"Balloon" Gets Valley's Attention

  Yesterday morning I was on my usual walk back the neighbor's lane and a small airplane happened to pass overhead. I looked up as I always do - I took pilot training in the 1980's - and spotted the plane leisurely flying by.

 But quickly my attention was directed to something almost in line with the plane, but much higher. I'd have to describe it as "star-like", something along the lines of how Venus appears in the night sky. Of  course it was daylight (just  about 8 am) and the sun was shining brightly. I knew it wasn't a plant which would have been washed out by the sun. And I also knew there shouldn't have been a bright planet there anyway (Venus and Jupiter have been in the western sky at sunset, near conjunction).

 As I walked I took a few photos. I leaned against a telephone pole to keep my balance. And in the time I was walking - about 15 minutes - the light never appeared to move. Clearly it was not a plane.

 Here's what I saw:

8:02 am - wide angle

 There isn't much to see with this view, just a pint of light mid-frame. I zoomed in:

8:00 am - zoom

8:10 am - zoom

 I could see when I zoomed in that it was an actual object, not a point of light like a planet or a star.

 What I didn't realize is that it had made the local news the day before. It was almost certainly a high-altitude balloon. Here's some of what was said about it:

* High altitude balloon that’s been meandering between/around Dayton/Springfield/Columbus at around 66k feet since yesterday. Shows up on flight tracking systems as HBAL790

* FlightRadar showed this:

 * A local TV meteorologist said it was part of Project Loon. But Google says this about that project: "Project Loon was an Alphabet (Google X) initiative that used high-altitude stratospheric balloons to beam internet access to remote, rural, and disaster-stricken areas. Although the project was officially shut down in 2021 due to challenges in achieving commercial viability, its pioneering technology legacy lives on."

* Today's (06/18) Dayton Daily News has an article about it and says in part: "A high-altitude balloon that hovered over Dayton on Tuesday, June 16, was seen again over the skies in Preble County Wednesday.

The balloon was positioned northwest of Eaton, according to the online website Flightracker 24. It was first spotted Tuesday above Dayton and was described as orb-like object by people who witnessed it in the sky. Data from FlightTracker24 indicates the balloon originated in Illinois, south of Pattonsburg.

Hovering at 66,600 feet in the air, the balloon exceeds the typical altitude of commercial aircrafts, which tend to cruise between 30,000 feet and 42,000 feet, as well as private jets, which cruise between 35,000 and 45,000 feet according to Epic Flight Academy.

 In any case, it was an unusual sight and suggests why UFO reports are so common. I called Tom to come outside and see it and he wasn't very impressed. It was like looking at a daytime star.

 Last night the weather changed and just after midnight we had a Tornado Warning. If it was indeed HBAL790 it's now meandering the skies between Dayton and Columbus:

Credit: FlightRadar24  06/18/26 9:40 am

Credit: Kevin Rice

 This photo was posted to Facebook by ABC-6 in Columbus, Ohio (WSYX).

Power Pole Knocked Down

  I was sitting in the living room just before 6:30 pm yesterday (06-02-26) when I heard a loud crack and at the same time our lights blinked. I was happy they didn't go off and didn't pay any more attention to it.

 But later I looked out the window and saw that one of the power poles beside our neighbor's lane was lying on the ground. What gives?

8:05 pm - 6-2-26

8:06 pm

8:16 pm

8:49 pm

10:17 pm

 Later it occurred to me that I had two security cameras that likely recorded what happened. Both are time-stamped. The first is a Wyze; the second is an Arenti. Here are the recorded videos of what happened.

 Our neighbor who lost her power called and asked what had happened. By then I knew and related what I've written above. Apparently the truck that exited her lane (it carried a chemical that a tractor was spreading on the corn fields) somehow got tangled in her power line that drops from a pole on Clayton Road (ours uses the same pole but is buried). In the videos you can see the pole being pulled down as the truck exits the lane. Th driver never stopped. Did he not see (or hear) it?

