On January 5 Le Lyrial departed from Ushuaia for a voyage to Antartica. On the way, we visited West Falkland and South Georgia. We saw penguins, seals, and all manner of birds. It was a life-changing journey on magical seas. On January 17 Le Lyrial approached Neko Harbor where we would have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
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Lessons from an Antarctica Cruise: Wildlife Recovery
King Penguins, Elephant Seals, & Fur Seals From my perspective, South Georgia brought more dramatic experiences than the Antarctic Peninsula. During the two days we cruised off South Georgia, we stopped at several bays and rode zodiacs to shore in order to visit populations of Fur Seals, Elephant Seals, and King Penguins. Equally dramatic was
Lessons from an Antarctica Cruise: Endurance
After our first expeditions ashore on West Falkland, Le Lyrial began a journey of two days across the Scotia Sea to South Georgia. Scotia Sea, which covers the waters between Drake Passage, Tierra del Fuego, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Island, the South Orkney Islands, and Antarctica, was our first experience in choppy ocean water.
Lessons from an Antarctica Cruise: Humility
I usually greet the new year with my annual list of goals: finish my research; write the book; travel to a new place. Occasionally, ‘clean the house’ makes it in small print at the bottom of the list, right after ‘straighten out the file drawer.’ The last goal is more about the idea of a
WASSAIL!
Wassail,( pronounced WAA – sl), comes from Old Norse ves heill, “Be Well”, and is a custom of long-standing. In the 14th century, the term referred to a warm beverage [recipe below] that included alcoholic spirits. The term also described the resulting raucous behavior in which wassailers called upon members of higher classes to wish
Christmas Carols, or, Boar’s Heads, Angels, & Partridges
With Thanksgiving behind us, we are on the cusp of Christmas Carol season. Retailers started playing the melodies weeks ago, but soon there will be a full roster of community, church, and school programs featuring traditional carols. On the left, is a sedate picture of a mother and her daughters singing in the dignified repose
Thanksgiving in 18th Century Salem, Mass.
This is a blog about Thanksgiving, the quintessential American holiday. It is not about the First Thanksgiving, or the late 19th century Thanksgiving, or the 20th Century Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving story is about Thanksgiving in late 18th and early 19th century New England, specifically Salem, Massachusetts, the setting of my upcoming novel. At
Candy Corn: The Halloween Candy People Love or Hate
Besides Halloween, can you think of a day that celebrates: Witches and goblins? Ghosts and hobgoblins? Driving past cemeteries in the dead of night? Haunted Houses and Pumpkins Delights? Not to mention children and adults overdosed on sugar? All kinds of fun-sized candy are welcome in the “Trick or Treat” basket. Statistically, the favorite Halloween
The Science & Emotion of Colors
Sun Tzu, author of the Art of War, observed that “There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen.” Seems straightforward, but there are several ways to look at what color is. Sun Tzu’s reference to primary colors privileged the colors of Blue, Yellow,
Individuality, Ownership & the Importance of Spousal Names
“What’s in a name?” Juliet asked. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare put these words into Juliet Capulet’s mouth, to show that her love for Romeo was not restricted by his membership in the Montague family. The label of his name was immaterial to her, but, tragically, it would
