Review: Hour is come

 Hour is come is the introduction to the Dotty Sayers antique cozy mystery series by Victoria Tait. Where many authors try to cram an introduction in the first book, Ms. Tait a prequel and true introduction while still giving a taste of the fun to come. In th first chapter we meet Dotty as she attends her husband's funeral. After the funeral she is lost and alone for the first time in her life. As we travel through the book we get to watch Dotty blossom into a more confident and secure person as she meets new friends and co-workers at the antique shop where she finds employment. In the book she also gets her first taste of solving a mystery.

A few. of the things I found most enjoyable about this book is the way the book makes you feel like you are meeting friends and keeps keeps your interest. One of the first characters we meet in Angela Sayers. At first comes across pushy but as the book continues her relationship with Dotty becomes more friendly. Later on in the book we meet Gilly Winery and Marion Rook who take Dotty under their wings on her way to becoming the receptionist at the antique/auction house.

I give it 5out 5 stars.

ULA geo5 mission

 

Today, May 18, at launch complex 41 of the Space Force compound at Cape Canaveral, Florida we were treated to the sight of the launch of the ULA (United Launch Aliance) Atlas V 421 rocket. The rocket, carrying the Lockhead Martin built SBIRS 5 (space based infer-red system) satellite and two smaller satellites equipped with the Ez3 and Ez4 flight systems. Lifted-off at 1:37 ET (10:37 PT). The launch was originally scheduled to take place the previous day but was delayed due to weather conditions.

The SBIRS satellite is the 5^th installment of an array that will at its completion the array will be comprised of 6 satellites in a geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean. The array will then provide the Space Force with warnings of incoming missiles and other critical information needed for the defense of the United States of America.

“Thank you to our mission partners for the tremendous teamwork as we processed and launched this asset that provides powerful surveillance and critical capabilities to protect our warfighters,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “We are proud to work with the U.S. Space Force to continue to meet the national security needs of our country.”

The EZ-3 & 4 satellites, that were a secondary payload, will provide critical information for launches and capabilities for warfighters.

This launch marks the 87^th time that the ULA has sent an Atlas V into space. Out of those 87 times this is only the 8^th Atlas using the 421 configuration. The 421 configuration consist of a 13.7-ft long payload fairings on the centaur upper stage.

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites

 

Early Sunday morning, May 9, Cape Canaveral was lit up as a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the launch pad at space launch complex 40. It was 2:42 a.m. EDT (11:42 p.m. Saturday PDT) when the engines roared and the Falcon 9 carried 60 Starlink satellites into the sky. This successful launch will bring the total 1321 Starlink communication satellites in a low Earth orbit. This flight will mark a milestone as the first stage of the rocket will make its 10^th launch.

"First time a Falcon rocket booster will reach double digits in flights," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter Saturday before launch.

Just under nine minutes after the launch the first stage of the rocket safely landed on the drone barge just read the instructions. The landing not only marked the 10^th recovery for this rocket but the 83^rd time that SpaceX has successfully recovered the first stage of one of their rockets. The first time this feat was accomplished was when SpaceX made history back in December of 2015.

"SpaceX's first reuse of an orbital class rocket was on the SES-10 mission way back in March of 2017," Spacex supply chain supervisor Michael Andrews said in a live webcast. "We've certainly come a long way since then.”

SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. Founded by Elon Musk in 2002 with the goal of bringing down the cost of space transport and one day colonizing Mars. SpaceX currently owns three launch pads: slc-40 in Cape Canaveral and lc-39a at Kennedy Space Center both on the east coast and slc-42 at Vandenberg, California on the west coast.

Review-Reconnected: A spiritual awaking memoir

 

Reconnected: A spiritual awakening memoir by Christine Hoeflich chronicles her journey to find her inner happiness. Just like most of us; She followed what she thought was expected, what she thought she wanted out of life, and fought against her inner voice and signs around her. The only thing this brought was a temporary satisfaction that would leave her feeling empty and cause conflict in her everyday life. Eventually, she hit a low point in her life were all of this was threatening to destroy everything she held dear in life. It was at this low point that she was asked to join a soul recognition workshop that could be the miracle she needed to save her. As she was about to find out though the workshop, even though it provide some answers, was only the beginning of her journey. Christine now knows what her inner being is telling her but she still has many obstacles to overcome before she can accomplish her life's purpose. Once Ms. Hoeflich learns how to get in touch with her inner being she starts receiving insights from everything around her to help overcome her obstacles.

