My Dear Readers,            

                                                                         I’m writing to you from my tiny aquamarine planet, far away in the beautiful Andromeda Galaxy! 

 

                                                                        

After streaming through the many light years in our trusty yellow space kayak, we arrived home!   We looked back  at  your beautiful Earth, “The Dewdrop of the Milky Way,” for as long as we could, until it was just a tiny blue dot in the distance. 

 

Our journey was peaceful &  starry…I wish you could have been there!   The Milky Way & Andromeda are good neighbors, containing the most beautiful stars far and wide in the Universe.  (…at least, I think so…but  honestly, I’ve not had the chance to visit any other galaxies.)   

 

 

 

 

 

My sweet children LB & Seala are  so happy,  swimming in our  clear aquamarine home waters, growing healthy & strong… 

As  for me, I am overjoyed to be among our loved ones once again!  

 

And yet…I miss each one of you living there on  Earth! 

 

Until we meet again, please take good care of your amazing & colorful little planet, & take good care of each other!   Just remember…

Love rocks the stars!

  

 love,

clay ball     :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

give your planet a big hug from me!

the birthday party

 

This morning, I got up very early, for a special space mission…a birthday mission! I had found out that it was the birthday of my dear friend from work, the Hubble telescope, who just turned 20 years old!

 

I know Hubble from my occasional little weekend space missions working for NASA.  (As it turns out, I am rarely taking part in any space missions anymore, because I found that my children missed me too much when I was that far away…or maybe it is that I missed them too  much!)

 

 

 

So, in any case,  I called up Hubble, & the very kind telescope said we could meet close by, just inside the outer hedge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

As a little surprise, I brought along a birthday cupcake with a single candle!  I guess I have my son LB’s pyromaniacal tendencies, because I almost caught the Universe on fire!  (Just kidding,  all you science purists out there!)   Luckily enough, Hubble blew out the candle & made a birthday wish, just in the nick of time!

 

 

 

 After that, we chatted a little, about Life, the Universe, and, of course, Spitzer & Chandra,  who are Hubble’s best friends. Then we fondly said our good-byes…

 

Happy Birthday, Hubble Telescope!  Keep up your beautiful work!

 

 love,

Clay Ball

 

These photographs are courtesy of NASA–thank you, NASA!

 

 

 

 

composting with red worms!

 

 

Today, when we got back from swimming, there was a mysterious package on our front stoop! 

 It had holes in it.

 It was the red worms!  They had just arrived after a long & arduous journey from Canada…They said that they heard rumors that their trip was held up because of the Icelandic volcano eruption, but who could know for sure?   (These worms were ordered from The Compost Guy.)

Since the red worms were a little tired & thirsty, we showed them right to their new home out back in the compost bin…(we did not have the heart to ask them to pose for photographs after their long trip…)

 

 

…but here  is an artist’s rendition of what the leader of the worms, Samuel, looks like…

 

 

 

And here is a little sample of the food we had prepared for them a while back…then added shredded up egg cartons, pasta boxes, & some water….

The red worms are delighted with their new home!  They are settling in & growing plump & talkative…& boy oh boy, the stories they have to tell!  They are a friendly group of neighbors, I am happy to say!  Welcome, Red Worm Family!

love,

Clay Ball