Best Wishes from In the Company of Plants & Rocks

It’s the end of another year and time for the traditional blog roundup.  But first, I want to offer a paean to blogging, a wonderful democratization of publishing that allows everyone to share their excitement and passion.  I thought maintaining a blog would be a good way to work on my writing, but there are so many more benefits than that.  Now when I'm out and about, I look around more carefully, think more about what I’m seeing, and often learn more too.  And because of everyone else’s blogging, I can visit far corners of the world, explore the natural history there, and enjoy amazing scenery.

So to my friends and colleagues in the blogosphere:  best wishes for a merry winter holiday and a happy and productive 2013 ... i.e. blog on!

Now for a quick round up.

Wyoming blog roundup.

Back in December 2011, while I was at one of our prairie lakes looking for fossil periglacial wedges in a cut bank, I shot a few photos of ice buildup. These led to The Myth of Frozen Waves, which continues to be the most visited of my posts. Go figure. How could our little Sodergreen Lake be so popular?!

Not-a-frozen wave on Sodergreen Lake, Laramie Basin, Wyoming.

Another post from 2011 that continues to draw lots of hits, often coinciding with visitors from South America, is El Tío -- god of underground miners about the mystical side of silver mining.

The number one post of 2012 is Taxonomy of Agaves and Vino-mezcal, written in part to support an online campaign to stop the Mexican government and big business from branding "agave" and "mezcal" ... and thereby shut down smaller producers.

A post about one my favorite vacation destinations (below) currently is second but soon may take over the lead:  the amazing Expanding Great Basin!

Several economic botany posts are doing well:  The Queen of Spices (cardamon), What fruit is this? (tomatoes), and Will the real Yam please stand up ...

Other geological favorites are Little Bone House on the Prairie (above) and two about Devils Tower:  what's on top? and Many Views.

I was happy to see that a post about legendary rock climbers Herb and Jan Conn and their adventures with ferns has been popular ...










... same for High Desert Trees and Leaving Home (seed dispersal, below).

Recipe for a technologically-enhanced roadtrip, an Accretionary Wedge post, was a surprising hit.  However, visitation seems to have peaked.

Most popular recent posts are There's a hole in the ground (geology is destiny) and AW#52, dream course: the gods must be angry (below).  Will they continue to draw? -- hard to predict.

Finally, plans for 2013:  I intend to learn more about Blogger and blogging, and to check out some “best of blogging” sites for ideas, like Open Lab and Nature Blog Network.  Oh ... and I want an SLR!   I hope Santa got my letter.