Record Warmth, Serious Rain

Welcome to Winter! At 11:48 Monday night, the earth's tilted axis reached the point when it is tipped the farthest from the sun on its northern end and the boreal world officially began winter; summer kicked off in the austral hemisphere. But, on the eastern edge of North America it is winter by name only and long standing records are going to come crashing down on Christmas eve and likely on Christmas day, as well. Temps tomorrow will be well into the 70's here in the Old Dominion but the entire eastern seaboard will be cooking and records will tumble.  An El Nino influenced ridge in the jet stream is getting the credit/blame for the warmth and is likely causing the deep trough out west that has brought welcomed snow and rain to the drought stricken west coast. The set up is forecast to continue into 2016. Welcome to the Earth, there is nothing but change coming.
Yesterday we had ground water from the rain, today we got runoff - lots of runoff.  An inch plus of rain in about an hour had water running everywhere and the Hershey Dog Creek within inches of it's banks, rolling and roiling.I've seen it that full but not for quite a while! There was water running everywhere today! And, likely more to come. Happy Holladays and even though damp, I hope you got out and enjoyed today on Earth.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

But, really, have a safe and happy travel day before turkey time. It's a lovely day on the Atlantic side of North America and will only increase in warmth over the next couple of days. The moon is full tonight, directly behind the earth from the sun not long after sunset (5:44)and for early risers on Thanksgiving morning the near setting full moon will occult (block from view) Aldebaran, the red eye of Taurus, a little before 6am. Skies will be clear and temps not too bad for sky viewing.
To any and all readers out there, have a safe and happy Holladay, today on Earth.

Rain, Rain and Likely, More Rain

Over 4 inches of rain in the last 3 days, 3.12" today alone, with more on the way.  Joaquin about to become a hurricane in the Atlantic will likely bring more rain by the weekend. And, between now and the weekend, the forecast calls for a cold front to move through dropping temperatures and, you guessed it, more rain.
The muggies will be gone for a couple of days after the front comes through tomorrow but will be back for the weekend when Joaquin does whatever it's going to do to the mid-Atlantic. Keep the boots and raincoats and umbrellas nearby, time to test them.
Good luck staying dry, Today on Earth.

New Moon with a Taste of Fall

After sliding past the now, morning planets Venus and Mars, the moon will pass between the sun and Earth a couple of hours past midnight tonight and begin another cycle that will culminate with an eclipsed Harvest Moon in a couple of weeks. With clear weather, the eclipse will be completely visible in western Africa and Europe, all of South America and eastern North America. September 27 (28 in the eastern hemisphere) is the day. The moon will be close to perigee (close to Earth) and bigger than usual and if you miss this one it will be a more than a couple of years before we'll see another. A solar eclipse will happen on the east coast of the US before the next lunar. Catch this one!!
The seasons are in flux (always, I know…) and this Sunday and coming week will be a real taste of fall. Lows into the 40's maybe and with dry air, daytime highs only into the low 80's. Daylight hours are shrinking and the dark hours continue to expand; today is two weeks from equal light (actually 3 days after the equinox with our atmosphere tweaking the daylight). Lower sun angle and shorter hours of daylight = cooler days and they are coming.
Fires continue to rage in the western US, with no end in sight (too many people, too little water…just a thought…).  Migrations continue around the uncaring globe, living residents trying to adapt. The rules are strict but clear on the big planet: Adapt, Migrate or Die.
Hope you are adapting to your changes and enjoying it. That's the challenge. I'm adjusting my diet to include shitake mushrooms finally bursting from logs inoculated spring of 2014. Time moves on and change is continuous. Happy Holladays, today on Earth.

New High School & Return to SUMMER!

Almost 4 years after being broken in "our" 5.8 magnitude earthquake, the new, much improved Louisa County High School welcomed back students this week to lovely weather and rave reviews. There was and will continue to be a little shock from the many steps but mostly it was smiles and dreamy looks of amazement. Earth rules: Adapt, Migrate or Die were on full display as students, teachers, staff and parents all adapted to our migration to the new school; where is my class, who's my teacher, look at all these new faces, steps again, where's the bathroom, how do I get to the cafeteria and lots of, "hey, great to seeya, how about this school". So many firsts still to come, first pep rally where we all fit in the gym,  first band concert, first choral and theatre productions, so many, "I didn't know this was here..", OMG!!  We are still a little star struck and there are many bugs, kinks, issues to work out (the building has only been legal a week) but the smiles far outweigh to frowns.
In Earth news, the weather for the opening was a taste of fall, mornings in the 50's, low humidity and sunny warm afternoons but that is changing ('cuz that's all there is…) and both the temperature and humidity will continue to sneak upward because we are still have 5 weeks of the summer season left.  The trough or dip in the jet stream, that big high altitude wind that does so much to determine/drive our weather, will retreat north this week and that means the southern air returns to the mid-Atlantic (much of the rest of the country has been locked in with heat and humidity for some time). A hot, muggy week is coming with no quenching tropical systems on the horizon.
A powerful El Nino is building as warm water in the western Pacific sloshes eastward and while that may bring rain, and later snow, to California and the burning west it likely will not be a gentle rain but deluge after deluge triggering flooding and massive mud slides for this fall and winter and into next spring. El Nino's depress hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and that seems to be what's happening this summer with none in the satellite views. The planet is warming and bigger, more powerful storms and wilder swings in weather were forecast, 50-60 years ago, and still big business, driven only by short term greed, force/push/buy off an inept, re-election driven Congress to do nothing, or even less than nothing. Human influenced or not, Earth is warming and while there are proactive communities, businesses, and countries planning for future sea level rises our "leaders" fiddle as Earth cooks. And, the planet doesn't care! We ought to, for our kids and grandkids, for a much different future that is coming.
A 6.6 quake rattled the Solomon Isles today, not uncommon there and Oklahoma, now broken but fracking greed, also continues to shake on. The week's equake list wouldn't load for me so not sure what went on world-wide this week; lots of quakes, the earth shimming and shaking, adjusting, mostly along plate collision and expansion zones would be my guess. The volcano list is down a bit this week and Mexico's Colima seems to be the most troublesome on the short list but even it is taking a break.
The Perseid meteor showers was in the news all week and put on quite the show, the sky darkened for fine viewing by the lack of  by moon, our satellite passing between the Earth and Sun late yesterday morning. Watch for a thin crescent moon to return to the early evening sky maybe tonight but certainly tomorrow, but no planets to dance with until it passes by Saturn on the 22nd at a right angle to the Earth/Sun as first quarter moon. Venus is at inferior conjunction today, passing between the Earth and sun (although above or below not directly between - still 100+ years before that happens again) and is certainly not visible. By month's end it will be ahead of the sun in the pre-dawn sky and a bright beacon, the morning star.
Today's pictures are from the new LCHS, Emily P. and her amazing locker and some fisheye looks at 3 of my 4 new classes - I need to get closer to the classes, it's a fisheye lens.

