In the last day or so I've stumbled upon groggy earthworms while digging up more garden, watched a few potato bugs scurry as I (finally) raked up some leaves, and got my hand covered with pond scum while unjamming the filter.

In December....

I have little doubt that the world is warming up, and that our activities have a bit to do with it. On the other hand, I frequent NASA's space weather site, and the sun has been amazingly quiescent (as far as sunspots go).

I know we are in a solar minimum. I also know we know less than we pretend to know.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy the mud on my hands and startled worms wishing me a Happy New Year. If there's any correlation between sunspots and climate, we might be skating on the Navesink River again in our lifetimes.

Yes, that's the sun--it was taken today by the folks at NASA--look, ma, no sunspots!