Hare-Brained at Home (formerly Hare-Brained Express Tour)

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2011-12-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Willow Plays at Being an Otter

2011-12-09T17:10:00.001-07:00

Trying out a new, simple, animated GIF creator.. Had this sequence of pics from this morning of Willow discovering snow for the first time.. (or the first time in a long time).

Facebook Favorites Calendars!

2011-12-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again!

Each year, we take the 13 (or more) most liked images from our Shot On Site Facebook Page, and put them in a calendar, which we then sell in the hopes of turning a couple dollars of profit, and in turn, brighten up your offices, kitchens, kennels, or outhouses, or the homes of those to whom you gift them.

This year, we're doing something a little different.

We have two calendars! A Dog-themed calendar, and a Not-Dog-themed version. One for the kennel and one for the kitchen, eh? Or one for a gift for that rare non-dog owning friend on your gift list.

We have a limited stock of both, that we will sell for a mere $15 each, postage included. All you have to do it email either Margaret (margaretfairman@gmail.com) or me, (dan@shotonsite.us). We'll then send you a PayPal invoice, and upon payment, will mail out your calendar.

If we run out of our stock, all is not lost. If you'll look over to the right sidebar, you'll see display links for both calendars. These links will take you to Lulu.com, where you can review the calendars before buying, and you can also buy calendars for $17 plus postage.

See? Time is of the essence if you want to save about $6! We're waiting for your emails.

Introducing "H1LDA"

2011-12-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

A Secret!

Beatles - Do You Want To Know A Secret
Jumping straight back into the blogosphere without so much as a by your leave, sir.. Beginning with the most recent news.. (and there is a lot!).
Back in September, just before we went on the aforementioned train trip to New York, Ashley and Sandia had a not-so-secret assignation, which I was not quick enough to break up. That resulted in the not-so-little bundle of joy you see here.
Born on November 17, she shares her birthday with my late mother. I decided that called for naming her after my mother- Hilda. (This was also the name of Dutch's very first sighthound, so that made it even more apropos!) Since she was born a singleton, some modification of the spelling was called for. I stole the idea from a large, midwestern athletic conference logo. I named her H1LDA. Make sure you get it right.

Choo Choo

2011-09-19T11:47:00.000-06:00

We're taking a trip! We're taking a train trip!

Later today, we'll drive up to Albuquerque, check into a downtown hotel, and tomorrow around lunch time we'll board the Amtrak to Chicago, and then to New York.

Had I received my new ASUS notebook today, (instead of the scheduled delivery tomorrow), I'd resume blogging on this trip. I still might, but it's not likely, because it's too much of a PITA to "type" on the little tablet.

I will, however, be Tweeting the trip, so if you want so see where we are, and what we see, follow me: shotonsite64

Normal blogging should resume when we get back next week.

Hiatus

2011-07-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

Like the French, I'm taking the Summer off. When the temps cool, posting will return. Apologies for the lack of advance notice.

The Buckeyes' Summer of Schadenfreude.

2011-06-09T10:28:00.002-06:00

Click to animate.

Starring ~ Terrell Pryor as Hogan "Tats" Hero

OSU Prez E. Gordon Gee as Klink, the Bell ~~Captain~~ Colonel

Disgraced former OSU coach, Jim Tressell as Sgt. I. C. Nutting-Schultz.

"LSUfreek" appears regularly in the college football blog, Every Day Should Be Saturday . Follow him on Twitter.

Buy lots of popcorn.. it's going to be a long, fun Summer!

Hacks.

2011-05-20T08:52:00.001-06:00

"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case." - Lance Armstrong tweet

Remember back in the 80's, when 60 Minutes did their hatchet job on Audi, claiming the cars took off by themselves, even though the drivers were standing on the brakes? And then, when it was shown that while the drivers thought they were standing on the brakes, they were actually standing on the accelerator, which is why they drove into storefronts, and rivers, etc.? And this was long before today's "sophisticated" electronics which make Toyotas really take off by themselves? And when presented with the actual facts, that due to a slight design flaw the brake and accelerator pedals were a little too close together for big American feet, they just ho-hummed and moved on to the next ambush victim without so much as a mumbled "sorry" to Audi?

