Recent Read: Man Without a Face by Isabelle Holland

One of Tom's favorite books is called "Man Without a Face," by Isabelle Holland. I recently read it and enjoyed it. YOU should read this classic, too. Today's blog gives you some of my insight into the book, and my reaction to the book. 

SIDE NOTE: Tom read this book as a kid, and has kept the book with him since the 1970s. He recently told me it was one of his favorites (he's kept it hidden on his bookshelf for the 20 years we've been together... funny how it takes so long to find things out about each other!). 

MY TAKE ON:  "Man Without a Face,"by Isabelle Holland 

It was a very good book! It's about how a 14 year old boy (Chuck) from a totally screwed up family: 1) A mother who has had 3 husbands and working on number 4. 2) An older sister who is an egotistical ass and a spoiled momma's girl. And 3) A younger sister that Chuck tries to work with, who makes a suggestion to Chuck to get tutoring to pass a test to get in a school. The man that tutors Chuck has a past and deep physical scars from an accident and is ignored by the town. In the book, Chuck finds himself through the "Man without a face" and Chuck realizes things about himself, and finally experiences feelings he didn't think he had. READ IT! -

WARNING - DO NOT waste your time seeing the film of the same name made by Mel Gibson. That right wing idiot removed some deep themes between Chuck and the Man Without a Face, and the movie ruined the main theme of the story.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Charles didn't know much about life ... until he met The Man Without a FaceI'd never had a friend, and he was my friend; I'd never really, except for a shadowy memory, had a father, and he was my father. I'd never known an adult I could communicate with or trust, and I communicated with him all the time, whether I was actually talking to him or not. And I trusted him ......Fourteen-year-old Charles desperately wants two things: a father and a way out. Little love has come his way until the summer he befriends a mysterious scarred man named Justin McLeod, nicknamed The Man Without a Face. Charles enlists McLeod's help as tutor for the St. Matthew's school entrance exams, his ticket away from the unpleasant restrictions of his home life. 

But more important than anything he could get out of a book, that summer Charles learns from McLeod a stirring life lesson about the many faces of love.'

REVIEWS

• Not much affection had come Charles's way until the summer he was fourteen, when he met McLeod [a man whose face was deeply scarred] and learned that love has many facets.' --BL. 
• 'A highly moral book, powerfully and sensitively written; a book that never loses sight of the human. --H. 
• 1972 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)Best of the Best Books (YA) 1970-1983 (ALA)Outstanding Children's Books of 1972 (NYT)   

Found: An Ancient Egyptian Dog Sculpture With Moveable Mouth

 I was pleased to learn Ancient Egyptians loved their dogs as well as their cats. Recently there was a discovery of a small, movable dog sculpture carved from ivory, that was made in Egypt around 1390 to 1352 B.C. Today's blog is about that finding and how ancient Egyptians revered their canine children!

(Photo: Howard Carter discovered this carved ivory dog in a New Kingdom tomb in Egypt. (Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain))

Mechanical Dog: A 'good boy' from ancient Egypt that has a red tongue and 'barks'

LIVE SCIENCE published March 17, 2025 

A small, carved dog epitomizes ancient Egyptians' love of pets. 

What it tells us about the past:

Posed as if leaping through the air, this carved ivory dog opens its mouth as a lever is pushed up and down, revealing two lower teeth and a red tongue. The dog, which was discovered in an ancient Egyptian tomb, is a reminder that these domesticated canines have been beloved pets for at least 3,400 years.

The small dog sculpture, now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is made from elephant ivory. It is 7.2 inches (18.2 centimeters) long from nose to toes and shows the very good boy in a flying gallop, legs extended in the air. According to The Met, the lever that works the dog's lower jaw, making it appear to bark, was originally held on by a piece of leather cord looped through small holes. At some point, the cord was replaced with a metal dowel secured in the dog's shoulder.

The Met obtained the dog sculpture from the personal collection of Howard Carter, the Egyptologist who famously discovered King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. It is unclear exactly where the dog was found, but The Met suggests it may have been placed in an elite tomb sometime during the reign of Amenhotep III, King Tut's grandfather, in the 14th century B.C. But its purpose is unclear; it may have been a toy or a magical ceremonial object.

Ancient Egyptians were quite fond of their dogs. While some were used for hunting, shepherding or as watchdogs, many were pets. This sculpture definitely represents a domesticated dog because the incised lines around its neck form a collar, Met curator emerita Catharine Roehrig wrote in a publication of the artifact.

During Egypt's New Kingdom (1550 to 1070 B.C.), dog collars became increasingly ornate, often inscribed with the dog's name, such as those found in the Tomb of Maiherpri. This dog sculpture does not have a name attached to its collar, but The Met notes that some common Egyptian dog names translate to Blackie, Son of the Moon and Good-for-Nothing.

