A Male Anna Hummingbird...

We bought a second hummingbird feeder, and set the other one up closer to the house, hoping to get more attention and more birds. We did see a pair posturing a bit, and since then there's been a male Anna's hummingbird hanging around, and letting me get pretty close. The color on his face is just amazing when he looks at you in the right way...

He didn't like the mirror at first, and spent some time trying to scare himself away. Sorry for the blur, but you can see how he's puffing his neck out...

Here's a good shot of him feeding...

Here he is sitting on the huckleberry bush as the snow is falling:

And finally, just about as close as I could get, maybe 4 feet? (Using a 70-200+doubler, so 400mm focal length.)

 

I cut about 150 frames down to 19, click here for a gallery of the 19.

More news (or What I did on Sunday...)

Wendy has been playing in a Bell Choir organized by one of the players/conductor from Bells of the Sound for about a year now. The group occasionally plays during Sunday sermons at the Tibbets United Methodist Church here in West Seattle. Today was to be one of those days. When The forecast began calling for snow, I volunteered to get Wendy to church on time, and also get her home afterwards.

While the sermon was going on, I went and had a cup of coffee a few blocks away at Hotwire (see previous post). One of the Baristas there was working on a Holiday Project of making artistic lattes, and after taking a picture offered it up to the people that were in the shop at the time. It was delicious... here are Before and After pics from my phone's camera (not great for close-up work) - I was very careful about drinking it...

 

I then headed back to the church after toodling around the neighborhoods seeing just how poor traction was and to have just a little fun swinging the tail around corners where there was enough room and visibility to do so... Drifting just a little, and at extremely slow speed...

When I got back to the church, I stashed the laptop under the seat, and as I was standing up, my lower back twinged in a not very pleasant way... It was kind of scary, to tell you the truth,  but I was able to stand up, and walk into the church lobby without pain, so I wasn't to worried about it then. Just a little, and it made me much more cautious there rest of the trip home. We stopped at the Farmers Market which was fairly short on vendors today (I can't imaging why, really...) and got some veggies and a little bacon for the week.

When we got home I carefully extracted the laptop from under the seat, and then as I was trying to stand up again, another twinge... this one a little bigger... Since then (about noon, or a little later) I've been sitting on ice & heat, and trying to ignore the pain in my lower back.

So, I'll be making a trip to the Doctor tomorrow if I can get in, and not doing much of anything else for a little while.

:`(

West Seattle Winters

Well, over here in the little part of Seattle called "West Seattle" the snow has fallen, and then the temperature dropped into the 20's. So we have a great deal of ice on the roadways making navigation a tricky business. There are some drivers that know what they are doing, and others that have no clue what to do.

Having dedicated snow tires is a definite plus. Traction exists as long as I can keep tires on stuff that isn't wet-topped sheet ice. If there's any roughness to it, and it isn't in the sun, then navigating it hasn't been to much of a problem yet. There are areas where you have to be REALLY gentle, and use the brakes rather than back-pressure to slow down, otherwise the tail tries to overtake the nose.

I've heard that there were supposed to be plows out, but I haven't seen signs of any plows yet. There was one lane of the downhill run on 35th that was sanded, but it didn't look like the uphill run had been sanded. Hopefully it will be better by the time we are heading uphill after Wendy is done with her bell choir this morning. If not, I'll be putting the chains on the car to get home. I think we should go to the Farmers Market first though. Since a bunch of the vendors have shown up, then we should do our best to make it worthwhile for them.

That's all for this morning, I'm just relaxing at a little coffee-house called "Hotwire" here on California Avenue north of the Alaska Junction. The West Seattle Blog had a coupon book, so I got a free coffee to enjoy while Wendy was busy with bells.

4pm Update - here are a few photos from our evening walk in the snow. These were all from the first few minutes, as it started to come down quite heavy, and I packed the camera into my coat to keep it dry.

Wendy & Sophia, ready for the walk:

A few neighbors porches:

A couple of snow-laden bushes:

Western Washington Winter Wildlife

The last few days it's been getting colder and colder around here. Recently the mercury has been dropping into the range of freezing overnight frequently. This weekend, the Northwest is getting it's first major winter storm of the year, with snow in the higher elevations. Even here in West Seattle there are rumors that we may see some snow tonight, and possibly tomorrow as well. With all the changes that go along with colder weather, the birds have been behaving a bit differently as well.

More and more of them have been visiting our deck feeders, and spending more time sitting around nearby. We've had Chickadees for quite a while, and I previously posted about the Red-Shafted Northern Flicker that's been paying us a few visits. Now, with the extra cold winter we are also getting a flock of Oregon Junco that have been hanging around. They like to eat off the ground more than the feeder, so they spend a lot of time in and around the pots, getting seeds that get dropped by the chickadees.

