Here in New England you never can use temperatures to decide what time of year it is. With a warmer than average winter (bad for allergies and getting rid of bugs, but a nice break after last year's crazy winter), it seems like spring has been around for months.
I know better than to let an 80-degree day in March fake me out with a premature promise of summer. An April snowstorm is always a possibility. Just today it was rainy and damp and cold outside. There's other ways to tell spring is here, though.
For one the birds are back. I spied a crow taunting a squirrel. The crow clutched what appeared to be a long reed of dried grass in its mouth. The squirrel got real close to the reed, only to have the crow fly out of reach. Then the crow landed back on the grass and let the squirrel approach. With a squawk, the crow hopped away again. This went on for some time, much to my amusement (those pesky squirrels are always stealing my unripe tomatoes, taking one bite, and leaving the rest for me to find) and much to the squirrel's dismay. I've also has a particular blue jay that seems to have made a nest in the forsythia bushes on the edge of the yard. And the distinct who-who-who lament of the mourning dove is back.
On Thursday, the hubby, the bro, The Boy, and I had our first ice-cream-for-dinner event at the Sundae House. The giant sign on their building reads, "It Must Be Spring, We're Open!" Signs never lie, so you know that it really must be spring!
On Friday as I was leaving work I drove toward what from afar looked like a couple of misplaced lawn chairs blocking the driveway. Turns out, it was a tom turkey strutting its stuff and peacocking (let me just point out what a fun word "peacocking" is) as it tried to court an indifferent lady turkey.
Lastly and most definitively I know it's spring because the little pea seeds are sprouting in their trays. My mom and dad both stopped by the house and saw the too-tall-for-trays pea plants on my kitchen counter and (independently of each other) said, "You've got to get those in the ground!"
What signs of spring have you seen lately?
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The world stays the same...or does it?
After teasing us last September with the news that Einstein might have been wrong, scientists reported on Wednesday the face of physics as we know it is not changing. It appears a faulty cable connection created an erroneous reading of tiny neutrino particles traveling 60 nanoseconds faster than light.
I'm a bit disappointed to learn the way we thought the world worked isn't changing (as in E really does equal MC 2 and Einstein had it right all along). Maybe the physicists over at CERN should have done a better job of keeping the lab rats from gnawing on sensitive technical equipment (just kidding)!
Yet just when I thought my imaginings of a new paradigm for the universe was going to be destroyed by such a mundane thing as a bum cable, a report on Friday restored a little of my previous excitement. It seems the faulty wiring could actually have made the original readings wrong in the opposite direction and the particles may have been traveling faster than the faster-than-the-speed-of-light readings.
Say what? So maybe Einstein was wrong and I might still have the pleasure of seeing a major scientific shift in my lifetime. Oh cruel physics...stop toying with my fragile emotions and get some definitive results already!
I'm a bit disappointed to learn the way we thought the world worked isn't changing (as in E really does equal MC 2 and Einstein had it right all along). Maybe the physicists over at CERN should have done a better job of keeping the lab rats from gnawing on sensitive technical equipment (just kidding)!
Yet just when I thought my imaginings of a new paradigm for the universe was going to be destroyed by such a mundane thing as a bum cable, a report on Friday restored a little of my previous excitement. It seems the faulty wiring could actually have made the original readings wrong in the opposite direction and the particles may have been traveling faster than the faster-than-the-speed-of-light readings.
Say what? So maybe Einstein was wrong and I might still have the pleasure of seeing a major scientific shift in my lifetime. Oh cruel physics...stop toying with my fragile emotions and get some definitive results already!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Walking in a winter wonderland*
Ummm...so it's snowing, and it's October 29th. And this is Connecticut, not freakin' Alaska. C'mon, Mother Nature, give us a break! At least let us get through Halloween. I guess this is just another weird weather phenomenon in the year of The Boy.
*Richard B. Smith
Friday, September 23, 2011
"Questions of science"*
BIG NEWS today regarding the very fundamentals of physics and how the universe works. This latest mind-blowing development comes not from the Large Hadron Collider, but from OPERA (Osciallation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus...yeah, I know...huh?). It turns out Einstein might have been wrong...that's right, Einstein might have been wrong.
Scientists at the CERN physics lab just announced that subatomic particles called neutrinos were observed to be traveling faster than the speed of sound. So that whole E=mc 2 thing may need to be rethought because it is based on the the theory that it is impossible for any particle with mass to accelerate at or above the speed of sound. BAZINGA (as Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory would say)!
But you may want to wait a little longer before you tell that iconic Einstein poster hanging above your bed, "You just got served!" Before scientists call the measurements true (even though the 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of sound the neutrinos traveled is above the 10 nanosecond margin of error), they want to verify with independent tests.
Tune into the CERN live webcast, which I thought was supposed to take place at 16:00:00 (Europe/Zurich) today, but I think that time has already passed and the webcast doesn't seem to be up. I'll keep checking back to the page for the latest.
*Coldplay
Scientists at the CERN physics lab just announced that subatomic particles called neutrinos were observed to be traveling faster than the speed of sound. So that whole E=mc 2 thing may need to be rethought because it is based on the the theory that it is impossible for any particle with mass to accelerate at or above the speed of sound. BAZINGA (as Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory would say)!
But you may want to wait a little longer before you tell that iconic Einstein poster hanging above your bed, "You just got served!" Before scientists call the measurements true (even though the 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of sound the neutrinos traveled is above the 10 nanosecond margin of error), they want to verify with independent tests.
Tune into the CERN live webcast, which I thought was supposed to take place at 16:00:00 (Europe/Zurich) today, but I think that time has already passed and the webcast doesn't seem to be up. I'll keep checking back to the page for the latest.
*Coldplay
Monday, September 19, 2011
"It's a beautiful life, and it's a beautiful world"*
I believe I tempted fate with my last post because The Boy decided to make his appearance right in the middle of the hurricane! He was 17 days early (still full term, but his nursery wasn't quite ready for him!) and mommy and baby are happy and healthy. (And, no, if The Boy had turned out to be The Girl, we would not have named her Irene!)
What I learned during the whole labor and delivery process (don't worry, no gory details) is that it's great to have a plan, but expect that plan to be thrown out the window (and whisked away by hurricane-force winds). My doctor was on vacation (of course) and so the on-call doctor (who I had never met) was there for the delivery. She was perfectly competent and an experienced doctor, but let me just say that I wasn't used to her brand of bedside manner. It wasn't that she was necessarily rude or mean or uncaring, she was just a bit odd.
Case in point, the doc and her husband has purchased property a few blocks from us. We noticed this piece of land because what had been a tiny old, dilapidated house surrounded by overgrown plants was very quickly transformed into a huge, gorgeous house with a manicured lawn and nice cars in the driveway. It came as no surprise that a doctor had bought it. When we first learned she was the on-call doctor, my husband recognized the name from the property transaction in the local newspaper.
During the early part of my labor (when I was still coherent and interested in engaging in small talk), the doc mentioned that she was in the hurricane evacuation zone, but that her husband was going to stay in the house with the dog. I was like, "Oh, yeah. You live not that far from us." Then I went on to compliment her on her nice new home.
