tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82519821288824271422024-03-06T00:08:56.205-05:00People and Nature JournalSteve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comBlogger520125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-68648678124021923052010-07-23T12:34:00.002-04:002010-07-23T12:34:41.411-04:00TransistionHead on over to the new iteration of this blog <a href="http://quayside.blogspot.com/">here</a>.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-72929069428096989882009-01-26T19:14:00.001-05:002009-01-26T19:15:43.688-05:00HaitusObviously blog activity has been non existent. And the hiatus will continue for a while longer.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-69383657915050578232008-12-24T20:23:00.002-05:002008-12-24T20:24:34.829-05:0040 Years Later<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdGQwpWAfIuoYs4i8m0skvAuN7aVrfRVGTu_besiJKGqq1HoYhgBe_-6-lDRgizrvE-yuylkeOi-SRE2rUn6Giu_9WMlwQGDsOSD0XYNy_lz-hZc3K0Q8DfXcCqq_LtFnqA7pLeInZio/s1600-h/600px-NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdGQwpWAfIuoYs4i8m0skvAuN7aVrfRVGTu_besiJKGqq1HoYhgBe_-6-lDRgizrvE-yuylkeOi-SRE2rUn6Giu_9WMlwQGDsOSD0XYNy_lz-hZc3K0Q8DfXcCqq_LtFnqA7pLeInZio/s320/600px-NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283532373563893058" border="0" /></a><br /> Seasons GreetingsSteve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-31021929994400865222008-12-18T13:03:00.005-05:002008-12-18T13:15:23.293-05:00Teddy Project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzMD8OrFBrCozXkWpAjIjL6XMEB6m7yghPE0hCazLpQAycx9HTZCNDtZ8AUxyXXM7Rwka9n_MOYO5t1ZNWyjlImH-4LprUx5j-NfcfUQ3N657DtIS84JB0SYjdMkLNzOBCYBI-heFCpA/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzMD8OrFBrCozXkWpAjIjL6XMEB6m7yghPE0hCazLpQAycx9HTZCNDtZ8AUxyXXM7Rwka9n_MOYO5t1ZNWyjlImH-4LprUx5j-NfcfUQ3N657DtIS84JB0SYjdMkLNzOBCYBI-heFCpA/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281192818624189250" border="0" /></a><br />My friend Jonathan, the refuge manager at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/canaanvalley/">Canaan Valley NWR</a>, has been working diligently on an initiative he cooked up called the <a href="http://aiawebraising.net/teddyproject/aboutus.html">Teddy Project</a>.<br /><br />WV Public Broadcasting features the Teddy Project in a recent radio <a href="http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=7010">broadcast</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76KSQchq3yW-u2xPMSQ9a1LU5StQm83Ha_Xf0W9YgQSlm5Gpw7D0lK7FQSRg-5c4awIkfbdz7EAEPIp2uKy5zALFptvPoAzqrlxzmZlfoS6pJUIVhbpvrVG_V_5r7FSzqpFpy4-UvPPY/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76KSQchq3yW-u2xPMSQ9a1LU5StQm83Ha_Xf0W9YgQSlm5Gpw7D0lK7FQSRg-5c4awIkfbdz7EAEPIp2uKy5zALFptvPoAzqrlxzmZlfoS6pJUIVhbpvrVG_V_5r7FSzqpFpy4-UvPPY/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281194697019724066" border="0" /></a><br />The Teddy Project is a partnership between FWS and the Arts Institutes, where student animators partner with a National Wildlife Refuge to create a short video featuring a cartoon Teddy Roosevelt and his friend Puddles. Dozens of these cartoons have been produced thus far, bringing arts students and viewers closer to the NWR system and Conservation.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-19026460960594415222008-12-16T21:38:00.002-05:002008-12-16T21:43:36.701-05:00Mountain Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSUXvnXxTMIHED7P7eiRTNoJxebynT9lz2KkVG_GVubvnZYZ_a988sMK6yJiHaoEhmlQ9GScqdoVgMgikYFw0y4Mv9XH-ce6mzgpu3EzOGBWcsxyly_ZHvix2Lzp6rlqrqa2-wwfbgs/s1600-h/Fred-BeckeyW700.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSUXvnXxTMIHED7P7eiRTNoJxebynT9lz2KkVG_GVubvnZYZ_a988sMK6yJiHaoEhmlQ9GScqdoVgMgikYFw0y4Mv9XH-ce6mzgpu3EzOGBWcsxyly_ZHvix2Lzp6rlqrqa2-wwfbgs/s320/Fred-BeckeyW700.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280584111168225650" border="0" /></a><br />I met Fred Beckey in 1986. He was 63 and the quintessential dirtbag climber.<br />He hasn't <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/sports/othersports/16beckey.html?_r=1">changed</a> much-- he's still climbing at 85.