https://mdpaths.com/rrr/ Welcome! You've reached the feed for the online journal of Richard Rathe. BLIS (BLog It Simple) v0.1 https://mdpaths.com/rrr/blis_media/richard-rathe.jpg https://mdpaths.com/rrr/ https://richard.rathe.org/travel/everglades/everglades_2026/index.html 1782700613 This was my 30th trip to the Everglades--different from all the others in several respects. First I was trying out new equipment (a sit-inside folding kayak). Second, I planned to just camp on a desert island, read, and take it easy. Third, I left from the Smallwood Store on Chokoloskee Island because the actual Ranger Station was closed for long-awaited hurricane repairs. I was also alone as there were no takers to join me this year. https://richard.rathe.org/nature/little_lake_journal/index.html 1791362262 We have a small herd of White-Tailed Deer in our neighborhood. They usually give birth to the new fawns in the spring. That's why I was surprised to encounter this newcomer in October. We started having a piebald individual every year. This is the fourth or fifth I've counted. Less obvious color pattern than the others. None have survived more than a year to my knowledge. 🙁 https://richard.rathe.org/books/bookhouse/trail_cooking_tips_1971/index.html 1791151583 This little book brings back memories of reading the Sunday newspaper when I was a teen. There would always be a non-humorous cartoon by and about the fictional Mark Trail promoting life outdoors. These cartoons often depicted humans and wild animals in close proximity. This book of camp cooking tips borders on the whimsical. https://richard.rathe.org/commentary/trump_march_of_folly/index.html 1791149112 I've reworked these extended quotations from The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman (1986) for today's wannabe King Trump. In a few pages she describes the bad policies and attitudes of the French King Louis XIV. I was struck by the deep parallels with the policies and attitudes of the current administration and the flock of Lickspittle Poltroons that compose the current GOP. Tuchman's words speak to greater truths. My words are my own and speak for more immediate truths in desperate times. https://richard.rathe.org/camping/hammocks/becket_hitch/index.html 1791123142 It has taken me a couple of years to fully understand this knot. The Becket Hitch provides a strong but temporary way to tie a rope or webbing onto a fixed loop (such as a hammock). It is basically a slipped version of the venerable Sheet Bend (shown below). https://richard.rathe.org/commentary/america_at_250/index.html 1790827859 I put out my American Flag today. 🇺🇸 I only fly the flag on special days and this is one of them. Thinking about what makes this day special is what gives the act meaning. One cannot be patriotic every day, but that's not required. We need days like this to think hard about history (those actions and actors who mattered), the present (our current situation and how it differs from what it should be), and the future (the history we might make during the time remaining to us). https://richard.rathe.org/travel/road_trip_2026/08_eastward_bound/index.html 1782132209 My original plan was to find a BLM campground in the Sierra Foothills and have an easy first night. This became untenable due to a Pacific storm blowing in that would deposit snow on Donner Pass. So the plan became a quick up and over the pass and on into northern Nevada. We drove until we could leave the I-70 and got a motel in Fallon. https://richard.rathe.org/camping/hammocks/bridge_hammock/index.html 1790793219 I recently bought a Ridgerunner Hammock from Warbonnet Outdoors. These are my first impressions. I'd been aware of this type of hammock for a few years and I was curious about them. Online descriptions and 2D photos don't really help much. This design makes much more sense when you actually lie in one. https://richard.rathe.org/commentary/protest/mayday_anti_trump_protest/index.html 1746083460 May 1, 2025 https://richard.rathe.org/books/bookhouse/puerto_rico_radiation_experiments_1970/index.html 1767541767 Turns out I had volume two of a three part report on a decade of radiation research done in a national forest. There is an official Fact Sheet for this program which reads in part... https://richard.rathe.org/books/bookhouse/telegraph_codes_1914/index.html 1767541849 Back in the days when long distance telephone calls were very expensive, families had various ring codes to let their loved ones know that they got there safe but avoided paying for an actual call. Ours was to let it ring twice and hang up (if I remember correctly). https://richard.rathe.org/travel/road_trip_2026/06_longest_day/index.html 1784814156 I planned to stay overnight in Flagstaff, AZ so I could visit the Lowell Observatory in the evening. Apparently they give tours during daylight hours and then setup smaller