In the Neighborhood

FRUITY GOODNESS: This morning we took Kirby for a loop-di-loop around the neighborhood. In our travels, we saw a variety of produce on the vine (or bush). 


The blackberries are already starting to turn from green to red and black. That's early for us. CJ and Annabelle each found two ripe enough to eat. Almost unheard of for July.

A block or so away, we came across some blueberries bushes bursting with fruit. Annabelle asked if we could eat some, but I told her tempting as it was, the bushed don't belong to us, so we'd have to settle for a photo.

As we returned home, we checked in on the ancient grapevine draping the fence to our north. Little green bunches are getting bigger. Too bad the grapes they produce are so darn sour.


CLOUD WATCHING: At 7 this morning, I tuned in to a NASA NEON Webinar about the S'COOL program. I've had a postcard on my desk about S'COOL for months now, and I've been meaning to learn more. Today was that day.

S'COOL stands for Students' Cloud Observations On-Line. It's a project involving students in  real science. Per the S'COOL Web site explanation, students "provide ground truth measurements to assist in the validation of the CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) instrument. They can also compare the surface- and space-based observations to learn more about clouds and climate."  (A NASA fact sheet about CERES is here: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/pdf/70877main_FS-2002-03-71-LaRC.pdf)

Using the S'COOL Web site, classrooms check when certain weather satellites are passing over them, and then they make cloud observations from the ground. Some of the things students are looking at are cloud levels, cloud coverage and visual opacity. Scientists then  'remote  compare what satellites observe and what students observe.


The program teaches the "ground troops" (students) about clouds and climate how it affects their city, country, and the world.

I registered Magnolia Preparatory Academy today. We should be receiving our welcome packet via mail in a couple of weeks, and then we'll be able to access data and report our observations. Neat-o!

CAPED CRUSADER: In preparation for the premiere of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, today the kids used a handy dandy tutorial from Andertoons.com to draw their own Batmans. Er, Batmen? 


Actually, during the coloring process, Annabelle decided hers was Batgirl, the sister of Batman. 

Tomorrow morning (as in 6 a.m. morning), CeeJ and Rick are going to see the movie on Pacific Science Center's IMAX screen. That ought to be interesting! That's really not getting up early for CJ. He's always awake by 6. Rick, on the other hand, might be dragging a bit.


FALCON REWIND: SpaceX recently released a video recapping their triumphant launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule's successful docking with the ISS.


As we watched it, when the Canada arm on the space station grabbed Dragon, Annabelle proclaimed, "That was such an epic moment." 


That it was!