An electricly charged, fighting, flyby

Please pay attention to the commas in that title, they may tell the story.  Here are some of the remaining National Geographic reader photos; the last of which I'll use.

click to enlarge

  In this photo one billion (with a B) flash over Costa Rica, hopefully it didn't hit anything.
Photo by James Hogan for submission to National Geographic.

click to enlarge

  Here are two foxes, they are playing not fighting. The Photo by Blaine Korel was taken at a drained lake in Virginia.  It must have been a lot of fun watching these two.  Maybe we all should have a camera ready at all times.  How else would you catch something like this?

A Snowy Owl hunts in minus 30 degree weather. - click to enlarge

This beautiful owl was photographed by Markusdidinkus Stevens for submission to the National Geographic.  I don't know what Mr. Stevens was doing out in those temperatures but I'm glad he caught the owl on film (or was it digital?).

It's tough out there!

  For the most part these are photos submitted to the National Geographic by readers.  The photos are the story, they capture a part of nature some of us only think about.  One photo (LPGA) is just a good look at a tournament delay - but sort of an unusual one.

Photo: Stefan Potles Getty Images - click to enlarge

  Here is the photo of the Tournament delay.  It happened yesterday during the Australian Women's Open Golf Championship - but not while I was watching, I would have loved to see it live.

Photo: Phil Lanoue, National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  Here are two Great Egrets fighting over a prime fishing spot.  We don't know who had it first.  They're hopping mad!

Photo: Patrick Castleberry, National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  This Alligator tried for a while to eat the turtle.  After a while he gave up, and the turtle walked away - a lucky break (no pun intended) for the shelled critter.

Photo: Frederick Ross National Geographic reader submission - click to enlarge

  Another alligator sneaks up on a Great Blue Heron which has caught a fish.  The Heron ate the fish and made it's escape.  Gators don't have much luck, today at least.

Getting ready for the light show

Leo Villareal sets up computer controls for the lights - click to enlarge
Photo: James Tensuan, SF Chronicle www.sfgate.com

  Twenty-five thousand LED lights will put on a show in March 2013 on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge.  Mr. Villareal, the controller, is now setting up the lights to the sequences they will use for the show.  It's technical, don't ask me.
  The show will take place on the "western" end (the SF side) and the brand new "eastern" end will have it's grand opening (I think) in March.  If you Google "bay bridge" and choose this bridge there are a number of news sites about the new bridge and schedules.  Or, you can wait and see if I remember to show you "The Show".

The lights are tested, and reflected near Pier 14 in San Francisco. - click
Photo: James Tensuan, SF Chronicle www.sfgate.com

Lights are on, in this section of the bridge - click
Photo: James Tensuan, SF Chronicle www.sfgate.com

Places to go, things to see

Hummingbird on clover - click to enlarge
Photo: Wichita Eagle reader photo

  Yesterday while taking a peek at the Wichita Eagle (www.kansas.com) I found 131 reader submitted photos for a contest.  I look through some of them, very interesting.  They're worth a second peek, here are but a few.
  To see for yourself use this link:

Wichita Eagle's Great Outdoors Photo Contest

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/01/30/2656556/great-outdoors-photo-contest-2013.html#storylink=cpy

There are a lot of interesting things out there on the World Wide Web, newspapers are a great source of information to keep the brain engaged.  I have another month or so before starting to walk again my doctor tells me, so I'll just keep reading "newspapers".  Try it.

A Least heron or maybe a Bittern in an unusual perch. - click to enlarge
Wichita Eagle reader photo

Painted Bunting - click
Wichita Eagle reader photo

Food for thought, a Kansas wheat field - click
Wichita Eagle reader photo

Planning on sleeping, or naps

  Yesterday, Monday, I woke up at 11:30PM on Sunday.  Today, Tuesday, I woke up at 1:30AM.  If I don't nap at time during the day I can't imagine what time I would be in or out of bed.
  Until Sunday night I had been sleeping in my recliner because of coughing if I laid down; by Sunday evening things had progressed enough to lay down.
  It wasn't coughing that woke me, but I was wide awake and unable to go back to sleep.  I read and wrote my blog, ate some breakfast and had a short nap in a chair until leaving for coffee.  It's a tiresome (no pun intended) process to get some sleep.  Such is the way of life for us with sleep disorders.  I don't really suffer just thinking I should be like most other people.

Then came Nemo, and went

A couple poses at Spring Point Light after an indoor ceremony
The Brides parents were also married during a storm
check out the footwear - click to enlarge
Photo: Bonnie Harrison via Bangor Daily News

  Nemo came on Saturday and left after leaving a good amount of snow over a lot of Maine, maybe 20 inches here but it's hard to tell, the wind blew hard and the snow flew sideways.  We had bare ground around one end of the building but a very large drift next door - go figure.
  A few photos to share that I collected in a couple of newspapers that asked citizens to send in pictures they took during Nemo.  The wedding photo was my favorite, well staged and historically correct for the brides family - her parents married during a 1970 storm of like proportions.

Sea spray at Camp Ellis section of Saco, Maine
Photo: via Portland Press Herald twitter

Congress Street in Portland, that Citys' main drag
Photo: Bangor Daily News twitter

A dog helps to shovel.
Photo: Bangor Daily News twitter from Hungry Heron Farm

Cold stuff!

Sawing the blocks of ice - click to enlarge
Photo: Gabor Degre Bangor Daily News
 

  When I was little we went to my grandparents house in Shapleigh, Maine to visit on Sundays.  During the winter it was common to see men on Mousam Lake at the "foot of the pond" cutting ice.  Both of my grandfathers had one of these saws for harvesting ice.
  Now that I live a little further north I know that the oldest business in Brewer is Getchell Brothers Ice Company.  They manufacture ice now but back in the day ice was harvested on the Penobscot River.  That business is now about 120 years old.  Ice was loaded onto ships and taken to Boston and Philadelphia.
  All over the country, probably the world, places with cold weather and access to plenty of water people were harvesting ice.  Stored in sawdust the ice lasted well into summer and fall.  Ice houses were a common sight, usually near the railroads when ice was delivered to businesses and homes all over the country.

Sawing ice, the "pitchfork" looking tool broke off the blocks. - click to enlarge
Photo: Gabor Degre, Bangor Daily News

Blocks, packed in sawdust in the ice house. - click to enlarge
Photo Gabor Degre, Bangor Daily News