Emily and her locker, notice the disco ball, lit at the top.

 1stH (above) and 3rd (below)

 4th block (below) I moved closer with camera!!

Another Nice Weekend

Virginia is on a bit of a lovely weekend roll these days, storms late in the week and then cooler drier air comes in for the weekend. And, then temps and humidities go up for the start of the work week. The long range look into this week has the cool, dry stretch starting mid-week and continuing into next weekend; August has been pretty pleasant so far.  The large system that brought the all rain Thursday and Friday, slid off the east coast yesterday, almost looked like it was going to really get together into a tropical-like system but has moved farther out into the Atlantic where we don't really have to care.  A little rain was nice; some places, mostly south and east of the tirehouse, received way more than a little. A chance of rain returns for the next two days before the next nice stretch begins.
Since the last posting of the TOE dozens of quakes have shaken up the planet but not one hit 6.0 in magnitude, a bit surprising but what is normal on Earth. Volcanoes are normal on Earth and while the list is shorter this week (only 5 on the active list in Indonesia) there is plenty of ash and lava flying around on the big planet. While in the news for parts of the missing Malaysian airliner showing up on beaches, Piton de la Fournaise is on the active volcano list and Reunion island is growing as lava oozes and ash rains down. Colima is still belching in Mexico, Sinabung continues to affect much of Indonesia, Manam is fired up off the coast of PNG and Cleveland is on the "don't fly close to me" list up in Alaska. It's a wild planet!
Our view of space has gotten less interesting in August, Jupiter does linger in the haze of the sunset but Venus, at aphelion and therefore about as close to Earth as it gets, is not visible anymore and will pass between the Earth and Sun on the 15th. By month's end it will have popped up into the morning sky as the bright beacon before sunrise. The waning crescent moon is out there in the morning sky right now but as it continues to shrink will will be harder and harder to spot; it will be closed to lined up with Venus, passing between Earth and Sun just one day ahead of our neighboring planet. Saturn does still shine high in the south as sunset, tilted nicely for telescope viewing.
The official dedication of the new Louisa County High School is today, and it's shaping up as a  pleasant, cloudy, cool and not too humid day, get out and enjoy it, Today on Earth.
Here is the shot of the giant cumulonimbus cloud I couldn't get posted a few days ago, 50+ miles away!

A New School & A Big Storm

The new Louisa County High School opened its doors to the faculty yesterday and the long wait, 3 1/2 years in pods/trailer, lived up to the expectations; WOW! Expansive, gleaming, lots of natural lighting through massive windows, the new car smell in an entire building (but really noticeable in the theatre), long views, color coordinated, and full of smiling, excited teachers and staff. The excitement has not worn off much on day two, but we do have a lot to do to get ready for open house next Monday and the first day of school Wednesday week. Still lots to do but it sure nice to be getting ready in a brand new building, lots of positive energy, flowing everywhere.
In Earth news, it's hot and still not too humid here in Virginia with a couple of pop up showers (see the photo below of one 50 plus miles off to the east from the new school. I haven't checked on quakes (none here), volcanoes get updated tomorrow and the waning gibbous moon makes for bright skies in the middle of the night, and lingers into the morning sky. A recent wander on the big planet intersected with too many spider webs, a couple of squirrels and little else, it's too hot for most creatures to be out and about at this time of day; dusk and nightfall will bring out the crowds. Tomorrow is forecast to be a bit cooler as today's front settles just to our south but that same front will get pushed slowly back north, into the Old Dominion for Thursday and Friday and while temperatures will stay in the 80's the rain chances will rise and most places will likely get wet.
All that is predicted to be gone by Saturday making for another dry, cooler weekend. What ever the weather, get out for a bit and wander, today on Earth.
Looks like no storm shot, usual bad verizon service...

New school shots! Cafeteria

 The entrance, from 2nd floor academic wing

 Room 310, my new classroom

 From the parking lot...

