Mongolia | Chingis Khan Day | Beginning of Winter

Yesterday was the New Moon of November so today is the first day of Winter, at least according to the Lunar Calendar as observed in Mongolia (according to the astronomical definition Winter begins on the day of the Winter Solstice, this year on December 21). On this day the birthday of Chingis Khan (Genghis Khan) is also celebrated. Although it is now generally accepted that he was born in 1162 the day of his birth is unknown, so it is now celebrated on the first day of Winter, an official holiday in Mongolia.

Statue of Chingis Khan near Ulaanbaatar:

Earth | Lunar Standstill

As most lunaphiles are aware, a Lunar Standstill  is occurring throughout 2025, reaching its peak in early November 2025. Specifically, the northern major lunar standstill moonrise is noted on November 7, 2025. This major lunar standstill event is part of the 18.6-year lunar nodal cycle, when the Moon reaches its most extreme northern and southern rising and setting points along the horizon. This event can be observed over a period spanning roughly two years, covering 2024 through 2026, with the peak of maximum standstill near March 2025 and significant standstill points continuing into late 2025.

Human beings noted the phenomenon of Lunar Standstills at least 10,000 years ago and built stone monuments to measure and record these events. Stonehenge is just one of these monuments, as was the Ziggurat at Ur in Mesopotamia (now in Iraq).

I stayed up all night on November 7 to witness this day of the Standstill, which was just two days after the Full Moon. It was a perfectly clear night and the woods was well-lit with moonlight. My only companion was a Barred Owl who serenaded me all night with its distinctive “Who cooks for all?” call. 

For the whole lowdown on lunar standstills and much else see the entertaining and informative Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are.

USA | Allegheny Mountains | Deer Season #2

Archery Season for deer is still in full swing. Now a bowhunter has brought me some steaks made from the backstrap of the deer, which many Venison Cognoscenti consider the best cut.

Venison steaks made from the backstrap of the deer

Venison steaks 

My.olive oil had frozen solid so I had to heat it up in a pan of 

boiling water before I could use it.

I fried the steaks in olive oil with onions, black peppercorns, and soy sauce.

Now there’s a dish to set before a king!!!

Had our first snow fall of the year.

My current domicile

Temperatures dropped to 16ºF. 

Butter tea was certainly welcome on these chilly mornings. I could close my eyes and imagine I was in Tibet! I am using local Amish butter, which is bright yellow or even orange, an indication of high Beta-Carotene levels, unlike store-bought butter, which nowadays is often pale yellow or even white. The color is usually an indication of Grass-Fed Cows, as opposed to grain-fed cows. Beta-Carotene is good for your health—carrots get their color from beta-carotene—and butter with a high level of beta-carotene usually has a higher fat content, fat being the whole point of drinking butter tea. Beware of commercial butter sellers who are now adding yellow or orange Food Dyes to their butter to make you think it has high levels of  beta-carotene.

Uyanga enjoying a bowl of butter tea

My carpet collection has come in handy. I bought this handmade silk carpet in Uzbekistan, but it was probably Made in Iran or perhaps Turkmenistan. The big white oak in the photo has shed a prodigious amount of acorns. The neighborhood squirrels are as happy as, well, squirrels with a prodigious amount of acorns.