A Few Days in New Hampshire, ...

The purpose of his endeavor is to figuratively visit New Hampshire (the Granite State) for a few days and engage in studying Geology and other Earth Science-related subjects by way of posts, videos, and links.

In my 1977 travels, I went to New Hampshire to visit a high school/college classmate for a few days while he was working at the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps Resort.  

I had intended on making that trip to visit my friend Dave in New Hampshire, a year earlier.  (He was my fellow traveler during our epic 1974 Road Trip.)  In regards to that planned 1976 trip, another high school/college friend, Michael, was supposed to go with me, but he had to have knee surgery.  I am not sure how it would have worked out, as I still had my 1970 Pontiac Lemans.  

By the time the Summer of 1977 rolled around, I had made my solo move to El Paso for grad school, experiencing hundreds of miles of solitary traveling and sleeping in my truck's camper shell at various venues. 

During that first semester of grad school, I had several opportunities to sleep in the camper during field trips (something I hadn't yet done but should have, before I left Georgia in early January 1977).  From there on, sleeping in my camper shell at a KOA or other venue was preferable to setting up a tent each afternoon while traveling.  In short, I had more travel experience and confidence by summertime. 

In 1981, I am not sure if anyone I knew was still working at the resort.  I did visit with a Georgia Southern student who had migrated south from her native New Hampshire for at least a few years.  (I had intended to visit the area again in 1979, but some negative things of a "personal manner" happened and I only explored as far north as the North Carolina Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces that summer.) 

During my 1981 visit, I found my way back from the Squam Lakes area (the towns of Meredith and Holderness) - to the area of the Mount Mica Pegmatite Mine, near South Paris, Maine - without using a map.  I just used my instincts to find my way back to where I had been four years earlier.

Overnight stays in 1977 were in the camper of my 1976 Jeep and for the shorter 1981 trip, in the camper shell of my 1981 Datsun long bed pickup.  Of course, there was less room in the Datsun camper and the rear cab window was too small to crawl through, thus making the cab-to-camper transition was messy in the rain.  But the 30+ mpg for the 2-wheel-drive Datsun was better than the 12 mpg in the Jeep 4x4.  Tradeoffs are what they are.

Figure 1.

In the above photo is Aquamarine from the Ruggles Mine, near Grafton, New Hampshire, found during my 1977 visit.  I seem to recall giving one crystal to someone else.  It took me about 2 hours with a chisel and a 4 lb sledgehammer to create and widen fractures to remove these crystals without destroying them.  There was a small metallic crystal within this cluster of Beryl crystals when I freed them from their matrix, but I managed to misplace it before I got it ID'ed.

I probably found this locality listed in a Gems & Minerals magazine or some other gem-hunting reference.

Michigan Copper Mining: The Black Powder Era

Mining the Keweenaw

Keweenaw Geology III

Keweenaw Natural History: Keweenaw Shorelines

Keweenaw Geology II

Keweenaw Geology I

Discovering - Keweenaw Geology - Revisited

The first posting was on August 19, 2021.  Think of it as "homework", in case I get to visit there again. 

Visit to The Devil's Icebox in Quinnesec Michigan

Fire, Water, and Ice Michigan's Geological Story by Dr. Danita Brandt

Exploring Keweenaw Mines with a Couple of Geologists

This may have been posted before.  (As with some other recent posts, this is early "homework" in case I get to return to Michigan this year.  So I am better prepared.)

Physical Geology Virtual Field Trip 2020-2021

Updates, etc.

It's all about conveying Geological (and other Science considerations) information for the sake of Education and Enjoyment.

As mentioned, almost all (99%+) of the videos belong to those that publish them on Youtube.  

As time permits, I include my own thoughts and photos.  In contrast to the videos, 99%+ of photos are mine or contributed by friends and family members.

1974 Ford Econoline Camper Van Super Van

On my birthday, a few more van conversion ideas, plus a look at just how "primitive" vans were during the year of my 1974 Western Road Trip, as compared to the middle-1990s.  It would be interesting to think about how different traveling in a van during that time might have been.  Before the ages of the Internet, Personal Computers, Digital Cameras, Cell Phones, ...

Considering the issue of occasional high crosswinds in the Great Plains and elsewhere across the West, the lower profile (and center-of-gravity) of the 1968 Pontiac Catalina wagon would have pleased my safety-conscious Dad. 

