of Filaments, Fragments, and Flambé
December 25, 2022
A little holiday red and green from the desert southwest.
Flambé and I send you warm season’s greetings from our home base in beautiful New Mexico to wherever you may live on planet Earth.
May all your 2023 New Year’s Resolutions come true.
Thanks to all for following my first full year of posts. Flambé Kat and I are excited to share our (mis)adventures with you during 2023!
December 21, 2022.
Jumpin’ Jack, feathered flock ….. Fall dances into winter
Days turn cold, nights long dark ….. Return sun! Kat doth hinter.
Sleepy plants above ground rest ….. Awaiting warming sun.
But underground, plant roots fest ….. Winter is for fun.
Today’s the day, Earth’s tip at max ….. Solstice is upon us.
Sunlight grows, it bounces back ….. Time to raise a ruckus……
What is a Solstice and Why.
Ancient astronomers, noticing that when the Sun reached either its highest (Summer) or lowest (Winter) point in the sky for the year, appeared to stand still. They came to know these two days as “solstice,” a word that combines the Latin “sol” for Sun and “sistere” for To Stand Still.
Contrary to common thinking, the Solstice doesn’t last a full calendar day. Instead, it lasts only a brief moment before the earth begins to right itself, causing daylight hours to either shorten (Summer Solstice) or lengthen (Winter Solstice). And depending on where you live, the change in daylight hours can be swift (8-9 minutes/day above the Arctic Circle), to less than 1 minute/day as you near the equator.
The Northern Hemisphere’s Winter Solstice 2022, occurs Wednesday, December 21st. Also known as the hibernal (from the Latin hibernalis which means anything wintery) solstice or The Longest Night, it’s the time when the Earth reaches it maximum tilt away from the sun. The Winter Solstice, the day the sun is as far south as possible, marks the official beginning of astronomical winter (as opposed to meteorological winter, which starts about three weeks prior to the solstice). And just for fun ….. stand outside at noon on December 21st, and if the sun is shining take a look at your shadow. This will be the longest shadow you’ll cast for the whole year!
Solstice marks the changing of seasons, and has been cause for celebration in many cultures over hundreds of years.
How will you commemorate this Winter Solstice!
Chasing mice under December’s Full Moon Moonshine
Continue reading “Chapter 221207: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………. Brrr! December’s “Cold” Full Moon”
November 7, 2022
Eclipse Alert!
Continue reading “Chapter 221107: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………. In the wee hours of the morning!”
October 25, 2022
Of course dogs love a romp in piles and piles of fallen leaves. But kats? Flambé knows so! What do you think?
Continue reading “Chapter 221025: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………. Fall Breeze …. Autumn Leaves”
September 10, 2022
Flambé has returned from a month-long holiday in France visiting her absentee lover, Cognac. She was hoping to rekindle their love affair, and perhaps entice Cognac to come west where they can become hopelessly en-Tangled in a series of curiously new MisAdventures.
Maybe if Flambé takes up a steady occupation, like farming, Cognac is thinking he can carry on his Tom-foolery and have a furry feline to come home to each night (or day, as the case may be). Flambé discovered she’s still smitten with this wild kitten, and was willing to give farming a try.
Really? Ag Kat? Would you do crazy things to woo your lover?
Continue reading “Chapter 220910: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………. Pattern Farmer”
July 31, 2022. Chirp x 4
Me thinks Flambé has an insatiable curiosity about tree houses. When last we met up with Kat, she was awaiting an invite to enjoy a bowl of warm milk from the mysterious Teeny Tiny Treehouse owner. Sadly, he/she/it was a “no show.” Time to move along. ……
Continue reading “Chapter 220731: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………. Chirp x 4”
June 26, 2022. Teeny Tiny Treehouse
Earlier in the month, our kurious Kat visited the local Zoo’s Bugatorium where she had a surprisingly good time. But it was exhausting dodging all the creepy crawly residents as she had no desire to squish or squash or slip on her new cast of “friends.” Wow! Time for a Katnap. At that moment an army of harvester ants, marching only inches from Flambé’s paws, heard her yawn of exhaustion. Without breaking formation they hollered up in unison, “follow us you fatigued furrball!”
Perhaps not thinking clearly, Flambé fell in line, and even though she was so drowsy she managed to keep pace with these hungry ants as they led her to who-knows-where.
Continue reading “Chapter 220626: Flambé’s latest Misadventure …. The Teeny Tiny Treehouse”
June 6, 2022. Bugatorium Day at the Zoo
Creepy, crawly and slithering slime
How can a Kat have a fine time, with bugs?
Find out how Flambé learned to rock on with bugs ……
Continue reading “Chapter 220606: Flambé’s latest Misadventure …. The Bugatorium is the Very Best of the Best”
May 16, 2022. The Aviary
And to the Zoo …… A kurious Kat flew…… Almost certain there’d be a bird or two ……
Perhaps ………………
Continue reading “Chapter 220513: Flambé’s latest Misadventure …. The Aviary (aka: To the Zoo She Did Flew)”
a curious nature