What have you been up to lately?

[John Donne]

At the Tractor pull in Shipshewana.

Wait, what? I was in Shipshe a few weeks ago and honestly, I don't think I saw one tractor, just a crapton of draft horses and horsedrawn buggies. Couldn't figure out why the sideroads had long, narrow patches in the asphalt. Then I realized that's where the horses trot and their shoes must abrade the pavement.

There are also acres and acres of travel trailers here. We came over to a Gunshow...stayed in a B&B next to the expo center where they have all sorts of events. It was tractor pull time. First night was crazy with the noise. Second night we joined the throng.
It was quit fun really. We had never been to such an event.
Men and women, fathers and sons and daughters driving tons of power, dragging a progressively weighted sled down a packed earth runway. The roar of the engines, really it was like rolling thunder.

It was great fun...

[Butterfly Maiden]

@John Donne Your tractor pull Mark sounds a little bit too noisy and frenetic for my taste

We don't have anything like that here, but the New Forest Show usually has a display of 'old-fashioned' tractors. Great big heavy metal wheels and steam driven.

They have a couple of them attached to a threshing machine, which is quite a spectacle and interesting to see how the process used to be done before modern technology took over.

[John Donne]

@Butterfly Maiden
The Tractor pull was very very noise...I would compare to a rock concert. It is the first time for us.
We have another place near us where there are steam tractor operations and antique farm equipment.
The drive a saw mill from one of the PTO on a steem tractor.
The steem engine farm machines are amazing !

[Butterfly Maiden]

@John Donne The steam-driven displays are much more my scene Mark. Quieter and more relaxed, and gives an insight to what it was like in the olden days.

I often think about what life must have been like back then. Much harder obviously but maybe more satisfying.

Anyway, that is digressing slightly. Maybe a subject for a specific Topic discussion from anyone with a historical interest of such times.

[John Donne]

To cap off our day we took a carriage ride around the town. Me, Bonnie, and the Percheron "Thunder"

[Star Dad]

I (finally) have a few minutes to write. Got some sort of crazy bug. All the joints are very stiff - had a fever last night, but Yukon Jack (a semi-sweet liquor) killed that. Kind of a weird illness - at first I thought I had pulled some muscles, but I couldn't recall doing anything strenuous. Now on my third day of whatever it is and getting better. Yukon Jack is amazing stuff and I highly recommend 2 shots. Let it linger in the mouth and throat - it seems to kill bad things.

For those that haven't been tracking my exploits - I've recently gotten a Raspberry Pi4B to replace my getting ever more wonky laptop for astrophotography. And yes, the weather gods are in collusion with the shy star gods. This past week every day's prediction says tomorrow will be clear and then tomorrow comes and it's cloudy. Naturally it's new moon time and the weather gods now say it'll be three more nights till clear skies - and I don't believe them. I *really* need to get my laptop windows partition replaced. But I need to make sure the Pi will work. There is so much new stuff to learn.

Progress on the Harriet Lane model (in another thread) is stalled. I'm now getting running rigging started on the main mast and it's taking me a full 30 minutes to get one block attached. At this rate I'll be long dead before I get the kit finished. There are probably 70 blocks in-toto . But maybe I've come up with a quicker method of getting the blocks rigged/tied using needle nose pliers and a weird knot and finally a dab of glue.

My garden is doing well. Got one tiny cucumber, one yellow squash is about 4 inches long and since I put up the chicken wire fencing no deer have eaten my plants. Fending off squash bugs is a daily task. Roma tomatoes are coming in in droves. I tried a purple pepper, but I certainly didn't get a pint of purple peppers... just little slightly larger than golf balls sized ones. I'm not going to use that variety again.

Fall is on it's way and my calendar looks like it has jaundice with the next couple of months getting booked with fun things to do. Best wishes everyone!

[OzEclipse]

I (finally) have a few minutes to write. Got some sort of crazy bug. All the joints are very stiff - had a fever last night, but Yukon Jack (a semi-sweet liquor) killed that. Kind of a weird illness - at first I thought I had pulled some muscles, but I couldn't recall doing anything strenuous. Now on my third day of whatever it is and getting better. Yukon Jack is amazing stuff and I highly recommend 2 shots. Let it linger in the mouth and throat - it seems to kill bad things.

