This phrase popped into my mind after a cloudburst rolled through overhead. We’ve been having more of those in the past few of years, intense concentrations of Nature’s power blasting through an otherwise clear weather map. It makes me miss the grey skies of summer rain, and the gentle drops that encouraged growth rather than washing it away.
The phrase also sounded very familiar, and a quick check assured me that yes, it was a variant on the title of a Ray Bradbury short story. It’s not a cheerful story by any means, but it is classic Bradbury.
I found the story available here, along with a lot of other classics from the likes of HG Wells to George MacDonald to Bradbury, Christie, Chesterton, Gilman, and many more.
“Life is pointless, and absurd, and magical and cruel and edifying and jaw-droppingly beautiful, sometimes all in the same week. And the meaning you’re able to construct from that swirl of chance and circumstance and self-determination is up to you… It’s worth it. You will make it worth it.” — Maura Judkis
My trip to the mailbox this morning began peacefully enough, a quiet stroll through a slowly brightening day. Then I looked up. The sun hung in a hazy sky, its light filtered by particulates from fires in Quebec, leaving a visible disk that looked like a second moon. The smoke changed the usual morning light from bright yellow to a darker, ruddier hue. Very dramatic.
Today’s forecast? Thunderstorms, which brought to mind the old adage about skies and sailors. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.” It turns out to be based on atmospheric science, and while the logic doesn’t hold up everywhere all the time (and yes, smoke can interfere with its accuracy), it can be useful.
The folklore lines up with two pieces of plain physics: how air moves and how light scatters. Low pressure pulls air together and lifts it, which builds clouds and brings rain. High pressure does the opposite. Air sinks and spreads out, which keeps the sky clear and traps dust and fine particles near the ground. Sailors learned the shorthand long before anyone measured a millibar: low pressure for foul weather, high pressure for fair.
Happily, forewarned is forearmed (to use another old adage). Now I wait, and watch for the coming storm.
The path to good runs through bad, and that goes for art forms we don’t even consider art forms, like friendship, parenthood, and citizenship. But the only thing that gets us better is practice. — Hank Green
We recently spent some time on the road, and drove through some fascinating geology. I had a professor once who was known to wax poetic about highway road cuts, and he wasn’t wrong. Millennia of geological processes are exposed to the light. It got me thinking about geology in general and rocks in particular.
Here’s a general introduction that emphasizes the connection of geology to everything from plate tectonics to the location of our cities:
I’d rather have polished stones from my local highway than diamonds, actually. And for fun, here’s a video on labradorite, a very pretty example of Earth’s stone modification skills:
Thanks for taking us to the Geology Department open house that one time, Dad. I still remember the rock polishing demonstration:)
And if you have a moment next time you’re on the road, watch the road cuts as you go by. Earth’s secrets are out there, waiting for you.
In a culture obsessed with productivity, fun can feel frivolous. Yet research increasingly shows that play, delight, and shared enjoyment are essential ingredients of a good life.
Here’s to finding time for a bit of fun. Happy Saturday, everyone!
Today, I’d like to pay tribute to Wally Funk, one of the early pioneers in flight and one of the first women to train with NASA. She didn’t get to be an official astronaut in the end, but she could fly just about anything, trained thousands at her own flight school, and much more. She also made a suborbital flight via Blue Origin’s New Shepard ship in 2021, becoming the oldest woman to reach space at 82.
“I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.”
If you’re interested in the history of space, or women in space, or kick-ass ladies in general, I highly recommend the 2018 documentary Mercury 13 on Netflix.
Here’s to Wally’s example of determination, perseverance, and all-around excellence, and to finding ways to make dreams come true!
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