Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 11, 2016

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 11, 2016 10 THE WORLD AROUND US Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 11, 2016 10 THE WORLD AROUND US 
FIFTY YEARS OF MOON DUST: SURVEYOR 1 WAS A PATHFINDER FOR APOLLO 
Before humans could take their first steps on theMoon, that mysterious and forbidding surface had tobe reconnoitered by robots. In 1961, When PresidentJohn Kennedy set a goal of landing astronauts on thelunar surface, little was known of that world, beyondwhat could be gleaned from observations by telescopes.

Was the surface solid enough to support the33,500-pound Apollo lunar lander? Or was it sodeeply covered in dust from billions of years ofmeteorite impacts, as some theorized, that the lunarmodule would simply sink out of sight, dooming theastronauts? 

A series of U.S. mapping spacecraft called LunarOrbiters photographed the Moon from orbit in 1966and 1967. But it would be the Surveyors that wouldscout that rugged surface for Apollo, and 50 years agothis month, the first of that series of landers touched 
down successfully. Surveyor 1 landed on the Moon onJune 2, 1966. 

As JPL’s Justin Rennilson, co-principal investigatoron the Surveyor television experiment, recalls,
“Planning for Apollo required getting really high-
resolution images showing the details of the lunarsurface.. Even something two feet in size could topplea spacecraft.”

“We figured the probability of success at around 10to 15 percent,” Rennilson said.

Surveyor had been sent on a direct trajectory—itwould not enter lunar orbit before landing, but wouldhurtle directly towards the surface at 6,000 mph. Thethrusters had to fire at precisely the right moment andmaintain perfect orientation to communicate withEarth, all the way down.

“I remember sitting there watching the oscilloscopeas the spacecraft was coming down,” said Rennilson,
“all the way to the lunar surface. ‘God, the signal isstill there and it is still working!’ I thought. We weresuccessful and it was just astounding.”

The first views of the lunar surface were striking, butnot easily acquired. Photography from space was stillin its infancy. The camera was advanced for its time,
a slow-scan television imager with a zoom lens—thefirst time such an arrangement had been used in space.

The first sets of panoramic images were createdusing a then-new technique of taking instant-
photography images from a small TV screen andthen assembling the photographs into a larger image.
Rennilson remembers the process vividly: “We had a 

Image of Surveyor 1’s shadow against the lunar surface in the late lunar afternoon, with the horizon at the upper right. 


Polaroid camera attached to a 5-inch-diameter CRT so 
that you could capture images on Polaroid film.

By the end of Surveyor 1’s mission six monthsafter it landed on the Moon, 11,240 images had beenreturned, allowing for the creation of dozens of widepanoramas and allowing the examination of details assmall as 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) in diameter. Images 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

SAVING WATER AND LIVING BETTER 

[Nyerges’ latest book, “Self-Sufficient Home,” which includes a chapter on 
water-saving methods, will be available everywhere in September. He can 
be reached at www.ChristopherNyerges.com, or Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 

90041. WTI’s water saving class can be seen on-line at www.wtinc.info]

 Water conservation is good all the time, especially for anyone living here in 

Los Angeles County. After all, there are far too many of us living here in this 
wonderful climate which is a coastal desert plain. That’s right – we live in a desert! That’s why most of 
our water is imported from hundreds of miles away.

 Water conservation makes sense. It’s the way we should be living all the time, not just when we’re 
forced to by circumstances.

 But the suggestion to just stop watering trees and shrubs and plants and let them die off is not a 
viable suggestion. 

 Consider the great mystery of trees and the wonderful things they do. They draw water up to the 
surface with their deep roots. They constantly transpire, sending water vapour into the surrounding 
environment. This means it is always cooler around trees and other plants. Due to this effect of 
transpiration, trees also create little microclimates – they create weather – and even localized wind 
can be created by the updraft of water vapour from trees. We do NOT want to just let our trees die 
off for the short-sighted goal of “saving water.” That would more rapidly create our environment into 
a barren wasteland.

