#my last photos were the aurora borealis

[greyrain23]

My secret bllk ship(s?) Is where I can do photography

[constantlyfalling]

First Beach - La Push - Quileute Nation

[rustbeltjessie]

Some of my favorite photos I took in 2024. (13 instead of 12, because October had Chicago and aurora borealis, so I had to give it two.)

steam fog on the lake, North Bay (Racine), WI - January 16

hoarfrost on the dead sunflowers, Egg Harbor (Door County), WI - February 4

Bird Keeper by Janice Lowry, Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI - March 14

blue walls at the diner, Frank’s Diner, Kenosha, WI - April 4

moon jellies, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL - May 15

golden hour, Kenosha, WI - June 8

fallen tree, Petrifying Springs Park, Kenosha, WI - July 11

fire pit, Fish Creek (Door County), WI - August 14

Norwegian Rosemaling, Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI - September 21

dusk comes on, Chicago, IL - October 5

aurora borealis, Racine, WI - October 10

orange before the rain, Racine, WI - November 18

you are as strong as you are honest, Racine, WI - December 15

[zaolat]

Aurora borealis, Mid Michigan, United States, May 10/11, 2024

Bonus: green sky picture before the clouds cleared, taken half an hour before the aurorae pictures

[taylorswiftstyle]

The Eras Tour | Fearless section | Version 6

Roberto Cavalli custom

The Eras Tour is back for its final run and with it, of course, new costumes. Taylor debuted a handful during last night’s opening North American leg date in Miami, Florida - most by Fausto Puglisi for Roberto Cavalli.

Including V6 of the Fearless dress which continues the ‘noodle’ design we see on the gold and silver V2 and V3 of this dress but makes it shorter and adds a dash of “light sapphire and aurora borealis” embellishments, according to the designer. I feel that the last two custom additions to this portion of the set (V5 debuted on Roberto Cavalli home turf in Milan, Italy back in July) feel, to me, a little more off the original Fearless aesthetic than the other variations.

Where the Eras Tour costuming best excels is in refreshing and modernizing iconic looks from eras past. Nodding to their originals so as to maintain an essence of familiarity to journey through Taylor’s eras aesthetically and sonically, but making them fun and fresh for new audience. So many costumes have handled this allusion through updated designs handily. But here, I’m struggling a bit to connect the powder blue stones and sequins with original Fearless. Though the new short length does keep things fun and twirly (and Fearless certainly helped to iconify the dramatic on stage hair toss for Taylor). If I were reaching, there are certainly *some* iconic Fearless moments that happened with blue (the 2010 Grammys dress where she won Album of the Year for Fearless immediately comes to mind as well as the many references to rain on the album) but I am not quite seeing the vision here.

If I were assessing this sans era connect, this shade of blue is really pretty on Taylor. But I also think the effect of the blue design could have been applied more broadly across the dress. It sort of looks like a ‘woops’ spill here.

Currently, I stand by my ranking that Versions 1 and 4 come closest to honouring the original aesthetic of the Fearless era. Your thoughts?

Worn with: Christian Louboutin boots

Photo by John Shearer/TAS24 via Getty Images

[malavoie1]

Aurora Borealis May 10 2024

Last night, something truly magical unfolded right from my backyard. As I gazed northward, the night sky transformed into a breathtaking canvas of vibrant colors. Thanks to a series of potent solar storms, the Northern Lights were visible much farther south than usual, and I was lucky enough to capture this stunning phenomenon.

The colors were extraordinary. Swirls of green and purple danced across the starlit sky, a display supercharged by recent solar activity. This year, the sun is at a solar maximum, brimming with sunspots that lead to coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These CMEs have been hurling charged particles towards Earth, enhancing the auroras and making them visible across vast regions—including here in Ontario.

The NOAA had issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch, indicating strong auroras driven by the second-strongest level of solar storm. Although these events can affect power grids and communication networks, last night’s event was purely a visual treat with no reported disruptions.