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-35056012056345405992008-12-10T20:38:00.002-05:002008-12-10T20:44:00.892-05:00Power of WordsGot an email from Rich Louv today--<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081210.DICTIONARY10/TPStory/National">seems</a> that the Oxford Junior Dictionary is eliminating a number of words for its next edition.<br /><blockquote><br />It all might seem a losing battle. But Mr. Bateman was nevertheless on his soapbox this week after revelations that the Oxford Junior Dictionary has replaced "beaver" - and friends such as the "heron," "porcupine," and "kingfisher" - in its pages with new, plugged-in alternatives.</blockquote>More <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g6PhdwUO-vyK3dx4ah9c-BRz45sQ">here</a>.<br /><br />This can't stand. Watch for more news on this at the <a href="http://www.childrenandnature.org/">Children and Nature Network</a>.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-66160548296849139612008-12-09T09:48:00.000-05:002008-12-09T09:50:07.816-05:00Talk to the KidsOrion has a new <a href="http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/3229">essay</a> worth a read.<br /><blockquote>I also know that I needed something to say to my six year old when we walked home from the library in April—no leaves to offer shade, the bank’s LED sign reading eighty-four degrees—and he turned his ingenuous face to mine to ask, "Mama, is it supposed to be so hot?"</blockquote>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-53058845827378575882008-12-06T06:43:00.001-05:002008-12-06T06:43:00.389-05:00Ski East<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnr43B_cM5eO3L8y4oWr7MzwYWVFMNC_O8jMksh25Ol01w2gX0TxAKmX0HAqIjiCQDk6C0BSu_GIWGuaZytWMUMqcUIvZIOpo_-cknvFy7m6_ANPUdtnyaK9Rf2Mgcjp8bSuigns8g1o/s1600-h/MadRiver2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnr43B_cM5eO3L8y4oWr7MzwYWVFMNC_O8jMksh25Ol01w2gX0TxAKmX0HAqIjiCQDk6C0BSu_GIWGuaZytWMUMqcUIvZIOpo_-cknvFy7m6_ANPUdtnyaK9Rf2Mgcjp8bSuigns8g1o/s320/MadRiver2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276426553652685266" border="0" /></a><br />I grew up in the east, learned to ski in the east, and worked for the ski business in the east. Some of my most memorable ski runs were in the east.<br /><br />Ski the <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/travel/escapes/05ski.html?em">East</a>.<br /><p></p><blockquote><p> You want isolation and powdery glades? Have you ever been to Jay Peak, just five miles from the Canadian border? Jay Peak had more than 400 inches of snow last season. And Jay Peak had powder — I saw my skis disappear in it — last weekend.</p><p> You want craggy, adrenaline-charged challenges? Have you stepped off the Sugarbush resort’s intimidating Castlerock chair, where the trails are rocky, bumpy and will get you airborne? Have you stepped off just about any lift at the no-frills Mad River Glen, home of the “Ski It If You Can” bumper stickers?</p></blockquote><p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWdIfvezYAxobqt-D_Z1t5me01-D8UVDlI8Nd8bymUln8aGYNDw23AFWu3CZPEbl_yQV7xhrpHTu9h1Pum6m0cQlbAaIUx_btuJRZ15GobNHsTIJ-I503V9TY9PoqfHpGcq97TzFZkhc/s1600-h/skiit.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 47px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWdIfvezYAxobqt-D_Z1t5me01-D8UVDlI8Nd8bymUln8aGYNDw23AFWu3CZPEbl_yQV7xhrpHTu9h1Pum6m0cQlbAaIUx_btuJRZ15GobNHsTIJ-I503V9TY9PoqfHpGcq97TzFZkhc/s320/skiit.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276426550764201906" border="0" /></a>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-1614122973700425612008-12-05T07:20:00.001-05:002008-12-05T07:20:00.590-05:00ThingsBruce Sterling's <a href="http://viridiandesign.org/">essay</a> "The Last Viridian Note " is well worth a read, and some thought.<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>In earlier, less technically advanced eras, this approach would have been far-fetched. Material goods were inherently difficult to produce, find, and ship. They were rare and precious. They were closely associated with social prestige. Without important material signifiers such as wedding china, family silver, portraits, a coach-house, a trousseau and so forth, you were advertising your lack of substance to your neighbors. If you failed to surround yourself with a thick material barrier, you were inviting social abuse and possible police suspicion. So it made pragmatic sense to cling to heirlooms, renew all major purchases promptly, and visibly keep up with the Joneses.