Big mistake! I realized it was kind of weird that I knew where she lived and quickly explained that we had noticed how quickly the house had been built and saw the property transfer in the paper. The doc was like, "It bothers me that anyone can see how much I was taken for a property by the water." The she went on a bit of rant about how a suspicious car was driving up and down her street recently and she didn't understand why she couldn't find out who it belonged to by looking up the license plate but it's posted in the paper how much properties go for.
It seemed like a weird time to vent about such a trivial thing (given that I was in labor 2 1/2 weeks early in the middle of a hurricane) and I wasn't really in the mood to debate what goes into public records and why. Yet she kind of has a point. I don't necessarily care that property transactions are listed in the local paper, but I do think that certain things should be kept private. Hence why I'm not posting The Boy's name or a picture of him on my blog. There's no way for me to control who sees it and I'm not interested in blindly pasting my precious baby's information for any old pervert to see it.
But it I know you and you'd like to see a picture of him (and haven't already), I'd be more than pleased to brag about my perfect little guy. Just let me know!
What I learned during the whole labor and delivery process (don't worry, no gory details) is that it's great to have a plan, but expect that plan to be thrown out the window (and whisked away by hurricane-force winds). My doctor was on vacation (of course) and so the on-call doctor (who I had never met) was there for the delivery. She was perfectly competent and an experienced doctor, but let me just say that I wasn't used to her brand of bedside manner. It wasn't that she was necessarily rude or mean or uncaring, she was just a bit odd.
Case in point, the doc and her husband has purchased property a few blocks from us. We noticed this piece of land because what had been a tiny old, dilapidated house surrounded by overgrown plants was very quickly transformed into a huge, gorgeous house with a manicured lawn and nice cars in the driveway. It came as no surprise that a doctor had bought it. When we first learned she was the on-call doctor, my husband recognized the name from the property transaction in the local newspaper.
During the early part of my labor (when I was still coherent and interested in engaging in small talk), the doc mentioned that she was in the hurricane evacuation zone, but that her husband was going to stay in the house with the dog. I was like, "Oh, yeah. You live not that far from us." Then I went on to compliment her on her nice new home.
Big mistake! I realized it was kind of weird that I knew where she lived and quickly explained that we had noticed how quickly the house had been built and saw the property transfer in the paper. The doc was like, "It bothers me that anyone can see how much I was taken for a property by the water." The she went on a bit of rant about how a suspicious car was driving up and down her street recently and she didn't understand why she couldn't find out who it belonged to by looking up the license plate but it's posted in the paper how much properties go for.
It seemed like a weird time to vent about such a trivial thing (given that I was in labor 2 1/2 weeks early in the middle of a hurricane) and I wasn't really in the mood to debate what goes into public records and why. Yet she kind of has a point. I don't necessarily care that property transactions are listed in the local paper, but I do think that certain things should be kept private. Hence why I'm not posting The Boy's name or a picture of him on my blog. There's no way for me to control who sees it and I'm not interested in blindly pasting my precious baby's information for any old pervert to see it.
But it I know you and you'd like to see a picture of him (and haven't already), I'd be more than pleased to brag about my perfect little guy. Just let me know!
Friday, August 26, 2011
"Here comes the story of the Hurricane"*
I know, I know: Everyone's talking about Hurricane Irene! Well, I do what I want to do, which often isn't what everyone else is doing, but what I want to do today is talk about Hurricane Irene, so I won't let the fact that everyone else is doing it stop me.
I've got to admit, earlier in the week I was a little freaked out. I don't normally get all worked up about things like the weather. Where a hurricane goes is out of my "circle of influence" and while I can take steps to prepare for one, there's absolutely nothing I can do to stop it from coming. But I'm 9 months pregnant, so I'm trying to give myself a little slack for being more worried than usual about something like the weather.
Really, I shouldn't be that concerned because The Boy has proven to be resilient through record-setting snowfall, a tsunami, and an earthquake. He's probably in the womb saying, "Bring it on, Mother Nature!"
Thinking about my lack of control over the weather, got me thinking about my YA fantasy Elixir Bound because certain higher beings in that story can control the weather. They use it to communicate with each other and to send messages to regular-old humans too.
Then that got me thinking about how an author can take something that is uncontrollable in the real world and manipulate and control it in a story. There's terrible things in life that we have no control over, like war, rape, abuse, your 16-year-old sister suddenly dying when some unknown thing attacks her lungs. And for all intents and purposes, none of these things make any sense.
So as a writer, I can take a world that is often confusing and scary and try to make sense of it. There is something very empowering about that. That doesn't mean I will succeed at making anything in this real world make sense through my fictional world, but at least it might open up a dialogue (even if that conversation is only taking place in my own head). And maybe someday others will connect to that thing I was trying to make sense of and will realize they're not alone in their feelings.
Because there's lots of other wonderful things in the world that can't be explained either, like love and souls. As a writer, I explore these crazy, scary, wonderful things in my stories. First I explore these things for myself. And hopefully, others will read what I've written and explore those things for themselves.
*Bob Dylan
I've got to admit, earlier in the week I was a little freaked out. I don't normally get all worked up about things like the weather. Where a hurricane goes is out of my "circle of influence" and while I can take steps to prepare for one, there's absolutely nothing I can do to stop it from coming. But I'm 9 months pregnant, so I'm trying to give myself a little slack for being more worried than usual about something like the weather.
Really, I shouldn't be that concerned because The Boy has proven to be resilient through record-setting snowfall, a tsunami, and an earthquake. He's probably in the womb saying, "Bring it on, Mother Nature!"
Thinking about my lack of control over the weather, got me thinking about my YA fantasy Elixir Bound because certain higher beings in that story can control the weather. They use it to communicate with each other and to send messages to regular-old humans too.
Then that got me thinking about how an author can take something that is uncontrollable in the real world and manipulate and control it in a story. There's terrible things in life that we have no control over, like war, rape, abuse, your 16-year-old sister suddenly dying when some unknown thing attacks her lungs. And for all intents and purposes, none of these things make any sense.
So as a writer, I can take a world that is often confusing and scary and try to make sense of it. There is something very empowering about that. That doesn't mean I will succeed at making anything in this real world make sense through my fictional world, but at least it might open up a dialogue (even if that conversation is only taking place in my own head). And maybe someday others will connect to that thing I was trying to make sense of and will realize they're not alone in their feelings.
Because there's lots of other wonderful things in the world that can't be explained either, like love and souls. As a writer, I explore these crazy, scary, wonderful things in my stories. First I explore these things for myself. And hopefully, others will read what I've written and explore those things for themselves.
*Bob Dylan
Saturday, July 2, 2011
"Isn't that random?"*
I've had lots of disparate thoughts going through my brain lately and it seems this post is a reflection of that.
First off, astrologists recently found a giant quasar that appears to be not only the brightest object ever found, but also the most distant and earliest quasar ever detected. Quasars are of particular interest to me because they are found the center of young galaxies and surround black holes (you all should know by now how much black holes fascinate me). Who doesn't want to learn more about a super-bright object that is massively powerful and full of energy?
