Category Archives: The Liminal Times

The Muscular Crepuscular


Some factslapsm about crepuscular rays:

  • Name Origin: The term “crepuscular rays” comes from the Latin word “crepusculum,” meaning twilight. These rays are often most visible during sunrise or sunset.
  • God Rays: Crepuscular rays are sometimes referred to as “God rays” due to their dramatic appearance, often evoking a sense of awe or divine presence.
  • Illusion of Convergence: Although the rays appear to converge at a point in the sky, this is an optical illusion. The rays are actually parallel, but perspective makes them seem to meet at a point.
  • Light Scattering: The rays are caused by the scattering of sunlight by particles in the atmosphere, such as dust, water droplets, or air molecules, which makes the beams of light visible.
  • Occasional Moonlight: While crepuscular rays are most commonly associated with sunlight, they can also be created by moonlight, though they are much rarer and fainter.
  • Best Viewing Conditions: These rays are most visible when the sun is low in the sky and partially obscured by clouds, mountains, or other objects, allowing the light to filter through in distinct beams.
  • Biblical and Artistic Associations: Throughout history, crepuscular rays have been depicted in religious art and literature, symbolizing divine intervention or the presence of a higher power.
  • Different Colors: Depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions, crepuscular rays can appear in a range of colors, from the golden hues of sunrise to the deep reds and oranges of sunset.

The Symphony of Snowfall

The Grand Unanswered

The Grand Unanswered need not clear its throat.
Nor raise a hand.
Nor stand.
The Grand Unanswered is.

So what say you, then,
To the trembling leaf at the edge of descent,
To the spark between flint and steel,
To the horizon where sea meets sky,
And the canyon echo that returns, unchanged?

What will you make of the threads that weave,
Unseen, through the fabric of moments?
Will you trace their patterns with curious fingers,
And let their textures speak silences?
In each twist and tangle, each smooth expanse,
Lies a world waiting to unfurl.

In the pause between heartbeats,
In the moment between thought and action,
In the breath before the plunge,
The Grand Unanswered invites you to listen.

To the symphony of snowfall,
To the weight of sunlight,
To the shadow of summer that stretches, then shrinks,
What stories will your footsteps write?

The Grand Unanswered is.
What say you, then?

The Bovine Buddy Phenomenon


Cows have best friends.

Lists of the world’s most intelligent animals don’t often feature cows, but our bovine friends have more emotional depth than they tend to get credit for. A 2011 study by scientists at the University of Northampton in England revealed that not only do cows have best friends, but they also get stressed out when separated from their BFFs — a relatable quality if ever there were one. The research was conducted by comparing heart rates and cortisol levels during 30-minute sessions in which a cow was penned with a “preferred partner” it was known to have a close bond with, then a “familiar but nonpreferred individual.” When the besties shared a pen together, their heart rates were lower and other signs of stress were also reduced.

Cows aren’t the only animals that form friendships. Chimpanzees and bonobos do, too, as do several others, including dolphins, horses, certain birds, and marmots. Dolphins can identify their friends by taste, whereas most other creatures are known for simply grooming, remaining in close proximity to, and touching their besties — capuchin monkeys, for example, gently stick their fingers in one another’s eye sockets as a bonding ritual. So don’t be offended if you get Shemped.