North Pole Weather 12/9/13

The sun will “rise” this morning at 10:39, and set barely 4 hours later at 2:45 this afternoon. The short days of winter are definitely here, with the sun getting only 5 times its own diameter above the southern horizon at noon.

We’re still getting winter storms. Not cold and snow, we’ve had a huge slug of warm, wet air aloft that has given us a few more sprinkles of freezing rain! But the air near the ground is still below freezing, so the result is mostly slippery roads. The depth of the snow pack has actually decreased over the last couple of days though the water content has increased, and we’re now below a foot of snow on the ground.

I’m very glad I was able to trade tickets for The Nutcracker Ballet and the Christmas symphony concert for transportation to both. I have a medical appointment (cancer doctor) near noon later this week, but aside from that and can’t-put-it-off shopping (which I try to get done on the same trips as medical appointments) I’m staying home and writing or watching Christmas DVD’s while riding the stationary bike. I watched 3 versions of The Nutcracker last week in preparation for the live ballet, and have to say that the live performance held up well. I hope to finish The Hogfather today. I’m happy to say I’m back to 2 hours or more of exercise a day, even if my balance is still shaky.

The upper left photo, by the way, was taken out of my south window with maximum optical zoom shortly after sunrise Sunday.The one on the lower right was taken by the University photographer, Todd Paris, at the Christmas concert. What did I ask for? Hair and a clear health check on the pesky cancer!

P.S. We had another 3″ of wet snow after dark Sunday night, so when it got light enough to see the snow stake, it was back at 14″ again, with the temperature up to 30° F which is ridiculously warm for this time of year. Far too slippery to drive unnecessarily.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming, available in all formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

Photo Source

This follows on from last week, when Derik explained to Roi what a poltergeist reaction was and why he was vulnerable to them. Most R’il’noids are blocked as babies; Roi was missed because no one realized he was part R’il’nian.

Roi perked up a little. “Does that mean you can stop me from doing it again?”

“Yes. My guess is you’ve done a pretty good job of blocking yourself, as a result of that earlier episode you mentioned. You just didn’t get the keying quite right. I’m going to have to go into that original block and help you change the keying, and for that I need to know exactly what happened – which means you’ll have to share what’s evidently a very unpleasant memory with me. And you’re strong enough I’d better do it with you under hiControl, which will temporarily knock out all of your esper abilities. If Nik’s right about how you’re moving, that’s unfortunately going to bring back the paralysis, at least temporarily.”

Poor Roi. And poor Derik, whose head still feels like it’s about to explode.

Jarn’s Journal Year 8 Day 285

Year 8 Day 285

Photo Source

I suspect I am going to need warmer clothes in this area even in summer, no matter what Rainbow says.

The mountains here are not merely snow covered, they are glaciated – there are small amounts of rock peeking through deep rivers of ice. The hunters are not here, which is hardly surprising as there is little or nothing for them to hunt. But I’d still like to map the area.

I don’t have any forcewebs, of course, but I wonder if I could not make some kind of physical support for my feet, and try skiing? This area seems far more suitable than the one mountain I have discovered with snow on the continent where I landed.

At least Rainbow is no longer insisting that supple furs are impossible. Her method involves chewing the hides to soften them, which I can see would be difficult with furry skins. I’ve been spying on the camps of the northern hunters, and come to the conclusion that they scrape the skin side of the fur and then make it into a bag which they fill with the mashed brains of the animal. Then after a through soaking they keep working the fur until the skin is elastic, and finally smoke it.

Rainbow is experimenting with the hide of a jackal. I suspect that animals that live in the snow would have warmer fur, but I hate killing a healthy animal. I will, however, keep my eyes open for winter carcasses or fur-bearers that threaten me.

Jarn is a fictional alien who was stranded in Africa roughly 125,000 years ago. He has met and been accepted as a god (much to his annoyance) by a group of our ancestors, and is currently exploring the Alps in midwinter

Quotes from Andre Norton and A. C. Crispin

These are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between November 28 and December 4, 2013. All but the last are from Songsmith, by Andre Norton and A. C. Crispin.

