Note: I’m sick today and will be in bed for much of the day. I’ll try to get some flower art photos up today; they are essential to some people and vital to me. Zinnia is doing her very faithful companion dog thing and is locked to the bottom of my chair. Bless her sweet […] | Continue reading
Thanks for all of the wonderful support you’ve given the Cambridge Food Pantry in the last week. Sarah keeps calling your work and generosity “amazing,” I can’t do much better than that. Today, we have two items on our list. One is a 20-ounce pack of Pineapple Chunks for $3.19, … | Continue reading
“I hate flowers – I paint them because they’re cheaper than models and they don’t move. ” – Georgia O’Keeffe. We have a severe thunderstorm watch and warnings for the next few hours; I’m getting offline and helping to get the farm ready. We might or might not lose power. Weather … | Continue reading
When we got Zip, we knew he had always lived outdoors and that, like many Barn Cats, he developed a thick coat in the winter. He was comfortable living outside in the barn, which would be his home, sleeping place, and haven. We talked to many Barn Cat people, some vets, and some … | Continue reading
Note: Sue’s column will usually appear every Friday; she was unavailable last week but will return to the Friday column this Friday. Thanks so much for supporting her wonderful work. As you will see, she is worth every contribution and will put it to beautiful use. Jon News from … | Continue reading
Today is peanut butter day, creamy and chunky. One is just $ 2.64, and the other is $9.36 for a pack of three. We can help. See below. It’s important to keep noting that your support is vital in addressing this frequent request from Pantry residents. One of the things that stand … | Continue reading
It was a beautiful, even typical, morning at Bedlam Farm this summer: Amish Carts, Zip Adventures, and Sheep chewing their cuds. The most touching moment was my visit with dear Tina, a dog I love. She is the pet of my Amish neighbors just up the road and a wonderful farm dog. We … | Continue reading
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keeffe. A wind came up, and there was no heat warning today. It was cloudy and rainy all morning, so I went outside for a few minutes to [… … | Continue reading
The heat wave eased up, and I exited the house briefly; Zip and I resumed our afternoon meeting and Chipmunk watch. I’m starting to look forward to it. Once again, Alvin outsmarted Zip and chirped loudly when Zip crept up on a chipmunk walking too far out in the pasture. The warn … | Continue reading
Barn swallows babies are in the barn. The barn swallow mothers and fathers are tough. Zip is afraid to go near the new babies. If he does, he is sky-bombed by an army of barn swallows. They stick together and put up with no nonsense from cats. Ed Gulley’s Tin Man has found his bl … | Continue reading
The awful heat wave eased a bit, and Zip, my photographic assistant, showed up to keep me company while I worked. He did his usual charming twist to get a scratch, but I wasn’t having it. I’m too busy today. He pouted a bit, and then I told him to get lost, and he did. […] | Continue reading
Just a heads up, just two of Maria’s vintage and quite beautiful summer scares remain and are up for sale on her Etsy Page. They cost $65.00 plus shipping. The first, above, is the iconic and touching 1959 Calendar scarf, made out of vintage and dated 1959 hankies. The second sca … | Continue reading
In a time of angst and division, I have learned a magical and reliable way to stay grounded, optimistic, and at peace: that, as you may have guessed, is to do something good for someone else every day. Note: we have gotten a bunch of size one diapers enough for the family who as … | Continue reading
On Ancient Stars (and a Thought on SETI) by Paul Gilster | Aug 2, 2024 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes | 45 comments I hardly need to run through the math to point out how utterly absurd it would be to have two civilizations develop within a few light years of each other at rou … | Continue reading
SPECULOOS-3b: A Gem for Atmospheric Investigation by Paul Gilster | Jul 31, 2024 | Exoplanetary Science | 20 comments “What is this fascination of yours with small red stars?” a friend asked in a recent lunch encounter, having seen something I wrote a few years back about TRAPPIS … | Continue reading
Galactic Insights into Dark Matter by Paul Gilster | Jul 26, 2024 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes | 29 comments Put two massive galaxy clusters into collision and you have an astronomical laboratory for the study of dark matter, that much discussed and controversial form of mat … | Continue reading
