Category: Photo of the Day

Saturn – Sixth Planet From The Sun

Solar System

Saturn – Sixth Planet From The Sun

 


Planet Saturn, Photo by PH Morton

 

I photographed Saturn from nearly one billion miles from our back garden (and Earth!) in the early hours of 3rd September 2023.

I used the near full zoom on my brilliant Nikon P1000 camera.  Image taken unguided on a reasonably steady tripod. I used manual exposure etc. settings as easier to focus. No special astrophotography software was used. A very unseasonable warm evening with haze and air currents prevents better clarity. I was pleased with this effort with minimal accessories.

Saturn is 75 thousand miles (120,000 km) in diameter. Saturn is 9.5 times bigger than Earth & 764 Earths could fit inside Saturn. It is mainly made of hydrogen and helium gases. The centre of Saturn is a dense core of metals like iron and nickel surrounded by rocky material and other compounds solidified by intense pressure and heat. It takes 29 years to complete an orbit around the sun.

Barangay Election – Philippines

5th Annual Convention, Barrio Lieutenant Association of the Philippines, Eligio Wamil, 5th from left second row. the woman is Armi Kuusela

Barangay Election – Philippines

I thought I should post this Wamil Family memorabilia to honour the current barangay election that is gripping the Philippines.

As per above photo, my father was a former barrio captain or barrio lieutenant.  The photo was taken with Armi Kuusela, who was of course the very first MISS UNIVERSE!

She had to give up the crown in the middle of her reign to marry a very rich Filipino, Virgilio Hilario, after a very whirlwind courtship.  I think the one sitting on her right is Armi’s husband.

Anyway, looking at the above photo, my father was fifth from the left, second row, standing up. Well just look for the most handsome man, that is my father!  LOL 🙂

My father was the barrio captain of a paradise-like village of Marag.

What is a barangay in terms of a barrio?

A barangay was formerly known as a barrio. And it is the smallest administrative unit or district in the Philippines.

These villages or barrios or barangays are headed by cabeza del barrio also known as kapitan del barrio, barrio captain, also called as barrio lieutenant, teniente del barrio or the more modern Punong Barangay/ Barangay chairperson.

Barangay came from the word balangay, which is coined from the boat used by Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) people to migrate to the Philippines.

I have to say that these Austonesian people look so much like the Igorots of Mountain Province.

Anyway, please remember to vote wisely.  Elect those who are able, capable, and not prone to corruption.

Afterall, you get the people you choose!

 

 

2018 – Year of The Dog

2018 – Year of The Dog

You belong in the Years of the Dog if you were born in the year: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and next one will be in 2030.

Nostalgia

2018 is a Fire Dog Year.

Lucky numbers are: 3,4 & 9

Lucky flowers:  Rose (you can’t never go wrong with this delicately scented blossom), oncidium, cymbidium, orchids.

Lucky colours are green, red and purple.

 

Persimmon (Sharon Fruit)

Persimmon, photo by PH Morton

Persimmon (Sharon Fruit)

Fruit Bowl, photo by PH Morton

Our fruit bowl is getting more adventures.  Early this new year, we have custard apple, passion fruit, mangoes, kiwi, several types of citrus fruits such as lemon, lime orange, grapefruit and nectarine.

We also have persimmon, which is apparently also called Sharon fruit.  Its scientific name is Diospyros Kaki.  This fruit is often seedless and sweet.  It can be eaten as a whole fruit; there is no need to peel it (but you can of course, if you wanted to.)

Sharon fruit can be eaten fresh, or cooked (in a pie) and even preserved.

Its orange colouring shouts richness in beta carotene and it is actually is a good source.

Here Comes October!

Clematis, Photo by JMorton

Clematis, Photo by JMorton

Here Comes October!

The month of October is harvest time.  It is Harvest Festival.

I can see glorious amounts of pumpkins and squashes rolling into the supermarkets ready for end of the month’s Halloween.

October also is the penultimate month for pay-days before Christmas!

October is when Christmas shopping starts to really rev up,.

The above photo shows a beautiful clematis, which will soon stop flowering and will be hibernating for the autumn and winter and will come to life again in the spring.  Blooming its mighty flowers, ready to delight the senses once again.

October heralds the last of the summer days into autumn.  The orange days of the year are upon us.