Yeah. That 60 Minutes. They're going to do it again this Sunday. I'll miss it, because I haven't watched it in over 25 years. See if you can't miss it, too. And I hope a million cancer survivors march on CBS headquarters in protest.

The Latest Cool Thing.

2011-05-12T10:51:00.000-06:00

The Library Of Congress presents The National Jukebox.

Explore!

..and more!

Beyond The Sea

2011-05-09T19:43:00.001-06:00

The parents.. Otis/Fada. Image ©Camilla Colleen

Earthly arrival early June. Hare-Brained Homestead arrival anticipated late-August or early September. Watch this space

Life at the Hare-Brained Homestead

2011-05-09T11:32:00.000-06:00

So, enough with the semi-hopeful signs of life with the trees. Here are some things in the yard that are positively thriving. The drought-hardy, Chihuahuan Desert native flora..

Ocotillo

Prickly Pear Cactus

Cholla Cactus

Survival Mode

2011-05-09T09:17:00.002-06:00

The drought continues. According to the weather services, the humidity late yesterday afternoon was 1%. The dew point? A ridiculous -20°F. That’s right. Twenty freaking degrees below zero! And since the ambient temperature was 110° higher than that, it wasn’t likely that we would squeeze any moisture out of the air.

Somehow, despite the lack of any measurable precipitation since the end of last year, (and that was a single snow fall, so really, the dry spell goes all the way back to Summer), things are turning green. It’s most noticeable when driving home from town. Huge green swaths of creosote bush surround the base of the Florida Mountains. In the yard, the mesquite brush seems to be the most drought-hardy of all the plants. Dammit. Of all the flora I wish dead, the mesquite is at the top of the list!

I’ve been watering (and no, so far there’s no shortage of water in our aquifer, knock wood) the peach tree and the pecan tree, and the fruit is looking good.

The pines, at least from a distance, look as dead as the pronouncement from a friend who knows things about trees and plants. But if you look closely, the trees have a secret. When stressed, as they are in extreme drought conditions, they seem to go into a kind of survival mode. First, they dropped almost two-thirds of their needles. New needle clusters normally would be sprouting from the ends of the branches , but even with the constant, 24/7 drip I’ve got going to our two pines, the tree’s not sending water to the extremities. But it is using the water! A few weeks ago, I noticed these little green needle clusters start showing up on the branches closer to the ground. As time passed more have begun to sprout, and on higher branches, too.

What seems to be happening, and I couldn’t find quite what I was looking for on Google, is the tree has gone dormant at the top, and the extremities, but it is keeping itself alive by pushing out enough green to keep transpiration happening.

This is even more evident on one of the trees in the back yard. Up until a couple weeks ago, I was certain it was dead. While other trees in the yard were full of broad, green leaves, nothing was happening with this tree (which we’ve never identified, but we know the hummingbirds like to roost in it because it’s the closest tree to the feeder). The ends of the branches were brittle dry. No sign of life.
Then a strange thing happened. Leaves began to sprout from the trunk; and from the thick areas of the branches closest to the trunk. It looks odd, but this is another tree that’s killed off part of itself, to save itself. Kind of like that kid in 127 Hours.

One of the climate models looking 6 months to a year out, shows a powerful el Niño is a possibility. That , if it happens, will most certainly break the drought. Will the trees then “wake up”, and go back to the way they were before the drought and the powerful February freeze? Don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see, but I’m happy they seemed to have figured out a way to hang in there and wait with us.

Boy Needs A Bib!

