TIME LAPSE CLOUDS

"Understanding"

Another original song...

"Understanding" is based on the idea that we all have a need to be understood, and long for some level of peace in our lives. Yet, so many are simply overlooking the importance of  not only being understood by others, but also striving to understand the other people in their lives. In the all-consuming struggle for that elusive "piece of the pie",  understanding and peace of mind often fall by the wayside, leaving an empty sense of accomplishment.....

These Days

One of my all-time favorite songs is "These Days", written by Jackson Browne. My first exposure to it was Gregg Allman's version, way back in the 70's. At that time, all I knew of Jackson Browne was the song "Doctor My Eyes".  This simple, melodic song is full of heartfelt philosophy that hits close to home for me.
I recently took a little break from recording my own original music and "threw" this together. I hope you enjoy it.....

BRIGHT FIREBALL

ISS PASS

My meteor detection camera captured the International Space Station (ISS) as it passed over my location early in the morning (5:02 a.m.) on November 26.....(camera is facing east).

"I've Been A Lucky Man"

I grew up in Hayward, California (San Francisco Bay area). Two years after I graduated from high school, I moved to Oregon. On my first visit back to Hayward, I wrote this song.  I hope you enjoy it.....

"Lullabye For Michael Patrick"

Written, arranged, recorded and produced

by his Uncle Jim.

Self-produced music CD's

This year, I started re-recording my original music, and producing CD's. Here is a sample.....

SUNSPOT #1598

Sunspot 1598 is currently very active. It has already produced a few strong solar flares. If that activity continues, we may see some aurora (Northern Lights) activity as the sunspot turns directly toward Earth...(image captured during a very brief break in the clouds)

The Sun: October 21, 2012

A new sunspot is emerging (left), which holds the potential for M-class (moderate) solar flares....

(Image: Meadowcreek Park Observatory, Marysville, Washington)

The Sun: October 20

Since fall has officially started here in the Northwest, it has been difficult to photograph the Sun.  HOWEVER, I did manage to capture it during a very brief break in the clouds this morning.....

(a very large sunspot is making it's way across, on the left)

There Goes The Sun

The clouds are back here in the Northwest. For the past few days, there has been no sunshine and the forecast calls for our "first real rain storm of the season" on Friday. Needless to say, I am going through withdrawals of not being able to photograph the Sun....and as luck would have it, there are several active sunspots due to appear in the next several days! (Crap)
For those of you who have enjoyed watching the comings-and-goings on the Sun, you can still see the action here.  When the weather is favorable, rest assured that I will have my camera clicking.
Thanks for checking in.

The Sun: Oct. 4

 Although these sunspots are several times larger than Earth, none of them has been actively flaring. (Oct. 4, 2012)

Northern Lights In Marysville, WA

A time-lapse video of the Northern Lights, as seen from my back deck on Sunday night, September 30. This is one of the best light shows I've seen from here.
These lights were the result of the 2nd of two CME's (Coronal Mass Ejection), caused by a solar flare erupting on the Sun two days earlier......

JUST A SPECK?

Ok, folks....this tiny little speck on the Sun is STILL a little bit bigger than Earth. Consider that there are 7 BILLION of us packed onto a grain of sand.... (click image for a larger version).

SUN BLOG SEPTEMBER 30

It looks like we're in for a (mostly) sunny week ahead. There has been some minor solar flare activity on the western limb (right edge) of the Sun over the past couple of days, so I think I will spend the day watching and photographing the action.
Below, is a visible-light image of the Sun, showing two large sunspots. I've included the approximate size of the largest one.

 

Below, is another image of the Sun, showing it in Hydrogen-alpha wavelength. This wavelength is not visible to the human eye, but shows many features and activity.  The circled region is where the current Xray solar flares are occuring, while the inset graph shows the plot of Xray activity as monitored by an environmental satellite (GOES-15).

***REMEMBER.....NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTERING DEVICES!!!!  PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR!

2nd New Sunspot in 2 Days!!

Just 2 days after my last post, showing a new sunspot emerging from around the eastern limb of the Sun, yet ANOTHER one is arriving(circled).....

The Sun: September 24, 2012

The Sun, as viewed from Meadowcreek Park Observatory (MPO) in Marysville, Washington.

A new sunspot is emerging from around the eastern limb (circled).

(Click image for larger view)

Canon Rebel t3/300mm telephoto w/white-light solar filter

Jim Tegerdine, amateur astronomer

September 23, 2012

The nights are cold, the days are getting cooler and the mornings are crisp, with some fog.  Perfect for sunrise photography...

Using the same camera (on the same morning), and placing a solar filter over the lens, a close-up view of the Sun shows a few sunspots....

On the previous night, I captured the first-quarter Moon, through the haze of wildfire smoke that has drifted over the mountains from eastern Washington....

