Category: Random issues

Item #1: Maybe I read the story wrong

EVERETT, Wash. — An 83-year-old woman survived a fiery crash into a tree in Everett after being pulled from her flaming car by a witness, fire officials said.
If she hadn’t have already crashed, why pull her from her car?
She lived

Interestingly, the link to the web page has the wording correct.

Item #2: Goats on my mind
A goat named Fred

I was hoping Fred would lead the group to our place to clean up the brush. However, being in New Jersey means that didn’t happen. Down the road ½ mile there are goats in a field. I’ll have to investigate.

Item #3: A deer story

The State of Washington has many unfamiliar names, for example Skamokawa, or Washtucna. We’ve gotten used to most of them. To find others is not hard. Consider Punnichy in the south-center of Saskatchewan, that is in the area of Kawacatoose First Nation. The story continues in Salthaven.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police found the place anyhow.

Item #4: New air
Washington had an in-flow of air from off the coast. This pushed much of the smoky air (fires) to the east. Seattle has been smoky but today mostly cleared as did the air up to the crest of the Cascades. Our area (less smoke than Seattle) was partly cleared but is expected to get more smoke from the fires in WA and up in B.C.
The good news is that air quality is better than it was, and beginning early next week temperatures are expected to drop. Air quality will improve on Wednesday.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Strangness
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Item #1: A cat story

July 8 in Ashland, Ore.,
Why you shouldn’t build your rooms around huge plants and real tree branches . . .

Pussycat takes a nap behind the sofa

. . ., or leave your doors open.
Now, this is the part that makes me go “Hmmmm?”
. . . said she “again connected in a loving gaze and communicated trust through blinking”.

Item #2: Ohio is a strange place
Consider Judge Michael Cicconetti – Painesville, Ohio
You don’t have to consider the judge, but sister Peggy thinks we should. She writes: “He made kids clean crap out of animal pens at the fair because they tipped over a porta-potty among other things. He does all kinds of creative sentencing. ”

This seems like “nasty news” to me. Anyway, here is a link to a report done a few years ago (several minutes long):
Judge Michael

Item #3: If you have $50. . . would you buy a used violin
Cheap at half the price
A Massachusetts pawn shop took in a violin, and gave the seller $50. Then the police came calling. Turns out the item was stolen and worth about $250,000. A “30 day holding” period did its job, as did the police. Good news.

Item #3: Taylor Swift
This one starts with the death of a police officer and ends with a nice action by the entertainer Taylor Swift.
She donated “a significant number of tickets” to the town for her shows this weekend — there were enough to send “every police officer, firefighter and extended family to the concert, and then some.” The extras were passed on to other nearby police departments.
She can afford it. In recent years she has been in the top earners of the entertainment business, bringing home more each day than many folks make in a lifetime. Whether you listen to her music, or not, respect the ability as both performer and business pro. Not yet 30 years old.
Oh, she was born in my home state of Pennsylvania.

Item #4: Spot the difference
One of these is the official flag of Australia and the other of New Zealand.
NZ’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is on maternity leave.
The temporary replacement, Winston Peters, apparently couldn’t think of anything useful to do, so he is making an issue of flags.
The NZ flag (left) was adopted in 1902, with the OZ flag becoming official in 1954.

Item #5: Winter in Australia

One of the driest winters in the land of OZ has brought bright colors to the harsh landscape.
Needed: a tuber root system that grows deep

This area is about the same distance south of the Equator as Los Angeles is north.
Use this, [ orchids “great southern region” australia ], as a search string with images tab, to see a colorful selection.

Item #6: And finally Both good and bad news about Mars the planet, not the candy.
Folks on Earth will get a “close” look at Mars this weekend. The bad news is the dust that covers that planet.
Every once in awhile (years) something stirs on the Red Planet and dust lifts above its surface. One might read of a raging dust storm or something to suggest a big storm – like Earth’s hurricanes – but that is false. There is a very minor wind across most of the surface.
Regardless, with the dust in the Martian atmosphere, seeing the surface clearly is not possible even though Earth and Mars will be about as close as they ever get.
Thus, good news and bad news. . More here

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Item #1: Not a dog story

I found this page and decided to show a link:
The Coalinga Iron Zoo

I cannot recall seeing a painted pump jack. Most of the ones I saw were well away from busy roads, so had one looked like a turtle or a giraffe, who would have noticed?