There are so many aspects I like about this book. The way she gleams insight out of an event or something someone says to her. One example was when she saw a nut fall from the sky and a friend told her about how birds will drop nuts to crack them. That one simple talk started her thinking and gleam some more insight in how we all connected to the universe. Then there is the way that just about everything around her start inspiring new ideas for her writing,

One of the things I don't like about this book is how ms. Hoeflich allows self-doubt creep in even though she has made great strides in her work. I can't blame her though since it is part of the way we are conditioned all are lives.

I would highly recommend this book for everyone. Most of us just stumble through life and can get plenty out of this book to inspire us to get in touch with our own inner beings. Even if you are one of the rare people that have found your life path it is still a good way to keep you focused.

I would give this book a 4 out of 4 stars

Review: Meow-Catnip assassins book 1

 

Skye Mackinnon gives us a new kind of hero in Meow: Catnip Assassins book 1. As the book starts we meet Kat, a shapeshifter and trained assassin, as she sets out on her latest mission. But, this will not be a normal mission as she is about to find out. It is only the being of a wild ride as Kat and her associates take us with them on journey full of twist and turns. We start with a murder investigation that leads us to a drug ring, murder, kidnapping, torture, and deception.

Being assassins and thieves Kat and her associates don't always play by the rules to get the answers they need to solve this puzzles. When they find the people they are investigating are harming children, one of Kat's associates Lilly delivers one of the best quotes, “Kill adults, sign me up, but poisoning children, doing who knows what to their health? No, that's just wrong. I may not have a moral compass, but I have a heart.”

The book does start slow and has a few holes. Overall though it is a very enjoyable read that will keep you glued to the pages to the very end. Anyone that is a fan of cats, shapeshifters, and urban fantasy will like this book. I would high recommend it and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

3 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Healthcare by Jen Smith

 

(Image: Medical App Against Doctor Using Smartphone Stock Photo (Edit Now) 370726037) 

3 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Healthcare

Artificial intelligence is growing at an incredible pace, and it’s beginning to transform practices in virtually every industry. While artificial intelligence was once a relatively small field, AI systems have already changed various aspects of our business and professional lives.

In this article, we’ll cover three of the most important impacts of artificial intelligence on healthcare. With constant progress being made in healthcare software development, we can only imagine how the healthcare industry will be leveraging the power of artificial intelligence in 2030 or even 2025.

Risk Analysis

Doctors can make informed judgements about patient risk, but humans are simply incapable of the large-scale analysis that characterizes artificial intelligence. AI solutions can analyze massive volumes of patient data to identify trends that might be invisible to a healthcare professional.

In fact, one study found that modern AI systems could decrease 30-day hospital readmissions by more than 10 percent. That improvement alone could save the healthcare industry more than $20 million every year, and it’s just one of many promising applications of artificial intelligence.

Drug Development

Identifying, developing, and testing new drugs is an incredibly complex process, and AI can make it both most efficient and cost-effective by analyzing information on past treatments and finding new therapies with a high chance of success. Again, this is an area in which the abilities of artificial intelligence far exceed what any human actor could do with the same information.

With artificial intelligence, drug producers could weed out treatments that are unlikely to succeed while putting more resources into the most promising treatments. The advantages of AI for drug discovery have been clear for several years now, and its capabilities will only grow as the technology develops and companies continue building even more powerful solutions.

Primary Care

Artificial intelligence may never completely displace human doctors and nurses, but it can minimize unnecessary appointments and clinic visits by handling a variety of basic inquiries. A medical chatbot, for example, could respond to questions about a patient’s health or treatment plan, or refer them to a professional if the chatbot can’t provide the right answer.

