PLOP!
vendredi 31 décembre 2010
Le Vendredi Sky Watch
PLOP!
jeudi 30 décembre 2010
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
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You know the drill! Leave your guesses in the comments.
Answer à demain.
UPDATE:
Those of you who left guesses were in the ballpark, but no one got it exactly right.
This is one of several radar-controlled Fire Directors on the U.S.S. Hornet, CV12, docked at Pier 3 at the former Alameda, CA, Naval Air Station. These fire directors told the gunners where and how to aim the 5"/38 calibre dual-purpose guns mounted below Hornet's flight deck. These guns could be used either as an anti-aircraft weapon or used in combat against surface vessels. In rare cases, aircraft-carrier mounted 5"/38 calibre guns also could be used to bombard shore targets. These guns are the same type of gun used as the main battery on World War II-era destroyers and as the secondary battery on cruisers and battleships.
"Dual Purpose" means that it is designed to be effective against both surface and aircraft targets because it can elevate to 85°. The 38 calibre barrel was a mid-length compromise between the previous United States standard 5"/51 low-angle gun and 5"/25 anti-aircraft gun.
Among naval historians, the 5"/38 gun is considered the best intermediate-caliber, dual purpose naval gun of World War II. The comparatively high rate of fire for a gun of its calibre earned it an enviable reputation, particularly as an antiaircraft weapon. These guns had a nominal rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute per barrel; however, with a well-trained crew, 22 rounds per minute per barrel was possible for short periods.
U.S.S. Hornet, CV12, a WWII-era Essex-class carrier, is one of a long line of Hornets in the U.S. Navy. The first Hornet served in the late 1700s. The Hornet previous to CV12 was CV8, which participated in the famed Doolittle raid over Tokyo in April, 1942. CV8 took on the B-25 Mitchell bombers used in the Doolittle raid at the very same pier where CV12 is now docked. CV8 was lost in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in October, 1942. CV12, originally slated to be named Kearsarge was under construction when CV8 was sunk and was quickly re-named Hornet.
mercredi 29 décembre 2010
mardi 28 décembre 2010
Vol
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Mme la Vache likes birds very much and she photo-captured this eagle in flight over the Bay only a few hundred yards from le balcon Chez la Vache.
lundi 27 décembre 2010
dimanche 26 décembre 2010
Série du pont de dimanche XXXX
This miniature "Golden Gate Bridge" was spotted by «Louis» et Mme la Vache at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette, famous for its huge variety of decorated Christmas trees (that's some of their trees«Louis» had in the masthead photo for a few days leading up to Christmas). The pond over which this bridge is placed is also home to the koi seen in Saturday's "Weekend Reflections" shot.
samedi 25 décembre 2010
Weekend Reflections
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The south tower of the "Golden Gate Bridge" is reflected in this koi pond...
Stay tuned! More to come à demain with "Sunday Bridges"...
vendredi 24 décembre 2010
Le Vendredi Sky Watch
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jeudi 23 décembre 2010
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
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You know the drill. ;-D
Leave your guesses in the comments.
Answer à demain...
UPDATE:
Here's the answer! It's a handy-dandy mozzarella slicer built into the side of this Ferrari!
(Often forgotten fact: ALL Italian cars have mozzarella slicers or parmesan shredders built into them!
Didn't you know that!?)
mercredi 22 décembre 2010
mardi 21 décembre 2010
The Devolution of Christmas
This Christmas "tree", made from shopping carts, is an unintentional witness to the devolution of Christmas...lundi 20 décembre 2010
Santa on Solano Avenue
The Albany Chamber of Commerce (of which «Louis» is a member) and the Solano Avenue Association presented their annual Santa on Solano event at the Chamber office on Solano Avenue. «Louis» didn't attempt to sit in Santa's lap, but he did tell Santa he would like a new Porsche Panamera or a Mini Cooper S or a Volvo C30 for Christmas. Santa was heard muttering something about «Louis» needing to "assume the aeronautical position and take a flying leap", whatever that means...
This happy trio was rewarded by Santa with candy canes...
Cookies for these two...
Everyone is crowding in to snap photos of these kids. The little girl was proud of her "shiny shoes" and wanted her mom to wear "shiny shoes", too...
Music out front...
Solano Avenue Association President Allen Cain manned the popcorn machine in front of the Chamber office. The back of his black Santa cap reads "Bah, Humbug!"...
Albany Patch sponsored the cookie decorating...
This little girl was anxious to tell Santa what she wanted - then was overcome with shyness...dimanche 19 décembre 2010
samedi 18 décembre 2010
vendredi 17 décembre 2010
Le Vendredi Sky Watch
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jeudi 16 décembre 2010
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
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Answer à demain!
UPDATE:
Ol' «Louis» can't fool his readers! Yes, this is a view of northern Europe and the U.K. from space. The green band is the Aurora Borealis. London is visible as is, just as many of you guessed, the City of Light - Paris, Note the fog of the western coast of the U.K. and also off parts of the European coast.
mercredi 15 décembre 2010
mardi 14 décembre 2010
Tiffany glass sky
lundi 13 décembre 2010
Entre les deux points
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dimanche 12 décembre 2010
Série du pont de dimanche XXXVIII
Captured on camera by Mme la Vache.
samedi 11 décembre 2010
Weekend Reflections
vendredi 10 décembre 2010
Le Vendredi Sky Watch
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jeudi 9 décembre 2010
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
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Answer à demain.
UPDATE:
hee hee...
Several of you guessed "submarine" and, yes, this is a control panel for the generators in the After Control Room of the restored WWII submarine U.S.S. Pampanito at Pier 45, San Francisco.
mercredi 8 décembre 2010
mardi 7 décembre 2010
A Day of Infamy - December 7, 1941
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U.S.S. Arizona, BB39, before, during and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
One thousand one hundred seventy seven men and officers lost their lives on Arizona in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Former Oakland Tribune reporter Robert Stinnett wrote a compelling account in his book Day of Infamy that outlines how Roosevelt goaded the Japanese into the attack in order to draw the isolationist U.S. into the world-wide conflagration known as World War II. While there is no doubt that the U.S. needed to enter the hostilities, Stinnett's book shows Roosevelt's cynicism in all its ugliness, particularly the way Roosevelt threw the commanders at Pearl Harbor, General Short and Admiral Kimmell, under the bus in order to draw the Japanese into attacking the U.S. American casualties in the attack totaled 2896.
Row, row, row your boat...
Seemingly all alone in the Sacramento River at Benicia is this boat, being energetically rowed. However, not far away was this (ahem) boat....
lundi 6 décembre 2010
Anachronisme
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dimanche 5 décembre 2010
Série du pont de dimanche XXXVII
Chuck teases «Louis» on occasion for "only picking the low-hanging fruit", so to speak, because le balcon Chez la Vache affords such marvelous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and views of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as well. Chuck has encouraged «Louis» to branch out and show the world that there are other bridges in the Bay Area. So, Chuck, this little bridge over a creek running through the campus at the University of California, Berkeley is hereby known as the Ponte Signor Vespa.
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