Dale Ivan Smith

@daleivan

Retired librarian, now "full-time" writer/ reader of fantasy, SF and mystery. TKZ blogger. Author of The Empowered series, Meg Booker librarian mystery series, and various novellas and short stories. Avid stargazer, role-player, board gamer. Fez wearer.

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Bluesky

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Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 3d

Today’s TKZ post by author James Scott Bell is about trust with readers being an author’s greatest asset #writingcommunity killzoneblog.com/2026/08/trus...

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 4d

Relaxed cat on a rug pattern illusion of stairs #caturday #catsofbluesky #cats #illusions

Black and white kitty lays on his back, legs splayed out in relaxation, a top a banded rug of geometric designs in a variety of colors.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 18d

Two cats are better than one in our house as well

Brother and sister cats snuggle on a comforter on “their” couch.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 18d

Happy #internationalcatday from Moxie and his sister Maeve, who prove this cat bed can fit two #caturday

Two black and white/white and black siblings share a barely visible green cat bed, which half covers a vent. Moxie’s reflection can be seen in the window.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 22d

The Moon’s “wobble” this month put Mare Orientale impact basin in view. I imaged it around dawn with my Seestar S30 Pro. The basin appears as a “notch” on the left edge of the limb, just beyond the bright rays of a nearby ray crater. #astronomy #astrophotography

The waning gibbous Moon, showing the big basalt impact basins, Mare Imbrium in the east (right) and the Ocean of Storms. On the very edge of the western (left) limb of the Moon the “notch” of Mare Orientale, can be seen. Artemis II’s crew had a much better angle of view and took some superb images of the “Moon’s grand canyon.”

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 23d

Good morning, Moon. Waning gibbous Luna, 8-3-26, imaged by my Dwarf Mini #astronomy #astrophotography #moon

The Moon’s dark basalt “seas” and bright ray craters stand out in this image. Along the southern portion of the terminator the rugged highlands come into sharp relief.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· 25d

Moxie and his sister Maeve keeping eyes on the local crows #caturday

Black and white cat stands beside his “loaf of” white with black spots sister on a mat, looking out a closed screen door.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jul 25

Moxie and his sister Maeve keep an eye on the crows #caturday

Black and white cat with his white with black spots sister sit on a mat in the kitchen, looking through a sliding screen door past tomato pots.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jul 11

Moxie last weekend during the annual multi-night fireworks fusillade, doing his best to chill out #caturday

Black and white cat lolls on his back, paws in the air, beside a chair and a handmade rug.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jul 6

Moxie is doing his best to cat-chillax despite tonight’s resumption of fireworks 🎇 #cats #catsofbluesky

Back and white cat relaxes on his back beside a chair and rugs.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jul 1

Big sunspots are back. Taken with my Seestar S50 using a white light Baader solar filter #astronomy #astrophotography #solar #sun

Sunspots in white light on the solar disk today, 7-1-26

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jul 1

So much for my spot on the chair. Of course, all furniture at Casa Smith belongs to Maeve and her brother Moxie #catsofbluesky #cats

White with spots Maeve regards with a golden-eyed look from her perch on the blue comfy chair, surrounded on two sides by pillows.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 23

The weather cooperated again yesterday evening and I had my third evening in a row of lunar viewing. Like the night before, this photo was taken at 72x magnification, this time in a little 60mm Televue TV-60 Apo doublet refractor, with my iPhone 15 Pro #astronomy #astrophotography

The barely waxing gibbous Moon showing the east shore of Mare Imbrium in the upper left, and then a number of dramatic craters heading south.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 22

The first quarter Moon last night, June 21, at 72x through a Skywatcher 130mm PDS Newtonian telescope with a 9mm Vixen SLV eyepiece, taken with my iPhone 15 Pro. The sky was roily as it cooled after a hot day, and the Moon is lower in the sky this month #astronomy #astrophotography

The first quarter Moon in monochrome, with the craters along the southern terminator (the boundary between light and dark) standing out, and prominent lunar mountains to the north.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 19

An astronomical spectacular from Tuesday night which I was able to photograph: Venus (upper left), Jupiter (below and to the right), the two-day old Moon, and Mercury (bottom right, circled in blue). #astronomy #astrophotography #Moon #Venus #Jupiter #Mercury