This application of AI is highly scalable, and it could take pressure off of medical professionals by giving them more time to focus on urgent problems that artificial intelligence isn’t (yet) capable of solving. It’s particularly relevant for underserved populations who may not otherwise have access to vital information.

Artificial intelligence is already shifting the way we think about healthcare, and its effects will become even clearer over the next few years. These are just a few of the most promising applications of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry.

The eyes of America are focused on Cape Canaveral, Florida as SpaceX and NASA go for their second attempt at returning to manned space flight from United States soil. On Wednesday the launch had to be scrubbed due to weather conditions that would have endangered the lives of the two heroic men aboard the Dragon crew capsule. As long as everything remains a go then both Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be the first astronauts to launch from American soil since the last shuttle launch in 2011.

 The current mission is considered a demo flight. Later missions will carry 4 to the ISS (International Space Station). Each mission will also include supplies to restock the ISS.

The USA returns to manned space launch

Update: The launch has been scrubbed and they will try again over the weekend

Today, NASA and SpaceX will make history as they make the first manned space launch in 9 years. In future missions there will be 4 astronauts but for this launch astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be the 2 brave men rocketing toward the ISS (International Space Station).  The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew capsule will take off from the historic pad 39A at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Happy 50th Apollo 11

It was 50 years ago today that the Nation was glued to their television sets to see the world's first Moon landing. At 4:17 EST (eastern standard time) we heard the words that the Eagle had landed on the moon.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed," Neil Armstrong radioed Mission Control at 4:18 p.m

A short while we saw Neil Armstrong step out of the lunar lander and start the descent to the surface of the Moon. We watched him back down the ladder until he reached the bottom rung and jumped down to become the first man to step on the surface of our Moon.

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong said.

Shortly after commander Armstrong stepped on to the lunar surface we see Buzz Aldrin step out of the capsule. He starts his slow descent to become the second man to set foot on the Moon. Once Aldrin is down, the two men begin their mission of collecting rocks and conducting various experiments. The two men spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface before blasting blasting off in the lunar module. Moments later they coupled with the command capsule being piloted by Michael Collins.

After completing their mission the three heroic Astronauts headed back to Earth. After a few days in space the capsule splashed into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

The mission actually started on July 16^th as all eyes were focused on the Kennedy Space Center in Florida a three men (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins) took the long walk to the space capsule at the top of a Saturn V rocket. Once they entered the capsule and hatch was secured we kept watching and praying as we listened t o the counted down. Once the engine roared to life we cheered and the cheering grew as we watched Apollo 11 lift-off the platform.

“Thirty seconds and counting. Astronauts report it feels good. T-25 seconds. Twenty seconds and counting. T-15 seconds, guidance is internal. 12, 11, 10, 9 ... ignition sequence start ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 ... All engines running. Liftoff! We have a liftoff ... 32 minutes past the hour, liftoff on Apollo 11. Tower clear.” was the commentary we heard from our news stations.

It was a thrilling sight that we have witnessed many times before with 9 previous successful, Apollo 1 ended in disaster, launches. This one was special though since it would end with the first man stepping out on the surface of the moon. We watch as the rocket soared into the heavens and maneuvered into the proper course as it headed for its final destination.

“Neil Armstrong reporting the roll and pitch program which puts Apollo 11 on a proper heading. “ We heard the reporter say.

The days following that thrilling site we eagerly awaited to hear news of our three astronauts. We couldn't get enough of seeing video straight from the flight deck seeing Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins as they went through their daily rituals in space. Then 4 days later, as we watched the moon landing, we all let out the breath we have all been holding since watching the launch on July 16, 1969.

"There were so many things that could fail and result in our astronauts being stranded on the moon or killed," retired NASA engineer Brooks Moore of Huntsville remembered this week.

So, today we say happy anniversary to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for giving us that thrilling site 50 years ago.

Review: Butterfly Islands

What do you get if you mix the Robin Hood, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Bride, and the Goonies? You get the thrilling fictional adventure of Butterfly Islands by Chris Seabranch. Once you start reading you will be hooked as you follow young Casey Archer on this thrilling adventure that takes her from a life of misery to the swashbuckling life of piracy. Along her journey Casey finds herself all kinds of situations that change and mold her into the strong, powerful young woman by the end of this first book in the series.