On an artistic discoveries, check out this cartoon called "Born Like an Artist." I wonder what the anthropomorphic personification of my artistic soul looks like? I'm not sure it would be an animal. I think it might be something more abstract...maybe some kind of squiggle or a bouncy, round face.
And to combine two of my intellectual loves, here's a periodic table of storytelling. A couple of "elements" that caught my eye are Jhg, 1wa, Mpb, and Gtb.
Over at Diversity in YA Fiction, the authors are challenging readers to diversity their reading choices. Publicly post an essay about your diverse reading experience and you have a chance at winning "a giant collections of fabulous MG and YA books."
Finally, a third love of mine (soccer) is being showcased on a worldwide stage this summer. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 earlier this week. I was pleased to see that the women's games are getting just as much TV coverage as the men did last summer.
Where have your thoughts been taking you lately?
*311
First off, astrologists recently found a giant quasar that appears to be not only the brightest object ever found, but also the most distant and earliest quasar ever detected. Quasars are of particular interest to me because they are found the center of young galaxies and surround black holes (you all should know by now how much black holes fascinate me). Who doesn't want to learn more about a super-bright object that is massively powerful and full of energy?
On an artistic discoveries, check out this cartoon called "Born Like an Artist." I wonder what the anthropomorphic personification of my artistic soul looks like? I'm not sure it would be an animal. I think it might be something more abstract...maybe some kind of squiggle or a bouncy, round face.
And to combine two of my intellectual loves, here's a periodic table of storytelling. A couple of "elements" that caught my eye are Jhg, 1wa, Mpb, and Gtb.
Over at Diversity in YA Fiction, the authors are challenging readers to diversity their reading choices. Publicly post an essay about your diverse reading experience and you have a chance at winning "a giant collections of fabulous MG and YA books."
Finally, a third love of mine (soccer) is being showcased on a worldwide stage this summer. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 earlier this week. I was pleased to see that the women's games are getting just as much TV coverage as the men did last summer.
Where have your thoughts been taking you lately?
*311
Monday, June 13, 2011
"Plant your hope with good seeds"*
The hubby and I tried kale for the first time today. It was scary not only because I was trying something new (I've never been an adventurous foodie) but also because I also had to clean and cook it myself. Turns out, kale is actually pretty good. I think we may even eat it again.
A bunch of it came in our first farm share basket of the year. We signed up for the farm share in part to support our local farm, in part to have access to fresh veggies every Friday without having to go to the grocery store, and in part to try new healthy things.
I love this time of year for all the fresh produce that is available...I'm talking hyper-local produce, like the kind you can pick yourself and enjoy right in the field (I'm looking forward to the fresh strawberries I'll be picking this weekend at another local farm).
I even have my own veggie garden, which is not nearly as big as my father's, but it works for the hubby and I. This year I'm growing peas (I picked the first ones today and added them to the salad we had with dinner), bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and probably green beans.
It's not that I'm a super healthy, granola-eating, tree-hugging person. I do care about the environment and try to make an effort to be green, but I really like the way fresh food tastes. And I've been trying to subscribe to the idea that when you put good things in (whether that be into your body or mind), good things come out (and yes, I see the obvious poop reference here, but that's not what I'm talking about).
So I'm working on putting good thoughts into my writing, and hopefully getting good writing out of it. And putting good food into my body, and hopefully getting good energy out of it. And putting good green vibes out to the earth, and hopefully making the world a little better place in which to live. Okay, now I am starting to sound a little granolaey.
What do you put in and hope to get out of it?
*Mumford & Sons
A bunch of it came in our first farm share basket of the year. We signed up for the farm share in part to support our local farm, in part to have access to fresh veggies every Friday without having to go to the grocery store, and in part to try new healthy things.
I love this time of year for all the fresh produce that is available...I'm talking hyper-local produce, like the kind you can pick yourself and enjoy right in the field (I'm looking forward to the fresh strawberries I'll be picking this weekend at another local farm).
I even have my own veggie garden, which is not nearly as big as my father's, but it works for the hubby and I. This year I'm growing peas (I picked the first ones today and added them to the salad we had with dinner), bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and probably green beans.
It's not that I'm a super healthy, granola-eating, tree-hugging person. I do care about the environment and try to make an effort to be green, but I really like the way fresh food tastes. And I've been trying to subscribe to the idea that when you put good things in (whether that be into your body or mind), good things come out (and yes, I see the obvious poop reference here, but that's not what I'm talking about).
So I'm working on putting good thoughts into my writing, and hopefully getting good writing out of it. And putting good food into my body, and hopefully getting good energy out of it. And putting good green vibes out to the earth, and hopefully making the world a little better place in which to live. Okay, now I am starting to sound a little granolaey.
What do you put in and hope to get out of it?
*Mumford & Sons
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
"It all started with the big bang"*
I have good news (unfortunately not related to my attempts at being a published novelist...all in due time, my precious)! The Large Hadron Collider is back from hiatus and has created primordial matter. Seriously, this is very exciting news!
Just a little over a month ago, the LHC set a record when it started smashing tiny particles together at 10 million collisions per second. Well, it has now smashed its own smashing record and is now running at 100 million collisions per second (muuhaaahaaa...that's evil scientist laugh...duh!).
This super smashing power is what has led to the creation of primordial matter, a super dense form of matter called a quark-gluon plasma. In fact, the only thing believed to be denser than this primordial matter is a black hole (and we sure don't want the LHC to create that). Scientists also believe that this substance is what the universe was made of right after the big bang.
As for the elusive (and still theoretical) Higgs boson (a.k.a. the god Particle), which is thought to be the most fundamental of all particles and the clue to the mysteries of the universe, that hasn't been discovered yet. If it does exist, it may be discovered as early as some time this summer. If it doesn't exist, it will take until the end of 2012 to confirm that.
Hopefully, we will know all this before the world ends on December 21, 2012. That is unless it ends on October 21, 2011. Then I hope we find the Higgs boson before then. It would be such a shame for the world to end before we discover the secrets of the universe (and before I get a book deal!).
*Barenaked Ladies
Just a little over a month ago, the LHC set a record when it started smashing tiny particles together at 10 million collisions per second. Well, it has now smashed its own smashing record and is now running at 100 million collisions per second (muuhaaahaaa...that's evil scientist laugh...duh!).
This super smashing power is what has led to the creation of primordial matter, a super dense form of matter called a quark-gluon plasma. In fact, the only thing believed to be denser than this primordial matter is a black hole (and we sure don't want the LHC to create that). Scientists also believe that this substance is what the universe was made of right after the big bang.
As for the elusive (and still theoretical) Higgs boson (a.k.a. the god Particle), which is thought to be the most fundamental of all particles and the clue to the mysteries of the universe, that hasn't been discovered yet. If it does exist, it may be discovered as early as some time this summer. If it doesn't exist, it will take until the end of 2012 to confirm that.
Hopefully, we will know all this before the world ends on December 21, 2012. That is unless it ends on October 21, 2011. Then I hope we find the Higgs boson before then. It would be such a shame for the world to end before we discover the secrets of the universe (and before I get a book deal!).
