Musings

First time a pilot came out to apologize for a late flight—he did it twice, over the mic to all, then walked around and took questions. [Really: last night, but first part of flight in essence.]

First high-elevation corporate witticism I had to “share.” [We left about three hours late; our destination: Madrid.]

Best airline food I’ve ever eaten. Yum. Truly.

We took off in the rental car, headed north, and the first time we hit a dirt road we saw our first caballero.

First Roman villa. This is a late one, and the central courtyard-garden still sports a tree.

First five-arch Medieval bridge. Last modified in 1973.

First Neanderthal cave cluster (mostly protected from the elements with a roof or with small openings—fenced, so we couldn’t get closer).

First fabulous sky of the trip.

First mystery. Sign says the water isn’t potable.

First dramatic bottleneck/pass we’ve driven through.

First night’s hotel room view.

We’re getting into the swing of the Spanish lifestyle: we will dine tonight at 8:30; only two more hours to wait. Over and out.

Posted at 12:28 PM | 2 Comments »

It’s not pretty, but it tells a story…gutter ice in sunshine, with leaves.

Posted at 8:22 PM | Comments Off on Still not-quite life

I do enjoy a day-moon against a blue-sky.

Posted at 8:28 PM | Comments Off on Look beyond the obstacles

I’m guessing that’s a beech, the one with the tan leaves. They hold them very long, and bud out early.

The messy green shrub in front is, I think, some kind of honeysuckle nastiness. I say that because it offers little in the way of pretty.

Posted at 9:32 PM | Comments Off on Shrubbiness posing

I find my mind keeps going back to the dinosaur track fossils found northwest of London in 2023 and reported this week, especially the drone shots that show the entire nearly 200 yards of prints. Amazing.

[Confession: I stole this photo from my 2022 archive, still 5 January, however.]

Posted at 9:35 PM | Comments Off on Old news

Look at this slow-water river. I’m still working out where all the sand came from. Upstream, yeah, but where?

Totally different scale: look at this dried trunk, cut to clear a path of a fallen tree, probably dead or almost dead when the wind rushed in.

Posted at 7:26 PM | Comments Off on (Exhale) Lookee there

I arose before the sun (I know it’s relative), and thought, this is the last dawn I’ll see of 2024.

When we were out doing our final errands, I chose some red food…that’s pickled beets and duh raspberries. I haven’t tried the former (yet), and the raspberries, uh, almost flavorless…but gorgeous (eat with your eyes doesn’t really cut it sometimes).

Posted at 8:28 PM | Comments Off on V late 2024

I like the silver branches, side-lit and almost glowing. Lovely, sunny afternoon.

Posted at 7:21 PM | Comments Off on Winter-lit

I went down memory lane today and came up with this sunrise from October back when we were up in northern Michigan. What I was actually spending time delving into was the excavations in Cova del Toll and Cova del Teixoneres…although the caves are right next to each other, the excavated remains date to very different periods…early no-humans, then Neanderthal, then some human stuff. Cave deposits can be terribly complicated to figure out, and I’m only superficially delving into these (apologies)…anyway, pondering a sunrise is far easier.

Posted at 9:56 PM | Comments Off on Looking about

By some prominent calendars this is an important eve, as in the fading day before a day of huge import…so here’s a sky pic of the eve-sky that the Apple-land algorithm has made “lighter” than it was to my eyeballs standing there looking up. In short: stars! evening!

Posted at 9:34 PM | Comments Off on Starlightbright