Wapsi Square Forum

lake_wrangler wrote:

Catawampus wrote:I'll just leave this here.

Such carnage! Make it stop! I'll have nightmares for weeks!

where's the Legendary Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh...

I've been seeing a LOT of playing mantis...es... (I hate English plurals sometimes)

Anyway, I've been seeing a LOT of those bugs this summer. And grasshoppers. Like... WAY more than I remember.

Last time I noticed a major uptick in a specific insect population was the Great Fourth Of July Mayfly Swarm several years ago... Can't remember if anything weird happened with the weather that year...

GlytchMeister wrote:Last time I noticed a major uptick in a specific insect population was the Great Fourth Of July Mayfly Swarm several years ago... Can't remember if anything weird happened with the weather that year...

I think you'd recall a two-month time storm? Were there also June bugs sighted in August that year? If so that'd pretty much confirm it.

Dave wrote:

GlytchMeister wrote:Last time I noticed a major uptick in a specific insect population was the Great Fourth Of July Mayfly Swarm several years ago... Can't remember if anything weird happened with the weather that year...

I think you'd recall a two-month time storm? Were there also June bugs sighted in August that year? If so that'd pretty much confirm it.

I see June bugs in August every year...

Dave wrote:

GlytchMeister wrote:Last time I noticed a major uptick in a specific insect population was the Great Fourth Of July Mayfly Swarm several years ago... Can't remember if anything weird happened with the weather that year...

I think you'd recall a two-month time storm? Were there also June bugs sighted in August that year? If so that'd pretty much confirm it.

They've got compound eyes. They look at the calendar and think that each month repeats fifty-eight times each year.

Howdy gang, I'd like to share some pics from my recent trip to Seattle and nearby locals. I was in the area first for a wedding, then for a look-see that put 1,600 miles on the rental I used and tried not to abuse. The ride took me from Seattle to Olympic Nat. Park, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and other points of interest.

First up, Olympic. I only visited the northern edge at Hurricane Ridge. The western edge rain forests will have to wait for the next time. Besides, the hiking around at altitudes that were a little above seal level left this poor ol' flatlander a little short of breath at times.

Here are some shots from along the coast. Coast 1/2 are along the western edge of Olympic Park. It was amazing, everywhere you turn are massive trees with ferns covering the ground around their base. Coast 3 was taken along the Oregon coast, the only cloudy day I had while there. The weather was outstanding, I miss the temperatures that were just a little cooler than the 97 F in Houston today.

Next upon the bill, a sight to make you thrill- Mt. Rainier. Loved it.

And then Mt. St. Helens. Amazing. The force it took to blast away the side of a mountain makes you feel rather insignificant. I managed to get to both observation points, boring story best told after a couple beers. Windy Ridge is the less traveled of the two, but closer to things. Johnston Ridge is the easier accessible point with a few more amenities to sate the average tourist.
This was the way up a little hill that you climbed for a better view. 'Bout did me in. 4,000 ft altitude.

More St. Helens. The lake is Spirit Lake, the logs are trees still in the water from the 1980 eruption.

And for the artsy side of things, there is the Chihuly Exhibit in Seattle near the Space Needle (pronounced similarly to Space Ghost). If you are unaware of Dale Chihuly, he works with glass to create amazing shapes and creations that just make you want to quit your day job, melt some sand, add some color, and swirl it around. Julie will agree.

More Chihuly.

And then there is the Flying Heritage Collection. If I was a kazillionair like Paul Allen, I'd do the same thing. He owns the joint and I do not have issue with how he spends money! The majority of the aircraft he has are airworthy, though not all are flown due to the fact they are the last one of their kind that could take to the air. Pity, but understandable.

More from FHC...
This aircraft was being dedicated to the museum the day I visited. It is a F-105 that was used for Wild Weasel operations in Vietnam. The aircrew flew in low and fast ahead of an airstrike, they were armed with anti-radar/anti-missile weapons. The intent was to draw the enemy's attention and then destroy the SAM's before they could be used against the other aircraft in the mission.
For Al!

And the two-piece travel stick held up nicely! Thanks for looking!

'Toons
Sarge-I hope you weren't too upset that I didn't drag my worthless rear end out your direction. I do want to return again, so there's potential that I'll yet darken your door!

Cool beans!

Hansontoons wrote:... the hiking around at altitudes that were a little above seal level left this poor ol' flatlander a little short of breath at times.

Why? Just how tall are the seals, there?

Hansontoons wrote:Sarge-I hope you weren't too upset that I didn't drag my worthless rear end out your direction. I do want to return again, so there's potential that I'll yet darken your door!

Now, why would you go and vandalize his door, like that? What if he likes his door to be lightly colored? And are you going to darken it with paint, permanent marker, or a propane torch? That makes a difference, come cleanup time...

Oh, by the way... nice photos. Seriously. Thanks for sharing.

(Living vicariously through other people's photos...)

lake_wrangler wrote:

Hansontoons wrote:... the hiking around at altitudes that were a little above seal level left this poor ol' flatlander a little short of breath at times.

Why? Just how tall are the seals, there?

Oops. "sea" of course.

But I did see seals by the seaside on the coast!