A Pleasant Start to August

Even though we are still deep in the summer season reprieves from the oppression of heat and humidity continue to come our way; humid, dry, humid, dry - seems like a good schedule to me. The cool overnights and dry heat of the last couple of days of July and the first two of August will, however, not last. Tomorrow will see the moisture level in the atmosphere rise as well as the temperature. It will feel like August for the next several day and then a stalled front will drop temperatures but keep humidity high and increase the chances of a storm. Longer range, another breath of Canadian air may drop temps and humidity levels for the second weekend of August to points even nicer than the first. Without a doubt, there will be plenty more summer.
While the sunset, right on the horizon was lovely (see below) the planets of spring and summer are for the most part gone. I was able to find Venus in binoculars this evening but not Jupiter nor Mercury that is rumored to be in the area. The show is over, but will return to morning skies in late August and into September. Saturn still sits high overhead, mostly alone, just after sunset.
Tomorrow begins a new chapter in the August 23, 2011 Mineral earthquake story; the brand new Louisa County High School welcomes back the full staff to begin prep for school opening 12 August. 3 weeks short of 4 years since that wild day when our world got very shaky. More details on tomorrow's TOE. Hope you are getting out and enjoying summer, today on Earth.

Louisa sunset (top) the York River below West Point, Va. (lower)

Indonesia: Archipelago Of Fire

The USGS volcano list that came out yesterday has 22 volcanoes on it and 10 of them are in Indonesia. The island of Java, granted a large island, has 4 erupting itself.  Most are old favorites: Krakatoa is back on the list along with Raung and Sinabung, still messing with air travel in the area. Dukono,  Karangetang, Lokon-Empung and Tengger Caldera are often on the active list but there are some new ones or seldom seen visitors. Kerinci, Papandayan and Semeru round out the list and are names I'm less familiar with. The daily reality of Indonesia is that there are well over 100 volcanoes on the island arc nation that are considered active - over 100. That 10 are erupting right now, in some manner or other, is really not a shocker.  And, Indonesia is the 4th most populated nation on Earth, so living with volcanoes must work for them; tropical climate and volcanic soil, really not a bad combo.
In other volcanic news, just north of the Caribbean island of Grenada is a seamount called Kick-em-Jenny and seismometers in the area have been fired up of late. No surface belching or bubbling was reported and the threat level has dropped back down a couple of levels from the orange level of a few days back. Just a little reminder that the islands separating the Atlantic from the Caribbean are all volcanoes and volcanoes will be, well, volcanoes. And, the earthquakes in the area add to that reminder.
And, today's earthquake list already has over 30 recorded shakes off Puerto Rico, the Virgin Isles and Hispaniola, far above the daily average for the region. But, plate boundaries will be shaky. Off plate boundaries, there is earthquake news today and the biggest shocker of those shakes is on the northeast coast of Australia where a 5.7 quake likely caused some damage and panic. The Australian plate, a combination of continental and oceanic crust, has plenty of quakes along it's edges but 5.7 is a pretty good shake for the mainland. A quake in Sweden today adds to the earthly reminder list, it's a broken up planet and quakes can happen about anywhere at most any time. The Central Va. seismic zone is quiet, for now,  and with the dedication of our new high school coming up in 10 days I along with most others hope that remains the case. But, there will be more quakes, today on Earth.
The sultry weather still rules the mid-Atlantic but relief is on the way as a much drier air mass continues to work our way. The "cold" front is likely to fire up some t-storms today as it comes through the region but while not dropping temps much will drop dew points dramatically and being outside will be pleasant again. For now, prepare to sweat, profusely, if you venture outside today on Earth. Which I recommend, gross though it may be. It will make tomorrow that much more wonderful!
I tried to spy Venus and Jupiter last night, which was a little hazy but really cloud free and from my view I couldn't spot them…they are low in the west and likely will require very clear skies, a great, unobstructed view and maybe even binoculars to catch their next conjunction (but only within 6 degrees) tomorrow night. The moon is lined up directly behind the earth from the sun tomorrow morning at 6:43am EDT for the second full moon of July making it, by some definitions, a blue moon. But, a blue moon is a rare event (about every 3 years) and won't be blue! Now get out and check out the view both on and off your planet, Today on Earth.

A full moon rising over the research pier, Duck, NC.

Swampy Air

A stationary front is stopped at the Mason-Dixon line and Virginia is in the swampy air, the humidity soup.  While 76 degrees might be considered cool(ish) for a summer morning it does not feel cool, more like you have been caught in someone's exhale, and they are standing too close. When the sun breaks through the cloud deck, and that could be awhile, things will heat up quickly today and that will fire off more showers and storms similar to yesterday.
And, there were lots of storms and showers around yesterday and few of them, once formed, moved much. Stalled storms leads to inches of rain and that leads to flooding, flash in many cases and watches and warnings were posted all over the piedmont yesterday, and already filled creeks and saturated ground will likely bring out more warnings today: turn around, don't drown.
The tirehouse was never really in the storm zone yesterday, showers only and that was exactly what my largish patch of recently bared ground needed. 4 hours or so of fairly gently rain totaling 0.61 inches, perfect. The zones with stalled storms received upwards of 3 inches, easy to imagine that leading to flooding! Today, being a new day and the same as yesterday only in very general ways, will likely drop copious rain in new places, miss some altogether and deluge a few spots that heavy storms have already soaked. Once there is plenty of groundwater, trees with their transpiration and evaporation, in general, work quickly to build clouds back into storms which then redeposits the water, the water cycle. Today is just waiting for the sun to pop out and crank up the cycle again, be alert, could be another wild one.
Storms and clouds do not, however, lead to good sky viewing and that was certainly the case yesterday and there will likely be more of the same today. The moon, very close to full and quite bright as darkness falls, will backlight the clouds and may pop through as clouds thin occasionally but there is not much chance for planet viewing tonight. Friday, the last of July, will probably be the next chance for a good look at the sky and the full moon will wash out all but the brightest stars, the planets, being close and bright will shine through.
In shake and eruption news, aftershocks continue in the Aleutians Isles after Monday's big quake and nearby Redoubt volcano is likely ready to blow, or is already in full on eruption, as the area was just rocked with a 6.3 quake. Moving liquid rock creates earthquakes, too. Redoubt, a regular member of the active volcano list will likely be back on the list which comes out later today. Otherwise a fairly quiet quake day, so far.
Here in the mid-Atlantic, we are in for two more swampy days before a big cold front, kicking off more storms, comes through the area late Thursday. It won't drop the temps too much but has little moisture and will increase the comfort level dramatically; low dew points, morning temps down in the 60's and no swampy feel. Until then, get out and figure out a way to deal with swampy, that's what the story is, Today on Earth.

