Look familiar?  This is the path a solar eclipse takes from start to finish.  It was the same path the Great American Eclipse followed in 2017 and the Total Solar Eclipse did today (April 8, 2024). Now I'm putting them together in one new post.

                This is the link to the original post: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/august-26th-2017

                                                                            Part 1 - The Path to Totality​
The sun starts on the left side of this diagram.  In the next 5 pictures, the moon moves across the sun until it reaches totality, or full eclipse, in the 7th picture.  In the last 6 pictures, the sun and moon move back into their regular orbits.

If you could view an eclipse from space, and could connect the dots, this is what it would look like. Find the white lines that touch the earth.  If you were standing anywhere between them, you’d get to see part of the eclipse. 

But, if you were standing at the end of the black cone, you’d see the whole entire eclipse from start to finish, the entire totality.  Lucky you!

​This is the Great American Eclipse’s map of totality.  You can follow the 3 lines from Oregon to South Carolina.  I was close in Lafollette, Tennessee, but we drove 90 minutes southwest to Sweetwater.  It was our sweet spot, and totally worth the drive.

This is the 2024 map of totality. Follow it from Mexico all the way to Canada. This time – no driving. I just walked out my backdoor to check how the eclipse was progressing in Wapak. I walked back inside to watch it cross North America, live on TV.    
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                                                          Photo: NASA SVS | The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

This is part of the path, from Illinois to Ohio. If you find Lima in Northwest Ohio, scan down to Celina. The dot for Wapak should be beside the ‘a’ in Celina. Me too!
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                                                                  Photo: NASA SVS | 2024 Path of Totality

​Want to know what time the eclipse starts?  Google it!  I found a chart that takes you from Oregon to South Carolina, but it didn’t have Sweetwater, so I googled again.  In Sweetwater the eclipse started at 1:04.  Totality at 2:32. We saw 2 minutes and 33 seconds of totality. Their site said so!

But don’t worry! Thanks to the local town fathers and mothers, I found the starting time, 1:54, and I was outside. Ready to go 😊

Totality was SO much longer this time. I got to stare at the sun without glasses, for almost 4 WHOLE minutes. I didn’t look away – I may not have another chance. At my age, who knows if I’ll be around in 2044 for the next big eclipse.

                                                                                Source: Home | Wapak Solar Eclipse
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                                                                                 ​Part 2 – To Totality and Back Again

The first picture is totality.  Did you know that one minute before totality, the sun starts giving you signs that  it’s almost time?  I didn’t.  The second picture shows that first sign, shadow bands.  The earth’s atmosphere refracts the last rays of the sun.  Refracting bends the light, like with a rainbow.  If you want to see shadow bands, look at something white or light colored.  We watched a white truck in the parking lot.  My husband spotted them first, of course! 
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This time, I had no need for shadow bands. I wouldn’t have seen them in the grass anyway. Instead I enjoyed totality for 3 minutes and 56 seconds. That’s like 4 WHOLE minutes.

​​Do you think the first picture looks like a diamond ring?  Scientists did!  It’s the 2nd sign, and it happens about 10-15 seconds before totality.  The ring is the sun’s corona.  The diamond is the last burst of sunlight.  I think it looks like the 6th picture, right before totality. 

I don’t think I saw the first diamond ring in 2017. I tend to pull my glasses on and off and on again – so it’s easy to miss.  It’s only up for  10 seconds. This time I KNOW I didn’t see it. ☹
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When the diamond fades, the corona’s left.  It’s the sun’s outer layer of atmosphere.  The sun’s surface is 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit, but the corona is 200-300 degrees hotter.  Water boils and becomes steam at 180 degrees.  Can you imagine how hot the sun is?  YIKES!!!

I didn’t write about the corona last time, so I probably didn’t see it. This time I was more interested in totality and my 4 precious minutes without glasses.

Do you see the tiny beads of light in the 1st picture?  The diagram calls them Baily’s Beads.  They show up 5 seconds before totality.  I missed them, but my husband saw them, of course.  Baily’s Beads aren’t real beads.  During an eclipse, the sunlight travels through the moon’s mountains and valleys.  From earth the light looks like beads.

I didn’t see Bailey’s Beads this time either. They’re only visible for  5 seconds before totality. So me missing them, totally makes sense. My husband didn’t say, but he’s an engineer, so he probably did see them.

