Mostly Skies

Northern Lights

The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, are beautiful dancing waves of light that have captivated humans for millennia. The 3 photos here were taken in the Southeast part of the United Kingdom just recently. All 3 photos were sent to me by blog follower and friend Richard. Thank you, Richard, for allowing me to share these beautiful captures.

Today's Sunrise

A screen capture from the Space Needle webcam
at about 6:40AM, November 17
Don't miss Mt Rainier (near the middle).

Another screen capture from the Space Needle webcam
at about 7:00AM, November 17
Unusually clear morning. 

Yesterday's Sunset

A perfectly clear day and, of course, I just kept
snapping as the sun was setting across
Puget Sound and slipping behind Bainbridge Island.
The last photo just fascinated me with the trees
looking to be ablaze.

And as long as it's sunset time, how about some
hummers feeding at sunset?
Linking up with Saturday's Critters.

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Lucky

November 13, 2023

I spotted a bird clinging to a utility pole about 200 feet from my window today and I wondered if it would remain in place long enough for me to get the camera and snap a picture. I do think I got lucky to get the capture below. The next step was to ID and using Google Lens it quickly showed up as a Northern Flicker. 

Later, as sunset approached, I noticed a hummer at my feeder. Again, I wondered if the little bird would remain in place long enough for me to grab the camera. And again, I got lucky. Surprisingly, the hummer stayed in place and kept feeding even as I got close. Near the end of the day their priority seems to be to drink as much as possible before settling somewhere to spend the night.

[Click on images for larger view.]

Later still, the sunset created a beautiful, colorful sky. That made the 3rd lucky photo of the day.

Autumn Color

Autumn around Seattle

Tree color this autumn has been unusually nice.

We had a sunny day and I went out for 
a spin to capture some pictures of the trees.

All pics in this post taken Wednesday, November 8

To others living in the Northern Hemisphere ... Did you have unusually nice tree color this fall?

Thick, tall trees are common in some of the
urban area, such as here around Woodway.

Of course, Washington is the Evergreen State.

The autumn color on the Evergreen trees is
GREEN, as it is all year. 💚😉

“Anyone can love a rose, but it takes a lot to love a leaf. It’s ordinary to love the beautiful, but it’s beautiful to love the ordinary.”

     MJ Korvan

This Morning's Seattle

360 View of Seattle

Thursday morning, November 9

I enjoyed the 360-degree view of the city this morning thanks to the Space Needle Webcam.

41°F (5°C), mostly cloudy, fog in places.

The video starts looking West then moving to the North and all the way around. Don't miss Mt Rainier down South. The camera is atop the Space Needle at approximate 605 feet (184m) above ground level.

"A sunrise is Nature telling you that it's time to cherish another day on Earth. Enjoy life."

     Urbn Madl Ui

Colorful

Early November

Brought this leaf inside from a tree in my backyard.
One of my goals is to quit taking nature for granted.
The color change from summer - green - to autumn - red
is perfectly documented.

A tree in the neighborhood that amazed me.
Isn't it a beauty?

Turns out this is an Eastern Redbud tree.
The thing that fascinated me here ...
the heart shape of the leaves.

Eastern Redbud tree leaf 💛

Looking across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island
on a recent stormy afternoon. Love the clouds.
And, of course, a few colorful trees.

Way after sunset ... The thing that caught my attention
was the little sailboat in the marina ... first one
to put up their holiday lights.

November 7 just after sunset looking southwest.
Olympic Mountains in the far distance.
About 40 miles (64km) away.

---

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

      Vincent van Gogh

Yellowstone's Original Explorer

 The Original Explorer

Riley's Northern Pacific Monograph #1
by Olin D. Wheeler
1901
25¢

This copy originally belonged to Wade B Dille
Just had to include this ... look at that signature!

First pages inside ...
Yellowstone National Park
World's Wonderland
by Olin D. Wheeler
St Paul, Minn
W. C. Riley, Publisher
1901

Note the illustration ...
A Train of Park Coaches
> This is the way they
saw the Park in 1901 <

Great Falls of the Yellowstone
Lower Falls
(ca 308 foot - 98 meter -drop)
One of my favorite spots in the Park.
Still awe-inspiring today.

I love old travel memorabilia. This little booklet, and the history it tells, fascinates me. 😊 

From the Oxford Dictionary …

memorabilia

/ˌmem(ə)rəˈbēlyə/

noun

objects kept or collected because of their historical interest, especially those associated with memorable people or events.

Closing thought ...

As we go through the winter months, it's my intention to focus John's Island on memorabilia from my collection. While I've stated that my primary reason for publishing a blog is to create a sort of virtual journal of memories, sharing booklets and printed material may not seem to fit. Quite the contrary. The collection (most of it) has to be stored away and having some of my favorite items here on the blog makes them much easier to access. 

Best regards to all of you.

John

It's About Time

I asked AI a question:

How often do people think about the fact that they are on something that spins (the Earth) and it takes 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds to make one full rotation on its axis?

The answer AI delivered:

“The frequency with which people think about the Earth's rotation and its size varies greatly from person to person and depends on a multitude of factors, including their interests, education, and daily life experiences. Some people may rarely think about these scientific facts, while others, especially those with a strong interest in science, astronomy, or geography, may contemplate them more frequently.

For many people, the Earth's rotation is taken for granted as a fundamental aspect of our existence, and they may not consciously think about it on a daily basis. However, events such as eclipses, astronomical phenomena, or discussions related to geography or space exploration may prompt individuals to consider the Earth's rotation and its significance.

Overall, awareness of these scientific facts can vary widely, and it's not something that occupies the thoughts of most people on a regular basis, as day-to-day life tends to focus on more immediate concerns and activities.”

You know, we humans have been thinking about time for a long time. About 2500 BCE, we used a bunch of rocks to create something that would help us know the time. That thing we created is known as Stonehenge.

More recently, we used our intelligence to figure out how to create clocks to help us keep track of time, and then, in a moment of brilliance, we realized we could trick ourselves by changing the clocks so the days seem longer. We call it “daylight saving time.” Of course, no time is really saved as what has past, has past, and it is gone forever.

Tonight, many of us will have the opportunity to “turn time back” as we change our clocks to end our attempt at “daylight saving.” Be aware, your clocks may need to be changed.  😊