Monday's Unusual Fly? 07-18-16

Copyright 206 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Monday.  Problems with the internet - AGAIN - make me feel like this bug.  I don't know what kind of fly this is.  I was going to look it up on the internet but, I'm just grateful I have been able to get on for this brief moment in time to post.  He's so unusual that I will find out what he is soon.  His wings appear to be tattered, but they're just transparent "windows", if you will, and there are no actual "holes" or torn areas.

Again, I'm just grateful I was able to be online if only for a couple minutes tonight.

I hope Monday gave you a reason to be grateful.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow - I hope.

In My Place Tuesday 05-03-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Tuesday.  Let's use our magic power wings and fly away.  Oh, wait, we don't have wings.  I guess we'll just have to stay where we are - or we could drive - or run - or walk.  For today, though, I'm going to stay where I am.  It's pretty good.  Maybe where you are is pretty good, too. 

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Flightless Saturday 01-30-16

Copyright 2015  AJ Horton

Hello and happy Saturday.  Yesterday, I had a problem flying my drone.  Actually, I guess it wasn't so much about the flying so much as my not having control so the drone flew into a tree!  And, yes, it was about the flying, too.  Well, today I want to talk about not flying.  So I came upon a photograph of  the Ostrich that I saw at the Asheboro Zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina.  The ostrich is a big "bird", it has feathers, but it doesn't fly.  Why, I think, does the ostrich have feathers when it doesn't or can't fly?

I went to the Internet and found that studies have shown feathers actually evolved on animals before even birds flew.  Apparently feathers are useful for insulation, camouflage, courtship and as a water repellent.  Also, in the case of the ostrich, feathers are also used as stabilization when running.  It seems that ostriches can run very fast, about 43 miles an hour when sprinting and about 30 miles per hour for a sustained period and the feathers help with stability and balance.  After all, who would want to fall while running 30 - 40 miles an hour?

Plus, the ostrich is the largest bird, usually weighing between 130-145 pounds, but can weigh up to 350 pounds.   They also live a long time - up to 75 years!  They may not be able to fly but they will fight by kicking and not even a lion will mess with a healthy, mature ostrich.   Ostriches grow to about 8 or 9 feet tall.  All the websites I researched said that ostriches do NOT put their heads in the sand!  Ostriches are very interesting, flightless, birds.  Ostriches are also very funny looking - personal observation.

I hope you had a sensationally flightless Saturday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

P.S.  I used the websites http://www.ostrichlandusa.com/ostrich-fun-facts/,  and http://www.livescience.com/6657-ostrich-wings-explain-mystery-flightless-dinosaurs.html for today's info.

Friday's Flying and Firemen 01-29-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  Today is story time.  Today's story is about a person who bought a drone, took it to a large, treeless field, and managed to get said drone stuck in a tree.  Later, that drone was finally rescued by the neighborhood fire department.   That's right, folks.  This is a true story!  

I have wanted a drone for some time,  Recently, I worked a lot of overtime and had a little extra money so I went on the web and bought one for less than 100.00 dollars.  How happy I was.  The little booger came and the excitement was great.  I tried flying it in the house but got fussed at and just couldn't get the controls right.  I have 10 foot ceilings and it would just go to the top and ride the ceiling - or it would crash into the blinds or the furniture.  It was funny, of course, just not controlled.

So, I had the bright idea this a.m. to take it to our local park/ball fields beside the fire department less than a mile from my house.  There is a lot of room inside the fences and trees are outside the fences near the parking lot and play ground.  No problem, I thought.  I could learn to fly like a pro out there.  There was a small wind when I got there but the instructions said the drone would be stable.  I just didn't have a lot of time because I had errands to run and lunch plans.    But that was ok.  I felt like I had about 20-30 minutes.

I bought several extra batteries with the craft and they were all charged.   At first I did just barely better than I had inside the house, but I had to retrieve the drone more than a few times.  I don't know why but it would take off straight up very high and then fly over a tall fence into the next ball field.  Since I couldn't get it to obey me, I would have to go around the fence to bring it back.  This process repeated on more than one occasion and used more than one battery.  Finally, though, just as I began to get the hang of it, it was time to go.  "Just a little more", I thought.  "One more battery (they only last five minutes anyway) and I'll have plenty of time to run my errands and then meet everyone for lunch".  Well, I should have left well enough alone because those thoughts turned out to be the kiss of death!

