Flametoad

Here in Texas a series of small cold fronts have finally broken the choke hold of 100 degree days that gripped the state. Now that we’re back down to more seasonable temperatures in the 80s and 90s, our thoughts turn to the time of ghosts and goblins (and candy!) drawing ever closer. With retailers stretching [...]

I was a teen in the 1980s. By then my paternal grandfather had passed away and my grandmother lived on her own. Without the responsibility of having to care for an ailing husband, she renewed her life by keeping busy with a variety of activities and friends. As time went on though, her eyesight declined [...]

I’ve had a long-standing interest in solar power, the effect of solar cycles on our weather, and the like. I suppose that’s why I’m fascinated by the Carrington Flare– an 1859 solar flare so strong that the magnetic effects on earth caused telegraph wires to spark and catch fire.  It really sparks the imagination. What [...]

In which I compare the dream and the reality of being a writer.

The US isn’t the only country facing looming water shortages. Parts of China are draining groundwater and aquifers up to twice as fast as rainwater can replenish their supply. If this continues, “China will lose the ability to feed about 10% of its 1.3 billion people.” (Bonus material: We were also recently treated  to a [...]