Storms, Quakes, Eruptions; Another Day on Earth

The Aleutians Islands (Fox Islands to be more accurate) were rocked today with a 6.9 magnitude quake as the Pacific plate slipped a little farther under the North American plate. Two volcanoes nearby are on the active list; slide a big chunk of earth under another and you get some melting and melted rock, being less dense is looking to move up and out to relieve the pressure. It's not just the Aleutians but all around the Pacific where subduction is stuffing basaltic sea floor under continents and even other ocean plates and creating the earthquake prone, volcano filled, Ring of Fire. Over the last week (and most weeks) that's where the quake action has been and where most all of the 20+ volcanoes that are firing a variety of  currently or recently molten materials into the air are found. Indonesia, Japan, Kuril & Aleutian Isles and from Mexico to Chile, quakes and volcanoes are rocking and rolling. No tsunami warning from today's big quake.
On the US mainland, California was a little shaky today, as well as up the coast in Oregon (overdue for a big one…) and the magnitudes are getting higher in Oklahoma; 4.6 quake today and the obligatory aftershocks. Courts have just ruled folks in the Sooner state can sue the oil companies for damages to homes caused by their fracking. I'm sure that will be fought and appealed - "couldn't be our blowing up of the earth that's causing those quakes...".
A front oozed into Virginia today firing up some big storms (none passed over the tirehouse) with high winds, heavy rain, hail and lots of lightning, big, nasty storms with more possible for tomorrow - or even overnight. We could use a little rain but the deluges are a little much; not like we have much choice, though. Earth being still in charge and quite chaotic. A bigger front is supposed to clear things out for the late week and weekend but for now it's warm and muggy here in the Old Dominion. The plains still swelter in the upper 90's and over 100 if you go south so low 90's and muggy we can handle.
The moon danced around Saturn over the last couple of nights as it continues to wax toward the second full moon of July, by some definitions a blue moon. I haven't spotted Venus or Jupiter the last few nights, clouds and low in the sky making the pair tricky to spot and that will get worse into August. Both will be in the morning sky by September. Two full moons away, the Harvest moon of September, will be the last easily visible lunar eclipse for several years, more to come on that as we get closer.
Hope it was calm and pleasant where you were today but that is seldom the case on this big, wild planet so whatever the day brings, you just have to get out and go for it, Today on Earth!

Quarter Moon & Planets in Clear Skies

Half of the moon's lit surface was visible from Earth this evening (it was technically 1/4 moon just after midnight last night, but…we'll let that slide) and as the sky began to darken this evening Venus popped out low in the west.  It took awhile longer and a darker, clearer sky before Jupiter also appeared, moving back closer to the bright crescent of Venus as the two planets continue their spring/summer closing and conjunction. I hadn't been out close enough to dark to see Jupiter for a week, even with much more sky around the tire house, the two planets are too low in the west for me to spot without a wander down the street.
Saturn is still high in the south as darkness settles in, still perched above red Antares. The moon is getting closer to the ringed world and will be on either side of the second largest planetboth tomorrow and Sunday, check it out. Pleasant temps and low humidity are still making for nice evening outside wanders and sky viewings.

Looks like one more day of seasonal temperatures and un-Virginia like humidity levels. Next week is showing promise of a return to hot and humid. Mention was made on weather forecasts today of the stalled front over the Carolinas drifting offshore and organizing into a tropical system. Wouldn't be the first time a storm has materialized just off the coast in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Change is always just a short ways off. Enjoy the low humidity but be ready for summer to suddenly be summer next week. Heat, storms, wildness, surprises of any sort; it's all possible, everyday here on Earth, get out and relish in the calm interludes, today and everyday on Earth.

Clearing around the tire house!

Trees Uprooted, Homes Destroyed & Lovely Weather

July has taken a lovely turn here in the mid-Atlantic with a cold front settling across South Carolina allowing cool (for July), dry air to spill all the way from Canada into the Old Dominion. 2 days so far with a couple more on the agenda before the normal July muggy's return into next week.  The nice weather has made the mayhem that has descended on the tirehouse surrounding forest much more pleasant for the human perpetrators causing the wholesale slaughter and destruction but has likely caused next to no concern for the forest creatures who's homes have been damaged, displaced, ruined or destroyed. Those neighboring flora and fauna alike were likely enjoying the pleasant change in the atmosphere but then the trees started crashing down and weather was only a minor concern.
What started as firewood gathering last summer, and the followup stump removal, has blossomed ( a tragic word choice considering the trees killed) into a full-on clearing and cleansing with giant fires looming off in the future to convert the carbon, currently out of the atmosphere, back into the gaseous mass as the dreaded carbon dioxide. I will count on the remaining 29+ acres to remove that carbon and turn it back into wood. But, for now, my desert house, anchored (it's an earthSHIP) here in the rain forest needs more light from our star, so some trees had to go.  And, go they did.
A tree falling is a violent, earth trembling thing; a reminder that a life has been taken. I heard it lots today, most of the victims my age, many, exactly my age. 60 years spent using water, soil and solar energy and creating a huge living being. While I, ingesting various food stuffs for that same span, all originally starting as plant matter and now turned into the trillions of animal cells of my existent, decided to better my life and that some of those plants had to go.  It was not a decision I made lightly, I've spent a lot of time with those trees and will miss them. But, the overriding theme of this blog is CHANGE. And, it sure happened today, here on this part of earth. Big changes, BIG!!
Hope your day was full of positive change (or if it seemed negative, figure out a way to turn it positive and get on with things).
In a note that should get higher billing and have been it's own headline yesterday: My mother, Ophelia Ann Smith Holladay, finished her 93rd trip around the sun yesterday. A momentous occasion that few folks will ever see. Let's get together and do it again next year, Mom!! It just wonderful that I was able to be able to take her out on the big world and that's she's happy, and healthy and wise!! Love ya, Mom, hope you have a few more revolutions in you!! I hope you all get to 93! But, for now get out and enjoy another rotation, here on the spinning, orbiting globe, Today on Earth.
Mom's orchid