The breed of this sculpted dog is also unclear. Ancient Egyptians tended to prefer energetic dog breeds, and the ones often represented in their art include the ancestors of the hunting dog basenji, the Ibizan hound and the pharaoh hound.

Dogs were also linked with the god Anubis and with the afterlife in Egyptian mythology; they were sometimes seen as a kind of intermediary between the worlds of the living and the dead. Killing a dog — particularly a collared one — was a severe crime, and a family would have mourned the death of their dog as they would a human relative: by shaving their eyebrows. However, Egyptians believed that they would meet their dogs again in the afterlife, which is likely the reason they mummified them and buried them in special pet cemeteries.

Fun! People in Inflatable T-Rex costumes Race in Japan

On March 22, 2025, about 60 people dressed as Tyrannosaurus Rexes participated in a race at Funabashi Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan! They wore inflatable Tyrannosaurus costumes. This year it was held at a ski resort, but since there's no story about it, Today's blog shares the 2023 story about that crazy race.

(Photo: People in colorful Tyrannosaurus costumes dash in a fierce competition for the top spot in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami))

Dino-mite dash! 60 people in T-rex costumes race at east Japan park

FUTTSU, Chiba -- Some 60 people in colorful Tyrannosaurus costumes recently gathered in this eastern Japan city to race against the clock, drawing cheers from spectators braving a cold northerly wind.

The "Tyrannosaurus Race," an event in which participants from in and out of Chiba Prefecture in dinosaur costumes vied for the best times, was held at Chiba Prefectural Futtsu Park on Jan. 29.

The race is said to have originated in the United States, and the only rule is that runners wear a dinosaur costume that can be purchased online. The park held the event for the first time to relieve people's stress amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic while enlivening the local community.

(Photo: Families welcome participants in dinosaur costumes after a "Tyrannosaurus Race" in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami)) 

Participants were divided into three divisions: juvenile dinosaurs (elementary school students and younger), adult female dinosaurs (junior high school students and older) and adult male dinosaurs. Some ran with unique names such as "Futtsu-saurus" and "Macho-saurus." Some of the runners stumbled in the middle of the race and fell down, and the competition for the top position was fierce, with cheering and applause from family members who came to support the runners.

The director of the park's management office said, "The race has become popular on video-sharing websites, and we held this event for the first time in the prefecture. We hope to continue it in the future."

(photo: Participants run as fast as they can in their Tyrannosaurus costumes in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami))

(Japanese original by Shigeharu Asami, Kisarazu Local Bureau)

Boston's Infamous Gardner Museum heist, 35 years later

 Back in 1990, valuable paintings were stolen from Bsoton's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and they have never been found. Today's blog is from the Boston Globe and provides a background into the investigation. This is a fascinating article!  Many of the suspects are now dead... 

PHOTO: Empty frames from which thieves took "Storm on the Sea of Galilee," left rear, by Rembrandt and "The Concert," right foreground, by Vermeer. Josh Reyndolds / AP 

What to know about the Gardner Museum heist, 35 years later

“We know what a special place they hold in our society, and we are very eager to get them back.” 

Gardner Museum Art Heist Mystery

   Dialynn Dwyer, March 18, 2025, Boston Com

Thirty-five years ago, the world’s largest art heist took place when 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

Decades later, the theft of the works, worth $500 million, remains unsolved. The thieves made off with several Rembrandt paintings, including the artist’s only seascape, Vermeer’s “The Concert,” Manet’s “Chez Tortoni,” and five Degas sketches, among other works.

The museum continues to offer a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen art, while the empty frames remain hanging in the institution as a reminder of their absence and “as symbols of hope awaiting their return.”

Below, a refresher on what to know about the infamous heist as authorities continue to search for the stolen artwork.

PHOTO: An undated photo of “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” by Rembrandt, one of more than a dozen works of art stolen by burglars in the early hours of March 18, 1990. – Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum / AP

What happened during the museum heist?

As revelers continued their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around Boston during the early hours of March 18, 1990, a vehicle pulled up near the side entrance of the Gardner, according to the museum. Two men dressed in police uniforms pushed the museum’s buzzer, claiming they were responding to a disturbance and requesting entrance.

They were let in by a guard. Then the men posing as officers handcuffed the guard who let them in, as well as a second security officer, tying them up in the basement.

Motion detectors recorded the thieves’ movements, according to the museum. Six works were taken from the museum’s Dutch Room, six removed from the Short Gallery, and one work — Manet’s “Chez Tortoni” — was taken from the Blue Room.

Some of the paintings were cut from their frames.

The thieves left the museum at 2:45 a.m., 81 minutes after they arrived, making two separate trips to their car with the artwork:

• “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” by Rembrandt
• “A Lady and Gentleman in Black” by Rembrandt
• “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by Rembrandt
• “The Concert” by Vermeer
• “Landscape with an Obelisk” by Govaert Flinck
• “Chez Tortoni” by Manet
• “Leaving the Paddock” by Degas
• “Procession on a Road near Florence” by Degas
• “Three Mounted Jockeys” by Degas
• “Study for the Programme” by Degas “Study for the Programme” by Degas
• A gilded bronze eagle finial from the top of a Napoleonic flag
• A Chinese gu vase

The guards remained handcuffed until police arrived at the museum at 8:15 a.m., the start of an investigation into the heist that continues to this day.