See the red ring again?  It’s called the chromosphere, and it’s the middle layer of the sun’s atmosphere.  You see it just a few seconds before totality.  Then the other 2 layers of the sun’s atmosphere make it disappear once more.

A few seconds – there’s no way I saw this. I would remember a red ring circling the dark of the moom. I’m glad there are pictures, so I can see what I missed 😊

After 90 minutes the moon made the sun disappear.  It also made Sweetwater colder and darker.  At 2:30 in the afternoon a few stars came out.  Finally!  Totality!  It was incredible!  The whole town cheered, including hundreds of visitors.  Google Sweetwater, and you can see and hear us. 

We also took off the special eclipse glasses.  Totality is the only time you can look at an eclipse without them.  Before, and after totality, we wore them.

Outside the totality zone, you didn’t see stars in the middle of the day, and you couldn’t take off the glasses, at all.  I’m glad we made the drive.  Totally!

TOTALITY again! Four Whole Minutes of IT! The moon covered the sun that whole time. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Totality started at 3:09PM, but I didn’t check my watch. I spent my four precious minutes looking up at the sun and the moon.  The sky was dark, like the sun was about to set, and it was a lot darker than 2017. I counted three stars. That’s it. And the temperature, it slowly got colder all afternoon, from 1:54 on. It was exactly the way I imagined a total eclipse would be.

When Totality started, there was no big cheer, but we live just outside town. Instead, fireworks popped every minute or two until it ended. I was surprised anyone bothered – Totality only lasts a few minutes.
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I didn’t notice the animals in 2017. This time the birds were out in the yard, flying and landing, chirping and cawing like they usually do. But they grew quiet as we approached Totality. Then, they disappeared. 

​With totality over, the stars disappeared, and the signs reappeared, but in reverse order.  First Bailey’s Beads, then the Diamond Ring, the Corona, and finally the Shadow Bands. 

This is the return from Totality to the partial eclipse, except the order’s reversed. This time I saw the first 3 signs, but not the Shadow Bands. In 2017, I saw all 4. 😊

Source:  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/total-solar-eclipse.html
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My biggest source for this post is this link.  My husband found it and printed out a packet.  Without this source, we would have missed things like shadow bands.  Thanks to the folks at timeanddate.com for teaching the teacher, and the engineer!

Do you recognize this landform? It’s the continent of Antarctica. It’s the only continent without a single country, although 22 have a ‘consultative’ status. That’s because they agreed to a 1959 treaty. They promised to keep Antarctica as a scientific preserve, like a national park. It was to be preserved as a place of scientific study and environmental protection.

One of my critique partners, Sandra Martin Denis just got back from Antarctica. She was there during the summer, the warmest time of year. It’s funny – Antarctica’s summer is during our winter.
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                    Part 1: It came straight from Sandra’s trip – her photos and her words. Enjoy!
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Penguins mate for life. They build nests of stones. Most penguins lay two eggs in a clutch. The male and the female take turns incubating the eggs, except for the emperor penguin. 
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Part 2: A trivia question about Antarctica’s climate.

What is the average temperature range for Antarctica per year?

10°C to -60°C     10°C to -10°C     30°C to 20°C     -5°C to -10°Celsius
50°F to -76°F      50°F to 14°F        86°F to 68°F      23°F to 14°Fahrenheit
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Take a guess, then check below the map. 
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I completely missed this one. Antarctica is warmer than I thought! The annual temperature for the whole continent ranges from about −10°C on the coast to −60°Celsius. In Fahrenheit that’s 50°F to -76°F. Wow, 50 is way warmer than I imagined. That’s like a warm March day in Ohio! But it all depends on – location, location, location.
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That 50°F was near the coast, in the summer. That’s where Sandra was, but she said she wore a parka. Maybe at night when the sun goes down, the coastal temperature drops too. In the winter – that coastal temperature gets even colder, -40, and that’s the reading on both Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometers. That surprised me. I’ve never seen the two temperature scales match, with the same exact number. Incredible!

I’m glad Sandra didn’t go inland, especially to the mountaintops. Their warmest temperature – -22. That’s one of the worst winter days in Ohio, ever. I don’t want to think how cold it gets in their winter. Ready? That’s -112?! Holy frostbite, that’s cold!
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And the coldest temperature ever recorded on earth?  -128.56, at the Vostok station in Antarctica. That’s where scientists live. And the date – July 21, 1983. YIKES!


