interesting day

Today was an interesting day. I have several huge projects going at the same time at work, and all the proofs just happened to come back to me today. All of them required action and revisions, plus two photo shoots. It's very unusual for me to have two photo shoots in the same day, but that has been happening a lot lately. Business is booming, and I'm liking it. I have always been of the opinion that it better to be too busy than not busy enough. And I love the variety of graphic design and photography projects that come my way. One of today's shoots was about technology and our company's role as a responsible steward of energy. I enjoyed talking to the engineer in the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking the pictures.

And then there was the digital camera workshop tonight. The participants asked a ton of questions . . . at least twice as many as the group in the October workshop. I talked so much in that brief two hour meeting that I almost lost my voice. I am exhausted, but judging from the survey sheets the participants filled out, most of them felt that tonight was time well spent.

A quick note about the song for today
Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens has got to be one of my all-time favorite albums and On The Road To Find Out is one of my all-time favorite songs. It was my anthem back in the days of my youth. I left home at 16 and it was difficult to carve out a niche for myself, but through a series of difficult decisions and several restarts, I think I did OK. This song came out about two years after I had made my decision to leave home and make it on my own. I listened it over and over . . . memorized the lyrics . . . sang it a million times and there's still so much left to know.
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Song 227: On The Road To Find Out
Artist: Cat Stevens
Album: Tea For The Tillerman
Year: 1970
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Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road and many kinds I met there
Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
Theres so much left to know, and Im on the road to find out

Well in the end Ill know, but on the way I wonder
Through descending snow, and through the frost and thunder

Well, I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robins song saying not to worry

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
Theres so much left to know, and Im on the road to findout

Then I found myself alone, hopin someone would miss me
Thinking about my home, and the last woman to kiss me, kiss me

But sometimes you have to moan when nothing seems to suit yer
But nevertheless you know youre locked towards the future

So on and on you go, the seconds tick the time out
Theres so much left to know, and Im on the road to findout

Then I found my head one day when I wasnt even trying
And here I have to say, cause there is no use in lying, lying

Yes the answer lies within, so why not take a look now?
Kick out the devils sin, pick up, pick up the good book now

digital camera workshop 2

In October I conducted a digital camera workshop in our community. Participation was limited to 24 people due to the space of the room and the structure of the workshop. I broke the workshop into eight segments: the camera; outdoor and nature tips and techniques; an outdoor mini field trip; close-up and blurred photography tips and techniques; a mini field trip to explore macro photography; people photography tips and techniques; a mini field trip to explore portraiture; and the wrap-up. The workshop was so well received that it sold-out almost as soon as it was announced. There was a waiting list, so I offered to have another workshop this month. That workshop is tomorrow night and it has sold out too. I have already agreed to do three more workshops for adults in the first quarter of 2008 and one just for kids, plus a kids photography summer camp in June.

There were a number of senior citizens in the October workshop. They seemed very pleased to have someone spend time with them and answer their questions about how to use their cameras. Many of them received a camera as a gift from their children, and they were a little bit intimidated by all the settings. Most of them didn't have a clue what to do with the pictures once they took them. One gentleman had 19 flash cards filled with images and he would view his pictures by switching the cards out in his camera and scrolling through the pictures on the small LCD screen. He was thrilled to learn that he could take his flash card to Walmart and have his pictures printed. Can you imagine how much money this gentleman has spent on flash cards. I suggested that he hand the cards to his son and have him burn them to CDs and also have his son print out hard copies of the best ones for his photo album. It seems so unfair to me that this new technology has been dropped in on these seniors and they are just left to deal with it. It was easy when they could take 35mm pictures, turn in the film and get back pictures. There's no reason it can't be that easy now. And I want to help show them how to get the most out of their cameras.
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Song 226: No Time
Artist: Guess Who
Album: American Woman
Year: 1970
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(No time left for you) On my way to better things
(No time left for you) I found myself some wings
(No time left for you) Distant roads are callin' me
(No time left for you) Da-un-da-un-da-un-da-un-da

No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There's no time left for you
No time left for you

(No time left for you) On my way to better things
(No time left for you) I found myself some wings
(No time left for you) Distant roads are callin' me
(No time left for you) Day-un-day-un-day-un-day-un-day

No time for a gentle rain
No time for my watch and chain
No time for revolving doors
No time for the killin' floor
No time for the killin' floor
There's no time left for you
No time left for you

No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There's no time left for you
No time left for you

No time, no time, no time, no time
No time, no time, no time, no time
I got, got, got, got no time
I got, got, got, got no time
I got, got, got, got no time
No-no-no, no-no-no, no time
No-no-no, no-no-no, no time
I got, got, got, got no time
No-no-no, no-no-no, no-no-no,
no-no-no, no-no-no, no-no-no, no time
I got no time, got no time, got no time, got no time, got no time

ribbon cutting

Today is an important day in the life of the archaeological and geological society in which my family and I are members. As a member of the board of directors for our club, I had the privilege of attending the ribbon cutting ceremonies for Nonconnah Greenbelt Phase I. Portions of this trail system have already been constructed and are open in my home town, which is a suburb of (t)he bluff city. Today's ceremonies mark the opening of the first section of the trail in (t)he bluff city. In Phase II, which is scheduled to begin construction in the spring of 2008, this section will join with the section in my home town. Phase III will extend the trail west toward the mighty Mississippi.

Our club will play a major role in Phase II as we help design the trail and amenities along the creek such as information kiosks at intervals along the trail where visitors can read about the geology and biology of each section. Our plan would include access to the creek near these kiosks, providing visitors with an opportunity to walk down to the creek for a closer look.

Long term plans for the area we saw today include an interpretive center, complete with a small museum featuring the flora, fauna and geology of this area. Our club would provide the minerals and fossils to be displayed in the geology section of the museum.
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Song 225: No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
Artist: Guess Who
Album: American Woman
Year: 1970
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Lonely feeling, deep inside
Find a corner where I can hide
Silent footsteps crowding me
Sudden darkness, but I can see

{Refrain}
No sugar tonight in my coffee
No sugar tonight in my tea
No sugar to stand beside me
No sugar to run with me
Da do da da...

