Wondering about the tuning fork.

I had a tuning fork that I used to use to tune my guitar.  I would bump it on my leg to get it vibrating and then place the handle end on the face of my guitar and it would amplify the sound and I could then tune that one string that matched the fork's tone.  Then I used that one tuned string to tune the rest of the strings.  I also had a pitch pipe but always thought that the tuning fork was more accurate.  I now have retired both the pitch pipe and the tuning fork for a more accurate and quicker electronic one that clips on the end and the little lights light up to let you know if you are in tune, sharp, or flat.  Here is a picture of a typical tuning fork:

 By now you all know that I am really interested in space and astronomy.  Yes, Billy Bob, I am spaced out, way out.  So, when someone mentions a tuning fork, the Hubble Tuning Fork comes to mind.  What, you may ask, is a Hubble Tuning Fork?  Well, it really isn't a tuning fork but rather it is graph of the different types of galaxies.  The handle starts off with the most simple elliptical Galaxy which is really more like ball or circle.  It then procedes through the ellipticals and then into the spirals.  Artists and movie makers seem to protray all galaxies as spirals in the art and on the screen.  Check the galaxy tuning fork out below:

 

We live in a large, beautiful spiral but our home planet is way out on one of the arms.  That is why we can see most of our own galaxy.  It is that creamy, bright path of light through a clear, dark night that you can see.  Since we live far out on an arm, we are moving through space much, much faster than the other suns (stars) which reside closer to the center.

Now, I suppose you are going to ask me if our galaxy is spinning clockwise or counter clockwise.  Well, that entirely depends on which side of the galaxy you are looking at.  You know, if you could see into the back side of a clock, it would appear to be moving counter clockwise, right?  Now, enjoy your ride through space and have yourselves a very great day, you hear?

The heartbreak in Moore, OK.

It is unimaginable what a tornado that size can do!!  The destruction and death and injury was terrible!!  My heart breaks for those who lost love ones.  A school and a medical center was hit hard.  That means children and old people seemed to be targeted.  I have been in and near a few tornadoes, but none of them were as huge as the monster that hit Moore, OK.

I have heard that at least twenty children were killed when the tornado hit the school.  Loosing anyone you love is hard to take but loosing a child is the hardest.  I know, I lost a son in an highway accident.  Let us all pray for the survivers that they will have the strength to get through this nightmare.  I know it is hard after what happened, but you all try to have a good day, you hear?

Got my grass cut.

I decided that maybe I should cut my grass.  It sure has been growing fast lately.  I fired up my lawn tractor and cut the front half acre in just a few minutes.  That finishid I started on my front yard along my driveway.  That takes a lot longer trying to weave in and out thorugh the many oak trees.  After cutting most of it, I parked the tractor and got out the trusty lawn mower.  It hadn't been run in a long time.  I filled it up with gas and dang, it actually started on the second pull.  I then cut the fenced in dog's yard and the small areas behind my house.  To finish up, I still have a lot of trimming and mowing to do, but I figured it will only grow back so maybe I will get to that part the next time the parts that I did mow, need mowing again.  Now, that sounds logical to me.  Don't you agree?

I was going to write about the meteor strike on the moon last night but six bears of http://sixbearsinthewoods.blogspot.com/ beat me to it.  You can click on the above link, go there, and see his blog and all our comments.  Since I commented on his blog, I will not say any more here on this subject.

Is it warm yet where you all live?  The last few days here have been in the low to mid 90's.  It isn't the heat that bothers me, it is the combination of heat and high humidy that gets to you.  I often wondered why temperatures in the 80's and mid to low 90's felt hot to us humans when our "normal" body temperature is 98.6 degrees.  My mind's logic tells me that anything cooler than body temperature should feel cool to us.  It doesn't!!  Can anyone explain that to me?  Now, keep your cool and keep your heads down in case of any more incoming rocks from space, and have yourselves a very special and happy Monday, you hear?

UPDATE:  I found this video that shows the impact of the meteor hitting the moon.  You may want to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqrJ4cW6Z4c

Wondering about Witch Hazel.

