RichC | August 19, 2019
Since there hasn’t been time to put together a summary post for our week with my little helper Annalyn, I’ll update the latest of many poison ivy encounters Brenda and I have had over the years. Brenda usually tangles with poison “something” yearly and I do my best to just avoid the evil plants until […]
RichC | July 24, 2019
As a conservation minded “conservative” and as someone who has always balanced the cost vs benefits of decisions, I once thought “recycling” was as simple as “not littering” and cleaning up pollution highlighted by the 1971 ad campaign (Iron Eyes Cody photo above). From an early age we were bombarded by pointing out how careless […]
RichC | June 21, 2019
These homemade “salt based” recipe for Roundup vegetation control substitutes appears ever spring and summer on social networks, emails and blogs on the Internet. This year I figured I would archive this vinegar, Epsom salt (Magnesium sulfate) and our favorite degreaser and soap, Dawn dishwashing soap on MyDesultoryBlog as a helpful tidbit.
RichC | June 5, 2019
Nasty bugger … thankfully I think I caught this guy (or any of his buddies) before sucking my blood. Nowadays with Lyme Disease you can’t be to careful with letting ticks bite or burrow. I’m not sure our area is considered risky, but I don’t want to chance getting infected either (I thnk this guy […]
RichC | May 9, 2019
Although the Love Bugs didn’t seem quite a bad driving through Florida this past week as they were a few years ago (added old photo for ThrowBack Thursday #TBT), they still managed to annoy me aboard Encore and messed up the Honda Odyssey. Thankfully there were also several heavy thunderstorms when driving and since I […]
RichC | May 5, 2019
Every student learns just how big and important the Mississippi River is in our country. From transporting materials from the America’s breadbasket to markets throughout the country and beyond … to draining the snowmelt and rainfall off the land so it can be cultivated (was reminded of this with all the flooding this spring). It […]
RichC | March 10, 2019
Personally I’m not fond of any of the water, swamp or land creatures with teeth and jaws that look prehistoric … but all crocodilian (photo left, caiman, crocodile, alligator) definitely keep me on my toes, especially those bigger ones when visiting areas where they live (in our case, the southeastern US). My first exposure with […]
RichC | March 8, 2019
Animated GIF of Dolphin pod jumping and leaping
RichC | February 22, 2019
Normally, I don’t forward emails or reposted viral images on social networks … but as a diesel car guy and TDIClub and BMW forum reader … I couldn’t resist including this as a humorous response to recent Democratic Socialists promoting their ambitious 10-year Green New Deal to combat climate change (still shocked Bernie drives this van?) 😉 […]
RichC | February 20, 2019
Just an ominous filler photo that you probably don’t want to be looking at before going for a swim in the ocean. The Great White Shark can definitely give you nightmares. EDIT 2/22/2019 with an image from a Twitter friend: Let’s just hope sharks don’t like the crunchy texture of surfboards?
RichC | February 3, 2019
After watching a short YouTube video of the Coquina Clam emerging from the “swash zone” on a beach after a wave retreated, I thought a short animated gif would make a great winter filler post for the blog. The coquina clam (Donax variabilis) is a common inhabitant of Florida’s sandy beaches. Known for their highly variable […]
RichC | January 23, 2019
A filler post, but not a good photo for those nervous about swimming in the ocean. The photos last week from a couple of freedivers in Hawaii swimming with a massive Great White Shark known as #DeepBlue really has me wondering just how wise it is to be that adventurous. There is a fine line […]
RichC | October 21, 2018
Since I’m pre-occupied, a beautiful “daily post” filler photo that brings back memories of hiking in the Canadian Rockies or Glacier National Park in Montana works. Enjoy!
RichC | October 14, 2018
Eleven years ago I replaced my noisy 1980’s 2-cycle John Deere brand "heavy" string trimmer with a much quieter 4-cycle Troy Bilt trimmer (Pony TB465SS). Both were, and are, used heavily as I’ve always had acres of yard to tend. At first glance it was obvious that the John Deere "back in the day" was […]
RichC | September 1, 2018
Some interesting results using my birth town and the "number of 90 degree days" in a New York Times "tool" which I interpret as wanting to alarm us into action over the "human induced climate change" projections. If you haven’t already dug your heels in with an opinion (likely influenced by politics either way) … […]
RichC | August 28, 2018
Just a couple of different #sharkshares this past week – they always make "attractive" photos for the blog! #NationalToothFairyDay Are we sure we want to celebrate this? pic.twitter.com/5jDE5Uf8Hd — Big Peg, Diva of the Sea (@MakoPeggy) August 22, 2018
RichC | June 4, 2018
It continues to surprise me how coyotes can continue to live in and around relatively populated areas like Liberty Township, Ohio … but as mentioned several times in the past, we continues to see them boldly hunting rabbits and other small animals (keep an eye on your small dogs and cats!). While mowing the lawn, […]
RichC | May 23, 2018
What a mess on everything outside. The yellow, dirty pine pollen covers everything each May … but thankfully Pine pollen doesn’t trigger allergies for me. Brenda on the other hand, either has allergies at the moment or a summer cold? (used the iPhone 7 plus portrait mode for the above photo – note selective focus […]
RichC | April 29, 2018
Don’t you just hate making a long drive and getting stuck in a long traffic jam? This past week I ended up sitting and inching forward for over an hour while on I-75. It was frustrating knowing just how many more hours I was planning to spend on the road. On a much lighter note, […]
RichC | March 28, 2018
We have a couple of Canary cams in our home and they constantly trigger for one thing or the other. I’m still having problems with one of them sending “Person spotted in Away mode” which usually means my iPhone has not been detected as being “home.” I’ve tweaked the setting, played with masks, double and triple […]
RichC | March 22, 2018
An interesting photo as this is not something you see everyday when on anchor watch! (from Sailing Yacht TV Facebook page)
RichC | March 9, 2018
One never knows anymore if photos are real or Photoshopped .. . but this filler post photo of a sperm whale and snorkeling photographer is amazing.