A little more about nostalgia, the 1974 Road Trip, and the inspiration of the Writing Project about that "crossroads event".  As a "postscript" to that 2019 post, my wife was hurt in a September 2019 car accident, her 9th car accident since 1979 (none of them were her fault), eight of the accidents were her getting "rear-ended", which was the case in 2019.  Anyway, among the effects of that accident were my "losing my 'mojo'" in regards to the spirit of my writing project.

A point not considered by younger people, even though she "recuperated" from the injuries of the previous accidents, there are unforeseen cumulative effects that show up over the passing decades, primarily as neck and back problems.  

Those cumulative effects are why she can only handle about 6  hours of van travel per day, even though the front seats are fairly comfortable.  This "limiting factor" likely led to us skipping a few sights, e.g., Devils Tower, The South Dakota Badlands, etc., if we had "longer days" available.

Formative Itinerant Geologist Journeys - Part 1

"Just doing what 'old folks' do", i.e., re-examine our lives, what we did right, what we did wrong (I will turn 68 in a couple of days).  Decadal anniversaries and sometimes the passing of school friends can trigger these spells.  Last September was the 50th anniversary of my initiation into formal Geology education when I began my Senior year of high school (1971-1972).

During the latter part of my Junior year, I was given the choice of taking Physics or Geology during my Senior year.  From fellow classmates, I had heard that the Physics teacher was creepy, while the Geology teacher was merely eccentric (which is sort of normal).  Besides, after having been interested in being outdoors, panning gold, looking for rubies and sapphires near Franklin, NC, and reading all I could on volcanoes and dinosaurs - for years - I knew Geology had to be easier than Physics.

As luck would have it, I was unable to totally escape Physics once in college.  In order to earn my Bachelor of Science degree, I passed three Physics courses, despite struggling with Math components.  [BTW, I didn't struggle as much with Geophysics in grad school, as I understood the purpose of the Non-Seismic and Seismic "versions" of Geophysics.  And I had a good professor.]

Late this spring will mark the 50th anniversary of my high school graduation and the fall will mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of my college experience and Physical Geology class.  (Where did the time go?)  

My undergrad years (1972 - 1976) included field trips to the five Georgia Geo-Provinces, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Cumberland Plateau.  Also, there were field trips into South Carolina to visit the Carolina Slate Belt (at Lake Murray), into North Carolina to visit Pegmatites near Spruce Pine, and into Tennessee to visit the Ocoee Supergroup rocks along the Ocoee River Gorge.

Though the Georgia Southern Geology Department was small, that was an advantage, as only having four professors avoided ego-clashes that seem to happen with larger departments.  I chose Georgia Southern as it was "far enough away" (about 210 miles) from my parents for the sake of independence, but not too far away.  And once I started socializing with beer and "other things", it provided a safety margin, as my Dad was practical enough to not drive that far unless he knew I was there for the weekend.  Weekend Geology field trips also provided a measure of cover against surprise parental visits.

This was in contrast to the "girl next door", who went to the University of Georgia, only about 60 miles from home.  She made a habit of coming home virtually every weekend and some weekdays (while her parents were paying for a dorm room).  It finally became exasperating to her Dad, who told her that "she needed to stay some weekends in Athens for some of the college experience" and to develop that sense of independence.    

Another benefit was the "suggested subsidiary courses" to enhance the Geology experience.  For me, these included Technical Drafting (two courses), Black & White film photography (two courses), and Elementary Land Surveying (to help with our map-making skills).  

By the time I got a part-time job as a Land Survey Assistant (late-2014 to early-2015), all that I had learned was "old school", but those skills definitely helped me with my Geology fieldwork for classes and my Master's Thesis fieldwork.

Part 2 will follow in a day or two.

The Geology of Michigan: John Zawiskie and Craig Fahle

More Van Conversion Ideas

Some more good ideas with this one, but we don't have near as many "toys" and items to deal with, as our ages are a consideration (and a certain reality).

  

[Just a disclaimer: This video and other videos belong to the original creator/Youtube posters, whoever they are.  When I (and/or my wife) make one or more of our own videos that we are satisfied with, we will tell you.  We are our own harshest critics.  Plus there are confidence hurdles to be cleared.]