In the silence of her mind
Quiet movements where I can find
Grabbing for me with her eyes
Now I'm falling from her skies

{Refrain}

Jock says yes, and I believe him
When we talk about the things I say
She hasn't got the faith or the guts to leave him
When they're standing in each other's way

You're driven back now to places you've been to
You wonder what you're gonna find
You know you've been wrong but it won't be long
Before you leave 'em all far behind

{Second Refrain}
'Cause it's the new mother nature taking over
It's the new splendid lady come to call
It's the new mother nature taking over
She's getting us all, she's getting us all

Jock said no when I came back last time
It's looking like I lost a friend
No use calling 'cause the sky is falling
And I'm getting pretty near the end

A smoke filled room in a corner basement
The situation must be right
A bag of goodies and a bottle of wine
We're gonna get it on right tonight

{Second Refrain}

Lonely feeling
Jock says yes and I believe him
Deep inside
When we talk about the things I say
Find a corner
She hasn't got the faith or the guts to leave him
Where I can hide
When they're standing in each other's way

Silent footsteps
You're driven back now to places you've been to
Crowding me
You wonder what you're gonna find
Sudden darkness
You know you've been wrong and it won't be long
But I can see
Before you leave 'em all far behind

Da do da da...

the country's oldest hippie commune

The Farm is just a few hours from where I live. The country's oldest and largest hippie commune is located about an hour south of Nashville, Tennessee. The Farm had its beginning in San Fransisco in the late sixties when an English professor began holding weekly spirituality classes whose topics centered around the importance of community. When asked to go on a nationwide speaking tour, this professor invited all the college students from his spirituality classes to join him. The students bought old school buses and took him up on the offer. During their tour of the country, they decided they did not want to return to the life they were leading before the tour. They began to search for a place to form a commune and Summertown, Tennessee fit the bill perfectly.

In 1971 The Farm was established and it is still around today. Back in its heyday The Farm was home to over 1500 residents. Today there are about 300 living there and the rules have changed a lot. In the beginning anyone who chose to live on The Farm gave all their possessions to The Farm and everyone shared equally. Each person was given food and plenty of land to build on. Today, residents pay a monthly fee to live on The Farm, many of them hold jobs outside The Farm and they keep their earnings. The Farm remains a mostly vegetarian community with a deep concern for the environment. Emphasis is placed on living economically and responsibly, conserving energy and promoting green technology. The Farm has it own publishing company and soy dairy, but doesn't do a lot of farming anymore. It costs less to buy organically grown food than it does to produce it on site.

Students at The Farm School play a major role in determining how the classes are conducted, what subjects they will study, who will teach, when class will meet and what field trips will be offered.

Things have changed a lot since the first days of The Farm, but it still offers an alternative to the way the rest of us live our lives.
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Song 224: No matter What
Artist: Badfinger
Album: No Dice
Year: 1970
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No matter what you are
I will always be with you
Doesn't matter what you do girl, oh girl with you
No matter what you do
I will always be around
Won't you tell me what you found girl, oh girl won't you
Knock down the old brick wall, and be a part of it all
Nothing to say, nothing to see, nothing to do
If you would give me all, as I would give it to you
Nothing would be, nothing would be, nothing would be
No matter where you go
There will always be a place
Can't you see in my face girl, oh girl don't you
Knock down the old brick wall, and be a part of it all
Nothing to say, nothing to see, nothing to do
If you would give me all, as I would give it to you
Nothing would be, nothing would be, nothing would be
No matter what you are
I will always be with you
Doesn't matter what you do girl, oh girl want you
Oh girl, you girl, want you
Oh girl, you girl, want you

um um good

Today was the second annual Thanksgiving for shut-ins. My wife and I are the oldest members of our Fellowship Class. One of the things that attracted us to the class a year and a half ago was the closeness of the class members. There are about 35 couples in the class and they genuinely care about each other and our community. When the beginning of a new school year approaches, this class collects backpacks and fills them with school supplies. At the beginning of this school year, over 75 school backpacks were filled and delivered to school children who live in depressed areas of our community and the surrounding metro area. When someone in our town needs help, this class consistently steps up to lend a hand. Whether it is doing yardwork all summer long for a recently-widowed young woman with small children, or fixing and delivering meals to someone recovering from surgery, or lending a helping hand as a young family moves from one house to another. This class is filled with giving people and my wife and I are humbled to be a part of it.

Thanksgiving for shut-ins is just one more example of outreach to the community. I don't know the final number, but I know that over 60 meals were delivered to shut-ins today at lunchtime. The class used one of our church vans to pick up another 11 seniors and bring them to the church for lunch. We gathered early this morning to prepare the lunches. Several class members cooked turkeys last night and this morning. Still others baked apple pies and brought them to the church this morning. The church let us borrow the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meals: cheesy mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls. A few posts back I told you about the boys of the church wrapping tissue rolls, filled with peppermints and Hersheys® Kisses. Each shut-in today received one of those rolls, as well as a Thanksgiving card made by one the girls. My wife and I delivered seven meals today. It was such a great experience visiting with these seniors, talking with them, giving them hugs, and smiles and meals.
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Song 223: Mother
Artist: John Lennon
Album: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Year: 1970
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Mother, you had me but I never had you,
I wanted you but you didn't want me,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Farther, you left me but I never left you,
I needed you but you didn't need me,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Children, don't do what I have done,
I couldn't walk and I tried to run,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home...

future hockey player

(r)ouge and her friends attended a high school boys' hockey game this week, and she came home all enthused. I so want to play ice hockey. I want to play on a team when I get in college. We have to find a college with a women's hockey team. Please please please! So today she and her friends spent all afternoon roller blading. She came home a bit worn out and sore. Not too many falls. She told us about the dreams she has been having about ice hockey and her future on the ice. Nevermind that we only have one full-time ice rink within three hours of our house. And nevermind that we only get one or two snows a year and the temperatures don't get low enough in this part of the country to freeze the ponds to sufficient thickness to skate on. And nevermind that the ice the boys' hockey team skated on the other night is for local high school teams, not for the general public. But she still insists that she wants to be on a team . . . we'll see. I love it when she or (t)onks get excited about a goal.

Thus began our conversation about and reminescence of years gone by. Back to the years when we had two ice rinks in town and my wife spent most of her spare time on the ice. She was a very skilled ice skater by the time she and I began dating. I spent many hours watching her skate. She was so graceful . . . and fast. I recall one snowy day when she and two of her coworkers decided to take a snow day and go ice skating. And there on the evening news that day was my wife and her friends gliding around on the ice. None of the management at her work mentioned seeing her on TV but many of her coworkers saw the news. Oops.
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Song 222: Miles From Nowhere
Artist: Cat Stevens
Album: Tea For The Tillerman
Year: 1970
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Miles from nowhere
I guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

Look up at the mountain
I have to climb
Oh yeah, to reach there.

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won't need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere
Guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

I creep through the valleys
And I grope through the woods
'cause I know when I find it my honey
It's gonna make me feel good

I love everything
So don't it make you feel sad
'cause I'll drink to you, my baby
I'll think to that, I'll think to that.

