originally posted by Jean December 04, 2007
If I
had my way,
if it were
up to me,
I’d know
what to say
and how
to say it.
I’d know
what to feel
and when
to feel it.
Up High
The peaks are a few hundred feet above 14,000 ft. These goats enjoy the altitude at just above 14,000ft.
Mt Evans is the highest of the range at 14,266 … but Governor Evans was involved with Sand Creek so the mountain had to be renamed to Mt Blue Sky in 2023. The highest paved road in North America, the parking lot is just above 14,000 ft. About a 50 mile drive up from Idaho Springs (at 7500ft) – 35 miles from Denver is a direct line.
Denver may be the “Mile High City” but few realize it’s in the South Platte River valley.
Color/Grayscale
The people entrance to an old grain mill in Michigan. When I was but a lad, I was fascinated by these places – many still in operation; most if not all, in their last days. The older mills of 1890s vintage might still have had the original belt driven machinery; the sounds and smell of the operating equipment drew me in and held my attention long enough to get chased out of the workmen’s way … though often just to a safer place to watch.
If I was really lucky, a freight train would come by to load or unload whatever it was the mill needed or shipped: usually sacks of ground grain going out, machinery and hardware coming in – the mills in small towns often did double duty as the local hardware store.
Leonard was never large; its population was usually in the mid-200s, occasionally reaching 300.
So on one of my journeys home – that itself long, long ago, I re-visited this old mill. No longer in business, waiting its fate. The trim is new, the door is old. The photo was film.
Due to the miracle of Google Street view, I took an internet journey back to Leonard to see what I could see.
The part of the mill where this door once was no longer exists – the door opened onto what is now near the sidewalk; one would park a vehicle in what is now grass. The outline of the former wall still marks the location. The paint is worn, the windows and doors sealed off with hopes of preventing scavengers and vandals from entering, the road is paved, there’s now a sidewalk and curbs, and what was once a worn-out, over-grown tertiary rail line is now a manicured and paved walking path, and there is no sign of the siding where boxcars and flats once were parked for loading and unloading.
Better days gone forever..
Night Launch…
posted by Jean Dec 12, 2006
Living in Florida affords me the opportunity to witness some truly beautiful moments.
This past Saturday evening was one.
There was a NASA shuttle launched from the Cape at 8:47 p.m.
Watching a shuttle launch in the daytime is undoubtedly impressive.
Seeing it when your world is wrapped in darkness, under cover of a starlit sky, is breathtaking.
My vantage point this time was a long, wooden dock that extended several yards into the Halifax River.
Looking southeast that night, everything was a shadow or a silhouette.
Expansive oak trees shared the riverbank with tall palm trees. Condominiums were sentries, higher than the trees.
Cars were parked along the edge of the road and in the small picnic area beside the river. People came in droves, from those cars, to gather as close to the river as possible, looking for an unobstructed skyward view.
We were lemming-like in our march to the edge.
Keeping track of the time and listening to portable radios, several in the crowd loudly announced the take-off.
You could feel everyone holding their breath.
The tension… anticipation… waiting for the white glow to be visible from some sixty miles south of us.
It took two or three minutes before the light began to show.
The crowd pointed as one and announced to all,
“There! There it is!” Applauding. Cheering. Whistling.
The brilliant white light crawled across the horizon before it began its upward mushrooming spread. Slowly.
The clouds began to glow.
From the bottom center of the sky-horizon
a white beacon emerged. The giant candle struggled upward, then leaned slightly east, toward our left… higher.
Ever. Slowly. Higher.
Half-way up our window view of the sky… the shuttle seemed to shift to a higher gear… moving steadily faster. Moving higher and faster, leaving a long, bright streak behind it.
It outran the mushroom glow.
It slid into the black velvet cover over earth.
The yellow fire from the boosters marked its progress upward. Until, as star-tiny specs, they were released and fell softly.
Fading sparklers.
Some of us lingered.
Straining to see one more glimpse before turning away.
Wishing a safe journey to the brave souls travelling so far.
Wishing even harder, for a safe return home.
For those interested in the space program, the Silicon Graybeard usually posts everyday about space-related goings-on.
https://thesilicongraybeard.blogspot.com/
Me? I can’t really explain why, but I don’t seem to care too much about it anymore.
Once upon a time though … I still have my “Stars” book I got for Christmas in 1958.
Things have changed a bit since then.
Another DC Shooting
Apparently, some guy got shot last night while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in downtown DC. The victim died early this morning at a nearby boarding house.
