Twelves and sixes

 

12x12x6x6 segments and rings cover

 

The layout of the segments, holes, and ridges of this 12x12x6x6 manhole cover could be adapted to a clock face.

 

 

Some holes covered

 

A 10x10 square diamond pattern

 

This manhole cover with some holes covered is seen in the street beneath our feet.  It has a 10 x 10 square diamond pattern of 88 pegs and four edge ridges.  There appear to be 39 holes, of which 11 are still open.

 

Water and gas

 

Circles in a rectangle

 

This GFI WATER utility cover and a GAS utility cover are highlighted for easy location of where work will most likely be done.  The blue indicates a potable water line and the yellow is for a gas.  

Gas drip marked

 

It's a drip!

 

A utility worker has marked this GAS utility cover with a DRIP.

 

 

Onekie

 What a "Onekie"?  It is a Twinkies with only one Twink!

Onekie is "wonky"

These are not be as rare as one imagines.  This is the second one this year, and I am not even actively looking for them.  The interweb is littered with exemplars of "Onekies".

p.s. "Onekie" rhymes with "wonky", and, it is wonky.  Maybe even a bit "fonky"?

Moonrise at sunset

 

Peek-a-boo-ed by clouds, the full moon rises up from the far shore of the lake.

 

Peek-a-moon

 

That shore is colored by the last of the sunset.

Moonrise in 3d

 For stereogrammers, the scene is presented as a relaxed view 3d stereograph.

 

 

Frosty leaves

Frost on windows from a frosty overnight is enjoyed the next day.

 

 

A frosty one

 

 

Frosty, too

 

No telling what the next frost will look like!

 

Fall and the water

 

Foliage in the river

Another view of fall in the water.  Flipped vertically, of course.

 

 

Fall in the water

 

Crispy clear colors

A reflection can tell more about itself when it is flipped vertically. 

 

----------   

update on December 9, 2024...

The photo was run through the "They See Your Photo"  https://theyseeyourphotos.com/  online app - it uses the Google Vision API to reveal the story behind a photo:  

 

 

The image shows a reflection of trees in a calm body of water. In the foreground, we see the overhanging branches and leaves of trees, some with vibrant green foliage and others showing hints of autumn colors. The background is a clear blue sky reflected in the water, creating a mirror-like effect. The water acts as a canvas displaying an inverted, almost surreal image of the surrounding forest. The entire scene appears to be taken in a park or woodland area, somewhere where nature is still abundant and calm. The clarity of the reflection suggests still water with minimal disturbance.

The picture seems to capture the serene beauty of autumn. No people are present; however, one can imagine the peace and tranquility a person might feel observing such a scene. The image evokes feelings of calm and contemplation. The scene suggests an outdoor setting, likely in a park or forest, during daylight hours. The subtle variations in leaf color suggest a time of transition between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, or an early autumn season.

The most striking detail is the almost perfect symmetry and clarity of the reflection. Every leaf, every branch, and even subtle variations in color are mirrored precisely in the water's surface. This degree of stillness in the water is quite remarkable and contributes to the image's overall ethereal quality. An untrained eye might miss the subtle differences in shades of green and yellow among the leaves, indicative of different tree species and varying levels of sun exposure. The water itself seems incredibly calm, perfectly still, creating a near-perfect reflection. The perspective, looking upwards from within the water, creates an unusual and intriguing viewpoint.

That is some story!

----------  

 

Three contrails of four

Changes in the upper atmosphere weather conditions affect the shape, length, and even the presence of contrails. 

 

Three to one to two

The contrail right in back of this airplane shows it is a tri-jet engine.  Those three plumes combine into one, and then open up to two plumes. 

 

Two plumes

This twin jet engine airplane leaves a distinct two plume contrail.

 

 

Another two plumer

As the upper atmosphere weather condition changes, this twin jet engine airplane leaves a shorter two plume contrail.

 

No trail nor plume

With the upper atmosphere having very low humidity, this twin jet engine airplane overflight leaves no contrail.

 

These four flights were seen in the span of about one half of an hour.

Who's eating me (parts 1 and 2)

The common milkweed is a host plant for the monarch butterfly caterpillar.   Other insects feed on it as well - and they can devour the leaves and eat the seeds.

Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii)

A Small Milkweed bug sitting on a milkweed seed pod.  These bugs eat milkweed seeds.

 

 

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle)

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars are eating this milkweed leaf; what's left of a devoured one is seen in the lower right corner.

 

 

Gold rush

 

Where did we stay last year?

The bright yellow color of this Spotted Tussock moth caterpillar made it easy to spot as it headed up the fourth step of the porch, looking to find itself an overwintering spot.

The Lophocampa maculata, the Yellow Spotted Tussock moth, is really a Tiger moth.  Those hair tufts on the caterpillar cause it to be called a "tussock moth caterpillar".  This caterpillar has five spots; the fifth one is next to the banding at its rear.

Who lives here?

 

Passing by, a spider web in this fence post catches the eye:

We peek in, and spy:

 

It's a spider.  Oh my! 

 

That may very well be a spider of the Agelenidae (funnel-weaver) family.

Table for three

 

Tischlein, deck dich!

 

 

While waiting for its first sitters, this table set for three enjoys the late afternoon sun.

