Friday, September 29, 2017 found us at anchor off Rábida, the smallest island on our itinerary. It is known for its red sand beaches. We started with a nature walk. There were starfish washed up on shore:
Starfish
Pretty morning glories:
Morning Glory
Quite a few lava lizards:
Lava Lizard
Lava Lizard
And we got our best look at the Galápagos Flycatcher:
Galápagos Flycatcher
Galápagos Flycatcher
Galápagos Flycatcher
Galápagos Flycatcher
Galápagos Flycatcher
We made our way to the top of a hill where we took a group portrait:
Like millions of other people, we went chasing the Great American Eclipse. We chose Nebraska, since everybody we knew was going to Wyoming, and the climate models suggested a good probability of clear weather. Our initial camp was at Lake McConaughy, which is just inside the line of totality. My sister Danielle and her husband Edward got there early to start scouting. Our plan was to check weather forecasts and then go mobile the day of the eclipse. The morning of August 19 I got up early and snapped this shot of the moon on its way to its date with destiny: Sunday morning we checked the forecasts. It was not looking good for Nebraska in general, but east-central Nebraska seemed better than western according to the forecasts. So we packed up camp and headed out to Camp Augustine, a Boy Scout camp near Grand Island, Nebraska: They had camping spots available, and a large field which would be good for observations. After a rather hot, muggy, sleepless night (dry camping wi
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse crossed a huge swath of the United States. We had been planning a trip to see it ever since the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse . Our chosen destination was at Chalk Bluff River Resort and Park , near Uvalde, Texas, due to statistical likelihood of clear skies in South Texas: The main attraction at Chalk Bluff is Nueces River and the the eponymous bluffs that rise above it: Chalk Bluffs The eclipse was widely publicized. Enough so that the state of Texas found it necessary to put warnings on its highway signs: Texas DOT warning sign Texas DOT warning sign We arrived at Chalk Bluff on April 6. As eclipse day approached, it became clear that the weather was not going to be our friend: NWS blended forecast for eclipse day So, what was originally going to be an "Eclipse expedition, with a possibility of some birding" became a "Birding expedition, with a possibility of seeing an eclipse". It is fortunate that we chose thi
Today, the morning was spent on work email. But this afternoon, Ken and Fred arrived from Germany, and Jeetendra joined us to go on an excursion. We started with some shopping in one of Pune's shopping districts - Ken wanted to buy some things. I may or may not have bought anything - only me and Mr. Visa know for sure. Anyway, I caught this picture of one of the oldest wooden buildings in Pune, with hand-carved wooden decorations: After wrapping our shopping up, Jeetendra took us to a combination theme park / restaurant named Chokhi Dhani - it's kind of like a Rajasthani Cultural Center, or maybe a North Indian Standing Renaissance Faire. The buildings are decorated up like historic buildings in Rajasthan, and there are various exhibits, activities, shows, food, etc. scattered throughout the park. Here are Ken, Fred, and I saying " Namaste " to you all along with Chokhi Dhani's plaster host: This is the main entrance. They really go for the electric light
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