Lunar eclipse (this time, the real deal)

Yesterday night, rather today very early in the morning, we got to see a total lunar eclipse in California, which was a pleasant change unlike last time.

To boot, it was a full moon. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of that. However, this is what it looked like at approximately 3 a.m. when the sun started its shadowy encroachment.



After about 15 minutes later, at 3:15 a.m., notice how the bronze color gets deeper.



At 3:30 a.m., it got even darker.

Sunset in Chania

Chania is the second largest city on the Greek island of Crete. This port city is a bustling place especially in the spring and summer, with lots of people sitting and enjoying sunsets like these in dozens of little open air restaurants by the water.

What do you call a baby lizard?

I don't really know. But, I can tell you that they look reddish like in the picture below. This was taken in early summer in Yosemite National Park. Saw a few dozen of these babies while hiking. They moved very slowly and I was able to get very close to take pictures without scaring them off.

Lupines in Yosemite

Taken in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park in California. Early summer. Depending on the rains/snowfall of the preceding winter and the elevation, wildflowers can be in bloom as late as August.



Hetch Hetchy is a great place for backpacking. It's away from the main Yosemite valley, which means far less crowds. In addition, the ranger station is open till 9 p.m. during the summer and apart from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir (which supplies a good amount of San Francisco's municipal water) there aren't too many places for short day hikes. What this means is that if you are a backpacker, you don't have to encounter the hordes of people like in the Valley, and can afford to get here late and still get a backpacking permit.

By the ocean in Santorini

Taken on Santorini in Greece on a beautiful spring day.

Is 4 IV or IIII?

Looking at this image of a clock that I chanced upon in St.Goar in Germany, I was surprised to see why the number 4 was written as "IIII" and not "IV." Reading up a little bit, I found there is no single explanation for this. Rather, there are multiple explanations and several of them might be true. The one that I found interesting was this on Wikipedia:

With IIII, the number of symbols on the clock totals twenty 'I's, four 'V's, and four 'X's, so clock makers need only a single mold with a V, five 'I's, and an X in order to make the correct number of numerals for their clocks: VIIIIIX. This is cast four times for each clock and the twelve required numerals are separated:
o V IIII IX
o VI II IIX
o VII III X
o VIII I IX
The IIX and one of the IX’s are rotated 180° to form XI and XII. The alternative with IV uses seventeen 'I's, five 'V's, and four 'X's, possibly requiring the clock maker to have several different molds.

Church in Santorini

A church in Santorini in Greece. Santorini is a group of volcanic islands. There seem to be as many churches there as people. Well, not quite, but you get the idea.