 Ann at 93

 Trees coming down (above) and a lot more space visible behind the tirehouse (below).

Showers and Change…Return to Pleasant!

Tuesday on Earth has been cloudy leading to showers; 3 so far, as a stationary front is being pushed out by a mass of cooler, drier air headed our way from Canada (originally). Each little shower has dropped about 1/10 inch of rain and the ground is quickly slurping the wet stuff up. While rain seems to have been plentiful (at least 7 inches in my various absences) it doesn't take long for the heat of July to dry things out and that was the case, until today. And, today won't get my creek rolling again but it will sure water the moss and make a mushroom thinking about reproduction push up another toad stool - and there are still 100's everywhere here in the forest.
In the war (maybe a bad word) between the earthquake states, Oklahoma is again winning the battle for shakiest place to live in the contiguous US. A 4.4 quake rocked the Sooner state today and there had been almost a dozen aftershocks when I last checked which doubles up the Golden state today which also had a 4.0 quake and a few aftershocks. 4.4 will knock stuff off shelves and make you feel puny on the big planet; my guess, the oil companies will run even more ads championing the fracking that's causing all those Okie quakes with complete denial their exploding the earth could possibly be at fault.  De Nial, the American river of hypocrisy and greed.
WARNINGS: stay away from Colima in west central Mexico, Sinabung in western Sumatra and Ruang on Java unless viewing volcanoes and risking death is on your agenda. All 3 continue to fire ash, rock and lava from various vents with varying degrees of damage and mayhem in there respective countries. Vulcanologists list 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia alone; the risk/reward of rich soil and potential death and destruction we humans have always balanced.  I'll stick with composting and steer clear of volcanic farming.
Off the planet, the thickening waxing crescent is approaching the bright light of Spica, the wheat cluster that Virgo is holding. Tomorrow and Thursday night will find the moon right and then left of the bright star by about the same (7 degree) difference and here on the east coast it will cool and pleasant enough to go out and take a peak at the darkening sky. By the weekend the now slightly gibbous moon will slide just above Saturn.
Venus and Jupiter continue to sink lower in the west, a little every night with retrograding Venus catching back up with the king of the planets by month's end, then 6 degrees below the gas giant. Mercury pops into the mix late in the month but a clear sky, a westward view from a hill and likely binoculars will be needed to catch all that. Venus, soon at aphelion, it's farthest point from the sun, will therefore be closer to earth as it passes between the Earth and sun in mid-August. A telescope or good, steady binoculars will show our bright neighbor a long thin crescent, the horns of Venus. But, really, by August, Saturn will be alone in the evening sky.
For dwellers on the east coast, get ready to get out and enjoy, tomorrow on Earth - and the next several days. Cool, low dew point weather in late July is a treat to be experienced by all. Might even open the windows and let in some cool dry air, and the insect noises of the forest, today on Earth.

Remember when it was Mars just above Venus? Nothing but change out there!

Seriously Sultry!!

There was no doubt this weekend that we are in mid-July, heat and humidity rule the east coast and being outside for long was a risky idea. Stepping from the air conditioned Earthship into the soup was like a big, hot, damp slap in the face. But, being from here, that's the reality of July and with shade and water it's really not that bad.  The good news forecast is for a couple more days of sultry before another cooler, drier air mass is expected to move in by mid-week. We're not quite 1/3 of the way through summer so not much to do but deal with it.
The Venus & Jupiter show has once again been joined with the monthly flyby of the moon and this weekend's show, while tricky with haze and clouds thrown in, was fine indeed. From the outdoor dining tables of Obrigado on Friday evening we could see still brilliant Venus with much dimmer Jupiter slowly easing off to the west or right but we had to get up and maneuver to see the sliver of the recently new moon; really, really faint. Friends took some convincing it was even there before that ahhhaa moment of discovery.
Saturday night I caught the show quite a ways before dark and couldn't see Jupiter but Venus was directly above the growing, but still waaaay thin crescent. Tonight the moon, moving about 12 degrees per day, was above and left of Venus and the haze and still dusky sky did not show Jupiter.  It will be toward the end of the coming week that the then gibbous moon will slide through Libra and by Saturn. But, it's a show every night that the haze (and heat) allows for the viewing off our planet to our solar system neighbors, don't be afraid to get out and check it out, today or tonight on or off Earth.

