024. JSOH Air Show

This weekend was the air show for the Joint Services Open House at Andrews Air Force base. 

I only had an hour and a half to take it all in...

Of the few aerial displays I saw, the osprey was easily my favorite. Note that the propellers switch from forward-facing like a plane's to vertical like a helicopter's, while it's flying!

They called it an Air Show, but there was plenty to see on the ground... planes, jets, helicopters, tanks and all sorts of military vehicles, old & new. I could have spent all day there, easily.

Wish I could have seen this Harrier jump jet in the air...

Military golf-cart:

This next one may have been Photoshopped, I'm not sure...

International Trucks were proud to serve our country as well:

023. Purple Porcupine

Here's an illustration I made for a rapid-protyping company in California, Purple Porcupine. It's an animal, so I felt it belonged on this blog!

022. next up...

About a month ago, all morning long the crows were sounding the alarm, like they do when a hawk is around, but this was much louder than that... only when it landed on a branch in the neighbor's tree did I see the intruder, and it wasn't a hawk, not at all!

Great Horned Owl in tha 'hood!

021. Space Shuttle Discovery

020. Harpers Ferry

019. Occoquan Sunset

With sunset fast approaching, I snuck down to Occoquan for just over half an hour, 

barely catching the last shimmers of activity for the day.

Returning to the car, I heard owls on both sides of the trail, but couldn't pinpoint their location... just as I decided the day was done, 20-25 feet off the trail was a shape with the distinctive markings of some large bird, either an owl or hawk, perched on a branch about 8 feet off the ground! Unfortunately, too much foliage prevented me getting any closer, and there were branches obscuring his head, which prevented identification.

A great end to the day, either way!