Did you know an asteroid almost hit the Earth on Jan 13? I didn't, either. Not to worry, though. According to this story on Wired.com the asteroid probably wasn't large enough to create any sort of Deep Impact-type carnage.
 
The rock, between 30 and 50 feet across, was not in danger of striking the planet and probably would have burned up in the atmosphere before hitting Earth’s surface, if it had headed our way. The asteroid, dubbed 2010 AL30 was first spotted and announced Monday. It is the closest encounter Earth will have with any known object until 2024.
 

By Kirk Deeter

Trout Unlimited has named Chris Wood, currently TU's chief operating officer, to fill the chief executive officer's position held by Charles Gauvin since 1991.  Wood will take over February 1.

Since Gauvin took the helm of TU at the age of 34, the organization's development has been nothing short of extraordinary.  According to a TU press announcement, back then,

"TU’s budget was $2.5 million and it had approximately 50,000 members. There was just one staff person who worked on conservation issues.

By John Merwin

Speaking of winter projects, have you ever considered building your own boat? I thought about that for a long time, researching boat plans on the Internet and measuring my basement door to see if what I might build would fit through it.

My wife was terrified, wondering if some huge project would linger for years unfinished. Then I got lucky and found the home-made skiff shown here. The guy who made it in his garage soon decided he wanted a bigger boat. So I was able to buy this boat very inexpensively (partly because the resale value of owner-built boats is typically very low).

Sorry to riff off the Fly Talk blog, but I came across this photo and it was too good to pass up. If I'm not mistaken, it originally ran in a 1912 issue of Field & Stream. And yes, that's a big old porpoise (a.k.a. "Flipper" if you want to make it cute), hanging on a Naples, Florida, dock like a marlin or tuna. Oh my, how things have changed.