​                                                             Part 3: Wind Speed and Snowfall by the Numbers

As for snow – the average accumulation for the whole continent of Antarctica is 150 mm of water per year, or 5.9 inches. If you’re not sure what that looks like, find 6 on a ruler.

When you go inland to the elevated plateau, the annual value drops to 50 mm. That’s only 1.96 inches. But at the coast, it rises to 200 mm or 7.87 inches. 

​But for the heaviest rain or snow, find the peninsula in the northwestern corner of the map. It stretches to the north, and the Bellingshausen Sea is below it, to the south. It’s not labeled, but it gets over 1000 mm of water. In inches that’s 39.37. Think yardstick, then add your index finger for another 3 inches. That’s a lot of water!
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​Sources:
For more information: www.antarctica.gov.au
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My source: What is the average annual... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub
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Map: By Robert Simmon - en:Internet Archive - https://web.archive.org/web/20070823123915/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17838 (originally    http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17838 NASA Earth Observatory), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3126858

​Do you trust your eyes to tell the truth? This post is about perception, and what your eyes tell your brain. Real or illusion – good luck deciding which you see!
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Part 1 – A Little Magic, Please! This story really happened. Sorry, no pictures, but don’t worry! I’ve got words.

Meet Siegfried and Roy! Back in the 1990s they had the biggest show in Las Vegas. My husband and I saw them a year or two before the accident that ended their careers.
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We lucked into front row seats. We were thrilled, and a little terrified. We kept looking at the tracks onstage and wondering how close the lions and tigers could get to us. 

​I watched the lights and mirrors, then turned my eyes back to the elephant. It was gone! How could that HUGE animal disappear so quickly?

My husband the engineer had the answer. He watched them walk the elephant offstage. He ignored those lights and mirrors, and he watched it leave.

It was a sleight of hand trick, but the real magic is in your perception, in how you see the world. Me, I followed the magician and his tricks. I’d like to think that I see the magic in something, the potential of what it could be.

My husband is logical, and he can stay focused, but he misses out on the magic. How about you? What do you perceive – magic or logic?
​ Source: Siegfried & Roy - Wikipedia

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​Part 2 – What Do You See? – It depends on how you perceive the world. If you’re like me, I always see the white space first. If your eye went to the black area instead, you saw something else. So, what did you see?

I saw the vase first, that white space. But if I know something else is there, then I’ll look at the black. That’s when I finally found those two silhouettes. 

Gestalt psychologists say we perceive individual sensor information, like the white/black shapes, as one big whole. For me, that means I see the vase. Wikipedia didn’t explain what that means, but I bet my eye doctor could. They always ask me what color is dominant when I get my eyes checked. Now I wonder whether the important thing is whether the line’s horizontal or vertical, and not so much its color. 
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​What do you see when you look at my necklace? There are two possibilities, depending on whether you see empty space in the circle, or the line? Can you guess what I saw?

Yep, the white space, and the jack-o-lantern. At first I couldn’t figure out why anyone would put a pumpkin in the middle of a cross. Then someone told me what it’s supposed to be.

Do you see the other shape? I don’t unless I focus on the line down the middle of the circle. Did you see it first, or after I told you where to look? The line makes a dove, which makes better sense on a cross.
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If you know Matthew 3:16, you know why. If not, here’s the NIV version of that verse . . . As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. Now, do you see the dove?

​It’s funny . . . when I turn it sideways, like this, I see the dove first. It makes me feel better as a Christian, now that I know it’s my perception that makes me see that darn pumpkin.

When the cross is vertical, I see the space, that jack-o-lantern. When it’s horizontal, I see the line, and that dove. What a relief!

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It depends on who’s answering. 70% of the people who voted on buzzfeed.com a few years ago said white and gold. The other 30% said blue and black. How could people like me get this wrong? Everyone knows the difference between blue and white, even preschoolers!
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It’s a matter of perception. My source said cover the dress so you see only white, then you’ll get the real color – BLUE! It must be one of those things eye doctors understand.

Sources: Posted originally by wiked on Tumblr  
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Color Illusions and Color Blind Tests (brainden.com)

​How about this one? It’s called a simultaneous contrast illusion, but which rectangle doesn’t change at all? The big one, or the one that’s long and narrow? One of them is really changing slowly from dark to light gray. The other one remains the same color. Which one is it?!

