Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
Like a universe inside of a universe these flowers seem to have flowers within flowers. It reminds me of the insubstantial nature of time and the universe when the world will pass away like a flower in a day. The brevity of their existence makes me treasure...
I decided to include a photo of the whole ship. This is Old Ironsides or the U.S.S. Constitution. It is the oldest commissioned warship in the United States. Usually, it sits in Boston Harbor and acts like a floating museum, but once a year the ship is...
Sometimes all we need to cheer us up is just flowers. These are from a flower arrangement, not some exotic place like the Salt River Valley.
I have spent a lot of time looking for and and at rocks and minerals. This is one of the most spectacular minerals. It is called rhodachrosite or a manganese carbonate mineral with the chemical composition of MnCO3. Some people collect minerals because...
It is about time to hike in the desert again, assuming the temperature ever drops below 100 degrees. There are quite a few trails, but if you are ever tempted to leave the trail and strike out on your own, you will soon learn a valuable lesson; the trails...
We had jonquils or daffodils or narcissus growing in our yard for years. I guess I always thought they were different flowers, now I find out that they are all the same flower, just different names used for different varieties indiscriminately. You are...
The Nauvoo Temple, Nauvoo, Illinois USA in USA Overlooking the Mississippi River, the Nauvoo Temple is a modern historic re-creation of the original building built beginning in 1846 and dedicated in 1846. The modern building is built on the same site...
I am fascinated with gems and minerals. This is orpiment, a common monoclinic arsenic sulfide mineral, however, this specimen is gem quality. Arizona has quite a few minerals that attract collectors. Because of the huge mines all over the state, there...
We read a lot into what we see. Walking through the desert, I noticed this saguaro that seems to be saying OK. But, of course, it is my perception of the scene that imposes a meaning to the random growth of the plant. Just keep telling yourself that....
From time to time, until I start getting blog posts from the FamilySearch.org Blog through my reader, I am going to update the latest posts so that you can get a list of what has come out since my last update. The problem is that I have subscribed to...
Happy Holidays We are excited to tell you that we have arranged a great Holiday Special for all our readers. This season you can get a great deal on WorldVitalRecords. Saving you over 50% off a yearly subscription! WorldVitalRecords is an excellent source...
I have been concentrating on one of my lines and writing about aspects of the research in this mini-series but I have decided to use that as a tag line for research related articles in general. Given the huge amount of information online, where do we...
I just finished drafting a new page for the FamilySearch Research Wiki called United States, How to Find Genealogy Records. Rather than reproduce that extensive article, I will let you click on the link and see what kinds of resources are available on...
When I go to the Grand Canyon, it is mandatory to get to the Rim before sunrise and stay all day until it is completely dark. If you don't do this, you miss the changing light that makes the Canyon such an attraction. I am acutely aware of the quality...
I couldn't resist another photo of an alligator. I like the contrast between active predators, like scorpions, and these lie-around-and-wait types like Black Widow spiders. I know that alligators can have tremendous bursts of activity, but I have seen...
This recent photo has moved into one of my top ten favorites. The subject is such, that I cannot predict how the photo will look when it is taken. You really need to click on the photo to see the detail. Water is opaque and transparent at the same time...
Electronic gadgets of all kinds have made a tremendous impact on my entire life and particularly the way I conduct my genealogical research, organize and gather information. One of the most dramatic impacts comes from the inclusion of high quality cameras...
Well, it may be dangerous for those of us in our dotage, but while we are walking around, we should look up occasionally. This very large bush was covered with tiny white flowers. It looks suspiciously like Desert Broom, but since the picture was taken...
Once you have your desktop computer with a large screen, a laptop computer, tablet or iPad, a smartphone, a scanner and a printer, you may think you're pretty well set up and well into the technological jungle. But, alas, you're just starting on your...
Many of you who view these photos may not know that you can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the link in the sidebar. The sidebar is only visible if you move your mouse to the right side of the screen. Just a note to explain how the site works.
It may not bother you, or yet again, it might, to find out that many of the online genealogy websites are owned by the same entities. It seems to me that I would want to know if I subscribed to one website owned by an online company and then had to pay...
A notice did appear on the New.FamilySearch.org website (this may be what they mean by an introduction) directing users to "Try FamilySearch Family Tree!" This is one of the major waypoints in the introduction process, letting current users of New.FamilySearch.org...
Hmm. While the rest of you are out there standing in lines in Walmart or whatever, I am comfortably at home writing away on my computer. I find a huge disparity in the genealogists' attitude about buying things online. We have a significant segment of...
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