Fall Is In The Air

The days are still pleasant (70-80°), but the nights are getting cooler (down to 44° the other night). Foggy mornings and sunny afternoons. Growing my vegetable garden this year has been fun. This year, I planted some Sunflower starts that a friend from work gave me. More than half of my red onions have been harvested and still quite a few cherry tomatoes on the vine. But that's about it for my growing season. I'm sharing most of the onions, as I recently (August 7) found out that I have a gall stone, and apparently, onions are not advised. Although I've been feeling good since then, and I've lost 10 pounds, I'm not quite ready to "test the waters" of risky foods. If you have ever had a gall bladder attack, you know what I mean.

Every 3 months, we bid on new schedules at work (it's a union thing). I've been able to keep the same schedule and routes (I drive a city bus in Everett, Washington) for about 11/2 years, but the economy has finally affected us and there have been some service cuts and route changes. So, as of August 26th, my schedule is starting about an hour later, which means I get home about an hour later and my sleep schedule has shifted. (Right now, I start work at 2 p.m. and get home close to 11 p.m.). Yes, I still have a job! 14 years has given me some seniority and a certain amount of job security. There have been no layoffs, but the drivers near the bottom of the ladder have had some hours cut. I feel blessed to have good health and some economic security, although my budget is tight these days (since March: new roof on the house, new engine, clutch and radiator in the car, 2 crowns in my mouth and a large veterinary bill). Still, life is good.

I've been working on some original music lately...recording some of my songs written back in the day (70's and 80's). I have a cool little toy...a 64-track digital recording studio. All the bells and whistles. I'm currently working on a song, with 8 separate tracks: acoustic rhythm guitar, bass guitar, vocal, 2 lead guitars, piano and 2 percussion tracks. Oh, did I mention that this studio fits in my pocket??? (BOSS BR-80 mini studio). Google it. Pretty cool.

Boone and Sadie are well. Boone turned 14 last month and Sadie will be 12 in November. They're my buddies. They give and get lots of love (and they rule the roost). Both are healthy, although Boone's vision ain't what it used to be, and he's moving a little slower, too. I have to keep my eyes open when he's around, because he will sneak up behind me (just to be close) and if I'm not careful I could kick him or step on his little feet. Sadie, on the other hand, is still as perky and independent as ever, but she loves to have her head rubbed. ("Noggin-rubbin' ").

Astronomy is still one of my big passions. Since the majority of the year is NOT conducive to watching the sky, I have been able to "listen" to it by way of Radio Astronomy...particularly, solar flares and radio emissions from Jupiter. Huh??!!! That's right, Virginia...I can listen to the Sun and Jupiter on a shortwave radio. I won't get technical here, but if that sounds interesting, let me know and I'll explain.
I've also been able to capture some Northern Lights (aurora) using a special long-exposure camera and creating time-lapse videos.

Well, enough for now. I'll try to keep y'all updated periodically on my blog, including pics and videos.
Hope the rest of the year is happy, healthy and fun for you.
***CLICK ON THE PURPLE  LINKS, FOR PHOTOS!!

My vegetable garden 2012....

I have posted a number of photos from my garden on my Facebook page. If you don't do Facebook, click on the link above for my Garden album.

Voyager 1 Spacecraft Nears Interstellar Space

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new environment more than 11 billion miles from Earth, suggesting that the venerable probe is on the cusp of leaving the solar system.

The Voyager 1 probe has entered a region of space with a markedly higher flow of charged particles from beyond our solar system, researchers said. Mission scientists suspect this increased flow indicates that the spacecraft — currently 11.1 billion miles (17.8 billion kilometers) from its home planet — may be poised to cross the boundary into interstellar space.

***You can read the complete article HERE.

MOONDOG'S UPDATE

Well, it's been almost a year since I've posted anything on my blog...must've been a busy year.
But, since the first of 2012, I've had a new roof put on the house, a new engine, clutch and radiator put in the car and a new crown put in my mouth (and another one scheduled for next week!). Oh, yeah...and a lawnmower repair. Needless to say, it's going to be Raman and soup for awhile. (like they say, "What doesn't kill you....will help you lose weight!")
My vegetable garden is in for this year...onions, carrots, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and radishes.
I planted about 30 Walla-Walla sweet onions and the same number of Red Zeppelin onions. For some reason, the Walla-Wallas have not survived...only about 5 still struggling. The Reds are all still doing fine.
We surely need more sun, though.
A friend at work gave me some sunflower starts, so I planted them in the front yard. She told me that they should get at least 6' tall!!!
Click HERE for my garden photos.

My 2 dogs, Boone and Sadie are doing fine. Boone will be 14 in August and Sadie will turn 12 later in the year. Boone is showing his age...moving a little slower and his vision ain't what it used to be....I have to really pay attention to where he is, because he will sneak up behind me, just to be close. If I'm not careful, I could step on him, or accidently kick him across the room!
Sadie is still as energetic as always. She's the "watchdog"....barks at any strange noises, and loves to look out the front window.

 I recently (June 5, 2012) was able to capture some images of the planet Venus as it transited (crossed in front of) the Sun. This is a rare event, and won't happen again until 2117!

Please feel free to browse around on this blog site. I have lots of entries and photos, going back several years.