Witnessing this natural wonder was a reminder of the beauty and mystery of our cosmos. For those who missed it, keep your eyes on the sky; the current solar cycle promises more such displays.

Processed with Affinity Photo v2 and Topaz Photo AI.

Camera: Pentax K-3

Lens: Tamron SP 10-24mm f/3.5 DI II

10mm / ƒ/3.5 / 30s / ISO 400

Taken: May 10, 2024

[eregyrn-falls-art]

Jumping in with the view of the aurora borealis last night, Friday May 10, 2024, from Halibut State Park on Cape Ann, MA. It's often listed as the darkest skies you can find near to the Boston metro area, and we knew that you can get a good view to the north and northwest out over the ocean to the horizon. (Darker skies would involve a longer drive to the west, or to the north.).

We thought we'd better head there because we expected to see only a hint of the aurora on the horizon, and this was our best chance to see unimpeded all the way to the horizon, helped by the darkness of the ocean.

WELP. We needn't have worried. Did NOT expect a show like this, or for there to be streamers and columns right overhead!

There were at least a hundred other people out there; probably more, considering the parking lot was packed and people were parked all along the roads on the approach. We arrived around 10:30pm, and left at midnight. More people were still driving up and streaming in as we left.

At the bottom left: a bit closer to what it looked like with the naked eye, although not quite, either. Obviously, though, it didn't look as bright as all of the photos; apparently camera sensors can pick up on the lights better than we can. But when we arrived, at first we wondered if we were seeing wispy clouds lit by cityshine from below, until realizing they were definitely GREEN and showing streaks and columns. We could also make out the pink colors unaided. I guess I'd say that the light created by them felt like a half-moon lit night?

Middle bottom is the look straight overhead. Bottom right is the pic my friend took that showed me adjusting settings on my phone, lol.

So, incredible experience, and we had a lot of luck with the weather. A few clouds but mostly not. Just AMAZING to be able to SEE it with the naked eye. And can't get over how relatively well the photos came out just with a phone camera.

Good luck to everyone who will be trying in the coming days! The forecast for tonight is really strong again (Kp:9, which is the highest), and some articles I've seen say the lights should be visible for the next few days. So if your weather doesn't cooperate tonight, I hope you get another shot at it!

(My only advice would be to take pics with your phone camera, even if you can't make out anything right away. And, I only had luck by slightly zooming in. I kept trying to zoom out and get a wider shot, and the viewscreen went black and I got nothing. Zoom in, and I could see the blotchy colors show up on the screen; took the pics with 3 second exposure. Didn't look like anything on the viewscreen, and could only see what I got later.)

[mermaidchansons]

Divine Indeed: Part Three

Neighbor!Terry Richmond x Divine Wells (black OC)

Story Summary: Divine Wells, a 31-year-old seamstress, deals with waves of change after she picks up her life and moves to San Diego for a new job. She thought she’d finally found peace in her new normal; until Oshun decided to push her path to collide with her fine ass neighbor, Terry Richmond.

Words: 2100+

Warnings: SMUT, 18+ minors do NOT engage (you’ll be blocked), mommy issues, tism is tisming real bad, cannabis usage

Series Playlist

Author’s Note: Woah, can’t believe we’re already on part three! I hope y’all catch my ‘roll credits!’ moment lmao. I wanna know, does anyone relate to Divine? Also, would you be able to resist Terry’s charm? Lemmie know <3 - Ashanti

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4

Part Three

If Divine had to hand stitch another bead on a corseted gown, she was going to scream. She never thought an article of clothing would make her wish Olorun had created her. This one was a rush job, custom ordered by some famous artist’s team. Every day for the past two weeks, her workspace was a mess; seas of blue, silver, and green beads bestrewed it and found their way into her apartment. Divine would undress for bed every night and the clang of beads would hit her floor, rolling to god knows where. Sometimes sending a sharp pain through her foot when she happened to stumble upon them. I love my job, I love my job, I love my job. And she did love her job. Her backbreaking, finger-numbing job that she had manifested and waited for. She remembered laying on her parent’s living room floor, spinning tales of her dream job to her twin Seraphim. She just needed a small break from it. Thank goddess for a holiday weekend, maybe she’d get some feeling back in her hands.

