Kill Devil Hills-Kitty Hawk to the Moon

Only 66 Years Separated The First Successful Plane Flights And Moon Landings. Imagine what’s next.

In my life time, I would very much hope scientists would find the answers to the mysterious substance known as Dark Matter,  the theory that has eluded astronomers for decades. Physicists have been trying for years to determine the nature of these matter particles, which do not emit light and are therefore invisible to the human eye.

During 1971, in high school, we debated black holes in science class.  Recently, my 8 year old granddaughter asked me what I was reading.  Sean Carrol’s, The Big Picture was on my night stand. In one chapter, black holes were described. Chloe began to explain black holes to me with detail not your average 8 year old would. Now that’s a proud moment.  She is a prolific reader as well as writer of some great ‘scary stories’. She also loves to write scripts for our videos. Much thanks to Atlantis Charter School. Although I hope my love of nature, science and photography had some impression.

From an earlier post: Chloe using Microscopes

“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.”

 

 

 

Are you a vegetarian.

Are you a vegetarian, you might be after this.  Mice will nest and scavenge anywhere. Late one night we opened the lid on the Grill. As Jim Nabors would say,  “surprise, surprise surprise” .  4 little guys scampering about inside the grill looking for leftovers.  So, I couldn’t grab my camera quick enough to show you the little bastards. So, set up a trap, and set camera in the area. Only a few hours later,  here is one of them. So, how long has this been going on. And low and behold, mouse droppings  inside of grill. We used the grill almost every day in the summer.  Now, it’s just me using the grill. After I showed the video,  Everybody uses the stove.

Click here for our little friend

 

Storm Grayson 2018

High winds and lots of snow left my bird feeders in need of repair. So, a temporary fix is needed as soon as possible. In the mean time, lets see what we have going on in the back yard. An upside down  coal scuttle and split log will be the feeder for now. Toss some Black oil sunflower seeds ( high concentration of oil, which is especially important in the winter) and enjoy the view.

At rare sight until recently in SE Massachusetts, the Red-bellied Woodpecker makes a grand appearance.

As annoying as they can be, while dressed for winter, the European Starling, below, is covered in what seems to be sparkling white spots during winter.

 

Northern Cardinals below,  hve reputation of  getting more people to bird watch than any other bird. Everyone  recognizes the shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Did you know: Its not unusual to see a male cardinal attacking its reflection in a window, car mirror, or shiny bumper fiercely defending their territory against any intruders. A female below, shares the seed with other  birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out the window

One good thing living in North Dighton country side,  you don’t have to go to far for some wonderful nature viewing. Just look out your window, it  comes to you. These images were all within a few hours.

 

 

 

Separation Anxiety ?

Mayflower II is owned by Plimoth Plantation and is undergoing a multi-year restoration in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. The restoration of the nearly 60-year-old wooden ship is being carried out over several years with the project scheduled for completion in 2019. The purpose is to prepare the ship for the 400th anniversary in 2020 of the Pilgrims’ arrival in 1620. So, below I added a few images to let you refresh your memory.

 

Dighton Rock State Park (read more here)

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”  

From The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

Dighton Rock State Park.  The kids seemed to be bored at this park. Not much to see they say. They didn’t seem interested in going back.  A dog owner with his dog unleashed didn’t make the adventure any less painfull as one of my granddaughters is frightened by dogs. (dog owners, please follow the rules on leashed pets, so we can all enjoy the park).  So, after some noisily exhaled sighs, and the promise of Simcock Farms ice cream, they relented and off we went. This time, we were going to look at the park different, as any young aspiring scientist might do, determined not to return until we took in what Nature had to offer us. Below image,  the tapestry of grass, trees and sunlight becomes quite beautiful indeed.  The eastern milk snake, belowhas brownish colors that help it to hide under dry leaves. (They pretend to be what they are not. Some snakes, butterflies and moths use this type of camouflage.)  Later that evening I thought it be advised to educate the girls on distinguishing venomous from non-venomous snakes. As you can see, the milk snake may resemble the copper head snake or other venomous snakes. We want to be snake safe. They understand not to panic if they come across a snake.  The young explorers will appreciate each animal for their role within the environment,  so educate your child about the risks associated with that animal. At the same time you can have fun doing it too!

Continue reading “Dighton Rock State Park (read more here)”

Ospreys & Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend and Ospreys are still hanging around Nelson Park, Plymouth, MA. After a great end of summer get-away at the John Carver Inn today, we drove on up to Nelson Memorial Park to the sea side trail for a brisk walk. Beautiful day.  The Ospreys we have seen all season were still here. We only watched two,  so maybe the others have left.  These two are getting on each others nerves. Soon they will  get tired of this bickering, and head on out.  They can hunt now on their own. Now, just need the courage to fly away. Where,? maybe French Guiana, South America.

P.S. The walk did us some good, especially after the fantastic meal we had at Dillon’s Local Pub, close to the waterfront. South Park Avenue to be exact. Pulled Pork Carnitas was a great alternative to most places serving the same old appetizers. We had the Bourbon Steak Tips prepared to perfection.

“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”   John Muir

 

 

 

Is This a Heron, Egret or Crane? After the Ospreys left, there was still more great stuff happening @ Nelson Park

My New Shirt