The author really brings the characters in book to life with excellent descriptions of the way they look and their mannerisms. One such description is the 6 foot tall, masculine stature, broad-shouldered Wall Brown. He also makes great use of cliff-hangers like when he ends one chapter with Casey being attacked by deadly parasites. The next chapter cuts to the pirates and keeps us glued to the book to find out Casey's fate.

Some of the situations in the book might be a little to graphic for the pre-teen and younger crowd. I think that older teens, young adults, and the more mature crowd that are looking for a good adventure will love this book. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Small garden ideas

Not too many years ago many individuals across the country had their own home gardens. In the years since then open land has become less easy to come by. Now, most people rent or can only afford to buy a house in an area with small or no yard. This has them thinking that having their own garden is out of the question. That is not the case though. The following are just a few ideas on creating a garden where there is a limited area:

1. Make your garden vertical. If you have a small yard with a fence then why not use the fence for the garden? You can have brackets attached to it to hold flowerpots, have boxes built on it to grow your flowers or vegetables, or grow climbing plants. If you don't have a fence then could try making a step pyramid of wooden squares.
2. Make indoor terrariums. To accomplish this you can use just about anything already laying around the house. A jelly jar could be used for growing herbs, a cleaned out whipped topping tub make a good planter, or even a plastic milk jug with the top cut off. You want to make sure that any of these items is washed clean. In the case of a plastic milk jug you could cut off the top and poke a few drain-holes in the bottom and you have a planter deep enough for vegetables. Just make sure you place it on something to catch the water that drains out.
3. Add planter boxes to existing areas. Most of us have seen an old movie or television show where there are planter boxes attached to the outside of a window ledge. These can be great for a garden area. Just make sure the boxes are well secured. Other places to add boxes would be patio furniture like benches, chairs, or even picnic tables.

Review: The Biblical clock

The Biblical Clock: The untold secrets linking the Universe and Humanity with God's plan by Daniel Friedman and Dania Sheldon is a thought provoking non-fiction book. In the pages we read about how through study scripture and other religious writings Biblical scholars have been able to show a correlation between the timelines set down by science and what is written in the pages of Genesis. This is the forth book in Daniel Friedman's inspired studies series.

The book starts off with a gripping story of the fall of the city of Acre during the crusades in 1291. It is through this story that we meet Isaac Ben Samuel, who miraculously survives the siege, who comes up with a formula for showing how the Earth is millions of years old long before scientist came to that conclusion. From that start you are drawn into as we travel through time meeting rabbis and other scholars as they share their wisdom and insights on how the Age of the Universe, the timeline the science gives us for the evolution of life, and the big bang.

The many interactions in this book are so real and convincing that can actually picture yourself in the pages. One such interaction was when a Rabbi was teaching Torah studies and one of the students brought up the question of what does the phase “it was good” mean. It is a simple question that probably many of us wondered about when reading the creation story in Genesis. Another example and one my favorite interactions was when the question arose of why we use different names for God throughout the Bible. The Rabbi's answer was rather intriguing when he said we do this for each enumeration of God.

I found the book the book hard to put down as I found each page took me on a journey of discovery secrets that would show how religion and science are not as different as most of us think. Some of the ideas I particularly found interesting was the idea of God days during the creation and how that each day of creation represents one of the millennium following since the creation.

I would recommend this for any that has ever wondered if science and the Bible have a commonality. I

5 little known facts about Benjamin Franklin

Today, January 17, 2019, we celebrate the 313^th birthday of Benjamin Franklin. He was born in the city of Boston in the year 1706 and died in Philadelphia in 1790.

To most people when they hear the name Benjamin Franklin you think of him as a founding father of the United States of America, his kite experiment during a lightning storm, poor Richard's almanac, his securing funds for the Revolution, being Postmaster General. All of these are major accomplishments and show how diverse of a life he lead.

