Welcome to a potpourri of fun! On this page you’ll find the latest comics by Jari Thymian, a motivational quote, a crossword puzzle contest, and whatever else we decide to throw in here. Be sure to check back for the latest!

• Earth Corner – With Pat Walsh
• Star Stories – by Kelly Ricks
• Riding the Santa Fe Trail – by Laura Brewer
• Every Day Should be Earth Day – Editorial by Laura Brewer
• Find the Differences
• Frank Mahannah – Gallery
• Exploring Climax Canyon by Mauricio Meneses
• Madi’s Kitchen
• Quotes & Riddles

Quotes & Riddles

Riddle Answer

Earth Corner – With Pat Walsh

It’s Hard to Think in an Emergency

Although it may not seem like it, wildfire season is approaching.

Hard to imagine with our recent snow, but our part of the country is becoming warmer and drier overall, and that of course leads to fire danger. The Colfax County Commission just heard a forecast that our wildfire season could be severe, starting as early as April.

During the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, thousands of people had to evacuate their homes. Perhaps during our own Track Fire in 2011, you yourself had to evacuate or got ready to evacuate. At my house, we were ready to evacuate on two different days. Fortunately, it never came to that.

But what if? What if you only had minutes to flee? Would you be ready?

Experts tell us that with more and more extreme weather because of “global weirding,” we should take a little time to prepare when things are calm.

At our house, we have a “go bag.” Following the guidance of various organizations, that backpack includes some basic first aid, toiletries and sanitation supplies, extra medications, some snacks, coins and one-dollar bills (in case the only food or drinks available are in snack machines), copies of important papers, etc. The idea is we can grab that bag and zoom out the door with many of the basics.

A CBS online news story says, “Firefighters created a phonetic list, dubbed the “6 P’s of Evacuation,” to remember everything that should go with you and your emergency kit:

• People, pets and papers
• Phone numbers & important documents (I would add cell phone to this)
• Prescriptions, vitamins & eyeglasses 
• Pictures & irreplaceable memorabilia 
• Personal computer, hard drive & disks 
• ‘Plastic’ (credit cards, ATM cards) & cash”

When I talk to kids about emergency preparations, I try to focus on people and pets. Perhaps there is an elderly family member who will need special provisions to evacuate. As for pets, we have two dogs and two cats at our place. The dogs? Easy. Grab a leash and get them in the car.

But the cats?

There was a news story a few years ago about a wildfire where the family was evacuating their home, and the dad was carrying his daughter’s beloved cat. The cat freaked out, and when cats freak out, that means sharp claws. The kitty got out of the man’s arms and apparently ran back in the house, which burned. The daughter was devastated over her pet’s death, and her father was filled with remorse.

At my place, I have two cat carriers, one for each cat. I’ve also heard about creating a second go-bag for our pets, with some food and water. That’s on my to-do list.

There are stories about the strange things people grab from their homes when they only have minutes to flee. The truth is, it’s hard to think clearly during an emergency.

Take the time to make a go-bag before you need one. You’ll be glad you did.

Star Stories – by Kelly Ricks

Where is the Milky Way Tonight?

Posted January 26, 2025

Here in northeastern New Mexico we are fortunate to have one of the darkest night skies in the nation. We’re so used to our starry sky, it’s easy to forget what a treasure it is to go outside and see the Milky Way galaxy from our own backyards. 80% of Americans today live in places where it’s impossible to see the Milky Way and some will never see it in their lifetimes. But here, all you have to do is drive a short distance from town on a moonless night and you’ll see over 5000 stars with your unaided eye. As a comparison, someone living in Chicago can only see 35! One of the reasons people visit our area is simply to experience a truly dark sky…and especially the Milky Way.

Just as we see different constellations from season to season, our view of the Milky Way changes as well. As Earth orbits the sun we see different parts of our galaxy, and it also appears in different places and orientations across the sky. In this article I’ll be talking about where and when the Milky Way can be seen between sunset and midnight—the time most of us are more likely to stargaze.

Over the next month our sky seems focused around the famous constellation of Orion. Look for the reddish star Betelgeuse (usually pronounced “beetle-juice”) that marks the mythical hunter’s left shoulder. Harry Potter fans will recognize the “movie star” in his right shoulder: Bellatrix. Following on the heels of Orion is the brightest star in our sky: Sirius, the “Dog Star:” the “heart” of the constellation Canis Major. And don’t forget Canis Minor: the “Little Dog” with a big heart named “Procyon.” The large pattern of bright stars around Orion is sometimes called the “Winter Hexagon.” These stars are largely in our galactic neighborhood. They’re close, and bright, and a few are extremely colorful. But there is still another treasure hiding among these winter constellations. One so precious, it is impossible to see in all but the darkest of skies: the “Winter Milky Way.”

