Brutkey

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

I was totally going to buckle down and do some writing today, but there are blue skies instead of rain here in Victoria so I think I am required to spend time outside instead!

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Sending peace. We need it.

2 kids sitting on a beach made of small rocks, intensely playing with the rocks around them. There's some driftwood and seaweed laying on the beach, and small waves hitting the rocky beach. In the calm ocean behind the kids, there's some floating driftwood, and far in the distance, a large ship. Beyond that are some really beautiful flowing clouds, with the snow-covered Olympic mountains peeking through.
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

A very Victoria moment today: we finally managed to find a semi-public charging station with a plug that would work for our plug-in hybrid car (a Chevy Volt, I had no idea that would be so hard...), and we were all delighted to see that the Tesla charging next to us had a huge bumper sticker on the back that said "Protect Trans Kids (from men like Elon Musk)"

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

RE: https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/115828276041483994

Ah, perfect, @AkaSci@fosstodon.org added a diagram and an explanation of why this weather warning is happening!

Happy Perihelion+perigee Moon!

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

And after a few cloudy-but-not-rainy days, we're back to an impressive forecast showcasing Weather Canada's ability to say "rain" in as many different ways as possible

A screenshot of the weather forecast for Victoria BC over the coming days, with a rainy cloud icon on every single day, but slightly different text. Including Rain, Periods of Rain, Showers, and Chance of Showers.
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

I have never seen the word "perihelion" in a weather warning before! Wow.

I'm totally saving this to show my students why basic astro 101 is very practical sometimes (...ok maybe the prairies do not have a tidal flooding problem...but... perihelion!!)

A screenshot of a weather warning for Victoria, BC COASTAL FLOODING STATEMENT 11:47 AM PST Friday 2 January 2026 Abnormal high tides combined with low pressure may produce minor/moderate coastal flooding. Elevated water levels accompanied by strong winds and waves are expected, exceeding highest astronomical tides. What: Risk of coastal flooding due to storm surge coinciding with high tides. When: This weekend, with the highest risk of coastal flooding on Sunday. Additional information: The South Coast is entering a period of high astronomical tides as Earth reaches perihelion (Earth's closest point to the Sun). Also, a low pressure system will cross the region this weekend. This falling atmospheric pressure will help further elevate coastal water levels beyond predicted tides, thus increasing the risk of coastal flooding.
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Spent the first day of 2026 with some very big trees. Upside to coastal BC: gigantic trees! Downside: 100% cloudy! Luckily my astrophotography wide-angle lens that I haven't been able to use yet on this trip because of clouds works very well for big trees, too!

#ProfSamLectureTour

A wide angle view that manages to fit an entire MASSIVE 800-year-old Douglas Fir into one picture. We're looking up at extremely huge, tall trees, with a huge log laying across the roots of the trees. The sky above is white with clouds. Looking upwards at a bunch of super tall, straight Douglas firs, with a bare, moss-covered huge sprawly maple tree in the foreground. The sky above is white with clouds. Looking straight up at a bunch of huge, tall, straight Douglas firs all converging at the zenith straight above us. The sky beyond is white with clouds.
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Funny observation from driving across nearly half of Canada in the last few days: in Regina it was -25C, in Calgary/Banff it was -10C, and around Vancouver and Victoria it's been 0 to 5C. And everyone wears the same clothes (big coat, hat, scarf, gloves) in each of these places, because it's the typical cold winter temperatures. Acclimatization is impressive!

#ProfSamLectureTour

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Some more lovely walks near Comox today.

Our farm-sitter called and asked about what to do with a power outage and -15C temperatures, and we talked him through the various steps to keep the well, the animal waterer, and the house from freezing. It was a wild disconnect to be super stressed out about very cold temps and damage back home, while standing on a beach on the very calm Straight of Georgia full of awesome birds.

The power came back after 2 hours! No damage.

#ProfSamLectureTour

Looking down a long beach, with tiny waves crashing on one side, and a line of vertical driftwood built into a cool wall just above the high tide line. There's a hill in the distance with trees and houses, and the sky is cloudy. Looking out from a rocky beach, with a line of small black oystercatchers busily eating stuff along the shorline. The ocean is very, very calm, and you can just see the Sunshine Coast across the Straight of Georgia in the distance. The sky is cloudy. Looking upstream in a wide river, flowing fast over many rocks and logs. On each side of the river are pine-covered hills. The sky is cloudy.
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Further up-island today, playing on driftwood, seeing friends I haven't seen for years.

#ProfSamLectureTour

Looking across a beach totally covered with driftwood mostly of very large logs, with tall pines in the background. The sky is cloudy. Looking up a river, with tall trees on either side. A couple of people are fishing in the river in the distance. The sky is cloudy. A view of a small, tidy farm in BC winter, so most of the beds are sleeping. There are a couple of small farm buildings, a large dome, and a lovely undulating cobb wall. There are some tall trees here and there, and everything is green. The sky is misty and its hard to see the most distant trees.