Item #2: A little deer and a fire
A fire fighter found a tiny deer near the edge of a fire and carried it out.
The print at the bottom of the image says: “West Mims Fire, Georgia” – a fire in the very south of Georgia in spring of 2017.
West Mims

Item #3: Another fire story

I was able to get home yesterday from eastern Washington despite a grass fire along I-90 along my route, and the gas station where I stopped could not process credit cards. Cash was needed. A planned 3.5 hour trip took 4 ¾ hours. Had a low sun nearly blinding me for ½ an hour. I got home just before dark. All is well.

Item #4: Your guess is as good as anyone’s guess.

record gulls

I find it interesting when wild things confound experts.
There is a quote from a notable scientist
“Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts” – Richard Feynman
So this is a story from Australia where gulls have increased in number and why is the question.

Item #5: A memory

Another wild thing story, about Lady Bugs (beetles). There is a connection to Australia with this, too, but only if you are a classic rock & roll fan will it resonate.

Turns out the AC/DC song “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” is wrong.
Ladybirds are not fans

beetles, bugs, birds?

When we were living in Idaho, we went one spring to a place that had snow and dead trees. Sun on the dark wood had warmed things so the trunks and nearby ground were snow free. Lady Bird Beetles were covering the warm spaces. We have 35 mm color slides – somewhere. I cropped a part (~20%) of an image on the web, but it indicates what we saw.The original photo is from the “worth a look” site:
Mostly birds by Tom Lawler

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

This week’s not so nasty news.

Item #1: Don’t mess with mom

111 miles north of us, a person [unnamed, so far] doing some research, ventured into the home territory of one of the resident Washington Wolf packs, the Loup Loup group. The members objected.
They impressed her enough that she climbed a tree. Therefrom she was able to make a phone call (?). As a “U. S. Forest Service salmon researcher” she may have had a Forest Service radio, and she knew or should have known of the wolves.
A WA Department of Natural Resources wildfire helicopter flew to the site, the wolves went home, and all is well that ends well.

Full story here.

Item #2: They’ve got ice.

Most of it is under the water

Got ice?

Go get some. 870 east of Boston and 370 miles north is a place called Upper Amherst Cove on Newfoundland’s Bonavista Peninsula.

Item #3: Flying flowers


Our Milkweeds are blooming this week. A few other plants have blooms, also. And the weather has warmed.
I’ve been seeing the yellow and black Swallowtails and some smaller butterflies. We see very few of the Monarchs (orange & black).
Ours are the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius)

Breaking Cat News cartoon.

Link 1 to Swallowtails.

Link 2: Friend Caitlin has this post: with great photos, and uses the name Papilio machaon oregonius.
Caitlin writes that Oregon Swallowtails {larvae} are exclusively found on wild tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus).
I’ll have to have a look about our “native’s-land” and see if we have this or if the butterflies are just visiting.

Item #4: Things that go boom!

I include this next link . . .
Melbourne’s Jack’s Magazine, where “magazine” means a storage facility for gunpowder.

. . . only because in the part of the USA where we have relatives [McKean County in north-central Pennsylvania], there was a British and American munitions plant for WWII. A cousin told me the buildings have 3 sides of cinder/cement blocks and one side of wood. Anticipating explosions, the wood side was expected to fail while the rest of the building would remain. Thus, rebuilding would be quick and the plant could continue operations. The Melbourne building is much nicer.
See this page: Eldred, PA.

Item #5: What?

I’ve watched this video a few times, trying to figure out what the big deal is, or was. The text claims: “Stranded driver rescued from floodwaters in Atlanta.”

Help! I’m going to drown

It looks as though a massive fire truck and several highly paid members of the fire-crew manage to keep someone from stepping in water about 5 inches deep.
Maybe he could have taken his shoes and socks off and waded the few feet to the safety of the sidewalk?
There must be something about this dramatic rescue I’m missing.

Item #6: A not dramatic story

Meanwhile, in River City (actually, Clarion PA) nothing happens.This photo is from Clarion’s Computer sales and service store. They relocated from the city’s core (between 5th and 6th avenues) to this spot (near 1st Ave) where Hwy 322 (aka, the 28th Division Highway) turns north and goes down to the River. Thus, we called it the River Hill. We lived one block forward and one block to the right.

Clarion might have been famous but Colonel Drake chose to drill the first oil well 32 miles away. Bummer.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Item #1: from Breaking Cat News

My favorite cartoon, this week:
What are little girls made of?

