Total Eclipse

Well Gentle Reader, your erstwhile reporter resolved to stay up and photograph the Total Eclipse of the Moon last night. And he did. Thirty Eight Crap Photos. So I will tell you about it:
2:53 a.m: Big old full not quite harvest moon was really bright-like a shiny silver dollar only with W.C. Field's face on it. I was out on the edge of Hwy 137 with my nipples like raisins, teeth about to chatter, monopod braced, occasionally having to unzip the fly one-handed to relieve the diuretic machinations. ( I am anxiously looking for evidence of a sty today.) Over the next sixty minutes, the full orb became a mere crescent. I became an icicle. Went in to warm up and check my pictures. What didn't look like a comet, resembled fat marshmallows. Decided to change cameras (it had to be the camera, didn't it?). Batteries were dead on that camera- big search. Found some alkalines. Mounted the camera on the monopod, went outside to find the moon looking like a blood orange, though smaller than before. Really beautiful. Couldn't find it with the viewfinder. Finally just started clicking away in the general direction, each time the autofocus light would shine a bright green or yellow light into the air. That evidently alarmed the Indian neighbors because they decided to unleash their hounds who stood across the road and raised Holy Ned. 4:35 a.m. went to look at my new pix. Worse than the first. Fello into bed. Slept till noon. I got Eclipsed.

Dis N' Dat

This Sunday has been one of the most luxurious do-nothing days in quite awhile. Nice.

Saturday I went up to "sit" with Rasty while Sue went to a meeting with his kids who are seeing Rasty fade from Alzheimer's. They want to help and Sue gave them some ideas. Rasty and I had a good time- fiddled with the irrigation on Sue's garden, whacked a few weeds, petted the horses and gabbed as best we could. Petted the dogs, and gave them biscuits I always carry for the neighbor dogs.

Eve is in Sedona for a Celebration of Life for a friend of hers. That place is so "New Agey" that he probably attended.

Speaking of "New Age," the "Nob solitude" cleared my spiritual sinuses. I have some modest gifts in that area and they seemed to just return full blown up there. They are along the line of empathy-like Deanna Troi from Star Trek. Years ago I used it like a party trick and scared the bejabbers out of some folks. My Eagle Feathers (completely legal Sundance Blessed) came from a person I read in a bar. Shameful. But I like having them back and I am going to work with them. Nurture them. And try to control them-they can become exhausting especially when around hurting people for too long or too much. I have some ideas about how I can try to control them. I haven't consciously used them for much besides silently calling my dogs for a long time. Dogs are naturally empathic and telepathic.

Lori and I had a great gab-got caught up on her doings when I called to thank them for their birthday gifts-one a camera tripod that wraps around anything. I told Jason it was probably designed for bedposts. I could practically hear him shudder over the phone-Too Much Information, Dad!" The other gift is a regular old fashioned telephone handset that plugs into your cell phone. "Brilliant." I really, really, like it and ordered some more today.

Lori's Belize cruise with her nephew and her brother was great and eventful. Brother Clinton fell in love and failed to come home one night- and was finally paged from oblivion just as they were getting ready to turn the ship around to look for him. The Captain made him sign a paper that he would be good from then on. So funny. Nephew Blake and his girlfriend announced their engagement on the cruise. It was the friggin' LOVE BOAT! Definitely made some memories.

Here is Clinton with his Russian "Jewish Princess" Connecticut schoolteacher. They have been racking up the frequent flyer miles between Connecticut and Texas. He teaches too and is the golf coach. Fall golf season has started. We shall see what we will see. Not dull, anyway.

Just Desserts

A dessert this pretty deserves a place of honor. Janet's wine was a perfect complement to Sue's homegrown raspberries on cheesecake. Best of all no candles!

Will you still need me, Will you still feed me, When I'm 64?

The answer my friend, is YES! I was suspicious of a plot when Sue invited me for dinner on this day-my birthday, but decided it would be a surprise either way-birthday celebration or not. It was just right-the right people, the right size, the right amount of hooplah for somebody who is not crazy about hooplah. What was over the top was the grub. Janet brought homegrown corn, Sue had homegrown cucumbers and raspberry sauce for cheesecake and homemade rolls, marinated roast, fresh cut fruit, mashed potatoes, and homegrown good wishes from two generations of my friends. If this wasn't nice I don't know what is. I am a lucky man.

I heard from significant others- kids, brothers, aunties, friends via phone or cards. Fun gifts from the dinner crowd-"Buffalo Turds"- chocolates, and Huckleberry chocolates, Salt water taffy, and a T-shirt is on it's way. Cards: Rasty signed and it almost broke my heart right on the spot. That is a keeper. Some heroes never hit the front page.

