Follow this Link (Live from the Mauna Kea Summit on June 5, 2012!) to the live view of the June 5, 2012 Venus Transit “across” the Sun! The Sun on June 2, 2012, photo taken with a Canon 60D, AT6RC telescope and a Baader solar film filter. Photo by Andrew Cooper. Check in often for the start up since all integral parts will have to be set up and again tweaked 🙂
Providing there are GOOD viewing conditions [fingers crossed for Good Luck, PLEASE], W. M. Keck Observatory is streaming video of the Venus Transit all day on June 5, 2012 Hawaii Time from their Mauna Kea Summit situated Observatories! You can also keep up with the events at Keck Observatory here –> Keck Observatory on Facebook! I watched some of the dry run today as Andy tested, tweaked and tested some more. It will be VERY cool providing their bandwidth will handle the viewer load for the day, you can watch it at the link above as much as you want to “tune” in or for as long as you have time for 😀 Drop by A Darker View now and then where Andy is posting many articles about the Transit as well as many other interesting tidbits of trivia and information 😀 Do remember to look down occasionally to be sure your feet are still on the ground 😉 HAPPY STAR GAZING!!!!
“Bottom Time” – It is how we calculate each dive to determine how long we need to remain surfaced to allow the nitrogen to sufficiently escape from our bodies before we submerge for more Bottom Time (BT). Cumulative BT is also used to determine diver experience. Snorkeling helps to prevent withdrawal; however, after a long enough period of only getting to snorkeling depths, let alone out of the water all together, MY ‘gills’ get VERY dry!
I ‘NEED’ the pressure of 40 to 80 foot depths with a diving tank to infuse the water deep into the ‘gill’ tissues to fully saturate so that I can survive the ‘landlocked’ periods no matter how long they may be. Similar to a bear getting ready for hibernation. 😉 A dive was attempted before our summer get-away to Alaska where the bear are just coming out of their winter sleep; but the weather did not cooperate. 🙁
July 31, 2011: At LOOOOONG LAST!!! I got BT again, just before the withdrawal began to get serious; and the breathing gasps for tank air started!!! 😀 Today, with strong determination, we looked at several shore sites to go diving from before we found one that was sheltered enough from the surge and wave action where we would not have more of a challenge than fun in the water.
The site we found was Pine Trees Beach. Tucked in from the outer edges of the Kona Coast just enough to have the waves role by and flatten a bit before it reached the small beach where it is fairly easy to enter and exit the water. But, be ready to either descend right away and swim along the bottom; or tuck yourself up close to the waters edge and snorkel as you make your way out to the reef because this IS a high boat traffic area. It is especially popular with the dive boat operations! 😎
Depth starts shallow at 20-40 feet (Some divers were getting open water certs), and quickly dips to more than 100 feet but it is a smooth transition. It is also view-filled so I was surprised to look at my depth to see 80 feet! It felt like we had just descended even though our starting bottom depth was only 40 feet and just a few kicks earlier! :-O
We had already observed an Eagle Ray or two, many Tang, a few Arc Eye Hawkfish, some Goatfish, and much more. It is little wonder that the depth escaped my scrutiny. Around 85-90 feet, I saw a few Garden Eel in the distance. There was an interesting shape on the sandy bottom that was well covered by Coral Colony, and it looked like it had once been a wood transport pallet.
Pine Trees shore dive site is a strong rival to Puako End-Of-Road, my favorite dive site on the Big Island; and a dive site we frequent regularly. Pine Trees will receive more attention from us in the future. In this one dive, we barely broke the water surface tension on the discoveries that are available.
Other than the dive mentioned here, I am having trouble remembering when my last BT Infusion was done! I know that A Darker View has posted something about this dive and some of the photos that he took, too; but I will not dare to assume when these items were scheduled to post since he has so many articles scheduled ahead in his “Drafts”.