Barbados Quake, Colima & A Humidity Respite

A 6.5 magnitude quake rocked the island nation of Barbados about 24 hours ago and I'm guessing there was considerable damage but haven't caught any news reports. No tsunami warning was issued. Quakes were also felt in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and off Puerto Rico today; a shaky day in the Caribbean - but the islands are volcanic and all on the edge of the Caribbean plate so tectonic activity is to be expected and will likely continue for the next few million years. Sunscreen and earthquake preparedness before heading to the islands, mon!!
Colima is still erupting big in western Mexico with ash falls for several miles around and evacuations of nearby towns. The number of volcanoes on this week's list is down from the the last few weeks but the volcanoes on the list are all causing locals to take notice and perhaps leave the area for awhile. Rich soil is only useful when the parent of the soil is quiet!
The rain and humidity ruling the east coast has taken a two day break as some cool, dry Canadian air has settled into the mid-Atlantic but the heat and moisture laden air of summer is going to replace the coolness for the weekend and until the middle of next week. Thunder storm chances go up tomorrow and the mushrooms that are everywhere here in the forest will get another dose of moisture to fuel another fruiting round of potential tasty treats. The Boletes and Chanterelles pictured below are the only ones that will end up on my plate - and tasty they were - until I learn of any others to safely consume. My shitake logs still remain dormant…or dead…even with all the moisture. My tomatoes are plentiful but still green and the jalepenos are still in growth mode, recovering from the munching they received apparently soon after planting and my departure. They are making a valiant comeback!
While the less than two day old crescent moon will be tough to spot tonight it should be high enough in the west northwest tomorrow night to see and worth checking. Saturday night will find the moon just below still bright Venus with Jupiter just to the right (west) of the moon/Venus pairing. Check out Venus and Jupiter tonight if you have clear skies in preparation for the moon/planet trio tomorrow night.
For east coast readers get out and enjoy the humidity relief that today offers but wherever you might be on the big planet, get out and wander and check things out, Today on Earth - it will be different tomorrow and you don't want to miss a day!!
The Natural Chimney - I like the lone tree on top, a real survivor!

 All smiles at Red Wing Roots - Nancy and Fred and the blogger

Pre-dinner - mushroom stroganoff - burger bun Boletes and  lacy, cup-like Chanterelles

PLUTO - King of the Dwarfs

The photos are coming in - slowly, and from 3 billion miles away - but Pluto is seeming way wilder than anybody thought; bigger and therefore less dense than thought with surface features that surprised most.  Less dense means more ice inside, a Nitrogen halo - really, an atmosphere…- coming from ?? ammonia, organics?? and bigger moves it back to larger than Eris and again the largest of the Kuiper belt objects. A planet again; no!  Too small, inside Neptune's orbit and a highly elliptical and inclined orbit will keep it a dwarf planet. But, all planets have modifiers in front of them these days, Terrestrial, Jovian or Gas Giant and we can only imagine the "planet" categories we'll need to cover the couple of thousand "objects" orbiting other stars/suns. It's big and hard to wrap our earth bound imaginations around the normal that is space.
Closer to home the stormy, sultry weather of the early week is on it's way out with a couple of coolish, dry days here on the east coast before July conditions return for the weekend. Enjoy Thursday and Friday in Va., the relief will be short lived. That may give the central US a break from the oppressive heat but with all weather that's unlikely to last. The 3rd storm of the Atlantic hurricane season slid up the coast with little fanfare, maybe a brush with the Canadian Maritimes.
I haven't checked on Colima in a day or two, it wasn't on last weeks list but SURPRISE - it's erupting now and predictions are showing continued volatility, like we can predict a volcano's actions…
We can predict earthquakes for Oklahoma, as long as they trade short term jobs and money for a stable planet, fracking: bad news for long term planet stability.

But, I need to get out on this planet and begin to rein in the jungle growing in the few openings around the tirehouse. My tomatoes and peppers have survived my absence and are now free to turn that sunlight in to carbon treats. Get out and enjoy the middle of July, today on Earth (or Pluto…).

Pluto (complements of Bryanne and NASA)

Pluto Flyby and Colima Eruption

Today on and off Earth there is much excitement; the New Horizons probe has just made it's closest approach to the dwarf planet Pluto and while it's going to be awhile before all the pictures come back the one's sent so far are amazing, really of an unknown world and its moons.  And closer to home, one country south of us, the volcano Colima just stirred up of late is in full blown eruption. Full blown eruption with no signs of slowing. Evacuations are limited so far but that is likely to expand and if this continues could change the climate world wide down the road.
Here in the rain forest, the cool and clouds continues with another chance of severe weather forecast for today. Streams in Va and WestVA are still out of their banks and trashing home - on flood plains…go figure!
That's a quick update for today, check NASA's sites for Pluto shots and Colima is all over the news. But, get out and check out your part of this planet, Today on Earth.

Red Wing Roots Music

Yesterday kicked off the third Red Wing Roots Music Festival at lovely Natural Chimneys park and it was a fine day of music and friends. Robert Earl Keen wound down the evening with his story telling and songs that we mostly knew by heart and…what a backup band. The McCoury brothers and their band dazzled, Elephant Revival was a surprising treat, Matuto brought out the dancers with Brazilian Bluegrass and the weather, with a little rain thrown in, was mostly cool and pleasant. Day two has started a little on the damp side but hints of sun are beginning to peak through, 80 and a little muggy will make for another fine day of music.
After several cloudy evenings, a break last night gave me a peak at the continuing planet show, Venus and Jupiter are still close and brilliant in the west at dusk but the king of the planets has now moved several degrees west of Venus and will continue to do so as July rolls on. Hope you get a clear enough sky to check it out tonight, I'll be on the lookout.
The typhoon smashed into the Chinese coast and the Pacific is again showing signs of being far from passive this hurricane season with a couple of storms brewing not far from Hawaii. The stalled weather in the US is the cause of the clouds and rain and storm chances across much of the country. Still, it's a lovely little world we have here, get out and enjoy today on Earth.

