Odd

Saturn's north pole is currently coming out of its long winter. This has allowed the Cassini space probe an opportunity to take visible light photographs of the region. First spotted by Voyager in 1980s, an unusual wind pattern circulates around the planet's northern pole and has been recently imaged once again. Hexagonal, not circular, in nature, a jet stream zips around Saturn at about 77 degrees north latitude.

I don't know much about the mathematics of weather systems, but I would have never guessed a hexagon. To see a short 3 frame animation of the wind pattern, check out NASA's mission page for the Cassini spacecraft.

An Image from the Past

Sometimes it's difficult to put things into perspective. I believe this is certainly the case with our place in our star system. Earth is such a wonderful little planet for us and then there are all these other wild extreme places nearby. We have sent and are sending spacecraft to visit them.

Originally launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is the only man-made spacecraft to pass by Uranus and Neptune. Back in 1989, it passed by the outer planet named after the Roman God of the Sea. An image showing a crescent Neptune and Triton was recently shown on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. Check it out.

December 3rd, First Snow

I've noticed, looking out the window while I work, that a few flakes of snow have been falling. It's chilly. It's gray. The leaves have left the trees.

Time for snow.

This feels right for the season.

Driving Stories

I came across this article, Are drivers out to prove Darwin's theory? on Comcast's Vehix site. While some of the little anecdotes were sad, this one I thought was funny.

Pictures Speak a Thousand Words
A driver in Campbell, Calif., got a $45 ticket after his car was caught on photo radar. In response, he sent the Campbell Police Department a photo of $45. The police chief then sent the driver a photo of handcuffs. The driver paid.

Warnings Gone Wild

Back when we took our trip to New Glarus, we bought some things we wouldn't ordinarily buy. One of these included the Fat Squirrel:



Small Thingee From a Trip

I understand having warnings on items. Drinking too much beer will impair motor skills and judgment.



Stock Warning

But...



It's Soap!!!

...it's not made for human consumption!

That's a bit much...

Starting the Month

Yesterday actually turned out well for the beginning of December. Of course, 50 degrees and sunny wouldn't have quite cut as a good day five months ago. July has its own set of comparisons, but for the final month of the year, the day was rather nice.

At Sunset

One of the nice things about my current apartment is the large bay window which faces west. Being on the third floor with athletic fields across the street, the place offers great views of sunset. On some days, the sun just streams though the glass and reddens the entire front room.



Light and Shadow on the Wall

The light even reflects off the wall and finds its way into the kitchen.



Lighting the Kitchen

I've enjoyed the moments.

In Bloom

After a long process, some of the flowers we planted back in the spring are in bloom. Yes, a sloooowwwwww process. They took a while to germinate and then to grow and then even to bloom. The marigolds, in particular, had buds on the plant about two months ago. One of the buds bloomed a while, but it's only been recently that the other buds had opened.

Now they are blooming.



Finally

Here's a closer look at the flowers:



Marigold


Armeria

So True?

I think these two news briefs aptly present the prevailing wisdom of Washington:

Obama's Declaration Of Swine Flu Emergency Prompts Pro-Swine-Flu Republican Response

Senate Passes Blame By Vote Of 91-8

Fluting Around

In the spirit of uncovering something new, nearby, and cheap!, I'd like to mention that the local community college is offering a free performance from its Flute Choir.

From the Moraine Valley web site:
First ever!
Flute Choir Concert
Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
Free admission
Fine and Performing Arts Center, Recital Hall F120

Sandra and I are planning to attend. I'm looking forward to it.

A Bit of Singing and Gory Fun

Sandra, my brother Steve, and my sister-in-law Jamie attended with me a community college musical on Friday. The performance was a tongue-in-cheek stage production of a cult slasher film, The Evil Dead.

I've never seen the movie, but the stage rendition was funny. Not scary, but a bit over the top in the classic sense of the 80s horror flicks: silly dialog, lots of blood, and inconsistent plot. The singing and musical numbers were well-performed--in fact, some of the tunes were outright catchy with clever twists like a perfect girl finding love with a housewares employee. Some of the phrases stuck with me for days.

