Starry Night
We’re out back at night, behind our place on Mesquite Road, gazing up at the sky. Me, Bernie, Charlie.
“See,” says Bernie, pointing. “Right there.”
“That fuzzy line?” says Charlie. Fuzzy line? I don’t see it.
“Exactly,” says Bernie. “That’s the Milky Way galaxy. There are at least one hundred billion stars in it, including our sun.”
I still don’t see it. Milk has a special smell, real easy to identify. I sniff the air. Not the slightest whiff of milk.
“We’re in the Milky Way, Dad?”
“Way out at the edge. Which is probably a good thing – lots of powerful forces are in action toward the center. Just this week they found these two huge bubbles of energy that have exploded out from the core.”
Charlie squints at the sky. “What do they look like?”
“Can’t see them with the naked eye,” Bernie says. “They used a special telescope that picks up a kind of radiation called gamma rays. No one seems to have a clue yet about what this means, but apparently it’s not dark matter. One quarter of the universe is apparently made of dark matter, but it hasn’t actually been found yet. So it would be nice if dark matter starts showing up.”
“Are we ever going to understand everything, Dad?”
Bernie gives Charlie a long look, then musses up his hair. We all go back to gazing at the sky. I remember this woo-woo-woo thing I sometimes do at times like this.
Tags: Charlie, Milky Way, stars
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 at 9:44 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
4:54 am on November 10th, 2010
Good morning everyone! Barb did alot of sleeping last night and says she feels great today. She didn't get any results yet from yesterday, but the nurse said the doc usually comes in and talks if there was a problem. Otherwise you have to call in 2 days later. Barb DOES NOT like waiting. At least they did not lose her. As far as hospitals go, this is a good one. Monroe Clinic & Hospital, in Monroe, WI. Nice, caring and efficient poeople. Barb is sort of like Rio's friend. She does not like to go to doctors.
Speaking of doctors, I am off to the vet's office for my bordetella shot. I may have to take a little nip out of that doctor! BBL
5:00 am on November 10th, 2010
Interesting info today. I don't know if it would be a good thing for dark matter to show up. I'll have to check it out.
Barb: I'm glad you're feeling well.
I have a meeting at school this morning so will be back later.
5:07 am on November 10th, 2010
Well now, looking at the picture that Spence put up, or was is Chet?, I think I could easily believe in a parallel universe.
OMG TWO RIO's!!!
5:10 am on November 10th, 2010
Hey Wookie,
Tell Debbie LM that I get to play at the quilt store today. We have two rep's coming and they will show us all the new fabric from the Houston Market.
Lots of fun today!
5:11 am on November 10th, 2010
Chet. I'm with you on this one. I think this definitely deserves a healthy dose of woo-woo-woo. Woo-Woo-Wookie
5:26 am on November 10th, 2010
Amazing!… Simply amazing!… Awestruck… wooo wooo wooo!
5:28 am on November 10th, 2010
Starry!… A few dark matter facts…snort!
•Dark matter is space matter we cannot see because, unlike stars and galaxies, it does not give off light.
•Dark matter is of two kinds – the matter in galaxies (galactic), and the matter between them (intergalactic).
•Intergalactic dark matter is made up of WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).
•Some WIMPs are called cold dark matter because they are travelling slowly away from the Big Bang.
•Some WIMPs are called hot dark matter because they are travelling very fast away from the Big Bang.
•The future of the Universe may depend on how much dark matter there is. If there is too much, its gravity will eventually stop the Universe’s expansion – and make it shrink again.
5:45 am on November 10th, 2010
I feel like an awe filled speck.
5:55 am on November 10th, 2010
Melanie!… Just wooo wooo wooo. It will make you feel better…snort!
6:29 am on November 10th, 2010
wooo wooo wooo wooo…starry, starry night. I feel a great song coming on.
Sometimes at night the Wolf Sanctuary here in NM will have events where the humans can woo woo with the wolves. The Sanctuary is out in the middle of nowhere in NM so you can see the night sky like it was meant to be seen. No light pollution.