</p> <p>That era is dying. It's not only dying, but the assumptions behind that form of material culture are very dangerous. These objects can no longer protect you from want, from humiliation – in fact they are <strong>causes</strong> of humiliation, as anyone with a McMansion crammed with Chinese-made goods and an unsellable SUV has now learned at great cost.</p> <p>Furthermore, many of these objects can damage you personally. The hours you waste stumbling over your piled debris, picking, washing, storing, re-storing, those are hours and spaces that you will never get back in a mortal lifetime. Basically, you have to curate these goods: heat them, cool them, protect them from humidity and vermin. Every moment you devote to them is lost to your children, your friends, your society, yourself.</p> <p>It's not bad to own fine things that you like. What you need are things that you GENUINELY like. Things that you cherish, that enhance your existence in the world. The rest is dross.</p></blockquote><p></p>The <a href="http://blog.nau.com/2008/12/01/so-what-about-those-objects-in-your-life/">Thought Kitchen</a> tipped me on this one.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-18458356007180544472008-12-04T13:02:00.001-05:002008-12-04T13:05:21.630-05:00Definitely Smell the RosesMore nature equals better health. New <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2808%2961689-X/fulltext">study</a> in the Lancet (subscription).<br /><br />Summarized <a href="http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;%21-505740741?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FSJL%2FOpinion&r21.content=%2FSJL%2FOpinion%2FContentTab_Feature_2597719">here</a>.<br /><blockquote>Immersing ourselves in the natural world distances us from the minute-by-minute demands of our busy days, and helps us appreciate the beauty around us. Parks also provide opportunities for physical activities that promote heart health and reduce stress. It turns out that "slowing down to smell the roses" is more than just folksy advice.</blockquote>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-38722053614301058802008-11-30T09:16:00.002-05:002008-11-30T09:19:20.442-05:00Mystery of the Acorns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3UwzuYeyx6iPKELVoyGQSkkFoMM3FXl3e8E9NYQ2b-DpXVyEOpaWTcsDX13HGxn2L6nZp9KXait2EGVA3c2oSwsFoT0MfK9sb12pT5neo22iv9PanWZRDoGlSeJzYErDUTWwGaVhoSo/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3UwzuYeyx6iPKELVoyGQSkkFoMM3FXl3e8E9NYQ2b-DpXVyEOpaWTcsDX13HGxn2L6nZp9KXait2EGVA3c2oSwsFoT0MfK9sb12pT5neo22iv9PanWZRDoGlSeJzYErDUTWwGaVhoSo/s320/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274454820818943330" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112902045.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR">Where</a> are they this year?<br /><blockquote>"I'm used to seeing so many acorns around and out in the field, it's something I just didn't believe," he said. "But this is not just not a good year for oaks. It's a zero year. There's zero production. I've never seen anything like this before." </blockquote>We've seen a few, but not like usual.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-88407229563584577192008-11-30T07:57:00.000-05:002008-11-30T07:57:00.578-05:00Games<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyx128qT2UxscXtMCkkH3hYaDE204Eb1dSIU9Qq1-wBc8aAS_3bccEOywpvrRCY5QNK0fYf2DfAFZk2CcD-Wqa0EM_9AM0Yu8u1gPuuLJnaXcK_Et9vYG3_vYAHLrams7H1nmlYwCRE0/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyx128qT2UxscXtMCkkH3hYaDE204Eb1dSIU9Qq1-wBc8aAS_3bccEOywpvrRCY5QNK0fYf2DfAFZk2CcD-Wqa0EM_9AM0Yu8u1gPuuLJnaXcK_Et9vYG3_vYAHLrams7H1nmlYwCRE0/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274280263909811058" border="0" /></a><br />Saw this last week in the NY Times Magazine.<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/11/18/magazine/20081123-games_2.html"> Check out</a> the faces of kids playing video games. <br /><br />Perhaps a follow up would be their faces doing something cool outdoors. I remember having some intense expressions when faced with a ten foot wave on the Kennebec, or stepping up on that dime-sized nubbin in the Gunks. You get the idea.