Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 09:52 AM - Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) (Peter Bichier)
2. 04:58 PM - Re: FW: Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) (Steve W)
3. 07:05 PM - Re: Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) (nico css)
4. 11:10 PM - Pirates and Easter09 (nico css)
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Subject: | Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) |
Thanks Nico to pass those along,
I was just conducting bird census on coffee plantations in Chiapas
(So.Mex-Guatemala border) on the pacific slope a few weeks ago, and
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds where all over that landscape. In the
winter they get a few local flowers but they also hawk for insects and
I've also seen them "stealing" insects caught on spider webs.
Amazing little birds (2-6 grams) that hatch throughout NE America and
winters mostly in Central America all the way to Panama. At least if
you bump into those on your plane it won't be as bad as a Canada Geese
that can weigh up to 30 lbs...
They haven't made it yet to NW Ohio yet!
waiting impatiently for spring and warmer weather,
a tropical guy,
p.
On Apr 17, 2009, at 12:37 AM, nico css wrote:
>
> HUMMINGBIRD LANE
>
> This is something I have never seen before, or ever even heard of.
> This woman lives in a Hummingbird fly zone. As they migrated, about
> 20 of them were in her yard. She took the little red dish, filled
> it with sugar water and this is the result.
> The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been
> studying them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder,
> with water in it, in her hand; as they had gotten used to her
> standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She says in
> touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail also said, 'if she
> had known her husband was taking pictures she would have put on
> makeup.'
>
>
>
>
>
> Windows Live=99: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.
Message 2
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Subject: | Re: FW: Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) |
Nico,
Most amazing is to see those little buggers all together at one time in
that photo. They are hugely territorial around here and drive off others
from a feeder. They are great fun to watch.
I still don't understand how such a tiny high-strung critter can keep
itself fed with enough energy to migrate. But someone Monarch
butterflies make it to Mexico across the Gulf....
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: nico css
To: 'Johanna' ; 'nicolene'
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 12:37 AM
Subject: Commander-List: FW: Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson)
--------------------------------------------------------------
HUMMINGBIRD LANE
This is something I have never seen
before, or ever even heard of. This woman lives in a Hummingbird fly
zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard. She took the
little red dish, filled it with sugar water and this is the result.
The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine,
Louisiana - she has been studying them daily and one morning put the
cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her hand; as they had gotten
used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She says
in touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail also said, 'if she
had known her husband was taking pictures she would have put on
makeup.'
Pretty neat, huh?
These pictures are amazing. I do hope
that the pictures travel through cyber space successfully! Send to your
Friends and Family ......
=
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-----
Windows LiveT: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.
Message 3
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Subject: | Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson) |
I sent these pictures to the folks because they are such a wonder (not that
a part of nature is not), almost impossible that they could fly, but yet,
they are making up for their odd construction by flapping their wings
faster. I believe it's up to 80 beats per second.
Not to start a fight, but how did they evolve from a single cell? Male and
female, different in a precise manner coming forth from the same pool, yet
perfectly compatible and arriving on the scene at the same moment in time to
procreate. If they missed each other by a few weeks, they wouldn't have
survived. It boggles the mind.
Thanks for sharing, Peter.
_____
From: owner-commander-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-commander-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Peter
Bichier
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 9:52 AM
Subject: Commander-List: Hummingbird Lane (from Brandon Thompson)
Thanks Nico to pass those along,
I was just conducting bird census on coffee plantations in Chiapas
(So.Mex-Guatemala border) on the pacific slope a few weeks ago, and
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds where all over that landscape. In the winter they
get a few local flowers but they also hawk for insects and I've also seen
them "stealing" insects caught on spider webs.
Amazing little birds (2-6 grams) that hatch throughout NE America and
winters mostly in Central America all the way to Panama. At least if you
bump into those on your plane it won't be as bad as a Canada Geese that can
weigh up to 30 lbs...
They haven't made it yet to NW Ohio yet!
waiting impatiently for spring and warmer weather,
a tropical guy,
p.
On Apr 17, 2009, at 12:37 AM, nico css wrote:
HUMMINGBIRD LANE
This is something I have never seen before, or ever even heard of. This
woman lives in a Hummingbird fly zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them
were in her yard. She took the little red dish, filled it with sugar water
and this is the result.
The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been studying them
daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her
hand; as they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over
to her hand. She says in touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail
also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures she would have
put on makeup.'
_____
_____
_____
_____
Windows LiveT: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.
<http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_allup_1a_explore_042009>
Message 4
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Subject: | Pirates and Easter09 |
I cannot vouch for this story's veracity. I didn't edit it either, it's as
received.
This is the first-hand account from a good friend's son onboard the USS
Boxer.
Subject: How did YOU spend Easter!?
I spent mine watching some pirates get spattered off the coast of Somalia!
Jargon key located at the bottom.
I've been taking notes on facts and (well noted) speculation and rumors.
What I know is on the eleventh of April, 2009 at 1600 two C17 cargo planes
flew over Boxer and out of the back four parachutes emerged.
Then came the boats! Four very fast 1300 hp SWCC boats with radar and guns!
After those were safely extracted th e personnel and SEALs jumped.
About 95 people in all arrived in the water near Boxer, Swam to the ship and
entered the well-deck.