Once I put the new battery in place, turned it on and had that drone lift off the ground, something surreal happened.  This drone was possessed, I tell you.  It went straight up, way up behind me and went straight for the trees along the parking lot near the playground.  I was screaming at it, "NOOOOOO, NOOOOOO, STOP.  GET DOWN."  I was pushing buttons on the controller trying to get it to stop, to fall, anything to keep it from going over the fence toward the trees.  I think I even heard it laughing at me as it flew off (or maybe that was just in my head). 

Still, it wouldn't listen, wouldn't follow commands, and now it was stuck in the tree.  Oh dear.  And me with errands to run and lunch plans and now, not much time to spare.  Using the remote, and hoping the wind would help, I tried to get it to break free from the tree several times with no luck.  So, I went home, got a ladder and rake (to reach the limbs), but both of them together were too short to reach my drone.  I considered that I may have to climb that tree like a monkey and shake that branch, but the fear of falling and breaking something on my body stopped me.

Now, there was no time for errands.  I had to take the ladder and rake back home and change my clothes for lunch.  I would figure this out later.

After a nice lunch, I went back home, got a longer ladder and much longer pole and headed back to rescue my drone.  As I was trying to set up my ladder (knowing it was too short and hoping the pole would reach), a lady came by and asked if I needed any help.  At first I was going to say no, but then, she asked, so yes, I needed all the help I could get.  Maybe she could brace the ladder for me.  She said the drone was too high and that I would fall.  I thought she was being negative, but instead, she felt she was being quite positive about that.  Lucky for me, though, the fire department is located beside the park, she knew some of them and went to ask them to help.

Well, what do you know - the firemen came over, looked at the situation, got on the walkie talkie and told someone to bring the ladder truck.  Five to ten minutes later, my drone was rescued!  It was just that easy - - for them.  Those guys were so awesome.  They didn't laugh at me at all - at least not to my face.  We even took pictures.  I'm very glad they were able and willing to help.  Fire fighters are there for fighting fires, and for getting kittens, kites, and now drones, out of trees. 

I'm going back to the park tomorrow to practice flying my new drone again.  Wish me luck.  And the next time you see a fireman, give him a hug for me please.

I hope you had a wonderful Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Duo

Copyright AJ Horton

Two, Two, Tuesday Cardinals.  Everyone knows this guy.  He just yells to yell.  We all kind of move away from him, but he just yells louder.  And then the next frame is of the one flying away - just like we would do.  It's uncanny how much we are like the birds.

I hope you had a great Tuesday.  I hope no one yelled at you.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Fly on a Lily Pad

Copyright AJ Horton

So recently, you saw a fly on a log.  Today I have a fly on a lily pad for you.  It's a damselfly - some would say a dragonfly but I think dragonflies are bigger.  I know, on a lily pad, you would probably expect a little frog, but, not today.  Did you know that dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order Odonata?  I didn't either until tonight.  Odonata means toothed jaws.  What that means to you is that the larger dragon and damsel flies can actually bite you.  Oh, you'll hardly feel it, they're so small, but you'll feel it nonetheless.  The bite is harmless.  You can read more about them if you like on insects.about.com.  I hope you do look.  We all need to learn something new everyday.

I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday.  Thanks for looking.  I'll see you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Fly on a Log

Copyright AJ Horton

Have you ever wanted to be a "fly on a wall"?  You know, to listen into people's conversations or see what they do when no one's watching?  Well, here's a fly on a log.  Close enough?  Well, maybe not,  But it is a cool photo!  And, I'm glad that fly is not on me.  

We all want to listen in on people's conversations from time to time.  We want to know who they're talking about.  We want to know if they're talking about us.  We're curious.  I think that's human nature.  Well, that, and a little paranoia.  I hear people say "I wish I was a fly on a wall when they found out....".  I say it myself sometimes.  But then I wonder...  What if I am a fly on the wall and they squash me with the fly swatter?  Ouch!!  So, with that thought in mind I'm cured of wanting to eavesdrop for a while.   Oh well.  

I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday.  Thanks for looking.  Hope you enjoyed your fly on the log.  See you tomorrow.