WNC Citizens Blog

Honeybee in a Squash Blossom

2010-08-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

I took this photo in my Square Foot Garden this morning of a Honeybee in a Squash Blossom. I think that I've finally adjusted to using my Kodak Z950 at close range.

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Pollination Traffic Jam

2010-07-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

Who knew that insects would wait in line for their turn at the spigot of a Squash Blossom?

Discarded Cicada Skin

2010-07-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

The above photo is of a discarded Cicada skin I noticed on the railing of my stairs this morning.

It's that time of year, or if you're a Brood XIX Cicada, that time of your 13 year life cycle when you must crawl out of the ground, molt, eat, sing, mate, lay eggs, then die. Only this one didn't hit the snooze button and wait until 2011, when the rest of his/her brood will be emerging.

I did a little research via the Internet, and have surmised that it may belong to a brood of Cicadas known as 'The Great Southern Brood' that last emerged in 1998 and will be back in 2024. This is the only brood that has a known emergence in Macon County within five years of 2011. It is a straggler because it has emerged a year early. (Stragglers can emerge two years either side of the main brood).

Brood XIX is the largest (by geographical extent) brood of 13-year cicadas. This brood is also notable for including the species M. neotredecim and exhibiting a striking pattern of reproductive character displacement between M. neotredecim and M. tredecim (Cooley et al. 2001; Marshall and Cooley 2000; Simon et al. 2000).

Map Source: Magicicada

After years of living in underground tunnels, where they feed on the juices of roots, thousands of periodical cicadas emerge from the earth, as if by a predetermined signal, shed their nymphal skins, and spread out through the nearby trees and bushes.

The cicada's precise but prolonged time schedule has perhaps evolved as a method of survival for the masses. When a large population of juicy insects appears on the scene, predators make the most of the situation, but simply cannot eat all the insects. Thus, a significant number of cicadas live to reproduce.The periodical cicada is able to outlast and escape most of its enemies.

Any cicadas that merge near my house may have a rough go of it this year...due to the family of squirrels I have living in my Chinese Necklace Poplar tree. (A type of tree I do not recommend growing within 45 feet of your house or underground pipes...but that is a story for another day).

I haven't heard of other reports of emerging cicadas locally.

Evening Moonrise

2010-07-24T04:38:00.000-04:00

Purple Peppers, Green Beans and Yellow Squash

2010-07-22T09:14:00.000-04:00

A purple pepper grows on my Chinese Five Color pepper plant. Can Peter Piper be far behind?

Technically, these beans are green right now, but these are Dark Red Kidney Beans, a shell bean that I'll be using for soups this fall and winter.

A teeny tiny squash grows in the midst of blooms that will, I hope, be the forerunners of many more squash destined for my table this summer.

I read that tomatoes can be vegetatively propagated from cuttings. This is a Cherokee Purple I am testing that out on.

One of the squares in my Square Foot Garden

Another one of the squares in my Square Foot Garden

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Lightning Strike

2010-07-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

A lightning strike I captured 4 miles NE of Franklin, NC on July 18, 2010.

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Baby Bell Pepper

2010-07-18T09:07:00.002-04:00

This little fella has been growing the last few days in my Square Foot Garden.

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Bee in a Squash Blossom

2010-07-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

A bee caught in the act of helping me have some squash to fry in a few weeks!

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On The Clock

2010-07-12T06:07:00.000-04:00

This is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago in Sylva, NC as workers prepped the cupola atop the old Jackson County Courthouse for removal during the course of their renovations for the new Jackson County library. More photos and video of that are on my news and politics blog, Thunder Pig.

Storm Clouds

2010-07-10T07:14:00.001-04:00

These storm clouds seemed to promise great things for my garden, but failed to deliver little more than a few lightning strikes and a great deal of rumbling. I sat out in my field with two cameras, but failed to capture any lightning strikes. Maybe next time...

Lemon Boy with Dew

2010-07-09T08:23:00.001-04:00

I can't help but wonder if this tomato will survive my hankering for fried green tomatoes...

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Not Amused

2010-07-08T18:36:00.000-04:00

I tried everything I could think of while this little girl was going past in order to get her to smile or wave at me.