6:49 am on November 10th, 2010
We don't have wolves around here for me to woo woo woo to, but I can hear a train whistle when the train crosses a nearby track. I always woo woo woo to that, and sometimes Barb joins me, just for fun.
I got my bordetella booster and I didn't even bite anyone. I heard Barb tell the vet that I am a sweet love at home, but I sometimes turn demonic at the vet's. Not sure what that means, but I was nice today. Maybe cause this vet has a Border Collie, and I could smell her. We are closely related, so I picked up good vibes from him.
7:16 am on November 10th, 2010
Vets with Good Vibes are a good thing!
I remember, when teaching Algebra II, a young woman said, "Mrs. C, if I learn this and Calculus will I know all the math there is to know?"
I just said, "No." And left it at that.
7:18 am on November 10th, 2010
Oh, also, since finding the PBS web site does video, (I've been watching Sherlock and can make it fill the screen without stuff on it, not sure why you can't B. Stover) I found some videos for Dan. Just finished a "Murder of Crows." Now I have one on Ravens I think he'll like.
7:35 am on November 10th, 2010
Proud Mom Alert!
From a review in the nytheatre web site.
"the charming Sergeant, played by McKey Carpenter; . . The scene in which the Sergeant confronts the Therapist about sending Frank back to combat is without a doubt the most engaging in the production, and their conversation about Frank's predicament, in which the Sergeant yells "I wish he HAD lost an arm or a leg—then no one would be questioning sending him home with pay!," highlights the tragic Catch-22 of soldiers with PTSD presented in this production."
7:49 am on November 10th, 2010
Melanie, you sure can be proud! Someday we will all say that we knew him from back when. You are all such a talented family.
7:51 am on November 10th, 2010
Woo Woo for McKey!!! That is a review to be proud of. I bet that is a good play.
8:19 am on November 10th, 2010
Kudos to McKey! Melanie, he done you proud!
8:21 am on November 10th, 2010
Clarkson!… He is going to be famous one day I just know it!…snort!…Well, he already is famous around this here blog!…..Wooo Wooo Wooo!
9:26 am on November 10th, 2010
Melanie!…Is this play called Reservoir?…snort!…Which website are you looking at for that review?…sneeze!
9:40 am on November 10th, 2010
Spacey!… Kevin Spacey is going to be on NPR on the Diane Rehm Show next hour I just heard… snort! snort!
9:58 am on November 10th, 2010
Melanie: Please give YSAS my congratulations. Hopefully that review will be noticed. How did you get the paraphernalia off the screen for Sherlock? I clicked all over but nothing worked.
Rio: Thanks for the info on dark matter.
10:17 am on November 10th, 2010
Here's the NYTimes article that Bernie is referring to, with photo.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/science/space/1…
10:19 am on November 10th, 2010
Rio, Ditto Bee. We never knew about dark matter.
Rio, regarding your weight, if you weighed 30 lbs. and now weigh 22, that is fablous. That is like a 300 lb. person dropping to 220. Or a 200 lb. person dropping to 147 lbs, just to put it in perspective. You are an example for any of us "fluffies" to follow!
I am not fluffy. I am all toned and sinewy. However, we could put Barb in the first category.
10:20 am on November 10th, 2010
Kevin!.. Ooooo!Ooooo!…snort! …. He has the best voice in the world…sniff!
10:58 am on November 10th, 2010
Wow!…I just spent a whole hour listening to Kevin Spacey….sigh… It was pure heaven!
11:13 am on November 10th, 2010
nytheatre.com then over on the right there is a list of plays that have been reviewed. It is Reservoir!
B.Stover: I don't know what I do, I just go to the thing (sorry brain gone) that makes it big, then put the cursor over to the side to get it out of the way. Then it waits a minute and everything goes away.
Thanks all, will be telling YSAS of your support!
11:26 am on November 10th, 2010
It's no surprise here, Mom has been concerned about this dark matter for a long time. I want you all to know how difficult it is to hear her go on and on about all sorts of geeky things. She ask if the Universe ends in fire or ice. (Will I get my dinner on time?)