“You will need all the belief you can summon.” Alon is suggesting that his magic – which he understands – and Eydryth’s songsmithing – which she does not – may be able to let them build a bridge over the final illusion.

“Her power is stolen. Mayhap her knowledge is lacking.”  Eydryth to Alon, speaking of Yachne.

“Fair can be foul.”  What Eydryth remembers Sylva telling her: not to trust outward appearance.

“You must. There is naught else to be done.”  Alon, arguing to Eydryth that she must take Monso and ride to find her kin, while he goes after Yachne.

“A promise, once having been spoken, must be kept, regardless of cost.”  Part of the song Eydryth sings her father while waiting to see if Dahaun’s mud will cure him

“Hope is something we will need sorely in the coming years.”  Eydryth’s reflection on the meaning of the name, Trevon, just given her youngest brother.

“I’m glad the lesson sank in.” Tourist Trap, by Sue Ann Bowling. Penny’s response to Roi’s insistence that he is wearing his warnoff after a previous problem.

North Pole Weather 12/2/13

The sun will rise at 10:23 this morning, and set 4 hours and 34 minutes later at 2:57 this afternoon. The roads are still treacherous, and probably will stay that way for a good part of the winter, and the temperatures last weekend were well below zero. We did get a little more snow, and now have more than a foot on the ground. It’s cleared off now, though, and that means cold! The ground radiates heat upward, and with no clouds most of the heat goes straight out to space.

It’s reached the point where if I want to go shopping I must leave the house by sunrise and then go to no more than a couple of stores so I can start home no later than 2pm. Almost didn’t get home before dark Saturday.

Ravens are tricksters and gods in Native legends. There’s nothing uncommon about ravens up here, winter or summer, but I most often see them at road kill or dumpsters. Friday one was sitting in one of my trees, no doubt hoping to see something he could scavenge!

I’ll finish with this week’s picture of how my hair is growing back after chemo.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming, available in all formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

Last week, Roi admitted that the attack on Derik and Nik was not the first time he had an uncontrolled reaction, and he thinks he killed an overseer the first time. Now Derik is trying to explain to Roi what happened and why. Kharfun syndrome, by the way is a minor flu-like disease in humans which is paralyzing and eventually lethal if untreated in R’il’nians and some R’il’moids, and has left Roi totally paralyzed.

NGC 2074 (Photo Source)

“Roi,” Derik said, “what happened was a poltergeist reaction. They’re normal in crossbreds, especially around your age. It’s caused by the strength of esper powers increasing at a faster rate than the judgment necessary to control them, especially around puberty. The results can be pretty undesirable – as you demonstrated today – so esper children are normally blocked against using their abilities except in strictly limited self-defense. Then when they’re mature enough to use those abilities responsibly they’re taught to take over control of those blocks. I blocked Coryn when he was a baby, and his esper training for the last couple of years has mostly been on gaining control over those blocks. You got missed on the blocking, for the same reason you weren’t inoculated against Kharfun syndrome – nobody knew you were R’il’noid. Understand so far?

It’s an explanation, at least, but can they stop Roi from doing it again?

Jarn’s Journal Year 8 Day 252

Year 8 day 252

Photo Source

How do these northerners manage to preserve fur so it remains supple and wearable? And warm?

Several days ago I found the leopard skin the People had once adorned me with, which at the time I had found unbearably hot. That heat was what I craved for exploring the northern continent, especially now that the northern solstice is approaching, but the hide was far stiffer than the tanned skins the People use for clothing.

I asked Rainbow if there was any way of softening the furred hide.

“Why?” she asked. It has become one of her favorite words, and one I encourage. So I explained – or tried to – that the northern continent I was exploring was very cold, so cold that there was snow on the ground in places, and that I needed warmer clothing.

The idea was totally beyond her. The coldest she could imagine was a cool night, perhaps cool enough that several of the People would snuggle together to share warmth. Clothes, to her mind, are for adornment and occasionally for protection from the sun, not for warmth. Why would anyone want to leave the fur on hides, except for occasional festival adornment? In preparing hides for clothing was not the first step to remove all flesh and hair, so that only the skin remained?

Were the furs worn by the northern hunters as stiff as my leopard skin?

Today I found proof that they are not.