Taken during the Independence Day Parade last Saturday, July 3, 2010 in Franklin, NC.

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Morning Dew on Tomato Plants

2010-06-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

My Tomato plants are in serious need of support. I'll be building a trellis later today...

Afternoon Convection: Cumulus castellanus

2010-06-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

I spent a relaxing afternoon watching the clouds, and this is a video montage of them.

Cumulus Tower

2010-06-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

Part of the joy of summer is seeing little fluffy clouds grow into large fluffy clouds, then into thunderstorms!

Evening Storm Cloud and the Planet Venus

2010-06-22T07:29:00.000-04:00

A storm cloud and the planet Venus after a thunderstorm on June 21, 2010. Photo taken 4 miles NE of Franklin, NC with a Kodak Z950.

Tree and Silo with a Stormy Sky

2010-03-24T06:51:00.001-04:00

Keeping the Dog Warm

2010-03-24T06:44:00.000-04:00

Construction Update: Jackson County Library Complex

2010-01-25T12:18:00.002-05:00

Construction is continuing apace on the addition to the Old Jackson County Courthouse that will become the new Jackson County Library in a year or so...

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Construction Update: Sylva Volunteer Fire Department

2010-01-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

NCDOT Truck Down

2010-01-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

I tried to feel bad for the stranded NCDOT workers, but couldn't.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Dillsboro Dam Minus Powerhouse

2010-01-22T12:16:00.001-05:00

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Riverwood Shops in Dillsboro, NC

2010-01-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Lights in a Tree

2010-01-20T19:03:00.002-05:00

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

A Soldier in Silhouette

2010-01-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

The Confederate Memorial in Rankin Square in downtown Franklin, NC.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

The Macon County Courthouse

2010-01-18T18:48:00.000-05:00

The Macon County Courthouse in downtown Franklin, NC

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

A Christmas Memory

2010-01-17T13:43:00.000-05:00

It has been so cold lately in Franklin that town employees have not had a chance to remove the Christmas decorations.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Newspapers for Sale

2010-01-16T14:37:00.000-05:00

A Newspaper rack located in the Town Square in Franklin, NC.

his photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

As White As Snow

2010-01-15T06:34:00.000-05:00

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Mare's Tails

2010-01-14T21:18:00.003-05:00

The sky was full of Mare's Tails today!

I posted another photo at my political blog along with some commentary that's kinda harsh on the Conspiracy Theorists.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Seen by a Blue Jay

2010-01-13T18:37:00.002-05:00

Blue Jays are skittish birds, and I think the only reason I got this photo was that I was inside at the time...but even so, the bird noticed the movement as I got into position for getting this picture. A moment later, it and it's partner was gone.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Jet Planes, Cargo Cults and Contrails of Death

2010-01-12T21:29:00.004-05:00

Airliner flying over Macon County.

I sometimes wonder if the people who believe that there is a secret plot to kill us all with noxious chemicals and gases using contrails are like the Cargo Cult people...simply unable to keep up with the rest of civilization, so they make up stories to tell to each other to explain it all away.

For real science, please refer to Contrail Science.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Franklin First Baptist Church at Night

2010-01-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

This is the Franklin First Baptist Church in Franklin, NC. I snapped this photo after tonight's County Commission meeting.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Last Rays of Light

2010-01-10T16:33:00.002-05:00

At 4.30pm, the sun has already disappeared from view, but I can still see the light strike the top of the Chinese Necklace Poplar tree in my yard.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Snowy Driveway

2010-01-09T18:43:00.003-05:00

This is my driveway on a cold Saturday morning.

This photo is part of my 365 Photos Project. You can view the other photos here.

Evening Silhouette

2010-01-08T19:03:00.001-05:00

For some reason, I love silhouettes at dawn and dusk. This one is at dusk.

This photo is part of my 365 Day Project. You can view other photos here.

Cowee Mountain Overlook at Sunset

2010-01-07T18:05:00.001-05:00

This was the seen from the Cowee Mountain overlook last night.

This photo is part of my 365 Day Project. You can view other photos here.