They began to succumb to the pressures of the vehicular “Greenhouse” effect that had been initiated long ago in Arizona. As the material deteriorated deeper and deeper into a fragile state that would not support the spring tension any longer, and the Duct Tape was starting to cover more of the shades than the material;
A Reconstruction project to make useful again and not give up a good “friend”.
I stepped up efforts in looking for an answer as to what I could do to fix it. The spring-wire frames are still in great condition; and I am somewhat attached to the flames that were so fitting in Arizona’s “Dry Heat”!
During one of my visits to DFW for supplies to embroider, I found the perfect material to revamp my Flaming Sun Shades from the plain back side and leaving the flames visible. Now I need to figure out how to sew it on the frames and it will still fold up into a nice neat package that fits under my passenger seat.
A bit of binding, a pretty print cotton cloth and stitching all around – these shades have a new lease on life 😀
Another few visits to DFW and I spotted the extra-wide double-fold bias tape. Three packages in black were chosen to be certain that I would have enough to bind both shades all the way around, plus a little more just in case I made a measurement error. I only needed two of them so one went in the materials on-hand drawer.
I had recently started using spray adhesives of varying permanency and used one that was removable as well as re-positionable if I didn’t like its angle or an annoying bubble formed. I now had all the parts and tools that I needed to revive my favorite sun shades!
After deliberating the process and procrastinating to delay the cutting of the fabric, I worked up my nerve to dive in with rotary cutter in one hand and ruler in the other 🙂 After washing the piece of fabric to remove the chemical sizing, and preshrink it, I looked it over to decide where I wanted the pattern to be cut. Then considered what impression that positioning would give.
Then the measure, measure, cut process. It all went quite smoothly and quickly after I finally started on it. I am very happy with the end result and I can put the flames in and the ocean scene out or vice verse! 😀
And thus it all began… My obsession with Machine Embroidery and Material Reassignment!
Taxes are filed and birthdays are over. … I knew it was coming. … 🙁 I suppose it would have been too much to hope for it to wait until after our Anniversary? …
He went out with her on Saturday night for a stroll along the beach and a nice, colorful sunset! He has put me on notice that he will be spending most of Sunday night with her as well. 🙁
She is a 60D! (only a part of the reason he hooked up with HER)… :-O His other interest was only a 7D. 😐 But I haven’t LOST to the “competition”, yet!!!!… Even though She IS a member of the prestigious Canon Family, She IS still only a DSLR…
A CAMERA! 😉
The Canon 60D DSLR camera, image credit: Canon USA
SORRY LADIES, HE IS STILLM I N E!!!!! 😎
Although to be fair, I HAVE also been a little obsessed or preoccupied lately with my Babies – Sofia and Ellure! 😎
So, we both have our hobbies, and need to feed them! … He has posted a photo or two taken with “HER” at A Darker View.
The call came on a Tuesday from Mauna Kea Summit, “Are we doing anything on Saturday?” I reminded him that I was going to arrange our haircuts then mentioned that I hadn’t sent the message yet. His next comment, “Good, some of the usual group want to go diving, can you make it for next weekend?” My reply was, “I can hold off until next weekend if it is for diving!” 🙂 ” Thus, for my Birthday this year, we went diving off of the North Kohala Shores of the Big Island!
One cave was dubbed “The Kitchen Sink” 😀 It was an almost straight down entrance then it felt like a drain might feel as it leveled out and got a bit narrow. The Slipper Lobster appeared to really like this cave, and so did the shrimp. There were, of course, many of the “What-was-its” as the animal darted too quickly into a hole or crevice for even a cryptic ID.
The Dive was GREAT! The Marine Life was B-E-A-UTIFUL!!! An Underwater Birthday Card! EXCELLENT Birthday!!!!
A short time into our second dive, Andy slowed down a bit; and came along side of me. He signaled a question if I was having fun, to which I signaled that I was having FUN (or as best as I could get across).
