Verna fixed this sumptuous Steak Tostada for dinner today. Delicious salad featuring chunks of avocado, diced tomatoes, refried beans, cheeses and chunks of New York strip steak. Of course, there was also an obligatory Birthday Beer. 😉
Bob
Baseball Nights
I discovered a few days ago that DirecTV was offering free previews to their MLB EXTRA INNINGS® channels. Since the All Star break, Verna and I have been watching various baseball offerings on TV. When DirecTV opened up all their MLB PPV channels for free previews, we hit the baseball jackpot.
Image – our entertainment center – click to enlarge
The offer expires tomorrow, so we will be watching again then. Meanwhile, there will be light blogging.
Guns3
The FLASH™ tool I use came out with a new component; it’s a 3D photo cube. Move the mouse cursor over or near the cube to start it spinning. The position of the mouse cursor influences the speed and direction of spin.
I collected a few of the gun pictures previously seen on the other blog and loaded them into the parameters list for the cube object. It was surprisingly easy to use and I had the animation going in just a few minutes.
Zebra-Tailed Lizard
I took this photo of a Zebra-Tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) in our back yard yesterday.
From Wikipedia:
They range in size from 2.5 to 4 inches in length. They rise early and are active in all but the hottest weather. During the hottest times of day, lizards may stand alternately on two legs, switching to the opposite two as needed in a kind of dance. When threatened they will run swiftly with their toes curled up and tails raised over their backs exposing the stripes. They can even run on their hind legs for short distances. In areas of creosote scrub this lizard seems to reach highest densities, around 4.8 to 6.0 individuals per acre. This lizard burrows into fine sand for retreat at night and usually seeks day shelter in the shade of bushes.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Saguaros
The landscaper sent us this picture from his property in Aguila, about 25 miles west of here on US 60. He had been promising to replace our giant saguaro that collapsed last summer. One of these will eventually be planted in front of the garage where the old one fell. Click on the image to enlarge.
A Classic Anvil Cloud
In pilot training, we learn about the weather. The phenomenon known as “thunderstorms” is of special importance. Thunderstorms form very quickly and can be devastating to aircraft, regardless of size.
There are three stages to a thunderstorm: the cumulus stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage. In the cumulus stage, air rises up to form the billowy white clouds. In the mature stage, up and downdrafts in and beneath the clouds carry moisture aloft and then downward as rain or hail. In the dissipating stage, predominantly downdrafts cause the rain to taper off and the clouds to spread out on the tops, forming what meteorologists call an anvil cloud.
I took this image of an anvil cloud today, while we were walking the dogs along the road in front of the house. Click on the image to enlarge.
