Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
Genealogy's Star is honored to be included in Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Bloggers for 2013. If you are just starting to read genealogy blogs, you certainly have a good place to go for recommendations. I am aware of dozens more high class blogs that...
FamilySearch.org has responded to the comments about access to the Research Wiki and other resources by adding a link on the startup page. Although not too obvious, in fact pretty small, the link is there with just two clicks. Some improvement. For more...
heritagerecipes.blogspot.com
The pattern caused by the erosion of this hillside was fascinating. The layers are deposited by rainfall in this dry region and then the erosion shows the thin layer deposited on the iron-red layers of eroded material underneath. I love the color.
We came across this spectacular blooming cactus in a median on a busy road in the rain. I had to dodge cars and stand in the rain to take the photo. We had to dry off the camera after taking the picture after returning to the car. It was worth the ef...
Walking Arizona The male quail will perch high on the limb of a tree or on a building and watch for danger. If anything seems threatening, he will call out loudly and warn the other birds who are foraging on the ground. Sometimes, I can catch these...
Family History Expos Question: My great grandfather on my mother’s side came over from Denmark in 1906 so my research quickly requires someone that speaks and reads a different language, as well as knows the system for vital records for a different country.How...
Walking Arizona This Golden Barrel Cactus really is golden. It is underneath the spreading branches of a Palo Verde tree in bloom. The blossoms fall to the ground and cover the top of this lovely cactus with an additional coating of gold.
I am fascinated by plants that have different colored flowers on the same plant. These little flowers seem to bloom bright blue and then fade quickly to white. I would guess the change happens as soon as the flower is pollinated.
Genealogy's Star I am old enough to remember when my legal secretary became my legal assistant. I can also remember clearly when waiters and waitresses became "servers." Now, it seems that the venerable old term "genealogy" is undergoing the same politically...
We captured this very fast Ninja cactus with our digital camera while it was standing still. It is not only a Ninja, it is cute.
Boojum trees are very unusual plants found in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. They grow reasonably well in the Sonora Desert but are rare and usually confined to specialized plantings. This is the top of the plant in the early Spring when it is sending...
Genealogy's Star If you start doing genealogical research back into the 1700s you will likely run into an interesting problem concerning the change from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar that began in 1582 A. D and continued until as late...
All of the brown fuzzy growths on the prickly pear cactus in this picture will soon turn into flowers. But at the time this photo was taken, I was content with the colors and forms of the cactus showing the variety that can exist in a small area of the...
Hedgehog cactus are virtually invisible most of the year and then in the Spring, they come alive with large purple flowers. It is always an event when I notice that some of the hedgehog cactus have started to bloom. I know it is time to get out into the...
Walking Arizona This is House Rock. The ruined nature of this old structure reflects the reality of the changes in travel in the area. Now, we can easily drive hundreds of miles without stopping for gas or food or water. In the old days, there were...
I appreciate that the comments to my recent posts on the some of the challenges of taking genealogy to the masses did not degenerate into name calling. But it did come pretty close. Some of the comments illustrate the fact that a few of the younger genealogists...
I noticed a link on the bottom of the startup page for FamilySearch.org that gives the option to have the page in several languages. Here's what it looks like in Russian: Here is another screenshot in Korean: Can we assume that the English version...
Genealogy's Star With the abundance of photo editing software and the ability to put photos online attached to a person in any number of online photos, we are inheriting another fine mess. You don't have to go far to see photographs that have been significantly...
I got a very important comment to my recent post about the genealogy community's market penetration. This is the comment that was made by Tessa Keough on Google+: Interesting post that raises some big questions. We do have a small very engaged circle...
There is nothing quite as luxurious as a cactus blossom. Roses are attractive and can be stunning, but cactus flowers are so saturated with color that they make other flowers look pale by comparison. Sometimes the blossoms are so colorful they look fake....
I have reflected on my fascination with windows, and come to the conclusion that they give me an insight into the lives of those who lived in these old houses. This window creates an optical illusion that the rock in the distance is floating in front...
Although this is a popular tourist stop, this structure suffers from benign neglect. There is not question that the house will fall some day, there are huge cracks in all the walls. But the the stone blocks of which it is made, are heavy and withstand...
Walking Arizona Indian ruins hold a fascination for me. I like to see how and why the people lived where they did. The walls only give a suggestion of what was there originally. Some ruins are vast and impressive. Others are more quiet and intimate....
Walking Arizona My favorite time to visit the Grand Canyon is in the Winter. The main reason is the weather and the colors, but it is also a benefit that there are far fewer people. You can have the whole Canyon to yourself. But be ready for cold, wind,...
