(Warning: This is NOT a post about COVID-19, not really. It's more about an observation on what COVID reveals. I know we're tired of talking about the pandemic, and I apologize for contributing to it!) It's spring, the weather is suddenly warm, and because the country is deep in "social isolation" as a result of…Read more There’s Something Wrong With Us
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Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betel….
There's something amiss in the night sky these days. The evening is going well - I'm sitting by a crackling fire that I just used to clean a Dutch oven from our last trip out. (Something I actually neglected for about a week, just because I kept forgetting about it. I've learned that burnt molasses…Read more Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betel….
Not the Bananas!
If you're under 60 and living outside the tropics, chances are you've only ever seen one kind of banana - the Cavendish. It is the primary banana with mass commercial distribution, and unless something dramatic happens in the next few years, the days of the Cavendish banana may be coming to an end. And, there's no…Read more Not the Bananas!
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
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?
Monuments and Minutia
Humans love superlatives. The biggest, the oldest, the best, or in some cases, the only. It's not hard to understand why we flock to places that hold superlative treasures, why we protect unique examples of nature's beauty - deepest canyons, tallest trees, best views, most endangered animals. But is that enough? I recently came across…Read more Monuments and Minutia
To Clean, or Not To Clean – Water in the Backcountry
A few months ago, an article published by Slate started to get a lot of attention, for suggesting that the practice of treating backcountry water sources against possible pathogens was built on myth. No doubt it got the buzz Slate was looking for, but I pretty much ignored it at the time. Recently though, I was pointed…Read more To Clean, or Not To Clean – Water in the Backcountry
One Year in the Blogosphere – Lessons, Trials, and Tribulations of a Social Media Noob
A year ago, I stumbled eagerly (and ignorantly) into this whole existence I call "Flying Squirrel Outdoors". My mission had nothing to do with blogging, or a social media presence - it was (and is) really about the observation that we are increasingly turning inwards toward things of our own creation. These things are, themselves,…Read more One Year in the Blogosphere – Lessons, Trials, and Tribulations of a Social Media Noob
How Should the United States Fund its National Parks?
UPDATE: The public comment period mentioned below has been extended to Dec 22, 2017. If you thought you missed the opportunity to weigh in, you haven't. Make your voice heard. The United States National Park Service has a cash-flow problem, and there don't seem to be any easy ways to solve it. Let me start…Read more How Should the United States Fund its National Parks?
National Parks Fee-Free This Saturday
A quick public service announcement for all you fellow outdoors- or history-minded folks. September 30 (Saturday) is a fee-free day for all US National Parks, in honor of National Public Lands Day. So if you haven't made plans for the weekend, and this is the sort of enticement you need to check out a park…Read more National Parks Fee-Free This Saturday
NPS Announces Fee-Free Days for 2017
I made a quick reference to this in yesterday's pic, but wanted to give it more attention. Each year, the National Park Service sets aside a few days where entry fees and other fees are waived at ALL National Parks, including historical parks and monuments as well as the big ones like Shenandoah. If the…Read more NPS Announces Fee-Free Days for 2017
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 