 Through water conservation and water-saving efforts, the land so worked can be cooler and be 
more fruitful from an ecological point of view, even when it is hotter and drier elsewhere.

 For example, all household water (minus the toilet) can be easily recycled back into the yard to 
water the garden, the trees, and even the drought-tolerant plants. 

 Assuming the lay of your land is somewhat downhill, you can disconnect the washing machine 
drain pipe, connect a long hose and let the water drain to your yard or garden. (Buy biodegradable 
soaps). One load of wash and rinse can use 30 plus gallons, depending on your system. All that water 
can wash your clothes, and feed your yard.

 I have always disconnected bath tub lines and let the water drain into the yard. This is simple 
plumbing which most folks should be able to do in a few hours. Building and Safety takes a dim view 
of these practices since they don’t want people breeding mosquitoes for the entire neighborhood, so 
give careful thought to how you do this, and make sure your system doesn’t become a problem. 

Oh, I just remembered: all the officials constantly declare that we should take showers since 
“showers use less water.” Really? Have you ever actually measured the amount of water you use in a 
shower? How long do you stay in there? If you’re disciplined, you could take a water-efficient shower, 
and let that water flow into the yard. I have actually taken solar showers in the back yard, and the 
water all went to the grapefruit tree.

 But typically, I take baths. I don’t fill up the entire tub and then get in. Rather, I turn on the hot 
water, get in, and add a few small clothes items that I always wash by hand, thus relieving the load on 
the washing machine. Plus, it is much healthier to sit in the tub a bit and to scrub, rather than to race 
through the process. When I am done with the bath, I save some water in one-gallon jugs and recycle 
it by using it to flush the toilet. I let the remaining water drain out into my garden. I am using that 
water and getting much more out of it, and keeping my landscape alive and thriving and producing 
water-vapor-filled oxygen. 

 For dishwater, you can simply take the dish basin out into your yard and empty it on trees, roses, 
garden, etc. All the little food scraps will actually be a sort of fertilizer for the plants. 

 Be a part of the solution. Recycle all your water and keep your oxygen-producing plants alive. 

 I do agree with DWP that a lawn is pointless. Plant succulents, cactus, fruit trees – things that 
are useful and don’t require excessive water. Some good and useful drought-tolerant plants include 
Peruvian mint, wandering Jew, New Zealand spinach, jade, aloes, prickly pear cactus, and many, many 
others. 

 We can live here in this desert and we can live here well. We just need to adapt to the desert, rather 
than arrogantly thinking that the desert should adapt to us. 

of the three footpads demonstrated that not only waslanding on the Moon possible, but that the landerhad not sunk into deep Moon dust—as was feared bysome scientists—but had landed on a firm, supportivesurface. 

By the time Surveyor 7 completed operations onthe Moon in February 1968—just 10 months before 

Apollo 8 orbited the Moon—the pathway to the firstcrewed lunar landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, wasopen. The Surveyor program had been critical to thataccomplishment. 

You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@ 
MtnViewsNews.com. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

IS CONFESSION REALLY GOOD 
FOR THE SOUL? 

I have a confession to make. My first confession, ofcourse, is that I do not always make confessions. Notthat I don’t have things to confess, but I am rather slowin owning up to what I am doing and confessing it.

For example. When the Gracious Mistress of theParsonage says, “Who forgot to put the milk back intothe refrigerator?” I usually pretend I did not hear herand try avoiding any kind of confession.

After all, why should I confess to something that sheknows as true already? I am not sure why she askedsuch questions; I only can think that she is trying torub it in or something. I do confess that I do not confessas often as I should. 

Not that I don’t believe in confessing. I talk about itall the time but when it comes to me, I can always comeup with a reasonable explanation of what I did or didnot do. My philosophy is simply this; if you can explainyour action why confess doing it?

And so, I need to clear my soul and make a goodconfession. 

My wife and I agree on one level. Both of us leanedtowards being workaholics. She leans further thanI do, I will confess. But I also suffer problems in theworkaholic area. 

