"Countdown" - July 8, 2022

[woozy]

I don't see *how* I can be over-thinking it. The only thoughts lower than mine is "Is the answer COUNTDOWN". All other thoughts are "there must be something to find here" but apparently "it must be hidden" is too high-flying. But "It's might be visible" is just not possible. I've been staring at this grid for 18 hours and I'm not sure I've ever seen entries that could possibly have less to do with the theme, hint, prompt, title, subject, or each other.

I suppose "they all have letters" could be a lower thought but that's about it.

[rjy]

Still hanging with Isaac here... BUT! I must point out that my wife Ellen was close friends growing up with Joyce Parker, whose father was Eugene Parker of clue 11D. She never had a clue that her friend's dad was such an esteemed physicist. He was the first to posit the notion of solar winds, and was essentially mocked by peers for the concept until later proven right. He died earlier this year, but lived long enough to see the launch of the Parker Solar Probe - picture of that moment below.

If you're curious, further info at https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe

[ajk]

No clue here. At least Isaac seems well stocked with beer.

[Deb F]

Good grief. I am so totally at sea. Every start leaves me nowhere. I guess I know where I'll be at 4:30 today!

[turbotron]

Yowza - a tougher grid than usual for me, with no obvious meta-leads. How about another round, Isaac? Count one down, pass it around...

[Geezer Weezer]

Still making it too hard. All I see is ocean to the horizon.

[Bob cruise director]

I'm with Isaac fOR the foreseeable future as I can't seem to CHARt a course to shore. Working off my phone DOesn't usually work well for me. We're helping our daughter and family move to Indiana and their pRInter isn't hooked up and the hotel business center is closed for remodeling. And at the moment I am the sOLE adult survivor of the stomach flu that started with daughter and son-in-law yesterday and moved to husband last night. I'm hitting up Isaac for all the gingerale! Hoping for quick healing for all so that we can all still make it--even if late--to our family reunion in Indy.

Don't forget the Saltines

[meowmiao71]

Uhhh...staring at the stars hoping for inspiration and all I see is darkness.

EDIT: On shore

[Bob cruise director]

Beautiful picture! How fun to hear them vocalizing back and forth. Although it looks rather grumpy.

It does look grumpy, though that's probably just the position of the head when I took the shot. I think it was staring at my wife at the time. Other photos don't look quite as grumpy. And the video showing it bob it's head around looks pretty cute.

When a bird that size, who is that close, with huge sharp talons, stares you down, it can be quite disconcerting!

While I was sitting on the deck, listening to them talk to each other last evening, the juvenile eventually heeded it's parent's call and with a couple flaps of its huge wings, lifted off from its perch in the trees and soared silently over my head towards its parent. All was quiet last night. The mice must have been celebrating.

@HunterX Just imagine if you are one of these (Northern Saw Whet Owl) which weighs about as much as an iPhone 5. They are an appetizer for Barred Owls

[Cruciverbalisticexpi]

Ashore! By sheer luck. Unfortunately I've just started a dry July, so I'll have a Roy Rogers!

[Cinny]

Ashore with a nudge, that looking back on it, I shouldn't have needed.

[Bob cruise director]

Good Friday afternoon muggles

To paraphrase Dinah Washington "what a difference a week makes, 168 little hours".

An interesting challenge from Mr. Shenk but it is pure Mike (or Marie Kelly for those who remember)

So far we have 15 with Isaac on the ship and 57 on the shore.

[HunterX]

When a bird that size, who is that close, with huge sharp talons, stares you down, it can be quite disconcerting!

@HunterX Just imagine if you are one of these (Northern Saw Whet Owl) which weighs about as much as an iPhone 5. They are an appetizer for Barred Owls

Saw Whet in flight.jpg

Beautiful photo!

Reading about the Barred Owl (I'm not very knowledgeable about birds), I learned that in some places they are considered invasive, crowding out other owls and making their populations endangered. I suppose eating smaller owls would also have a contributing effect!

[CPJohnson]

Whew, got it, finally. Thanks Cinny and lbray53 for your shoves in the right direction.

[drbdb@comcast.net]

Finally ashore! Toes in the sand!

[MajordomoTom]

same - like a rock to the bottom, looking for a life line - can I phone a friend?

[Streroto]

Late to the party here because I am printerless at an Airbnb near Stowe VT. Have never been up here in summer and it is awesome. I’m with my aforementioned daughter in law and we did the grid and solved the meta on iPhone between brewery visits.

Quick and fun one from Mike!!

Stay well all

[sfed]

Ashore!

[Ergcat]

I do believe I am 🏝🏝ON SHORE🏝🏝

I’ll wait for DD ( and fellow muggle) Regfish7 to weigh in and confirm before submitting but the answer fits and makes sense so it must be right! Right?
I Tried several things over the last 16 hours until something finally worked! I feel I had been making it harder than it is!
Now to get a adult beverage snd head down to the lake….

[Kris Zacharias]

On shore, grateful that I won't have to spend the rest of the weekend lost at sea, fruitlessly obsessed with the puzzle. This is a good development, since we want to have dinner at a nice restaurant in celebration of our 51st wedding anniversary.