From the East Wing, Starting Dog Days, Easter Island & Looking At The Sun, P.S.M., A Family Of Kings

Greetings to all, and welcome new friends to the East Wing.

Lazy summer day, that July 5th, that extra holiday for July 4th. Do ya like to feel hot summer wind in your face? I do. And that Monday was just the day for hot summer wind. Done a little yard work, trimming around the flag pole base, and racking up the trimmings. Decided that’s enough work for one day and went back inside to play with the 2girldogs.

We’re not yet a week into the Dog Days of Summer and the 2girldogs are milking it for all it’s worth. Good thing the 2girldogs have their own couch, else they’d never fit the way they stretch out. I didn’t know the Pup Baby was that long. Guess that’s one of the benefits of being girldogs, ya get 40 days in the middle of summer where ya don’t have to do anything. I wonder if that’s all the democrats, or just the 2girldogs.

Course Sophia the Republican Cat’s not too far behind when it comes to the lazy days of summer. She spends time outside doing that Jungle Cat thing, but much of the time she too sleeps on the couch. Sophia struck a deal with the Pup Baby, she sleeps on the back of the couch while Mustina uses the seats. I’m not sure if any money changed hands on that deal or not, but knowing Sophia, I’m pretty sure she got the better of the deal, she most generally does.

Sophia’s having trouble with her national party chairman, Michael Steele, as he’s offended most republicans including Sophia for his remarks on the Afghanistan War, calling it “Obama’s War”. I guess the republicans want to make sure the get credit for that one. Seem to me there is enough misery over there go around, why don’t they just share the pain. But no! gotta have it all or nothing. I say let ‘em have it. Damn Republicans.

I no longer get email from Iraq. All the people who visited the East Wing while in Iraq have either gone home or transferred over to the Afghanistan War. I get some real interesting emails from Afghanistan. It appears to me the mood of the soldiers in Afghanistan is completely different than when they were in Iraq. The emails are different that’s for sure.

What I read from online news and hear on TV is a whole lot different than what I read in my email. It seems many share the views of the replaced general when it comes to the civilian side of the military management of this war. I have yet to receive a single positive comment from that war zone. Now more so than ever before I ask your prayers for those brave men and women who carry the burden of this war. I hope to, at some time in the future, share with you some of the things that have been said to me by those who keep us free. You’ll be amazed, shocked, and outraged. Better yet, look for yourself, just do a search on Military Rules of Engagement Afghanistan War.

Did ya see the total eclipse of the Sun today? Not if ya live in North America, ‘cause ya can only see it from the South Pacific Ocean and lower parts of South America. The very best place to see the eclipse was on Easter Island, that’s off the coast of Chili ‘bout 160 miles or so, as a matter of fact, I think Easter Island is a part of the world controlled by Chili. Easter Island is famous for those big stone faces that no body knows what they mean or why they made ‘em. That Easter Island stuff is kinda like the pyramids, some folks think they know a lot more ‘bout that stuff than they do also.

There’s always a danger of people going blind when a solar eclipse occurs. No matter how many people say don’t look directly into the sun during an eclipse, some do and pay the price, blindness for life. Never ever look directly into the sun even for a few seconds. There is no second chance when looking into the sun. After all the warnings on such things, my only advise is if you’re still dumb enough to look, pick out the white cane before ya look, if ya ever want to see it.

I think I mentioned a while back, that I gotta sun filter for my telescope. Too bad I can’t see the eclipse from the East Wing, else I’d look. I’ve watched solar eclipse’s before, but never thru a telescope sun filter. One time I created a homemade device to allow ya to look indirectly at a solar eclipse. Got the plans from a magazine, it worked fine, I didn’t go blind, so far.

When I was a kid in Downtown Toto, I saw an article in a little know publication to most folks in Toto, it was called “Popular Science” My dad got me a subscription when I was in the 5th grade and I loved that little book ever since, read it cover to cover every time it came in the mail.

Popular Science had all the plans to build a cardboard box observatory to watch the solar eclipse. Ya had to have a big box, and get inside and put a little hole on the side of the box facing the sun, let the sunshine in the box and look at the opposing wall. If ya had a perfect round hole, and it was big enough, ya could see the shadow of the earth cross the sunshine in the back of the box. It took me three boxes to get it right, but when I did, it worked. The final box was one used to cover a refrigerator and it worked swell! As a matter of fact, it worked so well that I charged other kids to go inside and look at the solar eclipse. The box was so big, two could get inside at the same time and still see the show. Don’t remember for sure, but I may have made a nickel that day. ‘Course a nickel went a lot farther then.

The next time we’ll have any opportunity to see an eclipse will be December 21st this year. Not the sun, but the moon. This eclipse will be visible to all over the country. This one will be a good one to watch if it’s a clear night. It starts a little late, ‘bout 11:30P.M., my time. It ends a little after 5:00 A.M., almost 6 hours of watching if ya wanta stay up all night. For this one ya got two things going for ya. One is it’s the best time of the year to stargaze and two it’ll be cold, so I’m not gona stay out all night watching the eclipse of the Moon.