Item #2: Winds

Sister said I should include a link to outhouses (aka potties) being blown about by wind. That sounds Nasty, so here is a different one:

Whirlwind moves along a beach

The Germain Shorthaired Pointer appears to be a fan.

Item #3: Twins
Twin red somethings, not Pandas

NAMES

Item #4: Good for something

Stranded fox rescued from iceberg
William’s Harbour is real close to The middle of nowhere.

Item #5: First Dodge story

Dodge goes away
The United Way benefits as have others via this auction company: Barrett-Jackson
Mohegan Sun (entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping) is owned by the Mohegan Tribe. It is situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in southeastern Connecticut.

Item #6: Odd car story
Honda Odometer

Seems to me the headline needs a comma
“The Best Odometer Picture Ever Took Real Planning And Math”

Item #7: WA’s National Parks

Four people, 2 men & 2 women, get rides in a bright yellow helicopter.
3 dramatic rescues from North Cascades NP, Mt. Rainier NP, and Olympic National Park.

“A National Park Service helicopter team carried out three dramatic rescue missions in a single day over the weekend – one rescue in each of Washington state’s three large national parks.”

Item #8: Car colors

In February 2017 we acquired a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, now named Jessica. I had intended to buy a red car but saw the blue color and liked it better. I was tired of white, off-white, and similar hues.
This is a story about car colors from the very early years to now. LINK

Item #9: A 20 year old mystery
From far out in Australia, we have Marree Man.

This one is about the 2016 restoration.

Item #10: Second Dodge story

Finally, and not a moment too soon:
A 16-year-old discovers Dodge Chargers are not designed to fly.
Not at 135 mph

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Item #1: Get a map

Jeffery Phan and Michelle, with two small children, crossed into British Columbia – and disappeared.

Geography matters!

Oregon to Alaska is a long long way:
“The RCMP said the family was unaware of the distance involved . . .”

725 miles from the US border, still in B.C., they ran out of gas and began to walk.
All is well that ends well.

Item #2: A map would not have helped

Diva, the traveling cat crossed into B.C. but did not disappear.

Diva is from Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton, Alberta. She hitched a ride to the Vancouver Island town of Duncan, B.C., southeast of the City of Vancouver, and directly east of Bellingham, WA.
She was 560 miles from home, 48 hours without food or water.
The trip back home was faster.

Item #3: Darn ! ?

Good news or bad news – you decide.

Bourbon storage facility collapses

Item #4: Wine: to drink or not?

Also about drinks, this story is good because it means someone with money stashed away is going to put some back into circulation.

Penfolds Grange

Item #5: There is a lot of stuff !

This seems interesting. Earlier this month a lot of old things were on display at Monroe, WA., about 30 miles from Seattle.
You might call some of it junk, ’cause art is in the eye and mind of the beholder. They’ve got stuff that’s vintage, handmade, and “repurposed antiques.”
Home Page

Next is a batch {48} of large (file size; slow loading) photos. I have a Nikon that can take large file size photos. Useful only if you want to get large format prints. I don’t, and they should not put them on the web like this.
GalleryIf you are not interested in lots of other people’s junk, don’t look.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Animals

Item #1: Another dog story

See the Yorkshire terrier?

When all alone in a very large field of corn, a little girl and a little dog are hard to see. Night, when no one is nearby is not a time to bark.
Reminds me of this: from. . .

“The Adventure of Silver Blaze”, Sherlock Holmes

Gregory (Scotland Yard detective):
“Is there any other point to which you
would wish to draw my attention?”

Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”

Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”

Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”

Item #2: Another curious incident

I went 15 crow-flies miles to the west of the Cascade Crest today.
With a dozen other folks, I helped move dirt and rocks around and cut some brush. The trail was much in need of repair.
There was the curious incident of no rain.
Well, it did rain some around the region, and on the drive home I passed under a storm. Big tall – impressive – clouds!