This was a real gem produced by the Moraine Valley theater group. I have to say Kudos!

Golf in November

After an overall wet and chilly end to October, the weather has been pleasant the past several days. Today it's supposed to hit the mid-60s and yesterday was in the mid to upper 50s. And sun.

My co-worker and golf buddy Mike invited me to hit the course with him and another friend, Dave. I headed straight from work and we teed off at about 2:30. It was gorgeous despite all the lovely water in which I managed to hit my balls. I even hit another nice 5-iron into a 160 yard Par 3 that is protected front and right by the wet stuff. It was the right club, which gave me some bit of a boost. Though I three-putted for a disappointing bogey.

The wind was gusting at around 20 mph, so it was a challenging day especially factoring in the water and the fact that I haven't played much. 66--that is for Par 35. Still when the sun was setting, some great lavenders reflected in the loose strands of clouds. Nice.

Very nice.

Speeding Through Fall

It has been a tough season for leaf-watching this year. In mid-October, the woods looked promising as the golds and reds started to appear. Since then, rain has been a frequent visitor to the area, and as I looked out the office window today, the trees were barren.

The clocks were turned back over the weekend, so now it's 5:15 and the sun has set. All this is an eerie contrast to the temperature which felt like it had risen above 60 degrees.

Maybe winter is approaching.

Then again, maybe there is a lot of Fall to still enjoy.

The Sun in Stereo

Back on September 26th and 27th, a thirty hour solar eruption, called a solar prominence, occured on the Sun. An image from the event was featured a few days ago on Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A link on the site led to a video on YouTube showing the event from a few different perspectives.

An interesting tidbit I learned is that we have two satellites in Earth orbit around the Sun. One is ahead of our planet and the other is behind (as a side note, the two satellites are called Ahead and Behind...imaginative...or not). The angular separation of the two satellites is about 120 degrees...hence, we can know see the Sun in Stereo.

You can check out the filament eruption on the NASA site. From there, you can check out additional links and learn more about the STEREO project.

More Astronomy Photography

I suggest stopping by Astronight Astrophotography. The images on the site are taken by amateur astronomer, John Buonomo. Like most Americans, he lives in a light-polluted metro area, but over the years, he has learned to take stunning pictures even in a difficult envirnoment.

The Local College Grows

Sandra and I had a chance to stop at Moraine Valley Community College on Sunday for the ribbon-cutting/open house for three buildings recently added to the campus. Despite weather that has been abruptly cool and cloudy for October, the day was picture-perfect--mid 50s and sunny.

The food for the event was above-average for such a catered event, and the new buildings are a very nice addition to the college. The U (for Student Union) has been open for about half a year, and is inviting with the open glass allowing sunlight and views of the campus central green space.

The C, new science building, has the latest equipment for labs in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy. Sandra commented that the physical layout of the labs, along with equipment, was first rate. The M or Moraine building, with its large hall which can seat 800 people, is the gateway to the community, housing Workforce Development to the Culinary Arts. Both C and M are very newly opened, having been in use since August.

Some acknowledgements should be made to the Community College. In these days of hearing overblown budgets and delays, the expansion project was on budget and on time. I'd like to commend the President, Dr. Vernon Crawley, and the various boards on a job well done.

A Brief Hiatus

Time has been a whirlwind of packing, moving, unpacking, and organizing, though things are becoming a bit more manageable. I hope to soon be posting more regularly again. Stay tuned.

The Nature Nearby

Viewing Moraine Valley from the Northwest


The local community college, Moraine Valley, sets aside a portion of its land for a natural prairie setting. Now that the summer has offered its warmth and sunshine, the grasses and wildflowers have grown tall. It's a nice setting, particularly at sunset.

Back on August 23rd, I took these images of the nature area:



The Telling Sign


The Blend

It's interesting because of the mix of structure, human and non-human. On one side there is the community college with its buildings and vast sprawl of parking lots and then there is a track which circles the campus and is used by lots of people and then there is touch of tall wild grasses stretching skyward and birds coming to roost at sunset.



Wildflowers


Natural Curves and Lines


One Focus


and then Another

I just love the light of sunset.