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-67157888125603272362008-11-29T21:45:00.003-05:002008-11-29T21:52:25.015-05:00Clean Breakthrough<span style="font-weight: bold;">Vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy.</span><br /><br />Some <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewableenergy/3535012/Ocean-currents-can-power-the-world-say-scientists.html">research</a> is paying off, it seems.<br /><br /><p></p><blockquote><p>A "field" of cylinders built on the sea bed over a 1km by 1.5km area, and the height of a two-storey house, with a flow of just three knots, could generate enough power for around 100,000 homes. Just a few of the cylinders, stacked in a short ladder, could power an anchored ship or a lighthouse.</p><p>Systems could be sited on river beds or suspended in the ocean. The scientists behind the technology, which has been developed in research funded by the US government, say that generating power in this way would potentially cost only around 3.5p per kilowatt hour, compared to about 4.5p for wind energy and between 10p and 31p for solar power. They say the technology would require up to 50 times less ocean acreage than wave power generation.</p><p>The system, conceived by scientists at the University of Michigan, is called Vivace, or "vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy".</p></blockquote><p></p>More <a href="http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/">here</a>.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-80124523731740491362008-11-22T16:51:00.001-05:002008-11-22T16:53:50.844-05:00Bike FittingYes, they <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/health/nutrition/20fitness.html?em">fit bicycles</a>.<br /><blockquote>The technology put to work in a bike fitting is often an attention-grabber. Lasers, cameras, data readouts and computer imagery that can be manipulated to be seen from multiple views add a certain sizzle to a process that was previously, more often than not, an eyeball estimation.<br /></blockquote>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-36490410195135168602008-11-17T12:26:00.003-05:002008-11-17T12:35:00.680-05:00The Club Fails<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_es-FeyPRfXszkdas90IWasWzfxJhqj5WPgiQucKtpOk1ekNrFJbmK2M6-Mn4ZVWUlsZLa3qre4EU5zecc5bKBrH4wXvyZGGXc0-7KvmMf-8wsJ6yhP9ZlJ3eGz-ZZnDUmzz45HRfGM/s1600-h/1_0125house.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_es-FeyPRfXszkdas90IWasWzfxJhqj5WPgiQucKtpOk1ekNrFJbmK2M6-Mn4ZVWUlsZLa3qre4EU5zecc5bKBrH4wXvyZGGXc0-7KvmMf-8wsJ6yhP9ZlJ3eGz-ZZnDUmzz45HRfGM/s320/1_0125house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269680755501244338" border="0" /></a><br />Ever hear about the Yellowstone Club?<br /><br />Bad idea. And now it's gone <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/11/14/elite-yellowstone-club-can-barely-afford-food/">broke</a>.<br /><br />Read about it from the ski bum perspective <a href="http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/return_the_powder_to_the_people/C564/L564/">here</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>I eventually learned that the Yellowstone Club had so few skiers that sensors were installed so lift operators would know when someone was actually riding a chair. Powder lasted for days and they had a run named EBITDA, which I learned stands for “earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.’’ The employees were apparently treated well, but good luck trying to get an invitation to visit. For the masses, it was a mirage of a ski area, even though you could look down into it from Big Sky.</blockquote>Buh Bye.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-1651067561902102742008-11-16T13:51:00.003-05:002008-11-16T14:02:12.420-05:00Turn of The Damn Lights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWK3Wr5MYdgtGAUcw6AfR7KIdv1HdJAiu8jhVlLDTcoQFCHLEl7CxjK8EKMBfyxSBpOfwZH8ybNxnRNjQ1M7du8xBY_iCltHSjIyGgwWibLGO1OsjSQ1qO-J5Hu81wIlsJZ5zdaMHiKY/s1600-h/20040921144929!Usa_night.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWK3Wr5MYdgtGAUcw6AfR7KIdv1HdJAiu8jhVlLDTcoQFCHLEl7CxjK8EKMBfyxSBpOfwZH8ybNxnRNjQ1M7du8xBY_iCltHSjIyGgwWibLGO1OsjSQ1qO-J5Hu81wIlsJZ5zdaMHiKY/s320/20040921144929!Usa_night.