
Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Rising above the very deep valley of East Hawksbill Creek, Hawksbill is the tallest mountain in Shenandoah National Park, standing at 4,049 ft above sea level, and beating out neighboring Stony Man by 38 feet. Aside from its superlative height within the park, its dramatic prominence over its namesake creek (over 2,000 feet) makes Hawksbill…Read more Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Uranus (Astronomy: Week of 10/22/17)
Before I get into the planetary stuff, I wanted to issue a reminder - the Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but this shower is not a moment in time. You should be able to see the Orionids over the next week or so, and you have the added benefit of being able to catch them…Read more Uranus (Astronomy: Week of 10/22/17)
Primal
Our most important tool - fire enabled us to shape the land, to improve our food, to power a growing society. For all that, it's also a source of comfort, light and warmth, and it's hypnotic. Many bonds have been strengthened between people sitting around a campfire staring into the embers, much as our ancestors…Read more Primal
Double Cluster (NGC 869, NGC 884)
Last week, I issued a challenge to myself and others to try and capture a photo of the Double Cluster, in the constellation Perseus, and near Cassiopeia in one of the dimmer stretches of the Milky Way. And then, it rained for a week. Now that the rain has ended, and the skies have cleared,…Read more Double Cluster (NGC 869, NGC 884)
Orionids (Astronomy: Week of 10/15/17)
I hope everyone is having a good week. I've been a bit busier than usual, and as far as the astronomer in me is concerned, weather hasn't cooperated - I haven't been able to capture any good photos of the Perseus Double Cluster like I planned. Rain and clouds all week, but I'm patient, and…Read more Orionids (Astronomy: Week of 10/15/17)
Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
A short, but extremely scenic and exhilarating scramble over boulders and cliffs to the rocky ridgeline of Bearfence Mountain at 3,545 feet. From the Bearfence Parking area on Skyline Drive (Mile 55.5), take the blue-blazed Bearfence trail up and over the cliffs. Keep your hands free, and be ready to climb. The view on top…Read more Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Tiny Humans
We all need a place of humility - somewhere to remind us how vast the world is, and how we are merely a part of that grandeur. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott This was posted in response to the Daily Post Photo Challenge - "Scale". See other responses HERE. Get Out There flying-squirrel.org
The Water Bearer, and Other Curiosities (Astronomy: Week of 10/8/17)
A couple of disparate things to talk about this week: continuing the tour of the Zodiac constellations with Aquarius, a challenge to myself to photo some open star clusters, and a pre-dawn occultation of a prominent star. So let's get to it! Does everybody remember Enki? Also known as Ea? Oannes, maybe? As I delved…Read more The Water Bearer, and Other Curiosities (Astronomy: Week of 10/8/17)
White Oak River, NC
Far off among the trees, a pileated woodpecker drums on a dead snag. Turtles abandon their sunny logs and disappear into the dark water. Butterflies flit over a half-acre of pickerelweed, marsh mallow, and cardinal flower blooms, while a great blue heron stands in the shallows, looking to catch its next meal. The water, stained…Read more White Oak River, NC
Not Just A Pedestrian
I've posted this shot before, but prompted by the word "Pedestrian", I had to share it again. Taken from back in the days when I used an enormous external frame pack, this is a single-frame ode to walking, and encapsulates some of my fondest memories. Backpacking is a sublime combination of personal challenge, solitude and…Read more Not Just A Pedestrian
How To Lash a Tripod (And Make a Chair)
I posted a picture of this lashed-together camp chair not too long ago, and it got a lot of interest among my small group of Facebook followers, so I thought I'd write up a quick how-to! As camp chairs go, this one is simple. That's one of the reasons I use this design - if…Read more How To Lash a Tripod (And Make a Chair)
Photo Summary – September 2017
As has become customary, I'm presenting a quick gallery of all the featured photos that I've been pushing to Instagram over the past month. If you missed them, enjoy this recap!
Venus and Mars, and maybe Hubble? (Astronomy: Week of 10/1/17)
Fall is in the air! Crisp days, and cool clear, low humidity nights are becoming the norm. Not to mention long nights, of course. For now, the Summer Triangle is still high overhead after sunset, and the Lonely Star of autumn (Fomalhaut) is rising. The Milky Way is still putting on a show, for a…Read more Venus and Mars, and maybe Hubble? (Astronomy: Week of 10/1/17)
The Dove
In 1634, two small ships, the Ark and the Dove (replica shown here) landed on a small island in the Potomac River and thanked God for a successful voyage, marking the first Catholic spot in the New World. The voyagers then sailed back downriver, and found a place to settle, establishing the colony that would become Maryland, at…Read more The Dove
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 