*Barenaked Ladies
Monday, March 28, 2011
"Mother Earth wants us all the leave"* Tsunami experience: Part 2
Okay, so sorry to leave you in suspense for so long...where did I leave off? Right, right...French Polynesia, island of Moorea, tsunami sirens blaring in the wee hours of the morning. The hubby and I throw on some clothes (I remember to put on a bra, but totally forget about undies!) and grab the essentials: passports, a large bottle of water, medication, and some peanut-butter crackers (a pregnant lady needs her snacks).
On the way to the lobby we hear some people talking about taking a car up to Belvedere Point. Given the high-stress situation, I managed to refrain from laughing at them, but going to Belvedere Point would have been some serious overkill. Even if we had gotten a tsunami anywhere close to as big as the one that hit Japan, we wouldn't have needed to go to one of the highest points on the island.
(This is the view from Belvedere Point. Way higher and farther from the water than necessary. When we had talked to the manager the night before, he had said worse-case-scenario, we would have to go up the resort driveway to the road.)
In the lobby, the manager makes an announcement that a tsunami is expected to hit about 6:00 a.m. and that all guests must go to the restaurant area. They don't specifically say it, but we get the impression that it's more precautionary than anything else, although some guests are starting to look very nervous. (Apparently, they didn't have the luxury of a prealarm freakout like I had!)
We are actually allowed to go back to the room where we stow our luggage as far up in the closet as possible (just in case). We pack all our valuable electronics and some books and stuff in our backpacks (I still haven't realized I'm not wearing any underwear) and head to the restaurant.
The next several hours are...well...pretty boring. I stare at the water, trying to detect any kind of measurable change, for so long that my eyes start to hurt. The resort staff gets the breakfast buffet ready as quickly as they can given that it's still early enough that breakfast wouldn't have normally started yet.
The only indication we ever get that an actual tsunami hit us (I think we technically got two tsunami "waves") was when the water level in the lagoon went down just enough for some coral too poke out of the surface. A group of self-proclaimed geologists were sitting near us and they got all excited when this happened and starting documenting it all on their camcorders.
(That stuff sticking out of the water to the right of the palm tree is the coral that normally is under water. That was our only visual cue that we were in the middle of a tsunami.)
By about 9:30 a.m. the warning was over and we all got to go about our day in tropical paradise (and I finally get to put on some underwear!). So, like I said in the last post, it was a lot of build-up with little payoff thankfully. I'm okay with having experienced a tsunami measured in inches instead of feet.
But there are still a lot of people suffering from the aftereffects of the earthquake in Japan. And that is why I've decided to donate $1 to the Red Cross for every person who comments on this blog post (up to $100). Thanks in advance to everyone who comments...I really hope to reach the maximum!
*Gorillaz
Saturday, March 12, 2011
"Mother Earth wants us all the leave"* Tsunami experience: Part 1
The wee hours of Friday morning. Sirens blare. Heart quickens. Body from dead asleep to pinpoint alert in seconds. I knew this could happen, but it doesn’t make my pulse pound any slower. I feel the hubby—it’s too dark to see—rise next to me. “Here we go,” I say, not exactly sure what we’re in for. I’ve never been in a tsunami before.
Now I’m not going to pretend like this is some harrowing tale of survival. It’s more a tale of apprehension and anxiety with not much dramatic payoff. I wouldn’t even call it a near miss. The hubby and I are alive and safe. Not like so many people in Japan. Still, I think our tale is one worth telling...if only to keep my mind from churning over the events and the television images over and over again. Writing this down is my therapy.
But let me go back to the beginning, where many—certainly not all—stories start. French Polynesia, island of Moorea, Thursday night. Some combination of jetlag, sun exposure, pregnancy—and yes, even the hubby has been extra tired from me being pregnant—and extreme island relaxation has lulled us into slumber at an early hour.
I wake around 10:00 pm to find the movie we were watching has ended, the television screen a blank blue screen. I flip to CNN, one of three English-speaking channels we have. 8.9 earthquake, Japan. My first thought Damn, that’s strong. At the time, I didn’t know that it was the strongest recorded quake in Japanese history. My second thought This is not good. Not good at all. Even a country so prepared for quakes must surely suffer from one so massive.
CNN already has footage of not only the earthquake, but also of a devastating tsunami that hit northeastern Japan. A 10 meter wall of water. Tsunami warnings up for countries all across the Pacific. Then I think Uh, oh. We’re in the middle of the southern Pacific on a tiny island. What does that mean for us?
The last tsunami to hit French Polynesia after the earthquake in Chili in February 2010 was measured in inches. I had looked it up because after I had heard tsunamis had been in the area, I had wanted to make sure my favorite tropical location was still intact. The remote location and the surrounding coral reefs had kept French Polynesia safe, but that didn’t mean we would get through this one unscathed.
I watched the coverage for about 30 minutes, my anxiety level rising with each development. Footage from the CNN newsroom in Tokyo. Deep breaths. Stay calm. Footage of the wave pouring into northeastern Japan. Keep breathing. Calm, cleansing breaths. Tsunami warnings for Russia, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, among other countries and islands. French Polynesia isn’t specifically mentioned, but my attempts to stay calm are failing. I’m in a foreign land. On an exposed island. A tsunami may or may not be approaching.
Time to get another opinion on whether or not I’m overreacting. Time to wake the hubby. He doesn’t seem to share my apprehension. Maybe he’s still half asleep; maybe I am overreacting. This annoys me. He’s supposed to be the one to freak out, not calm, collected, take-everything-in-stride me!
“Should we call the front desk?” I ask. “Or go down there and see what’s going on?”
I’m trying to hide my growing fear, to play this as if I’m curious and just want to be prepared, but a million things are running through my head that I don’t say. Do they even know what is going on down at the front desk? Does Moorea have modern tracking equipment for tsunamis? Do they have adequate warning procedures? The water is so close to our room. Will we have to evacuate? What will happen to all our stuff? Will we even know it’s coming, the water rushing in unannounced and we’ll all drown? Was it a huge mistake to come here while pregnant, putting my unborn child at risk?
The hubby seems mildly concerned. His calm demeanor only proves to grate on my already agitated one. He hasn’t been watching the coverage as long as I have. He didn’t see the list of countries under tsunami warnings. He hasn’t let his mind wander to dark places and worse-case-scenarios.
There’s no way I’m sleeping until we find out more information from the resort. I tell the hubby this. He says, “Okay. Let’s walk down to the front desk.”
I’m not sure if he’s humoring me or if he’s also concerned. Either way, I’m relieved to be on my way learning more. The manager at the desk is well informed of the situation. He explains how there are buoys off the coast of the islands that will give us adequate warnings, if we will even need them. He is the picture of calm. He doesn’t think there’s much to worry about. I feel better.
We go back to the room to sleep. We have a solid five hours before the alarms will sound. Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but I only have limited access to a computer here. You already know that we made it out of this and are safe, so really, I’m not leaving you in that much suspense. Caveat: we are back to our regularly scheduled vacation of enjoying tropical paradise. Massages on Monday!
*Gorillaz
Now I’m not going to pretend like this is some harrowing tale of survival. It’s more a tale of apprehension and anxiety with not much dramatic payoff. I wouldn’t even call it a near miss. The hubby and I are alive and safe. Not like so many people in Japan. Still, I think our tale is one worth telling...if only to keep my mind from churning over the events and the television images over and over again. Writing this down is my therapy.
