Green

Phoebe’s second egg has hatched

There are now two hummingbird babies in Phoebe’s nest. Their names are Sansa and Arya. Note there’s a second Phoebe website with much more information. Make sure you turn up the sound on both your computer and the website so you can hear the cheeping and humming/buzzing of wings as Phoebe comes and goes.

Hummingbird now has one hatchling, one to come

For those interested in following Phoebe’s streaming “hummingbird nest cam,” be advised the first of her two eggs has hatched. Yes, a live baby hummer hatched from a Tic-Tac sized egg. Your screen image will probably be bigger than the actual golf-ball–sized nest. Scroll down the page to see video of a previous hatch with … Continue reading »

Keystone pipeline: Not dead yet

From the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Just two weeks after President Obama killed a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, Republican leaders in Congress are trying to force its approval by attaching it to the payroll tax bill and other unrelated legislation.

Showstopper: Albino ruby-throated hummingbird

This very rare albino ruby-throated hummingbird was spotted in Staunton, Virginia, and photographed by Marlin D. Shank, 16. Marlin, his brothers, and his father took a number of pictures of the bird in August 2011. This photo and more were posted January 27 on Discovery News. Still more photos appear on the Shanks’ own Nature … Continue reading »

Phoebe the hummer expecting two valentines

Phoebe, my favorite hummingbird, is currently tending two eggs that are expected to hatch in mid-February. Some of you will remember Phoebe from past years and newer readers may wonder what I’m talking about (search “Phoebe” in the header). It’s simple, really. Streaming webcams are a dime a dozen, with blurry images and nothing much … Continue reading »

Being there

I came across this rather remarkable panoramic photo this morning while browsing for header art and wanted to both preserve and share it. The file will load slowly because it is massive, but take heart. Your patience will be rewarded. You’ll be able to click on the photo (twice for maximum size) and scroll all … Continue reading »

Worth 1,000 words

While browsing for weather news and pics of our Denver-area snowstorm (some 8-10 inches in my yard, and still falling), I came across this photo, labeled only as being from Jackson, Wyoming, via googleusercontent.com. No, it’s not Colorado, but I can’t stop staring at it. Thought you might enjoy it, too. Note: After much searching, … Continue reading »

Too cute for words

Katy bar the door

See that wall of white? That’s what a serious mountain storm looks like. In the high country and on the far side of those mountains the wind is blowing 70-80 mph, with gusts to 100 mph. Heavy snow is falling and in places will drift 10-12 feet high. Travel is impossible. Interestingly, Boulder Valley, seen … Continue reading »

Beetle fences

You may know them as snow, sand, or drift fences. They come in various forms, usually either wooden slats wired side-by-side, or perforated orange plastic sheeting strung on stakes. They may be solidly planted, permanent fences or rickety, temporary-looking installations. I’ve seen them on the few beaches I’ve visited. But I know them better for … Continue reading »

When not to test an emergency alert system

There’s an interesting confluence of events occurring next week — the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and the flyby of an aircraft-carrier–sized asteroid a mere 200,000 miles overhead. That’s closer than the moon, folks. I’ve already concluded that although the numerous announcements about the EAS test are designed to warn everyone about … Continue reading »

I’m number 2,331,808,246 … approximately

Big in the media this week: The world population will reach an estimated 7 billion on October 31. I’m not sure why that’s such big news, other than 7 billion being a nice round number. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect only statisticians to get excited about. Except … except that the rate of … Continue reading »

Winter arrives a bit early

The big news here today is our first winter storm. It’s a bit earlier than we’d like, but certainly not unheard of. The weather people have been warning us since Sunday that it was coming, but emotionally it was tough to get ready for. We’d had a week or so of beautiful, sunny fall days … Continue reading »

Cantaloupe packing house likely source of listeria outbreak

Today, finally, I’m seeing the FDA explanation of how those Jensen Farms cantaloupes from Holly, Colo., were contaminated with listeria. Had the contamination occurred in the fields, I was prepared to consider the farm not directly responsible. However, it appears the cantaloupes were infected in the packing house, under conditions that should not have existed. … Continue reading »

Your haboob is my dust storm

Haboob. It seems to be the hot new word with meteorologists this year. Those giant walls of dust that have swept over Phoenix, and now Lubbock, are being called “haboobs.” When I was a kid growing up in Oklahoma in the ’40s and ’50s, those things were called dust storms, period. Oklahoma was the heart … Continue reading »

Earth as art, a project of the USGS and NASA

This evening I stumbled across a large collection of satellite photos of Earth entitled “Our Earth as Art; A Landsat Perspective.” Each is a beautiful abstract image — that also happens to be a spectacular color photo of someplace on our planet. There are approximately 130 such images available on the USGS website, which says … Continue reading »

Fall in Colorado: Always colorful, one way or another

Fall in Colorado. My favorite time of year in my favorite place in the world. Everything comes alive in September and October. We’ve survived the heat of summer and the air is sweet, cool, and delicious again. The sky is a deeper blue, the foliage begins to turn. Days are brilliant; nights are crisp. And … Continue reading »

The red baby carriage

Extraordinarily effective ad, I think — the American Lung Association ad about asthma and the Clean Air Act. The one with the red baby carriage and the sound of a coughing, asthmatic infant. Every time it runs I end up short of breath and reaching for that baby …

Reporter gives update covered in ‘sea foam’

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time, and certainly the funniest to come out of the Hurricane Irene coverage. The reporter is getting covered in blowing sea foam, which most of us know by now was full of raw sewage. Hence the foam. In my book, this goes far beyond reporters … Continue reading »

Thoughts on Irene

I’ve had the TV on all day, tuned to CNN, watching the news and worrying about everyone on the East Coast. Specifically, I worry about those few individuals I know there. I keep reminding myself that these folks will undoubtedly be listening to their local officials, not CNN news hounds, and will have the best, … Continue reading »