Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Trekking Through Texas

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And the Lunar Eclipse, Continued...

Well fans, this will be the last of the Texas photograph galleries for quite some time, as I have relocated temporarily to California to be closer to my family for awhile. It is so strange being in the Pacific Coast time zone again! Had a nice, quiet Christmas with the family, and am now starting to tell old friends I am "back home" again... although it's a real mind-scramble now, trying to decide to apply the word HOME to Texas or California?? LOL...

The very last evening I was in the Lonestar State, I had the rare and awesome privilege of watching a bright SuperMoon on the Winter Solstice, as was probably obvious by my last post with all the Lunar Eclipse videos.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse 2010
Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse 2010

I also took a few snapshots of the many phases. None were examples of great photography -- in fact, my Canon was pretty useless once totality was achieved, and one could only see amber shadows from the ground without a good telescope. However, I am still glad that I recorded a few images, so that I will remember the sights and sensations of being there.

There were SO many people all over northern hemisphere who hoped to watch it around the time I was viewing, and could not, because of cloud cover and storms in various areas. Major bummer for such a beautiful and uncommon event!

However, simply googling the term "2010 solstice eclipse" will already yield nearly 8 million text hits, and over 2 million hits in Google Images!

West Texas Sunset
Last Sunset in Texas

Along the way, I also stopped to snap some "Only in Texas" type photographs. I have trekked all over the Lone Star State over the years, taking in the culture, the people, the terrain, the weather and the wildlife -- it never disappoints! I am so sad to leave this amazing state. I tend to gravitate back toward Texas when all is said and done, so I have a feeling I will return someday!

I am not sad to skip a snowy winter or two, however. In fact, I got out just in time to save myself some icy hassles this season. But -- storms and all, Texas is pretty awesome place to live.

Texas Horse Motel
That is not a typo ;)

What to do first in California? Visit the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory? The new and huge Allen Radio Telescope Array? Head down to NASA Ames again for the next Shuttle launch? Ah... all new adventures ahead...

Visit my Picasa Galleries or my Facebook page for the new album "Things I Will Miss About Texas" for some sad, some funny and some sentimental views of the great Texan landscape, which I had to cross in order to escape! Subtitle of the album in some views will read "Winter Solstice Eclipse", since the collection also includes all my lunar pictures.