North Balti Zen Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Oh no. Oh, no. https://x.com/wx_woods/status/1813390027386413080?s=46&t=rKRo5ildsXjOFWkYH7wDlg 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Gonna go crawl into a hole to stop being seen. Gonna take such a series of Ls when the family sees that... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
09-10 analogy Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Meanwhile, in Rorschach-test related news, this snapshot of the incoming line could, in a different context, look like a highlighted topographical map of the California Sierras. Just flip the image and get rid of the all the irritating county and state lines, and overlay it onto a pristine map of eastern CA. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickinBaltimore Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 If you're in IT, you have my utmost and deepest sympathy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolsheds Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 6 hours ago, RickinBaltimore said: If you're in IT, you have my utmost and deepest sympathy. today is Y2K 24 years later.... :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 Currently happening on a potted zinnia on the back porch. Any clue what it is @IronTy or...our other lepidopterpeeps whose names escape me? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 Also: NICE DAY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTy Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 25 minutes ago, Kay said: Currently happening on a potted zinnia on the back porch. Any clue what it is @IronTy or...our other lepidopterpeeps whose names escape me? Looks like the newly formed chrysalis of a fritillary to me - possibly a variegated fritillary? Hard to say 100% for sure though. If you have violets in the area this would lead toward a fritillary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 6 minutes ago, IronTy said: Looks like the newly formed chrysalis of a fritillary to me - possibly a variegated fritillary? Hard to say 100% for sure though. If you have violets in the area this would lead toward a fritillary. There are def violets though the real patches are not close to the porch. I've seen great spangled fritillaries (best name ever) around in years past, looked up and read larva feed on violets, which is a reason I leave the patches under trees But I didn't read so far to see it's so many species. The shot was actually yesterday and things have progressed today. Spectating. I might need to find a safer spot as plant can blow around/over in a storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTy Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 53 minutes ago, Kay said: There are def violets though the real patches are not close to the porch. I've seen great spangled fritillaries (best name ever) around in years past, looked up and read larva feed on violets, which is a reason I leave the patches under trees But I didn't read so far to see it's so many species. The shot was actually yesterday and things have progressed today. Spectating. I might need to find a safer spot as plant can blow around/over in a storm. It sort of looks like it was in the process of updating when you took the picture. The back half of it looks like a variegated fritillary caterpillar. If the chrysalid turned more whitish then thar would make sense. You could just take it and put it in a container to allow it to eclose, it should be relatively quick - they overwinter as small caterpillars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 38 minutes ago, IronTy said: It sort of looks like it was in the process of updating when you took the picture. The back half of it looks like a variegated fritillary caterpillar. If the chrysalid turned more whitish then thar would make sense. You could just take it and put it in a container to allow it to eclose, it should be relatively quick - they overwinter as small caterpillars. It does look more whitish. It's absolutely wild looking now, with a silvery sheen and metallic gold spots. Will try to get a pic and post later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 20 Share Posted July 20 22 hours ago, Kay said: It does look more whitish. It's absolutely wild looking now, with a silvery sheen and metallic gold spots. Will try to get a pic and post later. These photos didn't really do it justice plus had to screenshot and reduce. From yesterday. It's in a container now and taking a day off from paparazzi. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted July 21 Share Posted July 21 Woo! staying at an air bnb just south of downtown Annapolis that is right on the water (quiet waters park area if you know the general spot) and there is an osprey nest on a pole about 20 feet out in the water and he/she is active and been watching him/her fly like maybe 10 feet off the ground right by us as it circles the water. So very very cool. Also, house next door has a martin house and like 50-100 purple martins doing their thing there so two more birds for the life list. Gorgeous night now that the drizzle has passed here - nice breeze and lapping water. oh, and we saw two dolphins to boot a little bit ago. Magic evening. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jebman Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Got two MORE inches rain today! WE have now had 33.4 inches this year! Some weeds along Rt 1626 in Buda/Kyle are over 6 feet tall! We have had FIVE INCHES of rain just in JULY!!! Even MORE rain is expected Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! WE are just PILING it up like Palisades Tahoe piles up snow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vastateofmind Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 On 7/20/2024 at 8:11 PM, North Balti Zen said: Woo! staying at an air bnb just south of downtown Annapolis that is right on the water (quiet waters park area if you know the general spot) and there is an osprey nest on a pole about 20 feet out in the water and he/she is active and been watching him/her fly like maybe 10 feet off the ground right by us as it circles the water. So very very cool. Also, house next door has a martin house and like 50-100 purple martins doing their thing there so two more birds for the life list. Gorgeous night now that the drizzle has passed here - nice breeze and lapping water. oh, and we saw two dolphins to boot a little bit ago. Magic evening. I work at Fort Belvoir and often take lunchtime walks down to Accotink Bay, where the Army has built pole/platform structures for the nesting ospreys, so they are numerous...and yeah, SO fun to watch dive-bomb into the bay to grab their fishy meals. It's amazing how accurate they are. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Turns out it was a nesting pair so we got quite a show that evening and in the morning. So very cool. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Couple shots from the Peak District. Weather is incredible here. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vastateofmind Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 47 minutes ago, CAPE said: Couple shots from the Peak District. Weather is incredible here. OMG...beautiful pics! That one with the open windows is, like, so frame-able!! I didn't want to ask,but was hoping you would share some pics from your trip, so TY! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 @vastateofmind One more for you. Hoping to get to Snowdonia the end of this week. 