So Who is the "Birthday Girl"?

Happy Birthday to the First Mate of the Time and Tide!!!!

Early dawn looking over Hadley

Back at Round Mountain for a few days this week.  Same things change but most things stay the same---beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Empty Nesters at 54 Holly Lane

It is not only the House Wrens that are "empty nesters" on the cul-de-sac.......

Here is the "Littlest Princess" in her Honors Dorm (Helen Hardin Honors Program).  Let's just say that she is excited and that finally being "nerdy" is VERY cool.

What shall the First Mate and I do now with our shared solitude?  I'm personally thinking of strutting through the house naked singing old 70's rock anthems...Free Bird, Back in Black, Back in the Saddle, maybe some Peter Frampton...we'll figure it out :)

A wee bit rainbow a the end of Pier 4

Moving the Pier 4 Progressive Dinner (eat our way down the pier and visit others boats) under the Yacht Club due to rain worked out well with the rain falling on and off throughout the late afternoon and evening.  Fun was had by all!

2900 CCA to start your day

Well, no 2900CCA today....the battery bank(s) has been a bit under the weather the last trip to the marina or two....further intense (and seemingly speculative) investigation outed a bad battery (far left one).  The first warning signs of electron disparity were nicely heated floorboards and, while I can only dream of the fantasy of hydronically heated flooring, I knew that something was amiss when the battery charger failed to ever turn off when the First Mate and I were aboard.

I've quarantined the bad battery (top battery sans cables) until a suitable replacement can be found.  The voltage measurements also turned up a suspect battery that was, while not technically bad, not quite right.  The solution will probably warrant having a new set of two of batteries and an older set.  I'm thinking that boat maintenance may be developed into a full-time job in retirement :)

(Note the gifted 'Robo-grips" in the top photo----for those of you who do things with your hands working on mechanical things, buy a set (or two) !!!!)

Naked Ladies waiting for me to come home....

These gals were in their late summer splendor upon my return from Chile.  I usually forget them as they pop up in the spring, die off and then flower months later.  I've protected this bunch from mowing and such by moving them near a red maple.

BTW-the term "Naked Ladies" is in reference to the flowers blooming in the absence of leaves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis

Sunset in the Andes

Pretty much every morning and evening is a photo opportunity for the shutterbug.  Here the sun is setting on one of my first evenings on site. 

Doing some "in the field" observations

Some places are tougher to get to than others......lock the hubs, drop the little Toyota into 4 wheel drive "low" and go for it!

Big Yellow Iron

Always impressive when you get up close.  Big rubber tired loaders are in a class by themselves.  This model (Cat 994) is configured to load Cat 785 haul trucks (140 tonnes) using a bucket that holds ~60,000 pounds (28 tonnes)  This particular loader is undergoing a major rebuild.

Gold Mining at 4500 Meters (14,625 feet)

Not exactly a pit as the mining right now basically is taking the sides off a mountain in this area.  Other older areas have the typical trademark pits though smaller than most.

Maricunga Weather

Wind Chill has us in the -40C to -50C range tonight.

The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop...

Part of a small herd of wild lamas in their winter coats foraging in a valley close to the mine.

The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop and says "Can you make me One with Everything?"