If there's enough dark matter to pull everything back in, well that seems like another Big Bang. If there's not enough, expansion will slowly stop. Then the Weak Force holding the atoms together will reach the end of its lifetime. Poof!
11:39 am on November 10th, 2010
Poof?
Melanie!… Do you know what plays Clarkson has seen this season?…snort!…Or is he too busy working to ever go to the theater as an audience member?…grunt! … That would be too bad. The Addams Family didn’t get a very good review. Even with Nathan Lane in the cast…gee.
12:24 pm on November 10th, 2010
Riö: YSAS rarely goes to Broadway or off Broadway plays. $150 and up for Broadway and off- Broadway is $65 and up.
He does go to some off-off Broadway plays. Mostly those his friends are in. They run $15 and up!
12:45 pm on November 10th, 2010
Wow. I just find it amazing that there are so many stars in the sky, and that that big yellow ball in the sky at daytime is actually a teeny tiny star. 🙂
DDoB:
🙂 🙁 😛 😀 😐
Hey Chet, how do you howl like that? I've tried, but failed. Many times.
Luv y'all!
Toodles poodles.
1:58 pm on November 10th, 2010
Lexi!… Hey Ho little one…snort!… Don’t pull my tail…dammit!
Clarkson!… We are watching the episode of the Good Wives that Clarkson is in “somewhere”…snort!… Did’t Melanie say he was in the court room audience?….grunt! …We will keep looking for him…snorkel!….What a guy!
2:21 pm on November 10th, 2010
Today everybody at school said I should have a lung x-ray. So I have to go to the doctor tomorrow evening. Shortness of breath and wheezing…so my sinus infection has turned into something more I think. Blast.
2:26 pm on November 10th, 2010
Stover!… You are scaring ME!…snort!… Please get an x-ray as soon as possible my dear… grunt!…Do not let it turn into something much worse or go any further than it has already… snuffle!
2:46 pm on November 10th, 2010
B. – You had said the sinus infection never totally went away, but this shortness of breath and wheezing need to looked into. Hopefully you will know what it is right after the x-ray.
2:47 pm on November 10th, 2010
I'm glad you are going to the doctor. I think he/she will get you fixed up. We will all be thinking of you.
2:53 pm on November 10th, 2010
B.Stover: You just tell that bug that it is on your SOL list!
Also: I just finished the episode of Sherlock for this season. Excellent! AND, a cliff hanger.
CHET: Don't ever let SQ finish one of your books as a cliff hanger! The end of TFAT has enough of one!
2:54 pm on November 10th, 2010
Strange!… This blog is a quiet place today– maybe it’s because I am here early….snort!… The time change has me all turned around….sniff!…She leaves really early now and gets home earlier than usual which is very nice… grunt!… Or maybe it’s the subject of the initial post that is throwing everyone for a curve….hmmm… The unimaginable vastness of the Universe and immense forces we lowly creatures have no control over frightens the hell out of most of us….snort!… I know it does me…sniffle!… It’s hard to even try and talk about it without having a PHD in something or Einstein sitting next to you….sneeze!… The Universe is outrageous and unimaginable, beautiful and scary all at once. It is on its own Big Mission which it will accomplish in due time… grunt!
3:16 pm on November 10th, 2010
Here, here, Pug!
3:16 pm on November 10th, 2010
Or is it Hear, Hear, Pug?
3:19 pm on November 10th, 2010
Well, continuing on the astronomical path, Mom saw a bright star tonight. Now you guys with clear skies will say big deal, one star. But we've had so much cloudiness at night coming in off of Lake Erie that this one star was a pleasant surprise.
So Mom brings up the Google Sky Map and it's two planets very close together, Jupiter and Uranus (no scatological jokes Rio). The astrologers on the Internet see all kinds of weirdness with this. Ha ha.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/astrologicalmusings/201…
3:19 pm on November 10th, 2010
Thanks guys. The shortness of breath only started this week.
