Scattered Thoughts . . .

A bout two weeks ago, we went to one of Kenzie's figure skating lessons.  It was actually nice to step into winter for a bit rather than be in the heat and humidity! This was the first lesson of Kenzie's we've seen since purchasing her a new pair of figure skates.  We're happy to say that we noticed a significant improvement in her skating since her ice show back in February!  I'm sure part of the reason for such a significant improvement is simply due to her getting older and stronger.  However, since she was clearly more sure-footed and fluid at this lesson and practice session, we have a very strong feeling that the biggest reason for her significant improvement is due to the new skates. Both Sheila and I feel as though she could be a pretty good figure skater so we're hoping she sticks with it.  Of course, getting ice time for practice is difficult for various reasons so growth comes slowly which can be frustrating for the skater.   _______________...

Sheila and I were out in the yard this morning looking for signs of bear damage.  Through our windows this morning, we noticed that a bear had gotten into our neighbor's garbage bins during the night and the garbage was strewn all over our next door neighbor's yard.  The garbage bins were across the street but all the garbage ended up in our next door neighbor's yard.   Also, as we were closing up the doors and windows before going to bed last night (so bears don't climb through our screens into the house), Sheila saw a very young fox in our yard.  So, we headed outside this morning to see if the bear had attempted to get into our trash shed and to see if there were any other signs of wildlife having visited our yard last night. While I was walking around our trash shed looking for big paw-prints or new deep gouges on our trash shed   (we do have some old gouges from bear claws) , I noticed a red-tailed hawk in a tree behind our house.  The hawk was at...

Shortly before arriving at our house the other day to spend some time with Gee and Papa, Kenzie got whacked under the eye by Ace's hard head.  I'm not sure Ace felt anything but Kenzie's eye quickly started swelling up.   Even after arriving at our house, she still spent much of the night with an icepack on her eye trying to bring down the swelling.  That night the swelling was just in a relatively small area right where Ace's head made contact with her face...  right on her left cheekbone.   By bedtime, her eye was becoming more bruised and it was becoming more obvious.  By the next day (yesterday), she had a more noticeable black eye and the swelling was more like a puffy swelling all across under her eye rather than just on her cheekbone!   She kept asking us whether or not her eye would be better by the time school starts later in the month.  Of course Gee and I teased her by telling her "oh no...  it will just keep getting...

In order to keep my astronomy gear at the highest quality possible, I need all sorts of specialized tools.  The more specialized my gear gets, the more specialized my tools need to be.  That being said, one of the most common tasks an astronomer needs at a high level of proficiency is the task of collimating optics. Lenses comprising a lens group need to be square to each other...  lens groups need to be square to the focuser...  and mirrors, if your telescope has any, need to be perfectly aligned so the light focuses at one sharp point after reflecting off of two mirrors.  The solar spectroheliograph I am building also needs each of its four optical elements to be aligned perfectly with respect to each other.  Astronomy isn't just about looking at the sky.  Your gear needs to be properly maintained otherwise your observing sessions will be less-than-stellar (pun intended).  Of course, I'm also not your typical backyard astronomer who is just look...

W hen I got up this morning, I immediately noticed that the sun was streaming in our windows and it was a color of light that we haven't seen in quite a while.  It took me a few seconds to recognized it but it was normal, bright sunshine not discolored nor diffused by smoke!  When I peered out the window, I noticed that the sky was a nice blue!  My first thoughts were that I should take advantage of the rare good weather to do some solar astronomy.   Unfortunately, my spine still has not fully recovered from my latest spinal problems that left me crumpled on the bathroom floor a few days ago.  This meant that I would need to keep my astronomy gear to a minimum to limit the amount of gear I would need to lift and carry outside.  So, I decided to go back to basics with simple gear.   I chose my smallest telescope (physical size)...  my Apex 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain.  I chose my simplest solar filter which is a glass filter that mount...

The day after our cruise on Lake Champlain, we did some typical tourist sightseeing around Waterbury with Lukey and Kenzie.  It was a quiet weekday morning so we beat the tourist crowd.   We started at Cold Hollow Cider Mill... Tasting the apple cider...   I found it to be a little bitter on this day but the taste does vary from season to season. After tasting the apple cider, we roamed around the store looking for things to purchase.  (We found plenty and went home with plenty.) Making the cider donuts... The kids and Gee had planned on getting some apple cider slushies but the slushie machine was being cleaned so they had no slushies available.  We did, however, get a dozen freshly made apple cider donuts instead of the slushies...  oh...  and quite a few other products that would have been purchased regardless of whether we got slushies or not. This is a view from out behind the cider mill looking toward the Worcester Range (and our house)...

L ukey and Kenzie were staying with us when we went on the cruise with the whole family so, a fter our cruise on Lake Champlain, we spent the evening in the backyard with Lukey and Kenzie.  Sheila and I haven't really had any time enjoying the backyard this summer due to the weather so it was nice to have suitable weather while Lukey and Kenzie were staying with us.  While Lukey started a fire in the firepit, Kenzie and Gee moved Kenzie's dollhouses to the deck so she could play... Since we had eaten well on the cruise and then stopped at The Longhorn for another meal on our way home, we weren't all that hungry for a full dinner so we opted for a weenie roast over the fire in the backyard.  I'm just about always up for a few hot dogs over a fire! After some hot dogs, the kids and Gee had a few S'mores too! As always, the sailboat got some attention... Playing soccer in the road...  not ideal footwear but she is a far better soccer player than she realizes... I'm...