Elephant Revival

 Robert Earl Keen

Typhoon, Quakes, Volcanoes and a Cloudy Friday

A category 3 typhoon bears down on the southeast coast of China, a 6.7 quake in the Solomon Isles, almost 2 dozen spewing and belching volcanoes (7 in Indonesia alone) around the Pacific rim and a stationary front draped across the middle of the US increasing the chance of severe weather are today's headlines on the big watery planet. Here in the Shenandoah Valley of Va. a coolish, cloudy morning is the story and looking like perfect July weather to go hear a little music. The wild winds of yesterday seem to have calmed and we appear to be in the low risk zone for severe weather.
Clouds have prevented my viewing of the Venus/Jupiter show, now a separation, so I can't update that but know they are still there and sinking lower and moving farther apart. The waning moon is not up until late but might be spotted in the morning sky.
Hope your Friday is shaping up to be a fine one, get out and wander and the explore the big planet, today on Earth.

Back Home To The Rainforest

After 7,048 miles, I am back to the Virginia rainforest and after a day with no rain, the rain is back. (I must give a shout out and thanks to my sweet Subaru- that's Pleiades in Japanese if you didn't know- Outback for doing its job of comfortable, safe transportation over the last 5 weeks of cruising, I know it needed that oil change yesterday.) Gentle so far, and just starting, but likely to continue to soak the already soggy forest off an on today. The mushrooms are loving it, I can see dozens of them, of a least a dozen different types, just sitting here looking out the tirehouse window. Sadly, only 1 shitake on the dozen logs I inoculated last year. At least two of the yard shrooms are edible, the yellow/orange Chaterelles and the spongy on the underside, Boletes. Prime eating! The others, without expert ID, will remain as decoration or for forest creatures to try and most have been nibbled.
In my tour of the US, rain/water has been the rule, only in California the exception. From Nevada to Virginia every river I crossed was ripping along, the Humboldt in the Silver State and it's lush green flood plain, the Colorado is colorado, red-brown and raging, the Missouri up to it's bank with wet fields adjacent, the Mississippi, the big trough for the entire country, full, the Wabash separating Illinois and Indiana out of or recently out of it's banks (fields for miles leading to it looking more like lakes), the Ohio is brown and powerful looking, the badly named New river, brown with white caps. And, the full rain gauge I returned to (5+ inches is all it holds) and the jungle that was my yard and garden are the result. Again, only California remains dry, wish that we could share but Earth doesn't work like that…
The peak Venus/Jupiter show has passed and while I spotted Venus through the Va. haze last night I  couldn't see Jupiter. The king of the planets is dropping fast, Earth pulling away from the giant world. The next big sky show will not be visible in the sky, only in photos. Photos sent from the out realms of the solar system across 4+ hours of time at light speed from Pluto. NASA should be getting some approach pix even now but the flyby will happen on the 14th with photos not sent/received for a couple of days after that. It will be on all forms of news, 9 1/2 years in happening and 85 years after Clyde Tombaugh first spotted the now, dwarf planet (#1 Kuiper Belt object). Who knows what we'll see and learn. But until then, if you've been watching the Venus/Jupiter show for the last month or so, keep checking it out, the separation being almost as cool as the closing.
Heard there was another little aftershock here in Va. while I was away, it's still a seismic zone. My guess is there are numerous shakes around the big, fractured planet but I haven't done my due diligence to check the list recently. I'll check that and the volcano list when it's updated later today. It's Earth, don't think it can't happen to you!
While it's warm and muggy here it's still an amazing planet and I hope you get out and wander a bit, Today on Earth.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Happy 239th Birthday USA!

Hope you are having a wonderful 4th!

I'm heading east tomorrow and this is likely the last TOE for sometime…it's taken an hour to load six pictures and type this...

 Smokin' da Pork

Back to the Mountains: More Golf & Friends

A too late leave of the flatirons lands me in the poor driving nightmare that is any crowded American interstate…and this road is curvy with views to further distract the average paying little attention driver.
But, back to Breckenridge and eventually the golf course and a rain shower and then sun and a little wind and sun and lovely views and good times with old friends.
Golf with Matt and Randy, the usual dogging and abuse and laughs ( I had watched Caddy Shack recently) and malted local beverages and catching up the Dan, the new king of Loveland Ski area, and a dinner trip into Breck to familiar haunts and back up to American Way and bed.
July 3 is pretty typical for the mountains, a cool sunny start, and clouds build and sprinkles fall. More dogs to ruffle and lounging to do. Hope your 4th weekend is lovely and you are out enjoying to day on Earth.
The Ten Mile Range

Back in the sun on #9

Sunset

 Dan Huston and I at Eric's

 It was the full moon, the 1st of two in July, last night.

Flat Irons Golf and Cirque du Soleil

A cool start with drizzle is just the opposite of yesterday here along the front range of Colorado. Yesterday started hot with the dazzling sun but clouds looking stormy blocked the sun and cooled the air and made for fine, and fun, round of golf. And, then things got really wild: Cirque du Soleil.

The show Kurios is in Denver under the blue and yellow tent(s) and Lisa, Joe, Ray and myself headed down for the show and it was wonderful. Juggling, Yo-yo man, an invisible circus, finger dancing, lots of curios, some beyond curious, and then the gymnastic creativity that Cirque is known for, and lots of it. The trampoline show that covered the entire stage and had flyers near the top of the tent was insane!!

Whenever the crazy French circus comes to town, I'm going to see it.

And, the cool, drizzly start when I started typing is now gone and it's sunny and warm. Like weather most places change happens, Colorado at altitude, with plains and mountains has those changes often at breakneck speed. Who know what awaits me back up in Breckenridge. I'll see soon. Heading back to the mountains after 3 lovely days on the plains.

Flat Irons golf course with snow dappled Rockies in the distant.