Miles from nowhere
Not a soul in sight
Oh yeah, but it's alright

I have my freedom
I can make my own rules
Oh yeah, the ones that I choose

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won't need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere
Guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there.

thanks for snicker doodles and jiffy pop

The smell of pumpkin crisp baking in the oven this morning and snicker doodles in the evening. What excellent Thanksgiving aromas. This has been a very nice day. (t)onks is home from college for four days. We have been chilling out today. Watching movies and an I Love Lucy marathon. Baking cookies. Popping Jiffy Pop popcorn. We had an incredible lunch-dinner at my wife's parents' house. Turkey and all the trimmings. Football. Dogsitting our neighbor's golden retriever. It's been three weeks since we lost (f)uzzhead and it feels good to have a dog around the house again.
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Song 221: Mean Mistreater
Artist: Grand Funk Railroad
Album: Closer To Home
Year: 1970
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Mean mistreater, you make me cry,
You lay around, and watch me die.
Mean mistreater, cant you see Im real?
Are you satisfied, with the way you feel?

Ive tried hard to live without you, in so many ways.
I just cant help myself from thinking of you, for the rest of my days.
Heartache is at my door step, wont leave me alone.
I just cant get used to it, now that Im on my own.

I know all about you, your childhood days,
Your mom and dad, your pretty face.
Mean mistreater, if you need me,
Im needin you to set me free.

after the storm

Today was the perfect day for a long hike. A storm came through our area last night and this morning and when the sky cleared, the temperature rose to about 70. This could be the last warm day for a while. Tomorrow should be about 50. Since today is Thanksgiving Eve, our offices closed early and I took advantage of the extra time, by hiking five miles or so on my favorite trail. I took these pictures along the way. A while back I told you about one section of this trail that floods easily. Well, these pictures are from that section. Some points along the trail were as much as 5 inches under water. It's days like these that provide barefoot hikers with a great advantage over those with boots.
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Song 220: Maybe I'm Amazed
Artist: Paul McCartney
Album: McCartney
Year: 1970
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Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time
And hung me on a line
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you

CHORUS:
Maybe I'm a man and maybe I'm a lonely man
Who's in the middle of something
That he doesn't really understand
Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman
Who could ever help me
Baby won't you help me understand

CHORUS

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
You right me when I'm wrong
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you

would you like a cup

Today was all about the cup, not the contents. One of our local coffee shops allowed us to invade their space for most of the morning so we could do a photo shoot of cups. This little family-owned café was the perfect setting to shoot our cups. We had hot cups, cold cups, soup cups, fruit cups, clear cups, lids and sleeves. The shoot was the most fun part. After the shoot came the sorting, color correction, evaluation phase of the shoot.

There seem to be more and more of these photo shoots recently . . . and more on the schedule. This is a new dynamic of my job and I am really enjoying it. Thanks to the advances in digital photography and a few opportunities to attend digital workshops and seminars. One of the best things about this field of graphic design and digital photography is the willlingness of peers to share knowledge and help each other advance. The career I have followed for the past thirty five years is a visual one. If my work is good, it is accepted immediately, if it is bad, I know it immediately. It is extremely important to stay current. To keep up with color trends. Illustration trends. Graphic techniques and technology. Trends in typography. A couple of times a year, I attend conferences aimed at designers and photographers, just so I can stay ahead of or at least on the curve. The career I chose is just perfect . . . for me.

About today's song
Mama Told Me Not To Come is as relevant today as it was in 1970. Kids . . . listen to your parents. There are things in this society that you think you want to be a part of, but you will be much better off if you stay away from them. Listen to your mama.
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Song 219: Mama Told Me Not To Come
Artist: Three Dog Night
Album: It Ain't Easy
Year: 1970
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Want some whiskey in your water
Sugar in your tea
What's all these crazy questions they askin' me
This is the craziest party there could ever be
Don't turn on the lights, 'cause I don't want to see

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
That ain't the way to have fun, no

Open up the window
Let some air into this room
I think I'm almost chokin'
From the smell of stale perfume

And that cigarette you're smoking
'Bout scared me half to death
Open up the window, sucker
Let me catch my breath

[Refrain]
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
She said, that ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, son

The radio is blastin'
Someone's knocking at the door
I'm lookin' at my girlfriend
She's passed out on the floor

I seen so many things
I ain't never seen before
Don't know what it is
I don't wanna see no more

[Refrain]

Mama told me, mama told me, mama told me
Told me, told me
That ain't no way to have fun, whoah, yeah yeah
Mama told me not to come
Mama, mama, mama told me
That ain't no way to have fun

That ain't the way to have fun, no
That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, no
That ain't the way to have fun, son

when does a good team become the bad guys

When (t)onks first joined an under-19 co-ed soccer team in our local recreational soccer league she had no idea what kind of team it was going to be. As it turned out, the coach was topnotch and so were the players. The team members were selected by computer. Returning players to the league could play for their old team or choose a new one. New players to the league were randomly placed on a team by a computer program. (t)onks loved her first year on the team . . . and her next year . . . and the next three after that. They were undefeated for five years. As older players would rotate off of the team, new players would come on and they just seemed to fit right in. When (r)ouge became old enough to play in the under-19 co-ed league she was allowed to play on the same team, because we already had a daughter on the team. They continued to be undefeated. They were incredible to watch. When they were leading comfortably, their coach would rotate the defensive players to the offensive line and they continued to score. As the team progressed, rotating the defensive players to the front line had a side effect. Now all the players on the team were multitasking. They could play any position. The coach did the same with the goalkeepers and in no time he had a variety of goalkeepers to play in that position. Our team kept getting better and better. As they got better, I saw a strange phenomenon develop. The first two years, our team was viewed as a really good team by the other teams in the league, but as we moved into the third year, the other teams began to dislike our team. It was the same kids, with a few departures and a few new arrivals each season, but you could hear the chatter on the sidelines. "I hate this team." "They always win." "They shouldn't be in this league." "Give us a break." Our coach even tried playing nine players on our team against 11 on the opposing team. We still won. It was a problem . . . but not for us. It was a problem for our competition. We even changed coaches a couple of times, but the players continued to excel and win. It was sweet.

Two years ago, over half the team graduated off and a new group of players came on. All of the players are talented and they play well together, but we are not the winning dynamo anymore. We are average. We win some, we loose some. Our team isn't as smooth as it used to be. They still have a great time. (r)ouge still enjoys playing, and we have noticed sometime else. The opposing team players actually talk to our team again. They enjoy playing against us. I guess that's the trade-off. You win all the time, nobody likes you. You win some of the time, everybody likes you. You lose all the time . . . nobody likes you.