Item #3: Another animals that climb story

Several months ago there was the story of an Opossum that climbed to the roof of Cash Moore’s liquor store in Florida.
Now there is another story of an animal that climbs.
Just some photos, because I thought the building was built with ramps (or something). But not! It just had a rough exterior.Item #4: Good news Coffee drinkers

The Great State of California, land of fruits and nuts, makes companies put warning labels on just about everything. I bought a folding saw – with the label on it. Also, a pair of hiking boots. I guess the idea is if I got very hungery I might eat these things. And there is a chemical therein that should not be eaten.
Meanwhile, the good regulators seem to be conflicted about Coffee.
One of the chemicals is acrylamide, which is found in many things and, as a byproduct of coffee roasting and brewing, is present in every cup.
The most common use of coffee is to consume it – unlike boots and saws.
You can find the story here: coffee doesn’t present a significant cancer risk
Does anyone care what CA health officials do or say?

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

This week’s not so nasty news.

Item #1: Plastics

The Graduate, a 1967 movie, stared a 30 year old Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin, just graduating — aged 21 – from college. A character named Mr. Maguire whispered career advice to young Ben, and made famous a one word quote, namely “Plastics.”

watch 1 minute clip

Many took that advice and plastics proliferated.Mountains of plastic waste have recently become a resource. There is opportunity, think $$$ (okay, $), in converting mixed plastics into diesel, gasoline and industrial chemicals. Heating plastic in a no-air reactor can yield 16 million gallons of useful products from 100,000 tons of waste available cheaply or at no cost.

What’s not to like?

Item #2: Looks like plastic

Not nasty – – just odd.

Black Kookaburra, link

Locally, we see a Belted Kingfisher. He/she sits on wires over an irrigation canal about 4 miles south of our house. Pictures and information here Cornell Lab. Cute birds.

A related bird is known in Australia, commonly called a Laughing Koolaburra. Nice photo here: Photo, of the normal multi-colored bird. Larger than those found in Kittitas County.

A related, quite rare bird, is all black. Well, it is rare in Western Australia. Thus, this story: Link

So, what I found most interesting is that searching for Black Kookaburra yields as many hits for the black licorice as for birds. A candy of other colors may have the shape of traditional licorice candy but extract of the root therein, is rarer than the black bird with the Kookaburra name.
I find no special relationship between Licorice and Australia, or the rare black bird.
This reminds me of the non-existance between Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe area and the Pepperidge Farm ‘white chocolate macadamia’ cookie named Tahoe®.

Item #3: Looked like rainI went to the wet (west) side of the Cascade Crest today to work on the Denny Creek Trail. The trail is a favorite of folks with young children because, when the water is not real high, wet rocks make for a big playground. The photo of summertime is at the “slide” several hundred yards up-trail from where we worked.
An air mass was moving off the Pacific Ocean toward Washington. If the weather folks had the timing wrong we all would have gotten exceedingly muddy.
The system arrived after our work, and the drive home was lightly sprinkled. Now, 6 hours later, there is light rain across the region. Not a lot, and it will pass in another couple of hours. We’ll fall asleep with sounds of drops falling from the roof.
What’s not to like?

Item #4: Breaking Cat News
My favorite cartoon made me smile today:

Clinging to the force field

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

This week’s not so nasty news.

Item #1: A non-tragic ending?

A man, in Warren Ohio, placed a loaded revolver in the broiler section of the oven to keep it safe.
LINK

My sister thought this was funny, the man lives, and so it is not so nasty news.
My questions, on the other hand, are:
Why loaded? Why a broiler? Why did he think that was a safe place? Could he not think of a place more stupid than this?
At least he failed to win a Darwin Award.

Item #2: The first

We picked a few ounces of garden strawberries today, Friday, June 1st. Now we are going to put them on a Key Lime pie.
The pie is purchased frozen and is now thawing. We should have lots of berries in 10 days.

Item #3: We are not big soup eaters
There is a web site with many images of restaurant signs, such as this one. Such sites make you click to see each sign, and each page has multiple ads, some animated and messy.
I looked at a bunch, and thought this “soup” one was cute, but not enough to make me enter the place and buy lunch – whiskey or otherwise.

Item #4: Time

I spent today on the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park.
This was WTA’s first day of the season, so I went, and will go back Sunday. The location is different this year and about 45 minutes farther for me. Thus, I’ll switch to closer places.
Several of the folks, especially on Sunday, came multiple times last year so this will be sort of a reunion.
The hopeful phrase “Until we meet again” comes to mind.
In this case, the phrase will be “See you on the trails.”

Item #5: A sea tale

An Orca was freed from fishing gear on Thursday by marine mammal rescue. Onlookers claim the whale took off and starting breaching and doing tail slaps.
Perhaps a bit of a salute to his rescuers?
LINK

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John