Total Solar Eclipse - April 8 2024

 

 I've waited for this one for decades. I remember reading about it as kid. It would happen here. But would I be "here"  when it happened? Would I even be alive?  It turns out I've always lived in the Dayton area and I was raring to go when the time came.

03:08:30 PM - Seconds until totality

Here's how the sun slowly disappeared ...

01:57:50 PM - Just after first contact

02:15:42 PM

02:31:54 PM

02:32:44 PM

02:48:18 PM

02:59:34 PM

Closer look as totality arrives

 That's a solar prominence at the bottom and I've seen it in multiple images taken by other people at the same time. Just a bit of the sun still shines above the top left edge of the moon. And the Diamond Ring encircles the moon.

A wider view of totality

 Look to the lower right of the sun, about 4-o-clock. That's Venus right in the middle of the wispy cloud.

 Other wider views. Totality is an otherworldly sensation. The air cools. The birds begin to roost. Everything seems to quiet and still. The stars come out.

Photo Credit: Chris Boyer

 We set up a picnic table in the backyard so we'd have a place to sit for the few hours to monitor  the progress of the eclipse. Far left, Frank Manthey from Whitewater, Wisconsin. Right Chris Boyer.

 Frank Manthey on left. He's using a 35mm camera with film and experimenting with two dark glass filters.

 Th two filters (above) showing how they performed earlier with my cell phone.

 What's the basket all about? It's to hold my eclipse glasses when I'm not using the camera (which has a homemade solar filter on it). I was  worried a wind might come up and scatter  everything (it didn't).

 Tom and Parker sat on the back porch as the countdown progressed.

Me (l-r), Frank Manthey, Tom (holding Parker) and Chris Boyer

 Three shots of my camera display as I'm working to get the eclipse pictures. I shared these as I took them with Jim Saylor who was in Florida watching a partial eclipse.

 Here's two graphs from  my Tempest weather station. The first (above) shows the  temperature dropping from 73° to 68°.

 This this is a graph of the UV radiation falling precipitously. Of course it went from sunlight with high scattered clouds to almost nighttime.

Watch our back porch security cam respond to the lowering light levels during the eclipse by clicking here.

 And here's our south-facing security cam. Fast forward as needed. Click here.

Credit: USA Today

Homemade Mac and Cheese

  I didn't have many ideas for lunch today but then I hit on Mac and cheese. As usual, Allrecipes had a post that caught my eye. I wanted a creamy version that used a cheesy roux that covered all the macaroni top to bottom in the pan. I decided to try this one.

It exceeded all my expectations.

 Mom (and me, too) usually made Mac and cheese by applying cheese only to the top. This is far better.

 I made a pumpkin pie and three cups with pumpkin filling first so I had to wait for the oven to come available, All told I spent over four hours making no more than the  aforementioned dessert, heated some asparagus and turned out this melt-before-it-hits-your-mouth Mac and cheese.

 It took 3 cups of macaroni (measured dry before boiling)  to mostly fill my 8 x 8" glass baking dish. I used shredded sharp cheddar in the roux as instructed but I had no parmesan. Instead I substituted 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.

 And instead of making my own bread crumbs I used commercial Panko in a parmesan-favored variety. That provided the crunchy top layer that browned lightly.

 This will be  enough to feed two of us for several days (Tom resists leftovers so I may have to give some away).

 But this is an excellent Mac and cheese, probably the best I've ever had. It may be easier  to make a boxed variety but if you want a real treat, try this.

February 16 Snowstorm

  It's been pretty much a winterless winter. I've recorded just 2.9" of snow here in Farmersville so far and that's probably the least I've written in my weather books since I began taking readings in April 1974. In December we had no snow at all.

 By the way, this is the Golden Anniversary of my weather recordings. 50 years. 18,250 entries.

So when the NWS began forecasting a decent snowstorm on February 16, we all took notice. As the day progressed they warned of possible heavy snow, especially just north of me. And they issued a Winter Storm Watch late in the day.

 The snow began just after 3:30 PM and continued into the evening. We didn't get much - just 2.5" -  but it seemed remarkable after looking at brown lawns for so long.

 After sunset on February 16,  the snow fell at quite a clip for a short while. I went out and enjoyed the view for a few minutes. And the temperature had fallen from a high of 36° and was dipping into the 20's.

 This is my first view the next morning (February 17). There wasn't much snow but it certainly changed the view.

 From the second floor bathroom window I could see that Clayton Road was somewhat clear. Plows had passed the house all through the night. School was cancelled. When Tom drove home from his house he said he almost went off the road on Farmersville-West Carrollton and barely missed our mailbox while he was trying to turn into our driveway.

 A view from  the second floor window at the top of the stairs.

 Tom's car got covered by the falling snow. Parker had been out for her late day constitutional about 9 PM and left tracks.

