My Cochleanthes amazonica is producing an inflorescence for what is only the second time in over 5 years. I suspect that I have not been keeping it humid enough, because that is difficult to achieve here (especially in the summers). In fact, Chochleanthes are supposed to bloom more frequently in the summer, but both times mine has produced an inflorescence it has been wintertime (rainy season). Continue reading “Infrequent Flower”
Author: Steen
Steen is a nerdy biologist who spends a lot of time trying to cultivate Chloroflexi, who also likes to draw comics, play video games, and climb.
Marriage and Red Rocks
This week, Doc and I went to Las Vegas because of a gig out there (I agreed because I wanted an excuse to climb in Red Rocks), and not long after we arrived on Tuesday, we decided to get married. We made it official and were legally married by Thursday.
We had talked about our ideal marriage a lot; that it would be cheap and that we wouldn’t inconvenience anybody by asking for gifts or even have a big wedding ceremony, so that is why we both knew that we didn’t need to make a big deal about it. Even so, I couldn’t be happier!
And of course, we celebrated by climbing in Red Rocks afterwards! Doc climbed his first multi pitch (Olive Oil on Rose Tower, 6 pitches, 5.7) during that trip. There was a spooky traverse because it had high exposure, but other than that it was a really easy climb with huge juggy sandstone holds. I would highly recommend this and the other classic Red Rocks climbs.
While we were climbing Olive Oil, George and Joanne Urioste were making a first ascent on another formation nearby, just across the way. This is the same couple that made many of the first ascents in the Red Rocks guidebook, including Olive Oil!
We also checked out Bonnie Springs Ranch, a sort of tourist trap built out of an old 1860’s ranch that has performers doing shootouts and hangings etc. Bonnie Springs is only about 5 miles away from Red Rocks, so it wasn’t out of the way, and even that was tons of fun. It was kitsch but not too bad, just enough to be fun and light-hearted.
Everywhere in the Blue Diamond area, we kept seeing signs saying not to feed the wild horses or burros, which of course made me super excited to see wild horses or burros. Alas, we never did.
Now Doc and I are back in San Francisco at last, chilling and blogging. Except now, we are chilling and blogging while married.
Who Were the Valkyries?
Jump to an article in my Norse Backstory series:
1) Where did trolls come from?
2) Whatever are “Runes”?
3) Who were the valkyries?
Ahh, the mysterious raven-women. After each battle, about half of the heroes slain would go to feast forever with Odin in his hall called Valhalla, while the other half of slain heroes would go to feast forever with Frejya in her hall called Sessrúmnir. Slain heroes that were fighting because they just absolutely loved fighting, and/or were Berserks went to Valhalla. Slain heroes that were fighting to defend something, such as land or loved ones, went to Sessrúmnir. If your loved one (husband, wife, lover, etc) went to Sessrúmnir, then you were allowed to join them in Frejya’s hall after you died, too. However, only the bloodthirsty Berserks could ever get into Odin’s hall. Continue reading “Who Were the Valkyries?”