One year later

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I do think of this blog from time to time.  I just don’t think of anything to put on it that wouldn’t go on my Facebook page, or one of the other interest pages.

But after all this time leading up to the total eclipse trip to Longyearbyen, the countdown on the right has ended, and it’s time for me to post some photos and get rid of the widget.

Photos copyright (c) J M Pett 2015.  Please  link to this blog if using, not that I expect anyone would as there are far better ones out there!

March has nearly gone

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… and it’s a year till I have my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Spitzbergen for the total eclipse.  I had a target to lose enough weight to wear my ski gear, but I’ll have to do something drastic now to achieve that.

Spring has sprung in the garden, with the prunus in full bloom.  We haven’t had much cool weather this winter – up till two weeks ago we’d only had four frosts.  Since then we’ve had four a week.  But the plants that are out at the moment are fine with it, and the sun is really bright and warm during the day – you just need to be sheltered from the wind.  The over-wintered veggies are fine, the seeds have been planted for the early veg and the tomatoes, and the kohl rabi and peas are already up and developing their first true leaves.

I entered for the village Open Garden event in June, but it seems that too few of us did.  I think I ought to conitnue with my plan anyway, just to make sure I carry out all the tidying I scheduled in January.  There’s a lot to do, but half an hour a day would make all the difference.

Busy, busy, as usual!

January already

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If I’m not very good at blogging on here, be reassured that I seem to have lost track of keeping my journal as well.  I blame it on my alter egos, all of whom blog regularly – some more so than others.

Last year was a tricky one, since I had a series of mishaps followed by heavy colds, and things sort of got lost in the mists of my self-pity.  One is allowed to go through sloughs of despond every now and then, but hopefully I’m coming out of it.  My new year’s resolution is simply to look after myself a little better.

Part of that is to get involved in things and to enjoy what I have.  I’m combining those by entering the village’s Garden Open Day in June.  I have a lot to do to get my garden ready for June. No. 1 is to make a plan of what to do and when, so it isn’t all a last-minute panic.  I think I’ll enjoy doing that.

Watch this space!

Laid low all summer

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It wasn’t much of a summer.  Well, here it went from cold and dry to hot and dry to a bit of both.  Then when the rest of the country was saying “no more rain, please” we were saying, “no, more rain, please!”  It’s finally arrived, just as I’m fit enough to go outside and do some work again. Continue reading →

A dirty smudge and some dirt

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I’ve seen Panstarrs!  Well, it seemed to be a dirty smudge in the right place, towards the northwest close to the Andromeda Galaxy.  I had to find it from Cassiopeia since the trees are too low to see Pegasus at this time of year.  I had to dodge around to get a gap in the trees, too, and to avoid the street lights, but I succeeded. It will get closer to Cassiopeia up to early June, but also fainter.  Maybe I’ll see it again, but if not, so long, buddy, and good luck! Continue reading →

So far no Panstarrs

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It was supposed to be best placed for viewing around 45-60 mins after sunset with a clear sky. I drove up to the top of a hill about a mile or so away, with a clear view to the west.  I had a clear sky but an annoying bank of cloud on the horizon.  If Panstarrs was there, I reckon it was behind the cloud, although others have said it is faint and not likely to be picked up without binoculars.  I did scan with my binoculars.  Picked up quite a lot of planes a long way in the distance, but no comet.  Ah well, better luck next time we have a clear sky.