S: So I guess no Breath of The Wild tonight?

Divine let out an exaggerated sigh and pulled her sleep shirt over her head. Friday nights were Switch nights for the Wells siblings. Pajamas, the $5.99 mix-and-match deal from the local pizzeria, and pre-rolls. Now, a new job and 652 miles later, they partied virtually. But it wasn’t the same for Divine. She didn’t miss her town, but she missed her sibling. Her twin never failed to make her smile. 

D: I’m sorry, Ser. They’ve been riding me to finish that project and I need sleep before I DIY death

S: You’re so valid, sib. Oh, heads up, mom says to call her

D: Ugh, don’t even start, I’m bout to knock out

S: Here’s a meme for your consolation *sends meme*

[a photo of an aurora borealis sky with a dragon leaning into frame and text that says ‘your man wouldn’t even fill a lesser soul gem’]

Divine chuckled tiredly, and rolled over into position: one leg up with her knee uncovered to offset the heat. Her eyes started to flutter closed when her phone buzzed. 

S: On some real shit though, you need to call her. I can’t keep playing the middleman

It had been three weeks, two days, and 5 hours since she last spoke to her mom. Her subconscious kept counting ever since she raised her voice at her mother for the first time in twenty-nine years. It was a day where a particular form of sadness clung to Divine and refused to leave; an unwanted host, sucking the serotonin out of her with a crazy straw. Baby Divine had always been regarded as moody or possessing an attitude by the adults around. But when the ‘big sad’ hit, there was nothing she could do to fix it. So she dared to feel her feelings and was honest when her mom asked how she was doing. 

She didn’t know if she wanted to vent or scream or cry. She just wanted to be comforted, to be told that everything was going to be okay. Looking back on it, Divine squirmed in bed, the slimy feeling of regret coating her mouth. She knew her mother was solution based. She knew her mother could not offer what she needed. She knew. And yet, she still tried to penetrate the wall that shrouded her mother’s understanding. A small part of her hoped that maybe this would be the time when she would be surprised by the response. Divine felt the small light of hope in her chest go out as soon as the words left her mother’s mouth. 

‘Did you use your tools?’ 

‘Have you asked the Orisha’s for guidance?’ 

‘You can’t keep letting these things devastate you’

‘You can’t let one thing dictate your entire day’

‘Stop being so dramatic’

Divine left the call breathless and broken, cutting her fingers on the pieces as she tried to pull herself back together. She was angry. Partly at her mother but mostly at herself. How could she be so childish to think that her mother would offer her the comfort that she searched for? As if her mother was capable of change; as if she hadn’t had similar conversations with her mother every time the unsolicited host reared its ugly head. She didn’t even remember what she screamed before hanging up suddenly. 

Sera was right and she knew it. She’d have to speak to her eventually. She hated it when her twin was right. Squeezing her eyes shut, Divine turned away from the phone to smoosh her face against her brightly patterned pillow. That was a problem for future Divine. She laid her hand against her protruding tummy and focused on her breathing. A trick a counselor had taught her in middle school that carried her for the last 16 years. Sucking in a deep breath, holding for four seconds, and breathing out for another four; her mind and all its worries drifted away. 

