Tad "Who countest the steps of the Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: We've seen average daily sunspot numbers for this reporting week. Since last Thursday through yesterday, the numbers rose more than 9 points to 28; the average solar flux slipped more than 2 points to 81.9. Geomagnetic indices were a tiny bit lower. We should be seeing sunspot numbers decline over the next five days. The predicted solar flux for January 28-31 is 78, 80 on February 1-2, 82 on February 3-4 and 88-89 for the following six days. We don't see any geomagnetic upset predicted until February 16, with the planetary A index only rising to 10. On the STEREO image, we can see sunspot 1041 in the Sun's southern hemisphere, past the central meridian. We also see a sunspot emerging from the unseen area of the sun (currently around 12.5 percent, not visible yet to the STEREO mission) that is perhaps five days from emerging over the Sun's eastern limb. Look for more information in the Solar Update -- including some clarification, correction and expansion of the info in last week's bulletin concerning SID (Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance) events from Dick Grubb, W0QM of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado -- available on the ARRL Web site on Friday, January 29. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by William Blake's Ah! Sunflower.