That there is a large disparity of experiences among those who contract COVID-19 has become well-accepted over the past several months since the pandemic started. Some individuals seem to experience no symptoms at all while others require hospitalization. Perhaps it is this ‘unknown’ element which...
Delivered to the baristas at my local Starbucks after becoming perpetually annoyed with the lack of education regarding the subject. Myth: Lighter Roasted Coffee Has More Caffeine In reality, caffeine levels remain consistent regardless of roast level. Let’s take a deeper look. To Roast a Bean Green coffee is an inherently...
In 1996 Jon Krakauer, on contract for Outside magazine, famously climbed Mt. Everest as part of a commercial expedition. The adventure ended tragically—eight climbers died and several others experienced severe frostbite, stranded overnight in an unforeseen Himalayan blizzard. The story, documented in Krakauer’s book, Into...
A few weeks ago I began training for a volunteer position at the local SPCA's Wildlife Center. It's a really amazing thing they've got going on there, and I've been excited to get involved. Most weeks they take in dozens of injured or unattended wild...
Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae Species: calypte anna Date: May 26, 2013 Location: Monterey, CA One of the first observations I made after moving to the West Coast was the abundance of Eucalyptus trees in the area. These sweet-smelling trees often tower above 100ft. and are truly something to behold. They're just...
Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Species: junco hyemalis Date: April 7, 2013 Location: Monterey, CA Throughout the past several months in Monterey County I've become accustomed to a small, energetic bird named the Dark-Eyed Junco living around my house. The first time I spotted him in April, I identified him as a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, simply because I couldn't find a...
Presuming you to not already have been turned away by the overtly-clique title, "As the Birds Fly", I should confess that this will be a rather 'nerdy' blog. I have recently become rather fond of birds, and I not only enjoy spotting and watching the...