In the swirl of darkness, Divine felt scans of heat travel up her legs. Wet sounds of her arousal sounded in her ears, tightening her stomach as thick lips wrapped around her hardened bead. She stifled a moan while reaching out desperately. The sensation was building steadily, determined to tear her apart. A large calloused hand wrapped around hers and placed it atop waves of hair. Finally finding the strength to open her eyes, she leaned up to see the man who was so intent on pleasuring her. He was massive against her 5’2 frame. His shoulder blades rolled under his caramel tinted skin as he pushed her right thigh as far back as it would go. The new angle revealed more of his face. Divine caught sight of a dark, neat eyebrow before the man pushed two fingers into her dewy entrance. 

The steady pace of his fingers moving in and out of her tightened the coil in her abdomen, a guttural moan escaping her throat and betraying her. She’d never heard these noises come out of her mouth before. What was he doing to her? The man moaned against her sex in approval, speeding up his pace. Divine threw her head back in ecstasy, shutting her eyes once more to chase the orgasm she knew she needed. Her heart pounded as the tips of her ears set ablaze and the coil snapped. Her body seized up as she came, her hardened bead twitching discordantly against his tongue. He pulled his fingers out of her slowly, eliciting a deep hum from his lips. When Divine blinked away her tears, she was shocked to see a naked Terry of Level 5. Those same stormy ocean eyes staring directly into her soul, making her want to come all over again. Her mouth dropped as she watched him suck the evidence of her arousal off of his fingers. 

“Just like I thought you would taste. Divine, indeed.”

For a moment everything went black and Divine shot out of bed, thunder booming in her ears. She looked around the dark room before patting wildly and picking up her phone. 

6:00 AM

Missed Call from The Momster Mash 38 min. ago

Groaning, Divine covered her face with her Gajeel body pillow. She’d never felt so embarrassed. Terry was so kind the last time they saw each other and she couldn’t help but wonder what his lips tasted like while he talked. One conversation and he had invaded her mind. After giving herself a good talking to, she had nipped that kind of thinking in the bud; even going so far as to avoid him completely. She’d felt the chill of possibility creep up her spine when his thick lips parted into a smile. The weakness in her knees was a warning she knew to heed. So she swore off thinking about his piercing eyes and his wide biceps for good. Or, she at least thought she had. Her eyes darted to her ancestor table, then to her nightstand where Terry’s business card had been lying untouched for the past four weeks. The cold wet spot beneath her gave her pause and she looked out at the rain hitting her window with pleading eyes. 

“Oshun, please. Please leave me be. Please stop.” 

She definitely couldn’t text him now.

7:00 PM

Quack! Quack! Quack! 

Divine jumped at the sound of her alarm, scuttering to turn it off while never taking her eyes off the computer. Too many hours had passed since she started crocheting a cardigan after breakfast, or what Divine would consider to be breakfast: a piece of toast and a sweet potato latte from her new favorite coffee shop. The two items may have satisfied her mind, but her stomach thought otherwise. It wasn’t that Divine didn’t like food, it was just eating. The process of it. Having to sit down and dedicate the time to chew and drink and chew; it was an exercise in patience that she didn’t have. Food regret was also too much of a risk, so comfort food items were often exhausted. To the point where food began to taste bland and feel like a waste of time.

A loud and low grumble erupted from her tummy beneath her blankets. Pausing the gaming marathon, she scrunched up her face at the sound. She only had one sleeve left. Certainly, her stomach could wait for another hour or two- Grumbleeee. Groaning loudly, she threw her head back in defeat before rolling her chair back. She stretched her arms and legs as far as they could go, eliciting a symphony of pops and cracks from different body parts. Beelining into the bedroom closet, she hastily changed into something comfy and cute. She may not always like the task of eating, but she desperately needed an enchilada before her stomach made it known to the entire apartment complex that she was starving herself for a crochet project. 

Ordering a car in record time, Divine stood before her small altar with her hand on her chest. She closed her eyes tight and prayed to the ancestors and Orishas for peace of mind, a safe drive over, and to be treated with compassion. Going to a restaurant alone wasn’t a new thing for her, but having to go outside and deal with people was its own beast. Her phone alerted her that her driver was only two minutes away. Should she take her yarn with her? No, she’s already taking her switch and a journal. How many side quests did one person need for a dinner? Divine hesitated with her hand on the doorknob, before turning on her heels to go back to her messy craft table. She grabbed the half-unraveled ball of yarn and shoved it into her tote before walking out without another thought. 

Friday nights were a risky time to go out for dinner. Traffic downtown was already bad, but walking traffic was even worse. Couples and 21-year-olds filled the walkways, chatting so loud you could hear their conversation from around the corner. Divine had never been more happy to be a solo diner. No 45-minute wait or being seated in the middle of a bustling restaurant. She could grab a seat at the bar, order food from the bartender, and watch Black Lightening in peace. Simple as that; as long as this security line continues to move. 

The line was zooming past. But time seemed to slow the closer the stranger behind her got. She could practically feel his breath against her neck as the gap between them disappeared. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she watched the snooty-looking man teeter to the side impatiently; sneering at her before yelling at the person ahead to ‘speed up, bro’. He was bouncing up and down while clutching his girlfriend’s hand like a child. Her patience was thinning but there was only one person left in front of her. Divine turned the music up in her headphones to drown out his nasal voice. Inching up, she tried her best to keep a respectable gap between them while she fished out her ID. If he got any closer, she was going to give up on the entire crusade and go home hungry. 

A sprinkle of rain tapped against her face, making her look down and watch the feet in front of her enter the restaurant. Relief washed over her as she approached the door and handed over her info.

“Look who it is.”

Thanks For Reading!

@babybluepeaches @muse-of-mbaku @melaninmarvel @naturallyqueenie @howtoshuckatlife @goldieccentric @archivistofwakanda @alexundefined @minyara-kun @destinio1 @raysunshine78 @madamslayyy @notdsg @ghostfacekill-monger @soufcakmistress @greennightspider @bitchacho25 @jordanhelah @puremolasses @ajspencer1892 @monochrome-pineapple @psuedo4 @bubblyqueen @chaneajoyyy @blowmymbackout @tchallasbabymama @megamindsecretlair @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @jvzmine19 @ashanti-notthesinger

[lailoken]

On our last night spent visiting the small lake town that my mother grew up in, we went out to watch for shooting stars that were in the forecast. While we did see several shooting stars, we were also amazed to see any unexpected Aurora Borealis. The first four pictures I share here were long-exposure photos, though the last one shows a terrible approximation of what we saw with the naked eye. Though it was far less vibrant and intense than it looks in the long-exposures, what was plainly visible was still pretty breathtaking. It felt like a beautiful sendoff from this ancestral land that I had finally gotten the chance to meet.

The next day, however, I had one even more surprising sendoff in store. Before heading to the airport to fly home, we decided to take one last row on the lake my mother grew up on as a child, using the rowboat of a family friend. As we made our way back to the dock, I was a little gobsmacked to spot a Hagstone floating in the water—literally strung on a reed like a bead on thread, and sitting atop the water's surface. As we went past it, I managed to reach out and slip the Hagstone off its reed, like a mystical prize. This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant hagstones I've ever been granted, and an almost painfully direct embrace from this Genius Loci.

[landinrris]

Okay Lando posting that photo to his stories with the two hearts. It’s sold me.

What is the essential fic recs for L&M???

I appreciate that three minutes after I said they were gonna gatekeep the photos, Martin (and Lando by proxy) said "Bet."

Anyway, the two hearts are wild. He really said, "Look at me with my ass out."

In any case, welcome to the club! We (I) are very not normal here. Unfortunately, from what's been posted on the ao3 tag, it's a bit sparse. I'll put some links below the cut though ❤️

First and foremost, I'm going to humbly submit my own few works into evidence:

"Untitled Drabble" - (Not on Ao3) A small drabble about how Lando decided to post the photo of Martin in the cave. "Go Anywhere With You" - A prompt compilation full of short drabbles based in "real life." "Anatomy of a Heartache" - A "getting together" fic centered around Lando and Max going to Tomorrowland post-Spa last year and Lando going back to Martin's house the following day. "Through This Purple Haze" - A look at Martin and Lando's relationship throughout the last year and a half and how they've grown closer.