telescopes to view whatever's happening in the sky that night. Alas, dark clouds moved in and there was precip predicted for the early evening. So I went to bed early... https://richard.rathe.org/camping/boats/inflatable_kayak_review/index.html 1762297064 I’ve used a “traditional” inflatable kayak for several years, mostly in special situations such as houseboat camping or floating down rivers. They can be very practical and lots of fun in these settings. They are bouncy and sit high in the water, more like life-rafts than kayaks. The one thing they are NOT good for is a windy day on open water! So I was intrigued when I read about newer designs that approximate the capabilities of hard-sided kayaks. Advanced Elements produces several models including the Expedition Elite reviewed here. https://richard.rathe.org/camping/hammocks/my_first_hammock_tent/index.html 1781787188 I went out last night to get some experience pitching and sleeping in my new hammock tent. It came with no instructions and there is only limited info available online. I’m getting better using a bit more tension and added a small relieving line to the fly so it can hang along the side (keeping the netting clear for viewing the trees and stars!). In future I’ll keep it rolled so it stays off the ground. I paddled in the dark to a place I’d picked out. Once you find two trees the rest is pretty easy. In fact, it’s trip-over-a-log easy compared with a surface tent! Plus everything stays dry! https://richard.rathe.org/projects/fire_ecology/index.html 1767792792 Fire is a necessary feature of many ecosystems. It helps clear out old growth and often prevents dominance by one or more climax species. Some plants even specialize to exploit the ecological opportunities created by fire. This simulator attempts to capture some of these dynamics. https://richard.rathe.org/books/edward_tufte/index.html 1595146260 Just back from attending this short course by the master of intelligent design himself Edward Tufte. It was well worth the time and effort! I'd recommend it to anyone who prepares or presents information with a computer (ie, just about everyone!). His insights are numerous and often challenge conventional wisdom. His bottom line is to enhance communication by increasing the dimensionality and resolution of data. The course included copies of all four of his major books, highlighting the most recent, Beautiful Evidence. The photo shows his discussion of Powerpoint's role in the Columbia disaster, which I reviewed in 2005 and is included in Beautiful Evidence. https://richard.rathe.org/travel/china_2012/index.html 1767621130 A concise collection of photos from our 2012 trip to China. Including the Li River Valley, Terraced Mountain Rice Fields, Many Museums, Taoist Temples, Buddhist Temples, The Terra Cotta Army, Pandas, Shanghai, The Great Wall, and Beijing. https://richard.rathe.org/travel/canyonlands/the_maze_2019/index.html 1560652848 It would be hard to top our 4WD/bike trip to the White Rim in Canyonlands last year, but entering the isolated subunit called The Maze was a strong contender! This immense National Park is divided into three major areas that are completely isolated from each other. The Maze lies mostly on the western side of the Green River with the southern-most Dollhouse area just below the confluence with the Colorado. As we did last year, we stopped at Fisher Towers and Moab along the way (see photo gallery below). https://richard.rathe.org/travel/iowa/pikes_peak_2025/index.html 1760549255 Pikes Peak is a state park in Clayton County, Iowa, United States, featuring a 500-foot (150 m) bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River opposite the confluence of the Wisconsin River... The Iowa incarnation of Pikes Peak, a particularly high point overlooking the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, and like Pikes Peak in Colorado, is named for Zebulon Pike. Pike visited the area in 1805 during his first expedition. [wikipedia] https://richard.rathe.org/history/duluth_ferry_bridge_1905/index.html 1781268569 The northern city of Duluth Minnesota is famous for its Lift Bridge connecting the Canal Park area with the long sandy beach of Minnesota Point. However, the current bridge was not the first. The original structure was a more exotic Ferry Bridge. There are only a few examples left in the world. I found these images in a digitised book from that time. https://richard.rathe.org/travel/hall_creek_2021/index.html 1770524580 I went for a quick solo kayak trip to Hall Creek near Cedar Key (putting in at the #4 Bridge off of Highway 24). I last visited this area in 2012 with a friend. The first mile or so is very shallow and I made a few mistakes on my way to Live Oak Key, where there is a narrow channel through the oyster beds. Surprisingly the old oak tree on the point is still alive! [compare with 2012]