It's Black Friday

Who in their right mind would actually want to go out shopping today? I'd rather have the peace of a nice walk in the woods. If you're not working today, find a little time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful November day.

Saturday Open Thread

Happy Saturday. Maybe go down by the river and enjoy some nature, why dontcha?

Father and Two Children Lost in Congaree National Park Have Been Found

Thank goodness.

I didn't want to put this story up until there was something good to report, and luckily, the family has been found. I know that the dad shouldn't have gotten lost to begin with, but this is one of those situations where you're just happy to have them back.

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Good to have the lost sheep back.

Lunar Eclipse on April 15 Should Be Cool

Blood Moon a/k/a a lunar eclipse

Taxes aren't the only thing happening on April 15 this year - we'll be getting a total lunar eclipse.

Sky watchers are getting ready for an evening of special viewing when a total lunar eclipse arrives just after midnight on April 15. What's more, this begins a rare sequence of four total lunar eclipses expected over the next two years.

I've always found astronomy to be really interesting, but I haven't ever been committed enough to buy a telescope. I've got too many other hobbies as it is right now. The nice thing about lunar eclipses is that you can pretty much see them with the naked eye or a fair set of binoculars.

You may hear someone refer to a lunar eclipse as a "blood moon". The term blood moon came about because the moon nearly always appears copperish-red during an eclipse. This has to do with dispersed light from all the Earth’s falling on the face of the moon at mid-eclipse. It's the same thing that makes the sky turn the same color at sunrise and sunset.

Need a Local Adventure near Columbia?

Try the Congaree National Park.

It's the largest intact expanse of old growth, bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States - and it's about a 25 minute drive from downtown Columbia.

First, it's totally free. No fees for anything. The park is open 24/7, every day of the year, but Saturday is the best day to go. Pretty much every Saturday there's a guided tour of some sort. And yeah, the tours are free, too. Some require reservations, others don't.

If you're not into planning or reservations, you can just show up and walk the boardwalk loop, which is a (roughly) two-mile loop comprised of a raised boardwalk through the swamp that starts and ends at the Visitor's Center. It's great for families, as the boardwalk keeps the children focused on going one direction, rather than wandering off.

During famously hot days in Columbia, you can go on a paddling trip from one part of the Congaree river to another through the National Park. Toss a cooler in the canoe and you've got yourself a whole day on the river. If you're in a Boy Scout troop in Columbia, this is a must do.

If you want to see what South Carolina looked like a couple hundred years ago, go check it out. It's like stepping into a time machine. It's free and it's closer than you think.

Southern Night Sky

If the clouds aren't in your way, and you're not near a city's light pollution, enjoy the Southern Night Sky's wonders right now.