Tag: Adventure

The Panama Canal, faster than usual

Courtesy of Old Salt Blog, here’s a time-lapse video of a passage through the Panama Canal.  The trip lasts 11 hours, but the video takes less than 7 minutes – much more palatable in our high-speed world!  Note the “locomotives” on either side of the ship, hauling it through the locks.  They’re partly visible from… Continue reading The Panama Canal, faster than usual

Saturday Snippet: Repairing a capitalist motorcycle in communist Yugoslavia

Tim Severin is almost legendary among modern explorers and historians.  From his college days, he’s specialized in studying an ancient voyage of discovery or some other historical travel narrative, and recreating it using technology of the period and in as practical a way as possible.  In doing so, he’s dispelled many myths, but he’s also… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: Repairing a capitalist motorcycle in communist Yugoslavia

Mad dogs, Englishmen, Texans, visitors, and the midday sun

Today sees the annual Hotter ‘n Hell 100 bicycle race in and around Wichita Falls, Texas.  It’s so named because the temperatures usually hover at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit at this time of year, and the full-length race covers 100 miles (with shorter distances for less ambitious competitors). As I write these words, the… Continue reading Mad dogs, Englishmen, Texans, visitors, and the midday sun

A snippet for my Western fans

The third Western novel in my Ames Archives series, to be titled “Gold on the Hoof”, is complete, and currently going through the alpha/beta reader process.  Look for it next month, God willing.  (I’ll also be republishing new e-book editions of the first two books in the series.  They’re currently available in paper editions.) As… Continue reading A snippet for my Western fans

Teaser

Here’s an excerpt from my current project – one of five books I’m working on (at various stages of research, investigation, writing and editing) at the moment. Please let me know in Comments if you like it. The noonday sun hung directly overhead, its heat seeming to sear through the cotton ghutra over his helmet,… Continue reading Teaser

Rolling research

Miss D. and I are heading out for a ten-day research trip for my next Western novel, the third in the “Ames Archives” series.  We’ll be covering large areas of West Texas, Colorado and New Mexico, checking historic locations, following the routes that horse herds and cavalry patrols would have used, and generally making sure… Continue reading Rolling research

Go away!

An elephant enjoying himself in the Chobe River lets tourists know, in no uncertain terms, that they’re too close and need to go away. I’d say he got his message across loud and clear! Peter