Sunday, October 12, 2008
Praying Mantis
We've been seeing more praying mantises this year. This one was in our driveway this afternoon. T tells me it is a side effect of climate change. They were thick at the dealership where we bought our car. The salesman said parents were bringing their children out to see them.
Despite their peaceable name, they are wickedly carnivorous little rascals who will even pounce on nesting birds.
I should warn the Finches.
Despite their peaceable name, they are wickedly carnivorous little rascals who will even pounce on nesting birds.
I should warn the Finches.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
We interrupt our lack of knitting
When I saw the Rook Hat on Lime & Violet's Daily Chum, I realized I had some yarn that would work for it, and that a crocheted hat would be the fastest project EVER.
It took me two nights, but it could easily be done in one night of TV watching.
It took me two nights, but it could easily be done in one night of TV watching.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Look what followed me home
T has been wanting a new, more fuel-efficient, car for awhile now. I have been dragging my feet, not wanting to take on another series of car payments. Then I saw the new gold color added with the 2009 models, and "Ooh Shiny" pushed me over the edge.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Barn
The really big air vent in the barn at Whiterock Conservancy. The lectures at the Iowa Star Party were given in this building, just below this opening. When the talk got all sciencey, I entertained myself by looking at the cool angles and the old wood.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
It's autumn already?
Technically, not quite, I know, but after a beautiful sunny and clear Labor Day weekend, it turned cloudy and cool and wet, and the most delicate of the foliage is already starting to wilt.
Let's see, immediately after the last post, our astronomy club hosted a convention, so we were busy with that. Then after that was over, we relaxed for a week. Then, because it was almost August, AKA The Month When My Eyes Act Screwy, my eyes started acting screwy. Six weeks, several specialists, and some fancy-pants medical treatments later, I'm pretty much back to normal or at least my eyes are. While I was Abby Normal, though, I didn't spend a lot of time hanging around the computer. T kindly gave me his rarely used desktop computer, with a 22 inch monitor (love it!) and Windows Vista (hate it!)
That didn't deter me from making the annual pilgrimage to Stitches Midwest, but it did help keep my shopping in check. Shopping just isn't that much fun when you can't see what you are doing, or aren't sure if you will ever be able to see well enough to use the purchase. (Of course, except for making my annual tithe at Black Water Abbey, I bought all lace weight, so don't listen to me.)
I can read again, and knit socks and lace, and even stargaze. Last weekend, we went to the Iowa Star Party at White Rock Conservancy, about an hour from here, and I did a little binocular viewing. In fact, once night T's telescope went wonky, and I actually did more viewing than he did. The weather, as I said, was perfect for camping and astronomy - cloudless and moonless and temperate. It did get warm one day, but it was also windy, so it was still pleasant.
Now, with the cooler weather and clearer vision, my knitting mojo has returned with a vengeance. I keep diving into the WIPs (works in progress) and finding something else that I absolutely must have before winter. Maybe one of these days I will even have some photos of finished objects to share.
Let's see, immediately after the last post, our astronomy club hosted a convention, so we were busy with that. Then after that was over, we relaxed for a week. Then, because it was almost August, AKA The Month When My Eyes Act Screwy, my eyes started acting screwy. Six weeks, several specialists, and some fancy-pants medical treatments later, I'm pretty much back to normal or at least my eyes are. While I was Abby Normal, though, I didn't spend a lot of time hanging around the computer. T kindly gave me his rarely used desktop computer, with a 22 inch monitor (love it!) and Windows Vista (hate it!)
That didn't deter me from making the annual pilgrimage to Stitches Midwest, but it did help keep my shopping in check. Shopping just isn't that much fun when you can't see what you are doing, or aren't sure if you will ever be able to see well enough to use the purchase. (Of course, except for making my annual tithe at Black Water Abbey, I bought all lace weight, so don't listen to me.)
I can read again, and knit socks and lace, and even stargaze. Last weekend, we went to the Iowa Star Party at White Rock Conservancy, about an hour from here, and I did a little binocular viewing. In fact, once night T's telescope went wonky, and I actually did more viewing than he did. The weather, as I said, was perfect for camping and astronomy - cloudless and moonless and temperate. It did get warm one day, but it was also windy, so it was still pleasant.
