The solar eclipse wasn’t total in the UK. The picture above was taken at around 19:12 hours local time, here in Gosport. The coverage was supposed to be around 93% I don’t think this is far off it.

Whilst I didn’t see first bite, I did catch early engagement. Knowing what was happening, how the bodies were lining up was just awe inspiring, it really was amazing. I had bought observing glasses, so was able to see very clearly what was happening.

I can’t remember when or how I first heard the phrase “Celestial Dance” but that is it, a beautiful dance.

This is the setup I used. It’s a bit basic. I would move the sun on screen take a coule of shots, and move it off again. I didn’t want to expose the phone camera too much. It seemedd to work quite well.

If you don’t know Larry Niven’s work, it might seem strange to link a science fiction author to a nice, but innocuous plant like a sunflower.

In his “Known Space’” series of stores, the kind of sunflowers he writes about are not the cute innocent plants that we know.  Instead, their mirror like surfaces reflect sunlight very efficiently. One such flower may be harmless but a field of them all focussing their light on one spot, produces the lethal heat of sun-driven furnace. Designed billions of years ago by an alien species now extinct (mostly).

I’m writing about Larry Niven, not just because he is one of my favourite authors, but I was reminded of him by the sunflowers we have in the garden.  Elayne had planted a lot of sunflower seeds, as she wanted to grow blue ones. As an attempt, it failed miserably,but we do have a lovely hedge of yellow sunflowers.  Two of them in particular make me think.

One is looking very intently at me in the kitchen, in the morning, when I come to make tea.  It is most disconcerting, I have the distinct feeling I am being watched.  The other sunflower has grown to such a height that it is well above the fence, and now it is starring directly into our neighbours lounge.

Jackie, our neighbour probably isn’t aware of Niven’s sunflowers.

But I know.

I know that they are watching us, and the minute we become a threat to them… 

I’m reading the 86th Newsletter from the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society (HFC&AS) at one point, the writer of a landsccaspe article recommends that everyone should have a copy of The History of the countryside by Oliver Rackham.

I should say that I don’t normally rush out every book that I see recommmended, but I do maake exceptions when the topic is particularly suited to my interests, and this one most cetrtainly was.

I found the book on Amazon, and went through the Buy it Now steps. but it appears that Ididn’t actually finalise it, so it remained in the basket.

Elayne accessed the basket, saw the book thought “Oh, that’s a good one, I’ll order that for Bill” and did so.

Elayne told me that she had ordered the book. I told her that meant there were two copies coming. I went onto the adcount and attempted to cancel the one I had ordered.

It turns out that Elayne hadn’t ordered a second book, she had merely finalised the step that I hadn’t, so there was only ever one copy heading for us.

That is until I realised that I was cancelling the only copy that was headding towards us. It wasn’t panic, because I didn’t feel that. But I did feel frustrated that hteere were no books heading towards us.

So, I placed the same order again. Only to be told by Amazon that tthey were unable to cancel my original order. Which meant that there were now two copies of the book coming our way.

They both dually arrived today, in the same delivery.

Now, how do I tell Amazon all this, when I attempt to set up the reurn of one of the volumes?

No, I don’t know either.

This cloud caught my eye today. I thought it’s shape was very close to the shape of Cyprus. I did look out for others, but didn’t see anything. Very nice to just watch the clouds for a while though.

You get two pictures today. We walked in to town with our Granddaughter, and stopped at the Craft cafe. Elayne and Aurora shared a jacket potatoe, I had sausage & mash with Onion gravy. I have to say that mine was very nice.

We carried on down to the water front, where we sat for a while and fed the birds, mostly pigeons and different gulls. They. were a noisy, hungry bunch, but we, especially Aurora thoroughly enjoyed watching them and feeding them. I’d taken some mealworms down for them, so at least it was reasonable birdfood. The chap who feeds the birds every day was there. He put his load of food down as well, where we were. It was chaos!

After feeding the birds, we walked on along the waterfront. Apart from the ferries, and some small boats the harbour was very quiet.

The cockle ponds looked very nice, the door to model yacht club was open but there were no boats out. No sign of life in the ponds, it looks like the Jelly Fish have flown the nest.

We spent a half an hour or so in the Childrens play area, which Aurora enjoyed.

The months of August and September are probably the months of least activity within Gosport u3a. Most groups suspend activity for at least august. September is winding back up to full speed again.

I’ve recently gon through a phase where I’ve done small presentations to:
Local History
Exploring Art
IGO Archaeology

I have also agreed to do a presentation to the next IGO Astronomy on naked eye and the use of binoculars. With three events coming up this month (the solar exclipse, The Perseids and The Lunar eclips). Provided I’m able to stay up for them, I should have plenty of material for the talk, so not too worried about that (I just need the clouds to stay away).

I did wonder if three presentations in one month, in addition to anything I’m doing in the longer term projects I have is just a bit too much, and yet, here I am drafting a proposal for another group. I think I am very close to submitting that proposal, if it works I think I will have to give up at least one other group, and unfortunately I do have one in mind.

We’ll just have to see what happens.

I was going to honest, but then I did that usual thing of sitting at the computer. On sunday evening.

I’m sorry, it’s 2350, and our cat has just landed on my keyboard, and won’t move until I’ve given her a brush (the keyboard is on my lap), it’s so near midnight I’m going to have to publish this.

0010 – Ah, I’m back – sorry about the interruption. Misty’s happy. I ws going to say that I sat at the computer asnd was only intending to be a minute, but I hadd an idea in my head that I wanted to get into writing. It relates of course to u3a.

It’s for a new group. I’m not going to go into detail yet. I, of course, think it’s an excellent idea, but what will the members think?

I’ll have to run it past Fiona, the Groups coordinator.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

I took this picture today of an open Passion Fruit flower. Luckily it haas a bumblebee doing its thing (look at its back, covered in pollen).

The flower has been open for a few days now. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve looked at them since we have lived here. This time though, because of my interaction with the letters of Gilbert White, I’m trying to look at things in a different way.

I’ve never denied that trhe flowers are pretty (the fruit are a bit of a pain when the drop and are crushed underfoot.

The strtucture of the flower does remind me of a futuristic radio transmitter or telescope. I’m going to get some more pictures of this, from different angles.

Fascinating stuff.