01
Jul 15
Jul 15
The stars at play
We read in the paper yesterday and then watched the news where people were discussing the current Venus-Jupiter planetary conjunction.
(It is highly likely that sitting there on the sofa against the wall dividing living room from kitchen is where I first became a news junky — the news was always on and there was always a big stack of newsprint sitting around. It somehow feels now as though I can’t get enough news there. I think because you’re watching the local and evening news and reading this morning’s newspaper, but that’s just a part of my regular information diet these days. But I digress.)
So my grandfather and I walked outside on the family compound last night and we looked up into the appropriate part of the sky.
There’s Venus! And, just there! Giant Jupiter!
I pulled out my phone, powered up one of my sky apps (I have three, and no, I don’t have a problem.) and started identifying stars and constellations and twirled around in the yard like a fool until I found the space station. It was below us and to the west.
My grandfather enjoyed this.
Today, he mentioned all of this to a coworker. (Because he’s the kind of guy who retired five or six years ago and still goes to work almost every day and laughs at how the rest of us talk about our hard days.) That coworker was intrigued and wanted to know more. So my grandfather came home I heard him put together a string of words I wouldn’t have imagined coming from him that morning.
“Oh, what was the name of that app you showed me with … ”
My grandfather: digital native.
So I turned it on again. This time we looked at things in the sky from inside the house, which might have been even more interesting. Look just behind the fireplace there and you’ll see …
When I went outside I took a few screen captures from the SkyView app, because these were just fun.
The constellation Cancer because this is basically my personal crest. He looks like he’s pinching the planets:
And look, Leo the lion is playing with two beach balls!
30
Jun 15
Jun 15
An observation on animals
When you see pets — or people, for that matter — only occasionally you see them in a different light than if you had daily interactions.
People’s personality traits are more endearing or obnoxious. Things you thought you liked, you might rethink. Things that you thought you disliked might not seem so bad after all.
With animals it is a little bit different — personalities and interactions being what they are. But I look at this pup and I think there’s something worth learning.
Ya know, she’s got the right idea.
I didn’t even run that far today. It was one of those days where I ran precisely enough to get in a 5K. And then I stopped, right away. But tired? That’s me.
29
Jun 15
Jun 15
Off traveling again
This is a shot from the freeway of pasture land somewhere near Belle Mina, Alabama.
Having sat still for several consecutive days it seemed only appropriate to pack a suitcase again. I’m taking a trip to see a few days worth of family.
Family is fine. Travel is fun. I’d pleased to not see a suitcase again for some serious length of time.
28
Jun 15
Jun 15
Just good enough for a national museum’s front porch
Here we all are, getting set to learn what it means to be British at the British Museum.
That’s not what you learn at the British Museum, actually, but we saw a lot of great artifacts. Here is a selection I shared on the site last month.
We were very pleased that Adam got to come and traipse around London with us for a weekend. Always nice to hear another accent you understand. We also got to see where seven-times or so removed ancestor immigrated from. Mostly we were just happy to see our friend.
