A bad thing just happened a little while ago...

I didn't realize anything was wrong until I heard the sirens coming up the hill and then the phone rang.

I live about three fifths of the way up a tall hill with steep slopes and and ravines and houses all the way to the top. I live along a big ravine at the edge of development, nothing beyond but grassland for miles going up the pass. A little while ago I heard a lot of sirens rush past my home and stop about a block up, near the top of the ravine. My neighbor, the next up the hill, called and told me the emergency vehicles were up at the top of the ravine, off the pavement, and cops were going down into the ravine, probably 60ft deep or more at that spot, really steep. Not far from a sharp curve in the road.

I went up to my neighbor's, since her house totally blocked my view, with my binos and as we watched we discovered that someone left the pavement at the curve and rolled down the ravine, there was one person and it was fatal. The coyotes were out yipping several times while the car was pulled out of the ravine and when the ambulance left with no lights.

I don't know who it was but I am asking for prayers or what have you for that person, whomever they were. I am burning sage and singing a mourning song for them, I am afraid that I may find out that I know who it was in the coming days. There aren't too many houses that far up the hill and I know some of the residents up there.

But wait, there's more!

You HAVE to see the rest...

68 Swirls...

Sixty-eight swirls spun 'round the sun
Wish I could say that all were fun
How many more there will be on this run?
Really can't say until they're all done.

2na

Anybody else seen this thing?

I mean, what do you call a cyclone forming that far north in the Atlantic?

Obama DROPS THE HAMMER On Trump With ROARING Crowd

PUBLIC TRUST, the movie...

I found this posted in a thread and thought it should have its own thread. Though this movie is from four years ago, it's good to remind everyone what will become of our public lands and national parks should agent orange return.

Big Solar Flare Just Happened...

And there will probably be an Aurora Borealis tonight. A good one.

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/lasco-coronagraph

In the viewer on the right, blue, there is something heading into the sun! You can watch the animation at the link above.

Alien Super Show!

Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves, an expression that conjures up thoughts of colorful foliage and chilly afternoons but other signs of the time are evident at this time.

Autumn also brings about thoughts of leaving, departing and permanence in action. At some point this summer, kind of late, a cat-faced spider took up residence just above my door such that I could also see it through the window by the door. I really don't recall when she arrived but I recognized her species and left there since she could guard my door from potential bug invasions and she reminded me of the story, Charlotte's Web, which I am convinced was about a cat-faced spider. I would talk to her when I went outside to tend to plants on the porch or just coming and going.

I really hadn't looked into the life cycle or anything about this spider but I knew she was a good spider and would not venture to violate my indoor space or bite me so I let her stay. I found it comforting to see her when she was out tending the web during the twilight hours and fascinated at the structure of the web itself. The web had anchoring strands attached to the porch light, the windowpane... quite the structure to hold it in place against the stout winds that pass through here, a web of at least a yard in diameter requires some bracing for wind. I decided to call her Charlotte.

This weekend it was pretty windy and I saw her in the middle of the web Saturday evening, I can see her little crevice where she hides, clearly visible when standing in the doorway. She got really big, close to half dollar size including legs. I noticed Sunday that there was a small tear in the web which I expected her to mend by morning but she didn't. I kept checking but she hasn't moved so I looked up the species online.

This kind of spider is a summertime friend and behaves like I described but once the time comes, the web maven lays her eggs and puts them in a silky purse to hatch come spring and then she expires. So, as the web, really the remains, are in tatters and by Wednesday I expect it to be almost completely gone, her skeleton is still perched up in the crevice above the door. I bid her farewell after reading about her life cycle, burned a little sage and thanked her for entertaining me during the summer, almost like having a care-free pet.

Feels a little melancholy knowing she's passed but I have the anticipation through the winter of watching for her offspring next year.

And so it goes, the summer friend arrives and come autumn, leaves.

U.S. Senate candidates Jon Tester & Tim Sheehy to debate on Sept. 30th 7PM

Montana Public Radio
Published September 26, 2024 at 7:28 AM MDT

Montana's U.S. Senate candidates — three-term incumbent Democrat Jon Tester, and Republican nominee Tim Sheehy — will debate on September 30th at 7 p.m. Watch it live on Montana PBS, or tune in on MTPR wherever you listen.

Watch

https://www.montanapbs.org/

Or listen...

https://www.mtpr.org/

https://www.ypradio.org/

Last debate before the election. Mail ballots are mailed out on 10/11, early voting starts around then too. 2/3 of the state use mail in ballots.