Stop Eight- Annette and Randy, Natchez Trace

 Now I've made it to state number ten. Staying with friends Annette and Randy for a few days. I arrived just after dark and we will have some adventures although they have had a lot of snow for Alabama, and quite a few things are closed. But we'll find things to do.

Most of the day was driving, with one stop to take a hike. And look where I found to walk without going very far out of the way. The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail!

Yes, this is a National Scenic Trail, like the North Country Trail. However, this one is only in bits and pieces. It pretty much parallels the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic/historic drive. In the early 2000s, Omer and I drove the length of it with the interpretive tape to play in your car. I think he let me out so I could walk a couple hundred feet of the trail in a place where it was beside the road. So I can't say this is my first time to set foot on it. But it was certainly the first actual hike.

I did a section near Tupelo, MS. Yes, it's snow covered. Not super slick, but it did slow me down a little. The gently rolling hills meant I had to be a little careful when going downhill. It's natural surface under the snow.

Just late afternoon sun through tall grasses.

I walked to a scenic overlook.

I liked several pictures of the fence.

This was interesting. The sun was hitting a reflective street sign and the light was scattering on the wet road surface.

I'm beat, but what a great day!

Natchez Trace Trail, south from Visitor Center near Tupelo and back. 4.2 miles

See Last Night on the Coast

Along the Way

 
It was a good day to travel. Very cold this morning, but the roads were fine. I left just at sunrise and the sky coughed up a sun pillar. It actually got a lot prettier, but I didn't stop for another picture



The cold made frost patterns form on the windshield.



And then, a tiny rainbow appeared in the ice crystals dancing in the air right in front of me. After I took the picture it was like I drove right through it!



The sun came out mid-day, but it was still frosty.



I arrived safely at Irene's just before dark. We visited a bit, and I have the Women's Health and Wellness show tomorrow. So after that, we'll work harder at having a good time.

My back doesn't tolerate that many hours in the car quite as well as it used to, but no real complaints. And I'm here safe and sound.

	See Packed
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Ring Around the Moon

 
Last night, I saw my first complete moon halo. I'm quite sure all I'd ever seen before was that bright fuzzy circle that surrounds the moon but is in close.

This was the best picture I could manage since I am not adept at the manual settings on the camera. But, if you look out away from the moon you can see a much larger pale circle and the sky appears darker between it and the moon. The circle is more than half the width of the picture- got it?



These halos are always 22 degrees from the moon (or the sun). Bright spots 90 degrees apart on the circle are called moon dogs. Because moonlight is not as bright as sunlight the rings appear colorless, but they are essentially rainbows. Sometimes you can detect faint red color on the inside and blue on the outside. I couldn't see that last night.

They also occur in the daytime, and the bright spots will have rainbow colors. Then it's called a sun dog. But you can see the full circles around the sun as well. I've never seen that, but a quick internet search will bring up some fantastic pictures.

They form when there are high cirrus clouds full of ice crystals. The light is refracted forming the ring. The sky always appears a deeper color inside the ring. It's often a signal of storms. That wasn't true of this one- we are continuing the nice weather for the present time.

I read that the week of Hurricane Sandy there were moon halos seen all over the country.

In this version of the picture, I messed with the contrast so you can really see the dark circle. You can also tell that the inner edge of the ring is sharp while the outer edge is fuzzy.



Very cool stuff. I love seeing new things. Now I need a sun halo and moon dogs to complete the set!

In other news: Work yesterday/last night was long and difficult. Today I'm doing a little editing, but not much.

	See Sun Dog
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Morning Colors

 
Didn't get done with work until the sun was coming up this morning. The view west was a sunrise surprise.



The view east, a little more expected.



Had a hard time getting to sleep, but then this evening we went to a concert and pig roast/potluck dinner at a local church. Really good food, worship time, and fun stuff for kids, including this inflatable slide.



I think I'll be going to dreamland soon!

	See Canadian Rainbow
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Canadian Rainbow

 
I bet you didn't know that Canadian rainbows are different, but they are.

For one thing, they last for miles and miles! And you can see they are complete, right across the road.



But here's the really special thing. Almost every time a car went by me in the opposite direction the rainbow completed the arc on the left side of me, in front of the trees, in front of the fields. It came right down across the road and ended at my left front tire.



So, I guess that means that I live in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow all the time. And isn't that the whole purpose of this blog? Just took a Canadian rainbow to remind me.

Busy work day today helping Elaine. Maybe pictures tomorrow. It's a bit of a fragmented project.

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Today in My Backyard

 
I finished the mowing today... until the next time, which I'm sure will be coming right up. Meanwhile, the yard (and field beyond) was a busy place.

Today the light and clouds made it easy to see the wind turbines that are visible from my house. I can see 7 of the 56 in this wind farm. With the trees fully leafed out, they aren't too visible. Fine with me.



This little buck is determined to own my space. Tonight, at least, he didn't come right up to the house. He faces off and stamps at us. Very cheeky! I've never thought you could tell one deer from another, but I'm thinking this might be one of the twins that were born late 2011. The shape of his nose is odd- sort of curved down- Roman. You can compare with the second picture at Twin Trouble if you want to form an opinion. The black spot over the fawn's eye is not there, but that could have been anything, and not permanent.



Late in the day, there were storms south of us, and then the sun came out. It's always nice to see a rainbow.



And, the piece de resitance... a new activity, never performed in this yard before...



Loretta is playing in a small charity tournament on Friday, and she wanted to get in some practice!

And, if you'd like to see what I did yesterday... Filling Two Deck Planters with Succulents

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My First Sun Dog (Not a Rainbow)

 
Seriously? Well, it seems to be the first one I've posted on a blog. I suppose I think they are trite, even though they are beautiful.

This one was a bit odd, though. It hadn't rained at all. Nor snowed. I had finished my last assignment yesterday and was headed home. I was in Ludington, and had to find a place where I could get off the street and still see the color to take a picture.

You might think the "burned out" part of the image is the sun showing through the clouds. Not so. The sun was a good 15 degrees away from the rainbow. I don't know why that one spot was so bright.

Next odd part. This was all there was of it. It was more like a rain-spot. That doesn't sound as pleasant as rain-bow, though, does it? Sounds more like a puddle.

It was sort of a color puddle in the sky.

OK, enough build-up. Here is is.



Vanilla and Chuck suggested this is a sun dog. So, today I have learned something new. The red side of a sun dog is toward the sun, so that is exactly what it is. I always thought the blue side was toward the sun, but the light is refracted (through ice in the atmosphere) rather than reflected, so the colors are reversed.

Thanks, guys! I love learning things.

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