There is much though that many of us may not know about the man that play such a big roll in shaping our country. The following are a few of those lesser known facts:

1. He only had two years of formal education. As a young child Benjamin attended both Boston Latin School and a private academy. After just two years at these schools he was put to work for his parents in their candle and soap making shop.
2. At the age of 12 he went to work for his brother as an apprentice in his print shop. This was were Benjamin started what would be a successful printing and journalism career. Four years after starting there Benjamin started writing essays and commentary as a fictitious Widow named “Silence Dogood”.
3. He was an abolitionist in his later life. Much like many business and land owners at the time, Yes, Benjamin Franklin was a slave owner. A few years after the Revolution, he came to the conclusion that slaves should enjoy all of the freedoms that the rest of the country receives. In 1787 he became the president of the Pennsylvania abolitionist society and in 1790 he petitioned congress to grant liberty “to those unhappy men who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage”. Upon his death he not only freed his slaves but put a clause in his will that his children must release their slaves to get their inheritance.
4. He is a member of the international swimming hall of fame. Early in his life, one of his first inventions were hand paddles that he would use to propel himself.
5. He was not in favor of the Revolution at first. Benjamin lived in London for many years and received several royal appointments. Because of all this he still wanted to remain on good terms with England. So, when the other founding fathers talked about Revolution, he talk about trying to compromise with the crown. He even called the Boston tea party “ an act of violent injustice on our part”. Of course this raised some suspicions and started rumors of him being a British spy.

The Human Brain

What is the Brain?

Depending on who you ask, you will get several different answers to this question. If you ask a neurologist you will most likely get an answer about how the brain is broken down into different areas and what we believe each area controls. If you ask a computer scientist you will probably get an answer about the neuronets. A philosopher would tell you about how the brain is a wondrous device that can solve any problem and make all your dreams come true. The true answer is that the brain is all of those and much more.

Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku once gave one of the best quotes about what a brain is when he said, “The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron is connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the universe.”

How much of the brain do we use?

It was once said that humans use 10 percent, or less, of their brains. This answer assumes that we know what the brain is capable of doing. That is far from the truth though since we actually have no idea of the limits of what the human brain can accomplish.

Physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson once the talked about how much of the brain we use in the following quote, “Everything we do, every thought we ever had, is produced by the human brain. But exactly how it operates remains one of the biggest mysteries and it seems the more we probe its secrets the more surprises we find.”

Over the years there have been dozens of theories on just what can be accomplished if we unleash the full potential of the brain. Some of them have suggested that we would be able to manipulate matter, read thoughts, come up with new ways of traveling through space, or see through time and space. It is amazing to think about what our future might hold for us.

Opening day is finally here

Calling all baseball fans, calling all baseball fans. It is time to wake up from your 4 month hibernation. It is time to dust off your mitts, buy your tickets, and sing “Take me out to the ball game”.

Once again opening day is upon us. The day every baseball fan eagerly waits for after the last pitch of the World Series. It is a day for all of us fans to gather together and party. Then join in all the revelry at the ballpark that builds up to the first pitch.

This year will be extra special for all of the fans of the Seattle Mariners. First, the start will be at Safeco Field this year. Second, it is the return of the king as Felix Hernandez takes the mound for his 11^th opening day start. Third, after a long absence we will once again see Ichiro in the outfield.

After some sub par starts, atleast by King Felix standards, and two stints on the disabled list, we thought we might have seen the last of the Felix. Despite spending some time on the injured list this Spring, Felix showed enough in his preseason starts to get the nod to take the mound on opening day. This will be his 11^th overall opening day start to give him the most in Seattle Mariners history.

In 2001, the Seattle Mariners signed a 26 year-old outfielder named Ichiro Suzuki. At the time he was already one of the best players in Japan but there was still some questions on how all of his talent would carry over to the major leagues. It didn't take long for him to answer all though questions when he was soon throwing players out from the outfield, amassing 200+ hits a season, and becoming one of the most decorated players in Mariners history. In 2012, his offensive numbers began to decline and the Mariners were trying to rebuild. Midway through that season the Mariners traded Ichiro to the New York Yankees. Now, he is back with the Mariners. At the age of 44 don't expect him to be the same Ichiro that amassed over 2,500 hits with the Seattle club.

SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy for the first time

Today, February 6, crowds that gathered around Cape Canaveral, Florida were treated to a spectacular sight. At 3:45 ET (12:45 PT) launch pad 39A, that saw the Apollo moon missions, roared to life as the SpaceX Falcon Heavy lifted off on its first test flight. The launch was a success sending a red Tesla roadster, along with a dummy called starman, on its way to Mars.

Once the Falcon Heavy cleared the launch tower it soared into space where the two side boosters separated from the core. The boosters were then brought down for synchronized landings on side-by-side landing pads at Cape Canaveral. Even though we have seen several successful rocket landings this one was breathtaking when we witnessed the two rockets in perfect synchronicity. The feed cut off before we could see if the core rocket landed on the drone ship.

The Falcon Heavy consist of three modified Falcon 9 rockets connected to each other to form a tall core and two side boosters. Each rocket has 9 powerful engines to give the Falcon Heavy 27 engines creating over 5,300,000 pounds of thrust. The Falcon Heavy gives SpaceX the capability to carry larger payloads, up to 140,000 pounds, into low Earth orbit.

Preparing your garden for the Spring: pruning your Roses

There is nothing quite like the site of nice healthy Roses in Spring and Summer. To get those healthy Roses in late Winter or early Spring with a good pruning and clean up of  the area.

Supplies needed:  Before you start work on your Roses their are  few items you should have with you. A good pair leather or heavy cloth gloves to protect your hands from thorns, a pair of long-handle pruning shears (loppers), a pair of short-handle pruning shears (preferably ratcheting), a rake, a wheel barrow or wagon, and either a bottle of glue or nail polish.

Now that you have your supplies you are ready to start getting your Roses ready for the growing season. When you begin here is a handy acronym that will help you remember the order the order of the process. It is P.R.U.N.E.

P:  This stands for preparation. Your preparation cut will be to bring all of the Rose canes to 30" or waist height. This will make it easier to see down into the Roses.

R:  This stands for removal. You want to eliminate all of the dead, diseased, and cross canes. This is important to make sure you have the healthiest canes.

U:  This stands for understanding your Roses. If you have the type of Rose suited for a long-stem you will want to keep fewer canes. If you have more of a bush variety then you will want more canes. This is also the step where you will be making you final pruning cuts of taking out any excess canes and cutting the remaining ones to between 16" and 24". Now, when you make your final cuts you want to make them at a 45 degree angle about one-quarter inch above a outward-facing bud. Once you make the cut you will need to use your glue or polish to seal the end of the Rose cane so boring insects can't get in and kill the plants.

N:  This stands for nothing left behind. This where you will need your rake to get all of the debris out from amidst the Roses. Be careful not to damage the base of the Rose plant when you are raking the debris. Then load all of the debris and discarded canes into your wheelbarrow to haul away.

E:  This stands for enjoy your Roses. Now that you have finished all your tasks all that is left to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor as your Roses provide you with plenty of blooms..

Happy 48th Anniversary Apollo 8

It was 48 years ago today, Dec 21, that the Kennedy Space Center in Florida roared to life with the liftoff of the Apollo 8 craft. It was shortly after 7:00 am EST (4:00 am PST) that the whole nation was treated to the sight of three brave astronauts as they waited in the Apollo 8 command module, that sat on top of a 110 foot tall Saturn V rocket, as we listened to the countdown to launch. The viewers all held their breath as they heard 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...liftoff. Then there was a cheer as the engines came to life, at 7:51 am EST (4:51 am PST), and carried the rocket into space. For the next three days viewers eagerly watched as these brave men journeyed to the moon where they would go into a lunar orbit.

On Dec 24 (Christmas Eve), 1968 they reach their objective when they took up a lunar orbit. For the next 20 hours they would make 10 orbits of the Moon. Approximately million television viewers watched as we were able to see the lunar surface for the first time and what the Earth looked like as viewed from space. On that evening we were also treated to the voices of our astronauts as they read the first 10 verses of the book of Genesis from the Bible. The three astronauts took turns reading one verse for each orbit. Once that of the mission was over they started the 3 day journey back to Earth.