But let me go back to the beginning, where many—certainly not all—stories start. French Polynesia, island of Moorea, Thursday night. Some combination of jetlag, sun exposure, pregnancy—and yes, even the hubby has been extra tired from me being pregnant—and extreme island relaxation has lulled us into slumber at an early hour.
I wake around 10:00 pm to find the movie we were watching has ended, the television screen a blank blue screen. I flip to CNN, one of three English-speaking channels we have. 8.9 earthquake, Japan. My first thought Damn, that’s strong. At the time, I didn’t know that it was the strongest recorded quake in Japanese history. My second thought This is not good. Not good at all. Even a country so prepared for quakes must surely suffer from one so massive.
CNN already has footage of not only the earthquake, but also of a devastating tsunami that hit northeastern Japan. A 10 meter wall of water. Tsunami warnings up for countries all across the Pacific. Then I think Uh, oh. We’re in the middle of the southern Pacific on a tiny island. What does that mean for us?
The last tsunami to hit French Polynesia after the earthquake in Chili in February 2010 was measured in inches. I had looked it up because after I had heard tsunamis had been in the area, I had wanted to make sure my favorite tropical location was still intact. The remote location and the surrounding coral reefs had kept French Polynesia safe, but that didn’t mean we would get through this one unscathed.
I watched the coverage for about 30 minutes, my anxiety level rising with each development. Footage from the CNN newsroom in Tokyo. Deep breaths. Stay calm. Footage of the wave pouring into northeastern Japan. Keep breathing. Calm, cleansing breaths. Tsunami warnings for Russia, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, among other countries and islands. French Polynesia isn’t specifically mentioned, but my attempts to stay calm are failing. I’m in a foreign land. On an exposed island. A tsunami may or may not be approaching.
Time to get another opinion on whether or not I’m overreacting. Time to wake the hubby. He doesn’t seem to share my apprehension. Maybe he’s still half asleep; maybe I am overreacting. This annoys me. He’s supposed to be the one to freak out, not calm, collected, take-everything-in-stride me!
“Should we call the front desk?” I ask. “Or go down there and see what’s going on?”
I’m trying to hide my growing fear, to play this as if I’m curious and just want to be prepared, but a million things are running through my head that I don’t say. Do they even know what is going on down at the front desk? Does Moorea have modern tracking equipment for tsunamis? Do they have adequate warning procedures? The water is so close to our room. Will we have to evacuate? What will happen to all our stuff? Will we even know it’s coming, the water rushing in unannounced and we’ll all drown? Was it a huge mistake to come here while pregnant, putting my unborn child at risk?
The hubby seems mildly concerned. His calm demeanor only proves to grate on my already agitated one. He hasn’t been watching the coverage as long as I have. He didn’t see the list of countries under tsunami warnings. He hasn’t let his mind wander to dark places and worse-case-scenarios.
There’s no way I’m sleeping until we find out more information from the resort. I tell the hubby this. He says, “Okay. Let’s walk down to the front desk.”
I’m not sure if he’s humoring me or if he’s also concerned. Either way, I’m relieved to be on my way learning more. The manager at the desk is well informed of the situation. He explains how there are buoys off the coast of the islands that will give us adequate warnings, if we will even need them. He is the picture of calm. He doesn’t think there’s much to worry about. I feel better.
We go back to the room to sleep. We have a solid five hours before the alarms will sound. Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but I only have limited access to a computer here. You already know that we made it out of this and are safe, so really, I’m not leaving you in that much suspense. Caveat: we are back to our regularly scheduled vacation of enjoying tropical paradise. Massages on Monday!
*Gorillaz
Monday, January 31, 2011
"Black hole sun, won't you come"*
As some of you may know, I've been following the process of the Large Hadron Collider and scientists quest to find the so-called God Particle. This giant particle smasher is currently on hiatus, but is scheduled to be up and running very soon. One hazard of this project is that it has the potential to open up a black hole that swallows up Earth (clearly, this did not happen in its first run!).
I haven't been able to get black holes our of my mind since then. I happened to see a billboard for a special exhibit called Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists at the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Perfect for an in-depth exploration, right? Well, not exactly. The exhibit was fun, which makes sense because it was geared towards kids and teens, but it wasn't super informative.
Making my Explorer's card was fun. I picked the name "Mini Seeker" because I liked the Harry Potter reference and added a picture of a pizza onto the card. (I could've taken a picture of my face, but no one wants to see that!) The exhibits were interactive and interesting. Still, there wasn't that ah-ha factor that really made me feel like the visit was worthwhile.
That was until I wandered into one of those video areas with those really uncomfortable wooden benches (seriously, the inventor of those should be swallowed up by a black hole). But this video informed me that not everything that gets close to a black hole gets sucked in. I know, you're saying, "Wait a minute. I thought a black hole was like a vacuum and once stuff went in, it never came back out."
That's what I thought, and it is basically true. Once you're in black hole, there's no coming out (and no one knows what happens on the other end of the hole...alternate universe perhaps?). However, matter that is in the process of being sucked into a black hole doesn't immediately fall in (especially because as you get closer to a black hole, time actually slows down...very heady stuff here).
Before the matter is sucked in past the event horizon, it circles around the hole in a disk, and the pieces of matter are all bumping into each other. Some of that matter and lots of gas (okay, no flatulence jokes please) shoot out as a jet that moves at close to the speed of sound. The video below actually does a really nice job of describing this phenomenon.
As more research is done about black holes, scientists are finding that black holes are probably important in the creation of galaxies and the case maybe that every galaxy contains one at its center. Forget the Seven Wonder of the World. That's small beans compared to the awesome mystery and power of black holes.
*Soundgarden
I haven't been able to get black holes our of my mind since then. I happened to see a billboard for a special exhibit called Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists at the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Perfect for an in-depth exploration, right? Well, not exactly. The exhibit was fun, which makes sense because it was geared towards kids and teens, but it wasn't super informative.
Making my Explorer's card was fun. I picked the name "Mini Seeker" because I liked the Harry Potter reference and added a picture of a pizza onto the card. (I could've taken a picture of my face, but no one wants to see that!) The exhibits were interactive and interesting. Still, there wasn't that ah-ha factor that really made me feel like the visit was worthwhile.
That was until I wandered into one of those video areas with those really uncomfortable wooden benches (seriously, the inventor of those should be swallowed up by a black hole). But this video informed me that not everything that gets close to a black hole gets sucked in. I know, you're saying, "Wait a minute. I thought a black hole was like a vacuum and once stuff went in, it never came back out."
That's what I thought, and it is basically true. Once you're in black hole, there's no coming out (and no one knows what happens on the other end of the hole...alternate universe perhaps?). However, matter that is in the process of being sucked into a black hole doesn't immediately fall in (especially because as you get closer to a black hole, time actually slows down...very heady stuff here).
Before the matter is sucked in past the event horizon, it circles around the hole in a disk, and the pieces of matter are all bumping into each other. Some of that matter and lots of gas (okay, no flatulence jokes please) shoot out as a jet that moves at close to the speed of sound. The video below actually does a really nice job of describing this phenomenon.
