Musings
Note sunshine. What you can’t see is that the temps were around 30. I even found an icy slick on a sidewalk (just one), I think where an irrigation system was leaking. Perhaps because it was cold, below freezing cold, last night. I think this critter got lost from a stroller event, and someone put it here above the sidewalk (no slick below) so it might get found….
Speaking of last night, at 10:30pm we went out to see the super blood wolf moon (or perhaps in a different order?) in partial eclipse. Just try saying that three times fast! The blood part isn’t apparent in the photo; I did see a red tinge.
Posted at 7:16 PM |
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I declare there’s a spate of sign-driving-over in this neighborhood. Can it be because drivers are looking up to catch the super blood wolf moon eclipse too early?
Posted at 9:41 PM |
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When I set out, it was sprinkling, and all meteorological sources indicated the rain would increase. I kept my fingers crossed and my hood up.
I saw several dog-walkers, and one mom-child set in the playground, seemingly oblivious to the precipitation.
Soon after I returned, the rain increased, and I heard that overnight the temps will plummet and the mountains may even get snow. Whew!
Looking through my day’s photos, I was surprised that all flower photos were of white blooms…not intentional!
Posted at 7:23 PM |
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Here’s your mossy vocabulary moment…the tall parts are sporophytes, and the low green parts are gametophytes. These represent alternating phases of the life cycle of this moss. In the cycle, the gametophytes come first, then the sporophytes attach to them.
Now you know plenty about moss; I know there’s more, but this is the level I have attained (momentarily).
Posted at 7:05 PM |
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This morning began all sunny and upbeat (the meteorological version thereof).
Speaking of sunshine, all this medical biz about taking vitamin D…turns out the high D levels are an indicator of time spent in sunshine (duh), and the correlation that’s good for you is not actually with the vitamin D, but with nitric acid that the body makes when exposed to sunshine (if I have it right). Higher levels of nitric acid dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure—very good things. (Read about it here.)
While I’m on health news, get exercise to keep your irisin levels high, and improve brain memory formation, storage, and inter-brain-cell communication. All very good things…. (Read more about it here.)
By afternoon, when I got motivated to walk the neighborhood, a light rain had begun, the 8-inch kind (meaning eight inches between drops hahaha). Note how the “Garden of Good…” gal (copy, of course) displays zonal moistening.
Posted at 7:56 PM |
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You get out of town for a few days, and whoops, things happen. Someone with dailies used their wheels to push a don’t-cut-this-corner architectural rock a dozen feet down the road, and mashed down a traffic signpost in the process. Big doin’s that we missed!
Here’s your chance to create the backstory for this event….
Posted at 6:18 PM |
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Coming into Atlanta from the west, the interstate passes by a major amusement park just before it descends to cross the Chattahoochee River.
At night, the view of the city is…twinkly.
With this post, I report the end of the Rainbow Triangle Trip. Accomplished all goals, foremost among them seeing loved ones. Fun trip; and, simultaneously happy to be home.
Posted at 8:32 PM |
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This morning the fog was thick and the temp was such that the moisture attaching to the antenna as we zoomed down the highway froze!
Later, clearing was partial and we saw many wind mills; here’s an early one and many current models….
Genuine lone star llamas!
The oppressiveness I feel from all this packaging tells me it’s time to bring this Rainbow Tour to an end to escape all these cheerful protections….
Posted at 10:45 PM |
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For dozens of miles crossing the desert this morning, the air smelled to me vaguely like burning plastic, an odor backnote I found rather unpleasant. Miles.
The plants, however: unfazed. Unknown grey-green leaved low shrub with yellow fliers…
…and a towering yucca (I think).
Today’s title references one of my favorite books, Gary Paul Nabhan’s The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country (1987). This desert perhaps should have smelled like rain today, as rain came through this area in the wee hours overnight. In fact, we think we’ve had rain at some point every day beginning on the 26th of December, for a run of 19 days so far. Tomorrow we may well not see rain, however.
Posted at 11:02 PM |
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Once again, we find SoCal murky. More rain systems pushing in from the Pacific. Not good for solar panel action….
Wearing my archaeo-hat, I would describe this as civic-ceremonial architecture on a flat-topped mound. You might say it’s a roadside chapel for some reason on a bulldozed hill.
Lettuce? Lots left in the field…I assume to be plowed into the ground as green manure….
Considerable irrigation required to make row-crops productive in the Imperial Valley….
Our Arizona desert encampment for the afternoon and early evening…
…even more beautiful with a rainbow, arc en ciel, aka arco iris.
And MJ and I took a power walk while Droney flew…such stupendous light…so wonderful catching up with long-time friends…until next time…. Lucky us….
Posted at 10:28 PM |
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