jimsjournal
A colorful dawn -- 10/17/06


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.







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