For Veteran's Day

"One More Roll" by Cmdr. Gerald "Jerry" Coffee

We toast our hearty comrades
Who have fallen from the skies
And were gently caught by God's own hand
To be with Him on high.
To dwell among the soaring clouds
They've known so well before
From victory roll to tail chase
At heaven's very door.
As we fly among them there
We're sure to hear their plea,
To take care my friend, check your six,
And do one more roll just for me.

Plant Growing on Maple Tree

Plant Growing on Maple Tree
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

This seems to be a type of mistletoe or some related hemi-parasitic plant. Even though the picture doesn't show it very well, it has green leaves even though the tree has lost almost all of its own leaves.There are two bunches in this tree. I wonder how many are needed to kill a small tree?

Otis

Otis
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

Otis has made it over a week and still shows no signs of being eaten like the dearly departed Mylo. Bleh seems more than a little leery. Could be size + armor is better than armor alone.

Otis is in The Tank

Last year about this time, we added a friend for Bleh named Mylo. Unfortunately, he didn't stand a chance against the big bad Betta and went to the great snail pond in the sky. This time, we added another snail named Otis. Otis is massive, so we hope Bleh will leave him alone. Time will tell.

Rainy Day at Work

Rainy Day at Work
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

Looks more like an impressionist painting than a photo to me.

San Antonio from the Tower of the Americas

San Antonio from the Tower of the Americas
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

I finally went up in the Tower my last trip down to San Antonio. Doesn't really look like the seventh largest city in the US, does it?

I Always Feel Like Someone's Watching Me

I Always Feel Like Someone's Watching Me
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

The hotel I am staying at has lots-o video cameras, both inside and out. I'm not sure I like them stealing all of those photons reflected off of me, but I guess I'm not using them.

The parking lot also has signs that warn me I am parking at my own risk. If the risk is all mine, exactly who is this camera protecting?

Children and Empathy

Sitting on the Porch at the Carter Store
Originally uploaded by randallhayter

Yesterday was not the best day at work, so when I got home I needed some quiet. James is not a quiet child. I explained to him that I needed some peace and he said he would make a deal with me - He would be quiet if I would tell him a bedtime store about a bad day at work.

Bedtime came around and, since he had been quiet, I told him a story of a daddy who had a very bad day at work. I moved from one bad thing to another until I had the story daddy's lunch fall in a puddle. James stopped me and said that a boy went to the daddy and gave him a sandwich. He didn't want that story daddy to have any more of his bad day. Empathy.