Cool, Green & Breezy!!

The forest has leafed out, now a deep, deep, mallow green and today it is in motion. A Cold front passed thru late yesterday, with a little wind and very little rain but the pressure gradient between that storm's center and us is severe, so is the wind. 35+ mph gusts are forecast today and it's cranking up now. That front also dropped the temp back to spring-like levels not the summer stuff of the last 3 days. The cool down will be short, 80 again by Sunday and long term predictions are showing a very warm, even hot, May for most of the central and eastern US. 

Global Warming isn't coming, IT'S HERE!! Get used to it..

In "wrens are crazy" news; just flown and tweeted at by the local pair as they flew out of my mortar mixer, this week's nesting spot...wild, noisy but cute little birds. Just enough rain in the gauge to wet the bottom..0.01"..maybe. And, yes, cool and breezy.

Earthquake numbers are waaaaay down, usual spots around US but Pacific rim, Eurasian, Saudi, African plate boundaries are very quiet..that will, always, change.

Sun is fairly quiet, a little bombardment coming Earth's way but only minor aurora forecast. The moon wanes on, Mars glows red in the SW, Venus and Mercury are in the SW but very near the sun and very low and hard to spot; that will change later in the month but Venus will be the evening star for the rest of the year; have patience and you won't be able to miss it.

Photos of softball size hail in Texass yesterday, whoa!! Major smashing occurred, just pummeled stuff..dealers won't be selling those cars..although, it's Texass so..who knows.

Michigan continues to lead the death by TrumpVirus numbers in the US; 116 of the 879 that died yesterday, way to ignore common sense and spread it around you 'Ganders. Idiot republican legislator more concerned with "freedoms" and "rights" than the one freedom we all crave, freedom to remain alive and virus free..not important to TDS*. Poor democratic governor's call for, again, common sense rules to keep everyone safe being ignore..still like to hear a republican PLAN, not a rant, not no, no, no but a plan. 

It's Friday, enjoy, but safely..being vaccinated feels so much better than not being vaccinated, so much better. It's breezy,  it's cool, it's green, Today On Earth.

*TDS- trumpdicksucker..

Ahhh, Spring..Heat & Hail

As the east coast cooks, a 8 mile band across the high plains of Colorado was getting a large dose of spring in the form of hail. Golf ball size and several inches deep. Ghina, too, had a recent dumping of the large ice balls leading to icy, flash flooding. Ain't Earth grand!!

Haze and a breeze made the high 80's temps of yesterday, actually, quite pleasant. More haze ahead of tonight's front arrival are slowing the temperature rise so far today but we have already hit 80. Tomorrow and the weekend will be cooler but 80's return next week. It will be May and our planet is having a hot flash..just on a different time scale than we humans would have a hot flash..still, for a planet, very rapid.

In other hot news, 20 mountains made the "we are hot and blowing and showing it" list this week. 2 in the Aleutians, Stromboli joins Etna in Italy, La Soufriere slows a bit but is still in eruption mode on St. Vincent and Fuego & Pacaya are still blasting away in Guatemala. In the western Pacific, Kamchatka with a fairly standard 3, Japan 2 and the usual leader, although down a bit, Indonesia with 4. Piton de la Fournaise remains active in the western Indian ocean, Kilauea on Hawai'i and Villarrica in Chile' round out the list. Oh yea, Iceland, the combo hot spot/mid-ocean ridge island still has a few cubic meters of basalt oozing out every second.

A series of mid-5 quakes off the Oregon coast not long ago have set off no tsunami warnings but should serve as a reminder; the NW coast of the US is long overdue for a big shake..maybe a volcanic rumble, too. You can't fly over the region on a (rare) sunny day and not see a volcano poking up, they are everywhere. Heed the warning! North of New Zealand in the Kermadec Isles remains subductively shaky, Earth as whole a little shaky today.

950 more Americans did not make it to today, with 54K new cases. The usual denial states with the most folks gone, done in by the TrumpVirus. Vaccinations continue but are slowing, idiot excuses abound..I'm not going there..

Our new president, Joe Biden, an actual president, laid out plans (something we didn't really see for 4 years) to move us into the fast approaching future - oh look, it's here today - with a positive, proactive approach that we needed 20 years ago..but, there was more money to be made on war..so.. Hope is being used again, we now have hope. For 4+ years, hate and fear and lies have been the norm, hard to get much done that way. Takes a lot of energy to remain angry, much less to be hopeful.

In other really good news: Malcolm Gladwell has just released a new book, The Bomber Mafia. I just downloaded it, have read a little, and it's not a topic I would likely have sought out but it's Malcolm and he could make paint drying interesting, thought provoking and entertaining, so the bombing campaign to end the war in the Pacific, tell me more Malcolm!!

I have quite enjoyed the warmth of the last few days, time to get out for another warm walk in the pollen, buggy, beauty of Va in the spring, Today On Earth.

The turtles are out..

The Heat Is On..

Yesterday was warm, drifting toward hot but a breeze did the cooling trick, not sure that will happen today. Eastern Va. may hit 90 today, rest of the state, upper 80's, farther south, it's cooking. Front Friday will cool things for the weekend before warm times return next week. May...well, we'll see, my guess, warmer than normal.

6.0 quake in eastern India today, adding to their many problems, probably be begging soon for more help with quake damage. How 'bout we send ya some 3 year birth control implants and you can begin to solve your real problem; too many Indians. West Texas, also not known for heeding obvious warnings, with more and gradually strengthening quake action. Frack on, oil suckers! North of New Zealand still got rock adjusting, shifting; subduction a slow but messy process.

Hazy now, likely clearing later and hot. Drink water, seek shade but enjoy, Today On Earth.

A Big Ole Moon...And, The Heat Is On!!

Last Night's Full "Pink" Moon was super, literally & figuratively, near perigee made it literal, it was larger than average and just so big and bright..you get it, if you saw it. It'll still be sizable tonight as it begins to wane back toward New.

The sun remains rather active, explosively so. No direct CME blasts headed toward Earth but we may get a grazing blow sparking auroras. Mars still shines nicely in the SW in the evening with not much else around..that's bright, anyway.

PNG wins the world shake contest today with several in the upper and lower magnitude 5's but all are offshore and no tsunami warnings. North of New Zealand also some 5-ish shakes as well as around Scotia Plate. Couple of rumbles off W. coast of Africa (Gabon). Alaska with both rock and ice quakes!!

Story here today is the building heat wave, into mid 80's today, closer to 90 the next two days. That will be quickly tempered this weekend with a cold front, spring a fickle thing. Planetary warming slowly creeping onward and upward.

TrumpVirus continues to surge through GOP; yesterday's ranting all based on a fake report in Brit tabloid. The hate mongering losers looking for any excuse to blame, enrage and vilify. Maybe they should be stuffing a little less beef in their fat faces..but, at least cover your bulbous snout with a mask.

The virus itself, still evolving, rages on here and worldwide; Brazil and now India the epicenters of death, denial and stupidity these days (but 479 Americans also died yesterday..). If you look at any picture from India and don't see the problem..you are missing the obvious: there are way too many people there, living too close together and most thinking some fat or multi-limbed god is going to protect and/or save them..and still no help arrives from the real or ethereal world..dumbasses.. Half the country could die and it would still be overcrowded. And, does anyone see the insanity of burning all those dead bodies in open air pyres, cutting down trees for wood to burn bodies..dumbasses.

Time to rouse a napping dog and head out for a warm walk, Today On Earth.