This is one reason why I do not really appreciateholidays for what they really are. Taking a day offdoes not seem like a very good thing to do, from myperspective. I do not mind working 24/7.

Isn’t this the reason God gave us laptop computers?
No matter where I go, I can take my work with me.
Hallelujah, and pass me another job to do.

On our vacation, the wife spends all her timechecking out the thrift stores in the area. Believe me,
that is a job in itself. I, on the other side of the vacation,
usually stay in the room making conversation with mycomputer. There is always another article to do, anothersermon to write, another chapter in a book to complete.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not complaining, mindyou. I love always having something to do. I love the factthat I am able to choose what I am going to be doing.
I cannot imagine what it is like having somebody elsetelling me what to do. Oh yes, that’s would be what ahusband is all about. Let me just confess my error righthere. 

Both my wife and I love the work we are doing andoften do not even consider it to be work. We just lovewhat we are doing and we love the fact they were able todo it. 

But my confession!

It was the last holiday and as usual, I went to myoffice right after breakfast and began my daily work.
For some reason the thought haunted me that this was 

a holiday and I was probably the only person in the

world working.

I shook off that silly thought and got back to work.

I looked at my watch and it was 11 o’clock. One morehour and it would be lunchtime. 

One more hour! 

Immediately I thought of how much I couldaccomplish in that one hour and so I set my mind backinto the work mode. 

I looked at my watch again and it was 11:05 AM.
Fifty-five more minutes and it would be lunchtime.
Fifty-five more minutes!

I am not quite sure what happened at the time butI began thinking some rather strange thoughts. Like,
who would care if I quit for an early lunch?

It did not take me long to close up shop and headhome for an early lunch. When I got there, my wife wasrather surprised and told me that lunch was not quiteready yet.

I assured her that I was not in a hurry and wentinto the living room and sat in my favorite easy chairleaning back and took the snooze-position. For the lifeof me, I can understand what happened. It just felt sogood just to set there and do nothing.

My wife called me to lunch, we had a very deliciouslunch together and my plans were to get back to theoffice and into work mode. 

As I got up to leave I happened to glance in thedirection of the living room and saw a lonely easy chairlonging for someone to set on her.

“Well,” I thought to myself, “just a few minutes ofsitting won’t do anybody any harm.”

So I went and sat down in the chair. It felt so good.
An hour went by. Then I convinced myself, “Why notjust spend one more hour in this very comfortablechair.” 

And so my confession. On the last holiday, Iabsolutely did nothing. I sat in my chair and before Iknew it, it was suppertime.

For my confession. I must confess quite sincerelythat it really and truly felt good to do nothing for awhole day.

John the beloved understood this when he wrote, “If 
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive usour sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9).

The experience of God’s wonderful forgiveness isbased upon my confession.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family ofGod Fellowship, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. Thechurch web site is www.whatafellowship.com. 

HEART ATTACK – WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW 


Arcadia Senior Services in partnership withMethodist Hospital is having a free healthpresentation on Tuesday, June 28 at 1:30pm. Dr.
Grace Huang, MD specializing in cardiovasculardisease will be the guest speaker. 

Dr. Huang will discuss the signs and symptomsof a heart attack; what you should do in theevent of a heart attack, differences in symptomsfor men and women, and the importance to actquickly. This special informative health lecturewill take place at the Arcadia Community Center,
365 Campus Drive. If interested in attending orfor additional information please call ArcadiaSenior Services at 626.574.5130. This lecture is for 
individuals age 50 and over. 

About the City of Arcadia 

Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel 
Mountains, Arcadia is an 11.38 square mile 
community with a population of just over 56,000.
Located approximately 20 miles east of downtownLos Angeles, Arcadia is known for combiningsmall-town charm with the conveniences and 
amenities of a mid-size city. Arcadia is a full-
service charter city governed by a five-memberCity Council, elected at large. Recognized 
for exceptional education and recreation 
opportunities and beautiful neighborhoods,
Arcadia is also defined as the “Community ofHomes” and has twice been designated the “BestCity in California in which to Raise Kids” byBusiness Week Magazine. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com