Go figure!
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Song 218: Liar
Artist: Three Dog Night
Album: Naturally
Year: 1970
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I won't ever leave, you want me to stay
Nothing you can do, that could turn me away
Hanging on anyway
Believing the things you say, being a fool
You've taken my life, so take my soul
That's what you said and I believe it all
I want to be with you
as long as you want me to
So don't move away
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, Liar, Liar

We may see no light
We have see no day
I may be leaving, but you want me to stay
You can believe in me
I won't be leaving, I won't let you go
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, Liar, Liar
Liar, Liar
Liar, Liar, Liar

You've taken my life, so take my soul
That's what you said but who are we to know
I want to be with you
as long as you want me to
So don't move away
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, Liar, Liar
Liar, Liar, Liar

motives matter

So what about the shut-ins that we visit for Thanksgiving, or the ones that we visit for Christmas and sing Christmas carols, or invite to church on Easter for "high attendance" Sunday? What happens to these people the rest of the year? There are people who are hurting in our town every day. Not just one or two days a year. If they are hungry at Thanksgiving, or in need of clothing at Christmastime, or in need of prayer at Eastertime, they are in need all year long. What stops us from helping them year-round? We can rationalize our lack of caring by saying that we are too busy or we don't know who needs our help or we don't have the money. We can say we'll pray for them. But we have got give wings to our prayers. Action. Caring. Concern. It doesn't take a lot of money to show someone you care. If you know someone who lives alone, or someone who is raising children as a single parent, or a college student who is living away from home, or an elderly couple who no longer drive, or someone who has lost a job, or someone who is going through hard times, or someone who has just been diagnosed with a major medical problem . . . even if you don't know someone in one of these situations, you can find someone . . . search them out. Show you care. It doesn't take money to spend an hour or two every other weekend to sit with an elderly shut-in or take someone to the doctor or to the grocery store. It doesn't take a lot of money to search through your closet and find clothes that you don't wear any more, bag them up and give them to someone you know needs them and will appreciate them.

Motives matter. Help someone. Not because it will make you look like a hero. Not because you can tell someone what you did. Do it because you care about your fellow man. Do it because it is the right thing to do. Can you imagine what our world would be like if we all cared about each other. The matters that concerned Christ 2000 years ago are the same matters that concern us today . . . hunger, thirst, need for shelter, clothing, comfort during sickness, care for prisoners. We all have a responsibility to care about our fellow man. I'm talking to me as much as I am talking to anyone reading these words. We all have the same problem. We all fall short in the caring department. This reminds me . . . I need to call my mom tomorrow.
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Song 217: Lucky Man
Artist: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Album: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Year: 1970
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He had white Horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was led

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

saturday in the park

(r)ouge and I spent the morning at a local nature center on a two family photo shoot. I can see a future family business developing here. (r)ouge has a great artistic eye for composition. We took turns taking pictures. I would shoot for a while and (r)ouge would direct. Then we would switch and I would direct while (r)ouge shot. This was a challenging assignment, but at the end of the session, we had a diverse collection of photographs for the families to choose from. One family has a daughter and the other a son, so I took several shots of the two of them playing in a pile of freshly raked leaves on the hillside. The biggest challenge of the day was sorting through 400+ pictures to narrow the session down to the best 50 shots. I promised each family a CD of images on Monday.

Thoughts about today's song
John Fogerty's son, Josh, was 3 when John wrote Lookin Out My Back Door. It's all about imagination, inspired by To Think That I Saw It On Mulberrry Street by Dr. Seuss, as the lyrics describe a street parade passing by. I have always enjoyed the clean, fresh lyrics of John Fogerty.
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Song 216: Lookin Out My Back Door
Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Cosmo's Factory
Year: 1970
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Just got home from illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in, pretty soon Im singin,

Chorus:
Doo, doo, doo, lookin out my back door.

Theres a giant doing cartwheels, a statue wearin high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur victrola listning to buck owens.

Chorus

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
Wont you take a ride on the flyin spoon?
Doo, doo doo.
Wondrous apparition provided by magician.

Chorus

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
Wont you take a ride on the flyin spoon?
Doo, doo doo.
Bother me tomorrow, today, Ill buy no sorrows.

Chorus

Forward troubles illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
Bother me tomorrow, today, Ill buy no sorrows.

candy for shut-ins

Working with a large group of kids has its challenges, but this week was not one of them. The two boys above were part of a larger group of perhaps sixty or so girls and boys who were busy making things for shut-ins (mostly elderly men and women who are unable to leave their homes often -- if at all -- because of their age, failing health, or mobility issues). While the girls were busy making Happy Thanksgiving cards, dining room table decorations and wrapping tissue flowers, the boys were busy making candy rolls. And it all happened so smoothly. It was interesting to watch as the boys just naturally formed an assembly line. While some of them prepared the tissue rolls by taping one end closed, another group took the prepared rolls, filled them with peppermints and Hershey's Kisses®, and passed them on to the wrapping department. Each roll was wrapped in a square of wrapping tissue, the ends twisted closed, then passed on to the tying department where the boys tied a piece of yarn to each end and passed them on to the finishing department. At the final station, the boys bagged and counted the finished candy rolls. In just 35 minutes this group of twenty boys made over 270 candy rolls, all ready to be distributed to shut-ins next weekend when a group of adults and kids will be delivering the candy, hand-made decorations and cards, and full Thanksgiving dinners (prepared by a group of dedicated men and women that morning) to dozens of shut-ins in our hometown. My wife and I will be helping distribute the goodies. I can hardly wait. It is so good to see each one of these sweet elderly folks, talk with them, give them hugs, listen to their stories, and leave each one of them with a smile and a hot turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
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Song 215: Long As I Can See The Light
Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Cosmo's Factory
Year: 1970
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Put a candle in the window, cause I feel Ive got to move.
Though Im going, going, Ill be coming home soon,
long as I can see the light.

Pack my bag and lets get movin, cause Im bound to drift a while.
When Im gone, gone, you dont have to worry long,
long as I can see the light.

Guess Ive got that old travlin bone, cause this feelin wont leave me alone.
But I wont, wont be losin my way, no, no
long as I can see the light.

Yeah! yeah! yeah! oh, yeah!

