Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
Family History Expos Question: I am trying to find an account of a local train accident that killed a relative in 1883 outside of Buchanan Ky. I have contacted the C&O railroad but records such as these were destroyed. I have contacted the library genealogy...
Genealogy's Star I had a short blog post on the introduction of FamilySearch.org's Family Tree printing function but didn't have time to write more. I decided to add a little bit more information and also mention some other newly added features to both...
Genealogy's Star I have been distracted lately and haven't been commenting on new additions to genealogical databases. I think it is time to start noticing that huge blocks of data are going into the online sites and some, like this present addition,...
Walking Arizona Some people like the disorderly way that opuntias (prickly pear) grow. But some don't care for the idea that they are almost weeds and spread across huge areas. They make interesting yard plants but have to be contained and cut back...
Genealogy's Star According to the GEDCOM X website the first stable milestone release of the core GEDCOM X specification set has been released. If you know what I am talking about, this is an important announcement. If you don't know what I am talking...
Genealogy's Star I got the following comment concerning the now imminent separation of New.FamilySearch.org (NFS) and FamilySearch.org's Family Tree (FSFT). Here is the comment from my dear friend, Anonymous: The problem I would like to see addressed...
Genealogy's Star Several blog posts have noted the change today to FamilySearch.org's Family Tree allowing Family Group Records and Pedigree Charts to be printed. I suppose I should add, if you want to do so. The first Family Group Record I looked...
Genealogy's Star The comments made on blog posts are interesting. Fortunately, the genealogical community is mostly civil and well reasoned. Reading online comments can be an adventure in irrationality and bad language. But I seldom get such comments...
Genealogy's Star I have noticed a rough correlation between the number of photographs and sources of an individual in online family trees and their "standing" in the family. Well, duh, you say. What did you expect. More prominent family members will automatically...
Walking Arizona It is interesting to speculate how these two rock formations could have evolved. It is clear that the lighter colored rock under the balanced one eroded fasted than the balanced rock itself, but right next to it is a small needle that...
Walking Arizona This turkey vulture seems to be waiting for breakfast. We wondered if we sat very still, if this vulture would come to investigate us looking for food. But it was too hot and getting hotter and we decided that the experiment would have...
Walking Arizona The Koyemsi, or Mudhead Kachina, is a clown who may be seen in most Hopi ceremonies. This is an early depiction of one painted on the wall of the Desert View Watchtower in the Grand Canyon National Park.
Walking Arizona This isn't a sunset exactly, it is more a study in the light on a distant mountain. This is taken looking at Pine Mountain from Washington, Utah.
Walking Arizona The altitude changes in the Grand Canyon are so great, you can have different weather depending on the altitude. You can see this clearly with cloud layers and fog in the Canyon. It can be an interesting experience to find that your...
Walking Arizona When you are in Grand Canyon Village, you get the impression that the Rim of the Canyon is pretty well developed. But when you get a larger view, you realize what little impact the whole development has on the huge Grand Canyon. That...
Genealogy's Star I guess your first thought is that citations and sources are not the same thing and cannot be in opposition. But, in fact, they are in opposition when someone fails to provide a source merely because they are afraid to "mess up" the citation....
Walking Arizona The people who make trails put these beams to block water from running down the trail and eroding it away. Depending on how tired you are, on the use and how much of the bottom dirt has been worn away, they can be a formidable obstacle....
Genealogy's Star Thanks to Renee Zamora in her Renee's Genealogy Blog this morning for a link to this announcement: FamilySearch is pleased to announce the official release of the FamilySearch API. Thank you to all who participated during the beta and...
Walking Arizona It turns out that columbine flowers come in a huge array of colors and forms. These bright yellow flowers are the ones that grow as wildflowers in Arizona. The usually are found at higher elevations. I remember some we found on the...
Walking Arizona All these little holes are made by ant lions, lying in wait for some ant to slide down into the hole and get eaten up by the bug at the bottom. We used to dig up the holes with a scoop of our hand and look at the tiny ant lions scurry...
Genealogy's Star In the last two weeks or so, two of my really good friends and genealogists passed away suddenly. One was 88 years old and we kind of expect that sort of thing. The other, one I worked with almost every week for the past eight years,...
Genealogy's Star This past week or so helping patrons at the Mesa FamilySearch Library raised some interesting issues. One patron, who was just beginning her research to extend her line, began finding records on her ancestor and almost immediately found...
Genealogy's Star The newly designed website for FamilySearch.org seems to work just fine and according to reports from FamilySearch, they have seen activity increase. But a few of the resources that were easily accessible on the older design, have disappeared...
Walking Arizona These spider webs are a bit untidy. They need some serious house cleaning activity. We would have offered to help, but then the spiders would just have to build them all over again.
Genealogy's Star Aspen's Roots is a delightful and beautifully illustrated children's book with a message about roots; that is family roots. Here is a link to the book. It is also available on Amazon.com. The author of the book is Paul Sullivan and...
