6 in the Morning

Good morning, and welcome! Did you know that 80 (some even say 95) percent of Earth’s oceans remain unexplored? This statistic becomes even wilder when you consider that the oceans make up the vast majority of our planet. This means that, along with our marine environments, most of Earth itself remains unexplored too. You know, the giant rock that’s home to more than 3000 years of human civilization? Yep, that one. You’ve heard me say that there’s always more to discover in our world. I didn’t realize how true of a statement that was until today, as I find myself face to face with this staggering statistic.  It’s mind blowing to realize that there is so, so, so much more to learn about such an everyday aspect of life. Water: familiar, yet unfamiliar? Simultaneously? What a conundrum! That’s why today, I thought we could have some fun with the more familiar creatures under the sea with a personality quiz! Too corny? Absolutely it is! We’ve all encountered those ridiculous onli...

Good morning, and welcome! Can we all agree that words are amazing? Think about it: a string of sounds, a jumble of letters, with a common meaning embraced by enough people to establish a consistent method of reference? Occurring often enough to create an entire system of communication? When you think about it that way, it seems like a miracle we’ve come this far in the art of language. Sure, we use and interpret thousands in a day. But that doesn’t make this unsung marvel of modern technology any less flabbergasting than other essential inventions like cooked food or toilet paper… or any less fascinating to study. (So you think you know where this article is headed now? Yeah. You’re probably right.) I find that the most interesting part of words is that they, like cities (see last week’s article on ghost towns ), are as mortal as their creators. You can see it in the rise and fall of terms such as “twattle”, “gorgonize”, and “snoutfair”. These days, slang words go out of fashion...

Good morning, and welcome! About two years ago, I had the opportunity to explore Grafton, Utah, a ghost town that was constructed in the 1850s along the Virgin River as a Mormon community and abandoned by the turn of the century. For me, walking among the abandoned buildings was an eye-opening experience unlike any other. Though the midday Utah sun was blistering and the constant threat of spiders lent itself to a dogged (and sometimes paranoid) vigilance on my behalf, I admired the suffocating silence that was the true indication of its abandonment because it prompted further thought about the people that once called Grafton home. I was able to recognize the town as a tangible piece of the past, living proof of the history I had learned about during my weeklong crash course in rural Utah’s fascinating beginnings prior to the trip. Everybody, you’re going to laugh at me, but I say the truly eerie thing about ghost towns is that they make history REAL. They set the scene, providing ...

Good morning, and welcome! Isn’t it beautiful outside this time of year? With the sunny skies and perfect temperatures, my corner of the world is in full bloom. Everywhere I look, there are flowers, from clover in the grass to the bright pink hydrangea bushes in my front yard. I even visited a local greenhouse recently and marveled at all the fresh flowers there too. Each one was an opportunity, waiting to be carried home with someone who would nurture it until it was able to grow and flourish at its full capacity. Plus, it smelled nice in there, and I loved seeing so many colors in one place!  I read somewhere (but sadly can’t find it a second time) that “flower viewing parties” used to be quite common among botany clubs. Think about it… an entire party dedicated to celebrating the blooming of a single flower! As you can imagine, I latched onto the idea instantly and the article below is the result. A virtual flower party! Woohoo! Come celebrate with me! But first, th...

Good morning, and welcome! This week, I was really feeling like a good laugh. After sifting through memories of my favorite pranks (shoutout to my good friend Bella, who iconically replaced every family photo in her house with the same Nicholas Cage portrait), tricks (like my grandpa’s beloved “nail ring” which creates the illusion of a rusty nail stuck through the wearer’s finger), and dad jokes (such as the ones in this official generator ), I came to an epiphany: mischief and merriment are worthless if not shared.  So, with this in mind, I have decided to share this week’s laugh with you. From anecdotes of jump-scares, there are a lot of shenanigans out there to choose from, but today I'm going to focus solely on famous pranks through the ages. After all, who doesn't love watching a prank from just the right distance to escape any, shall we say, "audience participation"? Join me today in an adventure through the history books to find 5 - oops! I meant 6 ...