The Heat Is On, Revisited: The Rivers Run Dry

It's been a hot one out there. Summer, that is. Record breaking in many ways, as I wrote about in my July 11th post "The Heat Is On: Sizzling & Sweltering this Summer."

Since then, the heat has continued. I'm fascinating by the number of articles I've run across that have revealed true "hidden treasures" that have literally surfaced in the drought conditions we have seen. Riverbeds have been hit hard in the drought, and items that were down at the bottom have essentially found their way to the top...not by being dislodged or floating there, but by the drought-stricken rivers falling to record low water-levels. As these have dropped, finds have been founds and made visible. Everything from prehistoric remains, historic insfrastructures, and wartime wreckage. 

The Danube River has been hit particularly hard and many items have been found in its riverbed and along the now-visiable riverbanks. Historical finds include:

• Ice Age Woolly Mammoth remains near Ryahovo, Bulgaria iinclude a lower jaw, tusks, and possibly a rib. 
• Elements of Constantine’s Bridge have been exposed in Bulgaria. This was a Roman bridge opened in AD 328.
• World War II German ships near Prahovo, Serbia. This area in particular could also contain some wartime ammunition that has yet to to be detonated, so that area is being treated with extreme caution.
• WWII Wehremacht motorcycle and other military artifacts and wartime debris near Budapest, Hungary. Again, with the potential for munitions, that area is being treated with caution.
• World War II shipwreck near Mohács, Hungary has resurfaced.
• The Fulton cargo shipwreck near Opatovac, Croatia has a now-visible hull showing from this coal-carrying ship that sank in 1937.

But, the Danube River is not alone in its findings of hidden relics. Here are some other surfaced appearances:

• “Hunger stone” in the Elbe River, near Pirna-Oberposta, Germany (near the Czech border). This historic carved stone has dates going back to 1707 from other droughts, when exposed due to low water levels. These served as both warnings and historical stories of other times when poor harvests, shipping/transport issues, and hunger and famine were an issue to due drought conditions.
• Remains of Nero's bridge in Rome are exposed by the Tiber River in Italy, dating back to 39 AD
• Similar low-water inscriptions appeared in the Rhine River, near Leverkusen, Germany. One showed a low-level date of 1959.
• Lake Brenets, which borders Switzerland and France and is a big sight for tourism, had near-nonexistent water on the exposed lake bottom due to water levels dropping from the nearby River Doubs.
• 
  The “Spanish Stonehenge” (Guadalperal Dolmen) in the Valdecañas Reservoir, Spain resurfaced again, thanks to the overly-dry conditions. This prehistoric megalithic monument which typically is submerged once again became visible. 
  

As with any find like this, these are historical artifacts. It is not a collectors' paradise. Stability problems coincide when water levels are so low such as unstable banks, contaminated sediment, protected archaeological material, and unexploded munitions. These are finds that should be reported to local authorities so they can safely examine the heritage and history of these items.

While the droughts have exposed some amazing historical finds, they also reveal the force of our changing climate. Riverbeds are meant to carry water, and drought has disrupted and impacted the water needs of these communities. River ecosystems are not operating as needed--nor are shipping systems and local water supplies for drinking and more. The reappearance of  "hunger stones" show us this isn't the first time that area has been in crisis. The dry conditions also raise the risk and highlight the fire danger that we also have seen in France and Spain this summer. 

All of this is a reminder to that preparation, shared care, water conservation, and healthier landscapes can make a meaningful difference. These drying riverbed appearances serve as a warning and an alert system. These discoveries are an invitation to pay attention to the world we live in, and they offer a chance to learn from the past while thinking more carefully about how we protect water, landscapes, and one another in the future.

Map from https://edulearningss.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/europe-rivers-map-with-names-for-education-use/; other images from https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/10/historic-drought-rivers-reveal-hunger-stones-warships-and-mammoth-remains and https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/31/climate/shrinking-rivers-reveal-past-relics-in-europe and https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2gp3zmkpmo

The Heat Is On: Sizzling & Sweltering this Summer

The end of June found Europe sweating, with over the top, record breaking temperatures.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the following countries all had areas that broke records, many of them for 3 consecutive days during the span of time between June 21--28, 2026: Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Not only is extreme heat a serious health danger, but the fact that temperatures don't give way during overnight is a huge problem. The lack of cooling starts us all off "behind the 8 ball." Bodies do not have a chance to recover, putting heat stress on top of heat stress in a cumulative manner.

Using Perplexity.AI and the World Meteorological Organization's June 29, 2026 article , I crafted this simplified graphic and using the following conversion from Celcius to Fahrenheit as: F = (C × 9/5) + 32. Given that, 40°C is approximately 104°F and 42°C ≈ 108°F.

