Matt's Blarg

Jupiter and his Court

Posted on 12 August 2020 by matthannan

So, I was kind of interested in why Jupiter was showing up as a dash in the photos from a couple of nights ago. Last night I brought out my 55-200mm telephoto lens. Focusing was a snap. And it proved its worth when pointed at the King of the Planets.… Read the rest

Posted in Astronomy, Photography | Tagged 55-200mm, Andromeda, astrophotography, Cassiopeia, Jupiter, moons, Polaris | Leave a comment

Shooting the Milky Way

Posted on 10 August 2020 by matthannan

I hadn’t tried to shoot the Milky Way yet, so after Calin went to bed last night, I snuck down to the park to avail of some reasonably dark (no street lights right in my southern view) and open skies. I was down there about an hour and a half, snapping away like a nut.… Read the rest

Posted in Astronomy, Photography | Tagged astrophotography, Calin, Jupiter, lenses, Messier, Milky Way | Leave a comment

Comet NEOWISE

Posted on 21 July 2020 by matthannan

This thing was in the sky for about a month before things lines up enough for me to get a glimpse of it. Never could see it with my naked eye.

Most folks say binoculars are the sweet spot. Guess what I do not have.… Read the rest

Posted in Astronomy, Photography | Tagged astrophotography, Calin, comet, D40, neowise, Nikon | Leave a comment

Shut the front door!

Posted on 29 June 2020 by matthannan

The ladder injury really slowed me down, as has the weather. In the last few days we’ve had more rain than in the last month! But now that my hand is healed, I am back to dodging raindrops.

Doors, it turns out, are a massive pain in the arse to build, even when you use the material cut out from making the doorway!… Read the rest

Posted in Life, Woodworking | Tagged bucket, door, fort, plexi, rain, screens | Leave a comment

Solar

Posted on 19 June 2020 by matthannan

We just signed up. This will be interesting. I like being deep into mid-life and signing long-term notes.… Read the rest

Posted in Life | Tagged old as star dust, solar | Leave a comment

That’s gonna leave a mark

Posted on 17 June 2020 by matthannan

Tonight after work, I went to the basement and gathered a few tools that I would need in order to bang out the door for the fort. By the time I got to the backyard, however, my plans had been changed.… Read the rest

Posted in Life | Tagged COVID-19, Jenny, ladder, new scars, there will be blood, tree-trimming | Leave a comment

Piper Wai Natural Deodorant

Posted on 15 June 2020 by matthannan

Been a while since we went down this rabbit hole.

To sum up, my pits are too delicate for baking soda deodorants. I had been using Zion Health Claydry for about a year, but I was never totally happy with it.… Read the rest

Posted in Life | Tagged deodorant, stink pits | Leave a comment

It’s all over but the shouting

Posted on 14 June 2020 by matthannan

I think, and I could very well be wrong, but I think I am done with the main structure for the fort.

The painter showed up bright and early this morning. She was sober this time, which was a plus. She stained the gangplank, then knocked out the unpainted half of the front wall, then got started on the light blue of the inside.… Read the rest

Posted in Life, Woodworking | Tagged almost there, Calin, charcoal, compost, fort, Jenny, mung wood, paint, railing, slide, trim | Leave a comment

Gangway for The Mighty Roof!

Posted on 13 June 2020 by matthannan

Or something like that. The hardware for the gangplank came in. As I was heading into The Big Orange Store, I spied that someone posted to Amazon that they used 2x10s for their ramps. Sold.