Some of these videos are being "parked" here, so I can more easily find them and make notes.  At some point, I plan to do some sort of videos on our "Van Go! Project".  The cheesy name is because of my wife's long-term family interest in art (and my minor interest in art).  

If everything "fell into place" and we were able to travel when and where we wished, there is a possibility that we could stop here and there to sell a few miscellaneous pieces (necklaces and such, maybe a few small mineral and/or fossil specimens) just for fun and to cover a few travel expenses. 

Good planning would include looking at the itinerary and calendar for outdoor art festivals and rock & mineral shows (my wife likes them, too.)

Michigan Geology with Dr. Danita Brandt

Just gathering resources in case I have another opportunity to visit Michigan, i.e., this is "homework".

The Greatest Luxury Vehicle of the 1980's, the Chevy G20 Conversion...

A cool description of early- to mid-1990s conversion vans.  Our 1993 Ford Econoline E150 is not quite this "faincy".

Because ours had a wheelchair lift for 28 years, the middle (sofa) seat had probably never been lowered using the electric motor system, leading to one of the "scissors" hinges being frozen up.  With our tight schedule between the purchase date and our initial "shakedown cruise", I had to partially dismantle the system, just so I could lower it manually so we could sleep in it at night.

Farm 40: Longleaf Pine Management for the Private Landowner

The Thoreau Pine of New England

Appalachia - The Endless Forest - The Secrets of Nature

Tree Identification - White Oak - Hunting, Wildlife Observation, and Sur...

Identifying White Oak vs. Red Oak Trees

Oak Tree & Acorn Identification for Deer Hunters

Valley of Fires | Carrizozo, New Mexico - A Place to Revisit

Shame on me!  During the 14 years I lived in El Paso, the only time I visited the Holocene Carrizozo basalt flows was on a return from a family visit to NW Oklahoma.  (It might have been from my first wife's maternal Grandfather's funeral in 1985.)  The three photos below are scanned slides from that visit.  

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

That was about the time I started my Master's Thesis project near Aden Crater, Doña Ana County, NM.  Prior to my grad school "burn out" in the very late 1970s, my abandoned original Thesis project was the Southeastern "quadrant" of the Eagle Mountains, in Hudspeth County, TX. 

As we were driving past the Malpais Carrizozo flows, a Thesis Project idea came to mind, though the distance from El Paso (Carrizozo, NM is about 145 miles NE of downtown El Paso) and the unknown feasibility of a "Malpais Project" were major negatives for me.  

My imagined project was to seek out one or two marginal areas where the flows were thin and "dig under the edge", looking for burned vegetative matter (the best of which would be IF there were any charred, buried tree trunks or other logs), for radiometric age-dating.  

From the time of grad school until currently, I have heard and read of age estimates from 800 years b.p. to 8,000 years b.p., with the 8,000 being the most recent estimate I have heard (or read, I think).  (I haven't done an internet search yet to see if any NMSU, UNM, or NM Tech Thesis Projects have been done.  It would be extremely odd if none had been done with the obvious youth and easy access to the flows.)  Also, due to the youth and geographic location, the flows are likely related to the Rio Grande Rift, though I haven't consulted any rift-related literature in years.

At the very least, I would like to have an excuse to wander through the flows with a camera during the Spring wildflower season, before the furnace-like summer temperatures arrive.

Step 1 on the Road to Better Preparedness - Part 1

A follow-up on the Home Depot Prep List post, ...

These are my own ideas, some of which are derived from videos, "brainstorming" and/or "stream-of-delirium" thinking.  This contemporary concept of Van Camping and related issues largely has its origins in the experiences and dreams of my wife (aka "the Boss Lady").

Figure 1.

My Dad was about 5 years older than her Dad (born 1916 vs. 1921).  He entered the Army by way of pre-WWII National Guard service.  He transitioned from that eventually into 155 mm howitzer action in the U.S. 3rd Army, after Pearl Harbor.  His Field Artillery Battalion moved across France sometime after D-Day and then through Germany, ending up in Austria on VE Day.  Thus he had plenty of outdoor experience with "outdoor Army life", which included the Army's version of "camping out". 

On the other hand, her Dad volunteered for the U.S. Marines.  He was seriously injured in a shipboard accident on an aircraft carrier and probably missed being in the Iwo Jima landing because of his injury.  Thus, he didn't have the "camping out experience" of my Dad, though he would have if he had survived the harsh fighting during and after the Iwo Jima landing.

