This squirrel…SQUIRREL!…was perched on a dead tree overlooking the canyon just beyond the fence in our backyard. It didn’t seem to mind at all that I walked up to take some pictures while it surveyed its domain.
Jul 02 2011
Long May It Wave
While our landlady and her brother were here installing new smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, her brother put up an American flag that my mom had bought a few days ago to display on this Fourth of July weekend. She loves being patriotic, which I commend.
Jul 02 2011
Again Another Blog? What Is Wrong With Me?
And if adding a new blog to keep up with wasn’t enough, I also set up a Shutterfly Share website for my Shutterfly photo account. Somebody please stop me.
Anyone want to become a member of my site?
Jul 02 2011
What? Yet Another Blog?
Yep. As if not keeping up regularly with my other three blogs was enough, I’ve gone ahead and started a new one. Differences with this one is that 1) it will center on what my friends are doing, not what I’m doing and 2) it’s on Blogger. It won’t be updated very regularly since I don’t always know what my friends are doing and what they’re doing may not be very interesting. Hope no one minds if I borrow a picture or two.
Jul 01 2011
Las Conchas Fire: Day Six
Probably my last full day of checking on updates since the fire is no longer an imminent threat to Los Alamos. Now I just have to keep an ear out for when my brother, nephew and my friends can return to their homes. Today I watched one news conference and some news videos, and found hi-res overhead images from LANL and some more fire maps, but mainly I watched Brian Osburn’s live streaming feed as he drove up Pipeline Road to check out the burn line firefighters placed yesterday. Even though he got permission to go off-road, he got into trouble with police when they were waiting for him as he got back to town. He was an incredible source of first-hand information that helped me pass updates along to my brother who wasn’t getting much info on his own in Santa Fe.
Fire acreage: 113,000
Jul 01 2011
Hot Car
Had ourselves a car fire on the freeway interchange in the canyon below our house. Fire department and police put it out and towed it very quickly and had the traffic backup moving in about twenty minutes.
5/52 interchange with line of cars trying to get to La Jolla
Police black and white, fire red, and school bus yellow
The car was ugly anyway
Jul 01 2011
Happy American Patriotism And Comic Con Month!
Changed all 22 of my calendars to July because June is now pining for the fjords.
17 of 22
Jun 30 2011
Space Station Flyover
My friend Rodrigo called to let me know that the International Space Station was going to do another flyby tonight. Took my camera out on a tripod and took five shots, four of which turned out ok, if you like straight, white lines on a black background, which I do.
F4.5 at 6 seconds
F4.5 at 10 seconds
F4.5 at 10 seconds
F4.5 at 20 seconds
Jun 30 2011
My Hummingbird Book
Ordered a book with my hummingbird chick photos from Shutterfly using a Groupon deal I purchased a while back.
Jun 30 2011
Las Conchas Fire: Day Five
Didn’t spend quite as much time checking updates today since most of the fire has now burned passed Los Alamos. Still kept an eye on Twitter, watched one news conference and some live streaming video. I was again in regular contact with my brother and nephew though, feeding them information they didn’t have access to. Adding a group of photos that my brother sent me today.
Fire acreage: 103,000 (Officially now the largest fire in New Mexico history)
Jun 29 2011
Got My D23 Expo Pass!
Bought my three-day pass today for the upcoming D23 Expo in August. If it’s anything like the one from two years ago I will have a great time. Not nearly as crowded or stressful as Comic Con, but also not nearly as many programs or panels. But this time I’m going for all three days instead of just one like I did last time. And it will be good to see Disney friends from out-of-state that I don’t see often enough. Add to it that the Expo will be down the street from Disneyland means that I’ll be making some much needed Park trips.
Jun 29 2011
Las Conchas Fire: Day Four
Thought I wouldn’t be spending too much time checking fire updates today. Boy was I wrong. I watched two live press conferences, a live townhall meeting and live streaming video from a guy who refused to evacuate and drove around Los Alamos to show people what was happening in the city. All that and following Twitter and a handful of official fire update websites kept me more than occupied the entire day. It was all worth it though because I was able to relay messages and updates to my brother and nephew. I was getting better and more up-to-date info than they were which helped relieve some of the anxiety. The official news outlets were unfortunately fixated on the sensational instead of helping ease tension and concerns.
Fire acreage: 90,000
Jun 28 2011
First Online Video
Posted my very first video online and I made sure it was all over the web. Posting it here, obviously, on Facebook and on Twitter. It’s of the Cheetah Run we saw at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tweetup we had last Saturday. Now I just need to work on my photos.
Jun 28 2011
Las Conchas Fire: Day Three
Day three of the Las Conchas Fire by Los Alamos, New Mexico brought some tepidly optimistic news during a news conference. While the fire has grown to over 60,000 acres with the probability of it reaching 100,000 and it is still 0% contained, the winds are not as strong as they were on the first couple of days and they are blowing back onto the burned areas and up around passed the city. Plus there is an enormous amount of resources fighting the fire as it is now the highest priority fire in all the United States because of LANL. For part of the day I was again updating my brother with new information while he was out helping at evacuation shelters. Power has not been cut to the city in hopes the residence might be able to start returning by the end of the week, as long as the winds don’t change and start blowing the fire back towards Los Alamos.
Fire acreage: 61,000
Webcam from Pajarito Mountain
Smoke Trajectory Map
Fire Area Map
Las Conchas Fire Area Map
US Postal Service Spokeswoman Barbara Wood
LANL Operations Director Carl Beard
LANL Director Charles McMillan
Police Chief Wayne Torpy
Fire Chief Doug Tucker
County Administrator Randy Autio
Governor Susana Martinez
Senator Tom Udall
Fire Incident Map
Google Earth Image
Fire Activity Map
Color-coded Fire Map
News Chopper Image of LANL buildings
News Chopper Image of LANL buildings
News Chopper Image of Los Alamos
News Chopper Image of Fire Line
Jun 27 2011
Las Conchas Fire: Day Two
Spent the entire day checking online updates on the Las Conchas Fire threatening to enter Los Alamos, New Mexico and tweeting, posting,commenting and relaying real time information to my brother. He later was able to go down and help out at two of the evacuation shelters.
Fire acreage: 43,000
Tom’s photo on a website
Twitter posts
Updated message on website header
Map of fire
Fire Chief Tucker
Webcam on Pajarito Mountain
View from Ashley Pond (unknown credit)
Fire burning over ridge (unknown credit)
My iNaturalist-ings
My Flickr Photostream