First, let me ask if any of you are having trouble with Blogger?  I sure am.  It started yesterday.  I usually use Firefox for my browser but it wouldn't work right, then I tried Chrome and it didn't work right, so here I am, back writing it with IE ( Windows Internet Explorer).  Can't seem to fix the problem.  Just glad I have all the other options and at least one of them seems to be working.

Now, back to wondering about Witch Hazel.  I just love the stuff.  The smell of it seems to relax me.  I splash it on every morning and at night just before I go to bed.  I believe that years ago it was used as Cologne along with the medicinal purposes.  It is an astringent and a common treatment for hemorrhoids.  As I am sure you know, an astringent shrinks things.

Some species of it are native to America and the natives here made good use of the shrub called Witch Hazel.  They boiled the bark and the small limbs.  Although it is called a shrub, some grow to 20 or 30 feet tall.  It also produces flowers and sometimes the shrub can be seen with both fruit and flowers on it.  As far as I am concerned, as long as the stores don't run out of it, I will keep on splashing it on.  It is suppose to shrink things but so far it hasn't shrunk my tummy much if at all (grin).  Now you all slap some on your face and have a wonderful day today, you hear?

Wondering about some more old sayings.

Have you ever been told to "pipe down"?  I heard that from my Mother when I was a young man.  Now, I wonder how it got to mean "be quiet".  Well, actually it came from the sailing ships and the Navy.  They used a whistle that could produce different tones to give orders (signals) to the crew and one such signal was to hit the bunks (or hammocks) and be quiet and go to sleep.  I believe they still use it today, although I don't know for sure.  If any of you do know for sure, please give me a "cut and dried" explanation.

Speaking of "cut and dried", where do you think that pharse originated?  Well, it came from the sixteenth century when physicians preferred dispensing herbs that were already "cut and dried".  Why?  Because, dried herbs are both more concentrated and more uniform in strength.

Now don't get mad at me and "read the riot act".  OK, where did "read the riot act" phrase come from?  It got started back in 1716 when King George 1 of England started it.  It was a law that made it illegal for twelve or more people to congregate together and "disturb the peace."  OK, now you know the origans of a few common phases, so go ahead and have a great day, you hear?

Wondering, it was a long way to come to visit.

I happened to notice John Wells latest post on:
http://thefieldlab.blogspot.com/2013/05/animal-psychology.html 

He showed Carl the rooster checking out a rabbit.  I wonder if Carl scared it so bad it ran all the way to my house to be comforted by another cottontail.  I pulled in my driveway and saw these two rabbits at the edge it:

 Can't see them?  OK, here is blow-up showing the two of them.  They are looking in opposite directions.  Maybe they are working as a team.  You know, "you watch that way and I will watch this way".

I wonder if they are a "couple"?  If so, maybe we will have a lot more wabbits around.

My son raises show rabbits and his back yard is full of cages and rabbits of all sizes, shapes, and colors.  Some have huge ears that hang down and look like a hound dog.  Some are small and can fit in you hand and some are huge.  Here are a few pics of some of his many rabbits:

I took these pictures off his Facebook page.    He really enjoys his bunnies.  Did you know that they can be trained to use a litter box and can be kept in your home as you would a cat (or dog)?  Now, you all have a great day today, you hear?

 

Wondering about the terrible storms near Dallas.

Woke up this morning to the news that multiple tornadoes devastated an area near Cleburne, Texas.  That is the area where Windybob of http://windybob.blogspot.com/ lives and very near where Ole Ben of http://benntexas.blogspot.com/ (An Older Texan Remembers) used to live before he passed away.  I can't find Windybob's telephone number so I sent him an email.  I hope his old email address is still the one he uses.  Am anxious to hear back from him.

I have been very close to too many tornadoes and so far have been really lucky.  One, when I lived north of Fort Worth, just missed my house by a few feet but hit my storage building and spread the contents for miles.  I know what they sound like and that sound sends chills up your spine, for sure.  I have heard of some that where so strong that they ripped the paving off of roads and not only took the homes but picked up some of the slabs they were built on.  That kind of power is unimaginable!!

I sure do hope that the sky is clear and the day is nice and sunny for all of you today so that you all can have a nice day, you hear?