A Lovely Day, A Look Ahead To May

As usual, my monthly column is my post for the last Monday of the month.. Lovely day, get out and enjoy, Today On Earth.

May 21 - On & Off Earth

A mostly cool April, wrapping up with a little heat wave, reminds us that summer awaits on the other end of May. While I have not forgotten that summer’s heat and humidity is barreling towards us, I do seem to have forgotten just how brilliant the dogwood blossoms are every year. Were they this pretty last year? I think they were but photos and memories just can’t replace the real thing. Get out for a walk and enjoy them while they last.

In about three weeks, my last group of ninth graders, the LCHS class of 2021, all grown up now, will take their big graduation walk, receive their diplomas and move into a world filled with more unknowns and uncertainties than any of us could have imagined four short years ago. I hope, I can, safely, be there to see and celebrate that big day with them.

A colder winter and cooler spring pushed the annual bear visit back into late April after his March appearance last year. I didn’t see the big guy but was alerted to his presence by my dog. No feeders were out but to show his displeasure he pulled down the wire they hang on anyway; it fends off the squirrels but not the bear.

Also, as per usual for April, I have spotted a couple of black snakes. Yes, a couple; wrapped around each other, no doubt discussing family planning. A few wild azaleas, lovely and rare, scattered throughout the woods, are winding down their blooming run as the mountain laurel and lady slippers begin to show their colors.

With the lush green of new leaves, color splashes from May flowers and warmer days, why stay inside? May beckons to get out for a walk or bike ride, get a garden in the ground and fill the air with the smell of fresh cut grass. And there is plenty of daylight, by Mother’s Day, May 9th, 14 hours span the gap between sunrise and set. 

Our natural satellite, The Moon, trapped by Earth’s gravity so much so that we only ever see one side, does wander and drift a bit from our planet’s tug. Its orbit is tilted about 5 degrees from the Earth/Sun plane; some months above Earth, some below. But, twice a year, it has to line up with the Earth and sun and that is when we have eclipses.

The first eclipse sequence of 2021 begins with May’s Full Flower moon, early morning on the 26th. Sadly, for us, the moon will have set just before it grazes Earth’s shadow. The West Coast and Hawai’i see the entire eclipse. Two weeks later, June 10th, the partial shadow of the moon will be visible here, a partial solar eclipse. You’ll need to find your eclipse shades from 2017 to watch it safely. More on that next month.

In other off Earth news, May’s Full moon occurs with the moon close to Earth, at perigee, and King tides will cover the beach at high tide and expose vast expanses at low; factor that in if visiting the shore. Venus and Mercury are visible, but very low in the west after sunset, Mars, easy to spot well above them but not nearly as bright as last summer. Jupiter and Saturn are the brightest “stars” in the eastern predawn sky. The sun moves from Aries into Taurus on May 15th.

Memorial Day, late this year on the 31st, is the normal kickoff to the summer season but more importantly, a day of remembrance. With hundreds of Americans still dying everyday from COVID-19, and thousands more around the world, we still have much to do to return our country and world to what will be a new version of normal. Only together, will our future, normal world be safer, happier and healthier for all.

It Rained, It's Now Sunny, Woooo

3/4" of rain yesterday and early into today but sun is back and temps are warming and headed toward hot by Tuesday. The roller coaster of spring races on..and so does the wind..

Another fairly non-shaky day on the big fractured planet, only 2 quakes above mag. 5. Puerto Rico little shakes back up but no real issue there, either.

Solar blast got to Earth a little ahead of forecast arrival time but we're 93 million miles from an active star so that is pretty standard, as well. The fact that we can monitor and measure our star, that's really amazing.

50K new cases and 725 more Americans dead, just yesterday from the TrumpVirus. J&J vaccine back on approval list, with far fewer cases of side effects than from aspirin or birth control pills. Hesitancy of vaccination, after 4+ years of lies and distortion from the top (bottom..of the barrel), not surprising but believing marky suckerberg's site over scientist...crazy. Anti-vaxer's gods sure don't seem to be stepping up to help with disease..or feeding the over-breeders.

Sunday news talk is about George Floyd's murder and guilty verdict for cop that killed him. "People are fed up". But, we still live in a country of racism and guns with lots of criminals and mental health issues. Cops are mostly underpaid, under trained and over armed and have to fund their departments and localities with tickets from petty traffic stops or drug seizures. And, mostly not able to be held accountable when they screw up; teacher says one wrong thing, gone, cop kills someone, ooops, sorry!

But, with good parenting there is no need for police.. One guy killed recently was a sperm donor of 7 kids and he was fleeing police..why not home with your kids, don't get shot then..  Good parenting, no racist, bully cops; good parenting no kids making a living as criminals. But, with 350+ million guns in the country, we got a long way to go..

It's a lovely Sunday, hope you can enjoy, safely, Today On Earth.

Storms In South, Rain Coming Here

The sun is hazy

Me, I'm lazy

Dog ain't home

On the roam

Yesterday got to see

2 things mean spring to me

A box turtle & big bear

Makes you a little more aware..

For now, squirrels in the yard

This afternoon likely raining hard

Will it ruin beers & tunes

Sure will if here too soon..

Deep south, perhaps a tornado

Reality, trailers are gonna go🌪

Global Warming, ice getting thin

Melt has changed the Earth's spin

The climate is always changing

But Global Warming, that's rearranging

The planet, NOW!

And, we know how

And why

Need fossil fuels to go..byebye

But evilGhina keeps burning coal

Aussies burn & mortgage their soul

Exxon still blowing up the Earth

How much will the last drop be worth?

'Til that fateful day, Earth gonna shake

Like today with a 6.5 quake

And, several that hit magnitude 5

But, just sea floor shake & jive

Speaking of an Earth alive

Solar zapping about to arrive

Auroras across the northern tier

Don't think we'll see 'em here

TrumpVirus?? Folks still dying

Least our prez ain't lying

No tweets, lies, braggin' or rants

No fat ass in baggy pants

Still republican racist heart shines through

Only one idea and it's not new

Blaming me, blaming you

Never their fault..ain't got a clue

Another 63K+ cases, another 873 dead

All on you donny, ya fat Punk'n Head

Still..Earth don't know or care

What we humans do out there

Don't care if it's hot or cold

Cuz Earth is really old

Million years, it'll still be here

Human chances much less clear

So, stay safe, do your part

Wear a mask & stay apart

Get a shot in your arm

Waaaaay more good than harm

Today On Earth 

Time To Be Bear Aware!!

It's never a good sign, in late April, when my dog wakes me at 3am; barking wildly. I did not see the bear, apparently heeding Breyer's warning but quickly saw the damage. The thin wire, 9 feet off the ground, that I hang bird feeders from was much lower, hanging by the holiday lights that run along it; wire keeps the squirrels off, not the bear. Nothing to eat and still he pulls them down..bitch!!

Another cold morning but not as cold, some high clouds holding the heat in as they stream in ahead of tomorrow afternoon's forecast rain. Then the warmth of spring returns, 80's on the midweek horizon.

Big uptick in quake numbers but not one even near magnitude 5, anywhere on the big, broken plate planet. 8 each in Puerto Rico, Alaska and western US.

Big blast, coronal mass ejection (CME) off the sun that is streaming our way at 760km/sec but much slower than sunlight so it won't get here until Sunday. Geomagnetic storm will be in the offing, auroras and more. Moon is gibbous waxing toward full on Monday.