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269332503723746930" border="0" /></a><br />We've written in the past about the night sky. Getting outdoors at night is especially important to really experiencing nature. There's really nothing like gazing at the milky way on a crisp Fall night.<br /><br />We would do night hikes up to Gray Knob in any weather just to experience the nocturnal feel of the woods. With a full moon, we'd get out in the winter time above treeline, or get out on skis to experience the different world of a moon lit night. I've been lucky, living in places with minimal "light pollution" impacts from human development.<br /><br />There's a big new hotel being built near where I live, and despite the planned opening of Spring of 2010, they already have the place lit up like it's daytime. We drove by it last night and were amazed at the degree of star killing light pollution. I then turned my head east to see a wall of light from the exurban sprawl and DC beyond that. Where were the stars?<br /><br /> The case is the same driving home from work, where I pass the Charles Town races to the west, whose light likely destroys anyone's ability to see any celestial objects except the moon.<br /><br />Verlyn Klinkenborg has a <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/light-pollution/klinkenborg-text">piece</a> in this months National Geographic that laments this loss, while reminding us that it's not only the stars we lose, it's an awful lot of energy as well.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-41941192538941263132008-11-07T14:54:00.002-05:002008-11-07T14:57:06.305-05:00More green RVs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPnczBHGKNVM22j4ejTUsfQhiMuARr1J-wlB1nRtbeFiptYokXvzROZP7UN-bIgkXrgwivkU_CU2CPBtZewkfKtS33C_rOzEN7qmuF9Tf5PAOnFbvIp3-9A7BQmiRpeKe6W-_CgQ-dpA/s1600-h/RV-Span.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPnczBHGKNVM22j4ejTUsfQhiMuARr1J-wlB1nRtbeFiptYokXvzROZP7UN-bIgkXrgwivkU_CU2CPBtZewkfKtS33C_rOzEN7qmuF9Tf5PAOnFbvIp3-9A7BQmiRpeKe6W-_CgQ-dpA/s320/RV-Span.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266006841509363154" border="0" /></a><br />Blogged about green RVS several months back. Here's an <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/travel/escapes/07RV.html">update</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>“When people ta<span style="margin: -20px 0pt 0pt -20px; background: transparent url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/word_reference/ref_bubble.png) repeat scroll 0% 0%; position: absolute; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 25px; height: 29px; cursor: pointer;" title="Lookup Word" id="nytd_selection_button" class="nytd_selection_button"></span>lk about conservation, they get so bogged down with recycling and living lightly they forget what they are trying to save," said Brian Brawdy, a 47-year-old former police investigator turned wilderness expert. “I want people to get out there and camp, <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/hiking/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="">hike</a>, rock climb." </blockquote>Damn right.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-54843329933378272772008-11-05T12:57:00.003-05:002008-11-05T13:02:04.392-05:00Fat Burn DrugBBC is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7707876.stm">reporting</a> on a new drug that tricks the body into burning fat (in mice right now).<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>The drug worked by shifting the metabolism to a fat-burning mode that normally takes over only when energy levels are low. </p><p>At higher doses, the drug completely prevented weight gain. It also improved the rodents' blood sugar tolerance and insulin sensitivity, which are important for warding off diabetes. </p></blockquote><p></p>Apparently it's a derivation of red wine. Combine it with some good hikes and that might do the trick.