Now-retired lead investigator has a theory for who’s responsible

Geoffrey Kelly stands next to a replica of “The Concert,” by Johannes Vermeer, which was given to him by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on his retirement in 2024. – David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe Since the heist, theories about who was responsible and where the artwork ended up have abounded. Books, podcasts, and documentaries have delved into the mystery.

Retired FBI agent Geoffrey Kelly, who led the investigation into the thefts for more than two decades, recently told The Boston Globe he suspects the initial plan for the heist was to make quick money stealing the Rembrandts.

“Then they wake up on March 19 to realize that they’ve committed the heist of the century,” he told the newspaper.

Kelly said his theory is Carmello Merlino, a mob associate who ran a repair shop in Dorchester, likely sent George Reissfelder — a petty thief — and Leonard DiMuzio — who had been implicated in home invasions — into the museum to steal the paintings, according to the Globe.

While the guard who let the thieves into the museum, Rick Abath, maintained he had nothing to do with the heist until he died in 2024, Kelly told the Globe he believes Abath was involved.

Reissfelder’s relatives reportedly told authorities a painting of a man in a top hat — similar to the stolen “Chez Tortoni” — was on the wall in the man’s apartment after the heist, according to the Globe. The artwork was gone by the time the 51-year-old was found dead of an intravenous overdose in March 1991, in what Kelly told the newspaper he considered a “suspicious death.”

Two weeks later, DiMuzio disappeared; his body was found in June 1991 in the trunk of a car in East Boston, according to the Globe.

Kelly told the newspaper he believes the two men were killed “for the paintings or to keep them quiet.”

Merlino, on whom the FBI focused as part of the investigation, was arrested in 1991 as part of a sting operation and convicted on charges of attempting to rob an armored car depot, according to the Globe. He died in prison in 2005.

According to the Globe, two other mob associates, James Marks and Robert Donati, were linked to the heist over the years.

Both men met untimely deaths.

Marks was shot to death outside his home in 1991, and Donati was stabbed outside his own residence later the same year, according to the Globe.

Kelly told the newspaper all the deaths within 18 months of the heist had “a chilling effect” on the investigation.

According to the Globe, investigators believe some of the artwork ended up first with another man with mob ties, Robert Guarente, and then with Connecticut mobster Robert “The Cook” Gentile.”

A search of Gentile’s home in 2013 resulted in his conviction for illegally selling prescription drugs and possessing guns, silencers, and ammunition. The search also turned up a handwritten list of the stolen Gardner paintings and their estimated worth, along with a newspaper article about the museum heist a day after it happened.

Gentile, who died in 2021, denied ever having anything to do with the paintings.

Kelly told the Globe that over the years, investigators have doggedly pursued leads across the country and overseas. But, he noted, stolen artwork is usually not found again until generations have passed.

“Someone is going to be looking in an attic and find these pieces,” he said. “There’s always hope.”

PHOTO: Museum staff rehang the empty frame for Rembrandt’s stolen seascape after it underwent restoration. – John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe

What authorities are saying on the heist’s 35th anniversary

In a statement marking the 35th anniversary of the thefts, FBI Boston’s Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen said the agency remains focused on recovering the stolen artwork and returning them to their “rightful places at the museum.”

“We know what a special place they hold in our society, and we are very eager to get them back,” she said. “The FBI’s investigation continues to be very active, and all leads are thoroughly vetted and run to ground.”

Investigators are still asking for the public’s help locating the artwork and asked that given how much time has passed, people refamiliarize themselves with what the stolen pieces look like.

The missing 13 works could be anywhere in the world, though the FBI said it believes the artwork was separated after the theft, with some moved along the Eastern seaboard through the Mid-Atlantic region down south.

“Anyone with information about the location of the stolen art is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), the museum, or a third party if you wish to remain anonymous,” the FBI said. “Tips can also be submitted at tips.fbi.gov.”

In a post on Facebook Tuesday, the Gardner Museum staff wrote they “remain hopeful that these stolen masterpieces will one day return.”

The museum is undertaking a multi-year restoration of the Dutch Room, where six of the works were displayed. “However, the Dutch Room can never be fully restored until the missing works are returned to their rightful home, displayed for everyone to enjoy as Isabella intended,” the museum wrote.

NEW Podcast!! Afraid of Nothing discusses "Afraid of Haunting of Emery Estate"

 Brand NEW Podcast!! Afraid of Nothing discusses "Afraid of Haunting of Emery Estate" with Drag Paranormal Investigator Monique Toosoon and Rob Gutro about their crazy 5-hour investigation in a haunted mansion in Massachusetts. They encountered 3 ghosts and one with a chilling personality...

