Nature, WOW!

Today, I was helping out a co-worker by volunteering and digging at the burial mound at Magnolia Plantation.
While we were out there, one of the crew noticed an Egret with what looked like a fish in it's mouth. After a couple seconds, we realized that this was not a fish, but a baby alligator. The bird had the gator by the shoulder and it moved and flexed to the point where it was able to grab latch onto the bird's beak with it's jaws. It hung there for a little while before letting go and falling to the ground. Next, the bird picked it back up, this time by the neck and proceeded to choke it out. The gator fought the best that it could, even getting the bird to drop it a couple times, but each time the bird latched it's beak around the gator's neck and continued with the suffocation. Once most of the fight was out of the little guy, the bird dropped it and with a hit so hard that we heard it 30 meters away put it's beak THROUGH the gator's skull. A second hit followed in short order. Upon withdraw of this blow, the gator was hanging off the bird's beak and with a shake, it fell. The bird hit it another time, this time through the midsection. Now that it seemed that the gator was completely dead, the bird proceeded to eat it like you have seen so many pelicans devour fish on nature shows, and Bugs Bunny episodes. Once it was done, the bird washed the blood off it's beak in the brackish swamp water and wandered off.
I used to carry a little digital camera with me whenever I was out in the field, however, the thing got jammed with some sand and now won't focus, or close it's shutter. So, noone had a camera.. Trust me when I say that it was an impressive sight, at an impressive site.

Ciao

I was out of town this week.

When I got my job, I was told that travel could be a major component. Having wanderlust, I didn't expect this to be, or become, a problem. Well, I spent last week in the South Carolina region known as the upcountry. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this is beautiful country. However, we were working, not playing. We spent most of the week working in light rain. Well, Tuesday presented us with a downpour, but we only took pictures in that. We are working on 12 SCDOT projects in district 3. Mostly this means that we walk around a dangerous intersection looking for historic homes, taking pictures, and digging holes. A couple of these have been pretty sketchy with blind corners and cars traveling at high speeds.
As bad as this week may sound, it wasn't so bad. In fact, we spent Thursday night and yesterday morning in the mountains near the SC/NC border. Thursday night, we stayed at a hotel in Hendersonville, NC. It was almost like a vacation driving around in the mountains. The reason for this, is that we were working at the intersection of Gap Creek Rd., and SC25. (I will have to post some of the pictures that we took.) To get to this intersection from Spartanburg, where we had worked earlier in the day, we took SC11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. Despite having driven through this area on Interstate 26, I hadn't recognized it's beauty until this trip. This could be because I was in a hurry, or it could have been at night. I just don't know. I am also surprised to learn, on looking at a map, that my recent visit for a Wilco show, was not my first time to Asheville. So, even though this was a work trip, it felt almost like a vacation while we were driving through this amazing country. Country that I had overlooked time and again. Apparently I am such a mountain bigot that I was willingly overlooking the Appalachians because they are smaller and older than the Rockies. I blindly ignored their beauty because I still feel, regardless of where I live, that my home is in the west. I first recognized this when I fell in love with Asheville. I went so far as to try to figure out if there was a way for me to live there. I have turned down jobs in Greenville, SC without ever even visiting the area. Greenville is like the Denver of the SC mountains in that it is on their doorstep, but still in the (mostly) flats. It is a very good thing that I didn't take these Greenville jobs. If I had, I would still be in the computer industry and miserable. I am much happier being a broke Archaeologist.
So, even though I had a great week in the mountains, since I have to go back up on Monday, it feels like work. I have a very full weekend planned just to get everything in order to head back up. We are going to work VERY HARD on getting back down here in time for our weekly Wednesday dinner, that we affectionately call "Big Beer Wednesday."
This is an important one for me. The Wednesdays after I have been out of town are usually important for me, but this one is . . . If you know me, and you know BBW, please come..

CIAO

179 pages.

I am currently in the process of printing out Steven's manuscript. It is 179 pages. My 4 page/minute Laserjet 4L printer seems particularly slow right now, and I am not buying it's advertised 100 sheet capacity.

It is really exciting printing this thing out. I am going to go to Office Depot or Staples tomorrow and buy some of those plastic binding combs to bind this thing on our binding machine in the office.

Seeing his book sitting here, on my desk, makes me want to get mine blasted out. I am going out tomorrow to do some research on my book. My current plan is to go; out to Ft. Sumter to see what they have in their collections, to the South Carolina Historical Society to make copies of letters about Sullivan's Island, and to the main downtown branch of the public library to visit their special collections room.

On Sunday, I should hit most of the places that I miss tomorrow, assuming that they are open. I will also go try to get some more pictures of the batteries on Sullivan's Island, and talk to the Fire Department about gaining access to Batteries Butler, Capron, and Thompson.

But, in order to do any of that, I need to get to sleep now.

Ciao

FDR's government sponsored art

The Library of Congress has an exhibit online of the WPA posters of the 1930's and 40's. The WPA was created as part of FDR's New Deal.
Many of these posters are like those that Bill Maher satarized in his book When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden

You should take a look at these. They represent an important part of American History. While you are at it, you should look into the other art works that were created under the WPA.
Here is a site where you can find New Deal art near you.

I am most likely an asshole. Add to that hypocrite, snob, and slacker.
I am also a rather picky person. I have a very specific way that I expect the world to work. Within this worldview, there are certain rules:
1. Do unto others as you would have other do unto you.
2. Um.....

I guess that is it.. 1 rule. How about that?

However, that rule is a very important. Important enough that it should encapsulate all the other possible rules.. However, that is the way that particular rule is supposed to work. That is why they teach it to everyone so young and in so many places.

Now, here is my picky part. I like to be precise in certain endeavors. If I give specific instructions, I expect them to be followed. Just, as I would be sure to follow those instructions if someone were to provide such to me. Oh hey... there is that rule again....

Another thing... If I tell someone that I will do something, I try to do it. If I make plans with a group, I don't leave them hanging. Why? you might ask? Because I hate when it happens to me.

I would give examples, but there are none, as this is "hypothetical."

My roommate's cat destroyed my room. Well, not all of it.. Just one window. She attacked my blinds and destroyed them. She also gnawed on my window sill and the desk that my printer sits on. Oh, and speaking of printers, she knocked it off the desk and onto the floor. It is an all-in-one printer and has a very large piece of glass and a sensitive scanning head.

Anyone want a cat? How about cat stew?

Ciao