 I'll admit it: I  brought our patio furniture out of storage too soon. But we've had very pleasant spring-like weather. On 02/07 we topped out at 57°; on 02/14-15 we recorded 53° and 52°. So I had reason to think winter was over.

 

 

A view from one of our security cams on the morning of 02/17.

 Two days later (02/19) I took my first walk in Millie's lane. It was just 12° at 8 AM as I headed back for one lap. I delivered the newspaper and a slice of cornbread. She was surprised to see that I was out and about on such a bitter morning. But I was bundled up and stepped carefully and already saw that the drifts were coming from the southwest. Warmer weather ahead!

 And so yesterday (02/20) we topped out at 59° and most of the snow has melted. Today we're expecting 60°. And next week the forecast promises our first 70°.

 Is winter over now?

Bathroom Faucet Replaced

  Our old bathroom faucet on the first floor has been slowly dripping for some time. The last time I had a plumber here I asked if the washers could be replaced. No, the Sears faucet was made in the 1980's and parts are no longer available.

Sears faucet - 1980's style

 Mom always loved that faucet with the porcelain handles that said Cold and Hot. But most of the lettering on the hot side had worn away, And the drain was non-functional. The only way to hold water in the sink was with a rubber stopper. And the drain hole had begun to rust.

 So it was time to have it replaced. A few days ago when I was in  the car repair shop I asked Greg if he knew of a good local plumber, someone who was working independently. He did. With a replacement faucet on order from Amazon (thanks Eric!), I now had a way to have it replaced as a reduced cost.

 Could I have done the work myself? Possibly. But would I have known the sink lifts off the vanity so it can be more easily worked on? Not on your life. And I have neither the proper tools nor the proper attitude to do plumbing. So I was happy to have a local guy do it.

 The new faucet is also in a brushed gold (Mom's choice to match the wood paneled bathroom) and comes with a popup drain (my choice).  The plumber had everything installed quickly and cleanly. Why did I wait so long?

 Total bill: $80. That was $60/hour for the labor plus $10 each for two new supply lines. I wrote the check for $100 and consider even that amount an embarrassment (but I'll get over it).

 If I get even a decade of use out of the new faucet I'll have gotten my money's worth and more. Mike (the plumber) said parts of this sort are now usually replaced, not repaired.  Since I'm 74 this faucet will likely outlast me.

Coconut Cake

  For many years every January Meijer had a special in their bakery of Coconut Cake. They'd have them out on tables by the doors. For the past two years we've not been able to find them. Tom mentioned how much he missed them so I set out to make something close.

 The whipped cream icing is very close but I think I baked the cake a bit too long and I'd have to describe it as more than a bit "dense".

 I use this Simple White Cake recipe for the cake and I used this Cool Whipped Frosting recipe for the frosting.

 I baked the cake in a 9x9" aluminum pan. My oven is hotter in the back so I turned it at the 20 minute mark. I do believe a 40 minute bake time is too long in my oven but when I checked it at the 30 minute mark the center looked wet.  Next time I'll compromise at 35 minutes.

All I had was Aldi flour and I've found that not a good choice in the past. I far prefer King Arthur Bread Flour for most everything.

 The batter is easily mixed with a spoon.

 After baking, you can see that the center square seems less baked than the rest. And yet I found the cake "tough" and think the suggested maximum bake time is too long.

The frosting is perfect and very close to Meijer's. I suppose the addition of the vanilla pudding mix (instant, not cooked)  allows the frosting to set up a bit. It is still basically whipped cream with a little extra body.

 I thought the cake turned out very pretty with the addition of sweetened flaked coconut.

 This is an easy recreation of the Meijer offering. It's not really white but a light yellow. And Meijer's was definitely a more delicate cake and actually preferable ... if it was only still available.

Martha's Vanilla Pound Cake

  Well, it's almost Martha Stewart's vanilla pound cake. But not quite.

 What's different? I didn't like the idea of unleavened. I wanted to dispense with a mixer or any mechanical device to beat air into the batter. So I added two teaspoons of baking powder. And I certainly didn't follow the directions of adding a bit of this, a bit of that. Maybe it's not as good due to my shortcuts but we had it for lunch and it seemed to meet our needs.

 First, Martha Stewart's recipe can be found here.

 It looks essentially the same as the one picture with the recipe. I love how the top cracks a bit. It looks like it's bursting with goodness.

 My oven is very uneven so I turned it while it baked to give each side equal heat. I did bake for the entire hour and I think a little less would be better. The bottom was a little dark.

 It baked very evenly. I love the texture and the simplicity of the recipe. Yes, I added one more ingredient than was called for but I didn't have a mixer to clean up.

 Next time I'll cut baking time to 55 minutes (maybe even 50). I tested for doneness before taking it out of the oven and I would certainly be careful with a shorter bake time.

 How about a vanilla frosting next time (powdered sugar, vanilla and milk)? Or substituting lemon for the vanilla?