This Lunar Eclipse, also known as “Blood Moon,” is also known as a “Supermoon,” and this year it occurs during a “Flower Moon,” because it occurs in May, during the peak of the flowers’ bloom in the northern hemisphere. Whatever you call it, it was spectacular here in the Big Bend due to amazingly clearContinue reading “Lunar Eclipse”
Author Archives: texasflashdude
FIRE!
This past March there was a devastating fire in Big Bend National Park, which burned mostly the upper elevations of the Chisos Mountains, an island of mountains within the park. The trails were closed for many months, and when some of them finally opened up in August, I made a backpacking trip up to seeContinue reading “FIRE!”
“Patience”, defined:
My previous post is a look at our backyard friend, the Rio Grande Leopard frog. He is one of two in residence at our pond. Today, as I watched him sunning himself on a rock near the waterfall, a honeybee (with a death wish) caught my eye. Now, frogs eat flying insects, of which aContinue reading ““Patience”, defined:”
Frog Friday
Since Stephen Gingold is confined to a sunless Friday due to an allergy to anti-tick meds, I thought I’d post a couple of pics in absentia on his behalf. These guys are Rio Grande Leopard Frogs, and have recently taken up residence in our backyard pond. Most folks don’t realize that even in the desert,Continue reading “Frog Friday”
Strawberry Moon
The first full moon after the Summer Solstice is known as the Strawberry Moon. In ancient times, each full moon of every month had a name, usually associated with astronomical events, harvests, or other seasonal connections, and not relating to the actual color of the moon. The first full moon following the Summer Solstice, andContinue reading “Strawberry Moon”
Outer Mountain Loop – Big Bend NP
My friend Ken, his son Derek, and his grandson Alec made a trip to Big Bend to hike the classic “Outer Mountain Loop,” a 4-day, 3-night epic backpack journey across the high trails of the Chisos Mountains, down into the high desert south of the Chisos, and finishing at the trail up Juniper Canyon andContinue reading “Outer Mountain Loop – Big Bend NP”
Last Full Moon of 2020
Hallelujah!!!
The Christmas Star
Last night was the “grand conjunction” of planets Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets were just .1 degree apart in the sky just after twilight. This is the closest conjunction of these planets since March 5, 1226. The most significant grand conjunction occurred in 7 B.C., and another in 3 B.C. , thus scientificContinue reading “The Christmas Star”
Epitaph for Wild
With the coming of the Christmas holiday, and the new year right around the corner, it seems fitting that I share a poem that I wrote 30 years ago about my feelings toward Gaia, or the health of our planet, and where we’re going as caretakers of this marvelous creation. This year of 2020 canContinue reading “Epitaph for Wild”
Gemenids
This year’s Gemenid Meteor Shower did not disappoint. Featuring a projected 103 meteors per hour, there were a few really spectacularly long, bright streaks across the Milky Way. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture those because of timing or camera orientation, but here are a few that did come across my lens on aContinue reading “Gemenids”
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