Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

Astronomy

2014 Geminid Meteor Shower

From the blood moon, to a partial solar eclipse, there have been a number of great things to see in the sky during 2014. The one disappointing thing about 2014 in terms of astronomy is that all of the annual meteor showers have so far been somewhat disappointing. However, that may be about to change. Even though the annual Geminid Meteor shower has already began as of December 4, 2014, it will peak from December 12-14, 2014, before ending on December 17, 2014.

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Perseid Meteor Shower, August 11-12, 2013

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Good news everyone! It's time to train our eyes upward and see if we can see the sons of Perseus streaking across the nighttime sky. That's right - I am talking about watching the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, which is occurring this weekend - August 11-12, 2013. According to the experts, the Perseid Meteor Shower is going to be one of the best - if not the best - meteor showers of 2013 as there will be no Moon in the nighttime sky this weekend. The Perseids are always a great meteor shower to watch, as they are one of the larger showers that have been observed from 36 A.D. onward, and the origin of the meteors is the Swift-Tuttle comet. Since there will be no Moon during the Perseids this year, many astronomers have estimated that during the peak time - from 10:00 p.m. on August 11, 2013 to 4:30 a.m. on August 12, 2013, skywatchers can expect to see 80-100 meteors scorch the sky per hour. If that isn't enough to get you outside to take a look, I don't know what is! (More information on observing the Perseids here, here, and here; and if you're interested in photographing the Perseids, click here). 

As always, you can rest assured that I will be outside watching the Perseids, because I love meteor showers. If you're interested in seeing a meteor shower for the first time, let me provide you with three handy tips: 1) Get outside. Cities provide a lot of light pollution, which makes it harder to see everything in the night sky, including the Perseids. 2) Be patient. While this might not be as important for a busy shower like the Perseids, it is applicable. Allow your eyes time to adjust to the dark; sit back; relax, and enjoy watching the universe move in inscrutable and beautiful ways. 3) Have fun! Bring food, drinks, and plenty of blankets and pillows to stay comfortable and warm. 

Interested in science? You might like this NASA app HERE; and about the dust passing through our atmosphere during the shower here.

 

 

 

2012 Geminid Meteor Shower, December 13-15th 2012

As I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the moon, you know that something is going on in the sky. This week, it’s the Geminid Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and visible this year - perhaps even more so than its predecessors, the Leonid and then Orionid Showers. In fact, according to all of my internet sources – the Geminid Meteor Shower may indeed be the best meteor shower of all of 2012! (Information here, here, here, and here).

The Geminid Meteor Shower will be peaking on the night of December 13, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 14, 2012. According to Earthsky.org, and various other sources, the best time to view the Geminids is from midnight to two (2) a.m., irrespective of where you are located. For a list of tips on how to view the Geminids, check out Earthsky’s page HERE. And, if you don’t feel like staying up late – or waking up early on Thursday night, the good news is that the shower will linger into the evening of Friday, December 14, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 15, 2012.

It’s worth noting that the shower should be particularly visible this year, as it coincides with a new moon, which will set well before the shower is at its peak time, so if you have clear skies and if you’re away from any sources of light pollution (city lights), you should be able to see quite a few meteors. As a general rule, the Geminid Shower is always my favorite meteor shower of the year, and since the world is ending just a week later, it is your last chance to view a meteor shower before whatever the Mayans did or did not predict happens! And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out this app here to record what meteors you can. Also, if you’re a hard science believer like me, here’s a solid list of reasons why 2012 isn’t real, and why I’ll be here blogging well after the world purportedly ends next week – but until then – keep your eye on the sky!

2012 Leonid Meteor Shower, November 16-17, 2012

As I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the moon, you know that something is going on in the sky. This weekend, its theLeonid Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and visible this year - perhaps even more so than its predecessor, the Orionid Meteor Shower.  In any case, the best time to view the shower - wherever you are in North America, will be anytime around 4:30 a.m. EST, November 17, 2012 (Saturday). You can be assured that I'll be out watching, and you should be too - should be a lot of fun. For those of us here on the West Coast, that means the best time to watch should be 1:30 a.m. PST. And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out this app here. More info: here, here, here, and here.

2012 Orionid Meteor Shower, 10/17/12-10/25/12

As I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the moon​, you know that something is going on in the sky. This weekend, its the Orionid Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and visible this year. It may have already caused a giant fireball that was visible in Northern California - or not. Perhaps that giant fireball was the work of batsquatch, lemurians, or just plain old 2012 apocalypse-time-hijinx. In any case, the best time to view the shower - wherever you are in North America, will be anytime after 11:00 p.m. PST, October 20, 2012 (Saturday) to dawn on October 21, 2012 (Sunday). You can rest assured that I'll be out watching, and you should be too - should be a lot of fun. And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out this app here. More info: here, here, and here.