Two-Plate Countries

The great majority of the countries on this planet lie completely upon their respective Continent's plate. However, there are some that...

Winter's First Jab

Thunderstorms are rumbling across Missouri this morning, the leading edge of a cold front that will bring us the first significant chill of ...

Tropical Canada

After forming in the Caribbean as a tropical depression, the storm that would become Hurricane Kyle brought heavy rains to Puerto Rico and t...

Hybrid Life Forms

Last evening, my wife asked me to look at something in the flower bed; it appeared to her that an animal had vomited on the bark mulch. With...

Natural Health

As a physician, I know that many medical problems are not preventable; genetic disorders, many infections, accidents and a variety of cancer...

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

As the last Pleistocene glacier, the Wisconsin, retreated into Canada, some 14,000 years ago, the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries began t...

The Fall Migration

Though we have just officially entered the autumn season, the fall migration of North American birds began back in July as the first shorebi...

Hawks in Flocks

Most hawks are solitary creatures. They are seen in pairs during the breeding season and may gather in small groups at favored hunting grou...

Ocean Floor Topography

Looking out at the vast, blue ocean, one might assume that its floor is as flat and featureless as its surface. But, in fact, the ocean floo...

Staying Together

Since this is my 33rd Wedding Anniversary, it seems like a good time to revisit the subject of monogamy. As I have expressed in past blogs,...

The Scratchers

Many birds attract our attention with their colorful plumage; certain buntings, grosbeaks, tanagers, orioles and waders come to mind. Other...

Breeding Champs

There seem to be more meadow voles on our Littleton farm this year. Perhaps this is due to a better food crop following the copious rain an...

Cottonwood Cathedrals

On my frequent walks along the South Platte River, I often stop to enjoy the shady, peaceful environment of the cottonwood groves. Common al...

A Hornet Nest

Since my last visit to our Colorado farm, a gray, basketball-sized, turban-shaped globe has appeared in one of our apple trees; not to be mi...

Back on the Farm

It's good to be back at our Littleton, Colorado, farm, if only for a week. September is always a good time to visit and, since I was las...

The Yellowing

After days of heavy rain, there was nothing but brilliant sunshine on my trip to Colorado today; only the distant smoke of power plants and ...

Ike's Reign

Born two weeks ago, off the coast of Africa, Hurricane Ike ravaged several islands of the Caribbean before spinning into the Gulf of Mexico ...

Storm Surge

As hurricanes come ashore, they cause destruction via heavy rain, high winds and storm surge; the latter is often least appreciated by coast...

Earthquake Central

Looking at a map of the North Pacific, one finds that the Aleutian Chain of Alaska is continuous with other islands off the east coast of As...

A Balmy Flow

The same high pressure dome that is deflecting Hurricane Ike toward Texas is pulling warm, moist air into the Midwest. Unlike the cool, dry...

September in Colorado

Though October gets the nod in the Midwest, September is my favorite month in Colorado. Mild days and cool nights typify the weather and sn...

Harvest Loon

September is usually a good time to visit Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, southwest of Columbia. The songbird migration has begun, shorebird...

Hurricane Season

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and ends by mid November; the second week in September generally represents the peak of hurri...

Man, Intelligence and Knowledge

When man first appeared, 125,000 years ago, he had the same intellectual capacity that we have today. Though, like any human trait, intelli...

Desert Formation

Deserts are generally defined as geographic regions that receive an annual average precipitation of 10 inches or less. Many factors combine...

Gustav Visits Missouri

After ravaging much of Louisiana, Hurricane Gustav, now a Tropical Depression is centered over southwest Arkansas. Its counter-clockwise ci...

Sheltowee Trace Trail

As summer gives way to the glorious season of fall, hikers across the country search for new adventures. One of the better trails in the eas...

Celebrity Coast

Everyone who's anyone in the American media has gathered along the Louisiana coast to stand in the wind and rain as Hurricane Gustav com...