Meanwhile, "across the pond," the following week we had DC, Maryland, Philadelphia, & Boston, among the major areas that had to postpone their 4th of July celebrations based on extreme temperatures with triple-digit heat indexes. A "heat dome" high pressure system trapped humidity from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic States. Power grids in many US locations were pushed to their limits. My 5 pm July 3rd weather was listed at 99°F with a "feels like" temperature of 110°F... well past the height of the heat of the day.

Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe, whom I adore, called it for what it is--a direct effect from climate change which has been impacted by fossil fuel pollution. Be sure to click the "see more" to read her entire post with coordinating links: 

It's not "just summer" when it comes to record breaking heat of this extreme.

A great resource for Grades 6-12 teachers is OER Project: Teach Climate Change, a collection of free lesson plans. I know it's summer, but this is when we teachers do our percolating, especially when we have climate news happening around us to the point where it may impact our vacations and our patriotic holidays. There are a multitude of other resources also available at OER for history, science, geography and more. 

We need to take note and educate ourselves that this heat wave is not just a quirk of nature with these sizzling, sweltering days. It's a health concern for our entire planet. We need to go forward, not with despair, but with informed, collective action using the science and common connections. Through these, we take small steps to caring for each other and our shared home.

Graphic created using Perplexity.AI and data obtained from https://wmo.int/media/news/record-breaking-heat-spreads-through-europe; Katharine Hayhoe's Facebook post from https://www.facebook.com/20531316728/posts/10154009990506729/

The Gift of Snow

Waking up to the Wintery Wonderland is always a gift. The world of white abounds and surrounds. And it is still coming down.

I've seen reports of both 35 states being affected, and also ones saying that half the US being under snow storm forecasts for this weekend. That's a lot of people facing a lot of snow. At this writing Sunday morning, the federal government is already closed, but I'm awaiting our county's school district decision. I'm not too worried. 

The pace of life just seems to change when the blizzardarious conditions head your way. You stock up. You settle in. You hunker down. You bundle up and head out to explore--OR--you snuggle in and get toasty in front of a fire or under a blanket. Expectations change and it's all cozy and comfort food and time slows down. Some of it is the novelty and unexpected variety to your normal days, and some of it is just the inability to go anywhere because you are closed in with that blanket of snow and the plows not yet making their way to you. It is a gift. The gift of time.

With my gift, I see books being read. Blog posts being written. Shows being watched. Naps maybe being taken. Soup being made. Maybe a load or two of laundry getting tackled, or even a scary clutter corner or two. But the bar is low, as are the expectations. It's a rather cozy gift indeed....as long as the power stays on! 😉 

How are you going to spend your gift of time and your gift of snow?

Weather map from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snow-storm-forecast-maps-winter-weather/; banner image created at Canva.com with my snow photos.

Hurricane Melissa, Cat 6, Katherine Hayhoe, & What You Can Do

On Facebook, I follow Climate Scientist Katherine Hayhoe, and I have written about her many times before.*

I was particularly struck earlier this week when I saw this post from her on Sunday, October 26th. In it, she detailed the intensity of Hurricane Melissa as it was approaching Jamaica, and how this storm was one of great concern. I also appreciate the extent to which she included links to her "Global Weirding" video series. In her post, she had specific links to read for specific situations that many fit with her many critics and climate skeptics. The level of information is not only informative and detailed, but very easy to understand. It is a teaching tool. Given that, I screenshot the first part of Kathrine Hayhoe's post, and then I compiled a slide deck that includes one slide per thoughts/concern and embed the videos that correspond with each link.

Katherine Hayhoe this week has also had some interesting thoughts on if perhaps we have entered the era where we really need a "Category 6" on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This "Cat 6" would be for hurricanes with sustained winds over 192 miles per hour. It makes for good food for thought. Especially since we really have not needed that level before. However, warmer waters generate more intense storms... and hence where we are.

She also shared this graphic this week from Jeff Beradelli, WFLA-TV Tampa Bay's Chief meteorologist and climate specialist. It details the significant increase in Category 4 and 5 storms in the nearly 50 years. You cannot argue that hurricanes have intensified given this data.

At this point (on Halloween when I write this), the storm has battered Jamaica, making landfall on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 with winds of over 185 mph. The island nation was devastated by the power of Mother Nature in this record-breaking storm. The storm also tore through the Caribbean and wrecked havoc on Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Bahamas as well. According to this CNN article, 77% of the country was out of power at one point along with multiple deaths with all of the destruction.