TrumpVirus numbers, deaths and cases jumped again yesterday; 911 & 66,362 respectively. Cali leads the way in total deaths still but Michigan with, again, more deaths per day; nice job Ganders, nice job America. I'll be 2 weeks out and fully vaccinated in an hour and a half!! I'll still be masked at the store later today, still not pushing my luck and it pisses off TDS*: Bonus!!

AOC got a challenge from mtg yesterday but guess what you hoax believing moron, AOC don't care about you and doesn't have to. Looks like the cig smoking has cause mtg to visit the same reupholstering shop that redid the leather on donny's bedraggled face. The world would be such a prettier(and safer) place if TDS* would just cover their fat, pasty faces with masks.

Stay safe, be smart, mask on, shot in and bear aware, Today On Earth.

*TDS-TrumpDickSucker...

LOFL moment..hannity interviewing donny the douche(Seth Meyers showed it last night..like I'd watch the fox), starting with question to verify that donny is still working as hard as he did when prez...now that's hilarious..watching the fox (faux news) and tweeting is not work, lying constantly is not work; it's what a sociopath does!! The fox would be competition for the comedy channel if they didn't think they were serious...LOFL!! Today On Earth!!

EARTH DAY - Cool & Breezy W/ Eruptions!!

EARTH DAY #51

High pressure, after a cold start in Canada has arrived in the US and dropped temps far below late April norms. Alas, our realization of the crises we humans have created on this lovely planet, while 51+ years in  awareness continues; saying norms, what does that even mean anymore. There really are no norms, just new extremes setting new records, that should be considered the new normal. While there seems to be a light breeze about, it is calm compared to the wildness of yesterday. Tomorrow morning will see another freeze warning issued (this morning's was pretty much the entire, eastern US) before clouds and the next system arrives Saturday; sometime afternoon the forecast for rain to arrive. Warmer air will win back northern ground before April ends.

Another very low shake day, 24 on the list. Only one above 5, a mag. 5.5 off the central Chile' coast.

Volcano activity remains fairly normal (always about 18-20 on the list)but with new comers occupying a bit of room on the warning list. La Soufriere on St. Vincent has calmed a bit but is still in explosive eruption mode. Basalt continues to ooze from fissures on both Iceland and half a world away in the Indian Ocean on Reunion Island (actually not really that far, one north one south but longitudinally not that far apart). Sangay in Ecuador and Sabancaya just to the north in Peru, both on the list for several years, keep up the explosive attitudes with many blasts; daily, every day!! Popo outside La Ciudad in Mexico returns to the list, but has been rumbling, gassing and belching debris fairly regularly for over 20 years. Hawai'i is still spewing basalt in the middle of the Pacific. Indonesia, Kamchatka, Japan, all with mountains still letting the heat out!

A CME is headed Earth's way from our nearby star, a light zapping, auroras the likely outcome.

TrumpVirus numbers climbed back into an unsettling range yesterday, down from recent highs but still where we were last August - when we had no vaccine and still a idiot, lying douche bag for president; sad we have not made more & better progress. Still, a lot of racist idiots conned by donny the douche into thinking they were special and all that mattered. An anti-science attitude looks pretty stupid on someone holding a cell phone...Earth don't care and your god ain't showing up to help...deal with that!

Bird activity is up today in my yard, young gold finch still sitting stunned at my door after a mass flock exodus that lead him into the glass, I think he'll be ok as long as no big brown dog suddenly returns; he's still sitting not sure what he just hit...

With a still raging pandemic, Earth Day celebrations will be subdued, quiet, virtual again this year. At a time we need the awareness to grow, we must remain hunkered. Still mostly talk and promises but no real concrete action to change things; our cancerous growth, a worldwide economic pyramid scheme that would make recently dead Bernie MadeOffWithYourMoney blush, the extraction industries still seeking the last drop of crude, the last kilo of ore, plastic littering the ocean from shore to shore, wave to seafloor, temps still rising on land and sea, trapped by an atmosphere we have altered rapidly and dramatically (dumbass republican greed heads, but it's cold today..remember that in a week when it closes in on 90..).

Promises of change by 2030 or 35 or 40 or 50, all far too little and far too late. Protecting an unfair economic system, polluting industries, worldwide war fears, with the cries of it'll hurt the economy will one day be looked upon for the lying evil it is; There Is No Economy On A Dead Planet!!

That's the sad reality, the coming future for humans and while we'll take a lot of other species with us, Earth and life will go on, without us...sometime soon..but not, Today On Earth.

Wanna help, take a walk, park your car, Today On Earth.

Wild Wind Now, Chill Close Behind

The wind is back to howling, tree debris is flying; a strong cold front is coming. It's 70 in Raleigh and 40 in Nashville, big changes on the way. Mostly the front will be dry through here, but with some snow to our north and west, just a serious chill down here; welcome to the wild Earth. Already a typhoon in the western Pacific, looking like another wild year on the stormy, warming Earth.

Sun also getting wild as new cycle builds but latest CME is not headed toward Earth. Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight; best viewing after moon set 1am-ish.

Only 24 quakes on the list for last 24 hours, only 8 out of the Americas; strongest: 5.0.

TrumpVirus deaths ticked back up yesterday, Michigan leading the way, way to go south and return with virus..taking out granny, nice job. Lot of mo-ron racist trump-ers up there, remember, they tried to kidnap the governor...

At least, 2 states over they convicted a murdering cop, still much to do to create lasting change..I may have mentioned: "It's always the parents fault"!! Good kids, good parents, idiot kids, idiot parents, not tricky to make the connection!

Hummers are back, visiting the feeder a little more often these days, tube and suet feeder action is down a bit, more food around from other sources these spring days, Earth provide if ya know where to look..

Stay safe out there and be weather aware, Today On Earth!!

4-20-2021 Say No More

At the outside bar for 4/20 blog, going to be a lovely day. For now, a bit cool with tree litter and flying insects swirling about in the light breeze; a variety of buggy creatures. Indigo, azure, royal, bluebird; pick a blue, not a cloud in sight..well, distant horizon, such that it is.

Shaky day in USA but nothing big, AK & PR with the most. 6.0 in Sinabung, Indonesia, near eponymous volcano and 5.0 off Chile on mid-ocean ridge. Bay area, Cali, with 4.0, good little reminder for them.

Moon is one quarter of the way around Earth in it's moonthly trip, it'll be a bright twilight tonight. Big solar blast zapped short wave radio signals in northern Pacific and another CME could refire auroras in the far north and south. Moon was beside Castor & Pollux last night, the Gemini twins. Minor meteor shower overnight tomorrow, the Lyrid's, as we fly through dust from a comet visitor in Civil War times, comet debris still there. 15/hour max rate and moon light will cut down on that; wee hours best chances..I'll be napping:)

Saw a Rufous Sided Towhee yesterday, common spring visitor; later a Hairy woodpecker on the dogwood suet, big beak on that bird. Cows in the field behind me now; everything is better with some cows around...

TrumpVirus cases still up, deaths down but still almost 500 yesterday, over half of adult Americans now with at least one shot; good news. Sadly, about 1/3 of 'mericans won't get it, religious, political and other irrational and superstitious reasons..don't believe science/medicine, throw your phone away, it must be a magic demonic device...70 million say a stupid thing, still a stupid thing..Every Day On Earth.