We have also been seeing a lot of a little tiny thing that likes to come and perch in the bamboo or on the feeder hanger, a Hummingbird. I can't tell if it's an Anna's Hummingbird or a Rufous Hummingbird, but it sure is a cute little thing. It comes and parks a few minutes making sure the coast is clear of other birds for a moment, then buzzes down to the feeder for a little nectar before going back to perch for a few minutes more. It's been a lot of fun watching it today while catching up on a little TV, getting a few series programs out of the way on a lazy Saturday.

But, enough with the chatter, here's a couple pictures of the little flyers at rest:

 

OK, looking at the picture again, it's looking more like an Anna's Hummingbird by the dark wings and the light eye bands... I'm going to be trying to get pictures of this little beauty buzzing about the feeder as well, so stay tuned for more.

It's definitely Fall...

Last night the mercury dipped, and most of the Puget Sound region saw freezing temperatures over night, so this must really be Autumn... That and all the trees are making the change from green to yellow and red, and starting to drop leaves all over the place.

Here's a picture from the middle of last month, the harvest moon from September 16th:

Highpoint at Night

I recently carried a camera along on the evening dog-walk with Wendy and our friend Penny, as I've wanted to try and get a picture of the pond for quite some time. Next time I'll have to also carry a tripod, and I'd like to try an image-stabilization lense, and see if the results improve any...

This first picture is probably the best as far as image quality. Most of our condo (And one of the Parkside homes) reflecting in the Highpoint Pond.

An image of the Redwood at Highpoint condos, and the stream feeding into the pond.

My favorite composition, this has has a nice feeling, but is unfortunately a little blurry. One of the problems with trying to hold a camera steady for a 1/3 second exposure at night...

Time is on my side, yes it is...

Just had that little bit of music running through my head for some reason, had to share.

So, I seem to be among the ranks of the unemployed at the moment, searching for a new position within the realm of Software Development again. I have a few prospects, an interview later today, and another interview expected to be scheduled any time now. Just waiting for the email to come through.

In the meantime, I've been doing a little more reading, updating my mobile device to the latest software (have a couple of things to test before I update Wendy's device...)

The new version has some nifty features, and a few changes from previous that would be even more usable if I had a job... but anyway...

To the point - I recently started using Mobipocket to be able to read digital books from the library. It's a little different than reading a paper copy of a book, the page is very small and doesn't contain a lot of text, so getting used to "turing" pages frequently was a little bit of a step. Now I kind of like it though, as I can leave the application running in the background, and access the book at a moments notice. And I have my phone with me at all times anyway, so it not like having to carry an extra book to have something to read when I want to, you know?

Right now I am reading Neil Stephenson's Cryptonomicon that I checked out from the Seattle Public Library. I haven't downloaded much of anything else yet, as I'm kind of a "one book at a time" type guy.

Anyway, since it had been a while since I'd posted anything, I thought I should start writing again, and see where it leads.

Automotive diatribe #3810...

I was thinking about something on the commute this morning, I wonder if I can remember what it was about...

I wanted to pull over and take some notes, because it was a really great idea.

Right, now I recall... design philosophy for a new car.

One of the worlds great automakers should begin designing a car (or two, or four) with the following attributes:
1) All materials used should be recycled or renewable
2) The vehicle should be designed to be recycled at end of life
3) The vehicle should employ current/near future tech for motive power

None of this is "new" thinking, however, let me expand on my thoughts for a few minutes and be a little more detailed... As there are many more details that should be taken into consideration in the vehicles I am thinking about.

Materials:
Many of a cars components can be made from recycled steel, aluminum, etc. rather than being from freshly mined ore. I don't know the current process for this, but I do know that there is a lot of scrap metal that appears to be under-utilized. It would be nice if that could all be accounted for, and tracked. If automakers are currently using recycled materials, it would be nice to know what percentage of the whole this was done for. For interior materials, some plastics would be fine where they needed to be formed, but since almost everything is gray or black, why not make it from recycled materials? Other trim materials for "extra" bits could be made from bamboo or other renewable resources. Natural fiber or recycled plastic carpeting. Kapok filled cushions in the seats. Leather upholstery - face it, the world eats beef, so we might as well use everything available. Alternatives could be organic cotton or wool. Sheepskin makes a wonderful seat cover, why not actually make the seat from it? My point is that with almost any level of interior trim there are renewable materials that can be utilized to meet or exceed current styles.

End of life:
Let's face it, currently there are a lot of cars that aren't designed to be torn down - they are designed to be crushed and melted down as a single piece, burning off any "impurities" that may be contained within the block (plastics, wires, etc.) While I know that tearing a car down takes time, if the larger assemblies were designed to be removed a little more efficiently, they could be processed separately from each other. For instance, in my car, built in 1991, many of the electrical components are routed through body cavities, and mounted to the body itself. A different method of design might make it so that all those capacitors, relays, and switches that are hidden in every little crevice and hole in the body where mounted to a dash subassembly that could be pulled as a unit. The wires running through the body could have connectors to plug into the subassembly in one location. Rather than having a master harness through the entire car, plugged into various components mounted in various locations, centralize the connections. Make it so that when the main cage is crushed, that's all that is getting crushed. Make it easy to remove as much non-metal as possible.