If you guessed the long narrow one, you’re RIGHT! The big rectangle starts out dark on the left, and gradually fades to the right. But the long narrow one – READY – it’s the same color all the way across. I’ll repeat . . . The whole narrow rectangle IS THE SAME COLOR! What’s the difference? It’s how you perceive the background around it.

​It makes sense when you know a little about combining colors. My nail lady and I love to do an accent nail. Some colors show up against the background. Some don’t. It depends on how close they are on the color spectrum. I have silver nails now, like the right side of that big rectangle. Patricia put white snowflakes on it. White shows up on silver! Why? Because the colors are different enough, but if we’ve used colors that are too similar, like pink and purple, they might fade together.

Source: Optical illusion - Wikipedia
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Picture Source: By Dodek - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1529278
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​And the finale . . . Sorry, this shirt isn’t an illusion. It represents a tie-dye yellow and gray one I almost bought. What stopped me? Whenever I looked at it, I saw maize and blue, Michigan colors, AKA that state up north. I absolutely couldn’t buy it!

Guess what! I wasn’t the only one who saw maize and blue. My friends at Casa Chic told me that a lot of people refused to buy this shirt for the same reason. Sometimes perception really is in the eye of the beholder!

​Part 1 – Where I Was in 2019 and 2020

I wrote about my sleep journey back in September of 2019.  The link is below. Back then I was struggling, like now. I tried to set good sleep habits by going to bed and waking up at the same time. I took short naps when needed, but tried to keep them short, 15 – 30 minutes. I finished that sleep journey December 2nd. My sleep wasn’t perfect, but it was way better! Unfortunately, the journey wasn’t over . .
Link:  http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/a-sleep-journey
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​Over the summer of 2020 my sleep troubles worsened. I was back to sleeping 10 – 11 hours a night, with naps too. I knew something was wrong so I set up my first sleep study on August 11, 2020. The link is below.

I discovered that my bi-pap sleep machine wasn’t working so September 2nd I went in for a second study. It’s amazing how many wires they needed to tape and paste onto me. The results – I discovered it was time to leave my bi-pap machine behind and return to a c-pap.  Link: 
http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/my-two-sleep-studies

My machine came in, and I was happy with the way it worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. I checked back with my doctor in November, and she was happy with my results.
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She said I was on the right track with my machine, but she also said I needed to work with the Cleveland Clinic on my sleep habits. I thought I was doing fine. I was heading to Texas for Christmas. Everything went well until mid-January. Then I had no choice. I had to do something . . . again!


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Part 2 – Cleveland Clinic Says Go To Sleep 
And I listened! Well, after 2 months! I was taking longer and longer to go to sleep. I had a few nights when I was awake until 7AM. Finally, I gave up and clicked the link to the Cleveland Clinic. I signed up for the program on January 21st.  

​                                 Here’s the link: https://clevelandclinicwellness.com/pages/GoToSleep.htm

​​​I got an email from them on the 22nd. I logged in and answered some questions. The questions are the same everyday, but the answers change. Here are yesterday’s:

- What time did you wake up?                                                                        - Did you turn off the lights right away?   
- How long did it take to fall asleep?
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​- Did you use a relaxation technique?                  - Did you exercise?                     - Within 3 hours of bedtime?
- Did you have caffeine?                                      - Within 6 hours of bedtime?              - Did you drink alcohol?
                                                                            - Did you take any sleeping medications?
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​ Cleveland Clinic takes all those answers and quantifies them. My Sleep Efficiency was 93 out of 100. I’m happy whenever it’s over 85, and usually, it is! WOOHOO!!!
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​Part 3 – Let’s Chart it Out – Remember those questions and answers from yesterday? My 93/100? The Cleveland Clinic took those numbers and converted them into a chart. It shows my weekly average. Look across the bottom. I’m on Day 56. The blue bar is my Sleep Efficiency, 93 for today. The green bar is Slept Hours, almost 8.  I got up early at 9:30. Otherwise I would have had my favorite sleep number . . .  9 hours.