LISTEN:

https://www.afraidofnothingpodcast.com/afraid-of-haunting-of-emery-estate/

Tragic Idiots of the Week: 2 Men Caught Deadly Infections Using Bat Poop for Weed

This week's idiots are a tragic pair. They decided to use guano, known as bat poop, to fertlize their homegrown Marijuana plants without knowing the danger of using it. Oddly, it's sold online as a fertilizer. Both men died from a rare fungal lung infection called histoplasmosis. What they apparently didn't realize is that there are severe dangers of using bat guano as fertilizer. 

ABOUT BAT GUANO - According to Planet Natural. Com, Bat guano, in particular, is highly sought after as it is believed to be superior to other types of guano. The bats’ diet of insects and small creatures results in guano that is exceptionally rich in nutrients. Moreover, it is a sustainable resource, as bats produce it continuously. However, while guano is beneficial for plants, it can pose a risk to humans and pets if not handled properly. It can harbor disease-causing fungi and bacteria.

Diagnostic dilemma: Growing weed with bat poop left 2 men with deadly infections

By Emily Cooke Live Science, March 12, 2025

Using bat poop to fertilize plants like cannabis can sometimes have deadly consequences. A report highlights two fatal cases that affected men in New York.

Two men in New York developed a severe fungal infection as a result of their efforts to grow their own bat-poop-fertilized cannabis.

The patients: A 59-year-old man (patient one) and a 64-year-old man (patient two) in Rochester, New York

The symptoms: Patient one was initially admitted to the hospital for respiratory failure after experiencing various symptoms, including a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and extensive weight loss for about six weeks. At the hospital, doctors ordered a computed tomography (CT) scan of the patient's neck, which revealed that he had mucus clogging his upper voice box and right-side vocal cord.

Patient two, meanwhile, was initially hospitalized for having low salt levels in his blood, which caused tissue swelling. His teeth were also in poor condition, which made it harder for him to eat or drink, leading to weight loss, and he had a chronic cough.

What happened next: When he was admitted to hospital, patient one seemed to be wasting away and had signs of bacterial blood poisoning. An additional CT scan, this time of his chest, showed that he had a buildup of fluid in his lungs. Doctors treated him with antibiotics and briefly put him on ventilation to support his breathing. The medical team later identified traces of fungi in the patient's urine and in coughed-up mucus from his respiratory tract.

In the hospital, patient two had a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). A CT scan revealed multiple lesions in his chest and abdomen. In addition, traces of fungi were detected in his urine.

The diagnosis: Both patients — who were not affiliated in any way but were from the same area — were diagnosed with a rare fungal lung infection called histoplasmosis.

This condition occurs when people inhale spores of a harmful fungus named Histoplasma capsulatum, which usually grows in soil and the poop of birds and bats. Approximately 1 to 2 people per 100,000 in the United States are infected with histoplasmosis each year. However, most people exposed to the fungus don't develop any symptoms. Symptoms are more likely to emerge in people with lung conditions or weakened immune systems, compared to the general population.

In these two cases, the patients' symptoms may have been exacerbated by other diseases that they had before they developed histoplasmosis. For example, patient one had emphysema, a common type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in which air sacs in the lungs are damaged, which constrains breathing.

The treatment: Following their diagnoses, the patients were prescribed antifungal drugs to combat their infections. However, despite this treatment, both died. Between 5% and 7% of patients who are hospitalized with histoplasmosis die of their infection.

What makes the case unique: Both patients in these cases were already using or planning to use bat poop as fertilizer to grow cannabis for personal use. Patient one had ordered bat poop — or guano — online, while patient two intended to use guano he'd found in his attic following a bat infestation.

In a report describing the cases, doctors noted that various online sources claim that bat guano is a "natural superfood" for cannabis plants because it contains lots of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Meanwhile, numerous U.S. states have recently legalized the recreational use of cannabis — including Arizona in 2020, New York in 2022 and Ohio in 2023 — which may be encouraging more people to grow their own cannabis, the report authors noted.

The dangers of using bat guano as fertilizer aren't unique to cannabis — the product would be risky for any gardening, the authors emphasized. But given guano is being marketed for cannabis specifically, there is a need to raise public awareness around the potential risks associated with using the poop in this way, they warned.

Hero of the week: Zen the Border collie teaches other dogs how to rescue people

 This week's hero is a Border Collie named Zen who teaches other dogs in Italy how to rescue people from avalanches!

(Photo:  Zen, an avalanche Border Collie, attends a training with the Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps in Col Gallina, near Cortina D’Ampezzo, northern Italy, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno))

Zen the Border collie teaches other dogs how to rescue people in Italy’s avalanche-prone Dolomites

By COLLEEN BARRY and ANDREA ROSA , Associated Press, April 7, 2025

Zen, a 5-year-old Border collie, circled friskily around a mound of snow as he picked up a scent, his quick movements signaling to his handler that someone was buried deep below.