My sister and I are lucky in that our parents enjoyed being outdoors whether through their years of having a one-acre garden on the creek floodplain and a small muscadine "vineyard" and a small apple orchard on the upland; nature hikes; picking blackberries, and gold-panning outings.  We built a barn built about 1969.  All of these things (and more) bolstered our collective outdoor experiences.  

My Dad did go camping with me during my Boy Scout years and he did dabble in the idea of getting (or borrowing) an RV or a pop-up camper, but I guess his extended U.S. Army "camping trip" across Europe during 1944-1945 made him opt for motels.  And during his WWII "campouts", someone else always did the cooking and I am sure he wasn't too keen on having to deal with traveling with a portable stove, cooking supplies, and food.  (Though we had a few backyard cookouts at home.)  And I doubt he nor Mom were keen on dealing with camping "latrine" issues.

As for my second wife, to escape the often harsh winters of Traverse City, Michigan, their family had a pop-up trailer and they made several adventurous trips southward and southwestward, including one trip into Mexico - as far as Guadalajara - during the 1970s, before "drug war" violence became more prevalent.

More to come ...

Tree Identification - Northeastern Hardwoods

New England's Tallest Tree

Revisiting a Few More Past Forestry Posts

In keeping with this early-January, 2022 theme:

February 12, 2021:  Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest

February 12, 2021:  The 10 Largest Forests on Earth

February 15, 2021:  Birch, Sweet Birch: New England's Forest Birches

March 9, 2021:  Man Spends 30 Years Turning Degraded Land into Massive Forest

March 11, 2021:  The Top Trees of the Pennsylvania Forests

More to be added?

How to Identify a Tree By Leaf, Bark and Fruit | Wood and Lumber Identif...

Forest Forensics with Tom Wessels

Northern Woods - A Tribute to the Ancient Forests of the North | Free Do...

PHC Film: Soil is a living organism

Developing a working knowledge of Soil Science would be useful in gaining a better understanding of soil in the health of Ecosystems.  

From the minor "dabbling" in Soil Science terminologies and concepts, that I have done, Soil Scientists and Geologists should get together to clear up incongruities between our respective fields.  (I had noticed some of this while looking at local "soil maps" and trying to get a feel for how certain soil horizons/soil types correlated with particular Georgia Piedmont rock types.  Otherwise, we are not that "far apart", in my humble opinion.)

Years ago, when my son was in Boy Scouts, at a group campout, a Soil Scientist gave a lecture that was quite fascinating.  After a private conversation with him, I was under the impression that he might have a job opening, but I was mistaken.  He preferred to work alone and he rarely ever hired anyone for particular projects.  

It would have been an interesting "side experience" if at least a temporary job had arisen, sort of like the time I spent as a Land Survey Assistant in late-2014 and early-2015.  I like working outside and I like learning new things.  

Though I didn't quite fit in with the Surveyors, my supervisor liked me as - unlike the "young guys" - I showed up on time (7:00 AM) for work or more often early; When I had the choice, I only took 20 minutes for lunch instead of the allowed hour; and I didn't have to stop every 20 or 30 minutes for a smoke break as some of the others did.  (I had to bow out of that job after hurting my back at home.)  It was actually a job better suited for someone 25 - 30 rather than 60 - 61 (as I was at the time).  So it goes.

The Lost Forests of New England - Eastern Old Growth

Janisse Ray, Author of "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood": Half-Earth Educ...

Previous Postings of Tom Wessels Videos

From Last Year:

February 13, 2021  Reading the Forest Landscape: Master Class

March 3, 2021  Reading the Forested Landscape: Part 1

March 4, 2021  Reading the Forested Landscape: Part 2

March 5, 2021  Reading the Forested Landscape: Part 3

March 6, 2021  Simply Complex Systems

Simply stated, I wish I currently lived in a place geographically close enough to take some of these outdoor classes.  This is some of the "new" concepts and terminologies I had to learn from the textbook, when I started teaching Environmental Science Lecture classes at a local Junior College, 20 years ago.