Stages of Openness


Sunset Rays

As with other images on my blog, you can click on them for a larger view. I hope you enjoy.

Retrofit

The Hubble space telescope recently saw some replacement/updgraded equipment installed. The results: Fantastic photos. The detail is remarkable. The Astronomy Picture of the Day site has posted a few of the recent images from Hubble:

Butterfly Nebula
Stephan's Quintet

Baseball Update

The White Sox took another one when I attended yesterday in a convincing 5-1 fashion, running my mark to non-sunday games to 8-0. I didn't attend today's game for a variety of reasons, time being a major factor. Though I didn't miss my potential first time Sunday winner...they lost 6-1. It's amazing how bad they have been at home on Sundays.

The Tigers have been on a roll lately. The Sox are now 8 games back. What small chance they have is fading quickly. The mantra next season might be coming out soon if it hasn't already arrived.

New and Old

To my surprise, the sunspot sunflowers have actually been creating additional buds and blooming. Here's a photo of one such flower:



A Surprising Pair

The old bloom is shriveling and dying, while the new has opened up nicely.

A Little Game in the Big City

I attended both of the ballgames the White Sox played at home last weekend. Saturday's was a solid effort by the team and that ran my mark to 7-0. That is 7-0 on games that are not played on Sunday.

I also saw Sunday's game. It wasn't exactly crisply played, but it was close. Here's some shots from the action:



Afternoon at the Park


Safe at Second

It wasn't particularly warm (about 70 degrees), but felt like summer in the bright sunshine.

By the late innings, the park began to clear out despite the close score. In fact, Sox were down one in the ninth and had the tying run at second.



Leftfield Stands in the 9th

Though the Sox came up short, running my record to games I've attended on Sunday to 0-4. You could say it's just luck, but I'm starting to think the Sunday results are statistically relevant.

Afterwards, I took some shots on the ramp outside the park. Dozens of people regularly take photos of the scene to catch a view of downtown Chicago.



Cutie

I've heard some discussion that the park was oriented east-southeast for positive Feng shui. But if the park was oriented 90 degrees counterclockwise, this would be the backdrop for leftfield:



Skyline

And that's simply gorgeous.

Afternoon Sky

A little storm front came through last week. Here's a sequence of photos before the brief shower hit:



Summer Afternoon Drifting


Front Approaches


Cave of Light

Catching Rainbows

This has been the year. I've been catching rainbows. Handfuls. On Sunday, it was a ribbon of color on a cloud to the west just before sunset. Monday night on television, it was a big bow, like the one I had seen in person, stretching over the ballpark.

That huge arch. The spectrum of light.

Post 101 and Moments Dumb

This happens to be post 101. I hope the visitors, who have been stopping by, have enjoyed the writing and photos.

In this little blurb, I have to mention that I just acquired a laptop, nothing fancy, but it does require setting things correctly. Well, when I wired it to my internet connection, I didn't get a signal to the net. These days, most things are done automatically, so I looked through this and that and couldn't figure out what was wrong. So I finally called my service provider, and after a few moments, he checked things and told me that I had my modem on standby. Dumb! I forgot to turn the modem connection on...and thus, I had made something simple into a bigger extravaganza than it needed to be.

Music Night (Complete with Full Moon and Fireworks)

Two weeks ago, my brother Steve, his wife Jamie, Sandra and I met my friend Jen at Millenium Park, specifically the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Her friend David met us there. We had a big picnic spread and several bottles of wine; the performances are rare in the sense that the city actually allows drinking on Park property.

People bring picnic blankets, chairs, and even little popup tables for some food and drink and good times besides the Chicago skyline. Everyone in our group contributed something. Of course, there were several choices of pasta salads and plenty of white and red wines to choose.

The centerpiece for this Wednesday wass compositions from Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Haydn. The music swirled as we talked and laughed. After past chills and rains, this night was perfect--clear skies with patches of clouds.

As the sun set, even a full moon!



To the East


Face of Night

After the performance, we stayed, finishing our wine, as we enjoyed the summer night. Different colors spotlight the music shell in hues of blues, whites, golds, and reds. It offers a nice backdrop to good conversation.



