FIVE SECOND STORIES

 Kjeragbolten, Norway

A 180 cf glacial deposit wedged in a crevice 3200 feet above the fjord below. Yikes!

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I've been watching on YT vids made by adventurers who scour GoogleEarth for non-natural formations out West, hoping to find unknown structures built by the Anasazi (or Ancient Puebloans, as they are increasingly called) from 700-1150 ce. Once found, they hike out into some of the most remote regions of AZ, NM, UT, CO to visit and document their findings. Many use drones to augment the experience and it helps: some sites are located tucked into cliffs which can barely be reached. The drones also help give the viewer a wider picture of the location.

The presenters vary wildly, some lean towards the scientific, many are amateurs and within this group you can have some goofy bros adding silly post-production graphics and sounds and those who are templating reality TV shows, a staple in our popular culture since the 1990's. Drama!

One of the guys did something I found interesting: filling in a gap of commentary as he's trekking up a wash, he gave a shout out to his fans, specifically those who are "homebound". I thought: I bet there are enough presenters to each to have a fan base, clubs and chatrooms. They produce enough content to space them out, sending notifications to their fans so they can tune in and not miss out. A curious and frankly worthy niche to fill for those who can't go out for a variety of reasons. And these programs are soooo much better, in my opinion, than the mind rot of talk shows and HGTV. No getting caught up in the marital drama of a young couple scrapping over the color of carpeting in their flip house. You can get out of the house to somewhere you have never been and never will visit. And, you have a community of other fans in chatrooms. I belonged to a garden club for a few years-it was enjoyable and something to look forward to. 

Imagine the routine for some in a facility: watch one of these shows with your meal as the meds kick in. By the time it finishes you are dozing. Repeat twice more per day.

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Our local rag, The Lansing State Journal, said that December 2023 was the second warmest in the 125 years of record keeping. The warmest was in 2015 and it is worthy to note that year was also during an El Nino event. 

I've been tracking rainfall at our house since 2019. A pattern has emerged: every other year shows a deficit vs normal average. 2024, if this pattern holds should show a deficit as well. However, El Nino may change this. The venerated Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a hot and wet summer for us. Stay tuned!

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You can tell heavy Cheeto-eaters by their orange-stained fingers. Like betel nut addicts with their black and red teeth, the blue-eyed Fremen exposed to the spice melange and cranberry-stained lips of the Mentats from Dune.

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Tanzlinden Trees of Germany

The Tanzlinden of Peesten, Germany

From Atlas Obscura: At the center of many German villages, it used to be common to find a old linden tree with a sturdy trunk and large, spreading branches. Often, these are called “Tanzlinden”—dance lindens—and they served as a gathering place and were frequently the site of celebrations.

Some German villages, though, had dance lindens where people actually danced among the branches.

A true Tanzlinde had a sort of special treehouse built around its trunk. The branches of the tree were guided horizontally, so that they could serve as the base of a dance platform. (The branches wouldn’t hold the entire weight of the platform, though.) The branches might also be trained to create leafy walls to surround the platform. At certain festivals, the townspeople would gather on the platform, a band would play, and they could spend days dancing.

There are few tree-borne dancing platforms left in Germany today, but in Franconia, there are three Tanzlinden connected by a bike trail. Limmersdorf’s tree is the oldest; believed to be planted in 1686, it’s been in continuous use as a dance tree for centuries. 

Andreas Zehnsdorf

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Fun geography facts: 

-The Amazon River has no bridges that span across the entire width of the river.

-Sri Lanka was connected by a land bridge to the Indian subcontinent until 1480 CE when cyclones washed it away. What remains are a chain of limestone shoals, some sticking above the surface which hinder navigation.

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Sin Eaters-from Wiki: a person who consumes a ritual meal in order to spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person. The food was believed to absorb the sins of a recently dead person, thus absolving the soul of the person. Sin-eaters, as a consequence, carried the sins of all people whose sins they had eaten; they were usually feared and shunned. It is most commonly associated with Scotland, Ireland, Wales and English counties bordering Wales.

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Epiphany-1/6

Mr. Frazier Fir still looking magnificent. It was my family tradition to leave the tree up to at least Epiphany and we do as well. I will put away the holiday decorations on Monday.

 

Buddy getting snuggles in front of the fire. His typical routine: hang out with Dad on the couch until Mom comes in after yoga, then get premium belly rubs from her by the hearth

Mr. Red Bird is often our last customer at The Diner-makes sense with his bright plumage, greyed in the falling light-giving him increased security from predators.

 

The next morning: