what is going on...

...and where is all this going to end up? 

I wonder. Most every day. Que a venting post. Not meant to be political, just concerning. Feel free to scroll past. Not that anyone will even see this post!!!

Let's start with Blogger. If you use it, then I can only assume you are experiencing similar dysfunctional issues. One of several issues is my read feed stopped working. It has been a minute since it pulled up blogs/posts that I follow. These days, I either have to remember the blog name to search or click on a commenter name. I've unintentionally lost track of multiple blogs.

More recently, I received an email notification warning me multiple videos (of mine) are being deleted. That brings up SO many questions! I totally get digital restructuring. I used to work in the digital world. Why those specific video's? Oh, but they can be added back. Okay. Whatever. Not that important.

Proof that a blog does not securely keep information from vanishing.

In the email I received Blogger folks (AI?) recommended downloading the entire blog. I have downloaded my blog several times. Earlier versions are saved on a hard drive. However, a buncha of outdated code doesn't do much for preserving memories. I just might have to bump an edited hard copy version up on my endless to do list.

............

Onto phone issues. Our Cell Phone provider was bought out. More cell towers and more reach/service! Wouldn't that be great, if only it was true. We went from spotty service, to days of flat out nothing going out/coming in. It is random and not just for those of us living in the country. Our city friends are experiencing the same problems. What if we have an emergency? Send smoke signals?! Perhaps time for a new provider.

............

Hot off the press, AI is growing so rapidly that humans that developed it no longer understand what it is doing/capable of doing. If you read the news at all, then you already know humans are being outsmarted. If nothing is done to control/guide the crazy AI development, we may likely cease to exist by the end of the decade. Absolutely frightening!! Sounds like a horror film (starring AI created actors) that could turn into a documentary. IF there are even any real humans left to watch it.

What kind of world will be left for our grandchildren??

Hopefully people way smarter than I am will figure out how to save our precious irreplaceable earth, and those of us living on and loving it.

As for me, I will keep dreaming of sunshine and rainbows.

almost missed this outside our front door

9.21.26

beauty and the beast

For the first time ever, Wisconsin had a February tornado touchdown about 5:30pm last night. An hour away from our place. There is a lot of wind destruction, but as far as I know no loss of life. Some folks have still not been allowed to return to their homes.

beast

(screenshot of a borrowed photo)

We tucked the horses into their stalls just before the winds kicked up. Surprisingly, they didn't seem fazed when we walked them in. They usually let us know danger is imminent. Especially our sensitive guy Nemo.

The sun was setting on our stroll back to the house. It was raining and windy. Brad said "the sun is still up, there is going to be a rainbow". I was doubtful. I can count on one hand how many rainbows I've seen on our property.

Walking past the kitchen window I saw **gasp** a rainbow begin, and ran outside in stocking feet.

beauty

facing north (neighbors barn) 2.8.24 at 4:56pm

SO exciting watching the phenomenon turn into a full rainbow! Eeks!! 

facing north and northeast

I ran inside for slippers and came back to the start of a double rainbow! I was like a kid in a candy store.

south end of the double rainbows

(facing east)

The double rainbow morphed into two full rainbows!! The first one brighter than the second. I tried to capture them both in one shot, but there were darn obstacles in my way, and I was 'ehem in slippers. 

double the gold

north end of the rainbows

2.8.24 at 5:00pm

I may need to change the section of our property that I call "where the wild things live" to "where the leprechauns hide the gold" lol.

Within 4-5 minutes, the rainbows began to fade away. Now to go find the gold!

october skies

Our October cloud formations seem to be so unique lately. It makes me wonder...

looong defined streaks of clouds, all pointing the same direction

10/19/22 at 6:06pm

What caused the clouds to form this way? I know clouds have to do with moisture in the air, but why such long streaks? So, I googled it. Weather.gov has super detailed info on cloud formation. So much, that I will have to dig deeper later.

Graphic credit: Wisconsin.gov

I don't see anything similar. It makes me think separate long streaks are uncommon. Eyes don't lie.

Cierra underneath all kinda clouds

10/27/22

When conditions are right, our October skies are also fill with incredible surround sound color!! In every direction. I still find it AmaZing, and very different from where we used to live.

fire red sunset, creates hazy light

10/25/22 at 6:12pm

We used to live on top of a hill, with an expansive open view of the Eastern sky. No sunsets were visible. The opposite of where we live now. I enjoyed some beautiful sunrises.