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-89259547681992777682008-11-03T06:40:00.000-05:002008-11-03T06:40:00.521-05:00Tomorrow<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="388" width="464"><param name="movie" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="key=cc65ed650d"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed flashvars="key=cc65ed650d" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="388" width="464"></embed></object><div style="text-align: center; width: 464px;">See more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/ron_howard">Ron Howard</a> videos at Funny or Die</div>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-61415527979746789352008-11-02T09:04:00.003-05:002008-11-02T09:09:54.145-05:00Unison<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-vq4eASZP7M_IGDgz2VkgDM0lLc_VbPGsROjV5Thzr44ftZ050qYxOEMRKrmFH1EEnvSmhChFAoLlSFnPBm2Kkmuc_yIb5EcKrBCtAHyREx4P1YvX-Dl_AlQeIXHMCiwhStaar-A1Ig/s1600-h/mayo1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-vq4eASZP7M_IGDgz2VkgDM0lLc_VbPGsROjV5Thzr44ftZ050qYxOEMRKrmFH1EEnvSmhChFAoLlSFnPBm2Kkmuc_yIb5EcKrBCtAHyREx4P1YvX-Dl_AlQeIXHMCiwhStaar-A1Ig/s320/mayo1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264061484121297874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">85 year old Mayo on his bike</span><br /><br />Yesterday we held our annual Unison Heritage Day in our tiny village of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unison,_VA">Unison</a>. About 250 people showed up to revel in a beautiful indian summer day, including neighbors, friends, and lots of Civil War reenactors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYuH6nja7fqfDdphx3fTmsk1DmVHLB3ETzlQPQll4GQq3o8ZdIIxHd4FYSZbH-S0prGMrcH2u-74xoD1Twp0_ZB0ypj10kc16gD75rDlmyYllV7C-tDTXpMhwArH4rXWXx3bPGqNs8Cs/s1600-h/soldiers.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYuH6nja7fqfDdphx3fTmsk1DmVHLB3ETzlQPQll4GQq3o8ZdIIxHd4FYSZbH-S0prGMrcH2u-74xoD1Twp0_ZB0ypj10kc16gD75rDlmyYllV7C-tDTXpMhwArH4rXWXx3bPGqNs8Cs/s320/soldiers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264062081541102402" border="0" /></a>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-71269697209788160272008-10-30T15:04:00.004-04:002008-12-04T13:13:40.002-05:00More on ObservationKeeping a nature journal is a good way to learn about your place and keep track of the many natural changes over the seasons. When did those white throated sparrows come through Unison last Fall? With your nature journal, you'll know when. The Murie Center <a href="https://www.muriecenter.org/?p=92">published</a> a book several years back called <i>Field Guide to Journal Writing in Nature </i>, by Matt Daly, that is a good primer<i>.</i><br /><br />It's also a good way to record those trips to places you're not used to. We recently had the chance to see the original journal the great field biologist George Schaller kept when he went in 1956 to what is now Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It was fascinating stuff.<br /><br />Want to learn more on this? Check out this <a href="http://www.creatingnaturejournals.com/">blog</a> that focuses on nature journaling. The blogger, Pam Johnson Brickell also offers <a href="http://www.pamjohnsonbrickellart.com/workshops1.html">workshops</a> to help you.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-58636119117759274652008-10-29T07:37:00.001-04:002008-10-29T07:37:00.591-04:00Value of Observation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6JeL0of8TwEFQ3aZtpCLbvuCwiMn3wwphR5scIdREFwO4Lw80dfOzg-bsi8A0CUqd4AhDXQAF8wfxYauKXlj8PEWHpmXzjLf_XmMANM3KelEY4QmtMLX1fbOWUrkf6TsyPqHcuXEZu8/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6JeL0of8TwEFQ3aZtpCLbvuCwiMn3wwphR5scIdREFwO4Lw80dfOzg-bsi8A0CUqd4AhDXQAF8wfxYauKXlj8PEWHpmXzjLf_XmMANM3KelEY4QmtMLX1fbOWUrkf6TsyPqHcuXEZu8/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262400938117313394" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Turns out that Thoreau's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/science/earth/28wald.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin">helping</a> us with climate change.<br /><blockquote><br />Their conclusions are clear. On average, common species are flowering seven days earlier than they did in Thoreau’s day, Richard B. Primack, a conservation biologist at Boston University, and Abraham J. Miller-Rushing, then his graduate student, reported this year in the journal Ecology. Working with Charles C. Davis, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard and two of his graduate students, they determined that 27 percent of the species documented by Thoreau have vanished from Concord and 36 percent are present in such small numbers that they probably will not survive for long. Those findings appear in the current issue of the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/proceedings_of_the_national_academy_of_sciences/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.