Today is a good day to mention the continuing moves in the direction of personal freedom that we brag about so much in this country. Marijuana laws, really enacted to make it easier to jail blacks, are gradually going away across the US. About done in The Old Dominion, officially 7/1/21. Grow your own, tax sales, teach your kids responsible stimulant usage by demonstrating or at least discussing at home. And, things are better. Responsible parenting again, it's the key. Deal with issues there and they don't spill out into the world with horrid consequences. But, there is a lot of slime out there and we are far, far, far, far away from rational leadership hopes...still, good signs abound and the negative energy & hate are at least not having gasoline poured on them daily, good riddance Rush, seeeeya donny, ya douche.

Get out and enjoy Earth's bounty and loveliness, it's 4/20, Today On Earth!!

Nothing But Rain...Well...

The early blue skies of yesterday filled steadily with clouds until it was covered by evening, no moon visible. Weekend weather guys forecast a little, light rain early today that would be gone by late morning; WRONG!! It has been steady rain since before sunrise (like we could have seen the sunrise..) and it's still coming down; not a deluge but far from the light rain they were predicting.

Not sure if the Low hanging off the Carolinas will slow the movement of this system and the clearing of our skies or hold the rain even later into the day than weather prognosticators said. It is waaaaay too wet for me to venture out and the big dog agrees, snoring gently.

South central Chilean coast has got the shakes today, several above 5 and they are continuing. North of New Zealand/Fiji and central Indonesia with the only other 5+ quakes today. Iceland's volcanic issues just hosted a 4.9 quake. No quakes reported on St. Vincent but I'm betting the volcano is still rumbling...and blasting. Texas with too many quakes for natural Texas to be having; oil greed & fracking.

The sun is streaming a fast & heavy solar wind our way, lighting the barely dark skies of the far north with auroras; that will continue for a few more days. The moon was near Mars last night but not for my eyes.

I thought the rain was slowing, a lull in the drops on the puddles but no; it has picked back up, noisy on the roof.

TrumpVirus stats seem to have been caught up, but still a weekend downturn in either deaths, cases or the reporting. With ICU beds full in hospitals in the northern US the downturn seems not quite accurate. Spring break idiots bringing the virus home to mom, dad and grandma and snow birds returning from the peninsula of infection seem to be driving the northern surge. And, for those hesitant to get the vaccine (whaaaat??), I have yet to speak to a vaccinated person that was not relieved. Still, lot of fools and suckers out there believing crap on facebook and not those actually in the know.

Soooooo...stay safe, be smart, mask on, shot in, but, stay apart, Today On Earth.

Nothing But Blues Skies.. Well...

Little spritzing, last night late

Today, cloudless, looking great

That will change, the only rule

Spring, both delightful & cruel

Chance of showers, tomorrow

Washing clear the pollen sorrow

Currently reminded: google sucks

Will it stay, typing & luck

Few big shakes around today

Iran with the biggest sway

Greece, Japan, Burma, too

Scotia plate, Kamchatka, a few

Taiwan, just now, 2 big shakes

Pressure release from rock breaks

Or..from glacial ice calving free

That's what Alaska got to see

Woooo

Ice is melting, ain't no lie

Earth temps, keep getting high

Typhoon Surigae trashing Philippines

Cat. 5, April? Earliest ever seen?

And, big sunspot turning our way?

We'll know more by Tuesday

Just sent monster blast into space

Good thing, Earth it did not face..

Just saw ad for show: Earth in Peril

Earth is not, it's humans in the barrel

Earth doesn't care about us

Earth has seen much worse fuss

Earth will be here in 100 or 1,000 years

Will humans babies still appear?

It's human created, this Earth warming

Guns, CO2, plastics swarming

But, greed is still driving the bus

A handful horde, rest feel the crush

Lot of talk, not much action

Reduction..not getting much traction

Since I've been writing, clouds are back

Change is always on the track

Will we make it good or bad

We made the mess, yes, that is sad

We can stop, clean it up, too

Not that tricky, my idea, not new

Today On Earth...

Lady Slippers don't care

Starting to bloom, in forest here..

Crime is up, cop killings, too

Denials, blame, shining through

Contraception & family planning

Teenage moms, we should be banning

Draconian plan we could see..

Underage, get 1 kid, then hysterectomy

Or get abortion, for kid you ain't ready

Need a dad, a plan, a life that's steady

Otherwise, what we get is what we got

Lies, fear & hate, country running hot

But...

With good parenting, no bad cops

With good parenting, all crime stops

With good parenting, racism fades

Better parents, fewer funeral parades

Need to put on population lids

None, one or two, great kids

Today & tomorrow On Earth

Cool But With Hummers..

After seeing the initial hummingbird check out the newly filled feeder I hadn't seen any; that's over. The little wild birds are visiting this morning. Other bird numbers are down, must be many other options these days and babies to raise. Squirrels remain plentiful and obnoxious, destructive, a menace..tree rats. I hear the hawks but wish they would do a fly-in for a tasty rodent treat!

Down to 40 here early today and likely only into the 60 today and for much of next week. Not much pollen clearing rain in that forecast, just coolish; it'll be hot enough, soon enough.

Magnitude 5.4 today's biggest quakes; 6 at or above mag. 5 and all in the SW Pacific boundary zones.

Sun zapped the planet and stirred auroras in the northlands, during their brief period of darkness..not the land of the midnight sun for nothing.. I forgot to do a moon/Mars check last night..sadly TV, Friday obsession..

That's it..Earth still Earth, TrumpVirus report not updated for yesterday but, it's still with us, killing infecting, with long, lingering, painful effects for the survivors (1/3 of survivors with mental issues from virus - that 10+ million Americans..not to mention the 70+ million that already had mental issues enough to support the racist, misogynist con man). Donny destroyed a mostly great country and it'll be a while before we approach anything close to great again.. but, Joe's trying. Has plans, is working them but bumping into the no, no, no, no club run by spineless Mitch, donny's little bitch..hard to believe America can't do better than Mitch, Lindsey and Ted and their ilk; it will be fun to watch to feds cuff and lock Matty "I like my girls young and paid for" Gaits(sp:).

Time to go, out on the planet, you should get out, too..Today On Earth!

Atmospheric Particulates...

Spring time breezes seem to create an uptick in air borne debris, on Earth and Mars. Plants getting busy, pumping the pollen and spores, drought prone regions getting dusty and throw in a few volcanoes and Earth's atmosphere is full of (mostly) unseen particles.

Most everything in Va. has a yellow tinge from pollen, mostly pine at this point. The recent rain helped but that washing is mostly done with none coming of significance anytime soon. Beijing, with centuries of worst practices in farming, has been dark with dust storms of late, 3 monsters so far. In an oppressive country, stuck deep in superstition and wacko beliefs and practices , I like to think it's a bit of karma from the planet dousing them in Mongolian dust.. It's not, but it is a direct result of their overpopulation and horrid treatment of their part of the planet. Trees filter a lot of that dust, and slow the wind, but they have cut most of them down.

Mars dust storms have created a bad scene for NASA; solar panels on their latest rover, successfully deployed, are covered in dust and in need of a non-dust laden wind to clean them off..or dead batteries will result in a dead rover:(

St. Vincent ash, while likely not a big issue across the Atlantic in Africa, still gives you an idea of how far dust, ash and smoke can travel on a very breezy planet. Remember, Europe was shrouded in Sahara dust no long ago. That dust also lands on the Caribbean islands now returning the favor with tiny glass shards. Va. skies were hazy with west coast fire smoke last summer; when the wind blows, the dust goes!!