Day 54 was a bad night. I didn’t get to sleep until 3 in the morning, and I still got up at 10:30AM, but those days are getting fewer. I had 5 nights with 9 hours of sleep, and 5 out of 7 is really good for me!
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​The next graph shows every night I entered my sleep data. I love to look for patterns. Here’s what I discovered - 

- I slept 7 hours – 14% of the time (8 nights)                                  - I slept 8 hours – 14% of the time ( 9 nights)
                                          - I slept 9 hours – 70% of my time in the study (39 nights)
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Note – Math doesn’t always make sense . . . The nights add up to 56, but the % total is 98. Where did the other  2% go?   The best news – almost 40 out of 56 nights, I got 9 hours of sleep. WAHOO!

 
So, what have I learned over the last 56 days?

1. I go to sleep about the same time every night. I get up about the same time each morning.
2. If I don’t get to sleep within 15 minutes, I get up for about that much time. I’ve learned I need to redirect my brain. Reading books lets me calm down. Getting on the computer ramps me up. I don’t go there at night!
3. I stop drinking caffeine around 8PM. I stop exercising around 10.
4. I only nap on those days when I get 7 hours of sleep, but I try not to. I also try to nap for 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 30, but I’m still a work in progress.

​So far, so good! I’ll let you know how I’m doing this summer. The portal is no longer live, BUT the best part about Cleveland Clinic . . . I can still input my sleep data to check on how I’m doing. ​

​This is one of my favorite sites. They have everything from technology to cooking, and I’d like to show you a few of the possibilities they offer. This is their home page: https://www.instructables.com/

Look at the top left of the black bar. You’ll find buttons for Circuits, Workshop, Craft, Cooking, Living, Outside, and Teachers. I have an account with Instructables so they’re always sending me newsletters that are full of ideas, and that’s where I found this recipe, from an old email.

Part 1 – French Toast Skewers You can search for this recipe on the home page. It’s from ElisesEats  and the cooking section. It must have been part of an Instructable contest. It didn’t win, but it was a runner up. Elise put together directions and a video to show you how to make it.  
Here’s her link: https://www.instructables.com/id/French-Toast-Skewers/

You can make it Elise’s way, or take your own shortcuts if you know how to make French Toast. Elise used really thick bread, but you could use whatever you have. Pick your favorite fruits. Elise used strawberries, kiwi, bananas, and blueberries, but I love making it my way.

I’d cut the fruit first. Then I’d make the French toast. Elise sliced it before cooking, but you could do it later. Then let your family and friends have fun putting together their own personal skewers. Give them a little syrup, and you’re ready to eat! YUM!
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Part 2 – Artist’s Popsicle Stick Puzzle   I searched through my Instructable emails for a craft project and found this one from littlebadwren. It looks easy, and you probably have most of the materials at home already.

You’ll need popsicle sticks, painters’ tape (green or blue), scissors, ruler, pencil, paint brushes, and any brand/color of acrylic paint.
​Here’s her link: https://www.instructables.com/id/Artists-Popsicle-Stick-Puzzle/

Littlebadwren has 6 designs, or you can make your own. If you want something simple, try the cat. Then add in a bunch of leaves. That’s what Little did. I also like the girl (below) and the butterfly (from her page). You can copy her backgrounds, or try your own.

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​Directions:
1. Tape the edges to hold your puzzle together. Allow ¼ inch edges. 

​​2. Trace or sketch your design. Then paint. 

3. When the paint’s dry, gently bend each stick. Your puzzle will crack apart. Then pull off the tape.
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PS – For extra fun, paint a 2nd puzzle on the back before you pull it apart.
 

Part 3 – The Science of Color
I have two experiments for you tonight. Both of them are simple. You only need a couple of supplies. My kind of science!

The first is called M&M SCIENCE – CRAZY SCIENCE (RAINBOW). You can find it in the LIVING section of Instructables under LIFE HACKS. Its author is MORENA DIY.

I bet you can guess what you need for this experiment – a glass of water, a bag of M&M’s, and a plate.​

The directions – lay the M&M’s around the plate in a circle. You can use any pattern you’d like. Tell your child you’ll be pouring water over them. Then ask him/her what will happen. Even if they’re wrong, predictions are a powerful part of science. 

Now – pour that water over those M&M’s and watch what happens. When you’re done, talk about your prediction and the results. If you want to have fun, and I always did with my 2nd graders, ask them what will happen if you run a stick through the colors. Then, do it! Check your prediction against the results. I think this is where scientists are born!

