Current weather is easy … warmer than normal and no rain in sight.
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A few mornings ago I was awakened by a bright light coming in my west facing window. Just seemed strange.
It turned out to be a Full Hunter’s Moon.
Waiting for the unwelcome changes to both spring forward and fall back raises havoc with my sleep cycle.
I’d vote to keep standard time which is based on the sun. If it’s good enough for Arizona, Hawaii, and other states I say it’s good enough for California.
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An author named Reed Farel Coleman , a screenwriter who collaborated with Robert B.Parker on both tv shows and movies, has taken over the Jesse Stone book series.
I would surmise Coleman has some of Parker’s notes for books which were unfinished when Parker died.
So far I’ve read two of the adaptations and enjoyed them.
I admire that Mr. Coleman does not try to imitate Parker’s style. Rather he writes in the style of someone who is used to writing for movies or tv and so writes dialogue.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but once into the cadence, I can design my own sets and action directions using my own imagination.
I wonder if Coleman has any plans to continue writing Jesse books. Probably not other than to wrap up the series. Maybe have Jesse retire?
Good fun anyhow.
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Another movie reference … Hocus Pocus and the three witches … a Blonde, a Brunette, and a Redhead.
Interestingly, a Blonde, a Brunette, and a Redhead are currently running for Governor of Oregon … A Republican, an Independent, and a Democrat.
I’ll let you know which of the Sanderson witches is the winner.
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I’ve been watching the NASA HDTV channel (352) and learning a lot about space exploration history, astronomy, and space science concerning astronaut biological needs such as oxygen pressure and other space preparations.
Female astronauts all seem to be letting their hair float free like a cloud. As an RN who was trained to keep my hair under control because hair is a potential source of contamination, I wore mine in a knot under my cap (in the days before I retired our caps indicated where we trained).
If you’re a space nerd like me, NASA is a great channel. I’m currently waiting for the launch of Artemis I.
And feeling envious of all those who will be around to see the explorations waiting to be done in the future.
So far no pictures of toilets etc. aboard the ISS.
Oh well …
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I am no longer driving.
I believe that when three signs show up, whatever I am contemplating doing or not doing, it is time …
The third sign came in the philosophical close to last week’s episode in a tv series I am following. It pointed out that to ask for help is not a show of weakness.
So I am in the process of building a help network.
I told my sons I did not intend to follow Dylan Thomas’s advice to not go gentle into the good night, but to rage against the dying of the light. Instead I plan to go as gently as I can, but with dignity.
It ain’t gonna be easy but it’s my decision.
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The following is a personal political opinion …
Why is it that while there is no proof of or claim by Ukraine that it was responsible for the damage to the bridge used by the Russian’s to provide food and supplies to their military in the Crimea, and no proof of or claim by Ukraine that it was responsible for the damage to the pipeline carrying heating fuel from Russia to Europe?
Is it possible or even probable that these acts were actually done by Russia in order to give Putin an excuse to purposely kill civilians by targeting churches, apartments, schools, playgrounds, and other civilian gathering places in his war to destroy a country he wants to control in order to extend his Empire?
What will the UN, the Hague Court which handles war crimes (such as the Nuremberg trials?) and even possibly the EU do about Putin’s verbal nose thumbing and display of his middle finger showing his rejection of the International Geneva agreements?
Based on his fear because he’s losing in Ukraine?
What, if anything, can stop him?
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Remember how I noted that when you once see something, all of a sudden you see it all over the place?
Well, since that previous blog post I keep seeing “In point of fact” … so far in two separate books by two different authors.
Maybe I’ll start using it in conversation.
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I was able to get my COVID booster last tuesday. Now I am fully vaccinated.
Don’t feel any different however.
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On Hallowe’en I plan to go to every door in the Village with a bucket of candy (all commercialy individually wrapped) for a treat or with some written riddles as tricks. So far I have five riddles ready.
And on the subject of Hallowe’en, I was reminded of seeing pictures of folks in costumes for last year’s Hallowe’en dressed as the exciting prize which Father Parker, in the movie A Christmas Story set in a 50s home (if you’ve never seen it you’re in for a treat when you do, especially if you’re more than twenty years or so old .. we elders have probably seen it more than once and enjoyed all the memorable dialogue and LOL moments.
The father in the story (whose given name was never mentioned that I remember – guess I’ll have to watch again – what a chore heehee), was one who entered all the write-in contests offered on the radio.
One time he won an important prize. It arrived in a large wooden crate (no cardboard in those days) and that’s how he knew it was important because it was marked FRAGILE which he gleefully pronounced fra gee’ lee.
When the box was finally opened it was revealed to be a lamp in the shape of a single sexy female leg in a spike heel and fishnet stocking with a swishy black fringe on the shade.
Mother Parker was overwhelmed and immediately slapped his hand away when the older Parker son (Ralphie) started to stroke it.
But Father Parker was so proud of his prize he put it in the front room window.
I’ll leave the rest of the laughs for you to find.
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Have you ever heard of the10th Mountain Division which fought in WW II? A National Monument in Colorado has just been declared in their honor.
They were all top rated skiers who were trained to be soldiers at a camp in the Mt Rainier area where they trained how to live, sleep, climb, ski, and fight on snow under the harshest conditions.
Fire on the Mountain is a movie about them https://snowbrains.com/10th-mountain-division-history-fire-mountain/
They fought in the Italian Alps and have a lot of commendations and medals due to their wins against the Nazi forces.
They were America’s only mountain and winter warfare fighting unit and were noted as “Light Infantry”.
A friend of mine was married to one of them, Robert W. Bagshaw, and she used to go to the yearly reunions with him.
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I’ve been watching the NASA feed on television waiting for the ArtemisI flight launch.
If you are a fellow space nerd, you might be interested in watching as well. If not to watch the Artemis launch on a live feed, NASA is great for a lot of information as well.
That feed can be found at
HDTV channel 352
They are not always broadcasting but keep looking back to see if they might be on the air. That’s what I do.
They recently had a program about the telescopes that are out there in space and what they are seeing.
They now believe they can see back to the Big Bang.
What I learned from that program is that Scientists believe there are hundreds thousands of billions of galaxies, maybe even more. Some are spirals like the Milky Way and some are merging, some are twins, and who knows what other configurations there are.
Sooooooooooo if there are that many galaxies imagine how many stars there are in each and how many of those stars have planets and how many planets have solar systems and how many solar systems might, just might, have life of some kind which might have intelligence as we know it and which we might be able to understand ???
The mind boggles.
Maybe Carl Sagan wasn’t just a dreamer but a prophet and maybe some of those dreams are realities.
None of us alive now will live long enough to know. That thought makes me very envious. How about you?
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To end this week’s musings …
There are more things [in heaven and earth], Horatio, than are dreamt of …
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5
So, til next week …