I’ve been doing a lot of vivarium work – I plan on posting construction details within a month.
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And quite a bit of dog training – Dinah’s retrieve work is coming along.
Additionally some (heterogeneous) reading:
Categorize this, NSA!
In the on deck circle – refreshing my soldering skills (is it true that US English is the only variant not to pronounce the ‘l’?). Component to printed circuit board soldering, that is.
Via the New Cafe Racer Society, a link to the Bugatti Revue’s post on the T72 engine.
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It’s 10.5 cubic centimeters of fury (about the size of a large model airplane engine), but this baby has twin OHCs and is SUPERCHARGED! What an incredibly cool bit of machinery. Click through to the Bugatti Revue for loads more pix.
The only thing I can think of that would make me grin even more broadly would be desmodromic valves… As a side note – I’ll bet the fatness where the crankarms meet the spindle is some sort of freewheel.
I – along with some other local froggers – spent yesterday afternoon helping a friend move his frog room into the garagemahal. Many hands make light work – my mind boggles thinking about his last move – across town, with one other helper.
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The cookout afterward was killer and I’m not particularly sore today. Win! Poor SportsDoc – his room is moved, but now he needs to organize/unpack/stow – our guesstimate was 20-30 manhours of fun.
Update – forgot to embed this short video of NH’s State Bird – the Black Fly. ‘Tis the season!
Info on an small upgrade I did on the vivaria’s sumps can be found here.
I took the camera along when I ran the dogs this morning and I’m glad I did. Wildflower season is well underway. Unfortunately, we were out before some of the flowers woke up.
Trout Lily – also known as Dogtooth Violet, but I’m of the opinion that anything with trout in the name is a winner (see: Trout Fishing in America, Trout Mask Replica).
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Trillium
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Marsh Marigolds
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And a slide show of the rest.
A year ago – to the day! – I posted pictures of my P. caudatum blooming. It may be a day or two ahead of schedule this year – the first flower is completely open – but that’s amazingly consistent response to more daylight.
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She’s been shooting video of tiger sharks:
Man, that’s some clear water. And the pattern on the shark’s back – wow – well done SG!
I was misting the tank a few minutes ago and spotted this guy hopping around the leaf litter. He has to be from the clutch that the male transported back in February – it’s very nice to see the whole thing happening without my involvement. I take it as a sign that I’ve done a decent job with the habitat – yay for world-building!
Straight outta Pembroke (Maine).
Red anemone.
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Larval Old OneSea Cucumber and Chiton.
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Large Hermit Crab.
From last spring’s Derby – came in the mail today. Good girl!
Social insects.
Tepuis.
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The Ottoman Empire (and the world to its west).
Peepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Canadas, ducks (Mallards, I think – I lost them in the setting sun), Dinah’s bell and, if you listen closely towards the end, Great Blue Herons.
[audio:peepers.mp3]
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Hint for those with dogs – turn the volume down. Dinah is pissed that there are birds and a dog wearing her bell here in the office. Now, if she can just figure out where they are (and why she can’t smell them) there’ll be hell to pay.