PS – if you want to extend the experiment, ask another question – what would happen if you changed your pattern? Then let them try it. There are an infinite number of ways to arrange the M&M’s, but be careful! You don’t want to get them all wet. Save some to eat!
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Morena’s link - https://www.instructables.com/id/MMs-Science-Crazy-Science-Rainbow
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This is the 2nd experiment. It’s called AMAZING SCIENCE, and you’ll find it in the Instructables LIVING section under life hacks. Its author is rexbairy1.
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This photo is actually the end result. This is the only image I could find. Rex has a video for the experiment. I’d watch it before working with kids. I love how easy peasy it is, yet fascinating. 
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The ​Supplies – 3 clear cups, 2 pieces of paper towel, and food coloring.

The cups are in a row like the photo. Fold a paper towel and put it between the 1st and 2nd cup. Put another paper towel between the 2nd and 3rd.
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Then add water and food coloring to the 1st and 3rd cups. Any color will do. In this image, they used red and yellow. The 2nd cup will remain empty, at least at the beginning.

What I found fascinating with the results is that the water rose to the same level in all 3 cups. I wasn’t surprised by combining colors. When you put red and yellow together, you will always get orange. If you want to keep the experiment going, try other colors to see what happens when you combine them.

PS – if you can explain why the cups are always at the same level, I’d love to read it. I’m fascinated with the magic of science! If no one emails, I’ll ask Rex. You can too, somewhere on his page.
Rex’s link: https://www.instructables.com/id/Amazing-Science/

                                                                   Part I – The Beginning of a Story - The Problem
​I found this story when I was watching local news, channel 6 WAITE in Knoxville. The story – how Coca-Cola is fighting Covid-19. Coke! I was hooked!

​All stories start with a problem, and this one was global – a shortage of test tubes for Covid-19 testing. How could test tubes ever be a world-wide problem?
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These tubes are special. They start life as plastic preforms, small plastic tubes that are heated and blown into shape. But there’s more . . .  They can’t leak. They have to be large enough to hold any size swab, and millions must be made every week. It’s a BIG problem!

​   Part 2 – The Middle – Step 1

​This could be a set of Covid-19 tests. Do you see the swab and the vial? Back in May there were not enough test kits around, and something had to be done.

The US Department of Health and Human Services reached out to the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), which is near Knoxville, Tennessee. They talked to Lonnie Love, the lead coronavirus scientist, about options.
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​Step 2    Lonnie knew the people at Coke, and talked to them about what they needed. They decided the preform from Coke looked like a perfect match for the testing kit. 

​  Step 3 Lonnie and ORNL asked Coke for preform samples, like that first tube. They worked together to decide if the preform test tubes could be used in the kits.

Look above at the kits again. Those packages include the swab, saline solution, and the test tube. The tubes have to be big enough for the swabs to fit inside, and the cap has to seal on top. Coke’s do!
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Coke preforms have a screw-top lid that’s tamper-proof, and it seals so there won’t be any leaks.

Step 4 Lonnie’s team checked out the preforms first. Then they picked Longhorn Vaccines-Diagnostics in San Antonio, Texas to do more testing.

Lonnie wanted Longhorn to double check to make sure the preform met all their requirements. They’re one of the five companies that make covid-19 tests.
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Step 5 Within 24 hours, Lonnie got a call from Longhorn. They said, “Coke is it!”

​Step 6 Lonnie’s team did another set of tests to make sure the preforms were leak proof. They also made sure bacteria couldn’t grow inside. How? They either heated them to a high temperature, or cleaned them in an ethanol solution. Ethanol is a grain alcohol.
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Step 7 Lonnie also reached out to Sandia National Laboratories to work on sterilizing the preforms. It has to be done before they can be used in testing kits.

Sandia uses Gamma Irradiation for sterilization. It’s the best way to safely and economically sterilize huge amounts of medical equipment. Randy Schunk led the Sandia engineering team. Their job – to figure out the right amount of gamma rays. Enough to sterilize the tubes, but not so much that it damaged the preforms, their caps, and their contents. Then they’d be useless.

​ 
Look at the Y line. It shows how gamma radiation works. The waves can travel through paper and aluminum, but only a third of them can make it through lead or concrete.
 
STEP 8 Sandia’s job is to figure out the right amount of gamma radiation to clean the preforms but not damage them. They’ll share their results with the other companies around the country who sterilize the coke preforms.   

​
Step 10 That was 8 weeks ago. Since then they have produced 56 million tubes for covid-19 kits.

