Cave dwelling

Snowy Owls at Jones Beach // Carl Safina

Snowy Owls: Carl Safina:

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Every few years an unusual abundance of Snowy Owls starts to show up across the United States in early winter. Probable cause: an unusually high lemming year in the Arctic results in unusually good owl chick survival, then as winter comes the birds drift south in their bid for less brutal weather and continued survival. This is one of those "invasion" years but it's more like an explosion this year! I usually see one snowy owl every few years. Today Pat and I saw one about every 10 minutes, at Jones Beach, Long Island. If you go, easiest thing is to look for birders with tripods and big lenses. Keep your distance and don't disturb the owls. They may be the most magical bird we get--and all birds are magical. - CS

'via Blog this'

Woodies: classic motor lifeboats

This is a wood 36 foot former Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat, photographed recently by Will Van Dorp on Staten Island.
Government Boats 28 | tugster: a waterblog:

Cold Comfort

Elvin's wharf, Salt Pond Road

mud flats, St. George River, Thomaston

Ice fishermen, the Creek, Thomaston

sunrise December 26, 2013

early morning

24 hours of happy - the last one to know

How far from the popular culture mainstream am I?  Only when I gets to the NY Times home page will I (maybe) notice.  That's how I found out about Gangnam Style.  So here's the Times capsule version of 24 hours of happy.  I'm posting it for those who are on other continents or in orbit. - gwc 

Holding Ground - Peter Ralston

I love the image and the metaphor, as year's end approaches.  The mastery of Peter Ralston continues to hold my imagination.  We all have to hold our ground.  Until that unpredictable day when we no longer can.

Temple: goodbye student athletes

If its name ain't football or basketball, forget it. Whatever happened to mens sana in corpore sano?- gwc

The spirit of amateurism - dead at Temple University // NY Times

Temple University is severing ties with that rich tradition. In a decision announced this month, less than 72 hours before final exams, university officials decided to cut the men’s and women’s crews and five other varsity sports, a move that affects more than 200 student-athletes. The savings for the university will be $3 million to $3.5 million a year, a small slice of the university’s $44 million athletics budget.Gone, starting July 1, will be the men’s gymnastics team, which has the highest grade point average of all teams on campus and the 2013 senior male athlete of the year. The program started in 1926. Gone also will be baseball and men’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), along with women’s softball.

Druid ruins in the Bronx at the winter solstice

click to enlarge

Bound is boatless man

A man remembers the boat he built, sailed around the world with his wife, raised his daughter aboard, returns to where it lies in ruins.  All at sea

Mt. Rainier from Crystal Mountain

Jesse took this picture of Mt. Rainier yesterday from the top of Crystal Mountain in the Cascades.