Category Archives: Uncategorized
A Matter of Perspective
We were on an airboat tour and a pelican alighted on the end of the boat. Someone remarked about how pecular they looked, and I began to wonder what they might think of us.
Filament, Then Prom, Then Gone
Powerful magnetic fields sometimes levitate billions of tons of material above the surface of the Sun which is known as a filament. When solar rotation moves it to the limb of the Sun, it is called a prominence, or prom for short, and reveals how high it is. The whole prominence/filament is over 100,000 milesContinue reading “Filament, Then Prom, Then Gone”
Space Weather Photo
I take photos of the Sun on a daily basis when weather and schedule allow and send them to SpaceWeather.com, which is associated with the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Once in a while my images are featured on their website. On the left side of the screen-capture above, my whole-disk sunspot image fromContinue reading “Space Weather Photo”
Hurricane Prequel
Two days ago a major chain of thunderstorms ripped through the community leaving some tree damage behind but, fortunately, sparing houses. Soon we will be watching for hurricanes wondering if they will come our way. In the meantime the trees bear witness to the power of the wind. Small consolation: What comes down now willContinue reading “Hurricane Prequel”
Thanks for the warning, I guess.
After a pleasant afternoon poolside under mostly clear skies, thunder boomed in the distance. To the east and west skies were still clear, but to the north a very dark bank of clouds loomed larger and noisier. Suddenly a brisk gust of wind shook the surrounding trees to their very roots and showered branches andContinue reading “Thanks for the warning, I guess.”
Trees Knees
Gnarly projections from cypress roots, known as knees, poke above water and ground, looking like woody gnomes. Their exact function is debated, though they do seem to help stabilize the trees in the swampy ground. It has been commonly assumed that they function to oxygenate the submerged roots, but evidence to support this is unclear.Continue reading “Trees Knees”
Looking through the Glass
Iconic glass-bottom boats wait for passengers by Silver Springs, the headwaters of the 4.5 mile long Silver River. Since the 1870’s, boats with clear glass panels in the bottom have carried tourists along the river to see fish, turtles, ‘gators, birds, springs and more. We had a lovely time aboard one with friends recently andContinue reading “Looking through the Glass”
Juvie Jive
Two immature ibises landed in our back yard, not far from the bird feeder, and foraged for insects and grubs. Meanwhile a young squirrel looked on disapprovingly after scurrying back to the tree to avoid the approaching ibises. It made a couple of aggressive advances, but always retreated to avoid the long, curved beaks. Finally,Continue reading “Juvie Jive”
Red in the Morning, Promise or Warning?
Sailors may be wary of red morning skies for good reason, but for us landlubbers it bore hope for much needed rain. By late morning the temperature had risen to equal the humidity, in the 80’s, and growing cumulus clouds developed into thunder storms. The red sky indeed turned to promise and delivered great raindropsContinue reading “Red in the Morning, Promise or Warning?”
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 