Thanks to Coke, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Oak Ridge, Longhorn, and Sandia working together, 56 million people have been able to find out whether they’re positive or negative for covid-19. Each of these companies must feel proud of what they’ve done for their family, friends, communities, and country, and I’m proud of them. I hope you are too!

My Main Source for this Post
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/coca-cola-bottlers-dedicate-production-capability-to-support-covid-19-test-kits-2020-06-01-818413
Other sources
1. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/covid-19-test-tubes-shortage-coca-cola-bottlers-offer-a-solution
2. https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2020/06/02/Coca-Cola-starts-producing-test-tubes-for-coronavirus-testing-kits
3. https://www.vendingtimes.com/news/coke-bottlers-produce-test-materials-for-covid-19-kits/
4. https://www.fb101.com/2020/06/coca-cola-bottlers-dedicate-production-capability-to-support-covid-19-test-kits/
 

​​Part 1 – This was me at the Mazza Museum on March 1st. It was a lovely day. Crowds enjoyed what this museum had to offer. It was their last open house before the Coronavirus shut everything down.

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Mazza isn’t an ordinary museum. It’s extraordinary! It’s a museum just for picture book illustrations. I am not, nor will I ever illustrate them so I was thrilled to be invited to share NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM.
​
I brought my wind tunnel along. These kids were kind enough to get their pictures taken. I wish I had one when the wind tunnel was in action. Those kids were so excited to see it work. It was that way with every single kid who stopped to see it in action. 

​Part 2 – This is my wind tunnel on the dining room table. It’s almost as long as the table is. When kids stopped for a demonstration, I had them look at the red shape first, then peek in the window. 

​Look in the window below, and you’ll see a model airplane. It has a stick running through it. That’s to hold the model in place. It’s anchored in a cup of sand.

​
The red shape is a digital scale. When kids came over, I turned it on. The scale always started at 10 units, the weight of the sand/model. Then I reset it to 0, and took the kids to the end of the tunnel. 

​Not the one with the fan. I took them to the opposite end. It’s open. You can look down the tunnel past the model and into those black tubes. They’re really used in golf bags. You stick your club inside to protect them. 

​I had them look down the tunnel, then we went back to the scale.  I told them to watch its numbers as I turned on the fan. ​

Every single time I turned on the fan, the number dropped below 0. Sometimes it went down to -2, to -5, even to -10. Then I asked the key question – what happened? How could the plane weigh less after I turned on the fan? The weight of the plane and sand never changed.
​

Part 3 – The answer in one word – LIFT! Did you figure it out? A first-grader did. He said, “The wind lifted the plane.” He saw it and explained it in simple clear words.
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Here’s mine. It’s a little more complicated – when the plane lifted up, it shifted its weight up too, so the scale went down. It was an example of Newton’s law of motion in action – for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The plane goes up, and the scale goes down. Simple physics! 

​​I think Neil would have loved seeing another wind tunnel in action. I hope I learned enough from researching Neil and wind tunnels to do a good job answering that first grader in March, and to write about it tonight. Wouldn’t it be lovely if that first grader, or a blog reader, wound up working in the space program? What a lovely dream!

​ Part 4 – The Mazza set up.  I came in and got my station ready first. Then I took a walk around the building to see what the museum was going to offer its guests. There was an amazing range of activities,

​ I couldn’t leave my station, but I saw so many kids and their parents around me having a wonderful day, thanks to the Mazza volunteers. 
​

​​​This activity came from The University of Findlay College of Sciences. They took up half the room beside me with table after table set up like these two. Whenever I peeked over, I saw families engaged in science experiments. My only regret – I didn’t get to ask or try out their activities. I was curious before the kids got there, and I was still curious after they left.

​This is a Rainy Day Craft, thanks to the University of Findlay Japanese Student. It’s so simple and cute. I think I could make it at home. I bet you could too!

​This was one of the most popular places to visit, Pawsible Angels Therapy Dogs. Who doesn’t love dogs, and these two were so well trained!

​Yum! They had snacks too! Rain drops and ice. And books, of course!
Mazza is a Picture Book Illustration Museum.

​And best of all, I’m not an illustrator, but Neil and I were welcome too!
It was a thrilling day!