Now, with the cooler weather and clearer vision, my knitting mojo has returned with a vengeance. I keep diving into the WIPs (works in progress) and finding something else that I absolutely must have before winter. Maybe one of these days I will even have some photos of finished objects to share.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The brains of the outfit
This is Terry, making the previous photo possible. As I told someone last night, he's Data, I'm Lore. He spent several minutes fussing with the equipment and swapping out eyepieces. I said, "Ooh, shiny!" and started snapping pictures.
Shoot the moon
Terry pointed his telescope at the moon last night while waiting for it to get dark. I sneaked up and stuck my camera up to the eyepiece. Pretty nice for a first attempt, huh?
Last night at Ashton
After being cloudy all day, it cleared off in the late afternoon, so Terry packed up the telescope and we headed off to Ashton Observatory.
At dusk, we saw some deer feeding at the edge of the woods near the observatory. I got as close as I dared without spooking them, but it was just dim enough that I couldn't get a clear photo. I decided to let the motion work FOR me, and switched over to video.
The auto exposure flopped the colors around randomly, but darn it, those are fawns, and they are eating, and they didn't really care that I was watching.
It stayed clear and was long-sleeve cool by the time the sun went down. The moon and the humidity kept Terry from doing any serious observing. Even though it was not an "official" public night, a few campers came over to through the telescopes. One couple had binoculars and had figured out that you could point them at the sky. Terry spent quite a bit of time showing them things, and I gave them some tips on bino and naked eye observing. That's me - the evangelist for cheap observing.
At dusk, we saw some deer feeding at the edge of the woods near the observatory. I got as close as I dared without spooking them, but it was just dim enough that I couldn't get a clear photo. I decided to let the motion work FOR me, and switched over to video.
The auto exposure flopped the colors around randomly, but darn it, those are fawns, and they are eating, and they didn't really care that I was watching.
It stayed clear and was long-sleeve cool by the time the sun went down. The moon and the humidity kept Terry from doing any serious observing. Even though it was not an "official" public night, a few campers came over to through the telescopes. One couple had binoculars and had figured out that you could point them at the sky. Terry spent quite a bit of time showing them things, and I gave them some tips on bino and naked eye observing. That's me - the evangelist for cheap observing.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Geese and goslings
The last of the vacation videos from Blackhawk Lake. Sorry for the noise. It was windy.
I could watch geese babies all day long.
I could watch geese babies all day long.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Vacation photos, at last
Since it is a long weekend, I'm trying to get some backlog caught up - such as putting some of last month's vacation photos on Flickr.
We went to Blackhawk Lake, a couple of hours from here in Lakeview, Iowa. We had rain and thunderstorms almost every day, but at least that kept the temperatures pleasant. The campground was almost empty - only three or four units in the whole place - so it was as close as we could get to being all alone (but still with flush toilets and hot showers.)
We went to Blackhawk Lake, a couple of hours from here in Lakeview, Iowa. We had rain and thunderstorms almost every day, but at least that kept the temperatures pleasant. The campground was almost empty - only three or four units in the whole place - so it was as close as we could get to being all alone (but still with flush toilets and hot showers.)
Pelicans
When we went on vacation last month, there were pelicans hanging out near our campground at Blackhawk Lake. At about :10, a cormorant pops up and mills around for a few seconds, and then dives back under water.
Cat alert for Minnie: There are bird noises.
Cat alert for Minnie: There are bird noises.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Fireflies
When Sand and Bernie passed through Iowa last summer, Sand admired the prolific fireflies in our backyard. (They don't have them in California.)
It's June again, and we still have 'em.
It's June again, and we still have 'em.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Still knitting, too
Even though I haven't posted any pictures for awhile, I am still knitting - just not finishing anything. I'm seriously beginning to envy those folks who practice project monogamy.
I jumped back in to the Charlotte's Web shawl, and I love what the colors are doing. I'm doing pretty well with the lace pattern. I'm getting where I can fix mistakes a couple of rows back if I concentrate. I even survived having a needle break in the middle of a knit row, 14 rows away from the lifeline. I was sitting near a KnitWit who had a sock needle handy to rescue the stitches that fell off the needle, then I carefully picked the stitches back to the beginning of the row. And lived to tell the tale.
