Tale to Astonish II

... so last October 18 (2013) the "news media" - bimbos and himbos all - are bustin' at the seams to tell ya' (and tryin' to outdo all the competing stations) that there is going to be a lunar eclipse that evening - gonna' be a beautiful night for viewing (they got that part right) - supposed to happen shortly after 10pm... it's Friday! - and beer drinkin' night 'ta boot!! - so didn't bother to check any of the "facts" (and they sure as hell didn't report 'em)...

... we're set up high on the ridge and ready to go around at exactly 10pm - camera, tripod, PBR's... totally gorgeous night - 70+ degrees, brilliant full moon (you're even casting a shadow) and not a cloud in the sky... we're watchin'... and watchin'... and watchin'... around 10:10 (zero hour) observed a slight blur of the moons lower right quadrant, but that was it... 10:30 and still no action... called a friend to double check the conditions for us - "I didn't know there was an eclipse tonight!?" - so he checks on line - "Yea, you're right - says 10:10pm!"...

... turns out that it was to be a 'Penumbral Lunar Eclipse'...

(internet photo)

... whereas, the moon is only catchin' a fraction of the earths shadow - that's the basic geometry of the phenomenon above...

(internet photo)

... and this is basically what ya' see - didn't snap any photos of our own - was expecting more...

... so, around 10:45, finally realized it's over and we're down to the last brew - time to pack up...

... when all of a sudden - what's this!? - three bright objects come rifling out of the sky and hit the ground, bouncing and rolling... that's one there... didn't know what they were, so scooped 'em up, tossed 'em in the rear hatch, and left...

... so the next morning I'm out back at the garage lookin' at these things - about the size as a duck-pin bowling ball... next thing ya' know, one begins weavin' and rockin' - suddenly rolls about ten feet and stops...

... shakes itself like just wakin' up - and open pops two green eyes! ... looks me up and down... says his name is Commander Osage - from the planet Zanfi - ally to 'OOD' (see Tale to Astonish) - and he's here to pick up where 'OOD' left off (eyeing the woodpile)... here we go again - one problem - communicates telepathically only - has no audible hearing - now what!?...

... on top of that, he starts spittin' out these big ass alien termites - says that they are slaves that do all the work on his planet, since his "race" has only intelligence and slight physical being - these guys are all physical - no brains - the 'Zanfis' do their thinking...

... and he's poppin' these guys out one after the other...

... they're even equipped with built-in buzz saws...

... they're really starting to swarm now - climbin' the walls and the wood pile! - I'm totally defenseless - he's got me in some motionless "mental-lockdown"!!... can only stand and watch!!!... and his two companions are now startin' to squirm!!!!... they really start goin' to town on the woodpile - this looks like the end!!!!!... Commander Osage's green eyes glaring....

... suddenly, "a part of the darkness near the door detached itself and drifted toward Osage - it crossed the light but did not shut out the light - it left no shadow because it was itself a shadow" - it hovered over Osage for a second - just long enough for him to realize his fate - before he was crushed under a large shadowy foot...

... no longer under the mental control of the Zanfi commander, the 'termite slaves' collapse dead - the two remaining 'Zanfis', now roused, witness and cognizant of their situation, beat a hasty retreat into the western sky...

... the shadow moved back across the light and again became a part of the darkness...

... thanks 'Ghostrider' - owe ya' one!...

... HA! - more fun again!!...

... a little 'Lee and Kirby'...

... a little of the great 'Paul Blaisdell'...

05/11: Nicely drawn 'Spacegirl' (got "hollered at")

... a little "Stephen Grendon" (a.k.a. August Derlith - or vise versa)...

... and a lot of screenwriter and NYU Professor of Screenwriting (or maybe just instructor - who cares - know she wouldn't have) - 'Michelle Cousins'...

... a little Sci-Fi primer in anticipation of the big-boy next week! - can't wait!!...

... 'da man!!!...

... 05/11: Don't know what kind of bug that is in the photos - that thing was about four inches long and creepy as hell - found it crawlin' up the side of the garage - a week later it was still hangin' out under the eave of the roof and had molted to include a bright green cocoon-looking shell with large wings - went into the house to get a camera for a photo - came back out and it was gone...