Put a candle in the window, cause I feel Ive got to move.
Though Im going, going, Ill be coming home soon,
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.

brothers

This picture just about sums up today's photo shoot. The assignment was to get pictures of a family having fun in the forest. We gathered at the trailhead this afternoon and had a great time. The mom and dad, a sister and two brothers hiked and played and explored nature for a couple of hours. I think I took about two hundred pictures. The problem will be narrowing the final choices down to just a half dozen or so. Today was nice and sunny with temperatures in the upper fifties. Crisp but comfortable. I've had some really good photography assignments this fall. First was the visit to a fishing camp in New Brunswick, Canada, then the hot cup shoot a couple of weeks ago and finally today's family shoot.
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Song 214: The Long and Winding Road
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Let It Be
Year: 1970
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The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
Ive seen that road before
It always leads me her
Lead me to you door

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way

Many times Ive been alone
And many times Ive cried
Any way youll never know
The many ways Ive tried

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Dont leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Dont leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

space weather workshop in africa this week

Today marks the mid-point of the HIY-Africa Space Weather Science and Education Workshop being held this week (November 12-16) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This workshop is under the auspices of the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) in cooperation with several international and African programs and in conjunction with Addis Ababa University and Bahir Dar University.

The main purpose of this workshop is to promote a strong educational space science base in Africa. International scientists are hopeful that this workshop will lead to a stronger scientific observational infrastructure in Africa, and that Sub-Saharan African scientists will become involved in international science objectives.

At this point in time, the global study of space weather (how the events occurring in near space and solar events such as gamma bursts and solar flares effect Earth) is incomplete. Efforts are underway to enhance the African scientific community’s instrumentation and observation capabilities in this area.

One of the topics of discussion this week at the workshop is the presence of a strange phenomenon currently happening in the atmosphere above Africa – an ion plume. Ion plumes occur during geomagnetic storms and they can interfere with satellite transmissions, airline navigation and radio communications. The ionosphere is a region approximately 60 to 400 miles above the surface of the Earth where ultraviolet radiation from the sun knocks electrons off atoms and molecules, creating a layer of ionized gas which completely surrounds the Earth. The ionosphere can bend, distort, reflect and absorb radio waves. Ion plumes are concentrted areas of high ionized gas levels. These plumes, such as the one currently over Africa can amplify teh distortion of radio waves.

Ion plumes can be monitored by using dual-frequency GPS receivers as sensors. North America has thousands of these GPS sensors, linked as a network to monitor North American ion plumes. Africa has only a few dozen dual-frequency GPS receivers. The map above pinpoints the locations of Africa’s current dual-frequency GPS receivers. One of the goals of this week’s workshop is to familiarize African scientists with the ion plume phenomenon and lay the groundwork for a continent-wide deployment of GPS receivers in the near future.

A note about IHY
2007 is the International Heliophysical Year (IHY). IHY is a UN-sponsored but scientifically driven international program of scientific collaboration to understand external drivers of planetary environments and universal processes in solar-terrestrial-planetary-heliospheric physics. The IHY has three primary objectives: [01] Advancing our Understanding of the Heliophysical Processes that Govern the Sun, Earth and Heliosphere; [02] Continuing the tradition of international research and advancing the legacy on the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year; and [03] Demonstrating the Beauty, Relevance and Significance of Space and Earth Science to the World.

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Song 213: Let It Rain
Artist: Eric Clapton
Album: Eric Clapton
Year: 1970
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The rain is falling through the mist of sorrow that surrounded me.
The sun could never thaw away the the bliss that lays around me.

Let it rain, let it rain,
Let your love rain down on me.
Let it rain, let it rain,
Let it rain, rain, rain.

Her life was like a desert flower burning in the sun.
Until I found the way to love, its harder said than done.

Chorus

Now I know the secret; there is nothing that I lack.
If I give my love to you, youll surely give it back.

arctic changes may not be related to global warming

Sunset over the arctic
Photo credit: Jeremy Jarbeck, courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

A news release from NASA today suggests that not all the huge changes we have been seeing in Arctic climate over the past few years are the result of long-term trends associated with global warming. The University of Washington’s Polar Science Applied Physics Laboratory in Seattle used data collected from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace) Earth-observing satellite and from deep-sea pressure gauges which monitor Arctic Ocean circulation for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The research team discovered a 10-milibar decrease in water pressure at the bottom of the ocean at the North Pole between 2002 and 2006. This amount of decrease is equal to removing the weight of 4 inches of water from the ocean. This study has lead this research team to suggest that Arctic Ocean circulation has changed from the counterclockwise pattern it exhibited in the 1990s to a clockwise pattern that was dominant prior to 1990. Activity in the Arctic Ocean during the winter of 2006-2007 suggests that the ocean current is ready to start swinging back to a counterclockwise pattern.

This Arctic Oscillation was relatively stable until around 1970 as it showed signs of an upward trend until the late 1990s, when it again stabilized. During its strong counterclockwise phase in the 1990s, the Arctic environment changed considerably, with the upper Arctic Ocean undergoing major changes that persisted into this century. Many scientists viewed these changes as evidence of an ongoing climate shift, raising concerns about the effects of global warming on the Arctic, but this newer data indicates that the bottom pressure has increased back toward its 2002 level.

I have always been intrigued by studies such as this one. According to this research team, even though these changes in circulation may not be directly tied to global warming, the circulation patterns of the 1990s may be a preview of how the Arctic will respond to a warming world.

To find out more about the Grace, a partnership between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), follow this link: http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/ or click on the headline of this post.
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Song 212: Let It Be
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Let It Be
Year: 1970
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When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

scouting locations

I have a photo shoot scheduled for Thursday afternoon. I'll be taking pictures of a family hiking in and around the forest. For about four hours today I hiked the trails near my workplace, scouting out locations for the shoot. I know. I know. It's a tough assignment, but somebody had to do it. I had an opportunity to hike on trails that I don't normally hike, and I discovered some very nice locations. It was a bit overcast today, but conditions should be sunny on Thursday, although it will be about ten degrees cooler than it was today. The temperature today was just right . . . about 68 degrees.
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Song 211: Layla
Artist: Derek and the Dominoes
Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Year: 1970
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What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

Chorus

Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.

