Unusual for August here, we had a couple little rain squalls move through thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Dean. A little sun broke through and lit up these beautiful hibiscus still bearing the raindrops from the gentle showers.
August 2007
Pigeon Dung and Reno’s Famous Sign
After reading news accounts about the contribution of pigeon dung to the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, I was reminded about how pigeons similarly factored into the destruction of the famous “RENO – The Biggest little city in the world” sign that spans the entrance to the downtown gambling district. I recall reading a the story in the 1980’s about how the old sign became inhabited by pigeons that roosted or nested in the sign. They got in through gaps in the sign and, of course, pooped while they were in there.
Image right: Reno sign, 1980’s – click to enlarge
Eventually, despite having been evicted several times by the city’s maintenance crews, the pigeon problem persisted until one day there was an electrical short-circuit in the sign. The methane from the dung ignited; there was a minor explosion and a fire afterwards that damaged the sign beyond repair. The sign was removed and subsequently replaced by a newer Vegas-style beauty which electronically beckons visitors to the downtown district. While it’s a beautiful sight, the new sign doesn’t have the old sign’s charm and breaks the promise for a “little city” beyond. Recent visitors to the new Reno, if they knew the old Reno, will know what I mean.
Image left: New Reno sign – click to enlarge
As for pigeons? They’re just rats with wings.
Spotted Orchid
The flower concession at our local supermarket had a special on Phalaenopsis orchids this weekend. I put this beautiful spotted Phalaenopsis in the shopping cart and it now sits with our exotic tropical plant collection on the kitchen counter under the skylight.
Santana Hibiscus
We added this nice two-tone Santana Hibiscus bush to our backyard landscape today. We’re running around getting all the shopping and chores done because tomorrow is the gun show!
Bugged
While in the garden taking pictures, I spotted this little green arachnid crawling about on one of my morning glory flowers – sorta creepy and pretty at the same time. Mostly creepy.
This might be a green lynx spider which are hunting spiders that spend their lives on plants, flowers and shrubs. Nimble runners and jumpers, they rely on their keen eyesight to stalk, chase or ambush prey.
The Wait is OVER!
Yesterday, the 10-day harassment ended and I took possession of our new Glock 26 subcompact pistol. We went into the range and put about 30 rounds through the new gun. I found the gun to be smooth and easy to use. When we were finished, I took the pistol home and practiced field stripping it – we’re going to the range again this weekend and I will clean it up after that.
I found a very good YouTube® video demonstrating how to field strip the Glock 26. This gun is much easier to disassemble and reassemble than our S&W 908 9mm pistols. Using the video as a guide, I was able to strip the gun and put it back together in under 30 seconds – without hurrying. In the image at the left you can see the gun’s component parts after field stripping – the barrel, recoil spring assembly, slide assembly, frame and the stock 10-round magazine. Click on the image for a closer look.
Glock 26 Specifications
Weight: 560 g / 19.75 oz
Length: 160 mm / 6.29 in
Barrel length: 88 mm / 3.46 in
Width: 30 mm / 1.18 in
Height: 106 mm / 4.17 in
Caliber: 9 mm Luger Parabellum
Action: Safe action
Feed system: 10 / 12 / 15 / 17 / 19 / 33 round magazine
Sights: Fixed front and rear
Click on the image for a close-up of this little beauty.
Mums in Partial Shadow
Among the many colorful flowers in the centerpiece this week, are these beautiful mums. When I took this photo, the light shining through the window over the staircase created this nice shadowy effect.