For the next three days we held our breath and watched as these men rocketed back to Earth. On Dec 27, 1968 at 10:51 am EST (7:51am PST) we were able to let that breath out as the Apollo 8 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. From there the command module would be recovered by the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. The astronauts would have to wait 43 minutes before frogmen from the USS Yorktown would reach the module to bring them the crew and capsule on board. The three men were then welcomed back to Earth and taken back to dry land. That year Colonel Frank Borman, Major William A Anders, and Captain James A Lovell were honored as Time “Men of the Year”.

Apollo 8 was the second time that Frank Borman and James Lovell were partnered on a space mission. The two were also paired for the Gemini 7 mission were they would perform the first orbital rendezvous. In that mission they would link with the Gemini 7 craft that was launched into Earth's orbit 14 days earlier. After both missions James A Lovell would go on to command the infamous Apollo 13 mission that was never able to fulfill its mission of landing on the moon. Frank Borman retired from NASA after the Apollo 8 mission. William A Anders would be named as part of the back-up crew for Apollo 11 but never go on another mission.

Today we lost one of the great ones

Today; December 8, 2016; is a day of remembrance as we reflect back on the life of one of the truly great Americans; former Marine, Astronaut, and United States Senator John Glenn. Mr. Glenn passed away after battling an undisclosed illness that had hospitalized him twice in the last month. He had honorably served his country for almost 6 decades out of his 95 years of life.

Mr. Glenn began our country in 1942 when, as my Americans, heard the call to service after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though he had enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp it was the United States Navy that took him for flight training. Near the end of his flight training he transferred to the United States Marines where, in 1943, he was assigned to the VMF-353 squadron where he flew transport. Being a man of action he transferred to the VMF-155 squadron where he flew 59 combat mission in the south Pacific. After World War II his service continued fling patrol mission in the Pacific and then as a flight instructor. In the Korean war Mr. Glenn service two term of duty where he flew 95 combat mission.

After his service in two wars Mr. Glenn became a test pilot taking new military jets to their breaking-point. On July 16, 1957 he earned his 5^th distinguished fling cross when he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight. At the time of the flight he set a record time of 3 hours and 23 minutes from California to New York.

In 1958 Mr. Glenn began the third phase of his career when NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Agency) put out the call for astronauts. He applied for the new agency along with 507 other military test pilots. Early the following year he found out that he had made the final cut and was introduced to the rest of the country as one of the “Mercury Seven” astronauts. On February 20, 1962 he became the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 capsule. Two years after that historic flight Mr. Glenn announced his retirement from NASA to start a career in politics. The following year he also retired from the United States Marines with the rank of Colonel.

After a few setbacks Mr. Glenn started his political career in 1974 when he won his first term as an United States Senator for the state of Ohio. In 1984, during his second term as Senator, he made an unsuccessful run for the Presidency. He then returned to the floor of the Senate where he won two more terms before NASA came calling once again. In 1998 he became the first United States Senator to go into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery. He left politics when his term expired in January of 1999.

Four steps you should take to Winterize your garden

It has been a plenty of work but a productive year in the garden. We started in early Spring months with weeding, adding nutrients, and aerating garden. Then we planned out what to grow and purchase all of the plants and seeds. Finally, it was time to plot out where every would go and get it planted.

In the later Spring months and throughout the Summer there was plenty of weeding, water, fertilizing, and pruning. In the early Fall months we were finally to benefit from all of that hard work as harvest time came around. Now that most (if not all) of the plants are dead and Winter is approaching there is still plenty of work to be done be the frost comes:

1. Getting rid of all the dead plants, weeds, and other debris will both reduce our preparation work next Spring and help keep down the spread of fungal diseases caused by decaying plant matter.
2. Dig up and re-pot all of your perennials to store them for the Winter. Remember to keep them moist during storage.
3. Once you cleaned up the garden, add some fertilizer, mulch, and/or compost to replenish the nutrients in the soil, and turn it all into the garden.
4. Cover the garden with landscape cloth, plastic, or paper to keep down weed growth.