 The early stage for Cirque and a dinosaur looking snapping turtle crossing the fairway.

Venus & Jupiter Snuggle Up!

After months eyeing each other from across the sky and all of June getting closer and closer the two brightest planets will be less than 1/3 of a degree apart tonight; they will look like one star. I'm not sure you'll be able to separate them with just your eyes, it may take binoculars to pick them out as two objects.  The two will still be less than a degree apart on the first night of July and will still be less than 2 degrees of separation until the 5th. Both will continue to sink lower and lower into the early evening sky as July progresses although Venus will make a minor retrograde, eastward, move later in the month.
The waxing gibbous moon last night was east (left) of Saturn and above Scorpio. The first full moon of July is Wednesday night and the second, a blue moon by one definition, will be on the 31st.
Today on Earth finds me in Boulder at the home of Lisa and Joe and Ray on a warming, blue sky, Colorado day. Another wonderful reconnection with old friends, a visit into the heart (Pearl Street mall) of a happening city and dinner filled with more tasty treats. We dined at Salt, a restaurant that Joe had helped build, wildly artistic metal and wood pieces, most all made from discarded materials that the master recycler had salvaged from about the area ( and I thought I was recycling building a tire house…). We had started in the soon to open space next door where Joe is working with an friend and restauranteur, again, taking stuff that someone was throwing away and worked it into magic.
A quick check of the USGS earthquake list finds some interesting spots on the US map - Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan and quite a few quakes in the mid-5's scattered about the plate boundaries of busted up, active planet. Volcano updates won't show until tomorrow, so who knows…there's plenty going on, I'm sure, glad there's none nearby.
So readers, get out and enjoy your day on the big planet but, make sure you check out the sky show, tonight on Earth.
With Lisa

 Prairie Dog

 Venus and Jupiter above Salt on the Pearl Street mall

 In Boulder...

Robert Randolph at Dillon Amphitheater

Summit County, Colorado: lots of summer activities and lovely sites, from world class music to moose in the back yard.  All days at 10,000 feet start near freezing but the thin air warms quickly and 70's in mid-summer is pretty standard for the top of the continent. Blue skies give rise to cumulus clouds everyday and yesterday showed signs of afternoon showers but they never happened, just enough clouds for a break from the intense, little filtered sun of high altitude and to provide wild light shows at sunset.
The end goal for yesterday was a free concert with Robert Randolph and the Family Band at the Dillon Amphitheater. Clouds to the north hinted of rain but cleared and just added to the show on stage, a high energy, dance frenzy crowd and some amazing slide work from one of the masters. His sister sang several songs, his cousins played most of the other instruments, except for the Apostle Paul on guitar, apparently a family band, but Robert was the show, an amazing talent.
Today dawned with two moose in the back yard of Jay and Deb's, big, big animals and unfazed by the homes and dogs and humans they share the mountains with (Deb told me a large bull had listened to Bella the pup bark and bark before rearing up on hind legs, landing hard with a snort and startling the poor dog into the realization that barking was not needed or wanted - the dog no longer barks much at moose). When you live in the woods, you have to share your space with a lot of others, and running off a moose is not a wise move ( I think they kill more people every year than do bears).
To catch up other Earth news, half dozen quakes already today in Oklahoma and only one in California, a 5.2 rocking on the big island of Hawai'i must mean more magma is on the move. Today's largest quakes are all in the low 5's, plenty of shaking for those close by and the weekly volcano list is smaller than of late but new (old…) names are back.Iceland is on watch for volcano induced flooding, Cleveland has kicked up the activity in the Aleutians, and the players have changed in central America but it's still the Ring of Fire, fired up.
The sky show, for me anyway, is still the coming together of Venus and Jupiter, now within 2 degrees of each other and both dropping a little lower each day. Venus is less than 90 degrees from Earth and closing the gap and Jupiter, traveling slower and farther than earth to orbit the sun is dropping because we are leaving it behind; they just happen to be in the same part of the sky for us to enjoy right now. They will be within 2 degrees for the next 8 days, closest on the 30th, keep checking it out, a close encounter this fine has occurred but a few time over the last couple of thousand, yes thousand, years.
It's your planet and maybe you don't have moose in your back yard to start your day but there are wonders to behold where ever you are, Today on Earth.
Buffalo Mountain and the Gore Range and Lake Dillon

 Sun, clouds, mountains…nice

Venus & Jupiter above the Gore Range

 Robert Randolph and his Family Band

Boatin' on Lake Dillon and the Ten Mile Range

Bella checking out the moose, respectfully!

Breckenridge!!

Today brings the cross-county friend, dog and food adventure nearly back to the continental divide, last crossed in New Mexico, and now just a few miles off to the east from high upon the 10 mile range above Breckenridge, Colorado. More wonderful friends and their lovely homes and more dog loving. Leaving my buddy, Arti in Sausalito, crossing 3 states - 3 big states, and finding Bella, the dark chocolate love machine and her buddy, Chelsea in the home of Jay and Deb on Peak 7, underneath the slopes of Breck. I slept through the chill of the 10,000 foot morning and to find today here warming and lovely, the thin, brilliant blue sky, some cumulus now building, the breezes through the aspens, make for a nice vacation Saturday morning. Some live music again in the picture; another wonderful day on Earth.
The last two days have covered over a thousand miles and as mentioned three big states. The delta of California, the Sierra foothills and then the real Mountains over Donner Pass (didn't stop for a snack:) and into the Basin and Range of Nevada, tints of green lingering, Utah and mirages in the salt flats, Salt Lake, and now Colorado.
More later...

Chelsea (above) & Bella (below)

 Selfie and the Ten Mile Range

 Tiny wonders: Pyrite and Rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home mine