Other general ones that are present in the tag though that I would also recommend (in no particular order):

"Aurora Borealis" - legolasass - A look at Martin falling in love with Lando. "Just One Word That's All It Takes" - @f1-birb - Lando and Martin on New Year's Eve in Bali. "Untitled Cave Drabble" - @f1-birb - (Not on Ao3) A narrative walk-through/breakdown of the cave photo and Lando's thoughts "Chasing the Sun" - @alphatinies - Lando pining for Martin over the months and coming to grips with his feelings before everything eventually works out. "Untitled Winter Drabble" - @elementalmoments - (Not on Ao3) Martin and Lando go to Finland over and over again

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 3716

today at work was.

well.

it was bad.

you know the anime "komi can't communicate"? that's like our office, but it's "ken and sarah can't communicate" instead. they talk to each other but not to the rest of us! i don't get a pass down unless i take notes of conversations i overhear him having. he doesn't finish his thoughts and doesn't explain things. sarah's been at a meeting all week so she hasn't been around to be helpful.

dealing with people who were affected by the hurricane in florida, probably eighty emails that needed replies or other information, the china report i already needed to do, a website that wasn't working right, the radio, and ton of phone calls all at once, while also trying to extract information from ken like pulling teeth with needle nose pliers. goddamn it was awful.

i wanted to bang my head against the desk repeatedly because it just didn't stop. it was constant.

plus there were cramps and pain from early on!!

thankfully i'd thought ahead and got to try an alternative method of cramping relief (an egg vibrator), which was incredibly effective. but the battery on it only lasts like two hours, so it died while i was using it. it helped SIGNIFICANTLY, though. i spent almost the rest of the day in little to no pain. keep in mind that this part occurred before nine in the morning. pain starts early. i talked to leo while i was using it. he took control of it for a while, so that was nice. i like not making decisions. it died before 10 though.

on my way out today, i went a different way, and it took me less time than the normal path would've taken because of my destination.

i got dinner this evening with kristen and melissa up in concord. we got mexican food and i told them everything about leo. well, almost everything. it was nice to spend time with them, though. i was brought a dessert and sung to and had a sombrero plopped on my head during it. i almost took it with me. i did however bring it back. it was fun to talk with on.

and now, after having taken eight photos of the night sky because of the geomagnetic storm making the aurora borealis visible in new hampshire, i'm in bed. when i crawled into bed, i cuddled up with joel. i've missed him lately. i've been busy and spending a lot of time with leo. i'm so exhausted.

[jiminiminycrickerrttt]

I've had one hell of a week and to add on top of that the Queen of Short Stories, Alice Munro passed away. I thought I'd vent my frustrations in a way she'd hopefully approve of.

In order for a wildfire to be classified as 'out of control', the fire perimeter must be unestablished and the perimeter spread must not be contained. When the two-hour evacuation notice hit for parts of the city (though 'city' might be generous), wildfire MWF-017 had reached about 9,167 hectares and was about 13.5 kilometers from out local landfill and 13 kilometers from the intersection of two of our major highways. I had been at work at the time, sitting at my desk and reading the report sent to us by the municipality. There had not yet been an evacuation order, just an alert to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. I took a picture of the notice on my phone (which I'm not quite sure I was allowed to do), and sent it to my mother and a few of my friends in the area. My boss, Garth, came up behind me, noting the notice on my screen. He paced about the lobby for a few seconds before telling me that he'd 'be back in a bit'. He was always flitting in and out of the office, always exceptionally rushed and remarkably calm. Today, nothing was different. Nothing except the fact that he had hesitated for a microsecond too long while scanning through the notice. I chose to ignore my uncertainties and walked to the Subway next door to buy two six-packs of cookies.

