North America

Birding apps for iPhone and Android

It's a bird…it's a plane…it's…wait, if you don't know what it is, you could probably use the help of these apps. From amateur to ornithologist, there are several apps on the iOS, Android and other markets that you can use to identify birds. Back in the day, I went on a few bird tracking outings in the field with a college professor and some other students and found it very interesting. I had a hard time identifying birds, and apps like these certainly would have made it much easier than flipping through a field guide.

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iPhone apps for dog lovers

There are a surprising number of apps in the App Store that are geared toward taking care of man's best friend. Some of them are functional, and some of them are just plain fun. No bones about it, choosing among the hundreds of apps available can be difficult, so I've narrowed it down to four apps you need to pamper your pooch.

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Oil spills don’t just happen at sea

There’s been considerable talk lately that President Obama is poised to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and what impact a large scale pipeline disaster might have in the U.S. and now we actually have an example...on a small scale.

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Running wild with the Hash House Harriers

Picture a group of soggy headed British colonial officers and expats, swimming up from a weekend of excess and drinking in 1938. The setting is Kuala Lumpur, now Malaysia. Good will carried them through to Monday evening and, inspired by the traditional British ‘paper chase’ or ‘hare and hounds,’ they started a loose knit running club.

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What's a sweet potato and how do you cook it?

Even though I have greatly increased my vegetable competency over the years, I have to confess that until recently, I knew next to nothing about sweet potatoes. And aside from trying a sweet potato fry once, plus taking a small dollop of baked sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving or Christmas (just to be polite) I had barely ever eaten them.

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Red Rock Canyon lures you in

In an ancient age the western edge of North America perched on the rim of a tectonic plate far inland from the coast we know today. That site, now the Red Rock Conservation Area outside of Las Vegas, holds remnants of that early coastline in the rusty iron oxide that flows ribbon-like across the hillsides. The striated patterns are visible from miles away.

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Are the Rolling Stones touring soon?

Is it just me, or does it seem like forever since the Rolling Stones' big 50th anniversary shows late last year? Ever since, I've been impatiently waiting for some sort of announcement about a full tour in the U.S. What have I heard? Crickets. I've heard nothing but crickets. Even still, I've socked away some extra cash in the hope that the Stones would tour near me. Now, I'm thinking that was an excellent plan.

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