Clear skies here last night made for gorgeous sky viewing; the crescent moon, brightened with Earth shine near Aldebaran, the Winter Triangle (Betelgeuse, Procyon & Sirius) pointing moonward. Mars and Capella farther overhead. After many not so clear days, quite lovely. Our satellite will be nearer to Mars tonight, hope for clear skies!

But, clear skies and no humidity mean the temp, not exactly jumping up quickly will drop again tonight making for a chilly evening..again, it's Spring. Cool temps and little rain dominate the forecast for much of what remains of April. Time...

The sun is getting spotty; 1 newly numbered spot with two more likely to get there own code later today; the new cycle with a little uptick.

Speaking of ticks; they are out, check after outdoor wanders.

A rather slow day of quakes, only 2 even shook the meters to mag. 5. We all know that will change, but where.

TrumpVirus deaths above 900 again yesterday, with over 70K new cases. Even as vaccinations continue to go into arms dumbasses continue to ignore simple guidelines and spread the virus. Republicans whine a lot but still have no plans, for anything. No is not a plan. No black voters, no abortions and more guns is not a plan, it's a travesty..but, standard for suckers, still on their knees, conned by a NY slumlord.

A big dog is back home..WOOOOOO..time to take him and myself for a walk, Today On Earth.

A Pollen Washing, Ash To Africa, Tax Day Still A Month Away!

While it seems the Trade Winds would be taking St. Vincent's ash clouds westward, that is not the case. With the volcano's explosions sending ash higher than Mt. Everest, the upper atmosphere winds are carrying it eastward, across the Atlantic, to settle all the way into central Africa. Makes it easy to understand how really big eruptions circle the globe with ash and block enough sunshine to cause catastrophic crop chilling conditions. That is not, as of yet, the case here but there are 17 other mountains on the eruption list this week adding to the ash total.

Piton de la Fournaise on Reunion Isle off east Africa is back on the list with a slow flow basaltic eruption in progress; it's slow flowing but seems fairly steady..Pacaya is still blasting away in Guatemala (I'm sure Fuego & Santa Maria are, too but are not listed this week) and Iceland's hot spot, mid-ocean ridge combo eruption is up to 10 separate vents oozing lava, less a tourist attraction, more of an issue. Indonesia dominates the week's list with 7 mountains scattered about the archipelago getting wild. Kilauea roils on and Semisopochnoi in the Aleutians is being watched closely for any increase in activity. Kamchatka & Japan round out the list(but, there are more out there stirred or acting up, it's Earth).

Earthquake activity remains fairly average, handful of just above 5 quakes scattered about the Ring. Oklahoma and Texass dominate the US quake map..crazy thought! 4.3 in the panhandle of the Loon Star state may have them rethinking the fracking..yea, right; drill on, dump that salt water, screw the future, we want oil money now!!

In other oil field greed news, 11 bodies remain missing in the Gulf of Mexico after a vessel not built for rough weather capsized, nice move, cruising out into stormy seas in a top heavy boat designed for extraction of Earth's resources..Earth does not care.

Another 932 Americans did not make it to today, another 75,000+ found out they have the TrumpVirus(how many can thank self centered family members for their gift); sadly, in a couple of weeks perhaps 1 or 2% of that 75K will be on the death list, thanks kids, hope you had fun on spring break!!

How many will die because they didn't get a shot because of overreaction to the less than one in a million that had reactions to J&J vaccine? 1 death in 7+ MILLION shots, way better odds than most drugs folks take. Figure it out, (my bet is all that had reactions actually have many other issues) but don't stop the vaccinations. That just adds to what many already fear..we live in knee jerk times. Helicopter parents with kids trapped in houses full of stale air is far worse than your kids wrestling in the yard, eating a little dirt; immunity, health must be earned!!

The one sunspot is really a fractured mess, unlikely to present any CME danger to Earth. The moon is closing in on Mars and will occult the Red Planet for any with clear skies in a swath through Asia; not visible here but that means the two will be close for the next few days. No clouds, check it out!!

Still clouds here and one more front to slide through, not much rain likely with this last boundary (0.37" last night) but below average temps for the next several days. The forest is a lovely pale green, the mallow of young leaves, with the white of dogwood blossoms breaking up the green, it's gorgeous out..well, until the wind blows..pollen in check for a day or two cuz the trees are looking to get lucky, too!! Breeding time, well, humans should wait, plan it a little better, y'all sure you're ready to do the work to raise a kid??

Stay safe, be smart, get a shot but keep the mask close, Today On Earth!!

Less Hair & Now Cooler Temps:(

My beard is gone, now my hair is short, summer length and temps are dropping..a little rain, too. Suddenly, I feel a little cooler when out on the big planet. A simple solution, an extra layer and more substantial headwear, easy fix. Caught in a little spritzing shower on our midday walk, that is now done; there is more to come, it appears. Forecast says it'll be gone by tomorrow but highs only in the 60's for about a week..Spring.

Sun remains a little stirred up, but with 24/7 sunlight up north now, and of course, 24/7 dark for Antartica, we know where the auroras are these days. Cheap thrills for penguins!! Crescent moon should be visible tonight..with clear skies, so, not here!

The Philippines, Indonesia, Greece and near the Galapagos isles are the quakes today that shook seismometers to register above mag. 5. If onshore, might be some minor issues, if seafloor, likely zero issues. W. Texass still got the fricking, fracking, shaking blues.

St. Vincent, completely covered in ash, with more eruptions..and ash..coming daily. When will it end? Only Earth knows and it remains active but hard to read...

TrumpVirus deaths jumped back up to about 1,000 yesterday, the recent average. Michigan, Ohio and Missouri yesterday's death leaders; all 3 with plenty of TDS* and plenty of the attached denial. 77,000+ new cases yesterday, not much drop off there either. At least 3 asswipes at the store today w/o masks; may they all be responsible for deaths in their families(hopefully their own)!

Time for another little town trip and then, likely, a rainy day, got up too early, nap. Hope you, too, get in a nap, Today On Earth.

*TDS- TrumpDick Sucker

Serious Sleep-In Tuesday

Let's face it, as a retired Holladay, I'm lazy and like sleeping in; but, today, Whoa!! I was up a little later than normal and convinced a dog it was too early for him to go visit his girlfriend but then neither of us seemed like getting up really mattered.. but here we are now, not exactly ready to go, up with coffee, checking on the goings-ons around the planet.

A new sunspot is growing our nearby star, could get wild and hurl some high energy particles our way. A crescent moon might be spottable tonight, likely clouds around here by then but mostly clear now after a very foggy early morning(we'll blame the napping on that even though it cleared fairly early...:)

Another very quiet quake day, 27 on the list right now and only 2 above mag. 5 and both sea floor shakes far from land, of course, Oklahoma has some post fracking quakes..

The front that stirred things up across the northern tier of Va. yesterday, only drops here, is down across the south. The next storm center currently bring snow on its back side to the Great Lakes will lower temps here and bring pollen clearing rain tomorrow. No big heat coming any time soon, Spring can be spring-like.

TrumpVirus deaths remain low but case numbers jumped back up. Vaccinations continue to get into arms but opened up states and non-believers (really, it seems to be young, don't care about anybody but me and my phone types driving the current rise) still spreading, the still rapidly evolving pandemic.

And, it being America, white cops continue to stop, hassle, pepper spray and shoot black-ish men. Minnesota, with one murderer cop on trial already, has another suspended (with pay of course) for not knowing the difference between her gun and taser - nice training there. Although, the kid she killed, not that he deserved to be killed, is a classic example of the real issue, bad parenting creating law breakers; a disgustingly obese white 'ho for a mother and no sperm donor, "dad" jumping up to protest his spawn's death.

