Monday, August 23, 2021 —(On September 20, the “Harvest” Full Moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Last evening, Susie, her husband Dale, and I hiked at Hatfield Pond, to see and photograph the rising “Sturgeon” moon. Susie wondered why I’ve not captured the recent lovely moon settings. That’s why this morning’s header photo is sub-captioned, “Moon’s early goodbye”.

About Hatfield Pond, it’s the reservoir for this area’s reclamation facility. Dale and Susie know it well, but I’d not before been there. It’s a wonderful spot, these are dusk-time glimpses.

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Beneath last night’s cloudy sky, we set up on an earth bar that divides water holding areas, to hang out awaiting sight of the moon’s rise. Dale with binoculars was spotting sky traffic, while Susie identified distant and barely-visible planets.

I wanted to photograph a setting sun simultaneous to a rising moon. But with still-heavy wildfire smoke blurring the sky, only a few colors left-over suggested the missing sun’s wake.

Susie and Dale are intrepid outdoors types, who long have know this spot. Susie anticipated that Hatfield would allow for capturing of the moon’s rise and its reflections on water. She was correct, and it’s a sight breath-taking.

In that evening’s smoky atmosphere, our run-of-the-mill cameras limited capturing as we had wished. By sticking to the task we managed anyway some worthwhile pictures. The Hatfield site would enhance upcoming moon-rises, like September’s full moon. It’s an all-time favorite, “Harvest Moon”.

We repeatedly tried for a team picture, but total darkness prevented the cameras from picking up images. Anyway, it’s easy to imagine our moon-chasing team: Dale is tall, Susie is beautiful, I’m a shrimp.

Dear Friends: See for yourself in real-time the fullest moons, fun-watching, great-learning events. Diana

Sunday, August 22, 2021 —(Tonight, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

My experiment, taking a horse and cart to drive in one of the city’s quiet neighborhoods, didn’t entirely go as hoped. The drive did occur on pleasant streets, and my horse (Sunni) behaved well.

An advance awareness of several elements had given me pause. Sunni would be faced with a spot of pavement going over a rushing canal. She’d also pass a property with llamas and another with goats. Sunni handled those episodes well, looking and pausing, but like a champion responding to reins and my voice.

We passed a couple of properties with parked horse trailers. There, folks offered thumbs-up and smiles.

I didn’t anticipate the loose dogs. In that relatively quiet neighborhood many folks were walking their dogs. They grabbed their charges, quickly leashed them, and smiled. But my sense was one of creating discomfort. Also, the quiet streets had loose dogs, some with their owners in yards, and all eager to chase and bark at a horse.

Sunni is accustomed to dogs, won’t unnecessarily behave aggressively. But the experience made me aware that about wheels dogs know zilch. We found that a loose dog barking at the horse will chase, staying behind just enough to become caught by a wheel.

Now, unfamiliar city neighborhoods will drop from my attempts to extend our adventures. Experience is teaching me that driving a horse is a better experience in more rural neighborhoods. Mine is good and so are some farther east.

I left the driving cart loaded in the horse trailer. Today, maybe I’ll drive Sunni in a rural city park with rugged territory and less-known except to nearby residents. Public places usually have entrances partially blocked to prohibit vehicles and allow foot traffic. The park that’s on my mind might accommodate a cart.

Well, that was a first experimental out-of-the-area drive! It’s made my quiet residential neighborhood seem more fine for routine driving, to ensure fit, well-muscled horses.

Dear Friends: Our outing landed big wins, too: loading, unloading, and using the cart. Diana

Saturday, August 21, 2021 —(Tomorrow, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Tomorrow’s full moon will be a seasonal “blue moon”. It won’t appear in the sky as a blue globe, but might offer bluish glows. Maybe my run-of-the-mill cameras can pick up coloration differing from other full moons. To clarify, I’m always pleased with my cameras’ yields, but every month’s full moons are somewhat unique. They keep me hoping to discover, in real-time, even a few more elements making monthly sky shows special and appealing.

Full moons let us see a setting sun and a rising moon nearly at the same time. While outside and photographing a full moon, one almost immediately can turn around to capture a disappearing sun.

A moon rising in the east becomes visible because the Earth has rotated toward the moon enough, so that the moon rises over an horizon. When a moon appears rising and a sun appears setting at almost the same time, it means the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, letting the moon fully reflect the sun’s light and giving us a full moon.

It’s exciting to anticipate this month’s full moon. What might it offer that’s bluish and apparent? Almost exactly, too, the setting sun should be interesting. If the sun holds onto a smoke-caused and outstandingly intense-red, would its off-coloration affect the rising moon’s lighting and shading?

Here’s some reality according to NASA. A blue-colored moon is the result of water droplets in the air, from certain types of clouds, or from particles thrown into the atmosphere by natural catastrophes, such as volcanic ash and smoke. Moreover, blue-colored moons in photos are from using special blue filters for cameras or in post-processing software.

Well, that’s “blue” from the experts, but who knows? My mortal’s eye will focus upward to see natural moon-hues and might also spot seeming moon-blues. Stay tuned.