Lit Red

A little after 9 pm, to cap off the night, fireworks, shot from Navy Pier, dominated the evening sky. Here's a sequence from the close:



Streaking to the Ground


Another Burst


Closing Streaks

A Game of Tennis?

You name the sport and I can probably watch it. Some people prefer recorded drama in tv shows and movies. I prefer seeing the action unfold. In that sense, I've watched many tennis matches: Agassi, Safin, Federer, Nadal. I even remember that while growing up I used to catch the occassional Jimmy Connors match.

But seeing it on tv is not same as playing. Sandra has been taking lessons for a while and invited me to hit the court some time. Back in high school, I recall a friend trying to get me to play and I was bad...very bad. Of course, my memory might not haven't stored everything properly (teenage years tend to bring along their own heightened sense of insercurites about one's self), but it seems like I can actually hit the tennis ball these days.

We have been playing some singles at a few outdoor courts at the local community college and it's been a blast. I really enjoy running all over to hit the little tennis ball. On Friday, I got my first taste of doubles action at the place where Sandra get lessons and that was good too.

I have the itch to play and we invited my friend Mike and his wife Laura for a doubles match on Sunday. Despite the humid mid-80s day, whacking the ball around was fun. And the tennis was competitive. Mike hadn't played much and Laura hadn't played a lot in while. Still, the two of them played us to a 4-4 tie before the skies opened up and dropped a brief yet thoroughly soaking deluge on us.

Match over.

Though I'm ready to pick up where we left off. My serve. 30-Love.

Blooming

Plants are doing well. One of the basils is now over 2 feet tall. The sunflowers don't look the healthiest. Several leaves appear to be dying and the stalks are crooked, yet they have additional buds. I didn't think you can two flowers on one plant with them, but it's happening.

Here's a look at the catnip:



Little White Flowers

Sound and Taste of Swiss

On Sunday, August 2nd, the Swiss Volksfest was held in in a park on the outskirts of New Glarus. There was a lot of music, alpine horns, choirs, and yodeling, to commemorate the Swiss National Day. New Glaurs is a fitting spot such an event because the town was originally founded by Swiss from the canton of Glarus emigrating to America in 1845.

Blue skies. Puffs of clouds. Temperatures near 80. Another gorgeous day. Sandra and I sat listened to various performers. In particular, the Jodelchorli Alpsteinblick, a men's choir, from Switzerland stood out with their wonderful renditions of traditional Swiss compositions. You can find out more about the event with videos on the Swiss Center of North America blog. From the blog, I found this clip of the Jodelchorli Alpsteinblick performing in Chicago.

We ate at the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant and the food was excellent. In general, the local restaurants offer some very tasty meals, and if you are in the area, try a traditional Swiss dish--they're good!

We relaxed for the evening back at the bed and breakfast we stayed. I highly recommend the Hoch Haus Bed and Breakfast. The owners, Barb and Steve, live in the house. They are very friendly and also respectful of the guests' privacy. They also make excellent breakfasts. Each day offered something different and all the meals were delicious and satisfying. All of this for well under $100 a night.

Monday was "get back" day, as in get back to the rest of the world, but before leaving town, we stopped at the New Glarus Historical Village. It's a collection of buildings, some original structures, some recreations. There was also a lot of information about the history of the town. Most of this info can be found on Wikipedia: New Glarus.



Looking at the Village

Inside a recreation of a log church:



Set for Service

This next pair of photos showcases a one room schoolhouse. It's not originally from New Glarus, but it is a turn of the 20th century schoolhouse from Wisconsin.



School House


Inside School

Before hitting the road, we stopped at several of the local stores to stock up on food. There is a very solid bakery, which has been open for 99 years. I also find that Ruef's Meat Market is excellent. They make their own sausages and bacon, smoking most. We bought some Swiss-styled Mettwurst and Sauerkraut and Onion Brats. We grilled them for two good meals.

We also stopped at Maple Leaf Cheese and Chocolate. The B&B owners, Barb and Steve, own this shop. While not large, the space offers a good selection of cheeses from local cheese factories. I regularlay buy the Horseradish Cheddar from the Mapleleaf Co-op (I don't believe it's affiliated with the shop) and several varieties from Braun Suisse. Again, the key word to describe the cheeses: tasty. The shop also makes their own fudge. There are several selections, some with or without nuts, some with extra ingredients like rum and fruit. The Dark Chocolate, in particular, is chocolate butter; it's so rich and smooth.

