We've been in Columbus for a week now and besides the TAT luncheon yesterday and picking up my computers today we have only gone out for dinner.
I had taken some photos while on the trip, but may have to wait to get them downloaded.
The first day which, as always included traveling to Salt Lake City, that's in Utah for you who have forgotten geography. We got a late start at about 4:50 A.M. P.S.T.. Drove just over two hours to East of Sacramento, CA so my wife could stop at McDonalds for breakfast. Then on to jusr East of Sparks, NV, which has become a suburb of Reno. The trip from East of Sacarmento ro the Sparks area is uphill driving for over 100 miles with a lot of switchbacks East of Sparks is our first stop to fuel our trust Expedition, We will have three more fuel/gas stops, the last in Salt Lake City, before we call it a night at approximately 9:30 PM Mountain time, This is always the longest and hardest part of the drive. The only good news, gasoline went from $4.59 a gallon in California to about an average $2.99 in Nevada and part of Utah.
The pictures when I can print them are from a rest stop about an hour into the journey East of Salt Lake City and before we reached Wyoming. They were also taken on the winding twisting corkscrew of a I-80 that starts at the Eastern edge of Salt Lake City.
go ahead and call me a nerd but I hate the widespread misuse of the word "notorious" as if it is a positive thing. It means being well known for doing or being or representing something seriously evil.
Meanwhile the notorious southern-states summer sun is so stinking sultry down here in orlando today that I can't go outside without feeling like a baked potato. It just feels dangerous, and in some very real sense it is. How road crews survive I'll never know. I just circumnavigated my back yard and came inside feeling parboiled.
I know I'm blabbing a lot lately. I have been teaching and writing part time until recently but now i am fully retired and the engine is still chugging away. please forgive the verbosity. I'll settle down I'm sure.
As Mr. Spock might say "Sensors indicate that we are being scanned."
In my last post I mentioned that I did not want to spook the other fawn which would have caused both of them to run away. Eventually they left and went around to our backyard and I was able to capture a few shots from our deck above without bothering them.
These deer are born with several instinctive and sensory systems which protect them individually and as a species. In addition to their camouflage, which fades away within a couple of months, they have other innate abilities to assist their survival.
Mule deer have very large ears which are able to rotate, individually, close to 180 degrees. Their eyes, like many animals, are on the sides of their head and allow about a 270 degree field of vision. Soon after birth they are able to stand and run. They have long and very flexible necks enabling them to reach just about any part of their bodies. Their hind legs are able to scratch even their ears if insects bother them. These abilities are essentially retained and refined as they grow.
Bottom line it is near impossible to sneak up on them.
So, Spock may have been referring to the Starship Enterprise, but a simple little fawn could do the same.
The mule deer rut for mating rights here in our Rockrimmon neighborhood usually occurs in November. Gestation length is about 7 months and the new fawns begin to appear in late May or June.
These pictured fawns are about 2 months old. They will begin to lose their spots sometime in September but will stay around - often in groups - with their moms through the winter then separate and start to congregate with other yearlings in the spring.
I have witnessed no birthing in our yard and found no placental materials. Where the birth takes place is most likely in one of the ravines that are in this area of Colorado Springs, some of which are within a block or two of our house.
Jim
P.S. I suspect that Walhalla and Overbook ravines in Clintonville also serve as maternity wards!
As usual Jim your pictures, either via camera or phone, are terrific. Did you ever consider a nice peaceful job as a photographer instead of medicine?
Today Carol and I took a chance and visited Plain City for Lunch, We went to Der Dutchman on Jefferson Ave. What a place. With a very, very large restaraunt, a bake shop and a large two story gift shop, all under one roof. You have a choice for lunch and dinner of either a buffet, including salad bar, or the nice menu. Next time I will go for the buffet. Lot of good food (portions) and a very decent price.
If any of you are interested the easiest directions are to take Rt 161 West to Plain City, Turn left on to Roosevelt (Route 42), go about four blocks and look for a massive building and parking lot on the Left (Easty side 0f the road). If going from Marysville or Delaware just get to Route 42 (west or South) and when you pass Route 161 start looking on your left.
Many of you saw the news from Fort Stewart Georgia this morning - about a shooting of five soldiers by another fellow soldier.
This caught my attention because Fort Stewart was the location of most of my hours flying in "Advanced" flight training. During that period, we lived on Hunter Army Airfield, in Savannah, and we parked our aircraft overnight on Hunter AAF. But when we flew, we departed from Hunter in the morning, flew part way up the I-16 corridor, and then entered the enormous airspace of Ft. Stewart (a huge property). There was an airfiled on Fort Stewart and we used that for refueiling, and spent a little classroom time out there towards the very end of our flight training program.
I had one memorable incident along that I-16 corridor. Comming back from Stewart one afternoon with my Huey instructor pilot (a really cool young Warrant Officer who's name I cannot recall), we detected an oil pressure guage that had gone to zero, and had to make an emergency landing in the median strip between interstate lanes. You should have seen the traffic backup of gawkers we created. It ust have been almost a mile in both directions - enough to draw about six or eight state highway cars.
We even made the Savannah evening news that night.
I just knew you'd all be absolutely fascinated by that story.
Why was my instructor so cool? He and I both loved Richard Harris song "MacArthur Park". He had it on tape and would plug it into our headphone system in the cockpit before and during our initial takeoff each morning.
(You think this version is long? My instructor had the instrumental part doubled in length.)
Dave -- I happened upon two British TV shows that were both quite good and both of which starred an actor you may know since his name happens to be.... wait for it .... "David Mitchell"!!!
If you happen to get BritBox as a streaming option, the two shows are "Ludwig" and "Upstart Crow." If you have access to BritBox, you can get the first week for free to check it out. At any rate, I just thought you'd like to know that you aren't the only famous "David Mitchell" out there.
I know the guy you are talking about. A few years back he starred in a British Comedy Series called "Upstart Crow". He played William Shakespeare in a very clever comedy series. I will check it out, but I am so confused with this new streaming stuff, I may not be able to get it. I'm so far behind this I am still watching Doc Martin.
Bob Curtin saw Tom Nolan and wanted us to let you know that our dear Mary Ann Nolan is in hospice. Hard to imagine because she has always been the life of the party. They only want cards so get out your pens and stamps. Let's show her some love.
I posted a rather lengthy old story of mine on the user forum that might be of interest to any stargazers/astronomy buffs in the house. Either that or people who like hawaii lol.
Mike -- Let me suggest changing your adjectives from "rather lengthy old" to "superbly written, and fascinating" even to a non-astronomer layman, like myself. Great job!
Janie ... thank you for the update on Mary Ann ... keeping her in my prayers... loved seeing her at our reunions and following her on Facebook and the forum ...
Dropped a note to Mary Ann at my post office yesterday. Hope she knows we are all with her. I only live about an hour from her, but I don't think they want visitors
Mary Ann passed away this morning. I think they thought she had a longer time. Her service will be in Columbus so we will post details when they are available. May she rest in peace.
