"Listen People"

By now you know where we went!

We forgot all about the remaining "Flower Power" shows at EPCOT. We just wanted to see the fireworks and get a "Sweet Pretzel" in Norway. (Although, I don't really know which one was our first choice.)

That really didn't matter, the show was great.

It's nice to be back but Pat's got me doing some chores we've put off until all of you left! Things like washing windows, and a sundry of other household chores!

We'll be back into our work routine next week and Pat will finish up at DisneyQuest. She put in for a transfer six months ago and she got a call while we were in CA. She's transferring to Food and Beverage in............

ESPN Wide World of Sports.

We're both very excited.

The only thing is she is required to provide "full availability," and the summer season is particularly busy. We'll need to head north in August for our Doctors appointments. I won't mind picking up some shifts at EWWS in addition to (staying cool) in the big green building in DownTown Disney!

As some of you already know, we've heard from Pete and Joan who had an awesome trip to the FL Keys. Traveling sans their camper is a plus for them to "scoot" about on their way back home. I hear they'll be taking the train down in the fall. That should be a fun trip for them. We're glad to hear from Steve and that he's back on his bike again. Hey Steve, "no fair" staying in shape for our bike rides this fall!

Oh Jack, your truck and trailer are still there!

Darlene and Buzz, your golf cart got a whole lot of rave reviews going up and down our street and into the woods and through the streams and over some stumps! Oh don't worry it's repairable. The Tech said he can put the steering wheel on another cart!

Remember, June 5, 2012, the Venus transit of the sun!

Photo from Sky and Telescope. 

Fred Espenak combined 17 exposures taken at 20-minute intervals to create this sequence from the transit of Venus in June 2004.

I watched part of this transit in 2004 through two arc welding lenses. Obviously, the image was much smaller but easily identifiable. I watched as Venus moved slowly and steadily to the lower right and off the of the sun's limb. There's something special about witnessing events happening hundreds of thousands of miles away (even light years) with your own eyes.

On Tuesday June 5th North America gets to see Venus transit the Sun late afternoon to sunset.

(For your safety, never look at the sun without a proper solar filter.)

The following site is an in depth article on SAFE ways to look at the sun.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Safely-View-the-Upcoming-Eclipse-and-Transit-150863835.html 

For ways to see this event that no one currently alive will see again, here are a few sites to help you.

These site will help the novice and/or the serious astronomer find their way around the night sky the next time you're out camping and happen to "look up" while enjoying the evening.  

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/ A Great resource

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/search?searchKeywords=venus+transit Everything about "transits"

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/Transit-of-Venus-February-2012-134332798.html

A specific site for the June 5, 2012 transit

http://spaceweather.com/ A site for all things happening above us.

http://www.astronomy.com/ Another great resource

Here is the ultimate site to see the transit: http://www.ccssc.org/transit2012.html

FYI all of you "smart phone" users, "Stellarium" is a FREE downloadable planetarium program. Once loaded onto your phone, go out at night, begin the program and point your phone at any section of the sky. It will tell you all of the objects that are in the viewing screen. You will need to "play" with the functions of the program a little but, in no time you'll learn to see what planets are visible, star names and constellations and more. As you move your phone around the celestial dome you'll be surprised to see what you've been missing for all these years by not taking the time to "look up" the next time your outside enjoying the evening air!

Now, you have your assignment. There will be a test on June 6!

I'll leave you with this.....

Now you know it's made of Coco-Cola cartons....

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

...and this is what it looks like......

.

.

.

.

.

Cool huh?