I continue to stand by this little reality: With good parenting there is no need for police.

To break that somber bit, I just opened my door to let a large brown dog out and sitting right at the door, a largish brown lizard, both had a bit of a start before Mr. Liz darted in quick retreat and Mr. Dog gave a short chase. Mr. Dog just cleared the yard of the nasty tree rats (squirrels) as well, what a good boy.

Stay safe, stay home (if you can), mask up, but get out on your planet, it's Spring, Today On Earth.

It Is Certainly Spring..

 It is looking and feeling like spring; lots of green with dogwood blooms, showers, pollen, mildish nights, warmish days. I suggest you get out on the big planet and check it out.

Most of quakes today along Philippine plate boundary, but only into low mag. 5's. Soufriere St. Vincent is still blasting away(easy to see from space station) and prognosticators are thinking it could go on for awhile. Island is deep, deep, deep in ash, residents trying to get out! Is nearby Pele, on Martinique next on the blast agenda? Only Earth knows and we humans sometimes don't read the signs well.

An average week of weather ahead for the Old Dominion, no big temp swings or dips or blasts, no big storms forecast. Water table is still very high but thirsty, growing trees will begin to take care of that. Excess groundwater and warm temps also means clouds will form daily.

Our star is still fairly quiet (for a star), crescent moon will begin to wax into evening view this week, just below Mars Friday and above Saturday.

Bird feeder glomming has slowed dramatically; bugs, worms, nectar, other options abound. Saw a flash the other day..hummer..not sure. Got a feeder filled with sugar water and hung but have seen no flash since.

Very low TrumpVirus deaths and cases reported yesterday, likely the Sunday lull. Lot of youth out partying, spreading the variants, seem happy to be killing grandma... I had really no adverse effects from shot #2, sore arm and that's mostly gone; I'm good with that:) Still mostly in hunker mode, mask and distance, hope you are, too, Today On Earth.

Rainy Night, Sunny Day; A-OK!!

When the rain just falls at night

That makes it so alright

Then we get a sunny day

And, can go out and play

But, that setup is just here

Elsewhere, there is much fear

In the south, tornadoes trashing things

Snow & chill with last northern flings

Here, a cold front will come through

Could stir up a storm or two

Then a spring-like week ahead

Perhaps an earlier rise from bed...

Probably not..:)

🌋

Quakes, we got a few shakes today

But, a 5.1 is the strongest sway

St. Vincent now covered in ash

16,000 getting out, making a dash

Likely more & bigger blasts to come

Once lovely island, now serious bum..

Sun still spotless, Moon is New

Leaves are popping, greening view

TrumpVirus surging here & there

Mostly where a mask folks won't wear

But, yesterday no state with 100 dead

And, since 1/20/21, much less dread

Now, with Joe, we got a leader

Not a lying Punk'n Head tweeter

Still donny lies, still saps follow

Fell for his con, his lies they swallow

It's just hard to keep up the hate

Easier to ignore, not take the bait

Smile and be nice to all

Mask on and wander at the mall

Hate & anger is just unhealthy

Like hoarding cash for the wealthy

So, get out on the planet today

Feel the sun, watch trees sway

But, be storm aware

It's still a wild planet out there

Today On Earth!!

Two Big Shots; From Volcano, In Arm!!

While Hawai'i and Iceland ooze, St. Vincent's volcano is in blast mode. Two eruptions yesterday sent residents fleeing. What did they think all those warning quakes and a bulging magma chamber were building to, calm?? How many will want to bring their troubles and woes here?

Migration is only an option if there are places to go... Plants and animals are going up and north (or south) to cooler climes, humans leaving the mess they created back home to go add to the mess elsewhere; still with the millions of sad faces we don't get that there are just too many faces. If you can't plan for and then care for one or two kids, don't have kids.

This "teen" salamander, one of five I saw yesterday, was out looking for love, family planning, too!!

Thick fog here this morning has given way to clouds and it's still cool; we remain on the cool side of the front. All of that will change as the larger stronger cold front arrives later tonight. The south is getting hit with tornadoes, likely right now. Up north it's snow. Ya gotta love spring!!

A trio of low mag. 6 quakes along the northern edge of the Aussie/Pacific plate, no tsunami warnings. Scattering of 5-ish quakes around other plate boundaries, Pacific northwest US/Canada and east Texass..not sure what's up with that. A guess would be subsidence from oil & water extraction..NW is little plate boundary and long overdue for a big shake.

Sun remains quiet, moon close to passing 'tween us and the sun, New, which happens tomorrow. Jupiter and Saturn are in the morning sky but I haven't seen them; mostly cuz I'm not up then:) Venus is still hidden behind the sun and will not be easy to spot until late this month and into May. With clouds and rain here, there will be no sky viewing!

I received Moderna shot #2 yesterday, sore arm today but that's about it. USA still running at about 1,000 deaths/day from TrumpVirus; another day with over 80K new cases, we just don't get it. Self centered denial is not a good look for a "great" country. Cali now over 60,000 dead, NY over 50K with Texass close behind and gaining, way to go Greg and Ted. Feeling better with second shot but I will not be rushing out unmasked, Today On Earth!!

With my new selfie stick...:)

Dampness Here, Volcano There..Shot #2!

The meekly named mountain, Sulfur Mine (Soufriere), on the, until now, idyllic island of St. Vincent is about to blow, warnings given, residents fleeing. If you lived there and didn't already have a plan..what were you thinking? Apparently the magma dome, that growing bulge, is now glowing red; that sounds like a pretty good warning.

We are still on the cool side of a warm front that is about to be caught and lifted, occluded. Rain after midnight, a little more during the night and grey and cool now; more rain will be coming, off and on all weekend as a series of fronts sweep through.

A 5.5 quake in the heart of Alaska; likely little damage done with few residents and log cabins are built to shake. Otherwise, pretty low shake day.

I'm headed to the southside of RVA soon for moderna shot # 2 and a lay low, watch the Masters and see how my body adjust to building more viral resistance.

TrumpVirus cases, 81,000+, and deaths, almost 1,000, yesterday with reports of more and more virulent strains does not bode well for the US, vaccinated or not. Still dumbasses wander mask free.

At least, the sun remains calm and after lots of early flybys by space rocks the rest of April will not see any near misses..that we know of:)

Time to get a dog walked and ready to head to town, expose my arm and receive dose number 2, woo woo! Stay safe out there, Today On Earth.

A Day Off, A Much Greener Forest, Snaky Love!!

After a science teacher reunion/get together at York River State Park, I'm back to the tirehouse. The PBS Hemingway special is done, the Masters is underway and clouds are moving in ahead of the next stretch of unsettled weather. No big shakes but a pair of amorous snakes..

I heard the rustle, then saw the tussle; must be spring, snakes having a fling!! Getting busy!!

Since sitting here and looking out into the forest two days ago, the viewshed has been quite restricted, lot of mallow green and dogwood white. One day without feeders and the birds have blown me off, only squirrels in the yard, couple of birds instead of a few dozen; word will get back out.

Nothing hitting magnitude 6 on the shaky planet today; no real issues anywhere it appears. 23 volcanoes on the weeks list, mostly usual suspects; several in the Aleutians are on the list to report their stations are down (snow the suspect) but no activity. Two in that archipelago are belching a little ash; Kilauea still with a little lava action but no big issues. Etna, Pacaya, Sinabung and a couple on remote Japanese islands are going wild still, keep your plane away and there will be no problems. St. Vincent and Iceland still listed, former with slowly growing magma dome and latter with new fissure and some lava expansion but little ash so no immediate threats from either.