New England's Roadside Ecology with Tom Wessels

Notable Terms to Learn:

"Root Graft" - in regard to trees, the term refers to morphological interconnections, i.e., growing together of contacting roots of the same tree species (self-root grafting).  Among trees of different species, it is called intraspecific root grafting.  (I would assume that most of the time, these interactions happen below the surface.)

Along these same lines, natural limb-grafting and trunk-grafting can take place as well, in places where limbs and trunks have been in close contact for years (perhaps decades).  (I have photos but finding them is another issue.)

"Callus Wood" - The initial growth response to a tree wound, from storm damage or tree cutting.  If the tree is healthy, then the Callus becomes overgrown with "Woundwood" (in which the cells have become more specialized (differentiated and lignified).  In the Figure 1 image, the light-colored ring around the cut area is likely the "Woundwood".

Figure 1.

Here is a good article on the subject.  Here is an online discussion.

"Woundwood" - When Callus cells become differentiated and lignified.

Arborist (Arboriculture) discussions.

Beginning a Forestry Library:

1976 Shorty Chevy Van

This van is sharp-looking and its sounds good.  Personal opinion, the padded walls and ceiling of this van are well done and interesting, but overall it's a bit too spartan for any sort of traveling.  I have looked at one or two other videos on the owner's channel, but haven't found any dialogue yet.  But there are videos showing some other sharp-looking vintage Chevies.

 

How To Build The ULTIMATE Conversion Van

Top 100 Preps to Buy at THE HOME DEPOT

By way of human nature, most of us are at least somewhat unprepared for sporadic events that range from inconveniences to disasters.  Some call it "normalcy bias", i.e., if things are OK, we tend to think they will stay OK.  

Being constantly fearful is not a healthy practice, but rational attentiveness (similar to maintaining air pressure in a car's spare tire and keeping a gallon jug of water, jumper cables, toilet paper, an emergency blanket, and perhaps a small shovel in your trunk) is a good idea.  It is up to the individual how far they wish to go and how to prioritize if you are constrained by a budget (as many are).  

Some of these things I have learned from my outdoor fieldwork projects as a Geology grad student and various outdoor jobs since then (I prefer working outdoors).  While in the "Desert Southwest", especially during 1978 Field Work in the Eagle Mountains of West Texas and my 1979 Summer Job in the Bisti Badlands of NW New Mexico, I lived in the camper of my 4x4 Jeep pickup.

I haven't watched this entire video yet, there is some sort of downloadable pdf form, but it seems to require accessing some sort of app.  Because of the increasing loss of privacy and constant cyber threats, I don't like to add any more apps than I already have.  Do as you wish, though I think I will just sit with a legal pad and take notes, "the old-fashioned way".  

With my past participation (as a teen and later as a Dad) in the sadly now-degraded Boy Scouts and the Civil Defense program in the 1960s, I probably have some of these items already, though probably not as well organized or updated as they should be.  Assembling and maintaining First Aid kits in home and cars is an ongoing responsibility.  (As are others, I am guilty of "raiding" First Aid kits for routine Band-Aids and Tylenol tablets, without refreshing and replenishing the supplies.)

I am certain that websites and videos abound with information on prioritizing and gradually gathering supplies.  Do a little rational research.  Rather than allowing media-induced hysteria to control your life, if you have a rationally-responsible initiation (a first step) to this process, you may be "better off" than most.  Rather than going "whole hog" and buying $1,000 worth of survival food right away, do some research, first.

Perhaps also make a list of any free or low-cost training courses in First Aid, CPR, etc., sometimes offered by churches, civic groups, and/or local municipalities.  So, resolve to make some sort of "first step" today.

Tom Wessels: The Ecology of Coevolved Species - A Revisiting

Vanlife Conversion Update: May 2021- 1995 Chevy G20

(I don't think I have posted this one before.)

For the time being, perhaps to keep me motivated, I may be dropping van videos into the mix of Geology and Ecology videos and sporadic posts of my own.  Today, I did purchase some samples of wood to start composing some Van Go! changes.

In this previous post, aside from the "visiting video", i.e., not my own but pertinent to the subject, I posted some of my thoughts about our initiation into the world of van camping and what else is on my mind as far as changing some interior features.