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jebman Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Buda and Kyle are a quagmire. We have been flooded with 5 inches just in this storm cycle. Is this really late July in south central Texas? We have weeds along back roads easily nine feet tall. This is beginning to remind me of 2007. We have had about 37 inches this year. Weeds and grasses in my yard are ridiculous. We are getting hit by yet more rain even as I write this. We are getting George BM'd by rain. We may have even more tomorrow and Weds. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAOS Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Current Obs: Heavy Mosquitos. WTF... this place has been like a desert. Serious ques... Do mosquitos live in the desert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Another shot from a hike in the Peak District. Off to Snowdonia on Friday. 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Update. Butterfly has launched. Looks like you called it @IronTy 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 The Os have not been very good over the last few weeks, and coming out of the break they remain in a funk. It doesn't appear they are willing to include any top prospects in potential deadline deals, so I guess we will see what they can get in return for players like Mullins and Mountcastle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxUSAF Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 10 hours ago, CAPE said: The Os have not been very good over the last few weeks, and coming out of the break they remain in a funk. It doesn't appear they are willing to include any top prospects in potential deadline deals, so I guess we will see what they can get in return for players like Mullins and Mountcastle. Thought those first 2 rangers games meant they were out of this, but apparently not. Pitching staff is Burnes, Grayson, and assorted warm bodies. Lot of key players remain slumping at the plate. Only good thing is Yankees have been even worse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolsheds Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 hour ago, WxUSAF said: Thought those first 2 rangers games meant they were out of this, but apparently not. Pitching staff is Burnes, Grayson, and assorted warm bodies. Lot of key players remain slumping at the plate. Only good thing is Yankees have been even worse. They are a very aggressive team at the plate. Some of these teams are figuring that out and mixing up with off-speed pitching and they don't really adjust well. Going to need to learn from that if they want to go far in the postseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vastateofmind Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 22 hours ago, Kay said: Update. Butterfly has launched. Looks like you called it @IronTy That is STUNNING, TY for sharing! We have two large butterfly bushes in front of our home, which have been attracting a wide variety of small to large moths and butterflies, including a LOT of early monarch butterflies this year. Lots of stunning displays. Just caught this monarch a couple days ago on said bushes... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Our little team ended up with eight(!) swimmers in NVSL All Stars this year. Pretty incredible considering that I think the most we've ever had in one year was four! With a 5-0 record (all very convincing wins), a Division Relay win, an All Star relay team, and all those kids in Individual All Stars, there's really not much more we could have possibly done this season...except win the Sportsmanship Award! I came into the season feeling good about 5-0 and relays win, but never thought it would happen the way it did. Couldn't be more proud of what all of our kids - from the youngest first-year swimmers to our year-round senior swimmers - accomplished this year! I'm a little nervous about how many divisions we'll jump next year, but it should be a really nice challenge for our kids and coaches! Really looking forward to sewing up the season this Saturday at All Stars and taking a little break to get away... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vastateofmind Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 52 minutes ago, mattie g said: Our little team ended up with eight(!) swimmers in NVSL All Stars this year. Pretty incredible considering that I think the most we've ever had in one year was four! With a 5-0 record (all very convincing wins), a Division Relay win, an All Star relay team, and all those kids in Individual All Stars, there's really not much more we could have possibly done this season...except win the Sportsmanship Award! I came into the season feeling good about 5-0 and relays win, but never thought it would happen the way it did. Couldn't be more proud of what all of our kids - from the youngest first-year swimmers to our year-round senior swimmers - accomplished this year! I'm a little nervous about how many divisions we'll jump next year, but it should be a really nice challenge for our kids and coaches! Really looking forward to sewing up the season this Saturday at All Stars and taking a little break to get away... Glad to hear you all had such a successful season. The (potentially negative) other side of that coin, is exactly what you've postulated and what you're nervous about -- that your team will be a "victim" of your success, that you get moved up 1-3 divisions, and then get spanked in some or most summer competitions, thereby knocking down and/or demoralizing swimmers who are really trying hard...and then you STAY in your division, or start making your trip "back down the division ladder." I don't mean to rain on your parade...but it's inevitable, and one of the reasons I hated the NVSL, from this vantage point. On the other hand, I don't know how (or if) the system can be fixed. I've been on BOTH sides of that coin. Lately, our neighborhood pool (which we haven't been back to since our sons stopped swimming) continues their drop to the "bottom" of the NVSL divisions...after being in "the middle" of the NVSL divisions a decade or more ago. It's really NOT about being a member of the Tuckahoe or Overlee or McLean teams...and to those of you who might be part of those summer clubs, fine. I just don't want MY kids competing for blood at THAT level in NVSL Divisions 1/2. And trust me, that's not sour grapes. My youngest son competed with all NVSL swimmers, all VHSL swimmers, NCAP swimmers, and a fair amount of swimmers on a national level (and he still holds records against the top 50-100 swimmers in all of those realms, a decade-plus on). But it's not just about him. All I EVER wanted for both of our sons...and for EVERY kid at our neighborhood pool...was to have a fighting chance to swim their best, and just maybe, make a record. And have a moment in the limelight. They all deserve that. My youngest was flying high right up until his senior year of swimming at VHSL states...when he was already accepted at a couple D2 schools with scholarships at that point...when he came to us in tears and told his mother and I, he just couldn't swim anymore. Period. And he hasn't been in the pool since then. THAT makes me sick to my stomach still to this day. While he chose those levels of competition since he was in late elementary school, and we tried to support him throughout...it burnt him out somewhat early, and badly. What could WE have done to avoid that?? What I never want to see...and what I'll do everything in my power to avoid...is ANY swimmer within my influence reaching that point. Bringing this back around to your OP...the NVSL used to be about casual summer competition, but it's become like any other level of blood sport competition in our society. And that's not good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickinBaltimore Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Mr. Hyde, I'm done with the Craig Kimbrel experience... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now