First Robin

Our local Barnyard meteorologist (self proclaimed "Treeologist") predicted the first Robin of the year on 26 Feb. I didn't notice this one until the 27th. However, this still makes it his most accurate prediction of the year.

Different Birds

This morning there was a pretty redheaded woodpecker at the bird feeder. But this afternoon a different bird (Apache) came out of the trees and made several passes over the house before he went on.

Work Well With Others

I don't know if this works but it sounds like it would. I really don't know why you would want to do it, but some really boring day I might just try it. Click on the title above for instructions.

Sand Hill Cranes Migration

It was a beautiful day and thousands of Sand Hill Cranes passed over on their way back north. Here is one of several photos I got of them. A sure sign we are headed in the right direction for Spring. It can't come fast enough.

Man Cave

The only way to survive Cabin fever is to have a man cave where you can escape. Here is a slide show of mine

Cabin Fever

Even though it may have the least number of days, February is always the longest and most boring month to me. I have seen enough of winter and the snow and ice, yet it persists. I have completed or become bored with all my indoor projects and am anxiously anticipating the outdoor things of spring, yet they they are delayed. The days are getting noticeably longer, yet the weather doesn't permit enjoying them.
Even the Mythbusters are bored and confirmed the cabin fever myth.
Begone February and cabin fever!

Too Many People

Remembering our Mortality

Happy Year of the Tiger

This is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. The Chinese New Year usually falls on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice. It is celebrated various ways throughout the Orient. In Vietnam, we knew it as Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán), which was usually associated with renewed Viet Cong offensives. "Auld Lang Syne" I suppose.
P.S. Happy Valentines Day!

Survival of the Fittest

It was 5 degrees this morning when I caught this red tailed hawk perched across the field. You can tell from the poor resolution he was a long way off and there was a lot frosty air in between us. You don 't sneak up too close on red tailed hawks due to their highly evolved vision. Happy Darwin Day to one of the fittest.

Happy 201st Birthday Abe and Charles

According to recent DNA tests reported in National Geographic, Darwin's ancestors can be traced back to Africa just as his Evolution Theory predicts. Here is a song about Charles Darwin in celebration of Darwin Day.




Sign the petition to get the President to recognize Darwin Day.

Roof Curl

I can't really explain the geometry of this photo. I assume that the inside temperature of the garage slightly heated the metal roof, then gravity and the viscosity and weight of very slightly thawed snow was just right to produce the curl without falling. Anyhow, nature always finds ways to tweak your curiosity and awe (and create beauty).

Snowy Day Happy Place

Although there was still snow on the ground, I had cleaned the basement steps before another 4-5 inches fell last night and it is still snowing. On a day like today you have to turn to one of your "happy places" like looking at the seed catalogs and dreaming of all the flowers and vegetables to be.
I used to get over 3 dozen seed catalogs but with the internet the number has dwindled. But that is OK because in between the hard paper daydreaming, you can go on the internet and find even more than before. I have even ordered several different seeds from Ebay. The only problem is that I can't burn Ebay on my Vernal Equinox fire like I do all my paper seed catalogs.

Red versus Blue

Whether you are talking about ball teams, political states or cardinals and bluejays, you hardly ever see red and blue feeding out of the same trough. I caught these two sharing the bird feeder.

Flaming Dart Remembered

Forty five years ago on 6 February while I was on temporary duty at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, I was hurriedly tagged as part detail to go unload a C-130 that had just taxied up. By the time we got to the aircraft, ambulances started screaming in and we were assigned to help carry litters of bloody bodies to the ambulances. Afterwards, we were told to grab our gear and boarded a C-130 (I don't think it was the same one we unloaded). Somewhere in the process we were told that the bodies were from Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam and that we were in route to Danang Vietnam. It was late that night or early the next day (didn't really know what time it was except dark) when we landed and were dumped out on the taxiway.
The next day we would launch our first airstrikes against North Vietnam as part of Operation Flaming Dart.


That was a long time ago in a place far away only the vague memories and the lost innocence of youth persist.

Happy Groundhog Day

Groundhog Accuracy

Phil sees his shadow approximately 90% of the time.

According to StormFax Weather Almanac and records kept since 1887, he has been correct 39% of the time.