Chorus

scenes from the backyard

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Song 210: Lady Madonna
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Hey Jude
Year: 1970
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Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who find the money when you pay the rent
Did you think that money was heaven sent

Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs
See how they run

Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
Pa pa pa pa...
See how they run

Lady Madonna lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head

Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night you stocking needed mending
See how they run

Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet

glowing mineral

(r)ouge and I took the day off from work and school yesterday for a road trip to a university campus a little over an hour from our house. High school seniors from all over the country were there for preview day. As the day progressed smaller groups of seniors broke away to find out more about their particular interests. (r)ouge and I were in the group interested in a degree in art. We have visited several college and university art departments, but this one was the best thus far. Art students were busy in 3-D as they formed and fired huge clay pots in kilns nearby. Raku kilns stood at the ready nearby and the professor told us of their adventures in this part of the campus. They have a close relationship with the local fire department, since smoke billows from this building frequently as the students fire their raku pots and sculptures. The student to professor across the entire campus is 11 to 1 and the ratio is even lower in the college of art. The students were engaged and the professors we met seemed to be top notch. (r)ouge loved the classes and the professors. The only thing she was not as enthusiastic about was the appearance that the campus was sheltered from real life, enclosed and sealed in a sterile environment. She would attend this university in a heartbeat if it were in the middle of a metropolitan area. She wants to experience life on and off campus. I see her point and I know where she gets it. In my younger days I chose a small, isolated college. I received a great education but I ultimately decided that engineering was not my cup of tea. Before pursuing a second degree in art, I spread college catalogs out all over the floor, studied them, thumbed through them, analyzed them and my final choice was a university several hundred miles from home, set in the middle of a large metropolitan area. I thoroughly enjoyed my college experiences . . . both of them. (t)onks, my wife, and I will help (r)ouge as much as we can as she makes her college decision, but it has to be her final decision . . . that plus the best scholarship opportunities. These are difficult decisions.

As soon as we got home from the campus visit, my wife and I headed out to a geology club meeting last night. Our director of youth programs recently accepted a position in Australia, so she in no longer the director. I am the new director of youth programs, which has its challenges. We have an average of about 20 kids each month in the program and they range in age from 6 to 14. It is difficult to design a program that spans a wide age range like that. Last night we talked about the Native American culture of pre-European North America and the use of natural resources in everyday life. As a hands-on project, we made honor feathers. The kids chose their own feathers (grey duck and/or quail feathers) and a ponybead. My wife and I taught them how to frap (to bind or wrap tightly) their feathers and bead with sinew. After they had completed their honor feathers, my wife and I tied the feathers into their hair and I taught them a simple two-step Native American dance step. To end the class, we danced a friendship dance together around the room to the beat of a tom-tom drum. I had a great time and from the comments from the parents after the meeting, the kids did too.

While we were having the youth meeting, the adults in our club were busy in the large meeting room sorting through several hundred minerals, cataloging and sorting them into potential museum display pieces, educational pieces to use in school classroom and scout meeting talks, minerals that might eventually be sold, and minerals earmarked for donation to other organizations. After the youth meeting ended, several adults members, one youth member and I scanned the minerals with a UV light to check for fluorescence. I jotted the mineral ID down for each one that fluoresced. The picture above is one of the minerals. It looks like barite to me. I didn't check the actual name of the mineral, I only jotted down the ID number for future reference. I thought this one was a particularly nice specimen. There were over 100 fluorescent minerals in the collection we scanned last night.

What a great day!
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Song 209: Joy to the World
Artist: Three Dog Night
Album: Naturally
Year: 1970
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Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine
Singin'...

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

If I were the king of the world
Tell you what I'd do
I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war
Make sweet love to you
Sing it now...

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

You know I love the ladies
Love to have my fun
I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider
A straight shootin' son-of-a-gun
I said a straight shootin' son-of-a-gun

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

the towers at night

As I was leaving work this evening the lights in the towers caught my attention. The air was crisp. The sky was clear, and I really liked the way the towers stood out against the background sky. The amazing part . . . I actually held the camera still while the picture was being processed, and it seemed like the shutter stayed open for three seconds or more.
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Song 208: It Ain't Easy
Artist: Three Dog Night
Album: It Ain't Easy
Year: 1970
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When you go up on the mountain top
And you look out across the sea
And you know there's another place perhaps
A young man can be
And you jump down to the rooftop
And you look out across the town
And you know there's a lot of strange things
Circulatin' round
But it ain't easy,
It ain't easy, it ain't easy
To go ahead when your going' down
...

shuttle overhead

About 11:35 this morning my friend called and said, "You have six minutes to get downstairs!"

The space shuttle was coming in for a landing in Florida and the Mid-South was in its flight path. I ran out into the parking lot and began watching the WNW sky for the shuttle's contrail. I watched for eight minutes without seeing it. I called my friend back and he said he was watching television and the shuttle was reportedly still over the Pacific. Right about then I saw the contrail! I told him to go outside . . . quick. He did and he and I watched the shuttle cross the skies of the Mid-South and disappear on the ESE horizon. What an adventure. In comparison to other contrails in the sky left by passing airliners, the shuttle contrail was huge. And to add icing to the cake, as the shuttle was about thirty degrees above the horizon on its way out of sight, we heard the sonic boom . . . a huge boom directly overhead.

I was so wrapped up in watching the shuttle that I forgot to take pictures until it was well on its way, so the picture above is not very detailed. When it was just about overhead, I could actually see the triangular shape of the shuttle and see its sunlite underbellow. I loved it!
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Song 207: I've Got A Feeling
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Let It Be
Year: 1970
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I've got a feeling, a feeling deep inside
Oh yeah, Oh yeah. (that's right.)
I've got a feeling, a feeling I can't hide
Oh no. no. Oh no! Oh no.
Yeah! Yeah! I've got a feeling. Yeah!

Oh please believe me, I'd hate to miss the train
Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah.
And if you leave me I won't be late again
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Yeah Yeah I've got a feeling, yeah.
I got a feeling.

All these years I've been wandering around,
Wondering how come nobody told me
All that I was looking for was somebody
Who looked like you.

I've got a feeling that keeps me on my toes
Oh yeah, Oh yeah.
I've got a feeling, I think that everybody knows.
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah.
Yeah! Yeah! I've got a feeling. Yeah!

Ev'rybody had a hard year.
Ev'rybody had a good time.
Ev'rybody had a wet dream.
Ev'rybody saw the sunshine.
Oh yeah, Oh yeah. Oh Yeah.
Ev'rybody had a good year.
Ev'rybody let their hair down.
Ev'rybody pulled their socks up. (yeah.)
Ev'rybody put their foot down.
Oh yeah. Yeah! WOOOOHOO!

repeat with both parts.

[Oh my soul...it's so hard.]

fifth planet discovered around 55 cancri

This artist's rendering of the 55 Cancri solar system is provided courtesy of NASA. The green band encircling the 55 Cancri star depicts the habitable zone of that system.

I was excited today when I read NASA's announcement of the discovery of the fifth planet revolving around 55 Cancri. 55 Cancri is a star located 41 light years away from Earth, in the constellation Cancer. This star is approximately the same mass and age as our sun. To find five planets revolving around a distant star is an incredible feat. Astronomers used the Doppler technique to discover these planets, by observing the wobble of the star produced by the gravitational tug of revolving planets.