Dear Friends: Looking at the sky increases our visual system, and engages our imagination. Diana

Friday, August 20, 2021 —(In 2 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Rosie showed up for breakfast dragging a hanging-part of her shoe. A problem was that the broken shoe was on her left rear, the leg with arthritic problems that resists being lifted. Another was that the dangling metal could be stepped on by the other rear hoof and cause an accident.

She let me lift her leg to examine. I managed to slice a soft connector and release the broken part. That left on the hoof a broken shoe-part, which by catching onto something could cause an accident.

Our farrier lives in Bishop, CA, and is expected next week to be in Oregon. I texted him with pictures, and he explained how to remove the rest of that shoe. I needed to rasp-down any outside nails, and then, with a shoe-puller remove the remaining metal.

I have a hoof rasp but not a puller. He got in in touch with his close friend, Ashley, who lives here and for whose horses he provides hoof care, a commitment that regularly brings him to Oregon. He texted that long ago he’d given Ashley a hoof-puller.

Upon hearing from him, Ashley, who’s a dedicated horse-person, kindly volunteered to help me.

When she arrived, we first tackled the problem by assessing how well Rosie tolerates a lifting and holding-up of her arthritic leg. Ashley is accustomed to horses that require sensitive handling. She figured out how we could support Rosie’s leg while also working on its hoof.

We managed to hold Rosie’s leg and hoof in a workable position. Here, a note, that the processes of putting on and removing horse shoes calls for physical strength. Mine’s not so great, but Ashley is fit, and also in a good way, she’s stubborn. Working to use the hoof-puller and without giving up, she managed to remove the protruding shoe nails and broken metal.

Thanks, thanks, thanks! for Ashley’s help. It’s a huge relief that Rosie may freely and safely move around. Until the farrier arrives next week, she’s on vacation from driving.

Dear Friends: This reaffirms that a mutual affection for horses brings together new friends. Diana

Thursday, August 19, 2021 —(In 3 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Yesterday evening’s spectacular sunset drew me outside with a camera. I waited, watching that globe gliding downward through various clouds before disappearing among the mountains.

Smoke from wildfires continues to make the sun-ball a fire-red. My cameras cannot pick up enough of that color. Nonetheless, my Canon SX70 Zoom decently-recorded the sun’s bright descent among clouds, and an incredible spread of ambient light among the cloud layers.

These photos reveal the setting sun’s descent and skylights.

Dear Friends: Looking skyward yields stories, often worth telling and sometimes glorious. Diana

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 —(In 4 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Yesterday was a COLD day. I ended it in a winter jacket, wool hat, and gloves, while out feeding horses. Later, I revved-up the standby electric blanket. Today too will be cool, but tomorrow, temps will pop to the eighties. I no longer wonder why these weather patterns and simply go with the flow. So, for today, it’s a jacket, tomorrow it’s a t-shirt.

Changing conditions to worry about include the current situation in Afghanistan and what it means to the rest of our known world. I spent much of past days and this morning studying the yeas and nays, all interesting and disturbing.

I’m a woman who managed to achieve higher education. Having formal degrees brought very favorable differences into my life. It’s a small wonder that I’m caught now up by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. It’ll mean a likely interference to previously gained rights of women and young girls. One reason is that most of the bearded street-level Taliban fighters are young men carring AK-47s. Passionate believers who lack formal educations, they have street power.

Today’s header, the NYT article, is by the Pakistani woman, Malala. She while young argued publicly in favor of formal education for women. In those days, speaking out as she did was risky business. An angry Taliban shot Malala in the face. She survived, has remained an international figure, and now is a scholar with a career. Today, she speaks to the likely renewal of that risky business, the defending of human rights in a re-evolving Afghanistan.

Dear Friends: Rapidly-changing societies require relevant education and open information. Diana

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 —(In 5 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

The repairs that most were on my mind now are finished. I’ve rebuilt the horse carriage stand for easier handling. I’ve stabilized my horse trailer’s floor mat to facilitate loading the horse cart.

Now, I’m ready to start planning getaways, taking the horse and cart into other neighborhoods. A great way to explore is driving through an area. It’s just fun.

A new development here on the northeast side has a couple miles of paved road which dead ends. I must be certain the dead end has adequate space for my rig. Today I’ll take my Jeep there to check for room to park and turn around. If all’s okay, I’ll return home, load horse and cart, and start the adventure.

For this first drive, I’ll take my easiest horse, Sunni. We’ll check out the route. If the traveling is easy and without surprises, I’ll go again there and drive Rosie.

A new challenge will be taking photos along the route. That’ll mean pausing my horse long enough to handle a camera. The horses are accustomed to trotting steadily, with only brief walking and stopping. Well, the camera will wait for another outing. This time, it’ll be one of experiencing an entirely new route.

Dear Friends: Most residents and passersby enjoy seeing and hearing a working driving horse. Diana

Monday, August 16, 2021 —(In 6 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

Today’s rising sun is as as red as any suns that recently have set. The intense red is caused by air-heavy smoke from wildfires. Today’s temperatures will hover around one-hundred degrees, by noon they’ll be stultifying. In contrast, tomorrow’s temps will be in the seventies, a welcome drop that starts a brief cooling trend.

