In the winter of 1985 I was driving through the Mojave Desert with a friend, talking about our apparent need for new river gear. As we passed the Twenty Nine Palms Marine Base, a man unexpectedly appeared on the side of the road selling used ammo cans. My friend and I laughed wildly and quickly came to realize that the moment was "All In A Days' Karma". This blog contains the occasional ramblings of a died-in-the-wool westerner who loves seeing, understanding, and being alive upon these landscapes. I cherish the moments of bliss and irony that come to all of us as we explore the planet and its residents (and perhaps visitors) in the short time we are here.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Fantastic Photographs of Mars from the Curiosity Rover


For 11 years now, the rover Curiosity has been traveling across the Martian surface taking photographs and samples. It is an awesome collection of material. Looking at these gives one a feel for how it is on the Red Planet. Take a look and become enchanted! See the web site here.


Sunday, January 25, 2015

Do the Names "El Tovar" and "Phantom Ranch" Belong to the Grand Canyon? Or to Xanterra?

Phantom Ranch. Who owns the name?
An interesting story about Xanterra laying claim to the names of iconic features at Grand Canyon. Look at the article here, published in many newspapers across the country and online on January 25.

Phantom Ranch

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Hubbell Space Telescope - Has it Really Been 20 Years Since "The Pillars of Creation" Photograph?


Check out this article and the image above, which is a high-definition repeat of NASA's iconic image shot over 20 years ago (has it really been that long?) of the Eagle nebula. Unbelievable!