The Goings-On

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Early Morning Balloons

Saturday morning we were up by 5 and drove out to the Wausau Airport to take in the hot air balloons. This weekend was the annual Wausau Balloon Rally and Glow. In the morning and the evening they launch the hot air balloons, when the wind is most cooperative. We decided to try the early Saturday morning event, figured it would be more peaceful with less people around. And it was.

The weather started off pretty nice but by 7, the winds picked up a little and a patch of rain was heading towards the airport. They ended only getting up 2 1/2 balloons before they put them away for the incoming rain. They would have had more up, but weather was being weather.

Once inflated, they allowed the spectators get close and ask questions.

I think I would like to go on a hot air balloon ride one day.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Identified

Stump Stabber Ichneumon Wasp Megarhyssa atrata

http://www.pwconserve.org/wildlife/insects/ichneumonmegarhyssa.html (photo from there too)

Looks like this is our perp. I think we had a female, since it had a long tail (ovipositor) for laying eggs into grubs underground or trees. Wicked looking creature. Isn't nature fascinating?

Fireworks and more

Saturday night we spent the evening at my parents house, to watch the annual fireworks on the lake. Awesome display again, and lasted way longer than San Diego's this year.

Oooo

Aaaahhh

After the fireworks, we were all in the house and noticed a large wasp like insect in the porch, hanging on the glass. Still trying to figure out what the heck it is. If you include its long whip tail on it's end, it was as long as a hand.

We also introduced our friend Jim to game of Dominion while waiting for the fireworks to begin. Its complicated at first, but addictive once you get the hang of it. Today we figured out how to play Dominion online and was able play with our friends across the big lake, Ben and Amanda (the ones that got us playing first) Very fun.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Disc Golf, the beginning

Zachary and I tried Disc Golf for the first time on Saturday. Well we tried it once before, 2 weeks previously, but got rained out by the end of the first hole. Soaked more like it.

There is a 9 hole course a few miles from our house at Yellow Banks Park, along the Eau Claire River. Its a newer course in a woods, not marked very well, but fun nonetheless.

Turns out we like it a lot. One thing I need to work on is keeping track where my driver disc lands, nearly lost it twice by forgetting where it landed when it was my turn again. And the wicked fade my drives have when throwing for distance, likes to hook left at the end. Zachary's throws are more straighter than mine.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Still kicking

We are still alive. Work has had both of us hostage last couple months, and continuing, 60 hour weeks. Life lately is work, eat, sleep, and a little Diablo 3 on the side. Yeah, we are extra dull lately.

But we did manage to break the cycle a little bit this weekend when our friend Kate came up to visit.

We visited the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum this afternoon after brunch. It is a nice art near downtown Wausau, with an outdoor sculpture garden on the grounds. They are in the process of building on a new gallery. They had an exhibit Zachary and I were interested in seeing, NASA in Art, artists interpretation and portrayal of NASA's history. It was quite interesting. Sorry no pics, no cameras allowed inside.

I did manage to take a few pictures of the sculptures outside.

This one had a canopy overhead, to help keep the bronze sculpture cool, adding to the realness of the hippo. Real hippopotamuses and bronze ones need to keep cool in the summer.