Usually when I talk ‘bout stargazing, I get some email saying I’ve not used correct technical language to describe what I’m talking ‘bout. So here goes, for those folks who insist that I use “stargazer talk” this next paragraph’s for you.

On December 21, 2010 A total eclipse of the Moon will occur. This Lunar Eclipse will be fully visible from all of North America. The moon enters penumbra at 11:28 P.M. CST on December 20th and leaves penumbra at 5:06 A.M. CST on December 21.

Now for the non stargazers wonder what I’m talking ‘bout, that penumbra stuff is simply a partial outer shadow that is lighter than the darker inner shadow, the umbra. The area between complete darkness and complete light in an eclipse. I looked a lot at the stars before I learned ‘bout the penumbra and umbra stuff. When I looked thru my first telescope, I didn’t know an umbra from an umbrella. I now know. Never rely on an umbra if it's ‘bout to rain, and if ya need an umbrella, chances are you're not going to see an umbra anyway.

Thinking back on reading Popular Science Magazine, it’s truly amazing how many things I remember reading about in that magazine that have become reality today. Telephone without wires, machines that make other machines, automobiles that drive themselves, men on the ocean bottom, men walking on the moon, are just some of the things I remember reading first in my Popular Science Magazine. I still get Popular Science Magazine, still look forward to reading it cover to cover. I guess some things just never change, while it seems some things just never remain the same.

Had several emails wanting to know how Spike’s doing with the Spike Rules of the East Wing. Well to tell ya the truth, Spike finds the learning curve steep. Or else he’s just ignoring the Spike Rules altogether. A few cases in point being, I still see that white paw coming under the bathroom door almost every time I go in that room. He still walks on the 2girldogs food. He drinks from the large water bowl, not the small water bowl. Spike has taken a special liking to Mustina, he and the Pup Baby are now buds. They hang out, play together and when Pup Baby takes a nap, well, Spike takes a nap too, on top of Mustina. Spike Rules.

Now Sophia and Spike, well that’s a different story. Sophia refers to the little guy as “The Gray Cat Democrat” Like I said, seems some things just never change. Sophia The Republican Cat.

Being a descendent of a family of Kings, I spent this Sunday Afternoon at the King Reunion. Held annually the first Sunday after the 4th of July. Been going to that thing for most of my life, and ya just never get tired of seeing family. Some family ya see just once a year, others ya may see often, but always family, and always glad they’re there. The one thing I’ve noticed at the King Reunion is the change in the food.

As a kid, when I first started going to this party, other than cold pop, (soda for the rest of ya) I’d say 95% of the food was home made . The Ladies of King cooked the green beans, prepared chicken & dumplings, baked the hams, fried the chickens , baked the cornbread, mashed the potatoes, sliced the red tomatoes, peeled & sliced the onions, cooked the pinto beans, baked the meat loaf, made the banana puddings, baked the chocolate cakes, and pecan pies, even made the ice-cream. A meal fit for Kings.

Evolution has affected the meal fit for Kings, much the same way it’s affected the rest of society. The 95% transformed into 5%. Green beans are more apt to come from cans, chicken & dumplings are as rare as hens teeth, while hams are cousins trying to be funny. Fried Chicken comes from the round box with you know who’s picture on the side, and cornbread from a box is just not right, it’s just not right. Instant potatoes, just add stuff and keep telling yourself they’re just as good as the real thing, Yeah Right! And all the other dishes fall into line, the checkout line, at the delli.

The way I’m talking you’d think I didn’t like the food at the King Reunion, that’s not the case at all, I like most everybody else ate like little piggys. While eating I just happened to remember, 40 years ago we ate different stuff at this party.

It was a special day. All my sisters at one table with my mother. Any time ya can sit with all your sisters and your mother for a meal on a Sunday Afternoon, it’s a good day. For those that don’t know my connection to the Family of Kings, It’s my mama, Ruth King was her maiden name. When I talk ‘bout Lou and Southfork, Lou was my mama’s mother.

I had such a special relationship with Lou. The old girl had 68 grandchildren, 67 called her grandma, I called her Lou. We got along, me and Lou, she didn’t like being called a grandma, she told me so. Lou never got old. We played in the waters of Southfork, me and Lou.

A large group, that Family of Kings, George, Robert, Damon, Burl, Arlene, Mint, Mage, Martha, Myrtle, Ruth, Gladys, four boys and seven girls. Time has reduced the attendance of the original Kings. There is only a pair of Kings remaining, but what a pair to draw to. Today there was only a single original King in the house. My mama.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the East Wing, Starting the Dog Days, Easter Island & Looking At The Sun, P. S. M., A Family Of Kings

I wish you well,
BobbyRay