by B.L. Unkel | Sep 21, 2024 | Everything Else
Astronomy doesn’t usually interest me, but . . . Full Moons By definition, a full moon is when the side of the moon facing the earth is completely lit by the sun. It occurs about every 29.5 days. There are just over twelve complete moon cycles each year....
by B.L. Unkel | Sep 7, 2024 | Everything Else
Now that we’ve moved into September, I can’t help but begin thinking about the coming fall and winter. (I’m looking for cooler weather. Wistful thinking, I know, but I can’t help it.) What’s winter going to be like this year? And are there any ways to know before it...
by B.L. Unkel | Aug 31, 2024 | Everything Else
Many things we consider staples in today’s world were discovered or invented by happy accidents. This toy is one of them. The Beginning In the early 1940s, Richard James, a naval engineer at a navy shipyard in Philadelphia, was trying to solve the problem of...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 16, 2023 | Everything Else
What do Christmas, Druids, a Norse god, and bird droppings have in common? Mistletoe, of course! The Plant Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that grows in large spherical clumps on a wide variety of hosts—trees and shrubs. Some mistletoe clumps can get as...
by B.L. Unkel | Aug 19, 2023 | Everything Else
For almost three weeks,Texas has baked in 100+ degree heat. So, it’s not surprising water, in the form of rain, is on everyone’s mind. (Many of us haven’t seen rain in more than double that time.) Chemical Makeup Water is essential in the world. It’s...