Inquired of Sue how she did at the Fair-she wouldn't volunteer, but she did quite well: a couple of blues and a couple of red ribbons. One of the reds was this wool sculpture which is the greatest. Our friends Lynda (top honors) and Bobbie did very well in this category also.

Sorry Sue, he's taken

Friend and neighbor Sue kept telling me to look up the Town Marshall in Rand, CO as they were old friends. I thought-well she is pretty insistent -must be an old beau. So I resolved to do so. Rand is evidently so peaceful they made a joke of the Town Marshall. He is a dummy in an old International. When I got up close though it is obvious that he is mated for eternity. Rand unfortunately seems to be dang near dead. There are three businesses in town and two of them are closed and for sale. They look pretty well taken care of but if the traffic I encountered on this Tuesday is usual, there is no business to be had. Rand is a beauty spot but the idea of running a cafe there put me in mind of John Irving's Nickel Mountain which was so sad a novel I was unable to finish it.

Gorgeous Trip Home-down memory lane

I took the back way home avoiding Denver traffic except when I made a wrong turn. That was a 30 mile detour but I am glad I; 1) turned on the Garmin, and 2) decided to go back up the mountain. As a grade-schooler the trip to Denver from Steamboat was a six hour event on highway 40. Sometimes it required a drink for the car from a canvas bag that hung on the hood ornament. Later it was in the 1953 Buick "three holer" which was a smoother car all around. I can still remember the hum of the Dyna-Flow transmission. Mom's sister Helen had high blood pressure so we had an "air-conditioner" which was a plug-in-to-the-lighter swamp cooler. Not especially effective as I recall.

I didn't recognize very much on I-70 this time until I got off the highway at Idaho Springs. Old 40 ran right through the middle of town and Idaho Springs has not changed much in 50 years. The "period" houses have been painted bright colors, and there are a few new businesses. It was like stepping back in time. A treat to see where friend Susie grew up as the daughter of the town doctor--practically as it must have been.

The road over Berthoud Pass has been widened but I think some original guard rails still exist. I passed the spot going up where I usually wailed "I'm going to be sick!" from the twisty high altitude switchbacks. Altitude 10,000 feet.

I was amazed at how some places were caught up in massive development mode (Winter Park, Granby) and others were dying a slow death. The pine beetles have decimated the forests ( and I use the word correctly) so mountains are mostly red/brown with patches of green. Aspens seem to flourish.

The high plains meadows around Rand through Walden were lush and the hay crop was more than abundant-miles and miles of meadowland. Whether the Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge buys most of, or it is trucked out, I don't know because I did not see large herds of cattle. Dodged a few deer and trailed bicyclists who apparently have the right of way in Colorado because they go right down the middle of the road.

Before and after Walden the landscape turns "Wyomingish" with more sagebrush and grassland. Riverside and Encampment, Wyoming look to be flourishing. I was without cell coverage in some of that area but caught cousin Ann as she was unloading from a trip to Laramie for 11 days. Ralph's mother Gladys has a hairline hip fracture and they have been attending. But she said to pick up a six pack of Miller Lite Chill (lime flavored) and we three enjoyed a refreshing cool one and watched the fuller than usual river at their summer place in Saratoga.

As Ann had a dinner engagement I pushed on to Rawlins where I was overcharged for a tasty steak at "Fat Boy's" (enough to share with my fuzzy child, though) and we then pushed on home arriving about 10:00 p.m. Saw Riverton clearly from the top of Beaver Rim- unusual for some reason.

Colorado Cuzzin Fest-is history

We had a great weekend-old friends, new friends, a diverse group of nice people. The ancestors were either pleased or shaking their heads because nobody got punched. Aunt Luella tried to break up a fight one time and ended up on her ample ass for her efforts. This group was amazingly amiable and Yahtzee and fierce Scrabble were the only competitive points. Rich worked the woodpile and did a number of projects. I had taken the attitude beforehand, at Donna's invitation, that I was going to coast this time and I did! I still am. Buster and I are soldiering on in serene solitude after joyful noises, twice and once-told tales, warm memories, dining, drinking, visiting: catching up with older acquaintances and making new ones. Ed and Tracy were a treat. We need to see them more often. Val's sister and her family are great-interesting people. They spent a week on a houseboat on Lake Powell this summer. If the weekend wasn't nice, I don't know what is.