Rainbows were easy to predict. When the sun was shining (right after/near the end of rain) I walked outside and waited for a rainbow to appear. It didn't always happen, but many times it did. They were typically gigantic rainbows, far far away. Impossible to capture an entire rainbow in one frame, even with the widest lens.

Imagine my surprise when I walked past our kitchen window and saw a FULL rainbow! It was so close!! We saw friends that night, everyone was talking about the vibrant rainbow. 

 a surprise rainbow, across from our driveway

10/25/22 at 6:00pm

Earlier on, all the colors of a rainbow could easily be seen individually. I watched as the rainbow morphed. A second rainbow formed partially, on the right side.

iphone camera (no adjustments)

one second later than above at 6:01pm

It was abnormal rainbow conditions. There must have been lingering moisture crystals in the air, from the light rain we had earlier in the day.

Since we moved here, I have onIy seen a couple small sections of rainbows. Including an uncommon Red Rainbow. I couldn't stand it anymore and went inside for my camera. After a not so quick lens change, I got one shot off before the rainbow f.a.d.e.d away...

first full rainbow at Hidden Cactus Ranch!! 

facing Northeast at 6:07pm

The oaks across from our house had turned a brilliant red, from the cast sunset light. No clue why my camera picked up such a stormy purple sky. It was lighter blue/purple (you know, blurple) with red-ish clouds.

I never know which way to look with surround color. I end up turning around a lot. At our old place, we could see very distant color in multiple directions. Everything sky is much closer now.

Some locals tell me it is "the river effect". Others tell me clouds are "NOT closer". Whatever. I can see sky elements are closer and LOVE getting lost in the wonder of it all!!

To the naked eye, the rainbow sky looked more like the first camera photo above. 

I used my wide-angle lens, hence the distortion. I didn't have time to think camera settings and make my photo more realistic. Hopefully next time. Although, rainbows are hard to predict here. I'll just have to keep my bananas peeled.
 

Eyes to the skies!!

rare sights

I looked out the window while making supper, and wondered what was that red streak in the sky? It was coming up from low in the sky, or down depending on how you view things.

As mentioned in my last post, sky colors wrap around us frequently. I didn't find it too odd. I was drawn to the red beam, and couldn't stop looking at it. The color grew with intensity. I saw some faint blue & yellow starting to appear along the interior edge, and realized, it's a rainbow!!! I ran outside (well, my version of running lol) snapped a quick phone pic, and hurried to the barn to get Brad. He stopped what he was working on to oblige his sky obsessed crazy wife, and went outside to see our first rainbow at our new home!!

red sunset rainbow
(no enhancements)

We should have traded for our neighbors barn when offered,
there is a pot of GOLD in it!!

The odd part was the conditions were not the usual predictable East facing multi colored rainbow conditions I am familiar with. What?! You didn't know I was a Rainbow Predictor? Well I am ;) This rainbow faced North East, it was really red and apparently somewhat rare. 

Here is an interesting link on red rainbows. I learned finding them is different then "regular" rainbows. There is no such thing as a regular rainbow, they are all unique spectacular phenomena. This is how you find a red rainbow "if you’re watching a sunset, and there’s rain in the air, turn in the direction opposite the sun and watch for the elusive red rainbow."

The red beam started to reach higher, arc and look more rainbow-ish,
with faint blue/green/yellow interior colors

It didn't last long. I turned around to watch the sunset to the West...

No wonder there was cast light in the East forming a rainbow. I am sure my iphone does some processing to all photos. I haven't done anything to the sky pics, they do resemble what I see in person. Colors are a bit more dramatic, in particular the purple. What you don't see is the less colorful areas of the sky that balance it all out. All camera's process .jpg photos to some degree, unless you have a more advanced camera and shoot in a native RAW format. Like I do, with what I call "my real camera".

This morning I walked to the barn. Brad was working early on getting our tack room door up, his table saw caught my eye:

It was so cool! All pitch black in the storage side of the barn, except for the saw. I couldn't just walk past (I did add a filter to this phone photo). Light is such a spectacular sight!!

After chores I was wheelin' it back to the barn, looked up and saw an X in the sky above our barn:

X marks the spot

By the time I put the wheel barrel away and tried to get a better angle with my phone, the X had rotated and traveled but stayed in it's X format:

looks more like a cross

Just had to share what I think are rare sights :) I've always said, the best camera is the one you have with you - but I think I need to start carrying my real camera around with me!!