The trip back was easier than the trip heading out. We stopped at a park along the Rock River in Beloit and had a little picnic. Even the expressway into the city was pleasant after a satisfying getaway from the city.

For things Swiss, check Swiss Center of North America.
For more about New Glarus, check New Glarus Chamber of Commerce.

Madison

Later on Saturday, we drove to Madison, which lies 30-40 minutes from New Glarus on a pleasant afternoon drive through rolling terrain. Our first stop was Olin-Turville Park on Lake Monona. I had spent some time in the park back while attending a couple of beer festivals several years ago. It's peaceful and downtown spreads out before your eyes.



Through the Grasses


Across the Water

We relaxed along the lake and soaked in some of the late afternoon sun. One of the things I like about Chicago is the open space along Lake Michigan. Madison has some of that feel too, when you can rest in the park and see the Capitol rise above all the other buildings in the distance across the water. The weather was perfect.



Lens

Downtown waited, and we headed in, parking in a garage, which, by Chicago standards, is a steal of a price. We made our way around the Capitol and then walked down State Street. It's an eclectic ribbon, closed to car traffic, that stretches from University of Wisconsin to the Capitol: clothing, restaurants, museums, and bars. In past trips to Madison, I've enjoyed the blend that the street offers.



Capitol Near Sunset

Dinner at the Ocean Grill, a downtown restaurant, was very satisfying. Afterwards, we drove to a little park on the other side of downtown, so Sandra could view Lake Mendota, the bigger of the two major lakes, in the light just after sunset. A very filling day.

New Glarus Brewing Co

Entrance to Paradise?

The next day we checked a few local activities and businesses. The Fire Department was holding its annual event and we stopped for a bit and had fun watching people use fire hoses to push a ball across a field of play. It was bit like soccer only with long distance streams of water.

After a late lunch, we headed to the New Glarus Brewing Co. The brewery is now situated on a hilltop to the southeast of the main part of town. Having been to the original, I reacted Wow! as Sandra and I pulled up to the building. Big! too as as we walked through the $20 million facility from the copper kettles for mashing to the line for bottling. Sandra, in particular, seems amazed by all the piping from place to place in brewery.

We then stepped into the tasting room. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon nearing the close of 4 pm and the room was packed. Once we received a sample, we went back in line for the next and drank the current offering as we waited--it was that busy! We tried a couple of wheats, a coffee stout, a belgian abbey ale, and even their lambic-style cherry beer called Belgian Red. I wasn't crazy about the special abbey brew, but Sandra enjoyed it. The others was good. The Cracked Wheat impressed me and I'm not always appreciative of wheat beers.

After getting our last pour, we stepped outside to savor the Belgian Red on a nice summer day. The view of the valley from the hilltop is nice. The photo of New Glarus in the previous post came from the vantage point outside the brewery.

We headed down to the Depot, which is the new shop for the New Glarus beers, and picked a selection from an offering that is much more expansive than what was available at the old brewery shop. I planned to pick up more later, but I wanted to make sure to get some now, particularly ones that the local grocery might not be carrying. I had first tasted the beers a decade ago when I managed a liquor store in the western suburbs. However, after only being in the Illinois market for a few years, New Glarus Brewing pulled out due to rising demand in their home state of Wisconsin and the arcane restrictive distribution laws in Illinois. So I always stock up on at least a case because the beer is not available back home.

A case later, bought and stored in the car, I gathered the camera and took some photos outside.

Here's a view of the tasting room side of the facility from the outdoor area:



Side View

We both admired the moment.



Sandra Views the Valley

And a couple more views...



Before the Valley


Facing Westward

If you get a chance, check out their web site and try some New Glarus beer. Particularly, if you're in south-central part of Wisconsin, you can find Spotted Cow in many places; it's a tasty lighter offering which is great for summer. Also try it on tap--the bottled version pales in comparison.

