So, it will be a girl! Cyndi found out today that the baby is a girl! Austin already told her it was a girl! He is ready to have a little sister! Now to wait to see if she is a late December baby or an early January baby! 🙂
Congrats to Cyndi, Aron, and Austin!
My Daughter Is Expecting A Girl!
August 12, 2009
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Posted by mygrandmasue
2009 Perseid Meteor Shower
August 11, 2009Grandpa Ron and I have seen several meteors streak across the sky in the last couple of weeks. The Perseid Meteor Shower is very intense right now. According to Space.com: In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.” More info in the NASA story. Check out Space.com’s Top 10 Perseid Facts.
Here are some totally awesome photos captured on www.RealClearWx.com – which also has great weather photos. – Could spend a couple minutes with the kids (longer if their attention span holds!) discussing lightning and storms.
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Hot August Nights
August 10, 2009The Reno Hot August Nights string of events is over for another year. Sounds like the Beach Boys were awesome at the Peppermill. The cars cruising all over Reno, Sparks and surrounding area were fun to see. You may want to keep it in mind for next year. We saw lots of pre-1973 cars. More cars were there than ever before but , surprise, surprise, spending was down as reported here in the RGJ. Here is a Reno Gazette-Journal listing of articles and photo albums from this year including the Saturday parade and the trailer queens.
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Phantom Galleries
August 9, 2009Phantom galleries are temporary art galleries that occupy vacant storefronts. It is an intriguing concept that Geralda Miller writes about in today’s Reno Gazette Journal. She interviewed photographers Dean Burton and Franz Szony and artist Chad Sorg. I agree with Chad Sorg that this is a great concept.
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Bears Get Our Reno Bird Feeders!!
August 8, 2009We realized all was not well with the finch and quail feeders when we arrived at our Reno house around 12:19 am this morning but we decided to wait till we got up in the morning to investigate and went to bed. It sure looks like a bear decided to take in all the thistle seed in our two finch feeders. One was pretty mauled and has multiple teeth marks. We saw bear prints in the mud one wet spring a few years ago so we guessed a bear again had come visiting …after investigating bears and bird feeders more on-line, we are sure of it!
This youtube video looks like what probably happened at our feeders – only our walls got in the way!
Another youtube Black Bear Video – wire mesh might keep squirrels away but the bear’s tongue can get through it!! …And a photo series here. More here.
Bears and Bird Feeder Damage –
in Michigan
in Alaska
in New York
And from Reno, NV, here are some of our pictures:
The Before Picture
The After Picture
Both poles are in this picture. Click on the picture to get a bigger image.
Bent Single Hook Pole
The Bent Double Hook Pole
The Chewed Up Feeder (Most of the bites are along the bottom quarter of the clear plastic.)
The Chewed Up Feeder
Munch Holes 1
Munch Holes 2
So, given the tooth holes in our feeder, the actions of the bear in the first youtube video fit our situation perfectly – yank, bite, bite! Yank, bite, bite, yummy thistle seed…… me want more, be back soon!
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The Magdeburg Water Bridge
August 7, 2009My mom sent me a picture of the Magdeburg Water Bridge (German: Wasserstraßenkreuz) which got me googling it on the web. The fun part is that is we know people who live there! Awesome! I did not know about the bridge. It is really an amazing feat! Here is a video, an article about the heavy plates used in construction, a whole bunch of google photos, and even some satellite photos.
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Code Talker Vet Center and Museum
August 6, 2009The New York Times carried the Associated Press story of how Chevron Mining donated land northwest of Gallup, New Mexico, for a museum and veteran center to preserve the legacy of the Code Talkers during World War II. According to Dorothy Kosich’s article on the Mineweb website, “Navajos, who comprise 95% of the workforce at Chevron Mining’s McKinley coal mine, convinced the company to join in the national effort to preserve the contributions of the Navajo code talkers in a museum and a veteran’s center.” The Buffalo Post article also steered me to the Navajo Code Talkers Association website. The http://www.southwestindian.com website has a video and a book available for sale about the Code Talkers.
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Lots of Whales Off CA Coast
August 5, 2009The Daily Breeze reports there are lots of Blue Whales off the San Pedro coast this year. Seems like lots more than in the past. The Aquarium of the Pacific has a Whale Watching 101 site about all the sealife in the San Pedro Channel. The Daily Breeze also has another 8/1/09 article by Sandy Mazza with photos and Blue Whale Fact Sheet. Here is a CBS News video.
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Outdoor Volunteer Events
August 4, 2009Letter I received from the National Wildlife Federation last week:
Join NWF and millions nationwide for the federal government’s United We Serve initiative dedicated to showcasing volunteer opportunities through September 11, 2009. One positive outcome of the economic downturn is a dramatic increase in volunteerism. During the week of August 3rd, United We Serve is highlighting projects related to Energy and the Environment.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Pass on a love of nature – Support the Department of Interior’s United We Serve initiative to mentor a youth outdoors and pass on a love of nature. NWF offers several resources including:
NatureFind – Search by city, state, or zip code to access outdoor adventures nationwide, including activities and events, trails, regional parks, and more.
Wildlife Watch– Watch for animals and plants in your neighborhood and share sightings online to track the health of species. A fun and educational nature-watching program created for people of all ages.
Find a volunteer project near you – Visit United We Serve’s website to discover short and long-term volunteer opportunities in your community. Enter your zip code to get started.
Be part of the national volunteering movement for positive change!
Sincerely,
Eliza Russell
Director of Education
National Wildlife Federation
P.S. Remember, you can make a difference by mentoring a child outdoors. Join NWF’s Be Out There campaign to encourage increased outdoor time for kids and families.
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Saving Sea Otters
August 3, 2009The Monterey Bay Aquarium sent a letter yesterday about the plight of the sea otters. Here’s the aquarium’s page on Southern Sea Otters. Check out The Otter Project, too!
The Sea Otter Research and Recovery Act (H.R. 556) passed in the House late Tuesday afternoon by a vote of 316 to 107. Now the bill moves to the Senate; we’ll be sure to let you know when the time is right to ask for support from your Senator.
Here is the aquarium’s on-line Sea Otter Exhibit page and another page about sea otters with a video and activities. Here’s another video, too.
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MyGrandmaSue 