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SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - MOTHER EARTH IS ALIVE AND WELL
When the Apollo 8 astronauts took this picture from the Moon on their space mission in December of 1968, they were part of the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing and then departed safely back to Earth. We have not looked at the Moon quite in the same way since.
Over the past week, here on earth, we've experienced a Nor'easter, an earthquake, and a solar eclipse. The trifecta. These rare events forced us to pause and acknowledge just how alive our planet is. Most of the time, we are unaware of how fast we are spinning through our solar system and just how volatile our atmosphere can be. It is humbling to witness the rage of a storm, the shaking of the earth, no matter how terrifying it might be, and the utter awesomeness of a solar eclipse. Such events are rare and beautiful, and we are lucky to witness them.
On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, we had a powerful Nor'easter hit our area. A Nor'easter is a storm along the East Coast of North America, so called because the winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast. These storms may occur at any time of year but are most frequent and most violent between September and April. It was a challenging commute to and from work, but I made it without incident. I hope you did, too, whether you were driving or on foot. An umbrella was rendered useless.
On Friday morning, April 5, 2024, I was sitting at my desk at Farmingdale State College where I work in Greenley Library. Around 10:25am, everything began to tremble and shake. It was loud and scary. In that moment, I was pretty sure we were experiencing an earthquake. It only lasted about 10 seconds, but I grabbed my pocketbook and went outside. My co-workers followed.
I was scheduled to read that morning at 10:30am for the children from The Children's Center that is on our campus. I was lucky enough to avert them as I saw them walking towards our building. They were innocently unaware of what had just taken place. I sent them back to the center where I felt they would be safest. The grounds crew overheard me and put down their tools. They yelled out, "Did you say we just had an earthquake?" Just then, my phone dinged with an alert to confirm our suspicions. "We sure did," I shouted back. We were all stunned and shaken, but glad it was not worse. I felt an aftershock around 6:00pm that evening.
Earthquakes large enough to be felt by a lot of people are relatively uncommon on the East Coast. Since 1950, there have been about 20 quakes with a magnitude above 4.5, according to the United States Geological Survey. That's compared with over 1,000 on the West Coast. I'm glad I live on the East Coast.
Perhaps the most spectacular event this past week was the Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. This eclipse was a total solar eclipse visible across a band covering parts of North America from Mexico to Canada and crossing the contiguous United States. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight. Totality occurs only in a limited path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a larger surrounding region. In our region, the solar eclipse was about 90 percent, but what a beautiful percentage it was. We were lucky to have such perfect weather to view this celestial event - one we may never see again.
The Moon's apparent diameter was 5.5% larger than average. With a magnitude of 1.0566, the eclipse's longest duration of totality was 4 minutes and 28.13 seconds just 4 mi (6 km) north of the Mexican town of Nazas, Durango. This eclipse was the first total solar eclipse visible from Canada since February 26, 1979, the first over Mexico since July 11, 1991, and the first over the United States since August 21, 2017. No other solar eclipse in the 21st century will be totally visible from all three countries. The next total solar eclipse in the US will be on March 30, 2033, which will pass over Alaska; the next total eclipse in the lower 48 states of the US will be on August 23, 2044; and the next total eclipse of similar width will take place on August 12, 2045 (traversing coast-to-coast similar to the 2017 eclipse). The final solar eclipse of the year will occur on October 2, 2024. Keep those viewing glasses!
Peace and Love,
Skylark
At 60 and Beyond, witnessing such natural events can be awe-inspiring and humbling at the same time.
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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - IT'S CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON IN WASHINGTON, DC
Thousands of people make the pilgrimage each year to Washington, DC just to see the Cherry Blossoms. It's a tradition that has stood the test of time. But why are there so many cherry trees in DC to begin with? You've almost definitely heard the basics, that Japan gifted the trees to the U.S. in 1912. But there's more to it than that. It's all thanks to an Industrial-era travel writer, a former FLOTUS, some Japanese diplomats, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Eliza Schidmore was an American author, travel writer, newspaper correspondent, and photographer, as well as National Geographic's first female writer and board member. In 1885, she was 29 years old and had just returned to the States after her first visit to Japan. While in Japan, she developed a great appreciation for the Japanese people, culture, and the beauty of the Japanese flowering cherry trees and came back with a mission: to beautify the land in Potomac Park by planting cherry trees there. They are still there today. Don't miss this colorful display of Mother Nature.
For more information, visit Cherry Blossom DC Guide 2024 - DC Cherry Blossom Watch
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SKYLARK'S PRAYER OF THE WEEK
Dear God,
Open the hearts of people who unaware of Mother Earth's bounty. May they learn to appreciate and admire her incredible beauty and her ability to teach us patience and the wonder of life. Amen.
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SKYLARK'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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SKYLARK'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Where do you spend time in nature?
Please put your answer below in the Reply bubble next to the heart. I'd love to hear from you.
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SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - IN THE SPRINGTIME by MAXI PRIEST
LYRICS
In the springtime
You can see nature full and free
High up in the trees
You can hear the birds them singing songs of freedom
Out in the open
Everything there is fresh and clean
Unlike the life I'm here living
All creatures great and small
Living together one and all
I wanna be
The way I wanna be
That is the way I wanna be
Like the birds in the tree yeh
They're going tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet etc.
Singing songs of freedom
Singing songs of freedom
Living in the city
No chains around my feet
But still I am not free
No handcuffs on my hand
But I've got my dignity
I wanna be
The way I wanna be
That is the way I wanna be
Like the birds in the tree yeh
They're going tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet etc.
Singing songs of freedom
Singing songs of freedom
See as a youth living in the city
Can't get no work
Can't get no job
Can't get no money to put in my pocket
I can't get a thing to have of my own
That's why I wanna be free
That's why I wanna be free
Like the bird in the tree
Like the bird in the tree
They're going tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet etc.
Singing songs of freedom
Singing songs of freedom
Yes in the springtime
You can feel nature full and free
High up in the trees
You can hear the birds them singing songs of freedom
Out in the open
Everything there is fresh and clean
Unlike the life I'm here living
All creatures great and small
Living together one and all
I wanna be
The way I wanna be
Just like the birds in the trees
They're going tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet etc.
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ABOUT SKYLARK
My brand, Skylark Live, consists of a weekly newsletter; Skylark Live Town News, and a monthly vlog; 60 and Beyond with Skylark. I’m still mulling around the idea of monthly in-person chats called The Skylark Sessions. This is a work in progress. They are all designed to inspire and motivate people to thrive in older age through knowledge and self-awareness at 60 and beyond. Andiamo! Let's go!
Skylark Live Town News - My weekly newsletter features articles about human interest, nature, general observations, inspiration, motivation, music, places I've been to, and ideas I want to explore. I represent Bay Shore and towns beyond. There is also a calendar of events. And, I throw in Italian words because I love the language and all things Italian. Bella Italia! As a paying subscriber, you will receive my newsletter each Wednesday morning in your email. That gives you a head's up. You can also advertise your business or event on my newsletter. Just click this link to subscribe For updates, subscribe to our free newsletter!
60 and Beyond with Skylark Vlog - This is my first Monday-of-the month vlog that is inspirational and motivational and is a reflection of what I've written about in my newsletter throughout the month. My vlog is recorded and posted on my YouTube channel, as well as on my Patreon account and my social media sites. Just click my YouTube channel link to subscribe:
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Thank you for your love and support. Apprezza la giornata. Cherish the day. Saluti! Cheers!
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