Sunday, January 11, 2009

Horses, Cows, and the 2009 Lunar Perigee over Brackettville


Above: The horses aren't ours but they hang out on our place. They are Jumper and Stetson and I hardly know them. They're very skittish but they stick somewhat close to the cows. They came running when they realized we were feeding the cattle this evening.

Feeding the cattle anything but treats is a relatively new thing for us--our grasses held out for a long while but this long drought has really kicked our butts and we're having to buy feed. Hopefully we'll have our irrigation system set up in another month or so, at least part of it, and then we won't have to feed anymore. It's SO expensive. And it defeats the purpose of having a grass farm.


Above: #50 giving my camera a good sniff.


Below: Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff kindly left me a comment yesterday to alert me to tonight's perigee. Thank you Bob! Thank you also for the new, my third, pair of Hannah Montanna/Miley Cyrus 3D Glasses. They came in the mail today! Sweet!

Above: Such a cloudy horizon. I had begun to think I wouldn't get to see the moon at all. It finally began to play peek-a-boo with us through the clouds.



The big beautiful moon over Brackettville.



I've taken several shots of it in the last two hours trying to get one clear shot but I can't. Without a tele-converter lens, my camera just can't quite see it through the thin, cloudy veil overhead. Yet it's as bright as dawn outside. You know that sort of gray/blue light before you can see the sun's color in the morning? That's what it looks like outside. I half expect the sun to leap over the horizon when I look out the window and see that light.

Because of the clouds I also have no hope of shooting Pollux and Castor tonight--they are the two brightest stars in constellation Gemini which is right where the moon appears, from Earth, to be nestled tonight. You can read all about that HERE.

Below: a couple of extra farm pix from today. The first is Wes being followed by all the cows. Sometimes some of them are so focused on following him for food that they don't stop to eat what he's already set out. The second is of our newest additions. These two still have umbilical cords attached--although I don't think you can see them in the photo.



7 comments:

Pat said...

Fun post with the cows. Always love the shots you take of the moon. Didn't realize I haven't been by to see this post...wonder what else I missed. Guess I'm just tired lately.
Anyway I have a gift for you... hope you know spanish.

Jean Levert Hood said...

Oh Great On, you now have 3, that is THREE pair of Hannah Montanna/Miley Cyrus 3D Glasses????? I bow down.

I never saw the moon last night! It was sooo thick, your shots are great. love the farm animals!

Spirit said...

As always your photos are simply awesome.

Looking at the dust the horses kick up and you discussing the extended drought is something I had been commenting on. I have been watching the ponds around my neighbors properties here in Florida. They are 3 feet low. In the 11 years I have lived in the area, this would be a first to see them that low.

But, drought aside - awesome photos!

-Spirit

Bob Johnson said...

Hey great shots Genie, 3 pairs now, well I still have around 700 more to give away,lol. You did real good , I had a bunch of clouds as well, did happen to get a couple shots just after and before it went back into them.

Genie said...

Patsi--Muchas gracias, amiga! Tu blog es muy especial y soy honorado para ser mencionado en ello. No, no hablo Espanol. Necesito google para la traducción.

Jean--Thank you dear friend!!!!!!!! Yeah, I'm quite proud of my 3D shades. Little badges of honor!

Spirit--Thank you! Hard to imagine your area in drought! Scary thought, that. Yeah, it's all dust and pollen here. Everybody is getting sick from it. Our creeks still seem to be running well, but some miracle. I am grateful.

Bob--You got some fantastic shots, as always! Sorry you had clouds though. Otherwise I can only imagine what you would have captured. 700 to go, eh? I'm seriously thinking about Googling for a case or two of eclipse glasses to ship to you so you can give those away too. But I haven't checked to see when the next eclipse is. Probably pointless to bother.

Thanks, y'all! I appreciate your comments!

RW said...

Genie awesome shot display all around! Watch out it's hard to clean cow snot off your lens, for that I recommend a number 5 wam-O cloth for extra absorption and a gyros rocket cow mucus extractor. Love the lens and the lens will love you! ;D

Genie said...

Thanks Roger! Yeah, I never realized before we got cows how mucousy they are. It always sounded like a fun thing to feed cows from your hands, I only had to do it once to realize I'd never do it again without a big box of wet wipes handy. Nasty!

Hey, in regard to a comment you made under your "Stag of Hit Mountain," by 2022 we'll be able to take photographs with our eyes. We'll download photos from our optic relays by remote onto our wrist computers.