Longleaf for the Longrun

E250 Ford Camper Conversion

Secrets of the Longleaf Pine

Ford E-250 Camper Van Conversion

Ford E150 Van Build - Part 3

Ford E150 Van Build - Part 2 Subfloor Installation

Ford E150 Van Build - Part 1

We were lucky, our 1993 E-150 Econoline hightop van only had 24,125 miles when we got it last March.  As it is relatively clean, that is why I don't want to gut it in any substantial way.  

From the time we got our van to when the time window opened for our Shakedown Cruise, I didn't youthful strength on my side for removing the wheelchair lift and selling it.  We had a van shop do it and the $600 pricetag hurt.  Oh well.

I am just posting this video as Parker Bruer has a number of interesting travel videos and this and the next two videos are about how he got his van into shape.

Eastern White Pine- the Tree Rooted in American History

Ford Econoline Camper Van Conversion Ideas

Another van project with loads of good ideas.  [As a reminder, these videos belong to their own "authors".  When I am satisfied with my own videos, I will tell you.  When you click on  any of the "guest" videos, if you are pleased, click the "Like" icon, and perhaps subscribe to their channel to help them in at least a small way.]

From here on in this post, it's about our van.

After some life changes 10 years ago, I had to give away some (much) of the woodworking tools I had inherited from my Dad, e.g., a table saw, a radial arm saw, orbital sanders, and other such playthings.  With the layout of our current home in regard to the garage/driveway workspace and the basement workspace and our eldercare responsibilities, multistep van projects take a great deal of planning. 

In another post, I will have some more photos of our Van Go! Project.  ["Van Go!" was the cheezy name we selected because of my wife's interests in art.  She is a retired Occupational Therapist.]  As it is, the 1993 Ford F-150 Econoline Club Wagon interior is workable/useable for light camping on cross-country trips (which we want to do more of).  I like the "earth tones" of the interior wood trip and soft, light tan wall-covering.  

Figure 1.

But I feel that for the attractive interior treatment, there is wasted space behind the walls, and the individual hinged storage compartments are not as deep as they could be (even another three inches would help). This past spring for our Shakedown Cruise, I managed to get the inoperable fold-down sofa seat configured for a reasonably comfortable bed (Figures 2 & 3), but the steel framework beneath provided very little useable storage room (Figures 4 & 5).

Figure 2.  

I had to remove the "innards" of this bed to get it to lay down.  With sleeping bags and additional padding, it was not too bad. 

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

The space-stealing frame (Figures 4 & 5) beneath the bed.  This had to go!

For our August 2021 Northern Excursion, I removed the old bed framework and built a reasonably-satisfactory sleeping platform, and removed the old VCR/TV screen.  (Shown in next Van Go! post.)  The interior accent lights are pretty but do not provide enough light to be functional, so regretfully they will be disconnected and replaced with some modern LEDs.

To close this out, one of the daunting tasks of taking on an interior upgrade project, as there is an initial "demolition stage" and if I disturb the useable interior space and features, I damn well better have a completion plan and supplies ready.  (As I have to answer to the "boss lady".)

LONGLEAF: THE HEART OF PINE

Coniferous VS Deciduous Trees - What's the Difference?!

Coniferous Forests Ecosystems

Welcome to 2022! - Part 1

In order to find and focus on the Positives, e.g., the personal successes and shortfalls (and what we have learned from them) of 2021 and plans for 2022, ...

In this time of seemingly-increasing madness, our own lives are the lives mostly-likely influenced by our own personal choices and deeds.  Positive choices can provide a modicum of serenity and positive outcomes (even small ones) can provide a sense of achieving "small victories", even if they are only victories over our own bad habits and self-doubts.  

There has been some research that suggests that seemingly-small accomplishments may provide to our brains little doses of Oxytocin, i.e., that relieved feeling of "Hey, I got that done." and provide a basis and confidence for addressing another self-identified concern or task.  Especially if you sense that someone else had doubts that you would actually finish the task.  (Even without saying it, in your own mind, you "proved them wrong.")  

If you "begin" a series of tasks with one or two of your own choosing, when you finish them, the minor emotional lift may help you when you embark upon more-difficult, involved, and/or unwanted (but necessary) tasks, as well as any "unexpected" tasks.  

An example of an "accomplished goal" of 2021 - though not an "official New Year's Resolution" (that often fall by the wayside) - was the outdoor walking program suggested by my wife and begun last January.  As I hadn't engaged in a focused walking program since my "mall walking" of 2016, with my doctor's approval, I began gradually, only walking 12.35 miles that first month.  

