In your eye

If you'd like to see some fantastic pictures of the sky, visit Astronomy Picture of the Day . "Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."

Look at this spectacular snapshot labeled "X-Rays from the Cat's Eye Nebula".


Amazing, isn't it? Go to the web site and back track to August 4th to see a brief explanation of what it is, and a bigger and even more amazing view.

Some days are golden.

Today was a perfect summer day.

Too hot for comfort, but an occassional breeze to make you think it wasn't.
Bright blue sky that overfilled the heavens, tumbling all the way down to that summer green grass that makes a perfect seat to enjoy the shady nooks provided by trees in full leaf.

A barefoot day.

The new dog in town.

My new neighbors have a big dog. A really big dog.

I haven't seen it yet but when I came home from work yesterday it barked at me when I opened my front door. It was so loud, I thought it was in my living room and took one step back before I realized it wasn't.

The week before I saw another neighbor walking his dog. It was so big I had to look twice, no - three times, to make sure it wasn't a deer. I think it was a giant greyhound. What looks like a giant greyhound, but is the size and color of a deer? A weimaraner?

I live in an apartment complex. If I had a dog as big as those, I'd rent one apartment for the dog and one for me because: When that dog lies around the house - he lies around the house. Where else would that dog lie? - anywhere he wants.

Heaven and Earth

Randy Pausch died today. I never knew him, never met him, never saw him except on TV, but I'm going to miss him. I was rooting for you, Randy. I thought you'd be here 10 years from now. I wanted to meet you and tell you how much fun I had learning Alice even though I'm an old lady. I wanted to see if you were really you.

Click here to read the MSNBC notice of his death.

You can read about his life in the inspirational book "The Last Lecture". I think he must have lived more every day of his dying than most of us will manage in a lifetime.

Today is Tuesday

Remember when I planted a cactus garden for my birthday and I said I gave it a month because even though cacti are suppose to be one of those hard to kill plants I always manage to kill them quickly?

I can't remember if that was last year or the year before, but I still have one cactus left. I replanted it a couple of weeks ago and it's actually growing. Of course, it was probably the least interesting looking cactus of the bunch. It doesn't even really look like a cactus, but it has one thing over them other plants. It still lives.

I repotted several plants at the same time and my other not-so-attractive plant now looks very nice. Last year I tried to send it on it's way (i.e., kill it off) by setting it outside and watering it infrequently. The plant (which I think is a type of aralia) consisted of a very skinny stick about 3 1/2 feet tall with 4 or 5 leaves at the top. And only the top. Not only was it scrawny and leafless, it listed badly to one side. Got the picture?

Well, it didn't die and it didn't freeze when it should have so I brought it back inside over the winter. It grew a few more leaves, but still looked like it was trying to grow horizontally. You should see it now. A new pot, some new soil, a little fertilizer. It doesn't lean and it has over a dozen leaves from top to bottom. I think I'll keep it after all.

The moral of the story is: Sometimes ugly has to survive. Anyway it can.