</blockquote>Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-8899501707422192012008-10-28T19:52:00.003-04:002008-10-28T20:00:53.573-04:00Great Outhouse ViewsThe outhouse stories I could tell...Check out this <a href="http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1078738/Loo-view-The-worlds-toilets-best-vistas.html">collection</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dc7__lmfndEdaLyy6Uu7EI0v5KDbjzKRrX1Ksv65rhzYEM9GEx7L1wPoN0r4aWfhb63dycW5JJIthOGQlFPw9f5w7Rj-QMFosvdEQesvFv9M22miPF4vUvYMWjSOh_clw35b3ZYESno/s1600-h/article-1078738-021C53C3000005DC-392_468x454.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dc7__lmfndEdaLyy6Uu7EI0v5KDbjzKRrX1Ksv65rhzYEM9GEx7L1wPoN0r4aWfhb63dycW5JJIthOGQlFPw9f5w7Rj-QMFosvdEQesvFv9M22miPF4vUvYMWjSOh_clw35b3ZYESno/s320/article-1078738-021C53C3000005DC-392_468x454.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262357422622761890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We always kept the toilet seat inside Gray Knob, to keep it warm.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-49725626720978834682008-10-21T09:56:00.003-04:002008-10-21T10:25:58.459-04:00A Different Perspective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGIporagfPiO0NEbkUEX5ISeMBEod-PBAK74zGNjV1yzJX7PyzxBVBVVx_9hvM13A9owZtggaaTjuqfsr-nYdoj9UU_Gdo5-rGL714snlFPy3PD42zXuNfnROKAkmZpk7ymHdmtkc6Q0/s1600-h/6_nikonsmallworld_461.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGIporagfPiO0NEbkUEX5ISeMBEod-PBAK74zGNjV1yzJX7PyzxBVBVVx_9hvM13A9owZtggaaTjuqfsr-nYdoj9UU_Gdo5-rGL714snlFPy3PD42zXuNfnROKAkmZpk7ymHdmtkc6Q0/s320/6_nikonsmallworld_461.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259606414986302834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Beetle on the head of a pin.</span> <span style="font-size:78%;"><i>Photograph by Klaus Bolte/photo courtesy of Nikon Small World </i></span><br /><br />National Geographic has a great <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/photogalleries/best-microscope-photos/photo6.html">set of images</a> up--the Best Microscopic Images of 2008. While not all nature-based, these images give us a whole new perspective on our world. Check them out.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251982128882427142.post-35205713887540634862008-10-13T06:46:00.001-04:002008-10-13T06:46:00.096-04:00Food For the 21rst Century<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRgmw8PHbpuj-PjEOxohyphenhyphenC7Ar0YcQ25Mkklhttb3JOUWSyqWB8uAz3ODJrdhkhOemAQSc2tqI4fPyDlkUTAC-ay38n15vJckxfKjwWbUV3yyhB2Y3h9NISMHCBF1V9nvGnRyGX9uEKOY/s1600-h/peppers.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRgmw8PHbpuj-PjEOxohyphenhyphenC7Ar0YcQ25Mkklhttb3JOUWSyqWB8uAz3ODJrdhkhOemAQSc2tqI4fPyDlkUTAC-ay38n15vJckxfKjwWbUV3yyhB2Y3h9NISMHCBF1V9nvGnRyGX9uEKOY/s320/peppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256403952208488610" border="0" /></a><br />Michael Pollen had an excellent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?hp=&pagewanted=all">article</a> in the New York Times Magazine yesterday.<br /><blockquote>There are many moving parts to the new food agenda I’m urging you to adopt, but the core idea could not be simpler: <span class="italic">we need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary sunshine</span>. True, this is easier said than done — fossil fuel is deeply implicated in everything about the way we currently grow food and feed ourselves. To put the food system back on sunlight will require policies to change how things work at every link in the food chain: in the farm field, in the way food is processed and sold and even in the American kitchen and at the American dinner table. Yet the sun still shines down on our land every day, and photosynthesis can still work its wonders wherever it does. If any part of the modern economy can be freed from its dependence on oil and successfully resolarized, surely it is food.</blockquote>Can we finally move into the 21rst century? Pollen has given us a map to a new paradigm.Steve Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400866080986522218noreply@blogger.com