Again, here's hoping

I have sunscreen for both face and body, a chair, a tripod, my cell phone (not the best camera, but still), a solar filter for the camera, and I've tested my eclipse glasses. All I need now is good weather.

If you are in Lexington today or tomorrow morning, I do have three extra glasses. Eclipse glasses are pretty much good for three years, so they won't make it 20 years till the next good one. Just message me or comment if you want one if you can come over here and get them.

YKWIA said 'no crying' when he showed this to me

Oh, well. Yes, I cried.

Dad's heartbreaking Internet plea spurs strangers



My condolences to Nathen Steffel and his wife Emily, along with their sons, for their loss.

Fascinating

Terrifying Lake Turns Birds Into Statues

Lake Natron is an insidious ​trap for the birds of northern Tanzania: The terrifying lake turns to stone all birds that are foolish enough to immerse themselves or unlucky enough to fall into its deceptive water.

Volcanic ash from the nearby Great Rift Valley contaminated Lake Natron with sodium carbonate and baking soda to the point that only extremophile fish like the alkaline tilapia can survive there, while other animals that take a dip will soon thereafter feel their bodies begin to calcify and harden until they look as if they've had a run-in with the White Witch or Medusa.

There's also a slideshow at: Deadly Lake Waters Turn Birds to Stone

The photos of birds and bats are strange and eerie. They are by photographer Nick Brandt, who took dead, preserved animals and put them in life-like poses on natural perches.

Interesting, and a little eerie...

Library of Dust: Reflections on Life Through the Unclaimed Dead

I was reminded of the work of photographer David Maisel, who explores the subject from an unusual, almost surreal angle in Library of Dust — an artful depiction of copper canisters containing the cremated remains of individual patients from the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a state-run psychiatric hospital, who died there between 1883 and the 1970s, their bodies never claimed by their families. Maisel photographed many of the 3,500 canisters with incredible detail, their multicolor blooming corrosion reminiscent of nature’s wonders like vibrant sunset skies or rich bedrock textures or the aurora borealis.

They're beautiful and yet eerie at the same time. A very different 'coffee-table' book.

These are nice

Lost Cities Photos

I have been fascinated with ancient ruins since I was a little girl. These photos capture several 'lost cities' and structures around the globe.

Interesting and creepy, worthy of the game, but ravaged by sea and neglect, not tentacled horrors

Creepy, Crusty, Crumbling: Illegal Tour of Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, it submerged the Six Flags theme park. Too expensive to renovate, and yet unable to be demolished due to some legal issues, the park is abandoned except for those who trespass to write grafitti (or take pictures). There are 75 photos of the amusement park as it is now, some saturated or given other special effects, some just showing it as it is. It's haunting and creepy and all that. Check them out.

Via Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself on Twitter).

A very powerful slideshow

The photo that brought AIDS home

I'm not a photographer--but I'm fascinated by the art

Which is why I like National Geographic so much. Steve McCurry's photograph of a young Afghan girl with green eyes that was the cover of the June 1985 issue has been called 'the most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographic magazine'. Here is some of his other work, which is also breathtaking.

22 Incredible Photos of Faraway Places