If you are looking for ways to help or donate to the hurricane recovery in Jamaica, consider these resources:

• Global Empowerment Mission ​​
• Project HOPE
• All Hands & Hearts​
• GlobalGiving​
• Charity Navigator 

​

*Note: Posts I've written about Katherine Hayhoe in the past include:

• Earth Day 2025 Resources  (4-19-2025)
  
• Katherine Hayhoe's Inspirational Recommendations for Climate Content  (12-29-2023)
  
• The Six Americas  (2-16-2022)
  
• A Trio of Messengers of Hope  (2-9-2022)
  
• Eunice Foote: Foot at the Front Door of Climate Change  (3-31-2021)
  
• Climate Change, Coronavirus, & Katherine Hayhoe  (9-26-2020)
  
• Global Weirding  (7-26-2017)

Slideshow created from Katherine Hayhoe's Facebook post on 10-26-2025 and compiled her: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MAw5X3xVtDpR8argRz_kTOgsvftvav4_Diq7CK6uR40/edit?usp=sharing, Image from https://www.instagram.com/p/C6xbBNKM7cz/ and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1361109002252601&set=a.233252805038232

NOAA's 2024 Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

Just like my Leaf Peeping Maryland map I ran across last week, I happened upon another interesting graphic on Justin Berk, Meteorologist's Facebook page. This one from NOAA detailing the 2024 Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters. The data on this map, which goes through October 2024, is more than striking!

I decided to look up NOAA's website on that subjects and found a wealth of interactives covering 45 years of data: from 1980--2024. Clearly different than the visual I have included here, just from this year. But during that 45 year time period, there have been 400 events, with the cost in damages surpassing $2.785 trillion. On the website, clickable tabs will take through an overview, to disaster mapping by type, risk mapping, climate date, statistics, FAQs, and more. The wealth of date here is immense and you can spend a lot of time researching and analyzing the many climate events we have had--both from an overview stance and by year.

This database of interactives for Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters is only one part of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Other data-centric tools they have available include:

• Resources for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
• Frost Protected Shallow Foundations
• Climate Monitoring Tools
• Climate at a Glance
• Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI)
• Launch Crop Moisture Stress Index (CMSI)

Environmental data nerds (like me)--go forth and get lost in all the info!

Image from: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0dpQ3jqgtjkAfxSoz3WPYhUiYzmbhydq9qYZGTx8hd2Zf3y1tJ39XccFKhpXNhuDql&id=100044454488732

Once Again...Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season

This year's hurricane season is shaping up to be a doozy.

We've already seen the wallop and carnage that Hurricane Helene left in her wake from September 24--29, 2024. Making landfall as a Category 4 storm, Helene had major hits in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. In the Big Bend region of Florida, this was the 3rd major storm in 13 months. The Tampa Bay Area was hit with record breaking storm surges. Major roads, bridges, buildings, and homes were washed out along with damaged electrical lines. Georgia's farming industry took a major hit, knocking out 1/3 of both the cotton and peanut crops, over 200 poultry house, and more than 40,000 acres of pecans. Flooding deeply affectect North Carolina, leaving some roads slated to remain in disrepair until March of 2025. People throughout the region are still without power, without drinkable water, people are still missing, 230+ people died, and entire communities are devastated. 

Estimated damage: Somewhere between $145 -- $165 billion.

Now, not even two weeks later, Hurricane Milton is lined up to take a hit as a potential Category 3 hurricane. Again on Florida's western coast, again coming across the Gulf of Mexico. This time, it is tracking further south than the Big Bend area of Florida where Helene hit, with the Tampa Bay Area being a potential point of landfall this Wednesday, October 9th. The path additionally is currently projected to cross Central Florida. The good news of this is that it hopefully will track south of the Helene-saturated states just north of Florida. The bad news is that the Tampa area is still heavily in clean up mode from Helene. Schools in that area are already closed from Monday to Wednesday to allow time to plan boarding up and evacuations.

We lived in Florida for 6 years. Hurricane preparation is no fun. It's nowhere near as benign as a northern snow day off of school.

With ocean water temperatures on the rise, we are having more and more "once in a lifetime hurricanes." In fact, they are coming at a frequency of 3 times more often than 100 years ago, and with numbers doubling since 1980. 

They definitely show us that Mother Nature is in charge--we aren't!

What you can do to offer hurricane relief and assistance?

1. Watch out for misinformation. This season, potentially with the US election ahead and political agendas, rumors abound. Check out the facts here: FEMA's Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response. 

2. Donate to trustworthy agencies and organizations. The American Red Cross and UNICEF are doing a lot for hurricane relief.

3. Volunteer when and where it is safe. If your local community is affected, or one near you, look to see if, when, and where you can volunteer. To learn more, check out FEMA's hurricane relief webpage.

4. If you are in the path of a hurricane, follow the local recommendations for evacuation and safety measures.

Data about Hurricane Helene from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/05/us/hurricane-helene-damage-deaths.html, Hurricane Helene radar map from https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/09/27/hurricane-helene-damage-map/75408113007/, Hurricane Milton projection map from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tropical-storm-milton-forms-gulf-of-mexico-florida/, FEMA Hurricane relief image: https://www.fema.gov/blog/4-ways-help-hurricane-helene-survivors

Visualizing the Ripple Effect of Climate Disasters

I ran across this amazing data visualization graphic on FutureEarth's Instagram page. 

