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Tetonic Plates and Katahdin

The University of Sydney (Australia), has all sorts of interesting animated graphics depicting among other things the movement of tectonic plates. After studying several of their graphics, its become obvious why my question about where Katahdin originated is a bit naive. There has been such a huge shift in the location of these plates since 200 Million Years Ago (Ma) when according to U of Sydney models the earth looked like this. This image sketches out the last giant super continent, Pangea.

Going back 400 Ma, prior to the formation of Pangea, the continents were unrecognizable, at least to my uneducated eyes. But this was the age you find references to Katahdin’s origin, perhaps as a super volcano. At this point, I’ll accept that the origin of Katahdin remains a mystery.

http://portal.gplates.org/cesium/?view=topo_recon

The GPlate app that generated the above graphic.

http://portal.gplates.org/#apps-anchor

GPlates Portal (University of Sydney) All sorts of interesting graphics for those interested in earth sciences including tectonic plate movement.

Put’s Hot Toddy

1-2 shots bourbon – I use Split Rock

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup – Find maple syrup aged in bourbon casks (Split Rock has in stock)

Or, you can use Runamok Maple Cocktail Syrup (Maple Old Fashion) to give the drink a smoky flavor.

4-6 oz hot water

2-4 spritz orange bitters or smoked citrus bitters (Split Rock)

Lemon slice garnish

one or two cloves

Stir well

1/2 small lemon or 1/3 large lemon squeezed

Adjust bourbon to pain, maple syrup to sweetness and the rest to taste. Enjoy!

Second Day – Versailles

A friend of a friend said ”If you haven’t visited Versailles, you haven’t been to France”. I don’t really agree with that. To me, the Chateau is just too over the top, too much of everything including too many visitors. But, after seeing all the gilt, finery, portraits, furniture, etc. you can start to understand how the French Revolution came to be and why so much of the royalty and nobles were destroyed. Too much hunger, disease and poverty will destroy, a lesson we never seem to learn. We are once again watching highly autocratic and centralized governments seize more and more power in Russia, China, the Mideast, south and central America and indeed in the US. Gilded toilets anyone?

So, maybe to understand France you do need to visit Versailles.

I visited Versailles once before, when I was 12 or 13. I don’t remember too much about the visit, but I do remember my Dad grumbling about the long trip to the Chateau from Paris. This time we took the metro and RER train, it as still a long, uncomfortable trip. ?