Baskettail dragonfly

 

Rosy rest

 

A dragonfly takes a rest break from flying and catching.  This one looks like it is a Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) dragonfly, possibly a female.

Needle eye contrail

 

Up in the sky

 

Barely visible itself, this twin jet engine airliner leaves a tell tale "needle eye" contrail in the milky blue sky.  The rather short contrail indicates the air is dry at flight height.

 

Waiting in the lobby

 

He is tall

 

Fourteen feet tall, clothed in gold leaf, The Independent Man awaits return to his rightful place high atop the State House.  This relaxed view 3d stereograph presents him in the main lobby of that staid building.

 

 

Dark rays of light

 

Storm to come

 

On a sunny afternoon, spectacular crepuscular rays emanate from dark clouds, foreshadowing the developing hailstorm.

 

This'll blue

 

Ready to blow away

 

A common thistle ( Cirsium vulgare ) seed pod has exploded, ready to send its seed on the next wind.

 

 

Foggy fireworks

Fireworks will usually be fired even if the weather may not be exactly perfectly clear.  These aerial shells were lifted high enough to go off in the low level clouds.  

 

Fireworks 12

 

Fireworks 13

 

 

Fireworks 14

 

Fireworks 15

 

Fireworks 16

 

Fireworks 17

 

Fireworks are not often seen like this.

 

 

Pink musk mallow

 

Pinkie pink!

A pink musk mallow (Malva moschata) shows off its pinkness. 

 

Berry very purple

 

Red and black berries

 

A black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) bush shows its red and black (more like a very, very dark purple with red) berries.

 

Black is better

 

This cluster of black raspberries show the different stages of ripeness.  The darkest berries are the ripest and the sweeter and juicier they be.  The red, not so at all, even though they resemble ripe red raspberries.

Caterpillar and flower

 

That must have been a long crawl to get to a flower so tall.

 

 

What is that?

 

The flower - maybe an echinacea?  The caterpillar - maybe a skipper butterfly?

 

 

Feeding on flowers

If you can identify the flower and /or the caterpillar, post a comment.  This unexpected find was seen in a field of flowers in southern Quebec, near the middle of the Vermont border with Quebec.

 

 

Rod in place

 

Barn door barred

 

An "L" rod through the eye keeps this barn door firmly closed.

 

 

Sprinkler connection

 

Two by two

 

An automatic sprinkler fire department connection has been installed next to the existing vent and outside water hose connection.   The connection allows the fire department to supply additional water and / or pressure to the building sprinkler system.  

 

 

 

GMC Sprint 1977

 

A coupe utility - pickup

 

 

The GMC Sprint was made from 1971 to 1977 as the GMC cousin of the Chevrolet El Camino.  After 1977, it was re-badged as a Caballero; that was produced until 1987.  Both were co-models of the Ford Ranchero utility coupe pickup.

This 1977 two tone model, with added custom wheels, is presented as a relaxed view 3d stereograph.

Note - this may be a 1976, as that was that year that stacked rectangular headlights were first used.

 

Azure on a flower

 

Summer azure on a flower

Although it looks big in the photo, this summer azure (Celastrina neglecta) butterfly is very small; it has a wingspan of about one inch. 

 

 

Skipper on a leaf

A flighty butterfly that does not sit still long enough to be photographed does one and gets the other.

 

Zabulon skipper

This Poanes zabulon takes a break on a Rubus phoenicolasius leaf.

Poanes zabulon

This wineberry leaf provides a rest area for a zabulon skipper.

 

One last look

 

Looking left

Perched on the tip of a branch, this hummingbird takes one last look around its domain before retiring for the night.

 

 

Four Jersey

 

JABOJ

Nothing to see here - just a bunch of Jerseys, looking back at you.

These four Jersey cows are as interested in the viewer as the viewer was interested in seeing them.  The two on the left are wearing the black masks; the other two are dressed in the more usual Jersey reddish-brown.

 

 

Our hours are

 

What time is it now?

 

When are they open?   8am to 1pm?  8am to noon?  If they close for lunch from 12pm to 1pm, do the employees have to stay for that hour and eat lunch at work?  Can the employees go out for lunch at 12pm and come back at 1pm to close up for the day?  Can they say they are open from 8am to 1pm, but close up for the day at 12pm, and take off for lunch?  Do the employees get paid for lunch?  So many questions, so no answers...

 

 

Mid lower level

 

Up or down or stay

 

The marble stairway leads up to the main floor.  The door on the left leads to a plain stairway that goes down to a sub-basement.  Both this floor and the sub-basement are accessible by taking a self guided tour of the building.   

 

This middle level is presented as a relaxed view 3d stereograph.

 

Floral fecundity

 

In full bloom

 

The wild tulip - Tulipa sylvestris - has a very faint fragrance:  sweet, slightly vanilla, slightly banana.

 

Pollinated

 

The stamen consists of the anther that has the pollen and the filament that supports the anther.  The pistil consists of the stigma, which catches the pollen, the style that holds up the stigma, and the ovary that produces the seeds.

 

Apple blossom time

 

Waiting for a pollinator

 

 

Pollinate me!

 

Apple blossoms now mean apples by the Fourth of July (or that week).