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.mdpaths.com/travel/picket_wire_canyon/index.html 1780347870 On my trip west this year I made sure I had time to visit this unique area. The Dinosaur Tracks are located within and along side the Purgatoire River within the COmanche National Grassland. It is located 35 miles south of La Junta, CO off the lightly maintained County Road 25 (upper left in the map above). The last few miles are on a primitive forest service road that ends at the Withers Canyon Trailhead and Campground (four sites with fire grates and a pit toilet). https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/07_california/index.html 1781456595 While attending a family wedding I camped on my Brother's property in the Sierra Foothills. This turned out to be a hook-up place for Wild Turkeys in the area. About six Toms (males) appeared every day in pursuit of a few hens (who appeared to completely ignore their suitors 😉). Other birds included Hawks, Owls, and California Towhees. The area also supported a herd of deer and many wildflowers, including this Yellow Star Tulip (actually a type of lily). https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/06_longest_day/index.html 1781439290 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.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/10_arches/index.html 1781304248 We entered Arches National Park about 8am the next day. This was a great time for photographing the rock formations in the southern part of the park (near the entrance). Our plan was to take a leisurely drive north--exploring along the way--until we reached the Devil's Garden area. This is where the majority of the notable arches are. You might also like to view photos from My November 2024 Trip. https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/11_nine_mile_canyon/index.html 1781302616 We left Green River heading north to Wellington and the Petroglyph megasite known as Nine Mile Canyon. The backway road went over a small pass before descending into a beautiful flat-bottomed canyon. This is the best map I could find on the web. [source: National Scenic Byways Program] https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/04_crane_petroglyphs/index.html 1781272888 My target for this segment was inspired by a used book I came across while working at my local Friends of the Library Sinagua Sunwatchers by Kenneth Zoll. At first I had a bit of trouble finding the site online because the name has been changed very recently to better reflect its Native American origins. [The old name was V Bar V in reference to the now defunct ranch on the property.] https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/bwca/bwca_2008/index.html 1763054196 I learned to canoe in Northern Minnesota and the BWCA. I recently returned for a five day trip with an old friend. We went to the extreme northeast corner along the Canadian border. The lakes in this area are mostly long and narrow, running west to east between steep hills. The water clarity was remarkable. We saw bear, beaver, loon, eagle, osprey, and many smaller birds. Our route included the Royal River, which was beautiful and very different from the large lakes. Wild Rice was falling into our canoe as we passed. At one point we even had to pull over a Beaver Dam. https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/okefenokee/okefenokee_2024/index.html 1781268142 After doing the Green Trail to Bluff Lake and Round Top three years ago--this year we set out to retrace My First Trip in 2004 on the Red Trail and cut back via Floyds Island. My old friend Peter from Minnesota and youngest brother Bruce from Wisconsin joined me. https://richard.mdpaths.com/books/bookhouse/electrical_vehicles_1916/index.html 1762558920 I rescued this thick, encyclopedic volume from the trash. (Notice the page numbers are up to the 2800s!) These pages are from the chapter on Electric Vehicles. This illustration is so similar to a modern garage I was intrigued to consider what opportunities had been missed as we progressed to our petro-industry fueled present? https://richard.mdpaths.com/books/bookhouse/through_the_brazilian_wilderness_1914/index.html 1767619749 This book records an expedition lead by Teddy Roosevelt in 1913-14 after he was president! It has the most amazing cover... embossed, leather (I assume) with a Golden Anteater?! https://richard.mdpaths.com/nature/birds/eagle_family/index.html 1767984081 Sometimes you see something in nature that has a direct analog in the human world. I caught sight of this family of Bald Eagles on the Mississippi River--then I noticed a familiar pattern... https://richard.mdpaths.com/nature/plants/pitcher_plants_2017/index.html 1736093460 We decided to take a week-end trip to the Panhandle to see if we could find Pitcher Plants. We were not disappointed! Here I am standing along Highway 65 in the Apalachicola National Forest... https://richard.mdpaths.com/commentary/wilhoits_razor/index.html 1762155218 There is a quote from a few years ago that adds political framing I find useful. I propose using it as a test or razor (à la Occam) when evaluating political actions and legislation: https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/road_trip_2026/05_arizona/index.html 1779369232 I originally ventured into Arizona to visit the Crane Petroglyphs Site so I took in other sights as they appeared. The first of these was Montezuma Castle--a Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling site. https://richard.mdpaths.com/projects/wisdom_bot/index.html 1766168874 No regrets! Mastodon has been so much better! I decided to try my hand at creating an automated robot to post quotations alongside some of my photographs. And this is the result... https://richard.mdpaths.com/commentary/deception_obfuscation_misdirection/index.html 1769211602 Most are familiar with the concept of FUD--short for Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt. It summarizes a strategy often used in marketing and political propaganda. Its effects are pernicious, divisive and lead to exploitation. Examples abound. Fear is a strong motivator! To resist FUD one must understand how it is practiced using the principles of Deception, Obfuscation and Misdirection. https://richard.mdpaths.com/nature/birds/amelia_island/index.html 1450227631 I was the trailing spouse for a meeting on Amelia Island. I spent most of a morning taking these photos of the local birds--including some spectacular flying by a pair of Ospreys! Right at the limit of my equipment. https://richard.mdpaths.com/medicine/rfk_pasteurisation_controversy/index.html 1765545915 Consider the so-called War on Raw Milk. I was amazed to discover in my Grandfather's scrapbook an article from 1944 debating the benefits of unpasteurised (raw) milk. These are echoed today by the public health nihilist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. https://richard.mdpaths.com/camping/boats/kayak_camping_mods/index.html 1772051591 In 2018 I acquired a used Hobie Adventure Island sailing kayak. It came with trampolines that fit between the outriggers. As I learned the particulars of the craft it became obvious that getting out of the cockpit and sitting in/on the tramps wasn’t going to work for me. They also make it impossible to paddle the craft in any meaningful way. https://richard.mdpaths.com/nature/plants/cellon_oak/index.html 1748310321 The Cellon Oak Park is located three miles south of La Crosse off highway 121 in rural Alachua County. For years I’ve driven the highways nearby and never knew this gem was there. The tree is magnificent in person. Well worth a trip! https://richard.mdpaths.com/travel/bwca/bwca_2022/index.html 1762349749 This was a return to a familiar area with lots of options. Gaskin and Winchell are particularly nice lakes accessible from the Gunflint Trail. This area has also been burned by forest fires more than once in recent times.