PS- Did you see this picture when I started this post? I always start with pictures, and this was originally the 2nd picture. Two days into writing and editing I discovered it had old information. How? The date was wrong. The fireworks couldn’t be on July 2nd when I was writing on July 2nd. Ouch! That’s when I pulled the picture and added a map instead. I didn’t write a word to you.
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The next day I changed my mind. I decided to add this in as a postscript to show you why editing is important. I didn’t catch this error on the first 2 days, but I did on the third. Every time you read your work, you have the chance to catch your own errors.  Stopping, resting, and rereading helped me catch my error, but it still took me 3 days to see it. Why am I sharing this with you? Finding your own mistakes is hard. Remember, 3 days! I hope that by showing you my mistake, it will make it easier for you to proofread repeatedly. Editing, proofreading, and repetition are your best writing tools!

When you look at these volcanoes, do you wonder what stage they’re in…active, dormant, or extinct? When I look at them, I want to say dormant or extinct, and 2 of them are…but one’s active. Can you guess which one…Fuego? I’d never, ever, hike anywhere near it!

Below are 2 maps of Guatemala. It’s in Central America. That’s the land that connects North and South America. I picked the 1st map because it shows where Guatemala is, next door to Mexico. Do you see the red triangle? It’s my favorite active volcano, Fuego.

I picked the 2nd map because it shows Guatemala’s major volcanoes. Can you find the 3 we could hike together, Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango? I’d be happy to use a map to find them. I might take a walk around them, but not a 36 hour hike. No thanks!
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​The pictures below are beautiful, but deadly. That’s because the volcano is awake. How can you tell? Steam. Mountains don’t steam...volcanoes do.

An eruption starts with magma flowing deep underground. That flow starts earthquakes that make fissures, cracks in the earth. Then the volcano spews steam, carbon dioxide, sulfur, and other poisonous gases. It’s pretty, but dangerous.

Fuego volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: RPRTS OF VA EM
Thu, 28 Jun 2018, 16:15
Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report: ...more [read all]​

​Here’s the latest notice on Kilauea:
(BIVN) – The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has issued a new Volcanic Activity Notice that changes the current Aviation Color Code for Kīlauea from RED to ORANGE. The current Volcano Alert Level remains at WARNING.

Sources:
 
1.    https://sciencing.com/stages-volcano-eruption-8549867.html
 
2. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/guatemala-volcano-death-toll-up-to-69-expected-to-rise/ar-AAycpc4?OCID=ansmsnnews11
 
3.      https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/eruption-volcano-hawaii-kilauea.htmlT
 
4. https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fuego/news/69563/Fuego-volcano-Volcanic-Ash-Advisory-RPRTS-OF-VA-EM-.html
 
5. http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/06/25/volcanic-activity-notice-no-longer-aviation-hazard-kilauea-now-orange/

1.     What is the author’s purpose?
2.     What is the worst thing that happened to me? Defend your answer.
3.     What is something bad that happened to you, that turned out for the best?
Answers are at the end of this post.

Usually things look better in the morning. Not this time! Sunday morning I looked closer and took pictures for my husband. I thought the grill landed upright. Not! It was on its side, gas tank and doors knocked loose, laying off to the side.

​That’s also when I looked up the path that runs beside the house. I discovered what happened to my cable and internet, and I knew that it wasn’t coming back anytime soon. Look below…you’ll see what I saw.

Do you see the Hughes Net dish? It’s bent in two. The Direct TV dish is bent, but not as badly. I know wind is a  powerful force, but it’s usually powerful somewhere else. This time it hit in my back yard when I was alone, all by myself. Can you imagine yanking those 2 tree trunks out of the ground and tossing them around like sticks? Or the power to bounce a tree around on the roof? I’m glad I didn’t see it.
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This wasn’t a hurricane or tornado, just wind. Amazing! My husband wondered if we had a mini-tornado with the chairs and grill blowing one way, and the tree trunks blowing the other. Tornado, I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything except rain. No wind, no grill hitting the ground, no tree hitting the roof, and I am so glad!

When What Goes Wrong, Turns Out to be Quite Right
1.     What is the author’s purpose?
My author’s purpose was to persuade you that when things go wrong, sometimes it’s for the best. .
2.     What is the worst thing that happened to me? Defend your answer.
Example: The worst thing was no TV. I missed the noise of TV and watching my favorite shows.
 3.     What is something bad that happened to you, that turned out for the best?
Example: When I missed the bus, mom drove me to school and picked up hot chocolate for me. Yum!