Rio: I like that concept: the universe on a big mission.
Melanie: I haven't watched the third episode of Sherlock yet but a cliff-hanger is interesting. I'm guessing it has something to do with Moriarty. Spence has a real gift for cliff-hangers.
3:19 pm on November 10th, 2010
It's
Hear, Hear Pug!
Shortened version of Hear him, hear him.
Or in our case
Hear Pug, hear Pug
It is often spelled wrong as Here, Here.
Info from Wikipedia (but not the Pug part)
3:28 pm on November 10th, 2010
Good luck Stover. Wre hope you do not have to wait. Barb is horrible at waiting.
3:37 pm on November 10th, 2010
We went outside and looked for Molly's star. We are pretty sure we found it…it is bright even thought the light from the quarter moon is hiding a lot of stars.
3:44 pm on November 10th, 2010
Molly, In which direction do we look for that star?
3:46 pm on November 10th, 2010
Wow!…Two stars aligned…sniff!…We will not be going outside to check because she needs to make supper yet and I need to watch her and make sure everything that falls on the floor is MINE!…heh!
Molly!….Or anyone with the knowledge, what does this mean these two stars aligning so close together?…sniff!…Has it happened before or is this a new thing with these stars?….snuff!
3:56 pm on November 10th, 2010
B, i hope you're okay, good luck with the x-ray.
There's a cliffhanger at the end of TFAT??
3:58 pm on November 10th, 2010
Barb…Face the south and look up and there it is.
3:59 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…You just wait till you get the darn book and read it…snort!…Then you will know what the cliff hanger is…sniff!…Good grief girl!…heh!
4:02 pm on November 10th, 2010
YerAnus! … We cannot see it tonight…grunt!…The sky is all cloudy and it’s very very cold out…snuff!…Someone is afraid she will be driving in snow tomorrow morning…yeep!
4:04 pm on November 10th, 2010
Rio, stars and planets do this kind of stuff all the time…It is planets (not stars) that Molly and I saw tonight. I guess it means one thing to scientists (very interesting) and something else to people who believe in things like omens and astrology.
4:15 pm on November 10th, 2010
Gosh I spend two days at the quilt store and it takes me forever to process through the email and catch up with the blog. And it feels like it has been dark forever and here it is barely after 8 pm.
Tomorrow I have to do laundry. Drat!
It will be good weather to stay inside though.
It is going to get cold tomorrow.
No snow though. We are leaving that for Rio.
4:18 pm on November 10th, 2010
Mom used to go to Bermuda with friends and she always printed out the star charts for that date and longitude and latitude. Now you can do it with a Smart Phone. They would go down to the beach and see the billions and billions of stars that Carl Sagan talked about. Tonight Mom got all excited thinking she saw a star and it was only planets. Quite a comedown from the Bermuda days.
4:19 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…Can I have one of your drawings…heh!…. The one with the Spaniel sitting on her butt – that’s exactly how I sit and sleep sometimes…sniff!…Snore? Never!…snort!
4:22 pm on November 10th, 2010
Here is an article that explains the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus.
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/how-to-spot-uranu…
4:27 pm on November 10th, 2010
It's all very well for you, Rio, you've read the book…
Wow, you can sleep sitting up, that's talented! She's a cute dog, isn't she. From Paris i think. An old photo which i may not have taken (don't tell anyone). I donated that picture to raise money in our dog rescue group raffle, have to say i wish i'd been able to keep it, i really liked it.
4:31 pm on November 10th, 2010
Weird!…How can someone spend TWO DAYS at a Quilt store???…snort!…Two whole days surrounded by nothing but fabric…grunt!…Who does that? I ask you, who in their right mind does that?…sniff!sniff!
Liz??…What do you say?…pleeeze!…heh!
4:32 pm on November 10th, 2010
Yeah, i can't help you on that one…
4:33 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…Dammit! You could have donated it to me you know…crap!… I posted a photo of me sitting that way a few days ago…grunt! …I can't remember when it was actually…snort!