Sylva Fire Department Construction Update

2010-01-06T20:09:00.003-05:00

Construction on the addition to the Sylva Fire Department is continuing apace. The $2.1 million project will add 4 new bays to the Fire Department and is expected to be completed early this summer.

This photo is part of my 365 Day Project. You can view other photos here.

A Light Dusting

2010-01-05T16:39:00.002-05:00

This was the scene that greeted me this morning when I went outside. We had had a light dusting of snow the night before.

This photo is part of my 365 Day Project. You can view other photos here.

Watched by a Squirrel

2010-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

This squirrel was parked outside my window. It was either sheltering from the cold wind or watching me work. I like to think it was the latter.

This photo is part of my 365 Day Project. You can view other photos here.

Frost on Grass

2010-01-03T09:17:00.002-05:00

Frost on a blade of grass.

This is part of my 365 Project, where I have committed to posting at least one photo a day for a year on this blog. See the others here.

Maple Silhouette

2010-01-02T16:26:00.002-05:00

A bare Maple in the bitter cold afternoon.

This is part of my 365 Project.

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Dog in the Driver's Seat

2010-01-01T16:46:00.002-05:00

Seen in the Ingle's parking lot in Franklin, NC earlier this afternoon.

This is part of my 365 Project, where I will be posting at least one photo for every day of 2010.

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The International Space Station Passing Over Western North Carolina

2009-11-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

I grabbed this photo and short video of the International Space Station passing over a neighbor's house this evening.

Squirrel eating a Walnut

2009-11-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

A squirrel parked itself outside my window this morning for the better part of an hour and ate a walnut. I snapped a few pictures and grabbed a minute or so of video with appropriately over the top music for the occasion. Enjoy!

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Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Candlelight Service

2009-11-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

These are some of the photos I took tonight at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and the Candlelight Service that took place in Franklin, NC. I took some video too, but that will have to wait until later this weekend.

Maple in the Fog

2009-11-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here is another time lapse, this time featuring my favorite Maple Tree, shot yesterday morning...

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November Morning

2009-11-02T04:36:00.000-05:00

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Time Lapse: Evening Cirrus and a Rising Moon

2009-10-31T03:03:00.000-04:00

This was shot at my house looking southeast on the evening of October 26th...

Pumpkinfest Videos, Part 2

2009-10-26T15:44:00.001-04:00

Contestants at the Pumpkin Roll in Franklin, NC

The Pumpkinfest and World Famous Pumpkin Roll was held Saturday in Franklin, NC and here is a taste of the fun from the Pumpkin Roll.

I'm sorry there aren't more still photos of pumpkins hitting people, but I dropped and broke my Kodak Z710 during the event and broke it.

I think I have enough footage for either one or two more videos, and I'll put out tomorrow and one the day after that.

Pumpkinfest Videos, Part 1

2009-10-25T05:35:00.000-04:00

Tony Angel, Master of Ceremonies, with Ronnie Evans, Guitarist at the Franklin Pumpkinfest

This is the first part of a series of videos I am putting together to give a glimpse of the fun that was to be had at the Pumpkinfest in downtown Franklin this past weekend.

Visit the Franklin Main Street Program for information on this annual event.

13th Annual Franklin Pumpkinfest Preliminary Photos

2009-10-24T17:03:00.001-04:00

I had a blast at the Pumpkinfest and World Famous Pumpkin Roll in downtown Franklin today.

I took over 600 photos today, and here are just a few of them to hold you over until I can edit some of the video and put together some more of the photos...

Also, the Mountain Xpress has published some of my photos in their blogwire. Thanks, guys!!!

Falls Colors From Waterrock Knob Part 1

2009-10-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

Some of the colors visible from the Waterrock Knob parking lot.

Yesterday, I took a little trip to Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson County, and will be posting videos and photos from the day. I posted my first video on Thunder Pig.

I'll be processing videos and photos over the next couple of days. The hard part will be deciding which ones to share!

Autumn at the Courthouse

2009-10-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

Spectacular Sunset

2009-10-11T07:22:00.000-04:00

We had a spectacular sunset last night in Franklin, and I missed a good part of it because I was napping on the couch. I awoke, opened my eyes and saw some pink in the eastern sky through the leaves...and immediately went into high gear...stumbling groggily around the Living Room because I wasn't yet fully awake, grabbing cameras and tripods and putting my shoes on.