We're having thunderstorms tonight. I hope it is enough rain to wash some of the stink away in the recently flooded areas. I would put up with the stink awhile longer, though, if I could send some of the rain (minus the lightening) back to California, where my friends are dealing with fires, smoke, and the threat of evacuation. Stay safe, y'all.
I jumped back in to the Charlotte's Web shawl, and I love what the colors are doing. I'm doing pretty well with the lace pattern. I'm getting where I can fix mistakes a couple of rows back if I concentrate. I even survived having a needle break in the middle of a knit row, 14 rows away from the lifeline. I was sitting near a KnitWit who had a sock needle handy to rescue the stitches that fell off the needle, then I carefully picked the stitches back to the beginning of the row. And lived to tell the tale.
We're having thunderstorms tonight. I hope it is enough rain to wash some of the stink away in the recently flooded areas. I would put up with the stink awhile longer, though, if I could send some of the rain (minus the lightening) back to California, where my friends are dealing with fires, smoke, and the threat of evacuation. Stay safe, y'all.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Rainbow, first day of summer
We went to Ashton Observatory yesterday for a work party with the astronomy club. A quick little rain storm blew through while we were there. Once the sun started to peek through, people hovered near the door, looking for a rainbow. We thought we might not get one, since the sun was still rather high, but soon someone spotted the top of an arc. Work ground to a halt as folks wandered outside to enjoy a fleeting view. (More pictures here.)
In the Bible, of course, the rainbow is the sign from God that he will never again destroy the Earth with a flood. How appropriate is that, as Iowa gets back on its feet after two weeks of floods? We stayed safely above it at both home and work, but we drive through recently flooded areas regularly. The recovery seems to be coming along well, but it still stinks, even in the car, even with the windows rolled up. Out in the country, it just has that fishy river smell, In town, though, it smells like river, and fish... and mold... and people laugh at this, but I swear I smell sauerkraut.
In the Bible, of course, the rainbow is the sign from God that he will never again destroy the Earth with a flood. How appropriate is that, as Iowa gets back on its feet after two weeks of floods? We stayed safely above it at both home and work, but we drive through recently flooded areas regularly. The recovery seems to be coming along well, but it still stinks, even in the car, even with the windows rolled up. Out in the country, it just has that fishy river smell, In town, though, it smells like river, and fish... and mold... and people laugh at this, but I swear I smell sauerkraut.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Early morning drive
We got up early so we could see just how much water there was along I-80/35. The answer: Just about as much as there was in 1993.
Turn down the sound if you watch. T & I mutter incomprehensibly, but mostly it's just road noise.
Turn down the sound if you watch. T & I mutter incomprehensibly, but mostly it's just road noise.
Two Way Traffic
This is my favorite photo so far from my flood tours, although it doesn't actually show any flooding. I love the contradictory signs and ominous clouds.
There's now a Flickr group for flood photos. Some of my photos are there, including some I took today after a levee breach last night caused evacuations and road closures just a few blocks from my house.
There's now a Flickr group for flood photos. Some of my photos are there, including some I took today after a levee breach last night caused evacuations and road closures just a few blocks from my house.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Floodwatch 2008
To see how things have changed since Tuesday, go look at this picture of the Simon Estes Amphitheater as it appears today. I also took some pictures Thursday, and they (as well as Tuesday's pix) are on my Flickr. Today, the water is covering the tops of the arches on the bridges,and is getting ever closer to the road surface. The powers that be asked for a voluntary evacuation of downtown and the entire flood plain area. My office is a couple of blocks outside of the flood plain, but I had put in my forty hours, and I was happy to comply.
We are okay. Our house is, we hope, high enough to not be in danger, and we can still get to it by one of our normal routes. The water was pretty high along that route this afternoon, though, and it is just one leaky levee from going under.
We are okay. Our house is, we hope, high enough to not be in danger, and we can still get to it by one of our normal routes. The water was pretty high along that route this afternoon, though, and it is just one leaky levee from going under.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The flood begins
Des Moines is getting ready for a flood. The good part is, we know it's coming and we are getting ready for it. But still, seeing scenes like this just down the street from my office, before the bad part gets here? That's sobering.
More pix here.
More pix here.
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