This newly discovered planet weighs about 45 times the mass of Earth and may be similar in composition and appearance to Saturn. It completes one orbit around 55 Cancri in 260 days and is the fourth planet out from the star. The planet lies within the "habitable" zone of 55 Cancri. Habitable zone does not mean that the planet is necessarily inhabited. It simply means that it is located in an area of that system where the surface temperature of the planet would permit water to pool on solid surfaces. This planet is approximately 72.5 million miles from 55 Cancri, slightly closer than Earth is to the Sun (93 million miles). But it orbits a star that is slightly more faint than our Sun.

The makeup of the 55 Cancri system is quite different than our solar system. There could be more than five planets orbiting 55 Cancri. Researchers have been successful in locating five relatively large planets. Planet one is about the size of Neptune, located about 3.5 million miles from the star and orbits in less than three days. Planet two is a little smaller than Jupiter, located about 11.2 million miles from the star and orbits in 14.7 days. Planet three, similar in mass to Saturn, is located 22.3 million miles from the star and orbits every 44 days. Planet four is the one recently discovered. Planet five is four times the size of Jupiter and located about 539.1 million miles from the star. It completes one orbit every 14 years.

A couple of years ago I began writing a science fiction novel (Pilgrim's Path) about Earth's first contact with extraterresrials. An extra bonus reason for me to be excited about today's announcement is because in my book I mention finding an inhabitable planet in the 55 Cancri system. Here's a brief excerpt from Pilgrim's Path.

The Terrestrial Planet Finders have locked their sights on three distant star systems. The first terrestrial planet lies within the Alpha Centauri system, 4.4 light years from Earth. The second inhabitable planet lies within the Upsilon Andromedae system, 44 light years away, and the third planet in our trio is within the 55 Cancri system, also 44 light years away. Light messages are already being beamed from Earth toward these planets with the hope that we will eventually establish contact with an intelligent species.

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Song 206: Into White
Artist: Cat Stevens
Album: Tea For The Tillerman
Year: 1970
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I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice
Tables of paper wood, windows of light
And everything emptying into white.

A simple garden, with acres of sky
A brown-haired dogmouse
If one dropped by
Yellow delanie would sleep well at night
With everything emptying into white.

A sad blue eyed drummer rehearses outside
A black spider dancing on top of his eye
Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
And everything emptying into white.

I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice...
And everything emptying into white

I liked this Cat Steven's song for its poetic quality and simplicity . . . a very slow and easy song.

the five taste sensations

I have known about four taste sensations all my life: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. I was told about these tastes by my mother. I was taught in science class what each one of these tastes meant. And now, just as I thought I knew everything, along comes confirmation that there are at least five taste sensations. Add umami (you-mom’ee) to the list.

Here’s a basic rundown of the tastes:

Salty is a taste produced by the presence of sodium chloride on the tongue.

Sour is the taste that detects acids, or the presence of hyronium (H30+ ions). The degree of sourness is determined by the amount of smiloride-sensitive sodium or potassium present.

Sweet is the taste produced by the presence of simple carbohydrates such as sugars (and a few proteins).

Bitter is produced by bases like alkaloids. Bitter is perceived by many to be unpleasant, sharp or disagreeable. Many scientists believe that the detection of bitter is a built-in ability of humans to avoid be accidentally poisoned.

Umami (or savoriness) is the taste produced by glutamates commonly found in fermented or aged foods. Some examples of savory taste are parmesan and roquefort cheese, soy sauce and fish sauce. Several unfermented foods can also be classified as umami: walnuts, grapes, broccoli, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Tomato sauce and ketchup also fall into this umami category. The food additive MSG is a umami substance.

Of course my favorite taste sensation is sweet, but I do have a fondness for the bitter taste of dark chocolate

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Song 205: In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
Artist: Allman Brothers Band
Album: Idlewild South
Year: 1970
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One of the great instrumentals from the Allman Brothers.

90

Today was the opening of an art exhibit where my wife works. Staff, members and students were invited to enter their art. About thirty pieces of art hung on the walls for the opening this afternoon. The one above is called Hummingbird. It's a linoleum cut by my oldest daughter, (t)onks. (r)ouge and my wife both have pieces of art in the exhibit as well. I dropped by and took pictures of all the art and had an opportunity to talk to several of the artists. One young man aspires to be an architect. Another wants to travel the world and use his artistic talents as a photographer.

After several attempts to call my mom, I finally got through to her this afternoon. She turned 90 today! When I called, she was right in the middle of a birthday party, which was being attended by tons of people. Mom couldn't tell me all the people that were there, but I could hear them in the background. Brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, great nephew . . . and it sounded like they were having a great time. I wish I could have been there. Today is a huge milestone. When my family and I visit her later this year, (r)ouge wants to just leave a recorder on and capture the stories that my mom tells. It's like listening to a history lesson. She has experienced life. She has lived through the Depression, two World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars, blizzards and droughts. In my mind, I can flip through the shoe boxes full of photographs. I can see Easter Sundays, summer gatherings at grandmother and granddad's house, horseback riding, school pictures, Christmas gatherings, wedding pictures. I can see my siblings and I as we grow from little tikes to school kids to parents with families of our own. I can think back to all the Sunday lunches at my house, with my mother's fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, banana pudding and sweet tea, and a house full of after-church guests. My memories of my mom are all wonderful. I love her very much. She's so sweet and adorable. I can't wait to see her and give her a great big hug. Happy birthday mom.

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Song 204: Immigrant Song
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin III
Year: 1970
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Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying:
Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar,
Our only goal will be the western shore.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green,
Can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war.
We are your overlords.
On we sweep with threshing oar,
Our only goal will be the western shore.
So now youd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day
Despite of all your losing.

triple chocolate

OK, normally a wedding shower is a girl thing. I don't know too many men who attend wedding showers. As I recall, they used to be called Bridal Showers. In recent years there have been Couples Showers. When my wife and I got married, I was Scoutmaster for a troop of 60 Boy Scouts. One of the assistant scoutmasters organized a "shower" for us. That's the only shower I have ever been to . . . until yesterday. One of the women that I work with is getting married next week, so one of our managers organized a shower. Since I work next door to the showeree, I felt it would be mean not to attend. Only one other man was in the room. He works on her team also. Anyway, the great incentive was chocolate . . . triple chocolate. The cake was a really moist, really good triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing and shaved white chocolate sprinkled all over it. It was great! During the shower we were given paper and pencil and asked to take a quiz . . . a wedding quiz. The first five were wedding history and trivia questions. The last five were questions about the wedding couple. I must admit that I guessed at most of them, but by some miracle I won a Starbucks card for answering the most questions correctly. Chocolate and Starbucks. Who could ask for better incentives.