4:37 pm on November 10th, 2010
Stover, that is a very interesting article and a good website.
Good for Liz..she raised money for a dog rescue group!
Rio, there is that adorable (mom's description of it) picture of you setting up asleep.
4:37 pm on November 10th, 2010
That would have been nice of me, yes!! Actually i think i saw that photo…what day was it? (Try to remember!)
4:39 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…Give me Migrations and I will find the photo of me sitting up sleeping for you!…snort!…What a deal, right?…sneeze!… You are the winner all the way on this one…cough!
4:42 pm on November 10th, 2010
That pug knows how to bargain…
4:47 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…Does this mean we have a deal??…snort!snort!… Hey Liz, my friend wants to know if you could draw a picture of me, just for fun, not for “work”. She would be very curious what you come up with…heh!
4:56 pm on November 10th, 2010
You mean a caricature? Or a quick sketch that's not caricaturey? There's a queue at the moment of four commissions, two of which are dog paintings, so you might be a slightly older pug by the time I get to it. Or a slightly slimmer pug!
Sorry, i should say an EVEN slimmer pug, because i know you've lost a lot of weight…
4:57 pm on November 10th, 2010
Movie!… There was a movie we liked a lot with Jodie Foster, whom we like a lot, where the hell has she been anyway? …grunt!… I can not remember the name of the movie, but it was about her going on a star studded trip through the Universe and supposedly meeting up with her dead dad…snort!.. Does anyone remember the name of this movie, Carl Sagan had either wrote it, or had something to do with it… sniff!
4:59 pm on November 10th, 2010
LizF!…I am a Pug at your mercy…sniffle!…Just don't forget the idea, okay?…snort!
5:02 pm on November 10th, 2010
Rio…Contact is the name of the movie.
5:04 pm on November 10th, 2010
I won't!
What about a drawing of a pug on a motorcycle?
I saw that movie, it was great! it was called Contact, i think. Jodie Foster has been directing a movie which has Mel Gibson in it, i think at the moment they're wondering what to do with it, given his 'situation'…
5:11 pm on November 10th, 2010
SiberH!….Contact! Of Course!…snort! …Thank you so much…heh!…My friend says she saw that movie in a theater and was very near to puking her guts out on the Star Travel Scene that lasted forever in her opinion…grunt!…I think she finally stopped going to the movie theaters because of the last time when popcorn got stuck in her throat and she almost threw-up on the guys head in front of her…wheeze!…It was stadium seating…heh!
Liz!… To answer your question from above, a quick sketch rather than a caricature, if you don’t mind…heh!.snort!…Once my friend becomes an expert at Quilling she will have something substantial to offer you in return….grunt!…Thing is, her crafty stuff hasn’t even arrived yet!… Goat Alert!
5:12 pm on November 10th, 2010
LizF, What do your countrymen think of Mel? Does he still have alot of public support? His exwife, Robin or Robbin, seems to be a backer.
5:15 pm on November 10th, 2010
Liz!…Motorcycle?…Naw!… How bout a Pug In A Pickle?…snort! …Or a Pug In A Puddle?….heh! … I could go on, just let me know if you need ideas… Motorcycles are not ME….sniff!
5:18 pm on November 10th, 2010
No, very little support I think. A general sense of bafflement. His ex certainly is behind him, isn't she? They were together for a long time… But it's all so horrible. Can't imagine any woman supporting him!
5:20 pm on November 10th, 2010
Mel!…Can someone tell me what Mel Gibson has done to ruin his career?…snort!… I must have missed this whole thing, all I remember is he is very talented and I would like to see him again as an actor or director….grunt!…Unless his crime is so horrible that he should be locked up and out of public viewing…sniff! …Truly, what has this man done, I do not keep up on Hollywood crappola…wheeze!
5:40 pm on November 10th, 2010
Rio, Have you SOMEHOW missed the whole Mel and Oksana Grigorieva senario? How is that possible? Custody battle, knocking her teeth out, drunken rants on the phone. Filth and threats spewing forth in raging temper tantrums, which were recorded.