RichC | March 6, 2018
Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong. The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins inhabit a 118-mile stretch of the river between Cambodia and Lao PDR and are scarce—between 78 and 91 individuals are estimated to still exist. […]
RichC | December 26, 2017
California Gray Whale watching is on most ocean lovers "want to do list" but few have up close and personal opportunities like this. Part of me wants whales to "fear" humans and keep their distance (for their own protections and survival), where another part of me loves seeing the bond between mammals and knowing the […]
RichC | November 19, 2017
It looks like at least some sharks enjoy the taste of rubberized, synthetic fabrics like Hypalon, PVC or Polyurethane used in inflatable tenders and RIBs! (8 second video snippet below)
RichC | October 30, 2017
One plant I can cultivate well is the Lonicera maackii … the invasive honeysuckle. They take no care and can withstand heavy pruning and replants themselves EVERYWHERE. This year they are even more heavily berried than usual. Unfortunately they are both messy (very soft) and mildly poisonous! Still, they provide a decent hedgerow along our property […]
RichC | October 10, 2017
Although I’m the last person to criticize folks for tweaking their diesel engines for performance and efficiency, I cringe when I see modifications that purposely over fuel and pump a bunch of black smoke when it is unnecessary (not under load). There has to be a commonsense balance between neutering diesel engines with excessively costly […]
RichC | August 26, 2017
A month or so ago I blogged that the small little chameleons that ran around the condo in Delray Beach, Florida have grown up and "moved next door" … BUT thankfully they are not the ones this homeowner in Australia deals with! Yikes! — Photo (above) from July 2017 at the Delray Beach, Florida condo — […]
RichC | August 21, 2017
The last time our continent had a total solar eclipse was 1991 and so getting a chance to view 2017’s is a rare opportunity. Not everybody will be traveling to the “belted area” across the country, but most will have a chance to see a partial eclipse. According to NASA, “an estimated 500 million people […]
RichC | August 1, 2017
Although "I" am suppose to be the photographer of the family, I think it might be time to hand over the duties to my son Taylor. He enjoys capturing beautiful photos and definitely has the eye for natural beauty – some impressive ones in Hawaii last year too! While on the subject of appreciating photos […]
RichC | July 14, 2017
This past week while in Florida to do a little boat work, as well as a repair item at the Delray Beach condo, I noticed several new residents – hm? We have always had itty-bitty chameleons, but never the big lizards (or perhaps “medium” sized ones). This was a new surprise for me as I […]
RichC | May 24, 2017
As less developed areas evolve from rural to suburban, many homeowner and the critters who call the area home, are faced with figuring out how to live together or struggle to set boundaries. We have never lived in urban or fully developed areas so dealing with Ohio’s variety of wildlife is normal. In the early […]
RichC | May 13, 2017
A few years ago I posted an image of a sailboat having an encounter with a whale … just imagine swimming or paddling with something this big … there are truly giants among us. (The Fin and Blue Whale)
RichC | February 10, 2017
This was going to be a normal Tech Friday post, but instead it will marry the automotive technology leader Tesla with a bit of news on their higher-volume / lower priced Model 3 sedan due out this summer. The company stated that all was on schedule for meeting their targeted July production date and they […]
RichC | January 26, 2017
My answer: Rarely does the pendulum find the middle. Neither the fiscal or social policy balancing coming from Washington DC makes much sense to me. There have to be moderates who see validity in each others positions? Rather than the black and white collisions between the liberal Democrats and the conservative Republicans’ points of view, […]
RichC | January 1, 2017
January 1st is "replace the refrigerator filter" day in our house … and because they are so heavy (and expensive), curiosity had me wondering what exactly was inside of this solid plastic housing? (click images for larger) Buying the 3 pack of filters from Amazon ($30) was about the least expensive way to purchase […]
RichC | December 9, 2016
I helped fund the Raspberry Pi based computer Kickstarter project known as the RaspberryShake networkingworking a large number of inexpensive earthquake monitoring station around the world (www.raspberryshake.org/quick-start-guide). The idea of connecting hundreds if not thousands of independent volunteer monitoring stations isn’t new, but it is a growing force in data collection. Hopefully I’ll be able […]
RichC | October 14, 2016
Click image for the original
RichC | August 18, 2016
Interesting concept — “Each floating city would be made up of 10 to 15 platforms that can house 20 people each, allowing for a total of 200 to 300 people.” — Goodbye land, hello sea! Source: Floating cities could be a reality by 2020