Motive power:
We know have quite a few options for various forms of efficient generation of power. We have electric motors, hybrid-power, hydrogen, fuel-cell, engines that run on petrol, regular oil (diesel), natural gas, and biofuels like ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas. There are a lot of options, lets make use of them where they make sense. Vehicles for more specific purposes, fueled by the most efficient method for that purpose. Vehicles where the power plant can be selected based on best availability depending on where it will be used. For instance, a truck at a dairy farm could be the same as a truck at a farm growing soybeans, only the engine for the dairy truck would burn biogas, which could be processed at the dairy. A vehicle for a daily commute specializing in making a 100 mile round trip with amenities for comfort of the passenger, and would be able to recharge or refuel quickly. A luxury limousine built with a hybrid system would enable "on a whim" destinations without concern for distance. Even now there are efficient race cars that are winning every event they enter, specializing in long distance endurance racing, and running on biofuel. These cars are also quieter, faster, and more reliable than their "traditional" counterparts. If it's being done on the racetrack, can we bring it to the streets? Please?

So, to the manufacturers, I say this: Give us something that we can use, something comfortable, and something that looks nice. Make it something that doesn't make a huge carbon footprint. It doesn't have to be faster than everything else. It doesn't have to be bigger than everything else. It doesn't have to be the smallest. It doesn't need EVERY gadget on the planet. Let me have choices in how much engine I want, not what you think I want, or what "market research shows 70% think" - let me make my own decision. In Europe, there are four models of the BMW 1 series, with seven choices of engines. The 3 series has eight engine selections. Here in the US we get... two models, two engines in the 1 series, all four models of 3 series, but again only two engines. Give us a choice. Let us make the decision for ourselves. I'd love a 118d M Sport 3-door hatchback. Rated at close to 63 MPG, it almost feels criminal that it isn't offered here in the US. It's past time to be making cars based on what can be sold off the show room floor, and give people the ability to buy the car they need, rather than giving them what you think they want. It's past time to stop thinking that gasoline is going to last forever. It's time to start making cars for tomorrow rather than for yesterday.

BMW information source: http://www.bmw.co.uk

Update: Just received the new issue of Winding Road, which mentions a new design from Mercedes Benz. Will be interesting to see where this leads.

High Point Market Garden Street Flowers

Between the sidewalk and the fence, the gardeners have planted an amazing array of flowers that have been blooming since Spring. Here's a small sample of what's currently showing. Some Fresia, Calla Lilies, and Daisies.

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Wendy & I went with the BMW Club on a tour of Harold LeMay's auto collection on July 13th, 2008. We only attended the morning portion, about 300 or so cars on display.

Here's a small sample of some of the vehicles in the collection.

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Put the Lime in the Coconut and drink it all up...

Wendy has been growing a Lime bush on the end table next to the couch for a while now. This spring (or over the winter) it sprouted a few flowers, and now has a few fruits slowly maturing. Here is a shot of the largest lime, which is a little over 1-1/2 inches long, and about an inch diameter around the middle.

Learning to Drive

When I was a kid, Dad used to take Kimry (my sister) and I to a local dirt oval track in Oregon every once in a while to watch the cars go round and round. After a few years, as I got a little older, and Kimry lost interest, we went a few more times just him and I. Then, after a while we stopped going. I was never sure why - it's possible the track closed down, or the tickets got to expensive, or any of a hundred different reasons. I wasn't old enough to drive then, and we did go to other racing events. IMSA, a couple of CART races, the GTP races at Portland International Raceway. We even ended up in the paddock a few time. I still have a couple slides were I got pictures of Michael Andretti in his first or second season in a Texaco car.

As I grew up I started out driving a riding lawnmower, then the old Dodge pickup in fields while Dad & Kimry filled it with straw or hay for her horse. I think I was about 13. Then, later on, when I turned 15 and got my learners permit he took me out to teach me how to drive a manual. That was in a 1972 Saab Sonnet 3. It had front wheel drive, a stiff clutch that didn't always engage in the same place twice, no power brakes, and no power steering. It was a beast. But it really did teach me how to drive a stick.

He taught me how to be smooth, and told me about driving a line, and how to apex. I'd listen, and watch what the race cars were doing on track, and over a great deal of time see what I could here and there with my cars as I grew up.

