If the big teapot in the sky tipped just a little bit to the west it would be pouring a spot of tea on the Scorpions tail. And that is how it looked in the southern pre-dawn sky this morning as Pheebs & I checked out our overhead starry wonders. The constellation Sagittarius (the big teapot) follows closely behind the constellation Scorpios (the Scorpion) with only the wispy Milky Way separating the two. Between these two large constellations in the Milky Way is the center of our Universe in a area often referred to as the ‘Jewel Box’ because of it’s many glittering diamond like star clusters. Even with a moderate pair of binoculars you can find these shimmering star clusters on clear dark nights. Just another one of the many reasons we prefer the lifestyle we do & the light pollution free areas we live. And tonight is a full Moon:))
Sitting in my red Ikea chair Monday night with computer on lap I happened to glance up & saw the ‘nearly’ full Moon coming up outside my bedroom window. My D40 with 300mm lens attached was sitting on the table beside me so I quickly popped off a Moon shot through the window. Curious about those white dots on the Moon but I’m guessing they are reflections of sunlight off some flat rock surfaces. Hope they are not incoming Asteroids!!
HI-HO HI-HO IT’S OFF TO SCHOOL THE KIDDIES GO
First & foremost a word of thanks to the folks who sent in their thoughts, ideas, & opinions on my questions about ads on the blog & activating the ‘reply’ feature. All helpful & informative comments. I have more to chew on than just my own thoughts now & that’s kind of nice for a change. I think many comments hit the nail right on the head. I thought GYPSY was spot on with her comment & I totally understand & do agree with her. I do prefer to keep an accurate reality check on my blog. And ED FRY again knows me better than I know myself when he said, “You have managed to go this long without answering Comments why start now? There is also your temperament to be considered, would your replies become even more of an excuse for what you consider dis-respectful Comments. I say leave well enough alone”……… Ed’s right & it could very well open the flood gates for ‘dis-respectful comments’ alright. And Ed, not to worry, I would never consider any of those ‘pop-up’ ads. And good idea DUCKS about that Canadian Amazon. Appreciate everyone’s response:))
Kelly was off to Wickenburg late this morning for groceries & a host of errands. She likes to be on the go that Gal. Me too, but my going is just a little different than her going. Sometimes when we both get going together we can really get gone. Oughta sight Man:))
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Re-located & lightly watered some Cactus this morning, weed whacked some weeds, had a few Pheeber snuggles, & just generally puttered about trying to convince myself I was doing something relatively useful today.
THIS IS WHERE OUR CACTUS PADS HAVE BEEN COMING FROM & SHOWS HOW TALL & THICK OUR PROPERTY PERIMETER WILL EVENTUALLY LOOK. JUST THINK, IN ANOTHER 300 YEARS WE’LL BE ABLE TO SIT ON OUR PORCH IN TOTAL PRIVACY:))
Kelly & I generally like to hike & go places by ourselves. When hiking with others in a group there are just too many chattery non hiking conversations going on which after awhile is just a gabble of noise disturbing the peace & quiet of the surroundings which is part of the reason we are hiking there in the first place. Imagine hiking with 24 third graders & a Ranger. Cheryl Ann from DEEP CANYON did just that at JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK a few days ago. The informative Ranger would be good but I’d have a hard time with all the noisy little 3rd graders. And yet, I just might get a kick out of seeing the kids enjoying themselves so much out in the wonders of nature. Well, for a few minutes anyway. They hiked to Barker Dam but found no water. One little fellow did find a colorful live snake. Luckily when Kelly & I did that hike a couple years ago there was water behind the dam. This is MY POST from that day. And be sure to keep up with the folks over at OH, THE PLACES THEY GO! They are still in southern Utah’s Zion Canyon beaming back great hiking photos most every day.
FOUND THIS HIDDEN CACTUS WREN NEST TODAY IN OUR SIDE YARD & SPOTTED AN UNIDENTIFIED BUTTERFLY NEARBY
Kelly returned from Wickenburg this afternoon with a big blue rain barrel so I wasn’t long in setting that up by the corner of the house & filling it with water. We only have 3 plants that will need watering this summer & they are within feet of that rain barrel. Matthew the Sheep Shepherd neighbor will make sure those plants are watered from the barrel because our water will be shut off. Summer Monsoons will again fill it as rain runs off the roof into the barrel. Well, that’s the theory anyway.
BLUE RAIN BARREL NEAR KELLY’S OFFICE WINDOW
And full timing Boondocker RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW again has some fine thoughts about her life & freedom on the road:))
I’M GUESSING IF WE HAD THIS OLD NEIGHBOR’S SHED ON OUR PROPERTY WE COULD HAVE OURSELVES A REAL GOOD MESS OF CHICKENS
Came across an old post of mine from October of 2010 recently. In that post I wrote the following paragraph which of course still applies to this very day.