Created by Federica Fragapane (whose entire gallery can be found here). A little bit more digging and I discovered that this visualization goes with Scientific American's February 1st, 20224 article "Visualizing Climate Disasters' Surprising Cascading Effects" by Lori Youmshajekian & Federica Fragapane.

Just like a stone thrown in the water creates a myriad of ripples that go out from the inner circle, this graphic shows the ripple effects that happen with climate change-related disasters. It becomes an extensive and interrelated dot-to-dot. Some of those outer rings of dots connect to surprising effects that one wouldn't suspect like allergies, food insecurity, skin infections, mental health issues, malnutrition and more. 

Everything is connected. Given that, we need to use our connections to make sure to live better. We need to use our human connections to collectively make our planet a better place, and help protect it from the climate hazards that could be ahead if our planet keeps heating up.

Image from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/visualizing-climate-disasters-surprising-cascading-effects/

Riding the Line Between Snow And Rain

This past weekend we were trying to time a flexible yet sizable drive based on the weather. It would have us going westward through the mountains of Western Maryland while a weather system was traveling eastbound. 

Mountains and higher elevations tend to complicated life when it comes to potential snow storms, inclines, ice, and road preparedness for all of the above. Add to that the two day window of a weekend, and trying to figure out when it's best to leave and when we definitely want to make sure to be back. Additionally, we knew to expect more rain here, but there was a lot of uncertainty as to to what was between here and our western destination in the middle of all of the above. 

It makes for an interesting juggle, to say the least. Not to mention, it's a lot like Vegas gambling. Try to get there before it all hits? Wait until it all passes? Hope the timetable and the storm doesn't shift in a way that does not serve us! And heaven forbid: no freezing rain or sleet!

There's a lot of unpredictability that exists when riding the line between snow and rain. A few degrees of temperature difference can make all the difference indeed. I think the impact of it all has hit harder as this is really the first winter storm system that was heading our way this year, when the ground at our house has yet to see its first flake in probably 2 years.

All of this lead me to pondering and the land of investigation...and the following videos. Might as well learn a little bit while we were waiting for our travel window to fall in our lap!

Graphic created at canva.com; Videos from https://youtu.be/Ymq1gb4U2Xc?si=Nei8v4Y39Gt8cRXY; https://youtu.be/Cf6El0mI1fM?si=F3OAw7r8EtEKW2ok

Katherine Hayhoe's Inspirational Recommendations for Climate Content

I subscribe to climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe's weekly newsletter. I've written about Hayhoe in the past, and her interesting dichotomy between her data-driven profession and her faith as a Christian. Her bio on her website shows her rich background from her University of Illinois days (ILL-INI), to her current roles as Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and professor at Texas Tech University. She is also a principal investigator for the Department of Interior's South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and the National Science Foundations Global Infrastructure Climate Network. In her "spare" time she's also written Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World and previously hosted the podcast Global Weirding.

She knows her stuff when it comes to climate change.

In her latest newsletter, timed right at the holidays, Hayhoe listed out some podcasts, books, and social media accounts to jump into in order to build hope and education around the issue of climate change. You can read that newsletter here, or find her inspirational social media post (with the following images) on her Facebook page. With the doom and gloom that can be a heavy find when learning more about the climate implications on our planet, it is refreshing to land on inspirational leaders and lessons about how we can make a positive impact in our every changing world. Lots of great places to look into with the new year ahead!

These social media accounts suggestions from Katherine Hayhoe:

Alaina Wood: The Garbage Queen on Instagram and TikTok

Climate Adam on Instagram and YouTube 

Others on Instagram include:

Zahra Biabani

Future Earth

Jessica Kleckza

The Happy Broadcast

For other recommendations from Katherine Hayhoe, check out her FAQ and recommendations page. 

Images from http://redgreenandblue.org/2019/01/08/katherine-hayhoe-climate-change-thermometer-not-liberal-conservative/ and  https://www.facebook.com/katharine.hayhoe/posts/pfbid02ZHMkgYqcAeZ5Mq9zD6kSHbQRYB51Sg8AJkywDFWc2cykJVK9Ws8SQgGNpbTCvfkgl

Feeling the Hurt After Hurricane Ian

Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you've heard a thing or two about Hurricane Ian. Where I live, we a're getting days worth of dark and dreary, cold rain from it as it stalls here.

Additionally, after living in Florida for 6 years a good decade and a half ago, I've been through a hurricane or two myself. All the familiar vocabulary comes "raining" back: cones of uncertainty, spaghetti models, storm surges, maximum sustained wins, and more. Also, concern for friends and favorite places I still have in Florida brought this particularly close to home for me.

