I didn’t update Tuesday, because I was traveling back from viewing the total eclipse with some friends. I won’t say a lot about that, because so much has already been said, but it was a very interesting experience. The weather in north central Tennessee was perfect, and I feel lucky to have seen the full effect. I will say that I am now an eclipse snob. I have known about the coming of this solar event for several years and long ago made plans to be in its direct path. What I did not know until recently was that my own hometown and surrounding area would experience something like 95% totality. I couldn’t help thinking, “I’m driving six hours for an additional five percent?!” However, when that sun winked out completely, as if a celestial switch had been thrown, I knew it was worth it. The difference was dramatic, and I’m going to rub it in with all my buddies who thought they saw the eclipse.
173 responses to “Tackling Dummy”
Jackie’s Dickens the Adventure Dog: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO2ikrLsK0flsJzqaZUm58XKJpXN8s9CwKS6Nm4JLw73nQChmVB_QxOW9VO8pSC0g?key=OXJiSEZ1MlRYZDQ0VUVJVG5XckJYczVOaWpUV3lR
I drove 12 hours each way to my hometown where there was 100% but it was cloudy and raining just at the time of the eclipse so we only got a couple of glimpses.
Astronomers can predict lunar and solar eclipses with all sorts of details many, many years in advance. Weather people can predict a few things, generally, up to a few days in advance. Celestial mechanics are easier than meteorology because there are fewer factors to keep track of with simpler, well-defined interactions.
Trucker: Well put.
Photos: Still don’t really know how to use my cell, nor to post photos from it. In case I’ve not posted a self-portrait before, here’s the best I can do. Photo is old, taken for a BUMC rogues gallery. I look 10+ yrs wiser now. Apologies if I’ve posted this photo [and column?]before. Column is recent.
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/columns/4280186-prime-time-blessed-power-outage
Peace
Let’s try this again. Message to follow if site goes through.
http://www.gocomics.com/frank-and-ernest
Peace,
Good. That F&E is a delight, but only because I know what palindrome means. So do most Villagers, I suspect. But some people don’t. Does that make the rest of us vocabulary snobs? I don’t think so. ‘Not everyone is an English major’? [Including me.]
Neither is everyone a classical music aficionado, and I’m not really one. Somebody once posted, ‘Not everyone is a scientist.’ True. But neither are we all sports fans or movie-goers, or up on the latest popular musicians or other celebrities. Different Villagers have different areas of expertise, which enriches this blog.
Peace,
We drove down to Idaho to see the totality. What was amazing to me was that, with the tiniest sliver of sun showing, there was only the slightest dimming of daylight. I know that there is an over abundance of light and the eye’s iris shuts out most of it, but I never realized how much xtra light there was.
Coyote by watering hole. Peace,
https://explore.org/livecams/bison/plains-bison-grasslands-national-park-cam-1
Jackie, I hope things are going well for you. Elise and I drove through Tulsa Tuesday on our way back to Texas. Thought of you as we passed through and when I saw a sign for Lake Eufaula.
Jackie, hope your wrist is feeling better 🙂
Been very tired today…even took a 2 1/2 hour afternoon nap….
today”s grin: https://i.chzbgr.com/full/9065210880/hEB20FAE6/
We went for my third biopsy of breast done with a 3 D mammogram and large needles. If this one comes back malignant (positive) I lose breast to total mastectomy. If DNA comes back positive I lose both to total mastectomy. We will have results in day or so.
Ghost is positive and says it will not be DNA linked and has faith this may not be cancer in the third site. We will know by the 29th what treatment begins but now it is surgery, chemo, radiation, hormones and reconstruction.
We had a fabulous lunch at P.F. Chang and went to Hobby Lobby to get a beautiful iris painting framed. Turned out stunning.
Good day.
emb: you are very distinguished! Love the pic.
One for the evening from my archive of lines:
Yet another definition from myAddendum to Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary:
Morals: what most people expect everyone else to have. Frequently, however, such people do not expect others to hold them to the same standards, especially in terms of their private lives.
So are you a most, or an else?
Many thanks to Mark for posting the photo of us at the restaurant. It was a delightful get-together.
Dear emb, your messages came through just fine. Frank and Ernest were cute. You are a nice looking fellow in your picture. I enjoyed the column you wrote ever so much! Colorful account of the power outage; and since I am devoted the classical music, your tale of the trio you heard on the car radio was lively and well told. I have to admit that I much prefer orchestral music to chamber music, but the Dumky trio is good, indeed.
Hoping for the best for Jackie. We will meet in NH some day, for sure. I’m disappointed too, to postpone meeting in person with you and that great guy that’s come into your life.
Anonymous:
In all seriousness, I really don’t know.
I like to think that I am a moral person, but I think that the perceptions that others have of me might be more accurate.
Like Socrates, the older I become, the more certain I am that I know nothing.
Ghost put me to bed to sleep off sedation of biopsy site and my anti anxiety meds. He says I am funny or very mellow?
I woke up about 11 p.m. Tomorrow we’re going to look at a truck which is perfect and down at my favorite local dealership, so not Tulsa. I want to stay home all weekend and work on our house.
Three for the morning from the archive:
When you’re a child, you have hopes and dreams. When you’re a parent, your children are your hopes and dreams.
The intellectual’s life is a wealthy one, but it is not necessarily in a monetary form.
Everyone’s a winner in the human race.
(By the way, I wrote the last one in a rare moment of irrational optimism.)
I loved today’s A&J. I have both the “smart” cable remote and Alexa and both can be great…and quite useless.
Ghost plays jokes on his phone and carries on conversations with her. I just ask for information.
He still hasn’t figured out how to turn on my television and I sure don’t know. We are debating because I am not certain I can stand watching an area I know so well and love being destroyed by flooding and hurricane.
I am still tra
Tramatized by Katrina and previous storms.
This one is going in at Port Arans
Aransas where I spent so much time at the boat school and museum, donated my boats to and so much time, money and love. It is where our Texas wooden boat museum is, where we hold our annual wooden boat show.
I have many friends there and a lot of love for the people and area. Pray for the Texas coast.
Some people think comics are for kids:
http://www.gocomics.com/shoe
Peace,
Got tickets seven months ago for The Piano Guys at Revention Center in downtown Houston tonight. Not cancelled yet that I hear. I’m only five miles away and my lady friend lives only ten blocks from the theatre, might be an exciting walk through downtown
John: Be careful. Peace,