Pondering....

What if I had a sit down conversation with a Farmer about Abortion? How would it go? Depends on the person's ideology of course.
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You're a Dairy Farmer correct?

Yes I am.

Let me ask you another question. Do you believe in womens' health rights?

If you are asking about abortion, women should not have them. That's just not right.

So let me ask you this. What happens when one of your cows freshens too early? And she can't get the calf out?

Um. Whaddya mean?

Well, I mean she is calving but the calf has died inside and she is pushing and can't get the calf out? 

I try and pull the calf out because if I leave it in there, she'll die. If I can't get it out, I call the Vet. He's got medicine to help her get the calf out.

Wait. So you will abort your cow to save her life even before she goes down? Right?

Well. It isn't abortion really. 

Wait. It isn't? I mean if you can't get the calf out, what happens? The calf starts to rot and she dies pretty quickly right? 

Yep and then I'm outta a lotta money.

You bet you are, so you take the calf instead of waiting to see if she'll deliver it on her own.

Yep, I'd be crazy to throw away a good milk cow's life for a calf that was killing her.

So you abort her pregnancy.

No, I am saving her life.

Yes you are! Then why is it so different for human women? Shouldn't we save them from dying too? Shouldn't they get the same kind of care you give your dairy cows?

Jeesus. When you say it like that....

So we pass a law saying you can never pull a calf from a cow EVER for any reason unless she is down on the ground and near death. You and the Vet have to wait until she is gasping for her last breath before you try and save her.

I'd lose a lot of money. My farm would go belly up. You know how often that happens?

I do! I've worked on a Dairy Farm.

That kinda ain't fair. You are comparing a woman to a cow.

Oh. I guess I am to make a point. So you are saying a cow's life is more important than a woman? 

No, no .. no...

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Some guys can't understand women's health and what the issue is, right? It is straightforward. Pregnancy happens and a baby comes 9 months later.

Unless it doesn't.

How can animals have more rights for their health during a pregnancy than women?

Babies, Blood Moon, and such like...

Welcome Sterling Edward to this life.  He had a bit of a rough start with an emergency C-section on September 30th.

There I am holding Sterling, next to me is Samantha the proud mom... step sister Lily, and Sterling's sister Elena!

It was a whirlwind few days of lots of emotion and happiness.

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It was all over the news, the last lunar eclipse of the year was Wednesday morning.
I checked the NASA site for estimated times and set my alarm for 4am.  At 4:15, I could see the shadow beginning so I made coffee and made the decision to await until the shadow had nearly covered the moon.

I drove to the ridge top and parked on the gravel road with the moon now turning orange.
So I kept trying exposures until finally I nailed a keeper.

It was still well before dawn.  I think this shot was taken about 5:15AM.

Worth the wait and the nearly frozen hands!  The moon was dim enough that it did not blot out all of the surrounding stars.

I patiently waited until the glow in the east started.

As the sun rose the moon dropped and returned to its normal color with the lower half still either in shadow or in atmospheric haze.

I finished up by jumping into the car and going to a higher viewpoint to watch the moon sink into the trees and out of sight.

Last night I made an attempt to catch yet another full moon after it peered down into our hollow.

It turned out more like a Halloween Shot instead.  Of course, I didn't use a tripod and the clouds were not exactly cooperating.

Today is supposed to be in the 50's.  Perfect for poking about in the woods to find colors.

Perhaps Morris, my assistant will come along and we can start photographing the new book in his series of adventures with toys....

It should be fun!