I spoke with some of the SEALs in the hangar bay where the are staging their
gear for the time being. He was rearranging his gear and talking to a
younger looking Ops guy with shoulder-length hair and a feeble semblance of
a beard. I struck up a conversation with them and they're really friendly
the older SEAL finished with his bag and reached for a rifle case casually
unzipped it and pulled out a Mark 416 a highly specialized carbine and as he
explained "it's basically an M -4, but made by H&K so it's better!"
"visible and non-visible lasers, colapsable stock. It's nice."
"And is that an advanced armament suppressor?" I asked.
"yeah that just makes it sound better, and the ladies love it!"
I asked him if it's the coolest job in the navy.
"well I haven't ever flown an F-18 off a carrier, but yeah, pretty much!"
"you guys don't wear any insignia."
"We don't wear it, but we're still in the Navy."
"I know that but what's with that?"
"Well I'm a Chief, and he is a second-class"
"oh, ok"
"So, Chief, did you come in as a SEAL?"
"yep, you don't have to be formal, tha t's why we don't wear it. It gets in
the way and besides, we know who's in charge."
"well I have to get back to watch."
"OK, any time you see us over hear and just want to chat and shoot the shit,
feel free!"
"Cool, thanks"
"any time"
I also found out from the CPO that the guys flew in from VB on C17's and
that took 18 hours!
They parachuted into the ocean! That's' cool as hell!
At 2100 on Saturday we were headed for the area where the USS Bainbridge
(DDG 96) was already in position several hundred miles east off of Somalia's
coast.
And on Sunday there were so many parts of our engine that were broken from
traveling at flank speed (full Bendix) that we stopped the shaft engaged the
jacking gear, pinned the gear and tagged out the m----------r! I spent three
watches fabricating parts, helping replace sight-flow indicators on journal
bearings and running around the ship.
On Easter Sunday night, at around 1530 I was making my hourly rounds through
the hangar bay and heard four distant rifle reports and knew exactly what
happened. There was an orange capsule being towed by Bainbridge.
Two SEAL snipers laying prone on the fantail with Barrett .50 cal rifles
pointed at the small craft.
CAPT. Richard Phillips of Vermont was swim ming toward the RHIB sitting
close to the lifeboat.
When the Navy said that we want to see proof of life the good captain jumped
into the water and started to draw fire from the pirates. The Snipers fired.
I had to return to my watch station and at close of business I assumed my
next watch: CNN's Live broa dcast of speculation and grievous b------t! I
have t decipher all of this crap for you.
At 2300 Africa time the Maersk Alabama safely docked in Mombasa, Kenya and
the crew was debriefed by the FBI for some reason.
Captain Phillips was Logged onboard Boxer at 1836 and one skinny, short,
pitiful-looking (and never in a million year is he sixteen) pirate, who was
escorted, handcuffed despite the wounds, wearing blacked out ski goggles,
through the hangar bay by like 20 marines and MA's.
He has asked for amnesty. He'll probably get a UN Trial for international
piracy.
( I witness all of this and have to wonder: hasn't copyright protection gone
just a little too far? I mean, why are we killing folks over some illegal
DVDs?)
"We always laugh and joke about pirates onboard and don't realize that this
is one of the world's most serious crimes!"
-Me, four hours ago.
Monday, APR 13, 2009.
At 0930 USS Boxer sits of the coast of Somalia and the Bainbridge is at her
stern on the port side in tow, the life boat containing three lifeless
pirates dispatched into oblivion by the best sharpshooters the world around.
The corpses are transferred unde r the heaviest morgue security I've seen
since President Ford's funeral to the USS Boxer's chilled holding facility.
At 1000 the lifeboat from Alabama is hoisted onto Boxer's flight deck by the
local crane.
I was there when the boat arrived onboard. Standing next to some chopper
refueling buddies and joking about the incident.
"Hey, what's orange, full of blood and hanging from a crane?"
"What?"
"That boat that some pirates got smoked in."
Probably the most interesting Easter I've ever spent!
Looking closely at the boat, I see four large bullet holes on the STB side
where "justice" entered the pirate's mind's, some brain matter sloshed
around in the boat.
I was told before I left San Diego that I would hate the Boxer, I tell you
now, I wouldn't rather be on any other ship.
Broken parts and all I like it.
1025 "Maersk Alabama, Departing." is heard over the 1MC.
The name of the ship is used to describe the Captain as he is at the top of
the command.
Personal speculation and trusted brass scuttlebutt says that our AOR has
shifted from the gulf of Aden where there aren't any pirates, to where we
sit now.
16 ships and 200 hostages from various countries still remain stranded.
Not for long, I predict.
As always, kee ping it real on the high seas with the US Navy,
MMFN McCaskey, Will (MP-Aft) USS Boxer, Somalia
KEY:
SWCC, special warfare combatant crewman, brown water
H&K, Heckler and Koch, famous german weapon's designer's world renound for
their popular .45 cal USP (universal service pistol)
And other highly precise firearms.
CPO, Chief Petty Officer, USN, E7
VB, Virginia Beach, Virginia, East coast headquarters of Special Warfare.
DDG, Guided Missile Destroyer
Flank, the fastest speed the ship can travel, equal to about 35 knots
RHIB, (rib) Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
STB, Starboard (right)
1MC, numeric designation for the main announcing circuit used on U.S. Navy
vessels.
AOR, Area Of Responsibily, the confines within which we roam.
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