Sounds similar to whatever I've had except mine has lasted about 6 weeks and mostly affecting joints and muscles in the legs and causing swelling, but only legs not the upper body. No other symptoms of illness though and I didn't feel like I was sick. More like an outbreak of arthritic pain in the joints + muscles. My knee felt like I'd torn a meniscus cartilage. I also wondered if it was Ross River Fever.

Just over the past few days, it's finally seems to be coming good. Yesterday I walked 500m in mild pain and that's the longest I've been able to walk in weeks. Today it was wild rain or I would have walked further. For reference, I usually do a 4-5km brisk walk most days without any trouble at all.

Joe

[Star Dad]

It is *possible* I've gotten Lyme Disease. I find it doubtful as I haven't seen any ticks and it's usually associated with joints, not muscles... I've taken AAATT (3 Advil and 2 Tylenol) today as there was a lot of pain and I have to say that I am more mobile than I have been recently. BTW AAATT was recommended to me by a Navy physician as an alternative to opioids to control pain. It's been 9 years since I used it last, but it does seem to work quite well. It is weird losing the strength that I know I have. Hope you get better soon!

[pakarinen]

To cap off our day we took a carriage ride around the town. Me, Bonnie, and the Percheron "Thunder"

I might have seen Thunder if he hangs out at the carriage ride stall in town. But there are probably more than one carriage rides there.

Anyway, back from two nights camping in Bortle 4 southern Wisconsin. First night was 100% clouds, but it cleared up last night. Had my 80mm with me, but too many tall pines at my campsite to see much except to the east. Fabulous Milky Way cruising though (gobs of stars compared to my B7-8 home) and M39 was impressive. Maybe I'll take my 15x70s there next time for a little more portability if I go roaming for more open sky.

[KingNothing13]

My wife had a sliding patella for 30+ years thanks to a torn tendon. She had, what turned out to be a fairly simple surgery 2 weeks ago to repair it, but she has been down and out as it heals since then. She is getting more mobile - but she does have to be in a brace for at least 6 weeks (4 more weeks) so as not to put too much weight on it, so I have been taking care of her and everything else around the house.

It's exhausting, but worth it.

[SkyHiker]

I (finally) have a few minutes to write. Got some sort of crazy bug. All the joints are very stiff - had a fever last night, but Yukon Jack (a semi-sweet liquor) killed that. Kind of a weird illness - at first I thought I had pulled some muscles, but I couldn't recall doing anything strenuous. Now on my third day of whatever it is and getting better. Yukon Jack is amazing stuff and I highly recommend 2 shots. Let it linger in the mouth and throat - it seems to kill bad things.

Sounds similar to whatever I've had except mine has lasted about 6 weeks and mostly affecting joints and muscles in the legs and causing swelling, but only legs not the upper body. No other symptoms of illness though and I didn't feel like I was sick. More like an outbreak of arthritic pain in the joints + muscles. My knee felt like I'd torn a meniscus cartilage. I also wondered if it was Ross River Fever.

Just over the past few days, it's finally seems to be coming good. Yesterday I walked 500m in mild pain and that's the longest I've been able to walk in weeks. Today it was wild rain or I would have walked further. For reference, I usually do a 4-5km brisk walk most days without any trouble at all.

Joe

Did you see a doctor? A question for Star Dad too, who is on liquor and pain killers. This is not normal for anyone younger than 80 and in good health!

[pakarinen]

I (finally) have a few minutes to write. Got some sort of crazy bug. All the joints are very stiff - had a fever last night, but Yukon Jack (a semi-sweet liquor) killed that. Kind of a weird illness - at first I thought I had pulled some muscles, but I couldn't recall doing anything strenuous.

I had something similar a few weeks ago - ran a bit of a fever (wouldn't qualify as an official fever, but my temp is usually low and my temp was rather elevated for me), knees were killing me, and then the... ummmm... sprints to the bathroom started. Took about 3 days to get over it.