It was worth it. When I stumbled out of the house, the western sky was full of beautiful reds, oranges and several shades of blue and grey.

Here is a brief time lapse of a view of the southwestern sky, sped up about twice normal speed and set to music from Incompetech:

I'll leave you with one more shot, taken toward the end of the display...

Fog and Cirrus Time Lapse

2009-10-02T06:35:00.000-04:00

I shot this yesterday morning in the Walmart parking lot in Sylva over an hour and twenty minute period. The fog was really bright,and I could find no way of reducing the glare without ruining the rest of the video, so I had to live with it.

Autumn is Here

2009-09-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

The leaves are starting to turn color!!!

Chestnuts!

2009-09-25T16:32:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again, when the Chestnuts start dropping from the trees. I usually manage to get about a 5 gallon bucket full from the trees as I compete with the squirrels for my share of the crop. Here are a few photos I took in my yard this afternoon...

Sometimes, the chestnuts are obliging, and the very prickly protective shell will pop open will it is still attached to the tree and the nut will fall to the ground.

Sometimes, not.

Either way, if you've a pocket knife handy, you can liberate a handful in no time.

This honeysuckle was nearby, so I got a shot of it as well.

Oh, the glories of living in the mountains of western North Carolina!!! I thank God for seeing fit to allow me to be born and raised here.

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

2009-09-14T13:40:00.002-04:00

Locust Borer on Goldenrod

2009-09-12T15:52:00.001-04:00

Taken this afternoon in Macon County, NC.

Rainbow Time Lapse

2009-09-09T20:42:00.001-04:00

Here is a short time lapse of a rainbow that lasted about 12 minutes today.

Evening Cirrus

2009-08-12T07:14:00.003-04:00

Here is one of my latest projects, called Evening Cirrus.

I have been unable to devote as much attention to my online hobbies due to the North Carolina General assembly passing a requirement that Amazon.com collect sales tax from people like me, who had (i repeat, had) online webstores that offered links to Amazon products. As a result, Amazon dropped it's Amazon Affiliates program for people who lived in North Carolina, and I was one of them. So, my monthly income has dropped by about $1,200 a month to below minimum wage, and I am having to spend more time developing another business model to cope with the interference of the North Carolina state government. Among my options are moving my legal residence out of the state for tax purposes.

Give me a little time, and I will be back, bigger and badder than before...and I will be accounting for the interference of my state legislators in the Free Market, and making plans to oppose their further interference in such. I am not the type of person they want to pay attention to their own affairs. I would not be unhappy if Speaker Joe Hackney lost an election soon. Not unhappy at all.

Preserving History at the 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival

2009-07-24T21:01:00.003-04:00

The Macon County Folk Heritage Association (http://www.mcncfha.org/) conducting an interview in an effort to preserve history as remembered by local resident in Macon County, NC during the Franklin Folk Festival that occurs during the 3rd week in July every year.

I've been kind of busy this week, and I anticipate being able to devote more time to cranking out more photos and videos from the Folk Festival during the coming week.

Time Lapse 07-20-2009

2009-07-20T21:40:00.003-04:00

Time Lapse 07-20-2009 By Bobby Coggins
View in HD Download 720p Version Visit Bobby Coggins's ExposureRoom Videos Page

This is a time lapse video of some Cumulus congestus filmed near Franklin, NC.

Parade at the 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival

2009-07-20T05:48:00.004-04:00

Here is the parade that took place on Saturday, July 18, 2009 during the 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival in Franklin North Carolina. Visit the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County for more information regarding the festival that celebrates the heritage of Macon County.

Previously:

Cannon Firing at 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival in Franklin, NC

6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival
Battle of Frogtown
Kirk's Raiders Attack!

Cannon Firing at 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival in Franklin, NC

2009-07-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival Battle of Frogtown Kirk's Raiders Attack!

2009-07-18T18:42:00.002-04:00

There was no real Battle of Frogtown. There was one skirmish in the Civil War in Macon County, and it is called the Battle of Iotla Ford. The Macon Historical Association has the story on that, and Digital Heritage has a short history of the Yankee Sympathizer George Kirk, who was to plague North Carolina for years.