Some of the things I ended up doing were (looking back) pretty stupid. I learned from those mistakes. I listened when others that I respected were speaking (or writing) above driving. When the internet came along, and I finally got online, I read even more about how cars handle, what affects their handling, and how to shift weight. In each car that I owned, I learned carefully where my comfortable limit was, and stayed fairly well within that safety cushion.

I started out in the family wagon, a 1972 Volvo Wagon, and the truck, a 1969 Dodge 3/4 ton (Uuuuuuugly....) My first car was a 1965 VW Beetle. Great learning car. Constantly adjusting the valves. Sometimes hard to handle. My second car was another Volvo wagon, a 1974 145 with a 4-speed. After that I bought a 1979 Toyota Celica. Drove that for several years. Then a 1993 Mazda Protege - one of the worlds great commuter cars, and still ahoot to drive. Also my first front wheel drive. After I married, we traded that car in on a 626 for Wendy, and I inherited the Nissan 240sx Wendy had. I hated the auto, so after a time sold that and bought a 1985 Toyota MR2. Sweet car. Loved it dearly. Eventually, though, it was time for something different and I bought (slightly on a whim) a 1989 BMW M3. Dream car. Quick. Nimble. I'll have to own another someday... but at the time it got me into to much trouble. Had to sell.

Then found what I was originally looking for, and bought a 1991 BMW 318is. Last of the E30 models with a 4-cylinder engine. Light, balanced, nimble, but not to quick. Easy and comfortable to commute in. Reasonable mileage, I can average 28mpg without trouble in mixed commuting, and can top 31mpg on a long freeway cruise. And... it does well at speed.

Which brings us to the point of this long, winding road... learning to Drive (with a capital D).

In 2004, after we bought the MINI Cooper and I had the MR2 a while, Wendy and I went to the BMW Club performance driving education "Skills Day" where they teach you car control. Things like threshold braking, weight transfer, controlling under-steer and (The Fun Part!) over-steer, collision avoidance, and line selection (finding the apex of a turn). At the time we didn't have the money for me to take the follow up on-track driving instruction. Then, when I bought the M3, I did another skills day, and again did not have the money to be able to take it to the track. (And it needed work to make it safer on the track at the time.) This year was the first year that I was finally able to get to the track for the first time, and I really enjoyed it.

I signed up for the IRDC Drivers School weekend before last, and had an absolute blast. This last weekend I went to another driving school through the local chapter of the BMW Club, and again had a great time. It's the first time I've really been able to explore either my car's or my own limits, and I've discovered that initially my own limits are much more stringent than my car's. It will easily handle any edge I'm willing to push towards right now. Which is a really nice feeling, as that means it's really easy for me to be able to drive it home from these events... Over the two weekends there were three incidents where the drivers exceeded the limits of the vehicles, and two of those incidents resulted in the cars being taken away on flat bed tow trucks.

There were a couple of photographers at each of the two days, but only one has posted pictures yet. Here's a few images that I was able to purchase for my own use from the first of those photographers to make the images available.









All images copyright 2008 Pete Stoppani, Red Mist Photo

Another cold morning in Seattle

This morning is just another cold cold morning in Seattle. This last weekend I put my summer wheels back on, as it was getting warm enough that the snow tires were going to start wearing much to fast.

The sun is now coming up early enough that in order to get the first hint I'm going to have to get up even earlier. However, it makes it easier to catch the sun on things, like the Downtown Seattle Skyline. Click on the image for a better view.

Now that it's Official...

As many of you may have heard from Wendy by now, I have been offered a new job.

A while back, there was a post to a local car club forum that I belong to about a tech job... It was exactly the type of position I have been hoping to find, so I immediately applied for it.

Over the last couple of weeks I've interviewed with the company a couple times, and on Thursday of last week the extended an offer of employment. It was some of the best news I'd heard in a long time...

So, now that I've given my 2 weeks notice at my current job, I'm feeling comfortable enough to actually write about it in the public sphere.

The new job is as a Junior Software Developer at Randy's Ring & Pinion. I expect that much of what I will be doing might be considered "maintenance programming" - but it's something that actually suits me. It will involve a lot of code review to discover where and how to make an adjustment or revision in order to accomplish minor changes in a user interface. The bulk of the work will be in a custom reporting environment that R'sR&P has built up over time for their sales force.

I'm really looking forward to getting my hand's dirty with real code again. The time in between graduating from South Seattle CC and now has kind of been filled with "need to be working" type jobs that were available when I needed them. Now that I'm moving on to something that is more in the vein of what I really want to do, it's fairly exciting.

:)

So, as of the 10th of August I will cease to be employed for a couple of weeks before starting at the new position, as I'm taking the break in between to finish painting, moving, and some unpacking in the new townhouse. Oh, and also to avoid commuting while I-5 is mostly closed for repairs between the West Seattle Bridge and I-90... Perfect timing, and I couldn't have planned it better.

Wish me luck!