With the initial "every other day" routine getting my leg muscles, feet, and knees acclimated to walking, within a week or two, I began walking every day (as my schedule allowed).  Within a short time, I silently resolved to average 67 miles (= to my age) per month for the entire year, a distance of 804 miles.  Except for four months, I exceeded that goal every month.  

Those exceptions - January, June (due to foot pain resolved by a Podiatrist visit), August (van preparation and embarking upon our 22-day "Great Northern Adventure"), and September ("vacation recuperation" and Georgia heat and walking re-acclimation) really "pulled my average down", necessitating a renewed sense-of-purpose.  With the cooling Fall weather and walking 124+ miles in November and 104+ miles in December, I reached my 67 miles-per-month average on December 30th. 

Benefits of the walking program were noticed by my doctor and friends.  After a diet-related 2020 weight loss of 15 lbs. (225 to 210), I was managing similar 2021 weight loss, until the dreaded late-November to New Year's Eve time, "where diets go to die" (my wife is a great cook).  Still, I managed to end the year with a 5 lb. (210 to 205) weight loss.  (Not quite I what wanted, but at least two years in the right direction.)

To close this New Year's blather, aside from the above benefits, a downside to my 67-miles-per-month walking program was in my book-reading regimen.  I usually read at least one book per month, but in 2021 I only managed four books total, plus two more in progress.  In another post, I will review all six books, all of which have ecology-related themes (sometimes indirectly though).  In 2021, five of the six books were purchased from local used bookstores and thrift stores, and only one of the six books had I even heard of before.

I also plan to post more "original content" material and not so much of other peoples' Youtube videos.  The problem is, "original content" takes time to write and edit and I want a somewhat steady stream of posts, to keep myself on track to resume a writing project (about my 1974 Road Trip) which was suspended after my wife's September 2019 car accident, in which she was rear-ended at an Athens, Georgia red light.  

Since 1979, she has been rear-ended eight times and has also broadsided a "stop sign runner", i.e., none of them were her fault.  As she is in her mid-60s, there has been a cumulative, negative effect on her overall health, which is why it is difficult for her to drive or ride for 6+ hours in our van, despite the seats being comfortable.  This limits our vacation travel and is a reason why we missed visiting Devils Tower while we were in the Black Hills area.

Coniferous Forest Biome Explained

A Brief Respite From Geology

Here's hoping for (but not expecting) a more-sedate 2022.  As trees can have a calming effect, evergreen-related and other forest-related videos and posts are planned for the next few days at least.

I became reacquainted with Ponderosa Pines in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Eastern White Pines in Frankenmuth, MI during our August 2021 van camping adventures.  Reading up on (and watching videos) about "pine trees" was the next step in the learning/relearning process.  There were other conifers encountered while crossing the Michigan Upper Peninsula and other places that await further study as well. 

In my native Georgia Piedmont, the dominant native conifers are Loblolly Pines with scattered occurrences of Short-leafed Pines and Cedars and "white pines" in the Blue Ridge "foothills".  Of note also are areas of the Blue Ridge Province where Hemlocks are the dominant evergreens.  Within this Georgia Piedmont area northeast of Atlanta, I grew up playing in the "Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome" (in a Transition Forest with these very trees, some of which were "juveniles" planted by my parents).  

Sadly, most of "the old homeplace" forest was devastated by an April 1998 tornado. a January 2000 ice storm and finished off by inheritance taxes and property taxes after my Mom's late- 2000 passing.  In a rapidly-growing area, we had to sell to developers in 2002-2003.

The Figure 1 image (below) was one of my first digital photos, from the Spring of 2002.  The three hemlocks, planted by my parents, escaped damage from the tornado and ice storm.

Figure 1.

If I had "life to do all over again", knowing what I do now, perhaps a "double major" of Geology/Forestry would have been an interesting choice, but my choice of an undergrad college would have been different.  The University of Georgia probably had some sort of Forestry Program in the early- and mid-1970s.

Growing up in this setting also gave my sister an avid interest in nature as well.  She and her husband have been heavily involved in bringing back Longleaf Pines and 15/16ths hybrid American Chestnut Trees to the "Gainesville Ridges" region of northeast Georgia.