Magazine Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

On June 10 a New Moon passed in front of the Sun. In silhouette only two days after reaching apogee, the most distant point in its elliptical orbit, the Moon's small apparent size helped create an annular solar eclipse. The brief but spectacular annular phase of the eclipse shows a bright solar disk as a ring of fire when viewed along its narrow, northerly shadow track across planet Earth. Cloudy early morning skies along the US east coast held gorgeous views of a partially eclipsed Sun though. Rising together Moon and Sun are captured in a sequence of consecutive frames near maximum eclipse in this digital composite, seen from Quincy Beach south of Boston, Massachusetts. The serendipitous sequence follows the undulating path of a bird in flight joining the Moon in silhouette with the rising Sun. Notable images submitted to APOD: This week's solar eclipse

Photo by Zev Hoover

www.facebook.com/catherinesphotography1983

I am the darkness,
you are the light.
When I make life gloomy,
you bring back the bright.
You bring forth True Pride
of my doing, you by my side.

No more music videos
for me to see,
as all I hear in my head,
is Tina Turner, belting out,
"We don't need another hero."
Night after night, I struggle
again to write these words.
It is a distraction, to me.
This process of writing is absurd,
for, I not only hear words for the song
but also have visions of Mrs. Turner,
shimmering and shaking,
in her glittering skirt..
She had the movement and the voice,
as I recall. It was in the 70's and
the music was all we had in this
Land of Ours, with loud engines,
motorcycles and fast cars.
Now if this wasn't annoying enough,
Tina also sang "Proud Mary". It was
also great listening at that time in our life.

Sheep in the meadow,
cow in the corn,
I swear my bones ached,
since the day I was born,
on the dining room table,
of my grandparents house.
Delivered by a mid-wife,
no Doctor or Hospital there,
in the middle of December
and the cold Winter air.
No central heating,
no broadcast TV,
only a radio on
to hear the news
about what happened
in the World yesterday.
All of the noise
and not much to hear,
outdoor plumbing was
the current thing,
with running water,
pumped from a well

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Want to see a ring around the Sun? It's easy to do in daytime skies around the world. Created by randomly oriented ice crystals in thin high cirrus clouds, circular 22 degree halos are visible much more often than rainbows. This one was captured by smart phone photography on May 29 near Rome, Italy. Carefully blocking the Sun, for example with a finger tip, is usually all that it takes to reveal the common bright halo ring. The halo's characteristic angular radius is about equal to the span of your hand, thumb to little finger, at the end of your outstretched arm. Want to see a ring of fire eclipse? That's harder. The spectacular annular phase of today's (June 10) solar eclipse, known as a ring of fire, was briefly visible only when standing along the Moon's narrow shadow track that passes over parts of northern Canada, Greenland, the Arctic, and eastern Russia. The solar eclipse was partial though, when seen from broader regions, including northern Asia, Europe, and parts of the US.

Photo by Vincenzo Mirabella

Marinated meats grilled over glowing coals. Satays are a popular Southeast Asian street food and are often served as a restaurant appetizer here in the States. Make your own homemade chicken satay at home in just minutes. Click to read Sally Vargas' recipe.

Why am I upset,
when you're talking
to me?
Are there reasons
or a mystery?
You will say things,
"there are people here,
who I don't know?"
I look and what I
see is a TV show.
You cannot discern,
what's seen on TV,
with the reality of life.
I hurt for you,
as I must understand,
there is no malice.
You don't have command
of your thoughts,
on any night or day.
Why is God
treating you this way?

When did this mystery arise?
Was there a new reason,
or the resurfacing of fear?
Why do all the questions,
pop into my warped mind?
Is there a new reason,
or is the problem, just mine?

Can a mind run dry of words?
It probably can, although it's not normal.
To stop writing? There isn't a clue,
so to this question, I answer,
"Please don't ask again as I am lost
and looking for an old friend."
Saying or writing this terrible line,
should make me humble, as I whine.
Please let me write, leave me be.
I have developed more love
of people like you.
Sorry, I can't help it for it is what
I do. Fickle? I suppose those words
describe this aged, old man
for I'm sure God has a plan, for
these rambling words of mine,
which flow over the land.
I may not know but you may
think on the subject and understand.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

This moon appears multiply strange. This moon was a full moon, specifically called a Flower Moon at this time of the year. But that didn't make it strange -- full moons occur once a month (moon-th). This moon was a supermoon, meaning that it reached its full phase near its closest approach to the Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit. Somewhat strange, a supermoon appears a bit larger and brighter than the average full moon -- and enables it to be called a Super Flower Moon.  This moon was undergoing a total lunar eclipse. An eclipsed moon can look quite strange, being dark, unevenly lit, and, frequently, red -- sometimes called blood red. Therefore, this moon could be called a Super Flower Blood Moon. This moon was seen through thin clouds. These clouds created a faint corona around the moon, making it look not only strange, but colorful. This moon was imaged so deeply that the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, far in the background, was visible to its lower right. This moon, this shadow, this galaxy and these colors were all captured last month near Cassilis, NSW, Australia -- with a single shot. (Merged later with two lower shots that better capture the Milky Way.) Details: Annular Solar Eclipse Tomorrow Gallery: Total Eclipse of the Super Flower Blood Moon

Photo by Helmut Eder

Her lips were red,
the color of cherries,
her eyes sparkled now.
The breath of her mouth,
was moist on your neck, bare,
as your heart was a flutter
and you thought of love,
with the soft music playing,
quite close and near,
was how it happened ,
when you a young lad,
hugged your first girl.
I hope it was then
and will happen once more,
before life is at end
with Death near the door.