My mom had told me the week prior to keep a to-go bag in case we needed to leave, which I had lied about packing. But the rest of the town (really, it's hard to call this place a city) had actually followed through. It was noon, not even twenty minutes after the evacuation alert, and the roads were packed. Before Garth had left, he had told me to drop off the graduation scrolls to the public and Catholic school boards, a ten minute round-rip on a typical day took me a total of thirty minutes. This may have been because of the increased traffic, or it may have been because I did not initially know where the school board offices were and had to use my phone to look up directions for buildings that were literally a block down the street. But I like to think it was because of the traffic. Before getting out of my car, I almost considered using the old box of masks in my glove-box, left over from the dark days. Though I quickly thought against it, what would the old white people think? I used the collar of my sweater to try and deflect some of the acrid campfire-smoked air from my lungs, it was largely ineffective. I grabbed the bundles of scrolls in my passenger seat and remembered to swiftly lower my sweater from my nose before entering the buildings.

Out of shame, I made myself drive back to the office without the crutch of a GPS. It worked, of course. I just had to cross one traffic light and turn into the parking lot, but I kept feeling as though I would get lost. The sky had been a clear blue the day before, even lacking the smell of smoke in the air. At that point, MWF-017 had only been about 8,045 hectares. But now the sky was starting to turn a sickly shade of grayish-orange. The smoke had blown in last night, I saw it first-hand, it prevented me from getting good photos of the aurora borealis. No matter, this was typical Alberta summer-time weather. We've all seen it before, last may during my spring semester (in an actual city) I really had worn my leftover facemasks when leaving the house. And while my friends about an hour south of us evacuated their homes, I invested in an anti-pollution serum which invariably made me break out even more. I don't recall if a drought had been declared then as it had for this year, it may have been the energy shortage back then. Or was that this fall? I may be mixing up my crises. Though I can say with certainty that there was another wave of COVID-19, and believe me, it was nasty.

Now back inside the blissfully clean-aired office, the news channels rotating between Alice Munro's death, Israel's refusal to comply with Hamas, the EPS being sicked on student protesters at the University of Alberta, and MWF-017 growing evermore in size, Garth called me to his desk. The winds had changed, they were no longer in our favour. The fire had grown to about 300 hectares since this morning, and the evacuation alerts, previously only for a few neighborhoods in the city would soon spread as the fire grew. You can go home, I'll give you the rest of the week off but you'll still get paid. You have friends down in Drayton, don't you? You guys can go down there. Or to Lac La Biche. They're setting up hotels for evacuees. Evacuees? I hadn't realized there was an evacuation order. There isn't... yet. Go home. Call your mother, tell her not to panic. And bring your work laptop with you.

[thingsic]

Most powerful solar storm in 6 years caused auroras all over the US. And nobody saw it coming.

On Thursday morning, March 23, 2023, EarthSky warned of a geomagnetic storm in our daily Sun Activity post. And storm it did! People reported seeing the aurora as far south as Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and Virginia. Enjoy some of our favorite aurora photos from the fantastic storm.

A number of states caught a glimpse of the aurora borealis, including: Washington state, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, and New York.

Aurora info from the geomagnetic storm source:bing

Peter Forister Photography (via Facebook)

The town in the foreground is Stanley, VA just south of Luray. The photos were taken in Shenandoah National Park near Big Meadows between 10:45 and 11:45 pm, looking northwest.

The lights were visible to my naked eye for about an hour. The vibrant green and red colors only lasted about 15 minutes during an intense "Substorm" at 11pm. These are long exposure photographs (between 4 and 6 seconds long each), and so are brighter than what I was able to see. The colors are accurate to the very deep reds and greens that I could see!