Here are a few photos depicting the beginning of the Battle of Frogtown by Civil War reenactors:

Kirk' Raiders Prepare to Attack

Kirk's Raiders on the Move

The Defenders Gather

Kirk's Raiders Attack!

The Defenders Move Forward

Kirk's Raiders Open Fire

The Defense of Frogtown Begins

Kirk's Raiders Advance

The Defenders of Frogtown Retreat

Kirk's Raiders Push Forward

The Defenders Return Fire

That's all for right now. I'll put the rest of it up tomorrow, and many more photos from the 6th Annual Franklin Folk Festival put on by the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County.

Cirrus

2009-07-17T10:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday at the Macon County Library.

The Balloon

2009-07-05T12:26:00.001-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for an escaping balloon.

Rosebud

2009-07-05T10:38:00.001-04:00

The Marines!!!

2009-07-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

Taken at the July 4th Parade in Franklin, NC.

Patriotic Family

2009-07-05T06:41:00.001-04:00

Taken at the 4th of July parade in Franklin, NC.

Girls Waiting on the Parade

2009-07-05T02:31:00.002-04:00

These girls were on Main Street in Franklin, NC waiting on the 4th of july Parade to start.

Vendors

2009-06-21T13:41:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the vendors at the 13th Annual A Taste of Scotland. I meant to take more photos once people arrived, but forgot about it. Must be a symptom of old age...

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Recycling at Public Events

2009-06-21T11:15:00.001-04:00

It appears that the Town of Franklin is big on the recycling thing.

The Marines Set Up Camp

2009-06-21T07:22:00.000-04:00

Franklin is blessed with an active community of retired and discharged military people, and front and center at most public gatherings are the Marine Corps League Smoky Mountain Detachment 973 of Franklin, NC!

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2009 A Taste of Scotland Photos

2009-06-21T05:46:00.004-04:00

I was at the 13th Annual A Taste of Scotland festival on Saturday, and I will be uploading my photos over the next couple of days, and will start editing video tomorrow, when I get my Movie Edit Pro 15 editing software to replace my MEP 12 that was lost when one of my portable hard drives quit on me.

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Sword Fighting Demonstration at "A Taste of Scotland"

2009-06-20T18:08:00.002-04:00

An SCA group demonstrated sword fighting in this video to the crowd in Franklin, NC at the 13th Annual A Taste of Scotland festival...

Chasing the Lightning Montage 06-17-2009

2009-06-18T09:42:00.004-04:00

Here are a few photos and a little video montage of a thunderstorm that rolled over Franklin, NC last night. My portable hard drive has decided to quit working on me, so I used One True Media to edit the sequence together. I hope you enjoy it!

**12.00 pm** It should be noted that Lightning Safety Awareness Week is next week.

Some of the lightning was intense enough to make it seem like daylight outside

Some of the bolts spanned the entire sky, and could not be contained in a single frame

Most of them were hidden in the clouds themselves

or behind the nearby ridges

a few were out in the open and made the whole getting out of bed in the middle of the night thing seem worth it

Dillsboro Dam

2009-06-18T08:48:00.005-04:00

The Dillsboro Dam has been in the news a lot recently, and here is a video I shot as a keepsake to remind me what it looked like and sounded like if the people at Duke Power have their way, and the renewable energy source is removed:

An Afternoon Thunderstorm

2009-06-15T15:52:00.001-04:00

Time Lapse 06-11-2009 A Thunderstorm Arrives at WCU By Bobby Coggins
View in HD Download 720p HD Version Visit Bobby Coggins's ExposureRoom Videos Page

Here is a time lapse I did last Thursday of a thunderstorm arriving at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.

Morning Photos: A Weird Fly, Fuzzy Goldfinches and a copper colored Spider

2009-06-09T11:21:00.004-04:00

I went out this morning to stalk some Goldfinches that had been eluding me, and didn't quite get close enough to take a good photo of them, but did get some photos of a weird fly that had a translucent abdomen (first two photos), a copper-colored spider on a fence rail, and my American Goldfinches were very wary of me, so I was only able to get these two shots at extreme range (for my Kodak Z710, anyway) before calling it an expedition and heading back.