As more research is done about black holes, scientists are finding that black holes are probably important in the creation of galaxies and the case maybe that every galaxy contains one at its center. Forget the Seven Wonder of the World. That's small beans compared to the awesome mystery and power of black holes.
*Soundgarden
Saturday, December 18, 2010
"If there's a light in everybody, send out your ray of sunshine"*
I have a confession: I'm something of a sun junkie. And living in New England, I find myself jonesing for some of those good, warm rays as winter rolls around. By the time winter ends, I'm sure I'll be "looking all pale and tragic" (five stars for the first person to comment with the correct movie reference!).
When the sun is actually shining this time of year, I try to get outside for what I call my "15 minutes a day." It doesn't always happen, and when it does, it's not always in optimal conditions because I often have my head covered. I've read (and I can't for the life of me remember where I read this) that the back section of your head near the crown is the most absorptive part of the body.
There's just something about being out in the sun and fresh air a little bit everyday that invigorates me. And let's be honest, my self-esteem gets a nice boost when I have at least a little bit of a tan (as opposed to the aforementioned pale-and-tragic look). It's not only anecdotal evidence that supports my "15 minutes a day" theory, either.
Actual science backs this claim (and I'm not talking about overexposure to the sun...we all know skin cancer, sun spots, and wrinkles are bad...moderate exposure is key). The aptly named SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which can make you moody, tired, and depressed (admittedly, similar to the symptoms of PMS), usually occurs in conjunction with the lack of sunlight in the winter. Proper sun exposure also helps your body produce vitamin D, which is important for strong bones.
Okay, is this starting to sound too much like a commercial for sun? Well, I don't care. I really do love the sun. Without it, we don't have plants, food, animals, earth, life. I'd say it's about tied with water as the most essential element of life, so you really can't over emphasize its importance.
All this talk about the sun has made me a little twitchy. Unfortunately it's night right now. I hope it's not cloudy tomorrow. I need to get my fix before I start to go through withdrawal! My sun, my precious (please tell me someone knows this book/movie reference!).
*Jason Mraz
When the sun is actually shining this time of year, I try to get outside for what I call my "15 minutes a day." It doesn't always happen, and when it does, it's not always in optimal conditions because I often have my head covered. I've read (and I can't for the life of me remember where I read this) that the back section of your head near the crown is the most absorptive part of the body.
There's just something about being out in the sun and fresh air a little bit everyday that invigorates me. And let's be honest, my self-esteem gets a nice boost when I have at least a little bit of a tan (as opposed to the aforementioned pale-and-tragic look). It's not only anecdotal evidence that supports my "15 minutes a day" theory, either.
Actual science backs this claim (and I'm not talking about overexposure to the sun...we all know skin cancer, sun spots, and wrinkles are bad...moderate exposure is key). The aptly named SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which can make you moody, tired, and depressed (admittedly, similar to the symptoms of PMS), usually occurs in conjunction with the lack of sunlight in the winter. Proper sun exposure also helps your body produce vitamin D, which is important for strong bones.
Okay, is this starting to sound too much like a commercial for sun? Well, I don't care. I really do love the sun. Without it, we don't have plants, food, animals, earth, life. I'd say it's about tied with water as the most essential element of life, so you really can't over emphasize its importance.
All this talk about the sun has made me a little twitchy. Unfortunately it's night right now. I hope it's not cloudy tomorrow. I need to get my fix before I start to go through withdrawal! My sun, my precious (please tell me someone knows this book/movie reference!).
*Jason Mraz
Friday, October 22, 2010
"Yeah, I can hear that"*
The hubby and I had our five-year anniversary this past weekend. To celebrate we went to dinner at the restaurant where we got married (it was the first time we had been there since we found out it was haunted), spent the night in a hotel, and got massages.
When it comes to massages, I find that sounds have a big impact on the overall experience. Hands down the best massage I ever had was in Tahiti. If you've never been to French Polynesia (and really, you should make a point of going there at least once in your life...trust me, it's worth the insanely long travel time), basically everything good thing you can imagine about a tropical paradise, that's Tahiti.
It was pouring the day we got our massages. The rain was relentless, and even though we got soaked walking to the massage place, the weather created the perfect atmosphere. The massage hut is kind of an outdoor/indoor building (like most of the structures in French Polynesia). So there are doors and a roof, but instead of regular floors, it has raised walkways and below is dirt and flowers, and, well, nature. Not all of the rooms have walls, and the ones that do often have walls that end halfway up. No rain gets in, though, because the thatched roof hangs far enough over the edge to keep the water away.
In addition to the ever-important sounds, was the awesome smell of of island. French Polynesia smells like flowers, but not sticky, sweet, perfumy flowers (I can't stand that); it has a subtle scent that permeates the island and becomes a part of what Tahiti is. For me, there's no other place that I so closely identify with by smell. The whole experience of my Polynesian massage was just incredible.
When it comes to massages, I find that sounds have a big impact on the overall experience. Hands down the best massage I ever had was in Tahiti. If you've never been to French Polynesia (and really, you should make a point of going there at least once in your life...trust me, it's worth the insanely long travel time), basically everything good thing you can imagine about a tropical paradise, that's Tahiti.
It was pouring the day we got our massages. The rain was relentless, and even though we got soaked walking to the massage place, the weather created the perfect atmosphere. The massage hut is kind of an outdoor/indoor building (like most of the structures in French Polynesia). So there are doors and a roof, but instead of regular floors, it has raised walkways and below is dirt and flowers, and, well, nature. Not all of the rooms have walls, and the ones that do often have walls that end halfway up. No rain gets in, though, because the thatched roof hangs far enough over the edge to keep the water away.
(This is what the island of Moorea looks like in the rain.)
The ladies gave us our pareos, which are basically small sheets that can be worn in a million different ways by both guys and ladies. Then we drank little shot glasses full of some kind of wheat grass drink, which tasted terrible, but is supposedly really good for you. Then the massage ladies brought us to our room.
My masseuse got started right on my feet, which were freezing from walking in the rain with sandals. As I got rubbed down with special Polynesian oil, the only sounds were the pattering of rain and the occasional rumble of thunder.
In addition to the ever-important sounds, was the awesome smell of of island. French Polynesia smells like flowers, but not sticky, sweet, perfumy flowers (I can't stand that); it has a subtle scent that permeates the island and becomes a part of what Tahiti is. For me, there's no other place that I so closely identify with by smell. The whole experience of my Polynesian massage was just incredible.
The strangest (I won't say worst because things are never bad when your getting a massage) one I ever had was by a guy who either had a cold or was a mouth-breather. The only time I didn't notice his heavy panting was when this really bizarre music started. Most massage places have that relaxing, new-age music, but the song that came on was what could only be described as creepy clown music. I kept imagining I was at a demented circus and scary clowns were stalking me (and I don't even have a fear of clowns).
And wouldn't you know, my massage this weekend started off with odd music. It was one of those nature tracks, which is usually fine, but these ducks kept quacking during it. I wanted to laugh along with the ducks every time I heard one cackle "quack, quack, quack."