Hurricane Ian made landfall at a high Category 4 storm, doing major damage in Fort Myers with its 7 foot storm surge. [The sustained winds were only two mph short of being a Category 5 storm.]  Ian tied for the 5th strongest hurricane to make landfall. It then crossed Florida, doubled back over sea gaining strength and hit South Carolina as a Category 1 storm. In Florida, more than 2.3 million lost power. Areas of Florida got 12 to 28 inches of rain. Hundreds of flights were canceled in the domino effect of airfare cancellations. It has become the 6th deadliest US Hurricane since 1980 with just over 100 deaths, and it is Florida's biggest storm since 1935. Financially, the total damages range in the neighborhood of $68-100 BILLION. Capital B. Capital "all" letters. 

Climate change gets credit for intensifying the rainfall, making Hurricane Ian's rain 10% worse due to greenhouse gas pollution, thanks to life beyond the Industrial Revolution. Climate change often also gets credit for warming the oceans which only serves to intensify the growth and power of the storm.

This video from NOAA SciJinks shows how hurricanes form.  It's the perfect informative video for both young and old.

If you are in a position to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, here are some resources:

• FEMA's "Here's How You Can Help Hurricane Survivors" website
• Read World Central Kitchen's story of how they've provided hot meals during the storm and support their cause.
• CDP: The Center of Disaster Philanthropy's recovery and support network--you can funnel your donations directly to the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season's relief.
• Team Rubicon's Disaster Response--Donate to help support military veterans who serve as first responders to come in and assist during the humanitarian crises that arrive when disasters hit.
• Verified Hurricane Ian GoFundMe fundraisers

Video from https://youtu.be/wPDoIrGUrEc, image from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/live-map-track-the-path-of-hurricane-ian

Cherry Blossom Season

Washington, D.C. is a beautiful city in the spring...especially when the Cherry Blossoms pop. I've been fortunate enough over the years to live close enough to meander about the city just in search of the perfect photo op. This year I didn't make it down there, but my Facebook feed was filled with photos from friends who were able to make it there. Simply Gorgeous! 

If you are like me and can't make it to DC (or don't care to wrestle with the inevitable crowds of everyone else wanting to see the scenic view too), you can find a bunch of photos on the @CherryBlossomWatch's Instagram page or follow the beauty on their Facebook page.

According to Cherry Blossom Watch's website and its work with the National Park Service, peak bloom was predicted to "spring" into floral glory this past week, March 22 to 25th. Historically, the peak occurs around April 4th. While the peak bloom only lasts a few days (depending on weather conditions--especially wind and rain), the Cherry Blossom Festival now runs for almost a month. This year, the festival is from March 20th to April 17th this year. The festival annually is predicted to fall when peak season occurs, however it's always a bit of a guessing game. Late winter warmth can make the blossoms appear earlier, whereas a cooler winter pushes the season later. So it's a science of appearance that only nature truly knows.

The cherry blossom trees were a gift of friendship to the United States from Japan in 1912. The original gift of 3,020 trees were planted around the city, and after careful cultivation through the year, cuttings from these original trees have been replanted to maintain the original genetic line of the trees. Now the iconic blossoming views are around the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial are part of our American culture; and here we are, 110 years later, still enjoying their beauty. 

Given global warming temperatures, the trend of when these trees blossom has been creeping earlier and earlier in the year. National Park Service has been tracking peak bloom dates since 1921. This winter, with the second warmest December on record and mild weather in February and March, the 2022 peak dates have come about a week earlier than the averages over the last 30 years. In fact, this year marks the third year in a row of earlier arrivals than normal. The reason? Warming trends and earlier blooms are a result of a warming planet. Grist.org has an excellent article that goes even deeper into the science of climate change and its effects on the cherry blossoms. The biggest reason that this is a big deal is because of the timetable of when the pollinators mature and can visit and fertilize the flowers... which then affects the timing of the resulting food chain of critters who feed on these pollinators. Further studies on the cherry trees in Japan and their blossoms indicate the same climate trend, where trees in Kyoto, Japan had their earliest blooms ever last year on March 26th, 2021.

This 2016 video created by the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program details the reasons behind the earlier season (along with some amazing views).

Photo from https://cherryblossomwatch.com/peak-bloom-forecast/, Video from https://cherryblossomwatch.com/climate-change-nps/

The Annual #NatureFix & #BlueMind Summer Analysis

For 4 years now, I've been keeping track of my hours outside during the summer. The idea came from the concept of 1000 hours outside being optimal over a year. Seasonally, that accounts for 250 for a summer (1/4 of the year), which fits nicely into a teacher's lifestyle of June, July, and August. 

In addition to notating my hours outdoors for 4 years, I've been accounting and measuring my days of planned, intentional days near/in water for 3 years (aka: #BlueMind). Both of which have now officially become an annual traditions. 

This summer, I've been keeping track daily in my digital calendar (Artful Agenda) in a daily section I titled "Self Care." and I totaled it in a list page in my calendar for the entire summer. Doing it digitally is a new thing for me as I've always been very paper-centric in the past with my planners. 

Here are my stats for Summer 2021:

My Goals...250 hours outdoors and 65 days in/near the water. Looking at my numbers--pretty happy with the outcome!