2011-05-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

Scott's Oriole feeding on Ocotillo

The last couple of months in and around the yard have been like an amateur birder's wet dream. The short list of birds is pretty stunning. In addition to the pollen-covered Scott's Oriole, above we've seen-

Bullock's Oriole
Blackchinned Hummingbird
Roadrunner
Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
House Finch
Red Tail Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Cactus Wren
Western Kingbird
Ferruginous Hawk
Kestrel
Cooper's Hawk
Harrier
Golden Eagle
Gambel's Quail
Scaled Quail
White Winged Dove
Gila Woodpecker
Loggerhead Shrike
Western Bluebird
Lark Bunting
Western Meadowlark
Horned Lark
Pyrrhuloxia
Lesser Goldfinch
Slate Colored Junco
White Crowned (or White Throated) Sparrow
Boat Tailed Grackle
Common Raven

And probably more that I can't remember right now, or haven't seen yet.

The hummingbirds are probably happy the Ocotillo finally began to bloom, as it's now keeping the Orioles out of the feeder...

Persistence Hunting

2011-05-05T23:16:00.001-06:00

The pronghorn. The fastest mammal in North America.. the second fastest animal in the world, capable of running 55mph for extended periods.

In another part of the state of New Mexico, hundreds of miles from where I'm sitting, human beings tried to run a pronghorn down, using only their lung capacity, their legs, and their brainpower. What the hell are they up to?

"The pronghorn is the second-fastest animal on earth, while the men are merely elite marathon runners who are trying to verify a theory about human evolution. Some scientists believe that our ancestors evolved into endurance athletes in order to hunt quadrupeds by running them to exhaustion. If the theory holds up, the antelope I'm watching will eventually tire and the men will catch it. Then they'll have to decide whether to kill it for food or let it go."

I'm not sure whether or not I can buy into that theory, but it's really tantalizing to picture it. Read the whole article to find out how these world class marathoners fared against our New Mexico Pronghorn.

This, of course, is not the only animal that is run down by humans. There are numerous, incredibly fast and agile football players in college and pro ranks, including the University of Michigan who hale from a poor, rural location in Florida called Pahokee. They hone their skills like this..

Cottontails and "muck rabbits" (whatever they are)are one thing. Our blacktail jackrabbits are another thing altogether. Nobody is going to catch one on foot. That's why we use another method that's nearly as old as persistance hunting-

25th Annual SRAM Tour of the Gila

2011-04-29T10:29:00.001-06:00

Went out to shoot Stage 2 yesterday, on Hwy 152. Different location than last year, because I wanted to get some images at the feed stations. These are in no particular order, and include both Pro Mens and Womens races, and the other classifications as well. And candids. Always candids. You can click on the slide show to see larger versions at the Picase Web Albums page.

FOR SALE: The Hare-Brained Express (!)

2011-04-22T09:49:00.003-06:00

Yes, it’s the legendary motor home that faithfully (with only a few hiccups) carried Shot On Site Photography from sea to shining sea for almost 6 years. It will make someone an ideal short run dog hauler for field events and shows, while still perfectly capable of the occasional long haul. Why pay to stay at an expensive hotel?

Things that are new (or new-ish) - the radiator ; the rear springs; the tires (6); the alternator; the retractlable awning.
Things that are old, and/or don’t work, or may need work - The leveling jacks. (parts are no longer available); The 5000W Onan generator will run, and produce power, but has a disturbing knock, which may be a piston rod. Refrigerator door needs new hinge, but the fridge works great and has recently had the safety recall work performed, so it won’t set you on fire! Much of the drawer hardware throughout needs replacing.. they’ve just worn out, or fallen out from lack of moisture. Cabinet over sink needs connection to ceiling reinforced.
On the very last trip we attempted in late 2009, the distributor cap went wonky, which threw the engine out of time, and left us stranded outside of El Paso. It has been repaired, but does need a tune up (spark plugs and wires were fouled, so it doesn’t run smoothly).
The chassis is a Chevrolet truck. Engine, a 454 cubic inch, with throttle body injection.
Direct inquiries to MargaretFairman@gmail.com, or Dan@shotonsite.us.

Every Day Occurrence ..

2011-04-19T23:30:00.001-06:00

..dozens every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. (Unless it rains, which like....)

