TravelStream™ news feed for member jackies-world on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jackies-world en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:19:21 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1258360365/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1258360365/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1258360365/tpod.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:19:21 -0500 Kalamazoo Michigan

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Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States

The color of Fall in Michigan was so spectacular, with greater variety of trees than I have ever seen before.          Crains flew across the corn fields stopping in small groups.   Because of wet weather in the spring theyplanted the corn late.  Because of wet weather in the fall, the corn still havea high moisture content.  Anything above 15% and the farmer pays 4 cents per bushelfor each percent moisture.  So, they let in stand until it dries to less then15%.  Most of the corn has been harvested in the last two weeks.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1256404062/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1256404062/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1256404062/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:38:46 -0500 Kalamazoo Michigan

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Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States

While in Michigan we took the time to demo the Firelinx Wireless Firing System at opening night of the Kwinks Hockey game.We secured each firing module on a board with the slat and product to make getting it on and off the ice as fast as possible. . .        Notice how long it takes to carry the fireworks out onto the ice, turn on the Firelinx moduels and get off the ice
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1257113286/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1257113286/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/60/1257113286/tpod.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:39:02 -0500 Kalamazoo Michigan

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Battle Creek, Michigan, United States

On the way back to the airport the traffic on the freeway was slow enough to take decent photo's of downtown, except the haze downtown looked more like an industrial district and required severe photoshoping to get the buildings to stand out.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/61/1256907716/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/61/1256907716/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/61/1256907716/tpod.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:57:47 -0500 Wenatchee Washington

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Wenatchee Washington, Washington, United States

I saw something I had never seen before this weekend on Hiway US 97 over Blewitt Pass, between Ellensberg and Wanatchee.The Larch or Tamarack tree appears to be a coniferous throughout thesummer but shows its true deciduous nature and drops all it's needlesin the fall.   The closest thing I have ever seen to this are spruce trees suffering from Spruce Bark Beetle infestations that kill the trees . . .but those trees are brown and dead . . these are pretty yellow among the deep green trees along . . .          Saturday night being Halloween was interesting. The Wenatchee Wild's went out of there way to have a "Spooktacular" event.       With trick or treating and costume contest.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/59/1255966458/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/59/1255966458/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/59/1255966458/tpod.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:13:46 -0400 The "Emerald State" Surrenders to Fall Colors

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Lake Cushman State Park, Washington, United States

We have been traveling for Business and Pleasure around the state of Washington this month and the fall colors are splendid.Come with Larry and I as we went in search of fall colors on Hwy 119 where we were treated to a Kaleidoscope of color.Unlike most of my entries . . .the best way to view this entry is with the slide show feature.          
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/35/937038660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/35/937038660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/35/937038660/tpod.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:23:12 -0400 "Fall Finally" At Tom Walkers Island on Big Lake, Alaska

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Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Saddleback Island, on Big Lake, the largest recrational lake in Alaska, has been location of many fireworks shows over the years .  . . Since the 4th of July is always a busy time of the year for pyrotechnicians, Tom Walker and I decided that if we were going to do a show, just for us and our friends and Tom's neighbors on Big Lake, we should do it in the Fall, when it starts getting dark at a reasonable hour, so the fireworks can be appreciated more than during the light days of summer. Thus began "FALL FINALE"These shows always pushed our limits of crews and equipment.With 25 mine and comet positions around the island the effects were grand, and pairs of 10" and 12" shells braking above the island while we pumped music out across the water.    
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/58/1255300950/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/58/1255300950/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/58/1255300950/tpod.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:54 -0400 Visiting the LIGO

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Hanford, Washington, United States