This summer, I hit my "grand prize win" with 64 #BlueMind days and water-oriented activities, and I hit my 2nd highest summer for hours outside with 297 hours. (If I would have counted Labor Day weekend, which apparently I have done some years in the past, I would have topped 300.)

Here are my stats for the past:

2019 was my big win of hours outside during my summer months with 326 hours--but it did include the first two days of September due to Labor Day weekend.  Close second with my 61 #BlueMind days of being in the water. 

2018 (when I was only measuring hours outside), I clocked in with 269, putting it at my 3rd place stance.

2020 I wasn't far behind with 258 and 56 days of water-centric focus. Kind of surprising given it was smack dab in the middle of a pandemic--I would have expected more...but sometimes air conditioning is for the win!

But, in view of the goal of 1000 hours of outdoors time over the course of the year, I'm pretty darn proud of myself for topping 250 for the season of summer--1/4 of the year. 

The takeaway: I feel more centered when outdoors and/or in the water. A lot of times, that's my backyard pool when it comes to water. Of course, there is the overlap between the two, but no matter what, it helps to keep me more centered.

I'm always more pulled to those indoor activities of work once school starts. But every year I continue to do this, I'm shown the value and downright necessity of equilibrium that comes from being either outdoors or experiencing water. It's more than just what feels good. Yes, certainly it is that. But it is always science. And it is what helps to keep me running on all cylinders. 

These are the things that are wholeheartedly important to keep in mind...because they are the things that keep me going!!

Image screenshots from my calendar. Promo code, should you choose to dive into Artful Agenda (which I love), is RV272257.

The Power of the Wind and the Weather

Two days prior to my wedding (in the wayyyy back machine), we had a "Hurricane Day" off of school (think "snow day") two days prior due to Hurricane Floyd. It rained and rained, and I gleefully tackled all those last minute bride things. Unfortunately though, our wedding venue had it's power knocked out, and we had to re-route the entire wedding in about 24 hours. We did--the day ended up being a beautiful day--and we are still in our "happily ever after."

Flash forward a handful of years.

We moved to Florida for my husband's job, where we lived about 6 years. During the first two weeks of our move there we had a tropical storm. I don't even think it had a name. The idea of it scared this Midwest girl to death. Unlike before when I was living in Maryland and it wasn't a direct hit, the intensity of Florida weather brought about more of a fear factor. All we got in my Hurricane Floyd experience was rain and power outages. Not necessarily direct hits. I was way more accustomed to the occasional weirdly-green sky that accompanies a tornado and the dash to the basement than any kind of water/ocean destruction. Other than anxiety, we clearly survived with the only fall out we had was a hyperspaz dog and watching the intensity of rain fall on us. 

Flash forward another handful of years.

After living in Florida, you find yourself saying seemingly-bizarre statements like "It's only a Category 1 hurricane" and "that 'cone of uncertainty' will shift and we'll be fine." It's funny how experience of "weathering the storms" gets you here. Yes, we boarded up our house a few times, and we also packed and left occasionally, to go to the other side of the state to avoid the brunt of it. But we were always fine. However, we also saw the destruction from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. At one point earlier in its trajectory, Katrina had been tracking right to us. Luckily it shifted leaving us fine, but horrified for New Orleans. We counted our blessings on more than one occasion.

Flash forward 16 more years.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Elsa swept through our time while we were vacationing in Duck, NC a few weeks ago. We had a lovely day of massages in store--perfect for the rainy weather--and were surprised by the limited amount of rain we actually got. We had already preemptively "battened down the hatches" the night before at our rental house,  so we weren't really worried. Yes, there were white caps on the 2-3 foot deep Currtick Sound out our back window, but nothing more. Those comments came back to our kids: "It's only the tail end of a tropical storm." It made for a relaxing indoor day of books and games and comfort food. Until bedtime.  That's when the strongest band of weather came through. Being in a beach house and right on the water, we were more exposed than I had ever been in a weather situation. I've never felt a house shake like this. The wind was intense. I later discovered it was upwards of 25 mph with gusts up to 42 mph--all from 11 pm to 3 am. No wonder the house was shaking, the way these homes are built up--not fully on stilts, but with openness underneath.  I never got into full panic mode, but it was a level of angst I hadn't felt in awhile. I think some of the calming effects of the massage earlier that day had worn off.

But we weathered the storm and even slept some. In fact, the sun was out and skies were clear by 7 am the next morning. The only true evidence of a storm (other than the still-jitters in my stomach) was the debris line halfway up the yard showing how high the water rose.

Even the osprey nest next door looked like it had also weathered the storm quite well. Given that, I'm a bit in awe at their construction skills!

It definitely shows you the power of nature, and leads you to a reverence where you honor that power. It causes you to take pause as you watch the events and intensity on the rise and breaking records. And it certainly has you counting your blessings. 