[OzEclipse]

I (finally) have a few minutes to write. Got some sort of crazy bug. All the joints are very stiff - had a fever last night, but Yukon Jack (a semi-sweet liquor) killed that. Kind of a weird illness - at first I thought I had pulled some muscles, but I couldn't recall doing anything strenuous. Now on my third day of whatever it is and getting better. Yukon Jack is amazing stuff and I highly recommend 2 shots. Let it linger in the mouth and throat - it seems to kill bad things.

Sounds similar to whatever I've had except mine has lasted about 6 weeks and mostly affecting joints and muscles in the legs and causing swelling, but only legs not the upper body. No other symptoms of illness though and I didn't feel like I was sick. More like an outbreak of arthritic pain in the joints + muscles. My knee felt like I'd torn a meniscus cartilage. I also wondered if it was Ross River Fever.

Just over the past few days, it's finally seems to be coming good. Yesterday I walked 500m in mild pain and that's the longest I've been able to walk in weeks. Today it was wild rain or I would have walked further. For reference, I usually do a 4-5km brisk walk most days without any trouble at all.

Joe

Did you see a doctor? A question for Star Dad too, who is on liquor and pain killers. This is not normal for anyone younger than 80 and in good health!

Hi Henk,
The fact that it was in the legs suggested in was muscular skeletal rather than viral. I went for some physio treatment on Tuesday(the day after writing the post) and things are easing up and it now feels more definitely physical than viral. Physio found issues in the hip illiac muscles on both sides which may have pinched the sciatic nerves & referred pain down the legs causing the other problems. This was a much worse outbreak of a problem I have had for 20 years as a result of an old injury. Normally it doesn't cause such widespread and intense symptoms and passes in a couple of days with rest and mobilisation exercises. This time it was much worse and occurred while I was travelling.

I didn't need resort to liquor and pain killers.

Cheers

Joe

[Star Dad]

I'm over whatever it was. No pain, just like normal. Very strange. Wifey apparently had it but to a milder degree before I got it. Her symptoms lasted 3 days - mine 5 days. Reminds one of how fragile the human body really is.

[OzEclipse]

My astronomy club, the Astronomical Association of Queensland held its annual astrophotography competition today. All these images have been posted in the TSS astrophotography images section before.

There were 63 entries in the comp. It’s judged by blind online voting by the membership. I entered five images in different sections of the competition. Two of my nightscape images tied with each other for first place in the nightscape section. One of my comet Leonard images got first place in the solar system objects section and my other Comet picture came second in that section. One of my pictures came second in the deep sky section.

Equal first place Nightscape Section
On-a-Dark-Deserted-Highway.

.

Equal first place Nightscape Section
Janet-the-Nightscaper.

.

First place Solar System Section
Comet-Leonard-28-Dec.

.

Second place Solar System Section
Comet-Leonard-31-Dec.

.

Second place Deep Sky Section
Rho-Ophiuchi.

[Butterfly Maiden]

Congratulations Joe, those are superb images.

You must be very proud of them.

Thank you for sharing them with us.

[OzEclipse]

A new TSS quiz has been released.

viewtopic.php?t=26776

Enjoy!

Joe Cali

[pakarinen]

Sold my 90mm Mak. I wasn't really using it and I'm sort of leaning toward a 70mm ED frac.

[Chich]

My wife had a sliding patella for 30+ years thanks to a torn tendon. She had, what turned out to be a fairly simple surgery 2 weeks ago to repair it, but she has been down and out as it heals since then. She is getting more mobile - but she does have to be in a brace for at least 6 weeks (4 more weeks) so as not to put too much weight on it, so I have been taking care of her and everything else around the house.

It's exhausting, but worth it.

Speedy recovery. Good that such a long standing problem was able to be dealt with.
My wife had a disc rupture a few years back and spent a few months bed/wheelchair bound. I went from half time chief cook and bottle washer to full time but that was OK. A bonus was she coudn't escape my telling her bad jokes so there was that .

[turboscrew]

A quick status update.
Got imflammation, and had to get back to hospital.
The inflammation is getting cured well, and the cancer treatment continues as soos as the inflammation is cure and the patient is in good enugh shape.
I haven't had enough strengh to report earlier.