Peep Show

Spring peepers are one of the earliest among the dozen frog species found in and around Michigan. During the first warm evenings of spring in late March or early April through May, their distinctive single note, high pitched “peep” is considered a harbinger of spring. The temperatures need to reach 57 degrees or higher. The intensity of calling increases and can become a deafening chorus during humid evenings or just after a warm spring rain when many males congregate.
Only the male frogs call, which I didn’t know for sometime. They establish territories near the edge of wetlands and ponds. They may call from elevated perches of submerged grass or shrubs near the water. The faster and louder a male sings, the more likely he is to attract a mate. I grew up on a farm with a pond and boy do they make noise, it can be deafening.
My wife and I were out on the motorcycle and we heard peepers as we rode past a pond not to far from our house. You know they have to be loud if you can hear them while on a motorcycle with your helmet on.

The spring peeper is the most abundant of Michigan’s singing frogs and is common statewide. They prefer damp woodlands, swamps, and marshes. You can tell a peeper from other frogs by the “X” on their backs. So for the next couple of months we have the spring peeper peep show. Carry-on

401k-201k WTF

Wonder why your 401K is more like a 201K? View the interview with Jim Cramer by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. I liked Jim Cramer up until now because of this interview. I had my suspicions about Cramer but this seals the deal.
I feel duped into thinking that my money would be OK, I know its all a risk, but when you see and hear that the markets are falsely manipulated like they are it really burns.
Your money is really out of reach and in the hands of fools. Jon really puts Jim on the spot and calls him out on what a fraud he is. Go to Youtube or my favorite site Crooks and Liars.com to see this must see interview.
You see Jim Cramer claims to be calling people out that manipulate the market to make money off of and with your money, when all along he has done the very same thing. The traders on Wall Street create things (false things) to move stock up or down playing a game that we really have no control of. Playing with your future and they don’t give a damn, because it’s your money not theirs, the profits are theirs but not yours. For most this is all that you have. Others have money in more then one place, I do. Either or, it still ticks me off that we loose money because of these losers with no control. See the interview, its better then I can put into words. Carry-on.

The Birds

No not quite a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds, but it is spring that is just around the corner that is on most people’s minds. Things that really get you excited that spring is near are the sighting of certain animals. The first are the Sandhill Cranes, two were spotted by Luann. This past Sunday morning we were greeted by the sighting of Robins, and quite a few too. Some do not fly south, but we haven’t seen any all winter. So the sighting of them is a sign that yes spring is near. In a week or two the Red Wing Black birds and the Swallows should be next.

Along with the Robins we were greeted with a visit of many wild Turkeys. Yes many, so many we lost count, over 25.

Wild Turkey is good eating, but with the season not here YET, they were good to just watch, kind of funny birds too. To give you all an idea of just how many, there are different birds in each picture. About 20 pictured. Gobble-gobble, um Carry-on.

Cycle Surfing

We are having rather spring like temps these days into this weekend. I went for a bike ride yesterday and it was nice to get out in the open air, feel the breeze so to speak. Spring makes me feel good, longer day light, warmer air which smells good after a good rain. The birds are coming back everything is coming to life. Spring makes you kick up your heels, so get out and enjoy it.

Oh and by the way that is not me in the picture. I know spring can make you do stupid things, but I wouldn’t do something this stupid. Maybe in my younger years….maybe. Carry-on.

Sandhill Crane Report

Not only are the temps starting to moderate, but talking to my mom in Florida she said that they have seen hundreds and hundreds of Sandhill Cranes migrating north. They have been stopping at fields near Arcadia Fl. were my mom and Casey live. Many more then other years. The cranes come first followed by Red Wing Black Birds and Robins. So this means that spring is coming. Yes after this winter dirty windshields and droppings on the patio never looked so good. Carry-on.

Comet Lulin

Eureka I have seen it, finally!
For a couple of days I have been feeling down because I didn’t know if I was going to see Comet Lulin. The comet only comes around every thousand years and wouldn’t you know it, it’s been cloudy. I am pretty sure I’ll be dead and gone in a thousand years.
Then the skies opened and behold a beautiful sight in the eastern evening sky, from the bathroom window. No I was not using it like you think at the time, but that would be some multi-tasking wouldn’t it? I went there so I didn’t have to go outside and freeze plus I can see the eastern sky from that window.
Now I consider myself an amateur astronomist. I have been interested in the stars sense I was a little kid. I even bought a telescope while stationed in Japan. I still have that telescope and it comes in handy from time to time. But there are times when you do not need a telescope to see celestial events. Like comet Lulin, which you can see now for the next few days with the naked eye. You can see it better with binoculars. It’s that green thingy near Saturn.Thanks to Sky Maps.com here is where you can see Comet Lulin. Carry-on.

Red Sky In Morning

Red Sky in Morning, Sailor Take Warning. Red Sky at Night Sailor's Delight, as the saying goes. This is what we woke up to Saturday morning at 7:30. The calm before the storm. We were to have a good dumping of snow later in the day but for us it was mostly a non event. We did get a few inches, but nothing like they had predicted. I can't say the same for the folks up north, they have had a pretty good winter for snow that is; a few new records have been set so far this year. Hopefully we won't have to many more snow days like today. Snow you can go now, we're done with you. Carry-on.

Count Down To Spring

Spring is a little over a month away. Time to start thinking of the ridding season. Here I am looking up specs on-line in my Man Cave (garage) to start maintenance on the bike.

Got to keep that battery charged.

A little R-n-R in the Man Cave. Dreaming of the years first ride. Carry-on.

