It was a little this and that, today.

I was up early to watch the sun rise.

Felt pleased that I could "hear", locate and identify this latter without help or tease from my sister.

Had my wood burning/etching kit on the balcony when it started to rain - so I worked on organizing my publications - study is getting, actually, the floor in the study is partially visible.

Then at 5pm I went for a paddle.

Lots to see from the water's edge.

W O B

And Solar Activity

This I enjoyed -

It was on our return trip from Cordova, on Sat May 13. More about fantastic Cordova later, best to last?

I think I am an environmentalist, past/future imperfect tense,

When I saw this:

What is this?
It is  the Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant  -the tower is 140m high
Here I show how it looks on the landscape:

Enough for circa 30,000 homes all year round-

It even works at night!


And that's no bull:

Andalucía

 

 

W O B

Non-solar Activity?

Ok - I should be doing something else but I thought this might be more interesting and colourful.

Mount Etna

Taormina, Sicily is the foreground town.

Mount Vesuvius

 Beware the Ides!
The end is near

W O B 

Nuts about Nature - Passport to the Carden Centre

It was a great day for Kawartha - 29C, some breeze, sunny.
Vicki and I were present to look at the sun with a Coronado H-alpha solar telescope

Weather was good as  I said but there was little activity to be seen. Here are some images from the SOHO solar observatory in space - the very latest images of the sun.

The closest to "white light:

And from activity, similar in appearance to H-Alpha, the 304 Ångström

Surface magnetic fields were also weak:

One can never be sure of the weather - at 40% probability of rain - so I thought maybe I ought to offer an indoor program as well, and make a comet. It turned out that it was out of the heat and welcome.

I do  not have any photos of Comet Courtney fresh from "baking" - maybe I'll receive some in the mail and can include them. However, about an hour later I started cleaning up and noticed several jets had appeared:

And did I say it was a good day for ice cream?

I hope everyone arrived home safely - W O B

N1 2

I am not into sms' texting abbreviations - I would have tried 'abreviashun' 4 e.g.
So I'll never make the You-Twit headlines, 2 mch compeds nywy.

Jens kindly explained that "N1" meant 'nice one' - so Kim's comment makes two too.
So today it is N1 2 - I am 2 old 4 this.

Last November I took these snakes, an Eastern Fox or Milk, maybe a Hognose but I cannot see the head, or maybe a young black Northern water snake. In any event very good to have around U.

Not everyone can carry off that hair style, Very "N" or even "In".

And now for something almost but not quite completely different:

Not 2 happy?

These criters or critters have been around longer than humans have - good luck to them.

W O B

 PS There are a couple of articles in today's NATURE on the age of humans
and the dating/chronology process  b

I had a good day

I know I have not kept you up2date or informed - I have been occupied with ideas  - ?

Would like to share with you a sighting I made this afternoon off the boardwalk on the Cambrian Trail on Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay Islands National Park:

Cute thing, out of the wind, trying to soak up some sunshine. We were lucky - the forecast was for all-day rain and we were spared.

Other signs of life to come - W O B

PS  I am on a wooden board walk; camera approx 50cm above the snake. Temperature approx 14C, light breeze, accompanied by a few insects - because I cannot spell mosquitoes   I can spell Blackflies if that is any better?
 b