the adventures of clay ball

 

Since travelling into space a few weeks ago, I really got to missing space travel a little bit…

 

So last weekend, I decided to take LB & Seala on a little trip!  We did not venture quite all the way to our home galaxy, Andromeda, which is the closest galaxy to this one…after all, the two galaxiese are 2.5 million light-years apart!

 

…Instead, we went just as far as the space tunnel shortcut, which connects our two galaxies, the Milky Way~Andromeda Tunnel!

 

 

 

We flew off early in the morning …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And went into that super-accelerated phase, which is difficult to photograph…

 

We did briefly see this UFO, but I didn’t give it a second thought……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like my grandmother said…Space is pretty  infinite, so no need to worry about every little thing, Clay Ball!

 

 

Finally, we arrived at the entrance of the space tunnel…

 

 

 

 

You might not think so, but there is a peculiar stillness when inside the tunnel…Very, very, very still…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does one travel so quickly from one galaxy through to the other with this space tunnel shortcut? 

 

That is a good question!  I don’t have an exact scientific explanation…Perhaps it has to do with the theory of relativity (which I believe states that we are all relatives, so we  have to set healthy boundaries & passageways for one another)…& the Universe is just shifting a little to help us on our way…

 

…or maybe it is  the bending of space~time…

 

…or it could just be that the Universe is a little glitchy, & space travellers can find many shortcuts for just that very reason…

 

 

 

Well, whatever the case may be…Here it is…the most beautiful galaxy in the Universe…the one & only…

 

Andromeda!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a very peaceful galaxy.  Can you see my tiny home planet at 7 o’clock?   It is a little tiny & fuzzy in this picture, &, I suppose, impossible to see, after all, from this far away.  But I can imagine it there…Hello, to all my dears back home!  I love you!

 

 

 

And here, from the entrance to the other side of the space tunnel, we can see your galaxy from afar…

 

The Milky Way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also a beauty!  Hello all the Beings there on Earth & all the other planets in the Milky Way!    A special shout out to my nephew & neices down South!  Hi Tabasco & Lon!  Hi Family!  Hi my dear Readers!

 

 

 

Well, LB & Seala loved this little journey to the space tunnel! 

 

 

 

The trip home was very quiet & uneventful…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…Our neighber the maple tree waved hello as we arrived…

 

                                                                                                 … just in time to make some Swiss fried potatoes for supper!

 

 

 

 

love rocks the stars!

 

 

 

 

love,

 

 

 

 

Clay Ball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s.  By an amazing coincidence, NASA also has some very similar pictures of Andromeda & the Milky Way…Thank you NASA for your super photography & artwork!    

(And above is M81, another beautiful galaxy!)

 

 

 

 

Dear Readers,

 

To supplement my modest income, I am overjoyed to say that I found an occasional weekend job!  

 

Here is how it happened:  I e-mailed NASA, including my resume with my space travel experience, cooking experience, parenting experience, & the 7 jobs I have had since arriving on Earth, along with everything else I could think of to put on there.   (Later on, my dear friend Tabasco said that it probably would have been better to leave out many, if not most, of the experiences…but no matter…)  

 

Luckily, I had put my space travel experience first, & NASA e-mailed me back, then granted me a phone interview! 

 

I reminded them of the time I had met Buzz Aldrin & Neil Armstrong on the moon many years ago, & mentioned that those 2 kind astronauts had said I should apply at NASA, if I ever came to  Earth…

 

Well…the people at NASA said something that I could not quite make out…then they phoned Mr. Buzz Aldrin (luckily, he remembered me!)…

 

Finally, after several more phone calls, much paperwork, & a special Space Safety & Hygiene course…they said they did possibly have a job coming up for me on the following Saturday, and was I available to help out at the International Space Station for the day?

 

I was overjoyed!  I kind of miss space travel,  first of all, & I also need a second job…and now that my relatives are nearby for the winter, & my neighbors Tabasco & Big T are able to babysit occasionally, I was able to accept!  (I don’t want to be away from the children very often, but maybe a tiny space mission once every 4  months or so would work out fine, I am thinking…we’ll see how it goes!)

 

So here are a couple of photos from my first Saturday of work…! 

 

 

If you look carefully, I can be seen in the picture above.  In that photo, I am tethered to the space station (which is above us, out of the picture), but I am actually prepared to zoom out in my space kayak & assist the astronaut, if anything were needed out there.  The astronaut was practicing free floating maneuvers that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a little surprise, I brought a cooler of  homemade popsicles with me, & in this photo, we are just taking a little popsicle break.

 

 

Luckily enough, everything went very, very smoothly!   The astronauts are all really excellent!

 

 

When my job was done,  I waved goodbye, & flew home in my space kayak…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…through the miles of beautiful evening sky…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and then the moonlit Earth…

 

 

 

And do you know what, my dear Readers?  I was so happy to return home…

 

 

 

…and yes, your beautiful blue planet does seem like Home to me now!

 

 

 

 

love rocks the stars,

 

 

 

love,

 

 

 

 

Clay Ball

 

 

The space photos are courtesy of  NASA–thank you NASA!