The Milky Way view most of us are familiar with is the part of the galaxy we see in summer. For us in the northern hemisphere, summer is when the brightest part of the Milky Way is most visible after sunset. The dense, starry core of our galaxy is high above the southern horizon, and the spiral arms stretching up from it are rich with layer upon layer of countless stars. In winter however, we are looking directly away from that bright core and into one thin layer of stars at the very edge of our galaxy. The Winter Milky Way is faint and delicate. It floats like vapor through the Winter Hexagon and is only visible in a moonless and pristinely dark sky. Most people have no idea it’s there.

February is an excellent month for Winter Milky Way viewing. Nights with the least amount of moonlight during prime after-sunset stargazing hours are: February 1 – 4, and February 19 – 28. Drive a short distance from town about an hour after sunset. Look for Orion high in the south and see if you can identify his reddish shoulder: Betelgeuse. The Winter Milky Way runs next to Orion and right through the Winter Hexagon. For the best view you’ll need to let your eyes adapt to the darkness for a half hour or more so dress warm!

More February Star Stuff:

• Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are still bright and easy to see.  Venus is in the west after sunset. At the same time, Jupiter and Mars are embedded within the Winter Hexagon, almost straight overhead.
• February 1^st: Moon & Venus make a beautiful pair.
• February 9^th: Moon, Mars, and two bright stars in Gemini make a beautiful quartet high overhead.
• February 16^th: Venus reaches peak brightness.
• The sun will be at peak activity through 2025 and more aroura (northern lights) events are possible in our area. Up to the minute aurora forecasts can be found at www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast and many Aurora Forecast apps are available for smart phones. 

Illustrations by Kelly Ricks

Help our Earth – Editorial by Laura Brewer

Every day should be Earth Day, but officially we celebrate in the U.S. on Monday, April 22, 2024. Below is a graphic of some of the things one can do to help our Earth.

Posted February 8, 2025 – Provided by Laura Brewer

Madi’s Kitchen

See additional recipes on Madi’s Kitchen page

Macaroons

Posted February 15, 2025

Hi, I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day and got to spend time with your loved ones, whomever that be – friends, family, romantic partner or even a pet. If you got something for Valentine’s Day from someone you care about and you want to give them something back, why not make these macaroons? Of course you could give them to the person anytime, but I personally suggest giving them for White Day (that is what the holiday was originally called).

White Day is a holiday one month after Valentine’s Day on March 14, when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts on Valentine’s Day. It began in Japan in 1978. Its observance has spread to several other East Asian nations like China, Taiwan, South Korea, and other countries worldwide.

I think it’s a sweet holiday where you can give something back to the people that gave you something and it’s also a fun way where you can be creative in what you’re making. You could make something by hand like knitting, crocheting, or making cards. You could also do something digitally with coding by making a design and printing it.

You can also bake something. I would go with something like bread or cookies if you’re going to give it out to a bunch of people, but if you’re going to have a small party or gathering, I go with something more like a cake or trifle. Bread is pretty easy. You can make a batch of dough and then separate it into a bunch of different tiny loaves and then just bake them. Similar to cookies you make the dough you put it on the tray and then you bake it. These macaroon cookies are a bit tricky. You don’t want to over or under mix the batter and you want to make sure that you let them cool properly before adding the filling.

The day was originally called Marshmallow Day and started when a marshmallow company launched a campaign in 1965 to encourage men to give marshmallows to women in return for chocolates received on Valentine’s Day. The campaign was based on the idea that it was unfair for men not to give gifts in return. The name was later changed to White Day to be more inclusive and reference the fluffy marshmallow roots.

White Day gets its name from white gifts that are traditionally given on this day. The color, white symbolizes purity and sincerity in the Japanese culture. The “sanbai gaeshi” concept suggests that a man’s gift on White Day should be two to three times the value of what he received on Valentine’s Day. Gifts that are commonly given on White Day can include white chocolate marshmallow, jewelry, lingerie, or other tokens of affection. Though it is up to you to decide what to give.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and I hope you have a good day. Note, my plating picture shows mochi in the middle for comparison, surrounded by my delicious macaron cookies. Enjoy!