Sun is very quiet (well, for a star..), no spots. I'm sure there will be no sky viewing here tonight with pending rain/clouds; likely to continue through the weekend. Moon is New late Sunday night so a very thin, very low early morning crescent these days.

TrumpVirus deaths took a big jump yesterday...oh...OK reported 1,716 deaths yesterday. Must be catching up for 2021 in the sooner state, maybe get things out a little sooner, too busy blowing up the earth sucking every last drop of oil out..too bad about all that salt water with it..oh just pump that deep and deny it's causing your quakes that are destroying small towns..oil jobs matter more than health and safety!!

With another 73,000 cases yesterday, the new surge is coming, driven by young dumbasses caring more about their phone than killing grandma..but I got a great selfie and 100 likes...I'm so cool... I drove past a new bar/restaurant (PBR- just that name would keep me away, those initials referring to a very smelly, bad beer) and outside was packed and not a mask in sight..dumbasses deep in racist TDS* land..I got out quick as I could..but, in reality, that's where I live, too!

Coffee is done, nice to actually have some this morning...long story.. and time to track down a dog. Stay safe out there. My 2nd shot happens tomorrow!! Relative relief, relative safety; it's all relative in a country so full of idiots(at least 70+ million), Today On Earth!

Don The Con; Caught Again!!

Reading an article, years ago, about a camp in the wilds of Utah for wayward youth, there were 3 "myths of youth" that campers had to "get" and get over before they could really move on. Over 3 days I used those as my daily ecofact quote I had on the board. The first: I'm smarter than everyone else and I won't get caught! I added YNAYW underneath..my little guessing game fun..You're not and you will!

The first day I ever put it up, a clever girl but with home life issues, looked at it and said, "yep, that's true..". Since our past, douche bag, pretend president is really still a teenager mentally, rich, spoiled, pussy ass bitch that he is, he should review those 3 myths. He is sooooo not smarter than most anyone and he continues to get caught. It was recently revealed his campaign had to pay back over 67 MILLION dollars they had scammed from people making a one time donation that were then charged that donation monthly (hidden in very fine print) and when things looked bad pre-election, weekly. They've paid back 67 million, so far. For an honest person it is hard to wrap my head around just how slimy you have to be, and that's lots of people being that slimy, to rip off your supporters like that. Again, jail is not enough, donny the punk'n head douche needs to be shot, dumped in an unmarked grave. The workers that set it up: jail, general population at max security prison.

Donny's legacy virus, the TrumpVirus, is on the rise again in the "lets open up, we don't need no science" USA. Easter/spring break surges, with a growing list of variants (natural selection/evolution at work) here and abroad. Deaths are down a bit but cases have shot back up.

Speaking of shooting back up, lava in Iceland. New fracture has opened and more lava is spewing forth; Earth is so cool!! Quake numbers back up a bit, west coast of S. America, Haiti, Kermadec Isles, East of Scotia plate, Kansas, OK, Texass, Utah..you know the usual quake zones.

Lovely spring weather rolls on here, a long string of mild nights and 70 degree days coming; but, of course, so is rain. Chances go up tomorrow, way up Friday and through the weekend. With trees getting busy, a little (or lot of) rain will help with pollen removal; it will be back. Most of the country is warmish. Indonesian death toll from their cyclone action rises onward; it might be considered population control but I'm sure waaaaay more will be born there than perish..still they don't see the problem and allah doesn't seem to be stepping in to help:)

Space remains pretty quiet, still auroras light the northern sky and tis the season for the zodiacal light. A curved cone of sunlight reflecting off the ubiquitous dust sprinkled throughout our solar system. The bulk of the dust is mostly on  the same plane/line/arc as the planets, the zodiac, hence the name. Not sure I've ever really seen it..other than in pics.

Thanks to spaceweather.com and Peter Iredale for this shot off the coast of Oregon..zodiacal light is the faint diagonal above the shipwreck in the foreground!!

Time to get out for dog retrieval, he is a retriever and I often have to retrieve him..not sure that's how it's supposed to work! And, CONGRATS to Baylor for their big win in college hoops!! I only caught bits of the early blitz that quickly became a blowout/beat down...Ken Burns, Hemingway, had my main attention, will again tonight.

Stay safe out there, lot of selfish stupidity about, Today On Earth!!

Spring Is Heatin' Up!

Last cold snap? Seems unlikely but ya never know, it's Earth and wild is the new normal. Ask Indonesia; while no major quake action (and only the usual half dozen volcanic eruptions on going..well and the rampant overpopulation..) the archipelago is being battered by a typhoon(aka: hurricane, tropical cyclone..etc.) with major flooding, death, destruction, the usual with such storms, especially these days. It's always hurricane season somewhere!

Here, a big dome of High pressure continues to hang out and its backside flow is hurling warm air all the way up to Canada on the Plains. We are getting in on the warmth, not quite hot yet but feeling pretty nice. Rain chances here increase here by Wednesday, but best chance seems Friday, as the standard "every few days a new system" cycle repeats. Earth always different, ever the same.

Other than the NE edge of the Aussie plate riding over the Pacific plate and some shifting along the San Andreas fault zone near LA and at the mouth of the Gulf of California, a pretty low key quake day. Any day with less than 30 quakes total is below average.

The sun also remains calm, the new sunspot already falling apart and no other issues coming at us from our nearby star. The waning crescent moons shrinks still, near Saturn tomorrow morning and Jupiter the next day in the predawn sky(too early, too low, too many branches for me to see).

Less than 300 TrumpVirus deaths "reported" yesterday, standard Sunday lull on not quite a standard Sunday. General trends of late, while down, are showing bad signs of our next surge(the crowd of unmasked idiot Texicans at the golf tourny yesterday mean the Loon Star state will remain a killing leader, nice job Greg/Ted). Much as I'd like to visit family and friends in Texass and Flowrida, it's just too dangerous in both places - but, where isn't it dangerous, there are TDS* walking around with their fat faces exposed every store visit here. Better to be masked and thought a fool than show me your face and remove all doubt!!

Enjoy the warm, it's Spring Break for many(another super spreader event?) but stay safe, be smart, mask on, shot in, stay apart, Today On Earth.

One last note, nice job by Florida's idiot, TDS* governor to make sure rich, personal campaign donor communities got the vaccine first (and other rich folks that flew in from around the world) and then give the "sales" of vaccine to publix, another million dollar club donor to his slimy pacs. Maybe Matty Gatezy will hook you up with some teen 'ho's for your publix service to the wealthy! I'm not quite right that the republicans have no plan, they do: keep power at all, and I mean all, costs! Same as it ever was... Today On Earth!

*TDS - TrumpDickSucker

Spring Creeps Forward..

A bit of chill in the morning air

But, now it's getting warm out there

Spring temps creeping forward slow

Before ya know it, they will go

Way Up! Toasty, then hot!

It is Spring, it is what ya got!

