A Secret Mission

Week 50: #52 Ancestors – Naughty By Laurence M. Smith (May 7, 1985) At times there are unusual experiences involved in being an Electrical Engineer. It was the time of World War II. I had just transferred from Portland to Spokane, Washington, to work on the design of the Spokane Army Air Field. It was... Continue Reading →

December 9, 2018 26

The Drought Diaries: Too Little Water/Too Much Water

By Eilene Lyon Too Little Water August 12, 2018 The Animas River is at an all-time historic low (and they are still drawing irrigation water – sorry, New Mexico!). As of Friday, it was running at 131 c.f.s. The average for this time is about 600 c.f.s. I don't normally stand in the "river" As... Continue Reading →

August 14, 2018 15

Alpine Treasure

By Eilene Lyon The gold we were seeking was not mineral or animal, but plant. Draba graminea (grass-like draba; Rocky Mountain Whitlow Grass) Near the end of July, I went on a Colorado Native Plant Society field trip to Black Bear Pass in the San Juan Mountains. We were fortunate to have in our group... Continue Reading →

August 12, 2018 17

Rude Awakening

By Eilene Lyon I decided to have lunch on the deck today - apparently I don't open the umbrella often enough! Cautiously peering up inside before opening it, I was expecting perhaps some paper wasp nests. This little guy probably didn't appreciate such a rude disturbance to his/her midday slumber. I swear I heard and... Continue Reading →

July 13, 2018 28

The Drought Diaries: Insects

By Eilene Lyon Mosquitoes July 10, 2017 Today was my turn to walk the dogs. The Sarah-Palin-bugs (“Drill, baby, drill!”) were out in full force. By the time I got home, the back of my legs looked like West Texas. I almost wanted to jump in the ditch with the dogs. Despite essentially no rain... Continue Reading →

July 6, 2018 2

Read ‘Em and Reap

By Eilene Lyon You might think that should read “Read ‘Em and Weep” and you’d be right. That’s almost what I felt like doing after harvesting my peas this week. Honestly, I love all kinds of peas: those lovely emerald orbs, the edible snow pea pods… But my favorite, especially for growing myself, are the... Continue Reading →

June 16, 2018 10

Welcome to the World!

By Eilene Lyon I just had to share this photo of "my" baby magpies. There are five all together that are in the process of fledging since yesterday. They hop out of the nest and preen, flap their wings, jump to the surrounding branches, or walk on top of the nest. A few have managed... Continue Reading →

June 11, 2018 9

Half a World Away

By Eilene Lyon While pondering this week’s 52 Ancestors prompt “So Far Away” (which I will post later this week), the phrase “Half a World Away” came to mind. Though we might use it figuratively to mean someplace rather distant, or a mental distraction (like this post), I wondered about the literal sense. What place... Continue Reading →

May 29, 2018 5

Milling Water to the Sea

By Eilene Lyon We recently took a trip to the Netherlands and Norway, so expect a few posts on sights, scenes, and travel. But first, I want to share a bit about the Dutch genius for engineering water. It’s no secret that much of the Netherlands is below sea level. Since more and more land... Continue Reading →

May 24, 2018 13