| |
I'm usually up around six a.m. -- which (*sigh*) this time of year means
it is still dark outside, although it no longer full night. Nautical twilight
began today at 6:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) -- that's defined as starting
when the center of the sun's disk is 12 degrees below the horizon. That
is to say that this is the point at which (given good weather conditions)
even in the absence of other illumination (including the moon), the general
outlines of objects could be seen. And civil twilight began at 6:32 a.m.
-- that's defined as beginning when the center of the sun's disk is 6 degrees
below the horizon. which is considered to be the point where (in the absence
of other illumination, including moonlight, objects can be seen and normal
activities can be performed. Thus, in many states, the law requires the
use of headlights on automobiles from one half hour past sunset until one
half hour before dawn. (Yes, most also require that headlights be turned
on if it is raining.)
As it gets near seven a.m. I would already have awakened Nancy, brought
her breakfast and watched a bit of the local news on TV while drinking
a cup of coffee -- and, these days, I would also have brought Jeremy a
cup of coffee and gotten him up and on his feet by 6:30 -- because his
classes at New England Tech start at 7:45 a.m. and that's a 27 or 28 mile
drive to campus)
So this morning, as I'm coming downstairs a few minutes before seven, I
glance out the front door and see this really stunning display of pre-dawn
clouds. I dug up my digital camera and stepped out onto the front porch
to take a picture... |
|
 |
That was about five or six minutes before official dawn (which came at
seven). After snapping that picture (and a couple more), I walked down
the driveway to pick up the morning newspaper and then stepped out into
the road to take this picture. The pattern of light and shadow on the clouds
made them seem to have such a fascinating texture.
|
 |
A few minutes later I looked outside again but the textured effect was
gone, replaced by smooth white clouds with just a hint of pink.
Jill's hair had been a mixture of green and yellow for the past couple of months -- but she was tired of that so she decided to go back to her favorite: red.
So the other night she colored it -- here she is lying on the living room
floor, watching television with Tiger snuggled up next to her, taking a
nap. |
 |
|
|
Yesterday she came home and announced that she thought she might make a
lemon meringue pie. She does a lot of baking -- cookies, cakes, banana
bread, apple pies, blueberry pies, etc. -- but she's never made lemon meringue
before. She hadn't gone too far when she realized she didn't have enough
vanilla -- so she improvised by adding vanilla flavored vodka. (Hey, it
worked.)
The pie was delicious.
It was only after dinner that she said "Gee, I should have had you
take a picture of it." By that time, this is all that was left. |
 |
|
