Red Soles Winery at Dusk

I like to walk in the late afternoon and early evening, just before it gets dark. On one such walk I decided to explore some new wineries I'd noticed on Oakdale Road off Highway 46 West. I discovered Red Soles Winery at dusk and decided to walk up from the road for a closer look. The tasting room had already closed.

Red Soles Tasting Room at Dusk, © B. Radisavljevic

I was actually greeted by a friendly dog, but I couldn't get it to stay still long enough for a good photo. I couldn't even get a good video because I couldn't   move the camera fast enough to keep up with the dog. Maybe next time I'll get a better photo. The only one that came out well was the one I took of the dog doing its business, and I didn't think it polite to publish it.

I wondered how Red Soles got its name, and found the answer on their web site, linked to above. Owners Randy and Cheryl made their first barrel of wine the old fashioned way -- by crushing it with their feet. Afterwards, they noticed they had red soles.

Since it was already late when I'd arrived, it started to get dark and I  thought I'd best go home. Before I left,  I got this shot of the moon over the vineyard.

Moon Over Red Soles Vineyard, © B. Radisavljevic

The photo below, especially designed for sharing on Pinterest, does show the dog. If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Sharing buttons are at the end of the post, just above the comment box. 

This is my eighteenth post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos
Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards
Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast
Paso Robles Police Vehicles

Quiet Places Near Paso Robles

Earth's Rotation Day

We Now Know the Earth Rotates

Today every child learns in school that the earth is round and rotates on its axis. It was no always so. Until Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the world and proved it was round even many scientists still believed the earth was flat. However since the 5th Century BC most Greek writers had believed the earth was round.

Sunset Is Visual Proof that the Earth Rotates, © B. Radisavljevic

It took longer for ordinary people to start believing what scientists did, and even longer for scientists to start believing and demonstrating that the earth rotates on its axis. In 499 AD the Indian astronomer Aryabhata first wrote about the earth's rotation on its axis. By the end of the 17th Century, Galileo and Newton's work supported this theory. Before that, even most scientists who believed the earth was round thought that the earth stood still and the sun and moon rotated around the earth.

Photographic "Proof" the Earth Rotates

I'm afraid I don't have photos of the earth rotating, but I do have proof it rotates. If the earth did not rotate, the sun would not set and the moon would not rise. Without the earth's rotation, we would not have day and night. 



In September, I took this shot of the sunset while I was facing west, just as the sun was almost down.

Sunset, © B. Radisavljevic

Then I turned to face the east as the moon was rising. Same day. Same time

The Moon in September, © B. Radisavljevic

It is the earth's rotation that causes the moon to rise as the sun sets.

Resources That Help Explain the Earth's Rotation

This video helps us understand the earth's rotation.

If you'd like some more help in explaining how the earth rotates and why we have day and night to your children, you might try one of these books.

 Where Does the Sun Go at Night?: An Earth Science Mystery (First Graphics: Science Mysteries) There Is Day and Night (Tell Me Why (Cherry Lake)) Come See the Earth Turn Smithsonian Handbooks: Stars and Planets (Smithsonian Handbooks)

Related articles

• What a Glorious Gift is the Sky

The Moon is Waxing Gibbous

The moon is huge as I write this the evening of October 26, watching it rise. It's not quite as full as it will be tomorrow, but it is 50% illuminated, which is why it's called the Waxing Gibbous moon. It was quite visible in the late afternoon as I was driving east before the sun was gone. I drove up where I  could shoot this from a hilltop. To see the moon features, please click to enlarge the photo.


By the time you read this on October 27, you can look forward to seeing a full moon. I missed the larger harvest super blood moon last month because the clouds made it invisible. The sunset that night, though, was spectacular. Click the link to see those photos if you missed that post.

Sunset, Moon Rise, and Finger Painting in the Sky

Sky Show

The sky put on quite a show last night. I took these photos  about 6:45 PM. This is what the setting sun looked like then.

After taking the picture, I left for the gym to do my stationary cycling. By the time I got on the bike and looked toward the west through the window at the gym, the clouds were turning lovely shades of pink and purple, but I didn't have my camera with me there.

The Moon Rising

Before leaving for the gym, I also took these other photos. This first one is of the moon rising.

Finger Painting in the Sky

Sometimes the sky looks as though  someone got up there with finger paints. I think that happened last night, but there were only these colors while I was taking the photo. Later the colors changed to shades of pink, but I had left my camera at home.

Sometimes we miss a lot when we forget to look up at the sky -- especially  during the minutes when the sun is setting. Nothing calms me like a sunset. How does seeing a sunset affect you?

Beautiful Sky Welcomes Coolness after a Hot Day

It was hot today in Paso Robles -- 102 degrees. It was hotter yesterday and stayed hot at night. So I was pleasantly surprised to walk out to my car about 6:30 and feel a cool breeze.

 When I was ready to leave for the gym a short while later, I walked out to see this moon surrounded by pink clouds. It's supposed to stay cool tonight and only be in the eighties tomorrow before turning hot again for the first day of autumn. Fortunately, the night temperatures are supposed to remain in the fifties all week. It's wonderful to be able to turn off the air conditioning at night and remain comfortable by opening the windows. Right now I'm in front of an open window with a cool wind blowing on me.

I love the sky views we have here in the North County. I'm definitely a sky watcher. Are you? Here are some of my other sky shots.  There are more sky photos here.

I Hope This Moon Means a Change in Weather Today

I'm tired of triple digit temperatures. The weather man predicts it will be a few degrees cooler today. I hope last night's moon is a sign it will be. I took this picture from the library parking lot at about 8 PM.

I'm hoping for a cooler temperature because I have to be outside for part of today. I wilt in the heat. I have a meeting at Larry Moore Park between 9 and 11 AM. I also want to go to the home and garden expo at the Events Center in the afternoon. I don't think I will be able to  be outside in triple digits. I might be able to handle the predicted 94 degrees, but not for long. I hope the morning will be cooler.

Here is a closer view of the moon. Click any photo to enlarge it.

Related articles

• Keeping Cool: Tips for Protecting Your Wine from Summer Heat