Musings

Air Force One Presidential Potty, retired. The plane has three other potties, one up front for pilots and I’m guessing staff, and two in the tail (modified two-holer? each has its own door…) right next to each other. I know you’re glad to know this.

Here’s proof that it is indeed Air Force One, retired. And that the sun wanly appeared, briefly. And, yes, I know that it has an N-number and is only Air Force One when the Pres is aboard. Still, us civilians say and type inaccuracies like this.

Other attractions include a flying car. Red, of course. One wing is dismantled, and the V to the rear is (part of?) the upper tail structure.

For a Museum of Flight, there was a lot of non-flying going on. The only active flying was out the window of a control-tower mockup, and a screen there showing active airborne aircraft (clumsy phrasing; you get my drift). Again, not a flying vehicle, in contrast to the many formerly flying vehicles. And mockups.

Posted at 10:22 PM | 1 Comment »

For a short while, as this afternoon, I can be spellbound by deep-ocean vessels…while my feet are on solid ground. Two fishing vessels preparing to descend in a single lock of the Ballard Locks, the busiest locks in the USofA. They’re part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Seaman watching to maintain proper tension on the hawser. (Or is it a line? Clearly, I’m not nautical.)

Here are the multicolored nets and floats and lines/hawsers on the leading boat. The two vessels seemed like sisters, but the deck of the other one was almost empty of nets. The windows and size of the deck and pilot house seemed identical, but the working area was set up differently, or appeared to be.

Regarding the title: sample of two.

Posted at 8:40 PM | 1 Comment »

We got out for Boxing Day into intermittent sunshine—and shadows. Looks like the locomotive world is getting going again after a down day. We saw a crew-switch at another location, but not here, although it looks like a waiting situation….

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Parked contained energy package

Our big activity today: squeezing apples aka cider-making. Which is far more than that.

The neighbors have a magic hand-operated machine that chips up the apples (circular motion, like a steering wheel), collects the chips in a cylindrical barrel lined with a stout, fabric filter. Then, with another circular motion on a different plane, we cranked down the press, squeezing the juice out through the cracks in the barrel, into the tray, and out the V-cut into the pan below. (I’m not sure why this particular batch was so foamy-bubbly.)

That brings in the next phase: filter and final bottling. We have special fabric filters (old sheeting) stretched across large funnels, and anchored with clothes pins. We pour the fresh juice through, which involves some fussing to get it all through (sediment blocks the filters, sl-o-w-ing the flow), and into a glass gallon jug. We transfer from that through the funnel (without the filter) to the final vessels, plastic jugs suitable for freezing. Long winters you know.

Use the hose outdoors to clean the fabric, wring, and reset on the funnels.

I was on the pouring operation. The Guru ended up on the apple loading and cranking and squeezing part of the operations.

Since it was raining, we did this in the commodious garage. Since it was cool, we didn’t have to watch out for busy and sometimes sated yellow jackets.

We took a break about two-thirds of the way through to have home-made potato soup and pasta (separately), topped off by home-made caramel corn. Living large!

What I didn’t mention was the prep work: collecting the apples, washing them. The apple-loaders picked through them, and selected from the various containers to make the blend.

Now, through the long winter, these households will have some fresh cider as a pick-me-up. We took a quart; it may last a few hundred miles.

Posted at 8:05 PM | Comments Off on No cabernet

During a break in the weather (more wind than rain, but none of it particularly pleasant), we went down to the beach. This dark green arc indicates a fairy ring, and the fungi’s special tenticles makes the grass darker (although some types kill the grass). I love the red of the apples and the gold and brown of the leaves superimposed on the green, both light and dark.

Panos require a lot of work by the processor, and even more so when moving water is involved. Still, this image looks both normal and spooky to me.

Posted at 6:16 PM | Comments Off on Arcs

Today I caught the sun just after it crested the horizon for a different effect. Still orange-gold.

Here’s the splitter that has been, under the Guru’s control, helping us convert more of the huge pine to firewood. Thanks to the neighbors for the loan. This one is on a trailer carriage, and is very sturdy. Note the hearing protection. The 8-horse Briggs and Stratton is noisy, and the operator has to stand right over it.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Another beautiful autumn day

I could see the orange in the dawn sky through the leaves and went down to the lake to get a few shots. Love the graduation to deep purple-blue above, and the deep midnight-blue of the water.

Mid-afternoon, all was bright and I was surprised at how quiet the water was. Offshore breeze, and slight—it turns out. Love the riffles in the sand. Noticed a few snails(?) still moseying about in the sand; would have thought the cold would have slowed them too much for that….

Another part of my day…these controls of the wood stove (our only heat), and periodically loading the wood (fetched by The Guru). So far the temps have been moderate enough (fingers crossed) that stove-tending hasn’t been bad at all…kinda fun actually.

Posted at 7:08 PM | Comments Off on Clouds for atmosphere only

Went over the top at the meat counter today, and got spectacularly tasty lamb chops (organic, halal—the latter just happened—I found it on the label when I unwrapped them). To go with the glorious fresh mint I got the other day….

Probably should be a knife to pair with the meat-photo…however, this is what I have.

Posted at 8:20 PM | Comments Off on Celebrating early

First, it’s puh-puh-PUM October!

Found this street-charging setup…don’t know how many times I’ve walked past…on the other side of the street…and not noticed it.

Posted at 7:21 PM | Comments Off on Eyes OPEN

Sorry to go on about the weather, but the sun hasn’t been out from maybe five? days…someone ran this excavator long enough to need on of those giant plates to keep the street open (right, out of photo). Guess today’s rain kept the crew from closing up the rawness. It is soggy out there….

Here’s the fungal side effect of all this rain we’ve been “enjoying”…and have several days more ahead of us….

Posted at 8:23 PM | Comments Off on Sodden and soaked