Arcin' and Sparkin'

The best show at Boston's Museum of Science is the electrical show. They have the worlds largest air insulated Van de Graaff generator and they do several free shows a day. The room is always full. The highlight of the show is when the presenter enters the Faraday Cage and lets the lightening bolts zap him.

More USS Constitution

Here are some more photos of "Old Ironsides" in drydock.

USS Constitution

The USS Constitution is currently in dry dock and tours are limited. All of her guns have been removed to lighten the deck load and her masts have been taken down. You cannot go below decks due to construction. I saw this barricade and sign just outside of the dry dock. Don't go swimming here or you might get shot.

Montmorency Falls, Quebec

Montmorency Falls is the highest waterfall in Quebec. It is 100 feet higher than Niagra. It is about 12 clicks outside Quebec City. If you emgibben the second photo, you can see a string of climbers on the cliff face to the right of the falls.

Cathedral Ledge

Cathedral Ledge is a massive granite outcropping in North Conway, NH. Access to the top is easy. There is a road that leads to a parking lot and then it's a short walk to the cliff face. It's a popular rock climbing venue and there was one climber there on the day we visited. The funny thing is that he must of run into a bees nest because while he was hanging on his belay he started swatting at things and yelling. It would have been a bad situation had he been free climbing.

Mount Washington Cog Railway

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is one of the few cog railways in the world. It will take you to the top of Mount Washington, which is the highest peak in the Presidential Range at an elevation 6288 feet.They used to use coal fired steam engines but several years ago they succumbed to financial and environmental pressure and switched to bio diesel engines. They make their own bio diesel from waste cooking oil. The trip is faster and cleaner but somehow has lost some of the romance. The first picture is of "Old Peppersass", one of the original engines. It is built on an angle but would be level when on the slope. The others are non related steam farm equipment that they keep around for eye candy.

You see how pretty the weather is down in the valley. On top of the mountain the visibility was less than 50 feet.

You Had Me at Bacon

Posting has been light because I've been on a family vacation. My wife and I took the three grandsons to the White Mountains in NH, Quebec City, Canada and Boston, Mass. I'll be posting a few things from the trip.

These are the first. Zeb's General Store in North Conway has a selection of bacon flavored products.

Doesn't it make you drool?

Head Count

It looks like executions in Saudi Arabia were postponed during the month of Ramadan. They had no executions and their year to date total remains at 92.