Quote Of The Day

Tell these tankers to get themselves, get to it, we have wiped out most of their launchers.   These ships should go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts, there’s nothing to be afraid of.  They have no navy, we sunk all their ships.

- President Trump 

Foxy Redhead

Meet Vulpes vulpes – the Red Fox.  It is distinguished from the Gray Fox by a white-tipped tail visible in the photos.  After taking a few years off the last handful of years they've been appearing more frequently on the trail cameras.  I suppose the competing coyotes haven't succeeded in cleaning them out.  

It is terrific to see them around here; such a beautiful canid the fox is. 

They’re omnivores that dine-upon everything from rabbits, small rodents, roadkill, fruits and nuts and insects.   

They sometimes make their home in an enlarged woodchuck den, or hollow log, or underneath a log or rock in a stream bank or side of a hill.  A mated pair will defend their turf from other foxes but this canine frequently is prey to the resident coyotes and wolves.  

 

A female is called a vixen, a male is called a dog fox, newborns are called pups, kits or cubs.  And a group of foxes is called a skulk.   

 

 

They're breeding this time of year. 

 

Maybe I can expect to see more of them in the months and years ahead? 

 

 

 

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

One of the most storied names in the tobacco business is Chesterfield; remembered for its rapid rise in popularity in the med-20th century and its iconic They Satisfy marketing campaigns.

The cigarette brand can trace its lineage all the way back to 1873 when it was introduced by the Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, Missouri. 

In 1911 Chesterfield was acquired by Liggett & Myers (L&M) and they reblended it into a Turkish-Virginia mix to compete with Camel and Lucky Strike.  In the 1930s and 40s it was the Big Three - Camel, Lucky Strike and Chesterfield - that engaged in a fierce tobacco war spending millions on radio, print and celebrity endorsements to grab their share of a rapidly-growing population of smokers.

During World War II combat field rations (C and K) included a pack of three, four or nine cigarettes introducing an entire generation of servicemen and women to smoking on the the government's dime.  While Chesterfield was most frequently found in K rations, by the end of the war industry leader Camel had earmarked more than half of their total annual production to the military.

Chesterfield's signature slogan was They Satisfy - eventually introducing Blow Some My Way in a not so subtle reach for women smokers. The brand was famously pitched by Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball and James Arness (Gunsmoke).  It was the brand of choice for James Bond and the first of countless smokes consumed by author Stephen King.

 

Nowadays, the brand is owned by Altria (manufactured by subsidiary Philip Morris USA) and after a brief hiatus was reintroduced to the US market in 2019 with filters - Gasp!  Philip Morris International supplies the rest of the world.

I grew-up with second hand smoke.  Unfiltered Chesterfields were my late, great mother's smoke of choice until my daughter was born 

Fast Fact: The inclusion of cigarettes in military rations did not officially end until 1975 as health concerns finally outweighed any lingering morale-boosting benefit.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em..... 

Backyard Birding

On the recommendation of my pal, Braumeister, at the start of last  month I hung the contraption you see below from a branch on a red maple in our yard.  It is a bird feeder that you fill with peanuts.  Peanuts in the shell; raw and unsalted.   

I bought a big bag of nuts at a local bird food joint.  And while they're clearly labeled:  NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION I suppose if I tried one I don't think it would kill me.  But you never know.  

It took a few days for the local birds to figure-out what it's for and now I'm restocking it almost twice a week.  

In any event the trail camera I installed to monitor who might like peanuts needed to be rearranged.  It needed to have its back to the sun so that subjects were appropriately lit.  It took a couple of tries to get the focal length correct.  Trim some branches and there was the opportunity cost of losing several days of potential photos as a consequence of an improperly-formatted SD card.  Mind you, the camera is old too.  Originally-deployed during COVID in 2020 it is quite frail and could fail catastrophically just about any time.  Nevertheless, being the cheap SOB that I am I intend to squeeze every last gigabyte of digital imagery out of this old Moultrie device as I can.

So, here's an update

Yours-truly wrangling and wrassling the gizmo one of countless times to get it situated 

Blue jay

White-breasted nuthatch

Red-breasted nuthatch

Pileated woodpecker

Downy woodpecker

Black-capped chickadee

And a hairy woodpecker

Altogether a nice collection of some of the year-round bird residents.  The migrators are beginning to arrive so it will be interesting to note if any of them like peanuts.

Stay-tuned....  

 

Maintenance Woes

I’ve been driving my Mustang Mach-E for a couple of years now and maintenance has been an absolute bitch.

Tire rotations - Ford says this is exceedingly important as a consequence of weight.  An absurd inconvenience. 

Following the outrage of two tire rotations in as many years; my afternoon was interrupted by an unscheduled service interval.  

I had to fill the wiper reservoir.  Geez. 

Adding insult to inconvenience, there is wintertime driving.

As with all Pony Cars that’s asking for a sure visit to the ditch.

Pro Tip - Carry a Snatch Strap.

Happy motoring.

Vroom!

 

March Astronomy - Venus and Saturn

Earlier this year Venus began it's transition to the post-sunset sky assuming its place as our Evening Star.  With every passing sunset it will ascend a bit higher.  Coincidentally, Saturn has been descending with every passing evening and after a half year of its presence will disappear from view before too long.   

For the past couple of days the two planets have begun to pass each other closely and if you look to the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset you can spot both planets in a planetary conjunction.

You should have no problem spotting them with your naked eyes; however, if you have a pair of binoculars use them for a closer look. 

 

Lock The Clock

If you’re like me this semiannual switch between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time is madness.  Today I lost an hour of sleep and in November after I set my clock back an hour I’ll still get out of bed in the dark to turn the coffee on.  At the end of the day I’ll pour myself a glass of Merlot in the dark.  This resetting of the clocks is messing with my circadian rhythms.

Daylight Saving Time is associated with the Western world as most countries outside Europe and North America don't observe the ritual. 

Courtesy of CNN research the notion of Daylight Saving Time has a curious pedigree.

1784 - The idea of daylight saving is first conceived by Benjamin Franklin.

1914-1918 - Britain goes on DLS during World War I.

March 19, 1918 - The Standard Time Act establishes time zones and daylight saving. Daylight saving is repealed in 1919, but continues to be recognized in certain areas of the United States.

1945-1966 - There is no federal law regarding Daylight Saving Time.

1966 - The Uniform Time Act of 1966 establishes the system of uniform Daylight Saving Time throughout the United States. The dates are the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. States can exempt themselves from participation.

1974-1975 - Congress extends DLS in order to save energy during the energy crisis.

1986-2006 - Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.

August 8, 2005 - President George W. Bush signs the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. Part of the act will extend Daylight Saving Time starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. 

 

In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act which would make daylight saving time permanent.  The House did not pass it and then-President Biden did not sign it.  Whether the second session of the 119th Congress will pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 remains to be seen.  H.R. 139/S. 29 has not passed as of this moment.  The legislation, which proposes making daylight saving time permanent, was introduced in January 2025 but has remained stalled in committee, with low chances of passing, according to GovTrack.us and GovTrack.us. 

 

As for making Daylight Savings Time permanent there is evidence that the frequency of heart attack and stroke increases around the ritual resetting of clocks twice a year.  Benefits of Daylight Savings Time enhance public safety and make better economic sense.  Proponents of Daylight Saving Time argue that most people appreciate an increase in daylight hours after coming home from work.  

Speaking for myself - I like the notion of longer, lighter evenings and a happier more prosperous United States.  I like my clock precisely where it is.   

Make it permanent. 

 

Lock the clock.