A note about today's artist:
Grand Funk Railroad and Black Oak Arkansas was one of the first concerts I ever attended. I drove me and my buddies all the way to Atlanta from Western North Carolina and we drove home after the concert. We didn't get home until like three in the morning, but what a great concert. Black Oak was great but Grand Funk was awesome. As the stage began to rise up out of the fog, three black limos came driving onto the field at the Omni. Mark emerged from one, Don from one, and Mel from one and I don't think anybody in the stadium sat down from that moment until the end of the concert. We were screaming and yelling and clapping all night long. Grand Funk was a musical phenomena and all of us kids just loved them. Critics said they couldn't sing, but we didn't care. They sounded good to us. They could definitely play some screamin rock and rock. And I thought Mark Farner was an outstanding rock vocalist. Anyway, here's today's song of the day.

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Song 203: I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)
Artist: Grand Funk Railroad
Album: Closer to Home
Year: 1970
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Everybody, listen to me,
And return me, my ship.
I'm your captain, I'm your captain,
Although I'm feeling mighty sick.
I've been lost now, days uncounted,
And it's months since I've seen home.
Can you hear me, can you hear me,
Or am I all alone.
If you return me, to my home port,
I will kiss you mother earth.
Take me back now, take me back now,
To the port of my birth.
Am I in my cabin dreaming, or are you really scheming,
To take my ship away from me?
You'd better think about it, I just can't live without it.
So, please don't take my ship from me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah ...
I can feel the hand, of a stranger,
And it's tightening, around my throat.
Heaven help me, Heaven help me,
Take this stranger from my boat.
I'm your captain, I'm your captain,
Although I'm feeling mighty sick.
Everybody, listen to me,
And return me, my ship.
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
Ohhhh ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
I'm getting closer to my home ...
Repeated to fade

spectacular sky show coming up

Picture of Comet Holmes courtesy of NASA.

Step outside on Monday morning, November 5th, before dawn and enjoy an array of heavenly bodies.

Planets
The very luminous Venus will be gracing the eastern sky, just above the horizon and to the left of the crescent Moon. Above the Venus-Moon duo you can see Saturn shining brightly. If you have a backyard telescope, this would be a great opportunity to look at the rings of Saturn. Continue your trek across the sky as you look almost directly overhead at the orange-colored Mars.

Spacecraft
The shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station (ISS) are schedule to undock on Monday morning at 4:32 CST. This means that the shuttle and the ISS will appear as two distinct bright points of lights, traveling in tandem as they glide past Mars, Sirius, Orion, Venus and the Moon.

In my part of the country (the mid-South), the Shuttle/ISS combination will be visible on November 5 at 4:49 AM CST for about 2 minutes, traveling from 11 degrees above S to 21 degrees above ESE.

In the Calgary, Alberta area, the Shuttle/ISS combination will be visible on November 5 at 6:58 AM (local Calgary time) for 2 minutes, traveling from 11 degrees above S to 18 degrees above SSE.

To find out when the Shuttle and the ISS will be visible in your part of the world, click on the headline of this post, or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html

Comet Holmes
Comet 17P/Holmes burst into view last week when something happened to the comet's core -- a collapse, a fracture, a comet-quake, perhaps even a meteor impact -- causing the comet to surge in brightness almost a million-fold. It is now visible to the unaided eye as an expanding fuzzball in the constellation Perseus similar in brightness to the stars of the Big Dipper. To find the comet, first face Mars and then spin around 180-degrees. Comet Holmes is currently located between Mars and Jupiter and is positioned on the other side of the sun from Earth, thus we cannot see the coma (tail) because we are viewing the comet from the front, not the side. As it travels across the sky over the next week or so, we might be able to detect the coma, and if we can, it will appear as a short, stubby tail.

One theory on what has happened to cause this current outburst (and the theory that I like the best)
Comets can be composed of methane and other gaseous compounds. These gases actually become crystallized in deep space. As the comet roars its way into the realm of the inner planets these gases begin to heat up and break apart. Many of the escaping gases can be seen as the coma. Rather than producing a coma (which appears to be almost completely missing from Holmes), perhaps these compounds have burst away from the comet in all directions. The super-reflectiveness of the particles gives the Comet Holmes an extraordinary (and far-reaching) glow. Once the comet circles the sun and heads back out into deep space, these crystals will refreeze and bond together, as they were just a short time ago. This sounds reasonable to me. If any of you have other theories (or facts) about this incredible heavenly display, please leave a comment. I am very curious about this event.

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Song 202: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Cosmo's Factory
Year: 1970
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Oo, bet youre wondring how I knew bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy that you knew before?
Between the two of us guys, you know I love you more.
It took me by surprise, I must say, when I found out yesterday. oo,

Chorus:
I heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine.
Oo, I heard it through the grapevine, and Im just about to lose my mind.
Honey, honey yeah.

You know that a man aint supposed to cry, but these tears I cant hold inside.
Losin you would end my life you see, cause you mean that much to me.
You could have told me yourself that you found someone else.
Instead,

Chorus

People say you hear from what you see, na na not from what you hear.
I cant help bein confused; if its true, wont you tell me dear?
Do you plan to let me go for the other guy that you knew before? oo,

Chorus

Chorus

comet visible to the unaided eye

Normally you have to work pretty hard to see a comet, but not this week! Right now there is a comet in the northeastern sky that can be seen with the unaided eye . . . no telescope or binoculars required. A very faint comet named Holmes experienced an outburst on the 25th of October and brightened a million times in just three days and it is continuing to expand, changing colors as it goes. (r)ouge and I have been outside on this brisk evening, watching the comet. At the moment it appears to be golden yellow, but at times it has a bluish tint. If you have an opportunity, step outside and take a look. It will be around for a while, so you have at least this week and next to catch a glimpse.

The picture above is courtesy of NASA. It was featured as the astronomy picture of the day on NASA's site yesterday. The picture compares the comet's current size to the size of Jupiter (which is also visible this week in the western sky). Click on the picture to see the expanding comet.

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Song 201: Hey Tonight
Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Pendulum
Year: 1970
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Hey, tonight,
Gonna be tonight,
Dont you know Im flyin
Tonight, tonight.

Hey, cmon,
Gonna chase tomorrow
Tonight, tonight.

Gonna get it to the rafters,
Watch me now.
Jodys gonna get religion
All night long.

Hey, cmon,
Gonna hear the sun
Tonight, tonight.

Gonna get it to the rafters,
Watch me now.
Jodys gonna get religion
All night long.

Aaaah!
Hey, tonight,
Gonna be tonight,
Dont you know Im flyin
Tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight.