Uncategorized – Ronald Crittenden

The End of the World

Welcome, pilgrims! Skellig Michael (Sceilig Mhichil) is a tiny rock spire of an island, lying off the Kerry coast of Ireland. Somewhere between the 6th and the 8th Century, early Christian monks established a primitive monastery there, carving it by hand into the sandstone and slate bones of the island. It is one of onlyContinue reading “The End of the World”

Coordinates on the Vertical Axis (aka, Highs and Lows)

We’re roughly halfway through our Euro vacation with the extended family – mostly through the Italian leg – and a spell of stinky weather has providentially allowed me some downtime to catch up on my current travelogue. Here at the outset, then, allow me to introduce the dramatis personae for the voyage: Coordinates in theContinue reading “Coordinates on the Vertical Axis (aka, Highs and Lows)”

Space Opera

(Image credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Bally/H. Drass et al.) Wowza. If you’re a space news junkie, you may already be familiar with this remarkable picture. It was assembled using imagery from ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, and ESO, the European Southern Observatory. It was pictures like this that got me hooked onContinue reading “Space Opera”

The Climb

If you’re the sort of person inclined to visit my webpage, you were probably as excited as I was to see the Perseverance rover absolutely stick the landing in Jezero Crater on Mars this past week. It was a feat so monumental in scale and yet so flawless in execution that it really beggars anyContinue reading “The Climb”

Twilight in the Pacific

I just finished reading Twilight of the Gods, the third book of Ian Toll’s magisterial trilogy of World War II in the Pacific. Covering the final year of the war, the massive 944 page volume is monumental in both size and achievement. This is well-tilled ground, of course. Entire libraries of books have been writtenContinue reading “Twilight in the Pacific”

Haggis

[This is a post from 2017 that I re-up from time to time in honor of Robbie Burns Night.] Last night was Robbie Burns Night in Scotland. Burns is revered here as the national poet, and his life and work are celebrated annually on January 25th. To the Scots, Burns Night is kind of likeContinue reading “Haggis”

Just Birds

I love birds. Today, Carol and I set up a new feeder — a pair, in fact — to provide cold weather nourishment for the robins in our yard. Along with the standard tube-style feeder and the riotously popular fat ball vending station that already bring in dozens of visitors throughout the day, the newContinue reading “Just Birds”