Lectured

ON THE GROW:  Remember way back when, we pushed single lil sunflower seeds into potting soil on our countertop? Well look at 'em now!

We purchased the seeds back on Mar. 18, and planted them that same day.

And here's what they looked like back on Mar. 27.

We planted them in pots on the alley a few weeks back, and they seem to be thriving - at least so far. Can't wait to see them actually flower!

ASTROTECH:  Not a lot of pretty, outdoorsy photos to post today. It was a bit drizzly, so we spent most of today catching up on lectures from two classes.

Up first was "AstroTech: The Science and Technology Behind Astrological Discovery." We burned through all of week two today (and scored 100 percent on the test - w00t)!

We learned more about how telescopes work. Sure, we've all seen and used them, but it was really cool to hear it broken down into its working parts.

We also learned about how stars are graphed on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Here's Wikipedia's version, from the European Southern Observatory ...

but I like Annabelle's version better. :)

And here's Annabelle's depiction of our sun turning into a red giant.

And here's a bonus factoid for you.

Watching these lectures about telescopes really made me want to track down the movie "Hubble's Amazing Rescue." Per its description on the PBS/NOVA Web site, "The best-known scientific instrument in history was dying. After nearly 20 years in space and hundreds of thousands of spectacular images, the Hubble Space Telescope's gyroscopes and sensors were failing, its batteries running down, and some of its instruments were already dead. The only hope to save Hubble was a mission so dangerous that in 2004 NASA cancelled it because it was considered too risky.

Scientists and the general public alike stubbornly refused to abandon the telescope, and a new NASA administrator revived the mission. This program takes viewers behind the scenes on a riveting journey with the team of astronauts and engineers charged with saving the famous "orbiting observatory" against all odds."

Sounds like the makings of a great suspense movie, no? I'm going to have to see if our library has it (before I break down and buy it). .. SWEET!  Just checked and it *is* available and is now on hold for us.

OUT AND ABOUT: When the drizzle gave way to partly cloudy, we went for a brisk walk down to Fishermen's Terminal. We always check out the memorial, with hundreds of names of souls lost to the sea. There's always some memento that gets me. Today, it was a pony. ...

We speculated about a child leaving it for a father, grandfather uncle, or brother.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE:  We also watched several lectures for our "History of Rock (Part One)" course. Today, we learned about big changes in the musical scene in mid-1950s America.

We found our thrill and Blueberry Hill, thanks to Fats Domino and a great, vintage YouTube video:

And we sure enjoyed hearing Chuck Berry sing about Maybellene!

And we cranked the computer speakers for some Jerry Lee Lewis, too.

It was interesting to learn that the late '50s wasn't just the start of rock 'n roll, but it was also the birth of the 'teenager,' in a way. Never before had people that age had their own look, lingo and music, and never before had products been marketed directly to this group of people. Fascinating.

This class is a complete pleasure.  And it's about farm more than music, it's about the history of our nation, as well.