French Macarons

Ingredients

• 100g egg whites (usually between 3–4 large egg whites)
• 1/4 teaspoon (1g) cream of tartar or lemon/lime juice, (which I used).
• 1/2 teaspoon extract such as vanilla, almond, coconut, etc. (optional). I used elderberry syrup as my extract.
• 80g superfine sugar (aka caster sugar) Caster sugar falls between granulated (regular) sugar and powdered (confectioner’s) sugar when it comes to fineness.
• 1–2 drops gel food coloring (optional)
• 125g almond flour (roughly 28 grams to an ounce)
• 125g confectioner’s sugar
• Desired macaron filling(s) I used elderberry jam for mine. Try blackberry jam, peanut butter, or even cream cheese frosting as your filling.

Instructions

• Wipe down a large glass or metal mixing bowl with lemon juice or vinegar. Add egg whites. cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, then bring to room temperature.
• Line 3 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
• Add cream of tartar and extract (if using) to egg whites. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together on medium speed until very soft peaks form. This takes a few minutes of beating. At first the egg white and cream of tartar mixture will be foamy, then the bubbles will begin to tighten, and the beaters will leave tracks as the egg whites build volume. Once they begin leaving tracks, you likely have soft peaks. Stop beating. Add about 1/3 of the superfine sugar. Beat at a medium-high speed for 5 seconds, then with the mixer continuing to run, add another 1/3 of the sugar. Beat for 5 seconds, then with the mixer continuing to run, add the remaining sugar. Beat at a medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form. This means the whites have stiff, smooth, and sharp points in the bowl or on the lifted whisk attachment/beaters. Stiff peaks do not droop down. You can turn the bowl upside down and the egg whites will not move or spill out. Using a rubber spatula, slowly and gently fold the food coloring (if using) into the egg whites.
• Sift the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar together in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Use a spoon to help work any larger pieces through the sieve. You don’t want to discard a lot of that because then you won’t have enough dry ingredients in the batter.
• Slowly fold the beaten egg whites into the almond flour mixture in 3 separate additions, folding until combined before adding the next addition. After you added all of the egg whites, pay very close attention to the consistency of your macaron batter. Continue folding the batter (which deflates air) until it thins out into the consistency of honey. What’s a more helpful cue is the figure 8 test. Drop the macaron batter off of your spatula in the form of a figure 8. The figure 8 should take no more than 10 seconds to sink back into itself. If it takes less, your batter is overmixed and is too thin. If it takes longer, continue slowly folding the batter to deflate more air, then perform the figure 8 test again. It’s best to go very slow so you don’t accidentally overmix.
• Spoon the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a medium round piping tip, such as Wilton 12, Wilton 1A, or even Ateco 806. The macaron batter is very drippy, so transferring to the piping bag can be messy.
• Hold the piping bag at a 90-degree angle over the baking sheet, pipe batter in 1.5 to 2-inch rounds about 1-2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. I usually pipe little mounds. The piped macaron batter flattens out. Bang the pan a couple times on the counter to pop any air bubbles, then use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
• Let the piped macarons sit out until they are dry and no longer tacky on top, usually 30-60 minutes. This time allows the top to firm up and form a skin, which helps the macarons rise up and form their trademark ruffly “feet.” Do not let them sit out for longer than they need to because they could begin to deflate.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
• Bake for 13 minutes. As the macaron shells bake, they should form feet. To test for doneness, lightly touch the top of a macaron with a spoon or your finger (careful, it’s hot). If the macaron seems wobbly, it’s not done and needs another 1-2 minutes. If it seems set, it’s done. Basically, bake until the macarons don’t move around when touched.
• let the shells cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling. The macaron shells may stick to the parchment paper/baking sheet if you try to remove them too early. If this happens, let them cool on the baking sheet a little longer before removing.
• After cooling, the shells are ready to fill and sandwich together. I have plenty of suggestions for fillings. You can spread filling with a knife or pipe it using the same round tip you used for the macaron batter.
• You can eat right away or, as some professionals prefer, cover and refrigerate them for 12-24 hours so the macarons and flavors can mature. Bring it to room temperature before serving. (I usually just serve them right away!)
• Cover leftover macarons and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Find the Differences – Frosted Donuts

Find the five differences in the two images above.

Find the differences answer

Exploring Climax Canyon by Mauricio Meneses

Artist Mauricio Meneses (D’MAU) is creating videos highlighting sights in and around New Mexico. Visit his YouTube channel to see more. Click on the image below to go to the YouTube video.

Riddle Answer – A towel