Today I started the last test group of the first granola experiment. I began with four brands, have tried three and, after two rounds of this one I’ll start combining varieties. But, first, we’ll try Cascadian Farms. It started in Washington, was acquired by General Mills and now is managed by Rodale, a legacy organic research and production concern based in Pennsylvania.

I wonder where the blueberries came from.

These aren’t bad, though the blueberry is a fruit that I don’t automatically think of as a breakfast offering. Or, really much at all. But they work pretty well here.

Tomorrow, we’ll see how blueberries and raisins mix. I suspect it’ll be just fine, but I am looking forward to mixing these different brands and flavors. And then, in a week or so, trying some new versions of granola.

Yes, my skin is positively growing from all of these healthy breakfasts.

It’s probably the raisins.

I had to do some writing today. This writing had to be similar to something I wrote last week, but different. Also, I had to answer student questions. Similar, but different. And I also began prep for a Monday night class, where we’ll be talking, among other things, about Marshall McLuhan. You know the one, the scholar famous for “the media is the message.” Different, but similar.

Also a bit different, I’ll do a late night bike ride this evening because I just couldn’t muster up the energy to do it this afternoon.

Besides, I had to find a few new SCUBA diving photos to share from our recent trip to Cozumel.

Dosing these out was the best idea I had, I think. There could have been a post with dozens of photos and videos. But, instead, I’m getting weeks and weeks of material, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the videos.

I’ll add another one Monday, but, first.

I’d mentioned the coral restoration projects that are underway. That’s happening in a lot of places, including in Mexico’s beautiful waters. Here’s a staghorn coral site, now.

And there’s my dive buddy! I’m pretty sure this was after her ascent on the conclusion of a dive.

She probably still has about 1,500 PSI in her tank there.

Who doesn’t like a nice wide shot, now and again? This one is definitely going on the front page of the site, which is a project I’ll get around to updating in a week or so.

Sometimes I get lucky and almost get the colors just right. I’m sure this was at a shallow spot and the sun was at precisely the right angle because I never get this right. It’s a lot more colorful than my point-and-shoot photography oftentimes suggests.

And, here, I’m not sure which parts are healthy and which parts are in trouble. But, usually, when you see two different colors on the corals or sponges, one of them is less desirable.

All three of those might show up on the front page. But you should really see what we have for this space next Monday. It’s almost enough to make you want to skip ahead into the next work week.

Almost.

But not quite.

But close.

We had pancakes this morning, so there is no granola update for you. But Monday, there will be a granola update. I’ll be sure to have plenty of things to update you with, in fact. Because I’ll have a good two, three days of opportunities to do things that can fill this space.

Today I worked outside a bit, and rode my bike downstairs for a bit and did some work upstairs for a bit. And that was it, really.

Also in the basement is where the plants are growing. I brought in eight plants when the weather turned. I put in two grow lights. Water them lightly every other day and mist them on the alternates. All of them are doing quite well.

Two of them are flowering. This guy, in fact, is doing better in the basement than he did all summer on the back step.

I wonder how many of them will need to be replanted in the spring. I wonder when I can take them back upstairs and outside. March, probably. Maybe April. Though the long-term forecasts are contributing to this unshakeable feeling that spring is just around the corner. Unshakeable. And entirely mistaken.

Let’s wrap up this week with some more beautiful underwater scenes from Cozumel. (Man, I want to go diving right now.)

Behold, this aquarium shot, which will soon be on the front page of the site.

I was able to sneak up on another boxfish.

And here’s a beautiful stoplight parrotfish.

We saw a little spread of coral nurseries. One of our divemasters was also a biologist, and we were talking with him about these sorts of cultivation efforts. Turns out they aren’t always easy. I think working on a program like this, or a seagrass restoration project would be a terrific vacation.

“Blue carbon” is the name for carbon captured by the world’s ocean and coastal ecosystems. Seagrass meadows play a massive part in this.

Often referred to as the ‘lungs of the sea,’ seagrasses are capable of capturing and storing large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. And, although seagrass accounts for less than 1% of our ocean, seagrass is responsible for up to 11% of the carbon intake! In fact, oceanographers estimate seagrass can be up to 35 times more effective than rainforests in terms of carbon uptake and storage abilities.

Projects like these are wildly successful.

Coral reefs, meanwhile …

Coral reefs are complex and ancient habitats. They have been a feature of life on Earth for around 500 million years.

​They are a critical component of life in the ocean. Often referred to as “rainforests of the sea,” coral reef ecosystems are one of the most biodiverse in the world.

​Around 25% of all marine species rely on coral reefs, including sharks and sea turtles, crustaceans, and schooling fish.

And cute, shy little guys like this grunt live around the coral.

And my favorite fish swims around coral, too!

Have a great weekend. We’ll hear from the kitties, talk books, see more fish and much, much more.