Verna and Bob's Weblog

Photography

The Big Drip

Over the past couple of days, we have been enjoying some gentile rain showers to replenish the desert with badly-needed moisture. The showers, mostly, have been God-given blessings with the several instances of a little flooding here and there. It’ll get resolved, I’m sure.

As I went out for my morning walkabout today, I took several photos of Verna’s rain bucket under the rain gutter. I selected the above image to post in that it shows some of the dynamic action of the dripping water. Click on the image to enlarge.

I asked GROK to analyze the image.

The image shows a close-up, high-speed photograph of multiple water drops impacting a body of water (likely the surface of water in a rain bucket or similar container). This is a classic example of the fluid dynamics phenomena that occur when a drop hits a liquid surface.

This type of photograph is commonly used to study drop impact dynamics, coalescence, splash suppression, inkjet printing physics, and related fluid mechanics topics. The image beautifully captures several stages of the impact process in a single frame.

I love some of the stuff that comes out from some AI engines. Some, however, not so much. GROK does mostly OK.

November 19, 2025 by Arizona Climate Nerdliness Photography

Waning Gibbous Moon

A few days after the November “Beaver” Supermoon, we had this nice morning apparition of the waning gibbous phase of the moon high in the western sky. I used my Canon EOS Rebel SL3 camera with an EFS 55-250mm lens (at 250mm) hand-held (no tripod) to get the shot shown above. Click on the image to enlarge.

Why the “Beaver” moon? From the article linked above:

Why Is It Called the Beaver Moon?

For decades, the Almanac has referenced the monthly Full Moons with names tied to early Native American, Colonial American, and European folklore. Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred and through all of the Moon’s phases—not only the Full Moon.

The Beaver Moon

Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient food stores for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.

It has been a pleasant late autumn here in the desert. We are still expecting warm days in the 80’s with nights getting progressively cooler in the mid to upper 50’s. The temperatures quoted are in Fahrenheit degrees, of course.

November 9, 2025 by Astronomy Nerdliness Photography Something Shiny

A Nice Desert Retirement Day

Just another day of retirement in our wonderful, tranquil desert town. First, today I took the truck to the Ford dealer to have it’s routine maintenance service. Above, the old classic ford truck (which has been seen on this blog before) sat stately on display in the waiting area for all to admire.

Later in the day, we were privy to witness another colorful sunset as the time to get inside approached; the sun goes down this time of year, and the temperature plummets to the 60s which for us summer dwellers is downright unpleasant without some bulky clothing. Still, the day temperatures are well above 80° and Shorts are the dress code for the daytime hours.

Click on either image to enlarge.

November 3, 2025 by Arizona Photography Retirement

The Early Squirrel Gets The Nut

In the title, I paraphrased the 17th century proverb to describe the morning activity of the little White Tailed Antelope Ground Squirrels that inhabit the area around our little house. I usually carry a few almonds in my shirt pocket to toss out to the squirrels when they are brave enough to come out looking for a handout, which is more often than you might think.

This morning, the little guy in the image above was out of the burrow and into the open area in the wash behind the house to receive the nut that I tossed out for him (her?). I usually can’t tell unless a female that is nursing the little ones stands erect and I can see her teats exposed.

The one shown was the only taker this morning, although, on occasion, several might show up. I carry several almonds and can usually throw enough for all that want them.

Image: taken with my Canon EOS Rebel SL3, Normal Program, 1/500sec, F8, ISO 100, EF-S55-250MM Lens @ 250MM, cropped.

October 4, 2025 by Arizona Critters Photography

Devil’s Tongue Cactus Flowers

Once again it is fall in the desert and with it comes the beautiful flowers on our Devil’s Tongue Barrel Cactus. This trio, along with several others, was open today after a nice rainfall yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge.

Ferocactus latispinus is the binomial nomenclature for what is commonly called the Devil’s Tongue cactus. Wikipedia offers the following information about this cactus:

Ferocactus latispinus is a species of barrel cactus native to Mexico. It grows as a single globular light green cactus reaching the dimensions of 30 cm (12 in) in height and 40 cm (16 in) across, with 21 acute ribs. Its spines range from reddish to white in color and are flattened and reach 4 or 5 cm long. Flowering is in late autumn or early winter. The funnel-shaped flowers are purplish or yellowish and reach 4 cm long, and are followed by oval-shaped scaled fruit which reach 2.5 cm (1 in) long.

September 23, 2025 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Waxing Gibbous Moon and Craters

Clickable image: The image taken slightly past first quarter lunar phase makes craters near the light to dark region more pronounced. Leo-AI explains:

Lunar craters are depressions on the Moon’s surface formed by asteroid, meteoroid, or comet impacts. They are a record of the Moon’s impact history, providing valuable information about the early solar system’s asteroid-pummeled past. The Moon’s surface is relatively preserved due to the lack of liquid water and wind, making it an ideal location to study impact craters.

During the first quarter phase, the Moon is illuminated from the right, making it visible from Earth. This phase is characterized by a half-illuminated Moon with a right half visible and a left half in shadow. Many notable lunar craters are visible during this phase, including:

  • Tycho crater: A complex crater with a central peak complex, terraces, and a flat floor.
  • Giordano Bruno crater: A complex crater with a central peak and terraces, formed about 10 million years ago.
  • Linné crater: A young simple crater, thought to be less than 10 million years old, with a smooth floor and a diameter of about 1.4 miles.

These craters are just a few examples of the many impact craters visible on the Moon’s surface during the first quarter phase. The Moon’s surface is constantly changing due to meteoroid impacts, and studying these craters helps scientists understand the Moon’s history and the early solar system’s asteroid-pummeled past.

August 31, 2025 by Astronomy Nerdliness Photography Something Shiny

Avalon 1998

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