Birthday Report

I celebrated my birthday yesterday.  The day started with Desiree wishing me a good morning with a birthday banner (see the posted photo).  If you want to be technical, I am what you would term a “senior adult”.

Thing is, I never adulted all that well and I don’t think I am all that great at senioring either.  In order to make my age more palatable, I have decided to determine it by adding together the two number used to express it.

Using this method, I turned 13 for the second time in my life.

Much better.

In local news, the hillside chipmunk tribe has once again taken over control of my back deck and bluebirds are bouncing along the top rail of my fence.

In the realm of finances, the Dow, Nasdaq, and S & P stock indices all rose in pronounced fashion for the day.

Finally, I have brushed aside the (possibly annoying) fact another snowstorm shouldered against us throughout yesterday.  I had better things to dwell on.

You turn 13 only twice in your life.

Desiree and the Birthday Banner

—Mitchell Hegman

Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton was a renowned actor, filmmaker, and stuntman during the silent era of Hollywood. Keaton's films were characterized by his deadpan expression, physical comedy, and inventive use of props and sets. He was known for performing dangerous stunts, such as hanging from a clock tower in "Safety Last!" or dodging a collapsing house in "Steamboat Bill Jr."

Despite the risks, Keaton performed his own stunts, without the aid of doubles or special effects. His meticulous planning and precision made his stunts appear effortless and added to the comedic effect of his films.  His innovative techniques and fearless approach to filmmaking remain a testament to his enduring influence on cinema.

Posted today is a short compilation of some of Keaton’s more notable work.

Enjoy!

—Mitchell Hegman

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYIj2FGmMA

I Wanted to Do the Right Thing (But Nobody Else Did)

While driving in town, I heard a scraping noise coming from the front of my car.  Fearing I might have a problem with my brakes or one of the wheels, I immediately pulled into a parking lot for an inspection.

My car is equipped with a fibrous underbody cover.  Somehow, two screws that secure the cover to the frame had fallen free and part of the front passenger side of the undercover was dragging underneath the car.

Climbing back inside the car I told Desiree what I found.  “It looks like I could just cut the loose piece off with a knife, but I would rather drive to the dealership and fix it properly.” 

We drove across town to the dealership and pulled in to the service department.  I explained the problem to a tech and then added: “If you can’t get at it right away, I’ll just take it home and cut the loose piece off.  But I would like to fasten the cover back in place.”

After visiting with a few mechanics, the tech said he didn’t have a hoist or mechanic available.  “I can call our partner dealership next door and see what they can help.”

“Sure.”

Following a quick call, I drove next door and left the car with service department there.  After waiting in a lounge area for about a half-hour, Desiree and I were led back out the service desk.

The service tech printed out an invoice for thirty dollars and informed me a mechanic had cut the loose piece off with a knife.   

—Mitchell Hegman

Freezeout Lake

Freezeout Lake, located near Fairfield, Montana, is a critical stopover point for migratory waterfowl on their journey along the Pacific Flyway.  The prairie lake provides a critical habitat for millions of waterfowl every year, including snow geese, tundra swans, and ducks. During the spring and fall migrations, the lake provides an important rest and refueling point for these birds, allowing them to rest, feed, and build up the energy they need to continue their journey.

Freezeout Lake is often referred to as the "goose factory" due to the large number of snow geese that stop there.  Tens of thousands of geese might be seen on a busy day.

Taking advantage of a warm spring day, Desiree and I drove to Freezeout Lake to see if we might spot a few birds.  Unfortunately, we arrived a bit late in the day for large numbers.  But we did see a handful of swans, pelicans, and a few small flocks of snow geese.

We were unable to capture any worthy photographs of those birds, but we did chance upon a mess of cooperative seagulls gathered along the shore near one of the lake access roads.  They were entertaining in their own right.

Desiree Taking a Selfie with Gulls

Selfie

Desiree Gull Video

—Mitchell Hegman

Treetop Love

Apparently, love is in the air.  I am talking literally here.  While driving to town, a pair of ravens launched from a cottonwood tree in front of me.  The birds vaulted across the road and then, almost immediately, one of them landed at the very top of a pine tree.  The second bird then dropped directly onto the first one and the pair engaged in raucous sex right there in front of me.

That’s a first for me, but I must say, watching ravens do their business is not particularly satisfying.

On the less savage side, ravens are a generally monogamous.  Most pairs bond for life.   Additionally, both the male and female share in feeding their brood.  

—Mitchell Hegman

Shocking Blue (Something New)

I recently posted a blog about Shocking Blue, the famous rock group from the Netherlands.  Today we need to talk about another sort of shocking blue.

While poking around in a big box store, Desiree and I took a stroll through the large appliances just to see what refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ranges look like these days.

We found a lot of stainless steel and a lot of lofty prices.

The weirdest appliance turned out to be the last electric range we looked at – specifically the oven.

When you open the oven on a range you expect to see a couple silver racks and al lot gray.  That’s what ovens look like inside.  Not this oven.

When Desiree dropped opened the oven door, we were pretty much assaulted by the color blue.  I literally took a step back.  “Whoa,” I said, “I wasn’t expecting that!”

Desiree laughed.  “Me, either.”

“Is that color strange or is it good?” I asked her.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, we won’t be buying it to find out.”

The Shocking Blue Appliance   

—Mitchell Hegman

Levitating a Coin

Have you always wondered how magicians make coins and other small objects levitate?  Posted is a short video showing one method for performing this trick.

Surprisingly (maybe disappointingly) easy stuff.

Don’t watch this if you want magic to remain as magic.

—Mitchell Hegman

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55IEJMzPVCk