Zen has been a rescue dog for three years, and on this day, he was setting an example for 20 others dogs being certified for avalanche rescue in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, whose breathtaking jagged peaks have long enchanted writers, painters and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

The role of dogs in Italian alpine rescues is becoming more important as the number of people caught by avalanches increases — up by 50% over the past 25 years.

Climate change has made heavy, wet snow more common in mid-elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters (5,000-8,000 feet) where most excursionists venture, which makes avalanche survival less likely by compressing air pockets that would allow a trapped alpine or off-piste skier to breathe.

A trained avalanche rescue dog’s nose can locate someone buried deep in the snow more accurately than any transponder, making their role fundamental in reaching victims “in the shortest possible time,’' said Adriano Favre, who ran the canine training camp in the mountains above Cortina D’Ampezzo, a chic ski resort and a venue of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

After picking up the scent, Zen energetically emerged with a sign of life — a rope tug toy — from the manmade snow den masquerading, for the purposes of the training exercise, as an avalanche. Shortly after, his handler digs a volunteer victim out of the snow, and showers Zen with praise and affection.

“All of our dogs need to have an intense relationship with the handler. If not, we can’t read what he is trying to tell us,’’ said Zen’s handler, Paolo Sbisa, who has raised him from puppyhood. “Once the relationship is built, they will do anything to make us happy.’’

Dogs sniff out avalanche survivors, and bodies

Nine days earlier, on a nearby pass just 3 miles (two kilometers) away as the crow flies, Zen’s mission was deadly serious.

Three backcountry skiers were buried by an avalanche on Giau Pass at 2,300 meters — normally a route for beginners amid scenic rugged rockfaces near a mountain road that turned deadly the day after a heavy snowfall.

Zen and his handler were on the first helicopter leaving base 10 minutes away. By the time they arrived, witnesses had pulled a 51-year-old man from the snow. Rescuers located the second victim with a transponder, a 38-year-old man buried 2 meters (6 feet) deep.

Zen’s nose was key to locating the third skier, a 40-year-old woman buried in 3 to 4 meters (9 to 12 feet) of snow — deeper than the usual, according to Sbisa, making the role of a rescue dog critical in determining where to dig.

Despite their efforts, both she and the second victim died — revealing a disheartening truth: If you need a dog to find you, it’s probably too late. For this reason, Sbisa and other rescuers say it is critical for backcountry excursionists to have and know how to use transponders, foldable probes and shovels, as the best chance of survival is self-rescue by companions or witnesses. Dogs, more often than not, locate bodies.

“If something goes wrong though, the only weapon Alpine rescuers have to search is dogs,” Sbisa said. “We have no other chance.″

Italian avalanches rise 50% in 25 years

Avalanches involving people who need rescue in Italy have doubled since the turn of the century from a rolling average of 30 a year to 60, according to the AINEVA snow and avalanche monitoring service. During the same period, the number of excursionists struck on average also increased significantly, from 65 a year to 110 a year, based on rolling averages.

The Kents TPB (DC Comics) (about Clark Kent's adopted family ancestors)

As a Superman fan, and a fan of westerns, I had to pick up the Trade Paperback of "The Kents." It's about the history of Clark Kent's adopted father's family history going back to the 1850s, detailing how they got to Kansas. I read three chapters (of the 12) into it, but although I loved the story, the book was narrated by a "diary" and the "diary" sections were in 2 or 3 point typeface, making them almost impossible to read... so sadly, I had to give up and flip through the rest of it. Looks like a great story, but the editor should have been more mindful of the size of the type. (If you can read type that small, go for it!)  Today's blog is about the story: 

ABOUT THE STORY (In my words):  It explores how the Kent family, Clark Kent's adopted family, came from the east coast to Kansas in the 1850s, and how they were abolitionists who met with harsh and violent opposition for their views on equality.

  The book also has very brief cameo appearances from ScalpHunter and Jonah Hex. Wild Bill Hickok is featured in much of the story as he befriends the Elder Kent's son.

ABOUT THE BOOK:  This Superman - "The Kents" trade paperback is published by DC Comics. This collects comic book issues number 1 through 12, the whole series of the Kents that was printed in the late 1990s. The book features the work of renowned writer John Ostrander.

Mount Washington, NH: Home to 'the world's worst weather' with record wind speeds of 231 mph

Today's blog is a look at a regional feature- the highest mountain in the east, and a weather station sits at its peak. I've driven to the top of Mt. Washington and wouldn't recommend it for those of us scared of heights as it's a narrow, winding road that I thought was a 1 way (it wasn't). The second time, I took the better option to the peak: The Cog Railway. - I remember going in June when the temperature at the bottom was 75F, but the temperature at the peak was below freezing! * At the end is a link to a video from March 11, 2025 about an Avalanche that happened there and a skiier trying to get out of the way.