They even canceled the cameo role he had coming up in a new movie, name escaping me right now. Hangover Two, maybe.
5:49 pm on November 10th, 2010
Jodie Foster is one of the few still standing up for ole Mel right now.
Oksana is the woman Mel divorced his wife over. I think they were married something like 28 years.
6:01 pm on November 10th, 2010
MagPie!…I’m glad to say I’ve missed it ALL… snort!… I did hear something about him not being in the absolute most detestable movie 2 of Hangover!… grunt!… I thought it was a Good Thing….sniff!…That was one of the worst movies ever made in our opinion, The Hangover…gag!…Are you kidding me?
Mel….So he’s had problems with alcohol and anger issues… snort!… That is sad. My friend remembers when he was a little known actor in the Aussie film, Mad Max… At the time she says it was shocking, now it is tame compared to what is really going on out there…snort! … Mel Gibson has been a big part of her movie life threw out the years. It breaks our hearts to know he has let success shrivel his heart and skew his perspective on life…grunt!…He is a Catholic, isn’t he?…Has he lost his faith as well?….sob!
Jodie!…She would be a friend I would want in my corner if I am ever famous and decide to ruin my life…huffle!
6:01 pm on November 10th, 2010
Yes, it was Hangover Two. Rio i'm impressed you managed to miss that, you've been sleeping-sitting-up for a long time!
6:08 pm on November 10th, 2010
Rio, In our opinion Mel has to take some personal responsibility for his issues. He needs some help for either alcohol or anger or both.
We agree that Hangover was not our type of movie. For some reason it was really popular. That must say something about the viewing public. The point about Mel being ousted from it was not that it was a quality piece, just that he wasn't even wanted for a little bitty role in it. Liam Neeson was hired to replace him. Situation is very sad.
6:23 pm on November 10th, 2010
We are off to bed. Good night, all!
6:28 pm on November 10th, 2010
Well, the thing is, we like to watch movies and be able to forget who the actors are and totally believe they are the characters on the screen or on the stage….grunt!…I personally do not care what Mel Gibson gets up to in his private life…sniff!…He will have to answer to that without me being witness and judge….snort!…Today I listened to an hour of Kevin Spacey being upfront and honest and he is by far one of the most honorable and talented actors of our age….wheeze!…We will NEVER see or hear anything about this man that is disreputable. He is my actor hero, just as the Charming Mr. Abrahams is my writer Hero…sniffle!… I hold them both in the highest regards…. She did meet Mr. Kevin Spacey in London. I have yet to meet Mr. Peter Abrahams….Something to look forward to for sure for me and my friend !…Yes!
7:33 pm on November 10th, 2010
Hey there Liz and Rio,
If you two weren't on the blog today I bet we would only have a few posts. Good think Liz decided to decloak.
I have just come to say goodnight and to let you know that Alice Johnson and I are on mouse alert. We have dispatched two of the critters in the last week and are spending a lot of time in the library tonight.
Hopes are high.
This is the library. There are a lot of obstacles to good mouse hunting here. Life is very hard, but lots of fun.
[img ]http://chetthedog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/1289453631-cats n books.jpg[/img]
8:25 pm on November 10th, 2010
Hi Abbie! You're right about that. Did you catch any more mice? Is that your personal library? it looks very cosy.
8:25 pm on November 10th, 2010
Wolf dog checking in to say Woo Woo Wooooooooo to y'all. I love it when Bernie talks to Charlie and Chet. He is such a wise man.
Bee – let us know when you get your results back. I will be saying a Wolfie prayer in the meantime. And Barb, let's hope that no news is good news!
And Liz, how about a drawing of a pickled pug!! Snicker.
We had a visitor today, a very nice young man with a very shiny badge. Teddy kept barking and barking but I was very welcoming. I was hoping that he would have the same nice treats that the fireman gave Chet but no such luck.
Anyway, my boys have gone missing again and mom and dad reported them as runaways. They are hanging out with a drug dealer and of course, we are all worried. And Mad, too.