A little haze, a lot less wind

Less rock breaking, little more bend

5 quakes hit magnitude 5

Eastern tropics coming alive

But, ocean floor quakes, little harm

Problem is, Earth still getting warm

Warning signs popping everywhere

But know, exxon & dominion do not care

I may have mentioned, for what it's worth

What else don't care, it's planet Earth

Hot or cold, wet or dry

Planet spins, by and by

And, if we humans are here or gone

Viruses will be hanging on

We can plan for population control

Or pandemics & famines will roll

Vaccinations & contraceptions

Into arms we need both injections

Or more starvations & infection

Rule On Earth: Natural Selection

So, before you get the wandering urge

Remember, we're in yet another surge

Cases & deaths on the rise

No masks worn, no surprise

New sunspot spinning into view

With new cycle, there'll be a few

Through the clouds, last quarter moon

Caught a glimpse, back to bed, soon

Today, big pagan fertility party day

Stolen, twisted in a patriarchal way

Male religion goal, hold women down

Overbreeding, hate, blood spread around

Easy to see where evil is at

Under the pope's pointy hat

Worship death, only plan for when dead

Same with ayatollah's rag wrapped head

Hold onto power, their only plans

Same as with republicans

Whine & blame, lie & complain

Any solutions, they can't explain

No, no, no is not a plan

Just a strategy, for a republican

Want to worship anything today

Here's what I've got to say

Go for a walk, On Earth Today!!

Warming From The Chill..

The Canadian High that has chilled us down is, as always, sliding east and the southern flow is beginning a warm up that will get us to more seasonal, springlike April temps. No rain in the picture until mid to late next week; just pollen and warmer!!

Europe is also warm, and dusty; southern air is bringing Saharan dust across the Mediterranean. Orange skies, muddy rain and dust added to pollen making for eye and breathing irritation on the continent, but colorful sunsets.

Other than a big slip (6.6) and another readjustment (5.0) on the eastern edge of the Scotia plate the planet is fairly relaxed today. Western Nevada at 4.7 and Colombia at 5.0 are the next biggest shakes; we'll take calm but know it won't last.

Another 961 Americans didn't make the weekend (I'm sure there were way more deaths than just that, heart disease and cancer kill more than the TrumpVirus, but barely these days, add another 100 or so from guns - murder & suicide). Nearly 70K more diagnosed yesterday with donny's scourge; if you refuse to follow easy safety guidelines, the spread will just roll on and on and on. If folks would just cover their fat faces, it would help in so many ways!

Our nearby star remains at zero sunspots nearly a year after solar minimum; a slow start to the new cycle. The moon is rising late, staying low in the sky (sun high during day but at night moon very low with our tilt scene). Some haze out there, not really clouds but not quite bluebird skies, and still chilly..but warming.

Birds as feathered pigs have almost emptied the feeders in the yard. A WARNING for feeders of birds; salmonella outbreaks have been linked to either the seed or birds (it was info from the weather channel and always more sensational than informative). I wash after I handle seed or feeders, you should, too.

It is a dangerous planet and no one gets out alive..so stay safe, practice safety if you wish to live long and prosper, Today On Earth!

One Last Chill...We'll See:)

It got it's chill in the far north..but it's here now; High pressure, cold, dry air!! And, with a Low not too far away..another windy day. And, birds, I got birds: finches, house and gold, doves, juncos on the ground with downy and red bellied woodpeckers on the suet. Of course, the scolding nuthatches, titmice (mousees??) and chickadees, always there first, would not be surprised to have one land on me as I hang the feeders..which are almost empty, already! The tree rats (aka: squirrels) chow down from the ground; at least my wire hanging system keeps them off the feeders...and the slimy cowbirds. Wrens and bluebirds don't hit the feeders but are about. The wind has the still bare trees in constant motion and howls occasionally to remind me, it's cold out there. Even cold deep into the southlands but the chill is short lived, cuz it's April and we'll be back near 80 by this time next week!

A little shaky in Alaska, in and off California, in Texass and not so OK and around Puerto Rico. Tonga, New Zealand with today's biggest, the Scotia plate remains on the move and the Mid-Atlantic ridge, far below the sea surface, is being pushed apart by more magma; another day on Earth.

The new lava flow from Guatemala's Pacaya volcano is growing, moving, oozing into nearby towns, not a pretty sight for residents (soon to be former residents..don't come here, fix your own problems first!!). The planet does seem to have an excess heat issue and only one efficient way to get it out, volcano!!

The moon is still gibbous but shrinking back toward new, Last Quarter is early Sunday morning. Sun remains spotless, but still restless with regular solar wind blast firing up auroras in the high latitudes.

Aurora                                                    Volcano                            Geothermal springs

Pretty cool up in Iceland!! Photo by Wioleta Gorecka,the TOE thanks you!!

Another 955 Americans did not make April 2nd, TrumpVirus got 'em. Just hope they were his supporters...sadly, probably not all! Case numbers took another jump in the wrong direction yesterday. Vaccination does not mean immunity: vaccination + mask + distance = safety! For the foreseeable future, that is the only safe way; too many dumbass TDS* still out there spreading the virus!! 1 week away from my second shot, worth the drive!! Until then, I will continue to mostly hunker, wander the forest, keep a dog's belly dry and scratched and bird feeders full, Today On Earth.

*TDS - TrumpDickSucker...

April Is Not Fooling!!

 While there was no bang, April began with rain. Another 0.85" to go with March's lion exit of 1.15" over just a few hours. It got wet! We are now above yearly totals above the far above average totals of the last 3 years; Earth nor April are fooling!!

To complete the smack down, a hard freeze is coming for tonight and Saturday morning. Temps dipping into the 20's, threatening records. Global warming leading to global extremes..everywhere on Earth.

26 volcanoes on the weeks list is not really extreme, there are actually more like 40+ Earth openings emitting gas or lava or something all the time, some just not quite worthy of the list. But, 26, that's a big week and some old favorites with Reunion Island and Martinique(and Pelee likes to throw in the surprise - BOOM) back on the list. As usual, Indonesia leads the list with 6 but for size, Guatemala leads in action with Fuego, Pacaya and Santa Maria all blasting away, in a big way. Same with Etna, and the usual gang in Ecuador & Peru. Kilauea and Iceland still splattering basalt and the Aleutians gang of three have the few locals on edge. Taal in the Philippines is quite restless. The Ring O Fire is indeed!!

6.5 magnitude quake north of New Zealand, no tsunami warnings (advisories sent..) is the shakiest it get today but a 3.0 quake in Louisiana?? And, southeast Texass?? Hmmmm!! Report just added a 6.0 quake north of the 6.5 shaker; no harm likely from either.

The sun remains spot free, unlike 20 years ago with a monster sunspot blasted Earth, firing up auroras almost to the equator. Those days and spots will return, who knows when?? Mars is now well above Aldebaran but still a lovely sight in the evening with equally red Betelgeuse not far away for comparison!

Yesterday's storm and front is hammering New England and the Maritimes today. We are left with a chill, clouds, with quick sun peeks, and a NW wind; a wild NW wind. Just stepped out..with that wind it feels more like February than April!!

TrumpVirus numbers refuse to fade, another 1,138 Americans did not make it to April. 552,000+ dead Americans, still the world leader and that's your legacy, donny, ya douche and all that would willing get down on their knees to service your pathetic self. Lot of dumbasses out there, checking the astrology column for advice, counting on what ever mental image of a god they cling to for help and checking in with Marky Sucker-berg for their news and world insight...any wonder we have problems, Today On Earth!

The forest is quickly getting baby leaves ready, plenty of water to slurp, most grass already green. But, early fruit tree blossoms are going to get torched tonight as we all get the stark reminder: Earth is in charge..don't be a fool and think otherwise, Today On Earth!!