This was taken on our most recent 250 mile Sunday Joy Ride, west on NM Rt9, (more on our Sunday adventures in a future post), but we can usually see lots of them in the valley by just walking out onto the front porch.

Simple Mathmatics

2011-04-16T22:50:00.001-06:00

I can do the simple cipherin'. For instance, if I know that we have a healthy sized swarm of honeybees that hang around the leaky faucet in the yard (1), and I walk into the living room and find Buffy has changed her name to Puffy (1), then I can posit that the silly girl has put her face where it doesn't belong, and is likely not to ever go again.That equals "2". (1 + 1 = 2. Get it?)

One Win Away!

2011-04-08T09:20:00.003-06:00

The Michigan Wolverine men's ice hockey team is one win away from their tenth NCAA Division 1 Championship! (Yes that's a record, as is the fact that this is their 21st consecutive year making the tournament).

Last night, behind the tallest 5'6" goalie in The Universe, they put the clamps on the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota, easily the best team remaining in the tournament. They had a 36 goal scorer! Nobody in college hockey scores 36 goals! Not often, anyway. Last night he was shut out, along with the rest of his teammates, 2-0. And when Michigan scored the empty net goal to ice the victory, it was all too much for this hapless Sioux fan-

You wouldn't think there would be much flexibility in those heavily padded hockey gloves, but Louie Caporusso does a fine job of returning the sentiment!

Michigan plays University of Minnesota-Duluth tomorrow evening for the championship. On ESPN.

UPDATE 4/10/11: Alas... Good run for a bunch of overachievers, though, especially Little Man Hunwick.

Scientists Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-04-07T16:30:00.002-06:00

Music awards you never heard of.. "Best Lab Song". And the winner is:

..as judged by the editors and writers of BioTechniques, The International Journal of Life Science Methods. Isn't Baylor a Baptist college? They're dancing! I won't tell.

Other finalists in the competition can be found at EarthSky. I didn't watch them, but I'll assume they're as good as the one above.

Actually, I have watched one of the other finalist videos. I even posted it here.

The Lost "Sparky" Video, Found.

2011-04-06T23:06:00.000-06:00

Last year when former Detroit Tigers manager, Sparky Anderson passed away, I posted a memorial and a video clip of my favorite "Sparky moment". As I said then, the video wasn't the version that I knew existed, but was unable to find. Thanks to the fine folks at the Down With Detroit Facebook page I can now share this great Detroit moment with everyone..

RIP Sparky Gibby vs Goose Game 5 1984
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

It's very clear that Sparky wanted everyone within the sound of his voice to know, "He didn't wanta walk him". And I suppose we should offer our thanks to Hall of Fame pitcher, "Goose" Gossage, for not doing what his manager wanted him to do... walk Kirk Gibson.

Two Very Tangible Signs of Spring in the High Desert

2011-04-04T19:19:00.000-06:00

Turkey Vulture

Peaches in the yard

The Finest In Automotive Spy Photography

2011-04-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

Several times over the past 25 years, I've been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to photograph upcoming automobile models on public roads, doing "real world testing". Most often the vehicles are disguised, with outlandish extra body panels, or wild graphic paint schemes, designed to misdirect the viewer's eyes so as not to determine exactly what the shape of the car really is. Other times, when they're closer to production, only the badging, and other identifying marks are stripped from the cars.

I first got lucky in Anchorage, Alaska of all places. Engineers apparently experienced a stalling problem, and left what would later become the Subaru Impreza abandoned in a hotel parking lot, with the hood up. I snapped away. I couldn't help it. Those pictures ended up in AutoWeek Magazine.

Jump ahead several years, and I'm working as an independent representative for a firm which required me to visit a lot of backroads businesses. I was in Livingston County, Michigan when a convoy of overly clad vehicles was leaving a rural gas station. Again, I fired away, and again the images ended up in AutoWeek. It was America's first look at the Oldsmobile Alero and Pontiac Grand Am.