Framed by a tall fir tree on the left and a cedar on the right, a spectacular astronomical grouping. Venus shining brightly on the upper left, below on the right is Jupiter. To the right of Jupiter is the waxing crescent of a two-day old June Moon. Below the Moon, near the right corner of the image, above the broad leafy branches of a tree, is the nearest planet to the Sun, Mercury, circled in blue for easy identification.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 17

I wasn’t able to view the occultation of Venus by the Moon here in Oregon this morning, thanks to weather and my schedule, but did catch the two around 1:30, using 8x56 binoculars. Photo via my iPhone 15 Pro, enhancing contrast afterward #astronomy #astrophotography #Moon #Venus

Venus shines as a white point above the white crescent of the Moon, in a blue sky.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 13

This used to be my chair but now it's Moxies 😺 Happy #caturday everyone!

Black and white cat sprawls out in blue "comfy chair," backstopped by pillows.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 10

The skies cleared here in northwest Oregon just in time to see the celestial show this evening. Venus is just to the right of the fir tree, Jupiter just visible below, between branches, while Mercury is near the bottom, the lower right, left side of the larger tree top #astronomy #astrophotography

The darkening g nautical twilight sky, showing three planets, framed by trees to the left and below.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Jun 7

Happy #Caturday. Every day is cuddle day for Moxie and his sister Maeve.

Back and white cat cuddles with his white with spots sister on a colorful quilt at one I’d of the teal couch.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 23

The cuteness goes to 11 #caturday

Two cats cuddle to the shape of a heart on a colorful quilt.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 23

Happy #Caturday from Moxie and Maeve. Every day is also cuddle day for them #cats #catsofbluesky

Black and white Moxie cuddles with his white with black spots sister Maeve on a multi-colored quilt at one of a blue couch.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 16

Today at TKZ, I write about author bingo, and the importance of acknowledging your publishing milestones #writing #publishing #writingcommunity killzoneblog.com/2026/05/your...

Blue and orange BINGO cards, with a few numbers marked off on each, in red, and a red pencil on the upper right, just beyond the orange card.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 15

Maeve and Moxie turned one year old today, at least according to the paper work from Cat’s Cradle, the adoption agency which connected us with them. It’s a guess, given they were born in a feral colony. They are living large now #cats #catsofbluesky

White with black spots and stripped tail Maeve faces her white and black brother Moxie reclining in a green furred cat bed beside the kitchen patio window.

Sister Maeve and her brother Moxie, two one-year old cats, share a green furred cat bed, looking curiously at the camera while beside the kitchen patio door.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 15

Back at ya 😸

Brother and sister cats celebrate turning one today by cuddling together in a green furry cat bed by the patio window.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 9

Happy #caturday and lots of snuggles from Moxie and Maeve #catsofbluesky

Black and white boy cat Moxie snuggles with his sister, mostly white Maeve, who has a brown shaded "cap" of fur at the top of her head and a stripped tail. They are snuggling on a quilt at one end of a blue couch.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· May 2

I can go to gym with you #caturday

White kitty with golden eyes sits in open gym bag on red bed cover.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Apr 27

Waxing gibbous Moon tonight (4/26/26) through a 72mm refractor telescope at 45x magnification and iPhones 15 Pro. Monochrome filter apples #astronomy #astrophotography

80% illuminated waxing gibbous Moon in monochrome, highlighting the dark basalt lunar “seas.” Copernicus crater is mid-left near the edge.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Apr 25

Back atcha from Maeve.

White with brown and black markings cat sits on multicolored rug.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Apr 25

Waxing gibbous Moon last night as seen from the Pacific Northwest U.S., just past first quarter. Image taken with an iPhone 15 Pro using a 102mm Mak-Cass telescope and a 32mm Plossl eyepiece #astronomy #astrophotography

The terminator (boundary between night-and-day) cuts across the Moon’s massive Mare Imbrium basin on the upper left and through a tangle of huge craters to the south.

Dale Ivan Smith@daleivan· Apr 25

11 month old bonded pair and siblings Maeve and Moxie spend lots of quality time together #caturday