These days I drive the horses early as possible, to exercise them prior to the worst heat. This morning, too, I’m eager to go outside, feed them, and accomplish their driving. After those workouts, the equines will travel across the road to John’s for an hour or so on his green pasture.

John’s pasture only is several hundred feet away, but it’s been hard for me to get at once all three equines over there. The horses are no problem and walk nicely with me. The donkey’s a problem. She balks, needs lots of pulling, wears me out.

Recently, I came up with a solution.

Pimmy has learned that her weight and planted feet can pause the un-powerful Gater. She’s unhappily situated between the big horses and often balks. It took a while for me to learn to keep a heavy foot on the gas to prevent any pauses. Otherwise, the donkey plants feet to stop action, over and again.

It’s understandable, not wanting to walk between big horses. We have the same problem in winters, when I walk the three together down the street to a more distant neighbor’s pasture, and later home again. Pimmy resists being in the middle and balks frequently.

I get worn out, leading and pulling that donkey along.

Actually, Pimmy is a great pet, sweet and accommodating, loves her horses and wants to go anywhere they go. Just doesn’t want to be moving between them. Well, when I lead the three, that’s the best position for her. But she makes leading hard on my arms, spine, and psyche.

Right now, it’s time to go and feed before driving the horses. Later, I will be sure to slam a heavy foot on the Gater’s gas pedal.

I’ll mention that to keep things safe, I move the Gater very slowly. The animals on short leads just walk to keep pace. Traveling goes well except for “Pimmy’s moments”. Thankfully, my mature and easy horses tolerate that too-smart donkey.

Dear Friends: Animals help to remove one’s mind from an afternoon’s sweltering hours. Diana

Sunday, August 15, 2021 —(In 7 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

I’m waiting for that full moon!

It’s to be another smoky and hot day, about 100-degrees. The caption photo is of yesterday’s late afternoon sun. The photo makes it seem less a fiery ball than it is in real time. Yet, its heat is made apparent by the surrounding oranges and reds, they’re also streaking through the sky.

From a little later here’s another capture of that magnificent ball and my final sighting of its descent. It became lost in environmental smoke nearer the horizon. Its only parts still visible were the red streaks among clouds.

We’re a week away from the August full moon. It rose in yesterday’s early evening in a half-visible mode.

Several hours later, my camera captured it again. A viewing eye imagines its shadowed side.

A wonderful line of script in the Netflix series, “Mr. Sunshine”, has a protagonist saying, “I love things that are considered useless, the stars, the moon, the sky, wind, and flowers….”

I completely agree.

Dear Friends: Look at this moon wanting to reveal all of itself, and reflecting that sun ball. Diana

Saturday, August 14, 2021 —(In 8 days, August’s full “Sturgeon” moon will rise nearest to earth.)

The redness in this image is nothing close to a real-time view of the sun late yesterday. Then, the ball itself was perfectly-round and very bright red, made stunning by smoking from massive wildfires. My camera couldn’t pick up the sun’s brilliant color, but it captured some atmospheric reflections.

The smoke is heavier now. On opening a door this morning, a smoke smell greeted me. I’ll try again this afternoon with another camera to capture the fire-red ball.

That was one thing on my mind, from yesterday, and another has been a question from Kat A.. She’s a very bright reader who wonders why the number twelve is considered a perfect number. While blogging, I had mentioned that without giving a thought as to why. My mind had been on some other element of twelve.

Kat often encourages me to research more and to learn. I explored twelve and found myself on an interesting journey.

Actually, twelve isn’t a perfect number. Instead, it’s considered a sublime number, and only semi-perfect, because the sum of its factors, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, is greater than the number 12 itself. While twelve has a perfect number of divisors, by not adding up to twelve, they don’t create a perfect number.

Here’s the rationale for perfect, according to “number theory”. A perfect number is a positive integer that’s equal to the sum of its positive divisors, excluding the number itself. The known first five perfect numbers are 6, 28, 496, 8128, and 33550336.

A number is perfect if all of its factors, including 1, but excluding itself, perfectly add up to the same number a person begins with. For example, the number six is perfect, because its factors, 3, 2, and 1, all sum up to 6. Another example, is the number twenty-eight, also perfect, because 14, 7, 4, 2, and 1, add up to 28.

Only 50 total perfect numbers are known, despite a dedicated worldwide effort to computationally discover more. Perfect numbers are connected deeply to some of the greatest mathematical questions of our time.

Here’s another thought. In general, people consider the even numbers as very lucky. A long-standing common belief is that good luck comes in pairs and dates count too. For example, consider 12/12/12 (or December 12, 2012), anticipated as becoming a very lucky day.

For me, this bit of research touches on another and very non-mathmatical, inner sense. It helps me recognize an extent to which number logic satisfies a very human need to know of elements existing which absolutely are definable as balanced, logical, and perfect.

Dear Friends: These few numbers enable worldwide celebrations of an existence of perfection. Diana