Initially not expected to reach south of Washington DC, but we got two inches by 9pm, then almost another half inch overnight, followed by howling winds.
Frost on the pumpkin
Mid-morning, new year’s eve. Apparently the deer don’t eat dead pumpkin.
Stafford Regional Choral Society, Dec 15th
Photo by Nikki Piner, forwarded by Elspeth from Facebook.
General Election Day 2013
November 5th, 5:55am, all set up and ready to open the polls at Hartwood Presbyterian: Judy M, Lois S, Bob J, Judy F, Michelle H, Harry C, Debbie C, Edwin R. The polls closed at 7pm. At 7:33pm we reported results to the registrar: 1,950 ballots cast by about 45% of our precinct’s registered voters. Cucinelli got 1,285. McAuliffe got 550. Sarvis got 109. We finished documenting and packing up by 9:15pm. I finished delivery, unloading, and reporting at the courthouse about 9:45pm. Gave no thought to G. Fawkes.
By lunchtime the next day, the State Board of Elections was displaying this:
By the end of the month, the State Board of Elections was preparing plans to subpoena an unknown number of election officials to require them to assist in a recount, which might take as many as six days in December.
Autumn
The dwarf Japanese red maple in the blue bench garden on Sunday morning. Also in this picture is one of our largest white oaks, directly behind the blue bench. Sadly, it’s so badly damaged at the base by boring insects that it has become a hazard to the house.
Benefits of alternate reality
You ask why we’re wearing those plastic cones? We have absolutely no idea, but they certainly are inconvenient. They contstantly bang into things, sometimes even get caught, and seem to irritate our people when we press them against the backs of their legs trying to sniff. But they have to stay on all the time, even while we’re sleeping. Until Thursday, when the stitches come out. What stitches? Oh, about a half-dozen each. As we’re not currently in that state known as berserk, we have no recollection of the vicious fight we got into a week ago over prime sniffing rights through the porch rails to the kittens hidden in the bushes below.
Watching the satellite launch
I stayed up really late last night, then drove about a mile to where I thought I had a plausible view of the horizon to the south southeast at about 11:25pm. Stepped away from the car and hope nobody would call the police or set the dogs on me. Checked the compass app on my phone to be sure I was facing Wallops Island, 124 miles or 200km away. A few minutes later there it was — a streaking fireball climbing up out of the trees and to the left. Seconds later it seemed to stop climbing and then started to drop, an illusion as it was now traveling away from me. I couldn’t take my own photo (I tried), but I saved this later from NASA.
Gradually the sausage shape flame shortened to a spot. I saw the first burst of energy when the first bit of rocket was ejected, and after a longer gap, the second also. I thought I could see a con trail in the sky but it was so faint I might have imagined it. Then it was gone. No cheering crowds, no dogs, no police, so home and to bed.
The NASA video I took the screenshot from is here on Youtube. LADEE stands for Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer.
At Universal Welding: waiting for the tour
The old Universal Welding building just a half-hour’s stroll from Dad’s place now houses a brand new craft brewery. Price of admission for the tour included a choice of one of the Rivertowne’s six draft beers. Owen was not particularly interested.
O at my office
At work yesterday they were asking for pictures to be part of an office display of employees’ grandchildren. I promptly copied this one to the color Xerox without even bothering to ask O’s permission — hope that’s ok?
Play ball!
Nationals 3, Mets 2
The winning final moments of the Washington Nationals/New York Mets baseball game Tuesday night. Charlie says he can just make out the ball, a tiny white smudge beyond third base. It does look as though there’s an outfielder starting to run in that direction, but I can tell you it didn’t do him any good. See the next day’s Washington Post game report. This was my first time at a major league baseball game, thanks to my sports fan friends who took me along. What fun! I took the picture with my cell phone.