Fossils

One of the perks of hiking in the Caesar Creek State Park in southwestern Ohio is the abundance of Ordovician fossils in the rocks. Image above shows two brachiopod fossils (upper right) and a large cephalopod fossil (lower left) in a piece of rock from Flat Fork Ridge (thx, Elysa). Tons of trilobites, too, but I didn't get a picture. [NOTE: The naming of Caesar Creek is somewhat of a mystery. Many different versions exist, but the one I like best portrays "Caesar" as an African-American who was raised by the Shawnee and later helped them escape attack by the U.S. Army in 1786. Other versions are described here].

Polar Bears

The Columbus Zoo has a fantastic exhibit about polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Loved it, but came away with a deep worry about the future of these magnificient creatures. There is a strong link between global warming and the continual loss of polar bear habitat, and the U.S. Geological Survey predicts that two-thirds of the world's polar bears will disappear by 2050. [NOTE: Photo was taken from the underwater viewing station in Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo]. 

Luke Goes to College

All packed up and ready to drive my son Luke (shown above) to Ohio Wesleyan University to start college. The banjo, the trumpet, and a few of the bags belong to my oldest son, Case, who we will drop off in Cincinnati, OH and who will later make his way to Earlham College to start his senior year. Bittersweet, all of this packing up and dropping off. Sigh.

Aurora Borealis

Seems like an appropriate Friday for this beautiful time lapse. Another jewel by the Norwegian photographer Terje Sorgjerd (see Thai Markets/Thai Trains) shot in the Kirkenes and Pas National Park of Norway near the border with Russia. [NOTE: Go here for an explanation of the physics of the auroral mechanism].

Chimney Sleeve

Last post in a triptych about the basement. We first put in a new floor (see Washer and Drier) with a vapor barrier to keep water from coming in during heavy rains (one of the joys of living in the floodplain of Long Island Sound). And then we installed a new water heater and switched from oil to a highly-efficient gas furnace (see Oil to Gas). Finally, to effectively vent all of this stuff we had to put a 6-inch steel sleeve in the old chimney. Required tile knocking, and guys climbing up on the roof, and soot from the basement getting tracked all over the house. But now it's done. [NOTE: That's "Chino" in the photo above pushing a piece of the sleeve into the chimney. Great tatoo].

The Bell at Ba Vi

About half way up Tan Vien mountain at Ba Vi National Park outside of Hanoi is a small Buddhist shrine with a beautiful bronze bell. It's about 600 steps to get here (see Ba Vi). The view is transformative.

Coney Island

Seen painted on a wall along the boardwalk at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York [NOTE: George Stilyou, who created Steeplechase Park, grew up in a family that operated a restaurant on Coney Island].

The View from Leigong Mountain (from the Archive)

Leigong, or God of Thunder, Mountain is a 2,200 meter peak in Guizhou province of southwestern China. There is a small ranger post with several antennas and a weather station at the summit.  During my visit last June to the Leigongshan Nature Reserve, I went out on the roof of the ranger station and shot some footage of the surrounding panorama. SPOILER ALERT: The view was like nothing I have ever seen. [NOTE: It was so cold and damp that the rangers were using their electric hot plate as a heater].

Irish Soda Bread

Made two loaves of Irish soda bread yesterday. No yeast, so it was real quick to make (50 minutes total). Eggs, buttermilk, and butter give the bread a flaky texture and biscuit-like taste. Quite good. Used a recipe out of Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads. [NOTE: Tomatoes and squash shown were pulled from the garden; looks like another good year for tomatoes (see Heirloom Tomatoes)].

Hanging Out To Dry

When the rains stop in Guizhou, Miao villagers move a lot of things outside to dry in the sun, e.g. corn, tobacco, and clothes. [NOTE: Image is from the village of Wudong (see Miao Decor, Carpenters, and Sawmill for Hire)].