OK, that is just insane

Braving the chilly Hudson River in just a speedo, I mean. We've had very little weather that even qualifies as warm recently, and none of the heat and humidity that's typical for this time of year.

Sunday bird blogging

I actually saw a double-crested cormorant sitting on a piling in the Hudson River yesterday. I have never seen one in New York before.

It was gray and drizzly and the bird was too far away to photograph, so here's a picture of a different cormorant in Lake Anza in Berkeley.

Saturday reflections

Pier 34 on the Hudson in the rain this morning. One of my fellow teachers was doing a mile and a half swim in the river today, and several of us turned out to cheer her on.

Urban poetry

A garage or maybe storage in Tijuca National Park in Rio. I like the seating!

Astronomy Tuesday

It has been a long time since I posted one of these, but this image caught my eye: the twisted disk galaxy NGC 4753.

There was probably a collision with a satellite galaxy a billion years or so ago, resulting in these filaments of dust. Gravity is hard on all of us.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Alexander Reinartz

Saturday reflections

Palm trees reflected in a car window in Berkeley.

The Four Elephant Seals of the Apocalypse

The one on the left is being gently reminded to turn around and face the camera.

Sunday bird blogging

I have many similar photos of this group of Gentoos in Cierva Cove, but I love all of them. I wish I knew what was going on in those little penguin brains.