LIGO stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory ... . There are two of them in the United States, one in Washington and one in Louisiana. There is another in Italy. L-shaped interferometers, two at the Washington site and one in Louisiana, sense gravitational waves through the sub-atomic movements of 25 pound mirors suspended at the corner and the ends of the "L". The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a dynamic group of approximately 700 scientists worldwide who have joined together in the search for gravitational waves from the the most violent events in the universe. If you want to read the science of the facility go to http://www.ligo.org/ or&nbsp; http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/cit_local.htmlThey have movies and data enough to either fry your brain or make you start contemplating the size and depth of the Universe and jump on the bandwagon with Einstein@home. Einstein@Home&nbsp; uses computer time donated by computer owners all over the world to process data from gravitational wave detectors. Participants in Einstein@Home download software to their computers, which process gravitational wave data when not being used for other computer applications, like word processors or games. Einstein@Home doesn’t affect the performance of computers and greatly speeds up this exciting research.Go to http://www.einsteinathome.org/ for more information on how YOU can help in the search of Graventational Waves . . .In the mean time .. .Larry and I visited the Hanford LIGO facility and had a really facinating tour led by Richard L Savage, Jr., Ph.D. The Senior Scientist at the LIGO Hanford Observatory.They had an abundance of displays explaining how the LIGO works. Mr Savage is the first Ph.D type guy I have ever talked with who actually answered our questions in a manor that made perfect sense, which considering the topic is saying a lot.If you want to learn about the science of the matter go to the websites above . . . these pictures are just a drop in the bucket and while I understood what Mr Savage was saying I can barely explain it to you. There were a half a dozen cotton tail rabits on the only patch of green grass at the LIGOThere was a fire road across one leg of the LIGO where we were able to get a great view of the entire facility. Just imagine! A government program that figured out a totally practical solution to a difficult problem. Both legs of the LIGO extend out into a desert full of tumbleweeds that collect along both legs. They got a bailing machine and bail them up and use the bails for erosion control.I am not sure why I think this is so cool, figuring out a solution to the tumble weed issue, when they are trying to prove the theory of relativity .&nbsp; . . but I do. Seems one of the more challenging problems at the facility is figuring out how to make the VCR work . . you can get video with no sound or sound and no video .. .but that is another story. Takes a teenager to figure out . . a Ph.D. is not enough.Another interesting item of old technology is the fact that a number of their programs still run on old computers using 5" floppies and won't even run Windows 95, so they have to maintain a certain number of older computers to keep everything working .&nbsp; .. &nbsp; The fall colors were really spectacular in the few plants surrounding the facility.Mr Savage explained the various charts that are constantly monitored in the control room. They look at a myriad of charts and data searching for direct detection of gravitational waves. The waves are ripples in the fabric of space time that are predicted by Einstine's General Theory of Relativity &nbsp; There was a lecture room with a couple interesting models demonstrating gravitational waves (I think) they may have just been an easy way to entertain adults. Some time in the next 5 years they will have the Advanced LIGO Project Funded by National Science Foundation online.&nbsp; Improvements in laser quality, vibration isolation, optics design and signal processing will increase the volume of space that the interferometers survey by a factor of 1000. Advanced LIGO will increase the volume of gravitational wave detections providing higher quality data for the field's growing research community. &nbsp; Richard Savage explaining the Advanced LIGOIt was a totally interesting place to visit.<i>Please be aware that anything I have said that sounded more than half intelegent came straight out of the brocure from the National Science Foundation that was available on the counter in the visitor center.Jackie WhedbeeAdditional information can be found atwww.ligo.caltech.eduwww.ligo.mit.eduwww.ligo-wa-caltech.eduwww.ligo-la-caltech.eduinfo@ligo.caltech.edu
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252964617/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252964617/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252964617/tpod.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:20:51 -0400 2009 National Fireworks Association meeting

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Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

I always pay attention to the wild flowers wherever I go . . . these were the ones in the field around our hotel.&nbsp;&nbsp; Seems like every ditch and bog in the state was filled with cat tails . . . as well as any low area that was not being cultivated for something else. We ate what one of the best meals I ever had at a banquet followed by an auction fund raiser for NFA . .&nbsp; . with items donated by various fireworks companies.&nbsp;&nbsp; The evening started with product demos from various fireworks companies. Jake's Fireworks had a great finale following an unexpected finale . . . . &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; This was followed by a fabulous 1.3 fireworks show by Wolverine Fireworks.Being September 11, it was a memorial to the events of 9/11. &nbsp; While I have not seen as many fireworks show as some at the convention, it was general consensus that the finale of this show was just about the most intense fireworks finale any of us had ever seen . .. it keep building and building . .&nbsp; . being shot to the music of Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" (angry American) . .. . this show gave new meaning to the term "Raining Fire" . .. as the gorgeous willow's never ended . . . and the use of salutes made your chest swell with pride in America instead of your ears hurting with pain.It made you want to go find a Marine to hug.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252648549/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252648549/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252648549/tpod.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:03:07 -0400 2009 National Fireworks Association meeting

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Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

I got some halfway decent photos tonight . .. . thought I would share . . . While most of the demo's were 1.4 all but one of these were 1.3 product . . .&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252987624/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252987624/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jackies-world/56/1252987624/tpod.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:57:45 -0400 2009 National Fireworks Association meeting

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Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

On the way to the shoot site we stopped at the nest park to the East where the light house is . . .probably the most notable landmark in Fond Du Lack Near the shoot site was a bog that was exceptionally pretty at sun set. I have to say that NFA 2009 was one of the best fireworks conventions I have ever attended, with exceptional fireworks every night . . . Each product demo ended with a reasonable finale and each night ended with a 1.3 show that was exceptional every evening.Saturday night there was a 1.4 fireworks show competition that was almost hard to believe the quality of 1.4 fireworks.The first fireworks competitor was <i>Wisconsin Pyrotechnic Arts Guild &nbsp;&nbsp; The second fireworks compeitor was <i>Spirit of ’76&nbsp;&nbsp; Both competitors were so well done, I have no way of knowing how the judges came up with a winner.The closing fireworks show was by Bartalota Fireworks . . . and was gorgeous.&nbsp; © 2009 Jackie Whedbee
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