We Are Deep In the Heart of Texas

Nomadic seasons of farming adventures with nature thrown in to include; a pinch of family, snippets of friends, counting our blessings, paying IT forward, home school, and the spicy things I decide to rant about.















Monday, December 20, 2010

It's Been 3 Years Today, 372 Years Ago

Jo Jo, I miss you more now than ever and just wanted to shout out to the universe how much I valued our friendship.  I am still angry cancer took you from the lives of your family and friends.

Tonight while watching the first winter lunar solstice eclipse in 372 years; I will think of you. JoJo, I love you.

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Just some interesting facts I will teach my sons tonight. 

1. There are usually two lunar eclipses (partial) each year.

2. This eclipse is special since the Earth's shadow will block Moon from the Sun. The moon's glow may change colors due to indirect sunlight.

3. While this will mark the first day of winter for the Northern hemisphere, it is now summer in the Southern.

4.  The Earth axis is tilted farthest away from the Sun.

5.  There is always a full moon on the night of an eclipse.

6.  The last time there was a total lunar eclipse on winter solstice, Galileo was living under house arrest.

We will honor his memory and science tonight by observing this eclipse by use of telescope. I have set the alarm to wake us at 1:30 to observe this event and plan to take pictures.  It is a beautiful cloudless night here in South Texas.

Merry Christmas

7 comments:

Sharon said...

Hi Mal, I know you miss your dear friend, I still miss my sister and it's been 21 years.

We won't have a chance to see the eclipse, we are covered up in clouds, at least we were when the sun went down and we are supposed to have rain. Would be something to see! I hope you get some good pictures and post them!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Judy's Corner said...

Mal,

We enjoyed watching the eclipse....freezing outside, as it is. I mostly watched through the window, but Joe ventured outside to take pictures.

Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

I think it matters not from what our loved ones die, they are missed and we keep them alive in our memories.... My brother Ted would be 48 today.... approaching middle age, and yet, in my memory, he is forever frozen in his 24 years and 11 months old self... that night, my birthday, when he last hugged me goodbye and walked out my front door. Of course I have lost many others, my grandmothers both to cancer, my grandfather perished in a house fire, my other grandfather passed of old age, my best friend of a brain tumor at age 27. I remember them all, but mostly, I cherish our time together. How much less my life would have been had I never had the opportunity of them.

Happy Winter Solstice my friend!

Jim said...

Mal, you are very fortunate to have a clear night to observe the eclipse. Have fun and please take a few pics for us less fortunate folks in overcast, rainy Nova Scotia!!
Still think your kids are the luckiest kids in the world!
Jim

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

yes, we noticed the full moon last night. We didn't know what time the lunar eclipse would occur.

Nekkid Chicken said...

Sharon, The clouds rode in about 11 but, I stayed awake anyway. We went outside and waited for glimpses through the clouds. We are very fortunate we got to see it. Merry Christmas to you as well.


Judy, I hope to see Joe's pictures. The clouds here made it impossible to get a camera to focus at that distance. Saenz was so excited he kept running about the house windows reporting changes. LOL Zephyr will only remember us waking him in the middle of the night, wrapped in a blanket being carried outside for a glimpse. He was all smiles in his Daddy's arms.

Nekkid Chicken said...

All Thanks Jabacue, you make me blush. It was an interesting night, no pics, only glimpses of the moon. It was strange how close the moon was and bright white, then faded out behind clouds with it turning orange. We only got glimpses between the low level clouds. But, the boys will remember it forever I hope. Saenz last night was calculating all the 'generations' of his family to be will take to see another winter solstice eclipse. He estimated at least five GREAT GREATS. LOL

Nekkid Chicken said...

Joanna, I kept watch on the NASA channel but, it was not broadcast there. I check out the times online to know when it was going to happened. Learned a bunch of small bits of info pass on to Saenz. Even hubby wanted to see it with them. I hope to get them interested in star gazing since we live so far out in the country.