28 September 23

The United Nations sponsors World Maritime Day every year at the end of September. This year's official theme is protecting the environment from the impact of shipping, but I'm choosing instead to celebrate the wide variety of navigational tools that marine explorers/travelers have used. The images on my tie show a compass, a sextant, a spyglass, an astrolabe, a treasure map, and a spiked star (which may simply give directional cues when pointed to the heavens). I have a pocket-sized analog compass, but I usually consult the compass app on my cell phone for better accuracy. Today in the car I helped my 4-year old granddaughter learn about the turning circle on the app's display! She has long said that her own favorite direction is "south," mainly because that's how we travel from her house to ours.

6 September 22

Today in history: 530 years ago, Columbus sailed from the Canary Islands, his last port before crossing the Atlantic; 500 years ago, one of Ferdinand Magellan's ships returned to Spain, marking the first circumnavigation of the Earth; 402 years ago, the Pilgrims sailed from Plymouth, England, aboard the Mayflower. My tie is covered with "analog" navigational tools: a compass, a sextant, a spyglass, an astrolabe, a treasure map, and a spiked star (which may simply give directional cues when pointed to the heavens). In other news, 6 September is also the date (on the Julian calendar) reckoned as the start of the Maya/Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, 3113 BCE (5135 years ago).

1 July 21

 Today is World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, annually sponsored by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA). The images on my tie show a compass, a sextant, a spyglass, an astrolabe, a treasure map, and a spiked star (which may simply give directional cues when pointed to the heavens). My cell phone has a compass, star chart, maps, and altitude and latitude/longitude finders. But those apps must have some sort of network connection to operate, unlike the handheld optical and mechanical devices so famous in marine navigation. Today is also National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, according to the National Day Calendar.

1 July 20

Now launching my new "Sea You Soon" tie! Today is World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, sponsored by IALA, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities. I'm very glad to know such an organization stays afloat! The images on my tie show a compass, a sextant, a spyglass, an astrolabe, a treasure map, and a spiked star (which may simply point to the stars). My own compass and star chart are on my cell phone.