Author Archives: eskildoodle1

Mercurial Moment

The morning of April 25, 2025, the thin, crescent Moon lay within a triangle framed by Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, but I was nearly denied the opportunity to see this event. At first, clouds below the Moon hid Mercury from view. It was a race to see if the clouds would disappear before Mercury wasContinue reading “Mercurial Moment”

The Color of Life

Prismatic glass, illuminated by the Sun’s rising rays, painted light’s true colors across the bathroom wall. The rainbow of colors that we see around us emerges from so-called white light. Look closely for the colors which are everywhere; they make life all the more beautiful. #coloroflife #colors #spectrum #rainbow #light #life

An Iron Shore

The rugged, fossil-laden Ironshore Formation in the foreground is the remnant of an ancient reef and the remains of creatures that once thrived there. It was laid down eons ago when sea levels were higher and is now slowly eroding away from the effects of waves and microorganisms. In the distance, waves break on theContinue reading “An Iron Shore”

Old Arnold

It looked ragged, tired, and stooped over in the early morning light, like an old man shuffling about. Perhaps that is why the smooth-billed ani is called “Old Arnold” in the Cayman Islands. Indeed, this one even tottered about on the edge of the patio step, nearly falling off a couple of times. Fortunately, aContinue reading “Old Arnold”

Passers By

Sometime during the afternoon a chicken walked by, not even stopping to scratch or peck. A while later a land crab skittered warily across the sand; fortunate that it didn’t encounter the chicken. Though we didn’t see either, they left their tracks to tell of their passage until blowing grains of sand slowly erase theirContinue reading “Passers By”

Holey Ground

Sinkholes forced us to watch our step to avoid falling into the underworld while walking about this private arboretum in Grand Cayman. Water acidified by dissolved carbon dioxide has slowly eaten away at the fossil-laden limestone from eons past to leave a system of caves connected to the surface by sinkholes. Sounds of the oceanContinue reading “Holey Ground”

Hither, Slither, and Yon

This iguana basked in the sun, aware of our presence but not frightened. It knew how close it could allow us to approach before it had to flee, and it was not about to expend any unnecessary energy. Its markings suggest that it is a cross between the Blue Iguana and the invasive Green Iguana.Continue reading “Hither, Slither, and Yon”