Here's the story about Mount Washington! 

(Photo: Mount Washington. Credit: WGME-TV) 

Mount Washington: Home to 'the world's worst weather' with record wind speeds of 231 mph

LIVESCIENCE By Sascha Pare March 13, 2025

Mount Washington is a prominent mountain in New Hampshire, known for its dramatic weather and conditions that are extremely dangerous for hikers and climbers.

QUICK FACTS 

Name: Mount Washington Location: New Hampshire Coordinates: 44.270631129317565, -71.30324713195401

Why it's incredible: The mountain has some of the wildest weather on Earth.

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast. The mountain is famous for attracting extreme weather, with winds that exceed the force of a hurricane more than 100 days per year.

The mountain is home to "the world's worst weather" for three main reasons.

Firstly, at 6,288 feet (1,917 meters) tall, it is the highest mountain in New England. Winds pick up speed when they can blow unobstructed, and the mountain is directly exposed to winds from the west that travel for hundreds of miles without obstruction. The closest mountains of a similar height to Mount Washington along this westerly windpath are the Black Hills of South Dakota about 1,600 miles (2,500 kilometers) away, according to the Mount Washington Observatory.

(Peak of Mt. Washington. Credit: https://ilovenorthconway.com)

Not only do these winds hit Mount Washington at full speed but they are also siphoned toward the peak by the surrounding landscape. The mountains to the west of Mount Washington form a 75-mile-wide (120 km) funnel that channels westerly winds toward the mountain, accelerating already-fast winds until they reach breakneck speeds, according to the observatory.

Finally, Mount Washington sits on the confluence of three major storm tracks. Storms hit the summit every three days on average in the winter, bringing high winds and huge amounts of precipitation, according to the observatory. Record levels of precipitation for Mount Washington were measured in 1969, when 4.1 feet (1.3 m) of snow fell within 24 hours.

As a result of its unique position, Mount Washington is a contender for the world's fastest recorded wind speed. On "calm" summer days, instruments on Mount Washington's summit record wind speeds of 40 mph (65 km/h). But when storms roll in, these winds can whip up gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h).

(Mount Washington Observatory . Credit: MWO)

On April 12, 1934, instruments at the summit measured a record wind speed of 231 mph (372 km/h), which is equivalent to wind speeds inside a level-5 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Such winds have the power to level well-constructed buildings, blow away structures with weak foundations and throw cars over large distances. The record still stands today as the second-fastest natural wind gust ever recorded, with the fastest occurring on Barrow Island in Australia on April 10, 1996 and reaching speeds of 253 mph (407 km/h).

Even wind speeds of 100 mph can rip huge chunks of ice off the mountain and the Mount Washington Observatory building at the summit, which poses a severe risk for hikers and climbers in the winter. The observatory has bulletproof windows to mitigate the risk of one of these chunks smashing into the building, according to its website.

As well as flying ice, people climbing Mount Washington in the winter are faced with the risk of avalanches, hypothermia and frostbite. Temperatures on the mountain average 27.1 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 2.7 degrees Celsius), which can create extreme wind chill conditions, according to New Hampshire State Parks.

Several rescue teams monitor Mount Washington, and volunteers regularly save the lives of hikers who get lost or caught out by changing weather conditions.

VIDEO OF THE MT WASHINGTON AVALANCHE March 11, 2025

A video of yesterday's avalanche in Tuckerman's Ravine captured by the webcam stationed at the summit of Wildcat Mountain. At the beginning of the video in the top left corner, the snowboarder can be seen beginning to drop into the bowl. After the camera zooms in, the snowboarder can be seen outrunning the avalanche. Luckily, no one involved was injured.

A big appreciation to Tuckerman Brewing Company and Gordini for making capturing moments like these via live webcam possible!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ka2ec5DLw/ 

Discovery: 128 new moons discovered orbiting Saturn!

Today's blog is about an amazing discovery of 128 NEWLY discovered moons around Saturn!! Now, Saturn has the MOST moons of any planet in our solar system.

(An artist's illustration of Saturn and its rings. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

128 new moons discovered orbiting Saturn, nearly doubling the ringed planet's total 

 By Ben Turner Live Science, March 14, 2025  

Faint signatures detected by the Canada France Hawaii Telescope have revealed 128 new moons around Saturn, making it the indisputable frontrunner for having the most moons in our solar system.

Astronomers have discovered 128 never-before-seen moons orbiting Saturn — giving it almost twice as many moons as all the other planets in the solar system combined.

The findings have further bolstered Saturn's status as our solar system's "moon king." With an updated total of 274 known natural satellites orbiting the gas giant, it is leagues ahead of its main competitor Jupiter, which has just 95 confirmed moons.

