ARORA BOREALIS
I know that Susie and Todd, years ago had seen the flashing of the aurora borealis from their dark hollow in Madison County. But I didn‘t see it. This time we were warned that huge storms on the surface of the sun were sending out huge flares millions of miles across and that these flares would cause electomagnetic disturbances in the atmosphere here on earth. Usually this only happens in the far north in the endless frigid winters near the arctic circle, but this time it was going to creep all the way down to North Carolina and even Alabama and in the warmth of May when it is comfortable to stand outside and look for it.
Friday night my astronomer neighbor Don Collins knocked on my window at 10:30 and said that the arora borealis was there to see. I came outside, using my iPhone as a flashlight and stood with him by the pasture fence below my house. In the north, in the direction of Mount Mitchell and the Blue Ridge Parkway where there is only forested mountains and no towns there was a faint glow in the sky. Because he spends many nights in his back yard observatory gazing at the sky through a powerful telescope he knew what that northern sky should look like at night. Since I am always inside at night and rarely glance up at the sky except to marvel once in a while that we are lost in space, I didn‘t know what the sky should look like.
Almost immediately he said that there was a curtain here and a curtain there, streaks in the sky. I didn‘t see a thing. He went in to get a tripod onto which he attached his iPhone. I had my iPhone with me so I imitated him and pointed my camera at the faint glow over the mountains. I was astonished to see that the camera could see much better than I could see. On the screen as the camera took an extended photograph using the light mode the sky became pink. I took several pictures. Every one had the pink sky while with my naked eye I saw only a faint glow.
So I lose patience and went in. But Todd and Susie had been alerted by a friend and were taking photos from their hollow and not only did they get the pink sky but also the streaks of brightness, the curtains that Don could see but I couldn‘t. So I am putting a couple of Susie‘s photographs on here.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 
Something must be wrong with me and my internet – do not see the photos that you say you put up on posts. What do you think might be the problem? I wonder if you can look at and see my Photo Album of 2024 May flowers? at https://photos.app.goo.gl/1XfM5MezVqA4F3Ew5 Let me know!
Here are some others views of the Northern Lights or aurora borealis in a Photo Album at https://photos.app.goo.gl/LSaqJEwkDaQAZP26A
Philip,
Thanks for your responses. We never made it into Charlottesville a couple of weeks ago at the memorial service for Joyce Chippindale. But if I ever make it back again I‘ll stop by. Your arora borealis was much better than ours. Thanks for the photographs. I liked your flower photographs as well. As far as the news goes I almost never watch television news like MSNBC, not because I disagree with it but because it riles me up. The New York Times is less strident but of course it disturbs me as well.
I don‘t know why you can‘t get the photographs on my posts. Sometimes I write a post and then I also have Internet problems and put the photographs on later. But if I have put the photographs on and you can‘t see them I have am clueless why you can‘t see them. You say you are a poor retired old user, which I think of my being as well. I try to save on everything else (except travel) and splurge on the digital stuff that is the most fun to work with. As you can see I am both fascinated by and a little perplexed by spatial video and photographs and of course talking about things that no one else can see is a little nuts, too. I am going to the Woodstock reunion in Este Park in a couple of weeks to see the few people from class that will make it there. I almost never go but found a cheap air ticket so this year I am. Are you going? Yours, Bill
Thanks much for all your comments. Yes, I’ll see you at Estes Park reunion – I’m going a day early and staying a day late – taking advantage of going 3/4th the way across the States. Don’t forget to bring your camera(s) I went to the Arizona Reunion (Oct) last year https://photos.app.goo.gl/iNDNimL8ZXraSExZ6 Which class are you in 1955 or 1956. Sister Betty was in the Class of 1955. Wonder if there will be any other Eastwood Estate-ites at this Reunion?