The main suspect is an actor, often seen at the theatre. He was last seen jumping from a balcony to the stage in a dramatic fashion, addressing the crowd, and disappearing to the rear of the theatre. He remains on the loose and is wanted for questioning. A massive manhunt is being organized reaching into rural Maryland and northern Virginia. A judge for the District Court for the District of Columbia has warned those organizing the manhunt to be cognizant of the suspect’s rights if and when found. “This man is innocent until proven guilty and should be treated as such” the judge stated.
This is a developing story; we caution that the information released so far is preliminary and could change as the investigation continues.
Weather Report
Well – after about 4 days of heavy rain, a day of sunshine. It rained so much, so hard,. so fast that I-84 had to be closed down due to flood waters.
We don’t get rain like this … usually.
Not as heavy as hurricanes in Virginia but still.
There is more snow on the peaks I can see out my back door that we saw all winter .
The grass is growing so fast that by the time it dries out enough to cut, I’ll need to weed-whack it first or the mower will plug up.
Mrs DT finds gardening peaceful; she’ll sit out until dark pulling weeds as meditation.
She ought to be quite mellow here pretty soon.
I’m quite the opposite.
And that’s how my day’s going. With no complaints.
The grass won’t dry out soon; more rain predicted for tonight and tomorrow. And maybe Thursday.
I guess I have plans for the weekend.
Update: This evening’s short-term weather forecast just came out on the news. Winter at last!
Tunesday: Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies – Sub-Sylvian Litanies
A sample of some obscure – and maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies – “Sub-Sylvian Litanies” 1969
Today’s selection takes up roughly ½ of the first side of “The American Metaphysical Circus“
Described as “an entire acid trip in 11 minutes“, this “psychedelic” album was one of the first compositions utilizing synthesizers. It has been compared to some of the earlier experimental works of Pink Floyd (also among my favorites).
I ended up with two copies of this LP. One I bought at a record/head shop; the other I obtained from the local “underground” FM station when it went under.
A far different world …
1+2+3=4
a story to post from ghostsniper via comments
New Maff
We spent more money today than in the past 6 months.
(house was paid off last Dec)
First, the income tax, both fed and state, went out in certified mail.
20+ years ago we got slammed between the criminal IRS and the criminal USPS with the result being a $1300 penalty for not paying our taxes on time even though we did. We sent them in by the regular mail like we always did before. But the USPS dragged it’s feets and the IRS didn’t receive the payment until after the deadline. We tried, but found out, you simply cannot argue with the criminals. I’ll not disclose how much was sent today because the very though ignites all my fibers.
Next up.
The vehicle insurance for 2 rides. I pay by the year because it’s less expensive overall. Almost a thou. Then, about 2 months ago very high winds tore through here and knocked over 2 white pine trees about 100′ tall. One hit the ground but the other one got hung up on a 40 degree angle in a very large beech tree. Very dangerous, and our power pole was within the arc.
So:
1 cherry picker
2 trees
3 experienced doods
4 thousand of my favorite legal tenders
made the problem go away.
We’re not used to the idea of spending that kinda money, and not getting anything for it. We already owned the trees, and we still have them, but they are now cut up and no longer live and function like the did for all of their lives. So yeah, money for nuthin and the sticks for free. or sumfink like that…
Anyway, the doods did a good job, took only about 3 hours, and though we paid them with a check, I gave them a $100 cash tip.
Further, the owner asked what I do and I told him I’m an arky and he said he may have some work for me. So there’s that.
Phrasing
“A crowd of rowdy teenagers swarmed the Navy Yard waterfront in Washington, D.C.“
Yesireebob. We all know what “crowd of rowdy teenagers” means, don’t we?
And the photos prove it … once again.
Can’t say it out loud though – might hurt someones phe-e-e-e-lingz.
What does one do with feral humans?
April 13, 1865
Union Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman’s armies entered and occupied Raleigh. Raleigh was the ninth of eleven state capitals to be occupied by Union forces. Only the state capitals at Tallahassee in Florida and Austin in Texas remained in Confederate hands.
Confederate Brigadier-General Henry Harrison Walker formally announced the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to President Jefferson Finis Davis. At 10 am, Confederate President Davis reconvened the military conference adjourned the day before in Greensboro. The remaining Cabinet members met first, and all the members present, except for Davis and Secretary of State Judah Philip Benjamin, clung to the belief that further resistance was feasible. When General Joseph Eggleston Johnston and General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard joined the meeting, the President invited their views on how to continue the war. Johnston gave an unflinching statement of the impossibility of continued resistance because of desertions from his dwindling army, the lack of resources, the hopeless military situation, and the exhaustion of the people. Beauregard concurred with his views. Davis was finally forced to concede permission for Johnston to meet with Union Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman to discuss the terms of surrender. Davis dictated a letter for Johnston to send to Sherman, requesting an armistice.