Recently, I happened to capture images of the 2012 Audi A6 on nearby back roads. These were brokered to several automotive online journals by the "Doyenne" of automotive spy photography, whose name you would recognize instantly.

What follows, is the published account of my most recent discovery. It was late at night, at a gas station in Abilene, Texas......

§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § §

Our intrepid, tireless, ambitious, poverty-stricken, Instamatic®- toting, weasley, automotive paparazzi have been at it again. Caught real world testing, without so much as a single fig leaf of disguise is Ford’s upcoming retro spectacular, the 2014 Edsel Redux! (pronounced Ree-doo).

Word has been out there among the automotive cognoscenti for several months now, that this masterpiece of backward-thinking was in the works, but this is the first time it’s been captured on film, as it were, and we here at AutoLuddite were victorious in the bout of feverish bidding that ensued to be the first to present this image to the public.

Our sources in the industry tell us this fantastic retro-sled weighs in at an astonishing four-and-a-half tons, due in part to the extensive use of carbon fiber in the floor mats, and turn signal indicator. Power to overcome massive amounts of inertia comes from the technologically advanced cast iron, straight 6 cylinder EcoBǖst, (pronounced boooost), engine, which produces upwards of 175 BHP when using 102 octane unleaded fuel. Naught to 60 times are expected to be in the range of sometime before dark, therefore, no convertible model is expected to be produced. Our sources tell us that an optional 3-speed manual transmission, mounted on the steering column (!), has never, ever been considered.

The designers have really outdone themselves in recalling the essence of the original, right down to the extremely wide white sidewall bias-ply tires, to the rust spots on the quarter panels. One wonders why, with all of these styling cues resurrecting the marque’s illustrious past, the “toilet seat” was left off of the massive chrome grille? Perhaps it will appear on a higher trim level model. We can only hope and pray.

Unfortunately, prices are not expected to fall in line with those of 50+ years ago. You can expect to pony up around $25,000 for a base model, to a staggering $55,000 for the super deluxe, although to be fair, that price does include your own personal dwarf mechanic in a satchel, so you will never have to worry about breakdowns, or even regularly scheduled maintenance.

The Edsel Redux will be produced in limited quantities, by Ford of Honduras, and for reasons known only to those at the very top of the Ford hierarchy, will only be sold through Kia dealerships. We look forward to our first test drive!

- Peter S. Tingly, AutoLuddite

....Y'know... I've been thinkin'... I might just could be wrong... about all of this. Just sayin'.

Sagan Would Be Shocked.

2011-03-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

I had heard it was BILL-ions and BILL-ions of times bigger than that.

(a scan of an old vacation slide).

Going Decidedly Retro...

2011-03-29T01:16:00.001-06:00

...but I need your help.

Going to Palomas, Mexico on Wednesday for a couple of reasons. I have a dental appointment. I'm also going to get some new glasses, and I'm going to be looking for something similar to what I wore in the 60's while in the Navy.

The image on the right shows the same horn rimmed glasses I wore in high school, and for the first couple of years in the Navy.

While serving at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia and attending Neuropsychiatric Technician School, most of us opted for the gold, wire-rimmed "Hippie" glasses. That's the image on the left. Your guess is as good as mine, all these years later, as to why I have these two images in my collection. What was I thinking?

Anyway, both of these styles are still available in some form or another. I don't know which one to pick. There will be no difference in price. FWIW, Margaret says the wires in the picture are "too big" - whatever that means. Also, for those who know me, my scalp is kept very close cropped these days. Also, maybe I'm not quite as svelte as in these pictures.

So help me out.. I don't promise to listen to you, but which way would you go? Gold or Black? Here's a poll:

Oh yeah. Third reason I'm going to Mexico: Need to pick up a litre of Gran Centenario Reposado.

Dan would look best in
	Gold, wire rimmed "Hippie" glasses
	Black, horn rimmed, "Buddy Holly" glasses
	Contact lenses

pollcode.com free polls