On Astronomical Accidents, and the Proxima Centauri ‘Signal’ that Wasn’t by Paul Gilster | Jul 24, 2024 | Culture and Society | 20 comments One night a few years back I had a late night call from a friend who was involved in Breakthrough Starshot, the attempt to design a probe th … | Continue reading
Science Fiction and the Interstellar Imagination by Paul Gilster | Jul 17, 2024 | Culture and Society | 47 comments “We were dreamers, dreaming greatly, in the man-stifled town; We yearned beyond the sky-line where the strange roads go down. Came the Whisper, came the Vision, cam … | Continue reading
Where Does the Kuiper Belt End? by Paul Gilster | Jul 11, 2024 | Outer Solar System | 11 comments Looking for new Kuiper Belt targets for the New Horizons spacecraft pays off in multiple ways. While we can hope to find another Arrokoth for a flyby, the search also contributes to … | Continue reading
Remembering the Y2K ‘Flasher’ by Paul Gilster | Jul 9, 2024 | Culture and Society | 8 comments Transients have always been intriguing because whether at optical, radio or other wavelengths, they usually flag an object worth watching. Consider a supernova, or a Fast Radio Burst. B … | Continue reading
There was a heat alert today; I had to go out at noon to catch the desired sunlight. The bugs were insane, hostile, and aggressive, and welts covered my hands and arms. I’m putting ice on them, hoping they stop itching by sleeping time. On the other hand, I got some lovely flower … | Continue reading
It was exciting to see Sarah Harrington, director of the Cambridge Food Pantry, ‘s message this morning: “The Pantry Wish List now has eight items under $3, and four of those are under $2.” Sarah did it again. She found healthy and sought-after foods and drinks that cost very lit … | Continue reading
It was very hot yesterday, but Zip showed up for his afternoon meeting with me. We sat together and looked out over the fields and woods adjoining the farm. I imagined we were looking for different things, but Zip seemed happy and comfortable sitting in my lab and on my shoulder, … | Continue reading
I wanted to write this morning about President Biden’s effort last night in his ABC interview to assure Americans that he was cognitively and physically capable of being President of the United States, winning the November election, preserving our democracy, governing for four mo … | Continue reading
My garden bed is booming between the sun and the rain. I spent some time with it, exploring the flowers, some of them popping up for the first time. It was well worth battling the heat. I needed to get to know them again and continue the search for the soul of a flower. I’ll […] | Continue reading
According to our outside thermometer, it’s 89 degrees here. I went for my afternoon walk around the farm to check on the animals. Maria was walking with a friend; Zip was lethargic, came over to rub against my leg, and vanished underneath a chair on the porch to sleep. The animal … | Continue reading
This is excellent news for the Army of Good. The Cambridge Food Pantry has received 60 bottles of Lemonade and 22 bottles of Cranberry Juice; more are coming. We have enough Lemonade for now; thanks so much. Today’s urgent request: Jasmine Rice. Sarah has requested assistance obt … | Continue reading
There are two things to understand about our politics right now. First, it’s time to start looking ahead. The Washington drama is just another in-house performance of the big circus. It’s over. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Joe Biden will withdraw from the presidential ca … | Continue reading
Space Butterfly: A Living Star Probe by Paul Gilster | Jul 5, 2024 | Sail Concepts | 10 comments Browsing through the correspondence that makes up Freeman Dyson’s wonderful Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography Through Letters (Liveright, 2018), I came across this missive, describi … | Continue reading
Sue Silverstein is the art program director at Bishop Gibbons High School in Schenectady, New York. The blog will continue to feature her column on teaching art (she’s getting famous) on Fridays throughout the summer. We are lucky to have her here. – Jon ____ Notes from the Art R … | Continue reading
Exciting news from Full Moonfiberart. Maria, fueled by her new free-form sewing machine, has embarked on a unique venture this week. She is creating a new line of potholders, ‘Stories From Bedlam Farm,’ a reflection of the captivating and familiar scenes often featured on our blo … | Continue reading
The Bee Balm is a dream come true for this photographer, full of twists, turns, and shapes. Bee balm is a good and helpful flower with antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-nausea properties that naturally support those with eczema, sore throats, cold sores, achy muscles, and cong … | Continue reading
