Something Completely Different

Cholla skeleton, SE Arizona

Something Completely Different + an Update

I know that anyone who still bothers to read this blog (and thank you for doing so loyal readers) another update on how real content is slow in coming is not what you want to read - but the sad truth is that this is the new normal for me. For the foreseeable future I simply won't have the time to read and write reviews at the same pace as I have in the past. I suspect that it'll be just one or two a month. Once I get closer to an equilibrium I'll hopefully fill in the space with a few more interesting  posts, but that's still a work in progress.

I've actually got a draft (that still needs quite a bit of work) review for The Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley (Book Depository, Powell's Books, Indiebound), so hopefully that will go up in the next couple of days. I've also got a review of The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Book Depository, Powell's Books, Indiebound) partially written in my head, though I'll hold back on that one until the end of the month. And I'm hoping for a nice bit of good, high-profile content along the way, but I'll wait a bit before saying any details.

Anyway, on to something completely different - and in honor of my forthcoming review of The Edinburgh Dead I figured this is appropriate.

View of New Town, Edinburgh, Scotland

Something Completely Different

Graffiti, Chuska Mountains, New Mexico

Something Completely Different

For the past 13 years or so me and a few friends have been homebrewers. Our production has been down over the past few years, but that didn't stop me from planting hops in my yard a couple of years ago. This year it looks like I'll finally get a crop. It seems a bit early, so hopefully there will be more coming and we'll be able to brew an entire batch with homegrown hops. But I'm quite happy to see this.

Northern Brewer Hops, August 2011

Something Completely Different

Peas in the garden (actually a pic from last year - the peas are generally not doing as well this year for some reason).

Something Completely Different

When life and work get busy this series tends to get overlooked. So, it's a been a while. The picture below is of the Hoover Dam Bypass bridge that straddles the Arizona-Nevada border and Colorado River (it's about 800 feet above the river). Not only is a cool bit of engineering, but it's special to me because I did the geologic investigation for it's design. I spent about 6 months in the field for the project that included geologic mapping, rappelling, lots and lots of drilling, helicopter recon and more mundane things like providing traffic control for the drillers. It was a lot of hard and often very miserable work (temperatures in the summer routinely hit 135 in shade (57 C) and there was pretty much no shade to be had - the rock got hot enough to cause second degree burns to exposed skin. And now it's awesome to see the project completed. A couple of weeks ago (when the picture was taken) was my first trip back to that area since I last did field work on the project. It was a nice experience, in spite of it being 115 in the shade (46C).

Hoover Dam Bypass, Nevada-Arizona

Something Completely Different

A short-fuse project came up this week that required me to go to southwest Utah. The challenges of getting around the Grand Canyon from where I live meant that I drove accross norhtern Arizona and southern Utah to get there - which is some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and world. Included was a brief stopover in Zion National Park. In fact, about the time this post goes live, I'll probably be back in Zion on my return home - I plan to spend a few hours hiking before making the 5-hour drive back to the house and family.

Zion National Park, Utah

Something Completely Different

Now that Blogger is back up, the post I had planned on for this morning.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC

Something Completely Different

Somewhere in Bryce Canyon, Utah

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Northern Arizona

Something Completely Different

The calendar tells me it's spring, the snow has melted from the yard, no more snow is expected (at least for now), and I've seen fresh sprouts in the garden from the hops, parsley and strawberries. So, something spring-like for your enjoyment:

A market in York, England. I imagine there has been a market here for hundreds of years - and to someone who lives in the American west, that is pretty well unfathomable.

Something Completely Different

Dragon!!!!
Saw this little guy the other day doing field work - growing up I always called them horny toads. I do believe the more proper term is horned lizard.

Something Completely Different

After a bit of hiatus, I'll try to get back to the every-other Friday Something Completely Different posts.

Once upon a time I had poison dart frogs for pets. This species is commonly called the Bumblebee or Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog. In the trade you are more likely to here them called 'luecs', referring to their scientific name - dendrobates luecomelas.

Something Completely Different

Haul truck at a copper mine in British Columbia. Take note of the stairs for an idea of scale - those wheels are about 12 feet in diameter.

Something Completely Different

Here is an image that shows a bit of what I've seen way too much of over the past 2-3 months. Hopefully this is all over for a while.

Something Completely Different

Conwy Castle, Conwy Wales

Something Completely Different

Since it's almost Christmas, I bring you Christmas Tree Worms from Bonaire, Nethereland Antilles.

Something Completely Different

After a short hiatus, my every-other Firday photos are back. Since it's now officially winter (at least where I am as defined by us having several inches of snow on the ground), a topical photo.

Have you ever wondered how they plow snow from train tracks?
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

Something Completely Different

Autumn is upon us, so I give you an image of warmer times.


Where do you think this wonderful looking beach is? It's Oval Beach on the Eastern Shore of Lake Michigan.



Something Completely Different

Beaumaris Castle, Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales - I was there just about 4 years ago today.