Happy Winter Solstice..!!
At last, the longest night is upon us, and from now on the days will gradually get lighter, and though it will still be Winter for months yet, Spring will come.
Last night I took some photos of the lunar eclipse. I managed to get a few that aren't too bad, considering I was using the macro and pointing into the sky at an object approximately 238,000 miles away. Imagine what I could have done with a tripod..!!
Just as the moon totally eclipsed and went red, the mist came over the ridge, and covered it up. I was so disappointed; it was the Mars-like redness I really wanted a picture of. Oh well, I think these three look pretty good, considering.
This morning, when I got up, the entire town of Roseburg, and the valley, were densely shrouded in fog. We were sitting in brilliant sunshine. It was truly beautiful, like we were alone above the clouds, up here on the mountain. I wish I could have climbed onto the roof and done a 360* video, but alas, I don't have a ladder tall enough for that. Trust me, if I did, I would have been up there in a heartbeat.
Here's a nice shot of the view from the study this morning as the sun was just coming up. Roseburg is down there somewhere under the blanket of fog. Aren't the gnarly oaks in the foreground just perfectly...ah...gnarly..??
************************************************
Time for a wee break, settle down with a cuppa, and
I've been to Nevada many times (mostly not to Las Vegas, the energy-sucking capitol of the known universe), and never once have I seen or heard of this place: Fly Geyser. Course, it's on private land, no trespassing, but still. An amazing geological area, even if it started out man-made. The photos are truly unbelievable.
I love this next one. The International Institute of Not Doing Much. Too funny. Here's their manifesto:
We shall not flag or fail. We shall slow down in the office, and on the roads. We shall slow down with growing confidence when all those around us are in a shrill state of hyperactivity. We shall defend our state of calm, whatever the cost may be. We shall slow down in the fields and in the streets, we shall slow down in the hills, we shall never surrender!
If you can slow down when all around you are speeding up, then you're one of us. Be proud that you are one of us and not one of them. For they are fast, and we are slow. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing slowly. Some are born to slowness - others have it thrust upon them. And still others know that lying in bed with a morning cup of tea is the supreme state for mankind.
Two of their badges:
They have a great website, one that we all should consider embracing, especially after the post I did (Food for Thought) on Joshua Bell at the Metro station in DC. I'm still appalled that virtually no one could slow down long enough to listen to the beauty of his music.
A strange obstacle course for this cat to choose. And after all its work...well, you'll see.
Okay, break time over, people. Unless you already subscribe to the "...Not Doing Much" philosophy, in which case, have another cuppa and carry on reading.
***********************************************
Only a few more days until Christmas. Everybody ready..?? Judging by the manic traffic in Roseburg, not everyone planned ahead, or shopped early. Thank goodness I'm done. Alan and I decided to buy ourselves what we wanted this year. I got a really good deal on a Sony DVD player (I brought the one we had in Edinburgh...and totally spaced that the voltage was different, and I also lugged all my favorite DVDs that I now can't watch...aarrgghh). I actually like doing Christmas gifts this way: I get what I want, Alan gets what he wants, and Merry Christmas is had by all because there's nothing worse than trying to fake-love your gift, is there..??
On that note, with only four days to go until Santa arrives, I'll leave you with this wish:
2 comments:
Okay, okay. Manic traffic? . . . like, in Roseburg? Huh?
No, that's a few pickups from Winchester headin' to the feed store. No, try getting around Portland on a Saturday afternoon and not knowing exactly where you want to be. Cars and buses everywhere, people everywhere, noise off the chart and not a parking place to be had. Manic? Roseburg? I think not!
It's all relative though, isn't it??
We just spent 15 minutes trying to get into Freddie's parking lot. Seriously. I am in a SMALL town and just wasted 15 minutes of my life waiting to turn a corner.
Course, it would have been easier if the maniacs weren't manic...like blocking the intersection, going thru red lights, careening around others.
I don't care what you say: Roseburg has an inordinate amount of bad drivers and heavy traffic. Bah humbug.
Post a Comment