December 11, 2008

There were 5 posts published on December 11, 2008 (this is page 1 of 1).

Self-changing socks

I’ve been dreaming up interesting product ideas in my Now Truly Copious Free Time(TM), some of these ideas I may actually try to patent. One that might not make it to the patent office but is interesting nonetheless is my idea of self-changing socks. Since almost no one reads MT.Net, I can share my idea with you.

Here’s how it works. Simply take a pair of cotton dress socks, let’s say they’re blue, and put them on in a room illuminated by fluorescent lighting. Then walk out into daylight, or to a room with incandescent lighting. Voila! Your blue socks have changed to brown. Or your brown socks have changed to blue. Socks that change themselves!
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Hit the street, dog!

Just because I can’t scold my dog for leading me on a neighborhood chase Tuesday doesn’t mean I couldn’t exact some revenge! So, yesterday afternoon I hopped on my mountain bike, leashed Rocket up, took my life in my own hands, and took off through the neighborhood as fast as he could run.

My original plan was to take him on the Middle Crabtree Creek greenway, where I could ride and he could run for 11 miles without turning around. Instead I turned him around before we got within a quarter-mile of the greenway. He was winded and not used to this kind of exercise. On the trot back home he was putty in my hands: something I haven’t seen much of since we got him.
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Jailbreak

Tuesday afternoon Travis had gone outside to sweep the driveway, with me about a minute behind him. The dog had been with me, and as I rounded the kitchen corner I saw the outside door had been left wide open. Rocket was galloping gleefully down the street.

After calling him a few times with no effect at all, Travis and I hopped into the car and followed him. I parked Travis and ran through neighbors’ backyards while our grinning dog happily raced ahead. Very Bad Words were forming in my head as I stormed back to the car. If he wound up at the troubled apartment complex a few blocks away I would have to abandon the search.
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A shower of feathers

I walked onto our deck this morning just in time to see nature at work. Some sort of commotion was taking place in the trees in front of me. Before I could blink I saw one bird flying terrified out of the woods with a much bigger bird in pursuit. As I stood dumbfounded, the bird of prey sank its talons into the smaller bird, sending a shower of feathers raining to the ground. In an instant it was all over.

Yeah, I thought as the reality sunk in. Its true that bird just became breakfast, but what a spectacular way to go out.

The balance of nature. The circle of life.

Moments later I saw the victor return: a Great Horned Owl that settled onto a branch in my neighbor’s yard. He looked around casually as a juvenile hawk nearby complained loudly about the invasion of his territory. I’d heard the owl one night this past summer but this was my first look. There’s no recession for this bird: he obviously is eating well.

No wonder I’ve not seen as many birds at our feeder as I used to.