michigan from way up there
the waxing moon enabled this unique VIIRS view of the great lakes last night.
note the moon glint below lake-effect clouds over lake superior.
—
“a sky as pure as water bathed the stars and brought them out.”
~antoine de saint-exupery
—
image credit: cimss – Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, university of wisconsin-madison, https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/
you’re probably familiar with the postal credo of not letting rain or snow or sleet interfere with duties. in the south pacific ocean nation of vanuatu, that guarantee extends to being totally submerged underwater. welcome to the world’s only underwater post office.
island postal officials debuted a deep-sea post office adjunct in 2003. tourists to the collection of more than 80 islands can dive roughly 10 feet (about 3 meters) down near hideaway island to discover a staffed aquatic postal station.
waterproof postcards and stamps purchased on dry land can be mailed via the sea, with visitors alerted to the window being occupied by a flagged bob in the water. (if not, they can drop mail off in a separate slot.)
vanuatu clerks can even postmark the correspondence, substituting ink for an embossing device that proves it’s in transit. the cards can then be sent internationally.
if the idea of conducting mail transactions while snorkeling isn’t extreme enough for you, vanuatu also offers a drop-off box situated on an active volcano on mt. yasur.
“i get mail; therefore I am.”
– scott adams
—
credits: mental floss, lonely planet, j. rossen
when in doubt
which to choose
just mix your dessert and your veggies together
easy as pie
what could be better than lemon jello and succotash
all beautifully arranged and sliced on a plate?
—
“it’s as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O
but it is always there at the end, waiting.”
– john grisham, ford county
—
image credit: the larsen company (vintage)
family watches with pride and awe
as mom/wife/my youngest daughter
crosses the stage to get her master’s degree
she worked so hard for this
all while
caring for them
teaching full time
learning at night
and
showing them what is possible.
“do something wonderful, people may imitate it. “
-albert schweitzer
—
proud of you baby girl, go blue!
one of my happiest ways to spend a relaxing day
with coffee, pajamas, music,
and a full string of one of my favorite director’s films.
always good for a dark humor laugh
but more often than not,
a scream.
—
“for me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake.”
-alfred hitchcock
as our temps take a dip into the zero-ish range,
it is good to remember the importance of connection,
the joy of giving to others, and the comfort of the sun.
—
“it is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake,
the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam.
this crisp winter air is full of it.”
~john burroughs, “Winter Sunshine”
—
painting by: francesca rizzato – ‘Winter’s Tale’
they told santa that they would
make sure to send some cookies along for mrs. claus,
because he usually gets to all of them
and she doesn’t get any treats.
the note is to make sure that he doesn’t forget to share.
—
– happy christmas to all –
—
“sharing the same meal reaffirms kinship.”
– deng ming-dao
—
photo credit: neel
“i love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence
and just about everything that goes along with christmas. “
-hillary scott
—
photo credit: juniper fox
only female adult reindeer keep their antlers through December.
that means santa’s reindeer are probably all girls.
—
credits: national geographic kids/national geographic books – weird but true christmas
“i’m going to need more sprinkles. my cookie is empty.”
(decorating with the kinders)
—
“i cant sprinkle sprinkles on.
i lose control when i have sprinkles.
i’m shaky.
i still remember the great sprinkle accident of 1982.”
-ryan stiles
I didn't have my glasses on.... 