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 →
Absurdities #6
By Eilene Lyon This one, found on a walk down the mountain above Bergen, Norway, left me scratching my head. Is there supposed to be a hyphen in there somewhere? Is someone hunting invisible witches, or is the witch hunter invisible? Or is the witch an invisible hunter? Now I’m extra confused! And why does... Continue Reading →
Hasta…
By Eilene Lyon My dear Readers, The world beyond my computer beckons, and duty calls, so I must somewhat curtail my output for a couple months. First up is a vacation (Yea!) and then I will be out trampling the cacti in the Chaco region for a bit. Thanks to WordPress scheduler, I have some... Continue Reading →
Ecuador Highlight
By Eilene Lyon As much as we were impressed with our time in the Galapagos, I believe the real highlight of our 2007 trip to Ecuador was our time in the Amazon basin, along the Napo River. The Sacha eco-lodge arranged our transportation from Quito by plane, van and motorized canoe. Smaller boats carried us... Continue Reading →
Don’t Do This…Though Your Descendants Might Wish You Would
By Eilene Lyon One way our ancestors may have left a trace of their passing is by carving their names in stone. You've likely heard how westward pioneers inscribed Independence Rock along the Oregon Trail, for example. Don't do this. First of all, it creates an unsightly mess on our public lands. Secondly, you'd be... Continue Reading →
Darwin’s Galapagos
"Seeing this gradation and diversity of structure in one small, intimately related group of birds, one might really fancy that from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends." - Charles Darwin Voyage of the Beagle (1839) By Eilene Lyon Just after completing my environmental... Continue Reading →
Absurdities #2
I'm sure the owner considers this a form of "landscape art." How on earth does someone end up with nine identical cars? Especially such ugly ones in relatively pristine condition? If I saw them coming down the road toward me, I would start to get a bit paranoid. Or worse, say they came up from... Continue Reading →
Fonts of Knowledge: County Courthouses
By Eilene Lyon Genealogists and county courthouses go together like wine and cheese (you can see how I like to dine). We are a pair. As the Family History Library continues to digitize its microfilm collection and put it online, you might think that the era of visiting courthouses is coming to an end. Not... Continue Reading →