Feeling A Little Ill

We had our nicest day thus far and wouldn't you know it, I get sick. With a sunny day and temps near 60 I had to venture out anyway to soak it in. Its amazing how a little sun makes one feel better, for a little while. Its also amazing how feeling good feels good after you have been feeling bad. Ahhh I feel like a million bucks, OK maybe like 500 thou, I need a bailout! Carry-on.

Michigan Snow Snake

This time of year you get tired of winter because spring is getting closer. So you find ways to cope with it, to enjoy it. So Liam and I went for a walk in the woods behind our house and to our surprise we spotted a Michigan Snow Snake in the wild. Yes a snow snake, we have pictures to prove that this elusive creature does exist. So take a look for yourself, do you see the snow snake? Michigan Snow Snakes only come out during winter. With the warm-up coming we think that he may disappear, only to return next winter. Carry-on.

Super Bowl 3-D

Friends & Luann sporting the 3-D look. Our neighbor Steve hosted a Super Bowl Party and a good time was had by all.

The super bowl commercials were not so good, but the game was. Our neighbor has a 72 inch TV. Yeah that’s what we said WOW. It was fun to watch the 3-D commercial on it, as well as the game. Bruce can still rock in his upper years cant’ he? These pics were taken with my camera phone, not to bad for camera pics. Carry-on.

Polar Bear At The Zoo (Video)

Last summer we went to the Detroit Zoo to see the new Polar Bear exhibit. So how fitting to post a video this time of year of them swimming. There is a tunnel that travels through their pool that allows you to view them from inside and underneath. A very cool exhibit, a must see. If you look close at the end you'll see Larisa & Liam. Carry-on.

Frozen Bubbles

From the great white north, and do I mean white. We got another 3 inches of the white stuff. They got more to the south of us, they can keep it too.
I showed Larisa & Liam frozen bubbles and how to freeze them.



The closer the temps are to zero degrees the better, but you can get frozen bubbles with temps in the teens. When temps are in the teens, do it at night, the sun is just too strong. You have to have the bubbles in the air a little while longer when temps are in the teens.

Temps below ten, bubbles freeze fairly fast, temps below zero the bubbles freeze very quickly, and so do your fingers, toes, ears. Carry on.

Night Time Sledding

We had a little fun in the snow. Hey we have to make the best of it until spring. Here Larisa and Liam take turns sledding down the neighbors drive way at night with Simba our dog. Our neighbor has a lighted driveway and it looked cool at night. All snow covered it looked like a nice sled run. Simba seemed to like it too, well maybe not so much, but enough to get a couple of photos. Carry on.

20 Years Of The B2

This year marks the first flight 20th anniversary of the Northrop B2 Stealth Bomber.

I worked on this program back in the 1980’s and 1990s. I helped build and write the manuals for this aircraft.

I can’t believe that it has been 20 years, and its still state of the art.
AV #3 is on display at Wright Paterson Air Force Base, Air Force Museum in Dayton OH. I worked on that one too. These photos were taken in the Pico Rivera and Palmdale CA aircraft assembly plants. They took these photos after we left for the day or during second shift. No I am not in any of them, but I can see my tool box.

I hope to attend an air show with my family this year to see one of the bombers fly. If you get a chance, go see one. Carry on.

Wintery Weekend Wakeup

Well what can be said, the Holidays are done the days are short and it’s cold outside. Spring is two months away. This is what we woke up to this past weekend. Still we look forward to warmer days, the days are getting longer, the Home Shows are coming and the stores are stocking things for spring. Aaaahhhhh I feel warmer already, but first I have to go shovel. Carry on.

Wintery Thoughts

OK for all the family out there that are in warmer climate States. This morning we woke up to -4 degree temps. (some of us up here would just be happy to be in a warmer state of mind, yuk yuk.) So anyway something I have always wanted to try and that is to freeze bubbles. Yes bubbles. I hear that if one blows bubbles in 0 or in minus temps, bubbles you blow from the bottle stuff will freeze in air. It sounds cool and I know you’re all jealous. I’ll post pictures of this truly amazing event so stay tuned. While I risk my life and all my digits (finger, toes due to frost bite) to entertain you all while you bask in the warm tropic weather, panting like dogs, I am sure your all sweating just reading this…….damn you, damn you all, umm I mean, Good Day. Carry on.

Drive To Work

I have a fairly lengthy drive into work everyday so when the weather is bad it makes for a rather interesting drive. Most places I have worked at I have had to drive a distance so I know good drivers when I see them. I know what works on the road and what dose not.
So during winter months and the snow is flying, one pet peeve of mine is people who do not take the time to clean their vehicle off. I know everyone has seen these morons driving around with three feet of snow on there cars and a little spot to see out of the windshield. I think I will take photos and start a collection of morons to post. I have seen a moron today, have you seen one?
Here is Wikipedia’s definition of moron:

"Moron" was coined in 1910 by psychologist Henry H. Goddard from the Greek word moros, which meant "dull" (as opposed to "sharp"), and used to describe a person with a mental age located between 8 and 12 on the Binet scale. It was once applied to people with an IQ of 51-70, being superior in one degree to "imbecile" (IQ of 26-50) and superior in two degrees to "idiot" (IQ of 0-25). The word moron, along with others including "retarded", "idiotic", "imbecilic", "stupid", and "feeble-minded", was formerly considered a valid descriptor in the psychological community, though these words have all now passed into common slang use, exclusively in a derogatory context.

OK, that about explains it. Carry on.

Opening Day

I am just starting my very own blog. I think this site will allow my family and friends to keep in touch. My postings will be about my views, opinions and comments. You will see posts about my experiences and things I like to do, and if you don't like any of that, start your own blog.