Towards the end of the massage, the music turned scary. The best word I could find to describe it was diminuendo because it was like a soundtrack to someone falling down the stairs. Only in my imagination, the person was pushed down the stairs and the evil guy (maybe one of those demented clowns) who did it stood at the top, maniacally laughing. And this scene played over and over again in slow motion until the music changed and I remembered I was supposed to be relaxing and not letting my imagination run away with me.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
"The Little Things Give You Away"*
Sometimes it's nice just to think about the little things in life that bring you joy. Here are some of mine:
My favorite tea has a kick-ass name: Black Dragon Pearl (I always want to add "Coming to theaters this summer" after I say it and then do a perfect round-house kick). Plus the tea leaves come packed as balls, which only adds to my amusement.
Thunderstorms never stop being scary/exciting.
When it comes to my indoor co-ed soccer team, the "that's what she said" joke never gets old...ever!
The spin-cycle on my Scandinavian dryer (maybe we're somehow related!) sounds like a plane taking off. This one's a double-edged sword because it can also be annoying...like when I'm trying to watch TV or listen to music, or you know, have a conversation or something...but it's still pretty cool to have it sound like an airplane is taking off in your laundry room.
When my little niece and nephew say the word "rude," it sounds like they're saying "wooed." And they're still young enough to always be happy to see me.
My older nephew still likes hanging out with me!
I buy Land O' Lakes American cheese from the deli and the package is labeled LOL cheese. How could you not smile about that?
I'm always wonderfully surprised at how tasty food is when you grow/pick it yourself.
And this is only a sampling of the little things in my life. It's interesting how many of them are about food...maybe I'm just hungry. Oh, and in case you were curious, my soccer team won again yesterday (we crushed Danbury 6-1), so we're in the finals next Saturday.
*Linkin Park
My favorite tea has a kick-ass name: Black Dragon Pearl (I always want to add "Coming to theaters this summer" after I say it and then do a perfect round-house kick). Plus the tea leaves come packed as balls, which only adds to my amusement.
Thunderstorms never stop being scary/exciting.
When it comes to my indoor co-ed soccer team, the "that's what she said" joke never gets old...ever!
The spin-cycle on my Scandinavian dryer (maybe we're somehow related!) sounds like a plane taking off. This one's a double-edged sword because it can also be annoying...like when I'm trying to watch TV or listen to music, or you know, have a conversation or something...but it's still pretty cool to have it sound like an airplane is taking off in your laundry room.
When my little niece and nephew say the word "rude," it sounds like they're saying "wooed." And they're still young enough to always be happy to see me.
My older nephew still likes hanging out with me!
I buy Land O' Lakes American cheese from the deli and the package is labeled LOL cheese. How could you not smile about that?
I'm always wonderfully surprised at how tasty food is when you grow/pick it yourself.
And this is only a sampling of the little things in my life. It's interesting how many of them are about food...maybe I'm just hungry. Oh, and in case you were curious, my soccer team won again yesterday (we crushed Danbury 6-1), so we're in the finals next Saturday.
*Linkin Park
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"Flying at the speed of sound"*
Today we celebrate! Scientists at the underground site of the Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border cheered earlier today when the largest atom collider set a record by colliding particles three times faster than ever before. (This occasion was also worthy of celebrating because a. the collider didn't break and b. it didn't create a world-destroying black hole!)
For those of you who follow my blog (all three of you!), you may remember that I've been keeping my eye on this experiment. Crashing together subatomic particles is risky business and the project has been plagued with controversy since it started, including an accidental death, mechanical problems, and even a theory that scientists from the future are sabotaging the collider. But with today's success we can look to the future.
An energy level of 7 trillion electron volts (TeV) was observed during the event. This seems like a big number, but when you consider that an ant can easily produce as much kinetic energy as 1 TeV, it's actually a small amount of energy. So what's the big deal, right? The big deal is that the particles in the collider are infinitesimally smaller than an ant, so when 7 TeV is applied to colliding particles (3.5 TeV per particle), they move almost as fast as the speed of light (note: not the speed of sound as the lyric in the title states!).
Scientists hope to eventually discover more about dark matter and the Higgs boson (or God Particle). If experiments go as planned (which they haven't so far...and they almost never do), this collider could smash open (literally) new discoveries in the world of physics. Ah, what great material for science-fiction writers everywhere!
*Coldplay
For those of you who follow my blog (all three of you!), you may remember that I've been keeping my eye on this experiment. Crashing together subatomic particles is risky business and the project has been plagued with controversy since it started, including an accidental death, mechanical problems, and even a theory that scientists from the future are sabotaging the collider. But with today's success we can look to the future.
An energy level of 7 trillion electron volts (TeV) was observed during the event. This seems like a big number, but when you consider that an ant can easily produce as much kinetic energy as 1 TeV, it's actually a small amount of energy. So what's the big deal, right? The big deal is that the particles in the collider are infinitesimally smaller than an ant, so when 7 TeV is applied to colliding particles (3.5 TeV per particle), they move almost as fast as the speed of light (note: not the speed of sound as the lyric in the title states!).
Scientists hope to eventually discover more about dark matter and the Higgs boson (or God Particle). If experiments go as planned (which they haven't so far...and they almost never do), this collider could smash open (literally) new discoveries in the world of physics. Ah, what great material for science-fiction writers everywhere!
*Coldplay
Sunday, March 14, 2010
"She want the big bamboo"*
While in St. Lucia, the hubby and I did the Soufriere By Land and Sea adventure through Sunlink Tours. We traveled down the east side of St. Lucia by open jeep from Castries to Soufriere and back north by party catamaran. Al was our fearless driver and Thomas was our funny and knowledgeable guide (see below about bamboo for a taste of his trivia).
Here's our jeep. Al is all the way to right (and yup, that's the elusive hubby on the left). I'm very sad to note that I never did get a picture of Thomas. He was so busy making sure all of us tourists were taken care of that the only time he really sat down was when we were riding in the jeep.
The highlights included:
Here's our jeep. Al is all the way to right (and yup, that's the elusive hubby on the left). I'm very sad to note that I never did get a picture of Thomas. He was so busy making sure all of us tourists were taken care of that the only time he really sat down was when we were riding in the jeep.
The highlights included:
Getting pummeled by a waterfall, which was quite refreshing (yes, be kind...that's me in a bathing suit!)
Being entertained by the Captain (that's him jamming behind the wheel) as he sang along with Bob Marley and "Big Bamboo."
Every time I hear the word bamboo, it just brings me right back to St. Lucia. Did you know that bamboo was the national tree of St. Lucia? That is until they found out bamboo isn't a tree at all. Now bamboo is the national plant of the island and calabash is the national tree. All the Americans on the tour agreed that our country would have changed the status of the bamboo to a tree just to avoid having to admit being wrong!
*as performed by Horace Peterkin
Monday, February 15, 2010
"Let me crash upon your shore"*
Today the hubby and I were sitting on a bench at the beach (the same beach at which I did my listening exercise). We had just stood up to continue our walk when a woman hopped out of her running vehicle and said, "Excuse me." I had my hood on, so I didn't even hear her, but the hubby did. We stopped and she said, "I'm looking for Anchor Beach."