[jamieroxxartist]

Made My Night! So last summer the daughter ( Kirsten Amelia) of one of my oldest and dearest friends Petra & her husband Mike. (I remember when Kirsten was born! Yeah! She's all grown up now, owns a House etc etc. )

Anyhow last year we (planet Earth) had the Super-low (latitude speaking) #AuroraBorealis that were visible. Kirsten was able to get a photo of them outside Petra & Mike's place, like, what they saw outside their window! How cool is that?!!

Anyhow she reached out to me (in Summer! What a good girl, because the earlier the commission orders get in, the longer I have time to paint them.) Anyhow she reached out to me and wanted a big #NorthernLights painting that matched what they see out of their windows. For her Parents for #Christmas.

So I told her, 'Awesome! and I promise to leave out any Glam women in high heels up to no good. lol' and made that happen.

So last night I got a text from her, which really made my night.

Kirsten texted, "I forgot to record🤦🏼‍♀️ she was opening it and was taken back, and she asked if i painted it and i said no unwrap the corner, and she saw your name and started crying!! She's never cried opening a gift before. Thank you so much!"

'A Northern Night (Aurora Borealis)'

2024, acrylic and oil blend on canvas, 36"x24" by www.JamieRoxx.us This Sold Commissioned Painting is Not Available.

[lyrakatz]

"I close my eyes

Only for a moment, and the moment's gone

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes, a curiosity"

~Dust in the Wind, Kansas

In the summer of 2021 I moved to Winfield Kansas, to an apartment on the outskirts of town. Behind the minuscule back "yard" of this apartment there was a field, and across the field was a stately cottonwood tree towering over the trees that surrounded it. I fell in love. I can't tell you why, but I thought this tree was beautiful. Worthy of photographing. Not just once, but over and over and over.

Through Tornado Alley's storms and rain and wind, while the field was full of golden wheat, with fires blazing behind it - lighting up the night, and even when the aurora borealis crept far enough south to be visible even in Kansas. For 3 years I photographed this tree what has to be well over 100 times (even if far fewer of those photos actually have been shared). I always told myself I'd keep photographing this tree until it fell … or until I finally moved away.

Well, thankfully, the thing that stopped me was the latter, and not the former. As of summer 2024 I am no longer living in Winfield Kansas. I no longer get to see my Tree-Across-the-Field every day. I can't say I'm not sad about it. That tree has become a core part of my photography, and my photography is a core part of myself. I'm going to miss it.

Anyway, enough rambling. A few days before the move, we were inundated with severe weather. All of the meteorological ingredients were present for a tornado outbreak, and a PDS (particularly dangerous situation) Tornado Watch was issued for Winfield (and much of the surrounding area). When the weather picks up I often end up looking out across the field to see if I can make out anything interesting, and on that day I was rewarded with a sight I'd never seen in my time living there. Days earlier the field betwixt me and my tree had been plowed, so when the pre-storm winds started to pick up, they carried the loose Kansas dirt with them in every direction. Still photos fail to do it justice, but still photos are all I have. Still photos are what I love. And here's what will (almost certainly) be my last photo of that tree across the field. Mine only for a moment, and the moment's gone.

More Tree-Across-the-Field: https://art.katzeye.me/Projects/The-Tree-Across-the-Field

[behindkind29]

this account has been inactive because i'm horrible about consistently posting.

But last night the Aurora Borealis was visible in my area. We went out early enough that it was mostly through our phones (though there were hues and tones of pink/purple/red in some directions, it mostly looked like a normal night) but some people were able to see the lights clearly when they went out later.

I have several photos i'm proud of. But I liked this one with my fiancé in the background taking his own photos (or setting up to do so). he shoots a couple different film cameras mostly 35mm, but all sorts of film types. Hopefully his long exposures do better justice to this than my phone.

i'm mostly posting this as a small positive in my life through a very rough April ending and May beginning. i won't over share on the internet, but I'm reminding everyone to be kind to themselves and to others. And cherish the little moments.