Bits and Pieces (BAP)

Fast and furious here lately.. hope you’re keeping up!  trying to stay short.. (i think i failed)

Well, the Eshelman lecture on Wednesday night was very good.  It’s hard to imagine all those steamboats plying the Patuxent, making landings every couple of days like this.  

Steamboat Dorchester at Brome's Wharf

Courtesy of St. Mary's County Historical Society

The whole presentation was videotaped and eventually will be aired on our local Channel 95.  I’ll try to pay attention and if I get some notice I’ll pass it along.  It would be worth an hour of your time if you are at all interested in the history of our fair county.  Mr. Eshelman is one of those natural speakers that is easy to listen to.  ,

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So anyway we survived the Deluge of Wednesday, although I must admit that we didn’t get too much rain here at the digs.  The arrival of the front that caused all the flooding havoc up in DC ushered in warmer air, so this morning we got treated to some interesting fog features.  I grabbed the trusty camera and went out in our back yard and took a shot of a growing fog bank just off the end of the Solomons.  While composing the shot, I noticed a bird was coming along so I craftily waited and took what I thought would be an “artsy” shot with the bird in the image (top left center)

But when I downloaded onto computer in preparation for presenting it to you, I first thought “Hey! I got a(nother) spot on my chip”  Then I remembered it was our feathered friend the crow.

In the end, I thought it distracting rather than enhancing so with the magic of Lightroom, I excused the bird for an uncluttered look at the fog bank with the unusual shape

I must admit the fog was more dramatic to the human eye than Canon’s.. Anyway, the fog eventually came in (on little cat feet?) and enveloped the digs for a while.  Always something.

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And another always something brings us back to the power poles.   Guess what showed up yesterday?

The way they string the wires between the lovely poles is with a flying machine

That tows a wire, going from pole to pole like some mechanical spider constructing a web, which isn’t far from the truth.  At the end, there is some brave soul up in a bucket to I guess catch the end of the wire.. not for a million bucks would I do that..

Anyway, I guess it’s the American way

Progress, and remember this is for our own good..  Enjoy the view

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When we went past our new Golden Corral last night, the (recently paved) parking lot was pretty much filled with cars.  I guess maybe the “opening soon” sign is becoming a fact.  And, I did notice between the opening soon messages is now “training in progress”.  Since the GC has a buffet format, maybe they don’t need speeches like: “Hi I’m….. and I’ll be..; Are ya still werkin’ on that; anything else for you guys; is everything okay?”.  Not sure what duties staff will have..  clearing perhaps, filling water glasses, I’ll never know.  I notice their website lists over 50 items (!) available..

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And (finally) lastly, I got some interesting feedback on my little rant about Acronyms the other day.  It was pointed out that I was “Hysterically Hypocritical” in my criticizing the use of acronyms. Well, LOL!  LMAO!, but TBT I think it might be a fair criticism.  I DO use a lot of arcane acronyms, such as MFO, FOJTE, DMOTRWAT, and so forth.  True statement.  But, they always have a purpose.  They are not indiscriminately thrown in for what effect?  Do people really laugh out loud, don’t they ever just chuckle to themselves (CTT)?  Anyway appreciate somebody pointing out the dichotomy.. good point, and keep me on my toes!.  And especially for you

DFD