"Tropical Storm Alert" image from https://www.chathamstartribune.com/image_0040049a-d587-11ea-b0c2-afda90ad2572.html, Hurricane Floyd weather map from https://www.weather.gov/ilm/Floyd, Category 1 hurricane chart from https://aerindustries.com/blog/2017/11/28/hurricane-categories-related-damage/, Wind Chart for Duck, NC from https://windalert.com/spot/40944, all other photos from my camera.

Nature Is Part of Our Nature: A Reminder of the Benefits of Being Outdoors

Spring has sprung and the weather is warming. Thank the Lord almighty! The long winter with the Covid connection on top was getting to be too much. 

I'm gleefully ready to move on from the winter blues (made worse this year from the pandemic) and and probably an inkling of seasonal affective disorder. Spring is the perfect time to reset our internal clocks and sync them with the biorhythm of our circadian clocks. We finally get to feel the sun on our faces, warmth rewarded with short sleeves, and I'm finding myself outside and writing in a state of supreme bliss in my favorite office!

I often find myself circling back to this topic of the therapeutic nature of nature. Where we get our Vitamin D from more sun than our vitamin bottles, and we can rejoice in Vitamin N: Nature. 

Yes, theoretically we can do this in the winter too, but I am indeed a winter wimp, smiling more in the sunshine and warmth.

Nature certainly is part of our nature. This image showcasing a slice of a tree stump and a fingerprint really does put the finger on the pulse (pun intended).

These articles highlight the multitude of ways 4 mentally, physically... of ways being out in nature can "do a body good" psychologically, spiritually, physically, mentally, "decompressionally," educationally, developmentally, with your sleep health, and more 

• The Positive Effects of Nature On Your Mental Well-Being

• ScaryMommy's Blog Post: "We Should Try To Take The ‘1000 Hours Outside’ Challenge––Here’s Why"

• Outside Play is Crucial for Emerging Readers and Writers
• Exposure to Morning Sunlight Profoundly Affects Mood, Health, and Nighttime Sleep

• 11 Scientific Benefits of Being Outdoors

And just a few from the GTG Archives:

• Nature = Necessity Not Amenity
• The Benefits of Being Outside
• Why We Need Environmental Education
• Linking Nature, People, & Mindfulness
• Go Outside

So do yourself a favor: Find a nice healthy snack, a lovely lemonade, a tasty green tea, or just a big thermos of water and go find yourself some nature. Maybe a hike, a picnic, a sit spot, or a lounge chair. Soak up the sun, watch some birds, listen to the pounding of woodpeckers and other bird calls, watch some scampering squirrels or chipmunks, marvel at the glistening of sun on a body of water....and bask in the benefits of being outdoors. 

Images from: May you find yourself: https://www.facebook.com/chelsey.bahe/posts/10164989735150581; Tree seasons from http://www.felicia-levy.com/2017/10/14/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/; Tree-fingerprint from https://www.facebook.com/flowwellbeingnetwork/posts/226598855788156

A Snowy Day

I'm sitting here on a Sunday, watching the snow fall in my backyard. It's our first official "real" snow. We had a dusting a few weeks ago, but nothing really stuck. This one, though, is "real." No blades of green grass peeking through. We have a solid blanket of white out there. It's been coming down steadily all day.  Plus, we have the promise of several more inches to come. 

It's is leaving all my teacher friends (and no doubt our students) texting about tomorrow, wondering if we will have a snow day. Please, pretty please, we ALL say! 

There's something about the hope and promise of a snow day. Whether it's to run and go slip-sliding and sledding outdoors, or whether it's to stay snuggled in on the couch, by the fire, with a good book, the first snow is magical like that. 

In the age of Zoom, remote learning, and the technology to make school happen at home, we all still--teachers and kids alike--still believe in the hope and magic of a snow day.  We hope our administrators who make those big decisions to do too. Please, pretty please!

The world with its silent flakes falling from the sky blankets us with quiet and indoor comfort. It just seems to slow down life a little. More so with a snow day and the gift of time. Across the board, on teacher chat boards and much of the keynotes at the Future of Education Technology Conference I virtually attended last week, "time" seems to be the common denominator these days of what teachers need. It's been a hard year this year with pandemic-style teaching and teachers are tired. We all could use a little gift of time. Please, pretty please, let us have that wintery wonderland gift of all gifts: a snow day, a snow "yay!"

Follow up: Happy to report the decision came down: snow day, snow yay! And boy, was it delicious!

Image created at Canva.com with a photo from my backyard.

Blue Mind Days & Hours Outside, Summer 2020

This is my 3rd summer counting up hours outside, and my 2nd summer monitoring my "Blue Mind Days."  

The former is pretty straight forward, and it stems from a website promoting 1000 hours outside during the course of the year--so 250 seemed like a reasonable goal with a straight seasonal division by 4. 

