Carol and I were on a vacation in southeastern Virginia during the first week of October 2024. On the second day we were sightseeing along the National Colonial Historic Parkway near Jamestown. I could not resist this pullout that typified the Eastern Deciduous Forest, the ecosystem that covers the eastern third of the continental US. […]
Read more "Southeastern Virginia: Along the James River"Partial eclipse of the Moon
Read more "Partial Eclipse of the Moon"Vestiges of the old in the new
Read more "The Sluice Gate"Orion’s Belt and Sword The two most recognizable asterisms are the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt. Here is one of them, the hunter’s belt. The three stars of the belt are left to right: Alnitak (1260 lightyears), Alnilam (2000 lightyears), and Mintaka (1200 lightyears). Orion’s sword hangs down to the left. The middle “star” of […]
Read more "Astronomy in April 2023"Venus and Jupiter make a spectacular conjunction
Read more "Questing for Wonder with Planetary Conjunctions"About This Post A camera in hand enables actively looking for nature. This post documents an afternoon walk. Maple Tree in December The Crown of a Cloud and the Crown of a Tree A Shy Moon Rising over the Wasatch Mountains A Cheery Winter Sun Illuminates a Maple Tree Documenting […]
Read more "First Quarter Moonrise"1. White Ash (Fraxinus americana) 2. White Ash (Fraxinus americana) Notes Here in northern Utah we had been enjoying weeks of ideal early fall weather: Clear blue skies and temperatures in the low seventies Fahrenheit (low twenties Celsius). Carol and I had been admiring these golden yellow leaves contrasting against the blue […]
Read more "Ash Tree"Hosting often overlooked wonders with photography and writing Gulls Loading up on Breakfast – 7 June 2021 A seven-mile causeway across the Great Salt Lake connects the mainland to Antelope Island. At 50 miles per hour (80 kph), the beauty of the salt marsh and its birds are unseen. You must pull over and get […]
Read more "Shore Birds near the Antelope Island Causeway"Introduction Every year on the first of December as all eleven of our family sat around the dinner table, my father would proclaim: “In 90 days, it will be the first of March.” Suddenly, we knew that winter would be a bit more tolerable. My eight siblings and I did not know that each of […]
Read more "Questing for Wonder on the First of March"This past Sunday I spent a leisurely afternoon preparing a beef brisket. Although we Utahns call all grilling “barbecuing,” real barbecuing is slow roasting with a rub, sauce, or both. Here is my way of barbecuing a brisket: Ingredients 1 beef brisket BBQ Rub (recipe follows) Cooking oil spray Fine grain sea salt. 1/4 teaspoon […]
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