I plan on trying for some bees this afternoon...

Fly with a translucent abdomen

The Copper Spider

A male American Goldfinch

A female American Goldfinch

I had the flash on, and had to play with the brightness and contrast to get the last photo to come out close to right...

The Moon, Antares and Clouds

2009-06-07T05:27:00.003-04:00

I moved out into a field to get this one.

A steady stream of clouds and a thin layer that prevented me from even seeing Antares.

It tends to be a crapshoot as to whether I have good viewing weather for astronomical events, and this time...it was a bust.

I did manage to get some good B-Roll video of the moon with clouds moving in front of it, some stock photos, and a few other interesting opportunities that I'll be sharing soon.

I gotta start saving for either a real telescope or a real camera. Decisions, decisions.

The View From Above

2009-06-04T15:53:00.001-04:00

Foggy Sunrise in Jackson County

2009-06-03T11:12:00.003-04:00

Yep, I'm in the middle of a road, taking pictures again!

Between Sylva and Dillsboro in Jackson County, North Carolina.

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Macon County Fog

2009-06-02T11:05:00.003-04:00

Yep, I stopped the truck and ran out in the middle of a four lane highway and started taking pictures. I wish I could have stayed there until the the sun came up...

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Look, It's an Arch!!!

2009-06-02T09:26:00.001-04:00

Hoey Auditorium on the campus of Western Carolina University.

Red Dusk

2009-06-01T21:42:00.002-04:00

I shot over a hundred photos of one of the most colorful cloud displays I have seen in quite while. Here is one of the best exposures.

I'll try to put more up tomorrow...

Overgrown Shed

2009-06-01T18:55:00.001-04:00

Overgrown shed at the edge of a field in Macon County, North Carolina.

Ants on Flowers

2009-05-30T11:13:00.001-04:00

05-26-2009 Time Lapse

2009-05-27T09:24:00.003-04:00

I took this time lapse yesterday and set it to a portion of Urnaus: The Magician by Holtz.

Dealing in political matters non-stop has been very frustrating, and this is one of the hobbies that help keep me centered...

The Chair

2009-05-19T13:31:00.001-04:00

Flying Squirrel

2009-05-19T12:45:00.001-04:00

Cloud Time Lapse From May 15, 2009

2009-05-18T15:40:00.001-04:00

Southeastern Macon County and Eastern Jackson County got pounded Friday afternoon and evening by a line of developing thunderstorms that produced heavy rains that led to flooding. This is a time-lapse video of some of those storms taken from a point 4 miles northeast of Franklin, NC.

The first clip is looking SSE and the later clips are looking ESE.

Cool Clouds

2009-05-16T15:41:00.000-04:00

Early Morning Gas Station Running on Empty

2009-05-16T10:41:00.004-04:00

Photo taken September 30, 2008
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Watch the Launch of Final Servicing Mission to Hubble Live

2009-05-11T09:28:00.005-04:00

**update** STS-125 launched successfully and I have replaced the live player with footage of the launch. I will be posting morning updates and live players on Thunder Pig when EVAs are taking place during the course of this mission.

This live coverage is provided by the folks at Mogulus and Space Flight Now.

I'll leave the player up until osmetime this afternoon.

Morning Sky and Silhouette

2009-05-09T07:21:00.001-04:00

I just love spring mornings in the West of the Balsams region of North Carolina.

Water Supply

2009-05-07T04:00:00.002-04:00

These fire trucks from the Sylva Fire Dept were at a hydrant as part of the water supply operation supporting several local Jackson County Fire Depts fighting a structure fire on Old Settlement Rd. I snapped these shots as I drove by on my way home, and didn't bother cutting through because I knew traffic would be a bear.

Luckily, Nick Breedlove of the Sylva Herald was on the scene and has a few photos posted on the Sylva Herald blog.

The Greening of the Mountains Spring Festival

2009-04-25T17:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a shot of downtown Sylva from the Old Courthouse. I'll have more photos and video later this weekend and into next week.

Here is the low-definition video.