Astronomy and space discovery

I was just reading my new edition of National Geographic (a fantastic magazine, I might add) which had a stunning article about Saturn, our solar system and certain discoveries and space missions we have sent into the dark about our planet earth.

I don't know why it is but these are some fascinating things happening! Does nobody know that we are sending machines that operate very well in space millions of miles away from our planet? They get them to return images and information to us about other planets we will never get any closer to.

In particular the Cassini spacecraft snapped a pile of images (including the one above) as it orbited the giant gas planet. How do they get these things into an orbit around a planet that is moving at amazing velocities millions of miles away in a different direction and speed than we're going?? THEN they send this mini probe off of Cassini, when its in range, to orbit and drop down onto the moon Titan around Saturn! Amazing! We're landing on a moon next to Saturn! This just amazes me. And nobody really thinks much about what we're doing or discovering in Space. It is ground breaking; never done before. We've just discovered Pluto is only one of many dwarf planets that orbit our sun away out there beyond Neptune.

I just had to share my appreciation and amazement of the world of space that is so much larger and unknown than our little world (which we are always discovering more about as well). I love space :).

Christmas, Holiday or Season?

Question:








Do you prefer to say 'Happy Holidays!'
















'Seasons Greetings!'














Or 'Merry Christmas!'?

Winter Question

Question:

Do you prefer experiencing a longer colder, snowy winter season or are you of the opinion that winter should remain in the far north?

Winter Wonderland

Well, I never thought I would experience a winter snow like this. -10 right now in Hope. Glorious! I love the snow and I love having a definite winter season to enjoy. Last night our friends Pat and Peggy and us went for a late night walk in the snow. Throwing snowballs, enjoying early Christmas light decorations and knocking snow off power lines were among our exploits. I truly do enjoy this season. Doesn't make driving safe but that's o.k.. Home is a great place to be too.

I was out in the weather and visiting some friends who were having people over newly arrived from South Africa. This particular lady and her young daughter had never before experienced snow. And they were having a great time sledding down the driveway :).

Snow

This is today, November 24th, 2006. It started to snow this morning and hasn't stopped in Hope here. Big fat flakes that are wet and sticky.

I love the snow. It is a compelling mystery the affects that snow seem to have on people. For myself, I see a beautiful blanket that has many affects on a community. Many do not enjoy the snow, especially driving in it. My mother is one such. Children (in Canada, at any rate) thoroughly love building forts and snowmen and playing in it. Men like to pee in it. We like to slide on it down mountains on flat pieces of wood.

It also has the affect of dampening sound. Much of the noise in a city or town is dampened to silence because of the soft cushioning snow has on the environment. It's a beautiful silence of white. People tend to slow down, close schools and businesses, start a fire, read a book with a cup of hot chocolate. It is the essence of a Canadian winter and the weather's way setting us up for the advent of Christmas.

Here my wife and I are on a street in Victoria sometime around 2:00am. It snows only very rarely in Victoria and this was one such time so we took advantage of it to go walking under the street lights in the early morning enjoying each others company and the newfound delight of snow (that, consequently, only lasted a day). For what other weather do we get excited about like that? Well, in Victoria it's a novelty.

Snow is good for us. It slows us down. It quiets us and gets us to look at our surroundings for a while. It encourages to feel like children and to go playing again. It makes me appreciate my home and family warm inside. For some reason, a fire and hot chocolate and a book are 10 times better when it's snowing outside. Strange. Enjoy the snow!