I have been spying on the hunters when I find them, but keeping out of sight. Today, however, I found where one of the hunters, probably too old to dodge his prey, had been killed instead of killing. A pack of wolves was feasting on his remains, but I used the warnoff to drive them away long enough that I could examine the body.

Physically, I found nothing to contradict my earlier impressions. But the furs he wore, however crudely tailored, were as soft as my loincloth.

He had no further use for them, I told myself, and took them to show Rainbow that hides could indeed retain the fur and still be flexible. But I made sure not to teleport back any of the living creatures that infested them. Fleas and lice I do not need!

Jarn’s Journal is part of the remote back story of the Jarnian Confederation, in which most of my science fiction is set. Jarn is a human-like alien who was stranded in Africa some 125,000 years ago and has contacted some of our remote ancestors. He is currently trying to explore Europe, and since he is starting his years on the northward equinox it’s getting cold there. The journal to date is on my author site.

Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

Here are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between November 21 and November 27, 2013. All but the last are from The Crystal Singer, by Anne McCaffrey.

“Dead’s dead—crystal, char or carrion.” Caragana’s response to Borella’s displays of how death can occur on Ballybran

“It is the manner of dying that can be the worst.” Borella’s response to Caragana.

“This high [stellar] activity … ensures that Ballybran has interesting weather.” Interesting in the sense of “May you live in interesting times.”

“The final portion of any journey always seems the longest.” Killashandra’s thought as the shuttle is maneuvering to land on Ballybran.

“A restriction is only restricting because you know it exists.” Killashandra, when someone brigs up the fact that they may never leave Ballybran.

“Every profession has terms that sound familiar and are dangerous to the incompletely initiated.” Killashandra is wondering just what the exact meaning of “brought in” is on Ballybran.

“She’s got more faith in me than I do.” Homecoming by Sue Ann Bowling. Lai is speaking, after the captain of the Bounceabout is perfectly willing to follow his lead lifting off Mirror in the storm.

North Pole Weather 11/25/13

The sun near its highest.

The sun will rise at 10:01 this morning, and set 5 hours 12 ½ minutes later at 3:14 this afternoon. The darkness is definitely closing in, though the reduction in day length each day has slowed down as midwinter approaches. The sun never gets as much at 5° (10 times its own diameter) above the horizon – never above the trees south of my house. Out driving, it seems it’s always in my eyes, and appointments and shopping need to be carefully timed.

Driving is a pain this time of year. This is looking nearly due south close to solar noon.

Our forecast for the next week is mostly cloudy with some chance of snow and snow showers, and temperatures going back and forth through 0°F.  That’s about normal for this time of year, though it can be much warmer or colder. Traditionally, we can expect 40 below weather any time near or after Thanksgiving, though this year’s forecast is nearer 0.

This year I’m looking forward to attending two annual events that I normally miss because it’s too dark to drive. A friend will be driving me, and I’m getting the tickets for both of us. I already have those for the Symphony’s holiday concert, and for the first time I’ll manage to see the North Star Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker. I’ll have to dig out my DVDs (I have three versions, not counting the Disney one) and compare. Maybe I’ll even write up a review.

I think my hair is coming in wavy, though most of it’s too short to be sure.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Homecoming

It’s Sunday again, and time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click on the logo above) and Snippet Sunday (click on the logo below.) Today I’m posting 8 sentences from my first published book, Homecoming available in all formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse.

This is a continuation from last week, when Derik joined the boys at the table where they are all eating (or rather cramming in food) to counter esper shock. A little creative punctuation has been used to adhere to the 8 sentence limit.

V838 Monocertis September 2006. (Photo Credit)

Roi’s head was down and he looked miserable.

“Do you understand what happened?” Derik finally asked.

“Something in my head lashed out at Nik and you. It wasn’t deliberate; I thought I’d fixed it so that wouldn’t happen again, but somehow it did anyway. I’m sorry, really I am, but I don’t understand why it happened.”

“Again?” Derik said sharply.

Roi seemed to pull in on himself even more.  “I think I killed a man once, an overseer,” he said tonelessly.

So it wasn’t intentional, but what can they – or Roi – do about it?