Grumpy

There's a neighborhood cat that has kind of adopted us. I think he lives across the alley from us, but he seems to like the attention and kindness we give him - as well as a handful of goodies now and then. He spends a lot of time at our place.

"Grumpy".

With the cold weather we get, we thought it would be a good idea to give him the opportunity to use better shelter than wherever he has been hanging out. I made him a heated shelter out of a Rubbermaid-like storage box. I used styrofoam to insulate the top and sides on the inside. On the bottom inside, I secured a 6' heating cable - only 7 watts per foot, 42 watts total. I covered it with a double thickness of old bath towel for bedding. I've seen him go in it before, and this morning I saw fresh tracks coming from it in the snow. (We had 4" - 6" today, depending on where I checked it.)

Grumpy's Winter shelter.

Notice the tracks coming from the opening. He took a couple of steps into the snow, and then backed up and took a clear path - as much as he could. I found this after he met me on the front porch and I back-tracked him. I don't know if he uses it all the time, but I know he does use it and he knows it's there for him when he wants to.

-Dale

Summer is Gone

It's looking like our warm weather is over and done with in the panhandle for this year. It has been in the 60s and 70s up until today. It's one of those days when the high temp came early in the day. From up close to 60, to about 25 now, and going to be in the teens by morning. A little sleet, maybe some snow and ice to scrape off the cars. It'll be below freezing all weekend, with possible total snowfalls of 7" - 14" for the area.

It had to happen. After all, this is the panhandle. :)

Thanks Giving

What am I thankful for? I am thankful...

...He died, and thankful He lives.

...for every minute He gives me, so I may be what He wishes.

...for those I love, and those that love me.

...for those that object and those that concur.

...for all that I am, and all I am not.

...for all that I have, and all I'm without.

...for the stars above, the grass below.

...for the creatures that swim and those that fly,

...for those that walk and those that crawl.

...for the good that I've seen, the bad that has been,

...for whatever there was and whatever there'll be.

In short - for every thing and everything,
be it above or below, be it within or without.
I am what I am, and have what I have
because of the good, because of the bad.
It all had to be, to be what I am.
For that I am grateful, ever so thankful.

This is my wish, if you all will see:
That you are as thankful, as thankful as me.

Thank You, my Lord, for allowing me to be me.

-Dale

Comet Season

In case you haven't heard, the comet ISON is making an appearance. It's a one-time visitor that is never supposed to return - ever. During December you'll be able to see it with the naked eye, after its journey takes it around the sun and if it survives. It will pass very close to the sun but could be broken apart by the stresses in doing so. Hopefully it will emerge unscathed. If it does, it will likely be brighter than PanSTARRS was in the spring. It will be in the Western sky right after the sun goes down. If you miss it this time, you will never see it.

(Estimated positions of ISON during December.)

I got up early this  morning and got my telescope out to see if I could capture ISON. It was a bit nippy out, crystal clear skies, and no wind. ISON was supposed to be around Leo's rear foot, and that's exactly where I found it. I "calibrated" my 'scope by zeroing in on a nearby star ("sigma Leo"), and moved it to the comet's coordinates. Got it! Being so low in the sky (and me being in town), I couldn't see it with the naked eye, but my camera found it pretty easily. Mounted on the telescope and using it as a lens, this is what it saw:

("Sigma Leo" is the star on the left - Leo's rear foot. ISON on the right.)

I may be able to get more of it before the sun gets in the way. I will post here if I do.