More pictures and narrative at the web album. Click the link:

Colorado Cuzzin Fest">

Undiscovered Body of Water

High in the Rocky Mountains (8472 feet altitude) near Evergreen I found a body of water on the family land now owned by Donna. More about this in a minute. We have been cousin-festing. Our cousins Ed and Tracy and Donna are down in Denver tonight. Ed and Tracy depart for home in Overton, NV in the morning. Donna will be back in the morning after she sees them off. We have all had a great visit. Ed and Tracy are fun, kind, and entertaining. Brother Rich and his Valerie and her sister Karen, husband Mel, and their son Curtis are playing Yahtzee at the dining room table. A toasty fire is in the wood stove. We had our daily thunderstorm this afternoon cooling things off. Buster hates them but the rest of us like them. Rich and those folks went to the the pre-Broadway show of the "Little Mermaid" at the Buell this afternoon and were pretty impressed. (They ran into some more cousins of ours there.) We drank and dined enyoyed the stars and got chilly and and are warm in the house now. Most folks will depart tomorrow. I will stay through Monday at least.

The undiscovered body of water is a natural basin in boulder. It is about 2 feet across but I was struck while looking at it how much like an alpine lake it appeared to be. Decided to take a closeup. It fools at first glance.

Toad Going to Hit the Road

Prepping for a few days in Colorado-Denver and Evergreen. Cousin-fest again. I will probably get a few pictures. That is my intention anyway. I think getting away for a few days will be salutary. Chase the blahs away.

One discovery leads to another. The Bluetooth radio connection to my phone for keyboard and GPS had me seeking more information. I found some high-powered Bluetooth adapters for $12.00 apiece and am slowly building a complete network. The adapters slide into a USB port and soon one computer can talk to another one and to the phone, and so on. I have much to learn as there are different "services" that perform different functions. It is an easier way to network machines than a traditional LAN but it also seems to be less comprehensive and more intricate. It is a live and learn world. Now that they can talk, do they have anything to say?

I was just taking a walk and stopped to look closely at the neighbor's vintage Farmall tractor. What prompted the closer look was the hand crank for starting the engine. I looked for a plate but could not find one to tell me how old it is but I am guessing pre-1950. It is a fully functional piece of farm equipment-no air conditioning, cab, TV, but an elegant simplicity. I am sure it had pride of place at one time more than 50 years ago.

Rarer than the Perseids

The phone rang today. I had conversations with Cheryl and Audrey from Lake Tahoe; there for a family reunion- Audrey was having trouble with the concept of cousins and squirt guns-if you squirt, you are going to get squirted. Eve; "What am I going to do with my life when I grow up." Matt; home with 14 year old Tucker dog who had a really bad go-to-the-hospital nosebleed the other night-may go to Tahoe or not. Delores; who after summer in West Virginia has to figure out where she is when she wakes up (I know this phenomenon). Jason; who after a solid month of company amidst travels for work opted to stay home with Juneau while Lori went to Canyon, Texas for her niece's wedding. He was enjoying his time with his quirky boy. Nice long gabs with all. Red Letter day.

I went to town this morning but my wallet didn't. I had the JB's brunch- pretty dismal but Buster enjoyed the sausages, and I bought three packs of weeds-and that is as far as the pocket change went. Cooked dinner tonight-crock-pot stuff, and have been chasing Buster to try to give him a dose of ear mite medicine. He hates it but it makes him feel better almost immediately. I'll get him before it is all over.

And the Perseids have put on a show. Living in the country does have its advantages. I am a little spooked by the coyotes, though. There was one singing very close to the house night before last-I am talking 30 feet and a deeper voice-a big fella, and last night a pack was singing across the road-at least eight different voices. Buster has the good sense to give a defiant bark or two and head for the house.

The EPA helicopters quit circling the area yesterday afternoon. They never did locate the source of all those noxious greenhouse gases. I am feeling better.

Whatever Floats Your Boat

Jason and his brother in law, Chad, in J's boat. Four hundred+ horsepower and a 200 hundred gallon gas tank (Yikes!). He bought wisely and it is comparable to Matt's Harley. My kids have nice toys. One difference is I will probably enjoy riding in the boat. My motorcycle days are long over, though I enjoyed them at the time. Sitting under the awning and having the wind blow through where my hair used to be, seems like a pleasant prospect for this winter and more my speed.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a touch of something: sore throat, swollen glands, and sleepiness, has been interspersed with playing of my own. While the trip to town has deteriorated from inconvenient to unpleasant with the construction, UPS still arrives. Two new NLP books, and the last Harry Potter came promptly. Also received an ingenious little keyboard for my phone. The phone has its own thumb typing keyboard but I have a lot of data to install on it. Windows "Live Search," has a GPS component and connects to the telephone's Contacts list. It will route to any address in the contacts. So entering my favorite bolt holes, Flying J's, Wal-Marts, friends, in the wide land is taking place. Live Search also has a muscular search program and will add places to the contacts list but not people. It is very interesting to compare the satellite imagery between Google Maps and Microsoft. Microsoft's maps are at least 10 years old- no huge hay sheds at Fegler's for instance. Google's maps are about three years old- no new house at Delaunays and a shed that is gone is still visible but I think I can see Charlene sunbathing in the nude. Bless my dense copse of trees!