This week, the International Astronomical Union officially recognized the team's discovery. The researchers published their findings March 10 in the journal arXiv, so they have not yet been peer-reviewed.

"Our carefully planned multi-year campaign has yielded a bonanza of new moons that tell us about the evolution of Saturn's irregular natural satellite population," study lead author Edward Ashton, an astronomer at Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Academia Sinica, Taiwan, said in a statement.

The newfound moons are situated within the Norse group of Saturn's moons — a group of moons that orbit in retrograde (travelling in the opposite direction to the planet’s rotation) along elliptical paths outside Saturn's rings. The 128 newly discovered objects are considered "irregular" moons, meaning they're only a mile or two in size and far from spherical.

Their diminutive sizes and location means these moons are likely fragments of larger moons that were smashed apart by a cataclysmic collision — probably with Saturn's other moons or a passing comet. This collision could have occurred as recently as 100 million years ago, the astronomers said in the study.

The discovery was made using the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), which combed the sky around Saturn between 2019 to 2021 and discovered an initial 62 additional moons in its orbit. The team also found faint signals of an even larger number of orbiting bodies but were unable to confirm them at the time.

"With the knowledge that these were probably moons, and that there were likely even more waiting to be discovered, we revisited the same sky fields for three consecutive months in 2023," Ashton said. "Sure enough, we found 128 new moons. Based on our projections, I don't think Jupiter will ever catch up."

Discovered after 20 Years: Dinosaur Fossil Outside a School!

Do you ever think about finding a fossil whenever you walk by a large rock or outcropping of rocks? There's a school in Australia that had a large boulder outside for 20 years that no one regarded until a paleontologist came to the school and found out it was filled with dinosaur fossils! Today's blog shares the story.

 

(Photo: Dinosaur footprints discovered on a boulder outside a school in Queensland, Australia. University of Queensland)

For 20 years, this school had no idea there was a dinosaur fossil right outside 

The boulder in an Australian school foyer was covered in what looked like chicken feet — if those chickens were big and had only three toes.

March 12, 2025, NBC NEWS, By Mithil Aggarwal

For 20 years, students and teachers at Biloela State High School in Australia studied and worked next to a beige boulder without realizing it was a window into a lost world.

In 2021, following media coverage of dinosaur remains in the area, someone thought to have an expert look at the big rock sitting in foyer of the school in Queensland, eastern Australia. The boulder was covered in what looked like chicken feet — if those chickens were big and had only three toes.

That's when paleontologist Anthony Romilio came to the high school to examine the boulder and its unusual markings.

“I thought, 'Yes, it’s a small boulder, so I can just lift it up.' But oh my goodness, it was so heavy so I had to rethink this,” Romilio told NBC News in a phone interview.

(Image: An artist's impression of a herd of Pisanosaurus, believed to have made the footprints.University of Queensland)

Dinosaur footprints discovered on a rock in Australia Dinosaur footprints discovered on a boulder outside a school in Queensland, Australia. University of Queensland “They did not know that this was an actual fossil itself,” said Romilio, a research associate at the University of Queensland’s Dinosaur Lab and co-author of research published online Monday in the Historical Biology journal

He went on to identify 66 fossilized footprints from 47 individual dinosaurs left during the early Jurassic period, nearly 200 million years ago.

“It’s a huge number of dinosaurs, and it’s the highest number found in a single slab in Australia,” he said.

The school's deputy principal, David Hall, told the The Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Romilio's discoveries had been a shock, but also "a bit exciting."

Dinosaur footprints discovered on a rock in Australia

Romilio spreads silicone on a cast made from one of the rock samples.University of Queensland "It sits in a very public area in our student foyer and our kids walk past it every day, and so do we," he said.

He added that the school had ended up with the boulder about 20 years ago when a geologist who was married to one of the school's teachers came across it in a nearby mine.

(Photo: Paleontologist Anthony Romilio inspects a boulder Tuesday in a carpark near the town of Biloela, in central Queensland.University of Queensland)

“That area was going to be blasted or disturbed with the mining activities, and he saved that specimen and donated it to the school,” Hall added, according to ABC.

After seeing the remarkable rock at the school, Romilio decided to dig into the matter further, and drove to a nearby coal mine in Callide. There, another open-air secret confronted him.

“As I am coming into the car park, there was this massive boulder with another massive dinosaur footprint that’s just staring at you,” he said.

Dinosaur footprints discovered on a rock in Australia

An artist's impression of a herd of Pisanosaurus, believed to have made the footprints.University of Queensland 

“And just my jaw dropped," he said, and remembers thinking: "This is incredible.”

The boulder at the mine contained two footprints, one that was obvious and another half broken and hidden with mud. Together with a third rock that is part of a private collection and encased in resin, researchers have been able to piece together an ancient history of the area.

These records are a critical window into the Jurassic period in Australia, when “the most common dinosaur fossils are footprints, by several orders of magnitude,” Romilio said.