Welcome to New Glarus

About a decade ago, I started coming to New Glarus, a small town south of Madison, Wisconsin. What attracted me at first was the local brewery, appropriately called New Glarus Brewing. They made some excellent small production beers, and I wanted to see the source of all the fine ales and lagers. I stopped in the tasting room and took a brief tour of the brewery. I tasted samples and bought a case or so.

While driving to the brewery, I noticed the downtown area. Since I had made the trip, my curiousity led me to stop there too and I instantly felt attracted to the small businesses offering meats, cheeses, and chocolate. The village was originally founded by the Swiss and it has tried to maintain some of its heritage. This means tastes and sights that you don't find everywhere, not even in a large metropolitan city like Chicago.

Depending upon traffic, it's about 3-4 hour trip from Chicago area and I had been heading to the town for occassional day trips for about a decade. Buy beer. Buy food. Enjoy the pleasant scenery along the way. Sandra and I took such a day trip back on a sunny January 2nd. Even with winter making things barren, the rolling landscape of southern Wisconsin offers dramatic views. Once I get off the interstate in Beloit, the drive through the small cities and farmland makes me like driving. Open road. Sun.

The semester ended in July and we took another trip. This time was for a three night stay, my first overnight to New Glarus. The drive out of Chicago was hectic as we caught the beginning part of the Friday rush. Stopping at the Belvedere toll oasis, we took a picnic break before heading back out onto the interstate. Due to construction and weekend getaway traffic, things stayed congested until we hit the exit for route 81.

For me, route 81 is the gateway to the fun part of the trip to New Glarus--interesting that Beloit is nicknamed "The Gateway to Wisconsin". Originally founded in 1836, Beloit is a city of about 35,000 people on the Rock River. It's a mixture of new and old, vibrance and slippage, a snapshot of the industrial Midwest.

Through that mixture, the route weaves along different streets before heading out to the countryside. Following along and then dipping down and then rising back up, the road transverses the sweeping hills. I hold the landscape vividly in my memory. Green. Lush. Particularly on days like that Friday. Sunny skies with drifting clouds. Fields of tall corn. Cows and horses grazing.

We had to detour outside Monroe, finally catching route 69 in Monticello--a slightly longer trip, but this meant more time riding on top of ridges and seeing valleys stretch before rolling upward into another lush ridge. It really is a land to paint with oil and place on postcards and attach the caption "Fertile".

We rolled into town a litte before 7:00, just as the sun warmly basked the town and hillsides with that end of day glow. A good start to a good trip.

For more about Beloit's city page: click here.
For New Glarus Chamber of Commerce: click here.

From Saturday, here's a little tease:



New Glarus

Friday Night Out

A couple of weeks ago on Friday, we took a trip to the western suburbs to view an opera titled L'Elisir D'Amore. The performance was held at McAninch Arts Cente at the College of DuPage, which is a nice venue to see such a performance--intimate and comfortable. You can easily spend twice as much at a larger professional production and not see the expressions on the actors' and actresses' faces.

The opera was led by experienced professionals, while the rest of cast was filled with lesser known or inexperienced performers. I wouldn't be surprised that for several this was their first "big" performance. Still, the opera was solidly sung and acted and there were no glaring lapses in the quality. L'Elisir D'Amore was written as a more light-hearted musical offering, and it delivered several amusing moments.

A lot of schools and libraries stage quality artistic productions. You don't have to spend $100 and go to the "big city" in order to go out and enjoy something you wouldn't ordinarily see. Check out what your neighborhood offers.

If you're in the Chciago area and want to find out more about COD's productions, click McAninch Arts Cente at College of DuPage.

Outside the Front Window

Back on the 26th of last month, a sunset offered hues which absolutely stunned me. Later in the night, a crescent moon dipped down towards its setting. I played with the camera and tried to capture some of the essence of the scene (I even tried some longer exposures by propping the camera on a box) as the moments unfolded outside my front window. Here's the images:



Sunset Beyond the High School


Stamp of Hues


Moon Sneaks Into the Scene


Evening Clouds Backdropping the Parking Lot


Dusty Dusk Clouds


Moon, Tree, Night


Hues of the Moon


Moon Nears Setting