I've whacked some weeds and puttered around- I am going to have to resume watering soon as we have had a few baking days.

Ubiquitous Notes

My 8th grade English teacher, Marshall Sanborn, offered a definition of "ubiquitous" which has stuck with me: "'Ubiquitous' is like manure on the farm-all over the place." And so are these Sunday notes: Florida kids are having more company. Lori's brothers, spouses, kids, have visited the Deerfield "Resort' which is just fine with the kids. Family is important to Lori and Jason. Lori is going to take her nephew Blake and his girlfriend on a cruise to Belize later this month. Lori's sister passed away several years ago and she takes an interest in Blake-the shared bond of a missing loved one and they see Threcie reflected in each other. Belize has been his dream. He is a good kid.

Oregon kids are going to Tahoe later this week. Cheryl's family reunion. Matt will cruise his Harley down and back as he has a shorter time frame. I hope they have a ball and will be safe! Matt was collecting steaks for the barbie when he called. When I ask how Audrey is he usually says "She is a riot."

I am tentatively planning a jaunt to Colorado near the weekend of the 16th. Brother Rich and Val and Donna, and cousin Ed and Tracey-details to be firmed up but an inviting idea.

Made a trip to town this afternoon. I needed a few things and Buster thought he was going to die if he didn't get a road trip. It has been a couple of days and if I so much as twitched he was up and at the door. With all the construction he starts out in his usual perch but soon the bumps make him think he needs to snuggle. It is about the only time he will snuggle without constant petting so I enjoy it. I ordered Liver for dinner-with an eye to share with him. Worked out well. I had earlier called Sue and Rasty-I hadn't been up there in awhile and was missing them-Sue needed a dozen eggs and I took dessert-Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream, chocolate cake, chocolate syrup...yum. Rasty had two so I was complimented. Sue had found me an Indian design pillbox to go in the pants pocket. It really is very nice and a good idea. We had a pleasant visit on a cool-after-a-shower evening. They had been ubiquitous today too: They started out to pick up the fleeces they entered in the fair and ended up in Thermopolis for late lunch. I can't recall the Little Wind River being so full this late in the year. It is very good to see. Sue's flower gardens have just been busy.

Now I know Where I Am

Two days it took to install the GPS unit for the phone! Never as easy as the advertisements say. Of course this is not a use exactly intended by Verizon which would rather sell its $10.00 per month subscription, so they locked the handset. There are some smart people out there, though. Three different pieces of (free) software and re-writing some registry keys in Windows got me to where it would initialize but not lock on to 32 satellites by yesterday evening. Tech service where I bought the GPS ( the unit is about the size of two BIC lighters) thought I needed to upgrade the software on the phone. That required backing everything up and reinstalling everything. The second go-round on the GPS installation was much easier than the first. The feeling when I opened Google maps and selected tracking and saw the thing take off was priceless. It is a fairly rudimentary GPS program and will be mostly used for checking rather than continuous routing like the Garmin but it is functional and subscription-free. The receiver is very sensitive-it will work in the house-but I kind of know where I am already when I am in the house.

Overcast days and about a half an inch of rain this evening. Rich said Casper got a cloudburst just after the band concert tonight. The corn and the alfalfa are doing great but the barley crops in the neighborhood are problematic. They went from golden to dun.

Spoke to Mrs. Hall today. Don, son Greg, and Cade (her granddaughter) are there in West Virginia for the family reunion. They fly home Monday. This means the summer is over and school is open for staff. Where did the summer go? She said her son Steve, who lives in Minneapolis and drives the I-35 W bridge that collapsed yesterday is safe. My (our) West Virginia buddies are planning early arrivals in Florida. Jayne wants to be gone at the same time the leaves fall on Wingrove Hill. Howard and Mary Lou are going down in November. We will have to see if a stop-by on the trip down is workable.

The Fremont County Fair is drawing them in. It scares me to see who some of "them" are. It is disconcerting when you catch of glimpse of "God's Plan" and it is nowhere you ever imagined.