How many of you fellas still have your Teddy Bears out there? I do:)) As a little boy I hung out with my 3 favorite Pals Nancy, Panda Bear, & Punkin Head. Nancy was a small doll with a blue dress & Panda was a big pink & white bear. Punkin was the head honcho. Nancy & Panda are long gone now but I still have my Punkin Head. Punkin stayed in my bedroom at my Mother's house long after I was gone out into the world. At some point he was moved from my bedroom out to an old green barn we had behind my Mother’s house where he stayed for a countless number of years in quiet seclusion. In 2004 the task of emptying my Mother's huge house became a big job for Kelly & I. The barn had to be cleaned out as well & that is where I found my old Pal, Punkin Head. He was a little worse for wear than I remembered him as a kid, but then again age hasn't really treated any of us too kindly has it:(( I brought him home that day & he has resided on the top shelf of my bedroom closet ever since, warm & safe. Today, while rooting through some things to take south I spotted my little Pal just sitting back relaxing. I brought him down from the shelf & as we sat on the edge of my bed we shared some old memories. We sure were the best of Pals those oh so many, many, years ago & we are still the best of Pals to this very day:))
AND SPEAKING OF TEDDY BEARS >>>
GROANER’S CORNER:(( The Sunday school lesson for the day was about Noah's Ark, so the teacher decided to get her small pupils involved by playing a game in which they identified animals. "I'm going to describe something to you. Let's see if you can guess what it is. First: I'm furry with a bushy tail and I like to climb trees." The children looked at her blankly. "I also like to eat nuts, especially acorns." No response. This wasn't going well at all!
Finally a kid volunteered: "Well, I know the answer has to be Jesus -- but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!"
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
I love stories about special memories. I think it's wonderful you found your old teddy bear and brought him with you.My sister is 65 and still has ALL her dolls she had as a child. They set on a chest in the guest bedroom.
ReplyDeleteIf your neighbors have any cats I would consider putting a screen or piece of hardware cloth on top of your water barrel. I try to make sure our water troughs are full to the top so one of the cats doesn't fall in and drown.
ReplyDeleteToo sweet the story of the Teddy Bear...we love your blog, it's our daily reading with our coffee in the am..of course I cheated tonight, as hubby was already asleep..:)
ReplyDeleteMemories of good times in the past are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteJust think if we had daily postings of our whole lives!
Gosh, Al...hubby and I sometimes drive to Arizona during the summer to witness the monsoon season. It is spectacular! Thunderheads build up and the sunsets are GORGEOUS! I guess you'll just have to read my blog during the summer! :-)
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Cheryl Ann (fully recovered now from a day with 24 3rd graders at Joshua Tree)
For some reason when I see Pheebs little face my heart smiles.
ReplyDeleteI would love you to post a "tutorial" on how to photograph the moon. You're moon photo is amazing, and I'd like to learn your "tricks!"
ReplyDeleteOut of turn, I'm have some opinions about ads and blogs. Please understand that these are just my opinions and I don't fault people that have ads.
Although I'm not as regular in my blogging (and replying) as some, I pay to host my WordPress blog. It's a choice that I made to have complete control over the design.
I don't like ads on blogs. In my opinion it "takes away" from the content and "clean lines." I know that some bloggers have limited incomes, but I especially don't like to visit a site and see it "plastered" with tons of ads. Then, there is the question of who you're loyal to. If numerous people have the same type of ad on their blogs, who do you choose to help make money?
I'd rather see income made in a different manner. You (and Mark from Box Canyon) could certainly sell your excellent photography. I know the "Ducks" make jewelry and sell on Etsy. Again, this is just my opinion.
As for comments, I have a plug-in on my WordPress blog that it you comment on my blog and I reply to you it sends you an e-mail. To me that makes much more sense. However, I will confess that I go back and read comments on the Ducks blog, since I've met them and Annie and Roxie are so delightful.
Regardless, it's a personal decision on the format of blogs and the owners have the right to "do what they like." It's always great to read what you have to say...
*your moon photo (not enough coffee yet this a.m.)
ReplyDeleteJust want to add to those comments about comments and ads.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of the bloggers that have a "reply to comment" on my blog. It's alot of work. I guess it all depends how much extra you want to do. I think you do a good job of responding to people and mentioning things on your main blog post...plus you post everyday (which is quite something!). So you could easily ditch the reply to comments.
As for ads, this is ALSO something I've been struggling with for a long time. I think there are ways to do it so that it's not too intrusive...selective ads, Amazon affiliates kind of thing. So, I say go for it. I'll watch and learn :)
Nina (wheelingit)