Monday, June 25, 2012

ASSORTED ASPEN FLOWERS - YELLOW ROSES OF ASPEN JUNE 2012


The Yellow Roses of Aspen.  Just like everything else, they arrived early this year but were as spectacular as usual!


Yellow Roses of Aspen, June 2012 - Assorted As...
Yellow Roses of Aspen, June 2012 - Assorted Aspen Yard Flowers (Photo credit: richpalpine)
Assorted Aspen - Yellow Roses of Aspen June, 2012
Assorted Aspen - Yellow Roses of Aspen June, 2012 (Photo credit: richpalpine)


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Friday, June 22, 2012

ASPEN SUMMER SOLSTICE PARTY – STARS, STORIES, AND ICE CREAM!

Aspen Astronomy Crowding Around For Nitrogen I...
Aspen Center for Physics Summer Solstice Party - Crowding Around For Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream (Photo credit: richpalpine)

The crowd was eager, the ice cream was cold, and the stories were, well… spellbinding at the Summer Solstice 2012 party hosted by the Aspen Center for Physics in cooperation with the Aspen Science Center and Spellbinders Storytellers!

Last Wednesday, the Aspen Center for Physics was the scene for some entertaining amateur astronomy and summer fun as the Center celebrated 50 years of physics in Aspen by co-hosting an evening of stellar storytelling, interesting related cosmic facts from Center physicists, and of course ice cream. Telescopes were also set up on the site.

We joined the eager crowd, comprised mostly of families with children, in order to learn a little bit more about the lore of the cosmos.  I felt like a kid myself – giddy with anticipation of the activities to come.

While we waited for darkness to fall, our hosts brought out the some treats – cookies and ice cream. The liquid nitrogen-cooled creation was smooth and tasty, very cold, and very popular with this particular crowd. The kids seemed to like it too!

As darkness began to fall, we settled in at one of the Spellbinders story stations to listen to some cosmic yarns.  The storytellers wove tales about the Pleiades, the Big Dipper, and the origin of the Milky Way as seen in our night skies.  Visiting astrophysicists then answered questions and doled out interesting facts about the cosmos.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

ASPEN COMMUNITY SOCIAL DANCE TWO TOO MANY TWO-STEPS

Clint Black
Cover of Clint Black
What is the difference between Nightclub Two-Step and Country-Western Two-step? And, what’s up with the Country-Western Triple Two-Step

They are all fun dances, but sometimes I get them mixed up - too many two-steps!

I have been exposed to all three at one time or another at previous Aspen Community Social Dance events, but with my still-limited dancing experience, I found it challenging to remember the differences.

Fortunately, the last two Aspen Community Social Dances featured two-step lessons.  In May, we learned the Nightclub Two-Step, and this past Saturday we were taught the Country-Western Two-Step and were given the opportunity to go over the Country-Western Triple Two-Step. 

We were reminded that the Country-Western Two-Step and Triple Two-Step are progressive dances, meaning that couples travel counter clockwise around the dance floor’s edge, while the Nightclub Two-Step is danced primarily without “traveling”. I was still a little confused as to which of these to use for a particular song (they all rely mostly on a 4/4 signature), but it seems that the tempo and feel or mood of the music dictates the appropriate style. 


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Aspen Yard Flowers - June 3, 2012

COLUMBINES HAVE EMERGED

 Despite the lack of rain, our columbines are coming into their own for this year and the peonies and irises are still putting on a great show!


Assorted Aspen Columbines
Assorted Aspen Columbines (Photo credit: richpalpine)            
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