I gestured to the beach and around the corner and said, "I believe this whole stretch is Anchor Beach." (Apparently she didn't believe me because as soon as we turned the corner, we saw her asking someone else!)
It seemed weird that she was looking for a specific beach in the middle of winter, but we soon found out the real reason she was there. We rounded another corner and a news truck and a bunch of people were milling around. Cones and police tape had been set up and signs were posted.
At first I couldn't figure out why all those people were there. I turned to my husband and quietly asked, "Do you see anything?" Just as I asked, I realized the rock I was looking at wasn't just a rock. A baby seal was laying on it. He was so well camouflaged that he was hard to see. Can you see him lying there on the rock? (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a hint.)
*Enya
I gestured to the beach and around the corner and said, "I believe this whole stretch is Anchor Beach." (Apparently she didn't believe me because as soon as we turned the corner, we saw her asking someone else!)
It seemed weird that she was looking for a specific beach in the middle of winter, but we soon found out the real reason she was there. We rounded another corner and a news truck and a bunch of people were milling around. Cones and police tape had been set up and signs were posted.
At first I couldn't figure out why all those people were there. I turned to my husband and quietly asked, "Do you see anything?" Just as I asked, I realized the rock I was looking at wasn't just a rock. A baby seal was laying on it. He was so well camouflaged that he was hard to see. Can you see him lying there on the rock? (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a hint.)
At first he looked dead, but as we watched and listened we found out that he was just basking in the sun and wasn't hurt or anything. He was young but old enough to be out on his own. Our little visitor made the local news! Here he is.
*Enya
Monday, January 25, 2010
"But nobody's listening"*
Do you ever get the feeling that you are screaming in a crowded room and are just being ignored? That even you are ignoring yourself? How often do you really listen without once thinking of how to get your own two cents into a conversation? For that matter, do ever just listen to hear what's going on in the world?
Sometimes the noise pollution of music, television, trucks, cars, conversations, fluorescent light bulbs, even my own thoughts get so crowded in my head that I can't think anymore. I recently decided to embark on a daunting project in self-introspection and in preparation for that, I have taken a few quiet walks in an attempt to unplug my brain from the normal noise pollution and tune into some new sounds, namely, those of the beach in wintertime.
In winter, the beach whispers to you. It's miles away from the cacophony of the beach in summer. The subtlety is refreshing (as is the blustery wind). The more I listen, the more it's like a drug. I want to push the tolerance of my hearing further to hear deeper. Then I want to specifically identify each sound and search out its source, my head bobbing back and forth in an effort to catch each with my eyes (oh, how dependent we humans are on eyesight). Here's some of what I observed:
- My mouth smacking my gum (admittedly, it wasn't very smart to chew gum on a sound-seeking walk). Luckily that was one noise pollutant I could easily get rid of.
- At low tide, the soft lapping of the waves. Their gentle swooshing fading into the background. The bubbly fizz as algae and grass dry in the sun, like I can hear the water evaporating.
- At high tide, the louder breaking of slightly bigger waves (still not a crashing--it's only Long Island Sound after all). The slap of water against the concrete tide wall.
- A rush of wind in my ears, which fades and rises with the mood of the ocean. The sniffles of my own nose.
- The harsh squawk of a seagull. A cry of alarm at the approaching stranger (that would be me). Another seagull's high-pitched whine, sounding over and over again, maybe seeking attention from the stranger.
- The melodies of the songbirds, present even in winter. Their cheeps soft and sweet compared to the crude cries of the seagulls.
- The quiet tread of my sneakers on the sidewalk, the crunch a little louder when I walk over sand.
- Louder than the crunch of my sneakers is the crunch of car tires on asphalt. Some cars purr, other squeak and clank in protest.
- The swish, swish, swish as the sleeves of my coat brush up against the coat's body. A few minutes later, a new swish as a man in warm-up pants jogs by. Who knew clothing could be so loud?
- The rwor, rwor, rwor of an airplane (my head tilts to the sky to see it), distinct from the whir, whir, whir of a helicopter.
- The jingle of a dog collar, a muted cousin to the metallic plink of a flag flapping against its pole.
- A drip, drip, drip as ice and snow melts. Even more drips as a man takes advantage of the (relatively) warm day to wash his car. His low car radio, which would be common in the summer, foreign in this winter world.
- The diesel roar of an oil-spill response truck as it sucks someone's beach house clean. Its rumbling a blight on my experiment as it drowns out all other sounds.
- The quiet crunch, crunch of another person. Soft hellos exchanged by strangers bound by a mutual interest of walking on the beach.
- A carefree wak, wak, wak of a duck. Is it laughing? Another duck certainly not laughing as it quacks at a seagull that gets too close.
- The frantic chirps of songbirds taking off in fright. The rustle of dead leaves, almost imperceptible in the wind and waves.
There's more, but I'll leave you with that for now. It's amazing what you can hear when you're actually listening.
*Linkin Park
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
"By the Light of the Silvery Moon"*
As I drove home from work yesterday, it was already pretty dark (it's such a bummer how early it gets dark this time of year) and my eyes were drawn to the sky. Against the slate-colored December sky was the brilliant light of an almost full moon. This was not the first time I had the pleasure of such a sight.
Later in the evening, I walked into my bedroom to find the bed blanketed in the silver moonlight. And last night, my hubby thought he was going to have to run in the dark, but the moon lit the way for him. Unfortunately, we didn't get to do anything by the light of the silvery (and full) moon tonight; it's raining.
Later in the evening, I walked into my bedroom to find the bed blanketed in the silver moonlight. And last night, my hubby thought he was going to have to run in the dark, but the moon lit the way for him. Unfortunately, we didn't get to do anything by the light of the silvery (and full) moon tonight; it's raining.
I was playing with settings on my camera when I took this picture and somehow the moon came out with a weird double image. The detail on the leaves is pretty cool, though. This full moon occurred in October 2008. That full moon brought out the weirder side of people. I haven't noticed much oddness yet today, but there's more than an hour left in the day...plenty of time for erratic behavior.
Since it's only the second day of the month, I started to wonder if there was going to be another full moon this month, also known as a blue moon (which is also a popular beer!). Turns out the second full moon this month just happens to fall on the 31st, which means we'll all be bringing in the New Year with a blue moon (too bad we won't be bringing in the New Year with a New Moon).
I also learned an interesting tidbit about blue moons: there's actually two different kinds of blue moons (and neither of them have to do with painting your butt). There's the one that is occurring this month, which is two full moons in a single month, the second of which is called a blue moon. This is actually fairly rare—hence the term "once in a blue moon"—and the next one doesn't occur until August 2012.
There's also the Farmer's Almanac definition of a blue moon, which is technically a true blue moon. This occurs when there are four, instead of the more common three, full moons in a single season. Instead of calling the final full moon of the season the blue moon, the third full moon is the blue moon. This is also fairly rare. There will be this kind of blue moon in November 2010 and then again in August 2013.
Okay, how many times can I write the word "moon" in a single post? Everything in excess I always say. Happy full moon!
*Edward Madden
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