Tropical Man

The first big storm of the winter season is providing plenty of fodder for the cable news and weather stations. Warnings about icy highways...

From Spring to Winter

Walking to work this morning, the weather was downright balmy. Temperature near 60, a gentle south breeze and traces of an early shower on ...

Missouri Valley Reststop

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, in northwest Missouri, is a fabulous destination for wildlife watchers. Spreading across the Missouri ...

A Buckle in the Jet

For most of November, the jet stream has been staying up along the Canadian border and a dome of high pressure has brought sunny, warm weath...

The Un-Woodpecker

Northern flickers are large woodpeckers that are commonly found in open woodlands and residental areas. Their brown-barred back, black bib ...

Wind Shift

We awoke this morning to another warm, sunny day with a gentle southerly breeze. By mid day, the south wind had intensified and clouds move...

The Bark Bird

Few birds are as aptly named as the brown creeper. This small, reclusive bird is a winter resident in Missouri and is fairly common in resi...

Giving Thanks

While I am not a religious person, I certainly have plenty to be grateful for on this national Day of Thanksgiving. Family, friends, health...

Living on a Sea Bed

The landscape that we observe is a product of regional geology and subsequent erosion, both past and present. Columbia, Missouri, is built ...

Heat Wave

High pressure is settling in over the central U.S. and will bring unseasonably warm temperatures for the Thanksgiving Weekend. No doubt, th...

Pioneer Trees

Now that the deciduous trees have lost their colorful leaves, red cedars are more conspicuous across the Midwest landscape. These small, su...

Comet Dust

I had hoped to watch the Leonid meteor shower last night but a heavy cloud cover foiled that plan. The Leonids, which grace the night sky b...

Autumn Hunters

A late autumn drive through the American Midwest can be a dull experience. Low, gray clouds, barren trees, brown pastures and depleted crop...

Snowbirds

The snowbirds are back. They've been drifting into Missouri over the past month as a series of Arctic fronts drove them from their Cana...

After the Storm

A strong winter storm that pulled out of the Rockies earlier this week has brought deadly tornadoes to the Gulf Coast States. In its wake, ...