January 2012
12 posts
6 tags
A Clear Winner
If you shop for a western hat today you will see the effects of X-inflation. 10X, 100X even 1000X used to suggest quality levels in the felt hat body. I have a 1X nutria Stetson western from the 1920s that will beat the fur off off most any hat made today.
Here is a rare animal, a 1930s Stetson 5X Clear Beaver. Back in the days when this hat was manufactured, 5X Clear Beaver was top of the line....
8 tags
7 tags
Losing It
The eclipse of August 28, 2007 happened as planned. Even the clouds cooperated, parting to allow us a clear view from the rooftop of the Buffalo Museum of Science. But this was a pre-dawn transit of the moon through earth’s shadow. Just as totality began in the west, the rising sun in the east quickly brightened the sky. The shades of blue mixed with the rusty tint of the shadowed moon...
7 tags
6 tags
7 tags
Whatwasthat?
I took yesterday’s daytime moon picture while standing around waiting for this… a daytime pass of the International Space Station in front of the moon. Caught it. This animation is slowed down a lot… the actual event took less than half a second. Here is a little bigger version.
Here’s what the ISS looks like silhouetted in front of the sun.
5 tags
6 tags
6 tags
6 tags
6 tags
7 tags
Nutria-cious!
Ringing in the new with something old.
These three old Stetson cowboy hats from the 1920s/1930s are made from nutria… a charming name for a somewhat less than attractive rodent, originally from South America - now quite a nuisance in the southern United States. The nutria’s fur made a very soft and durable hat and became a popular felting fur as beaver became scarce and expensive in...