For now, the school boulder remains where it is, and discussions are underway for it to be relocated to a more public venue.

“It’s a part of their community and really a part of their heritage,” Romilio said.

A fun long-over due trip back to my College Town!

 In 1997-1998, I attended Western Kentucky University for a degree in meteorology. Now, 27 years later, I happily connected with 4 old friends from that time and one recent one from my paranormal books. Of course, there was a little hotel issue, but i rectified it. That's what today's blog is about. 

(Photo: Rob flew into the Nashville airport and drove 90 minutes north to Bowling Green, KY)

WHY KENTUCKY? - WKU offered a 2 year degree program, with a deep concentration. Prior to that, I had degrees in radio and television, English and Business management. I had also taken all the prerequisite math courses at a community college, so I only needed the hard-core meteorology and physics courses. Within 1 1/2 years I graduated with distinction, but over that time I made some wonderful friends with whom I've always stayed in touch.

HOW DID I KEEP UP?  - One of the things I love to do is send postcards. I even make my own by cutting out boxes of food items, like my Pop Tarts, cereal, protein bars, and other things. It takes 2 minutes to write a post card and it lets friends know you're thinking of them. Of course, in the late 1990s, email started to come into its own, so that became a thing. Then facebook and all kinds of social media came along, making it easier to stay in touch. Everyone I befriended also got Holiday cards to let them know where I was and what was happening. 

No one that I attended school with lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky any more, but there were still friends I met in other ways. 

(Photo: Rob and Frank)

FRANK - We met when I attended church in Bowling Green. You know that sometimes you sit next to someone and start talking? That's what happened with us, and we became good friends. Frank  is an amazing man. He's worked for a city fitness center as a Fitness Wellness Supervisor, through the Parks and Recreation division. He's also a CPT, and EMT. He teaches fitness courses, too. I was so excited to see him after all this time! 

(Photo: Rob (L), John (C), Martha R)

JOHN AND MARTHA - When I was living in Bowling Green, I also met John in church. In fact, I did readings for him... he was a priest, but retired and went to work in another profession. He also later met and married Martha, and together they're a spiritual, progressive powerhouse. Both are warm and wonderful and I've even connected to their cat Faith who passed. 

(Photo: Kuntry Kitchen in Morgantown, Kentucky)

Since they live over 1 hour from where I was, we made plans to meet at a small restaurant in between, called Kountry Kitchen - a true Kentucky experience. John has been great at staying in touch by email over the last quarter century, and I appreciate that so much.  I couldn't hug them enough, and John very much remembered Frank from church.

(Photo: Rob and Chris outside Teresa's restaurant)

CHRIS B. - When I went to school in Bowling Green, I worked part time for a cable company in the production department, and worked with Chris. I remember Chris as a very tall, wiry guy with glasses and a wry smile, who was so incredibly talented as a TV producer and photographer. It was like 27 years had not gone by. We enjoyed breakfast in a local restaurant called Teresas. It had wooden beams in the ceiling and a tile floor. It had a true rural feel, and good food. 

(Photo: Rob and Chris at the Waffle House!) 

CHRIS & LESLIE - A couple of years ago I did a pet spirit reading for a dog named Winnie. His parents, Chris and Leslie had several questions about Winnie and were thankfully comforted by Winnie's messages. Chris continued to stay in touch and ask great paranormal questions. I really enjoy conversing by email and when I told him about my trip, he was excited to meet me, as I was to meet him. I didn't arrive to the city until 8pm, but we met at the Waffle House and had coffee and great conversation. You never know how you'll make friends that mean so much.

(Photo: My room at the quiet Hilton, which was awesome)

HOTEL STUFF - Before the trip I booked a room for a couple of nights at the Days inn by Windham, which unfortunately was right against Interstate 65, a highly traveled Truck route between Nashville and Louisville. I slept maybe 2 hours. It was brutal. I booked through Hotel.com, and they refused to refund anything as I cancelled the other 2 nights. The people managing the hotel were nice enough, but can't do anything for 3rd party bookings. 

LESSON - NEVER USE 3RD PARTY HOTEL BOOKINGS.

(Photo: It was springtime in bloom in Bowling Green, while southern Maine got snow, rain and sleet).

HOTEL SALVATION - Tom and our friend Jeff texted me and directed me to the Hilton 1 mile away from the interstate. I drove there, and booked a room. The woman at the desk, Debbie, was a kind, sweet, sympathetic southern woman, who obviously knew I hadn't slept by looking at me!  So she booked me on the newly updated 4th floor with no one else on the floor. I slept from 9:30pm to 7a.m. I haven't slept that long since I was 16. The Hilton was awesome, clean and quiet and I got to work out at the nice gym (they had a pool, too, which I didn't use).

BOTTOM LINE - I missed connecting with my friend Sheryl from the cable company, but there were only 2 days and a lot of driving. Overall, the trip proves that when you make good friends, they'll always be good friends.