The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 crossed the continent, from Oregon to South Carolina, and gave millions of people the chance to witness one of the most awe-inspiring events in the natural world.

But you had to be within the "path of totality", a narrow band across the earth's surface several thousand miles long but only about 70 miles wide. Outside that band you would only see a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse.

And there is no such thing as a "partial total eclipse", despite the impression blogs and the news media might give. I honestly think that's why so many people misunderstand the utter beauty of the spectacle; they may have seen a partial eclipse in the past that was total somewhere else, and even though they weren't in the path the news kept gushing about it being a total eclipse, so they assume they must have seen a total eclipse and just didn't find it all that impressive.


Posted by Dan 08/29/2017, revised 09/06/2017

Kim (and about 6,000 other athletes) participated in the Accenture Chicago Triathlon in August. She finished 103 of 6149 overall, 8th of 2078 women, and 2nd in her age group!

In June she competed in the 2007 USAT National Age Group Championship held in Oregon. Despite being out most of the past year rehabbing from a broken ankle, and this being only her second race ever at the Olympic distance, she finished an impressive 25th in the highly competive 25-29 age group! Here are some photos of her at the race.

Way to go, Kim!!

Posted by Dan 08/27/2007, revised 01/27/2008

Thailand is generally considered to be a safe country for travellers to visit, but if you plan a trip to Thailand it would be wise to avoid the island of Ko Tao. You wont find this in your Lonely Planet but many tourists who venture to Ko Tao never return. The island, considered to be one of the best places in Asia to get scuba certified, is packed with over 40 dive companies and the instructors and divers that go with it. All on an island small enough to walk across in an hour. Nearly everyone on the island is here to dive, and to party, and everyone does alot of both. If you're not familiar with the dive community, they are the most laid back, fun people you'll ever meet. By diving or enrolling in a course you immediatley make friends and get plugged into the local scene. The problem? The island drags you in. Countless many people have the same story; 'Yeah, I came here for a week long vacation and never left..' Within 6 hours of arriving it was plain that our original 1 week target was totally unrealistic.

Posted by nik 09/21/2008

After earning my degree in ecology and applying my knowledge to projects in various fields of research, it has become very clear to me that a) I love what I do, and b) I want to do what I love. Ecology, however, has many different branches. There is a myriad of directions to go in. While most of my education and experience has been within terrestrial ecology, I began to feel that I wanted to see what marine science was like. Part of my reason for seeking out this opportunity with a marine ecology student was to investigate the question, "Is this where I want to be?"

Well. So far... I'm thinking this isn't a bad place to be!

Peeking into tide pools and seeking hidden treasures

I have now returned from what was my first week "on the job," out at the coast of Ecuador. I am assisting a masters student of USFQ (Universidad de San Francisco Quito) in his marine ecology field research of intertidal invertebrate communities. So essentially, I spend one week of every month out at the coast, splashing around tide pools and looking at cool creatures hidden underneath rocks and shells. And when we've done all our work and the tide has come in? Well, we might as well jump into the warm blue waters and play in the waves, right? Correct.

Brittle star we found under a big rock. They get their name from their propensity to break very easily.

This past week was actually a very light work-load relative to what it typically will be, so it served as a nice introduction to the ecosystems I'll be working in for the next few months. It was a great opportunity to see the Ecuadorian coast, as well. This experiment has sites at multiple locations up and down the coastline, so I got to visit an array of beaches and towns, and try a variety of region-specific culinary treats. And all the fresh seafood I could eat!

The sun shines bright, the water is warm, the creatures are a-plenty, and the food is delicious. And if necessity calls, it's not hard to find a hammock to dangle in while the sun slips down into the big blue puddle. Not bad, I say. Not bad at all.

Photo slideshow: https://s470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/GoodellsRule/Ecuadorian%20coast%20-%20First%20week%20in%20the%20field/?albumview=slideshow

Posted by Whitney 01/28/2011, revised 01/28/2011