“…those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it. The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain is too cheap and esteem it too lightly; dearness only gives everything its value.” – Thomas Paine. Of all the visi … | Continue reading
The morning was beautiful. It’s a hot and muggy day, but nothing like the heat that hit a week ago. The South is getting hit very hard. I see that conspiracy Christians (yes, they are on both sides) are writing on social media that the heat waves afflicting Texas and the South ar … | Continue reading
Maria posted five books from Bedlam Farm for sale on her blog yesterday. Two sold immediately, and three remain. I can vouch for all of them, and she has also provided links to additional information if people want it. It’s a great deal, and we are happy to see books we love go t … | Continue reading
With Sarah’s blessing, I’m trying to help stockpile some of the least expensive and most popular drinks and food requested by the children who depend on the food the pantry provides. I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve already added over 50 bottles of Lemonade to the pantry, with … | Continue reading
I had an exciting flower day as you perhaps can see. It started with the Bee Balm, which Maria found out in the pasture, and I brought some new flowers to the bed and we did it all together, an experimentation that I think went well. This is a sign off for tonight, Wednesday, the … | Continue reading
Old age is a very good time for growing, learning and changing. I can also be outrageous if I want, and tell people what I really think of them, which scares the angry and hateful to death and chases them away. I’m going to be 77 in a month or so, and after seventy, I’ve […] | Continue reading
Sarah asked us to help her pantry recover from the crush of last week’s pre-holiday crowd. They were planning for the week if they could. We have already restored five foods that were gone from the shelves. Here are two more from her – Tide Detergent, and Herbal Tea, and two mor … | Continue reading
One thing sstood out for me when I belatedly watch the now historical debate and apocalypic hysteria that has followed it. Donald Trump wasn’t leading the news. First, there is no doubt in my mind that Joe Biden will drop out of the race, and the Democraatic Party can and will c … | Continue reading
The Beamed Lightsail Emerges by Paul Gilster | Jul 3, 2024 | Sail Concepts | 25 comments If you look at Galaxy’s December, 1962 issue, which I have in front of me from my collection of old SF magazines, you’ll find a name that appears only once in the annals of science fiction pu … | Continue reading
Wednesday mornings are hectic for me. I have a Zoom meeting with blog readers (and now great friends) that I love, I also love the photos of Maria tending to the sheep, picking flowers and shoveling manure all at the same time. (Above, four of the baby barn swallows are doing wel … | Continue reading
I meant to capture my evolution as a flower photographer by posting photos from six months or a year ago to show the changes. But I couldn’t. I just didn’t really like most of them; they were nothing like my photos now. How strange. In other news, I was a camera hero today. I was … | Continue reading
Last week, I wrote about the beautiful novel “Brooklyn,” the first of a two-book series on a young Irish woman who moved to America after the big war. I finished it, and it was one of the best novels I’ve read. Soon, I’m starting the sequel, “Long Island,” by Coin Toibin. Before … | Continue reading
It’s hard to believe, but I still get messages insisting that Zip is an unhappy cat because he can’t sleep in the house every night. Lives move quickly; the Truth moves more slowly but always prevails. By now, Zip has charmed almost every animal on the farm and, indeed, the human … | Continue reading
The Cambridge Pantry needs coffee and grated Parmesan Cheese. They are out of both, says Sarah. These supplies are essential for pantry expectations, and your help in replenishing them is greatly appreciated. The picture above is the first of several boxes of potatoes that were r … | Continue reading
Some of my favorite flower photos get left behind; I don’t have the space for all of them. This is my flower of the morning three mornings ago. It got lost in the turmoil. | Continue reading
It’s another beautiful day. I’m going to the Cambridge Food Pantry to take my weekly photos of the food truck arriving from the pantry bank in Albany. Maria is coming separately to help with stacking. My next Mansion meditation class is on Monday. I miss the crew; they’re off to … | Continue reading