My "blue mind" days are days I've purposefully spent by or in water. Sitting just next to my backyard pool doesn't count--I have to be in with that. Bathtubs and kitchen sinks also don't count. 

Summer seems optimum for this little personal experiment because time opens up in different ways during the teaching days of the school year.

Both numbers for me were down this summer, due in large part to orchestrating a lot of tech PD and set up for this Covid-centric school year that we're embarking on. Many weeks were 9-20 hour work weeks during my "summer off." (Already a misnomer for teachers!) Add in, it was pretty steamy midsummer, making my outdoor work habits an indoor activity. But, I was surprised to see how respectable they were in comparison to the last two years (check out the two links above). 

I know for me (as I was outside almost the entirety of the 3 days of Labor Day weekend just last week) are the great equalizers for me. The breeze in the air, the vibrancy of color, the scampering and fluttering of wildlife, and the buoyancy and reflectiveness of the water do all the things that physiologically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally they are supposed to do. It's always a sad goodbye when temperatures start to drop because I haven't transitioned the magic of all of that into the mindset of winter quite yet. But lucky for me, we've got a lovely fall days ahead. With these Covid classroom teaching days, I plan to be outside as much as possible!

Photo compilation created with my photos of my calendar tallies & the PicCollage app.

Unseasonably Warm

I'm writing this outside* in 65° weather, wearing only capri yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt. Did I mention it's mid-January? I've just returned from an hour-long bike ride in the county park, making it 2 bike rides in 2 days. Sitting back, I take a minute to bask in the warmth of the sun on my face. This is my ideal weather, it's just odd given we had a late start day due to snow just 4 days ago. Plus it's January.

As much as I love the outdoor activities this weekend and the major dose of Vitamin D to go with that Vitamin N (Nature), it's disconcerting weather for January. A Google search of "unseasonably warm weather January" brought up a bounty of news articles discussing the weather for the weekend of January 10--12 from Boston to Cleveland to NYC to DC. In fact, according to AccuWeather, record highs were likely to happen in over 100 locations in the eastern US. Yet, strikingly, Texas got snow this same weekend.

Blips on the radar screens happen all the time, as do fronts coming in and out. But with wildfires in Australia, and earthquakes strike the already hurricane-damaged Puerto Rico, It feels like reason #7,542 as to why the climate deniers need to sit up and start paying attention to science!! It feels like it's all screaming climate change. Insert eco-rant here!!

So what's a girl supposed to do when it seems like the signs are all around??

For now, what I think I need to do is take a deep breath, before climate panic sets in! I'm going to pause. I'm going to go enjoy the day and take advantage of the gift of the unseasonably warm weather. Along the way, I'm going to embrace some climate optimism. I'm going to start here:

• From Eco-Business.com: "Got Eco Anxiety? Here Are 10 Reasons for Climate Optimism" by Robin Hicks (12-9-2019)
• Climate Reality Project's ""The 5 Stages of Climate Optimism" (1-4-2019)
• GTG's "Climate Optimism" (10-2-2019)

*It was Sunday, June 12th, 2020 when I was wrote this post.


Images from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezAZ5WVAOyI and my camera.

Happy 1st Day o'Spring

Ah, the first day o'Spring is upon us: March 20, 2019. Spring Equinox.

From this point on, days get longer than the night. Why? Because the sun is directly over the equator and will be shifting (due to our planetary tilt) so that the sun shines and aligns more directly over the Northern (versus Southern) Hemisphere. While this all happens, Fall descends on the Southern Hemisphere. Warmth is on the way for those of us north of the Equator.

And who knew: it happens on the same day as the "Super Worm Moon"--apparently, for the first time in 19 years! And... our last "super moon" of the year.

"According to National Geographic, on March 20, the Super Worm Moon will be 223,309 miles from Earth at 3:45 p.m. EST, making it especially close to the planet. Then, at 9:43 p.m. EST, the moon will reach its full phase and appear 14 percent larger and 12 percent brighter than usual."

What are you going to do to celebrate the start of spring?

-Plan an evening picnic?
-Go on a long walk?
-Stand an egg on its end?
-Look for signs of Spring?
-Plant something?
-Eat healthy?
-Renew your resolutions?
-Unplug and step away from your tech?
-Set your table with some flowers?
-Camp out on the patio with a good book?
-Plan ways to get in your 1000 Hours Outdoors for the year?
-Set your sights to the sky to see the Super Worm Moon?
-Night time moonlight hide and seek?
-Have an evening bonfire?
-Make plans to celebrate Earth Hour coming up? (March 30th, 8:30-9:30 pm in your time zone)

I'd love to hear what you choose to do. Whatever it is--enjoy the warm spring winds that are coming your way.


Images from https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/03/19/supermoon-spring-equinox-2019-why-moon-shine-brighter-first-spring-night/3209726002/ and  https://www.kidspeakdallas.com/events/first-day-of-spring-2019-semester