 It's truly a wonder he wasn't electrocuted.

 Later in the day the local power company (AES) had a crew replace the pole (about 10:30 pm) and another crew (about 1:30 am) replace the downed wires. By 2 am everything was back up and running.

6:53 am - 6-3-26

 The new power pole is in the distance. It was replaced in the dead of the night.

Jupiter - Venus Close together

  It wasn't a conjunction - it wasn't nearly close enough for that - but I've been reading that for several nights Jupiter and Venus would appear fairly close together in the sky.

 Here's what I saw last evening:

05-28-26 - 9:40 pm

 This is looking west about a half hour after sunset. Jupiter is on the left and above Venus on the right.

 Here's a wide angle view of the same sky:

 We were luck to have a clear sky, especially after a week of heavy rain.

Credit: Stellarium

  And here's the same view with my planetarium software.

 The view was really nothing special but I appreciate anything the night sky has to offer, regardless of how mundane.

Weather Cam

  I thought I'd install a security camera dedicated to the weather. I'd point it SW to watch approaching storms. When I found an Arenti (I have two and like them) that fit the bill I ordered one.

 It's a model PW3 Kit1-MRHK, branded Laxihub, and its described as a "Arenti Solar Camera Outdoor Wireless, 3MP 2K with 340° Pan, PIR Detection, Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Battery with Solar Powered Wireless Cameras for Home Security Outdoor, Works with Alexa".

 It arrived last Friday. I charged it this past weekend and programmed it to work on my WiFi.

 Everything setup easily. Yesterday I mounted it on the post I have my Tempest weather station mounted on. I had checked the location ahead of time, making sure the WiFi signal there was sufficient.

 I don't like the plastic mounts at all. They're very hard to get the angles I wanted and the camera is tall enough to not be particularly solid. I figure one of the 70 mph winds like we had on March 13 would take both the camera and the solar panel out.

 Here's the first picture I got late in the day to check for my aiming:

 The WiFi signal showed 60% or two bars (of four). That sounded reasonable as the post is easily fifty feet from the WiFi gateway. By later in the evening I was still able to get pictures:

 But I found once the sun went down I was unable to communicate with the camera. Go figure. The sky was clear so conditions should have been perfect.

 I also found that the camera does not record to the SD continuously but only when it detects movement. It's battery-powered so that's reasonable, though disappointing. And I didn't see that noted in any description.

 The next morning all was well again.

 But I think if it's not going to be dependable there the location is not going to work for me. Back to the drawing board.

Later: Continuing to test:

 I was near Cincinnati yesterday and the camera never failed to return video. And then during the evening it continued to work.

9:40 pm - 05/26/26

 Of course it was totally dark when I took this shot. Tom had been out with the dog at 9:30 pm and had to use a flashlight. And yet the camera's night mode shows the scene well lit.

 Then I checked again about 10 pm and ... nothing. The camera returned no data at all.

 I checked during the night (3:30 am) and all was well. Great foggy picture.

 This morning it was raining very hard and I took a look at the camera and it delivered this picture quickly.

7:23 am - 05/27/26

 The camera seems to be at the edge of its range even though it's delivering a two-bar signal. To be dependable I'll need to move it closer to the house. But that defeats the idea of a good view of the SW sky. It'll remain a work in progress for some time.

Update: The problem was traced to my WiFi gateway. I've rebooted it (and we had a later power outage that accomplished the same thing) and the camera works flawlessly. So the problem was never range (it's been giving a 64% signal strength).

 

Window Washing

  Windows were a priority with Mom. They had to be sparkling clean for her to be happy. It was a grueling project because our windows aren't the modern tilt-in type. They have to be taken apart, carried out into the yard, washed and then carried back in and reassembled.

 There was a time when I did this every year. I dreaded it.

 Now that Mom's gone, I still feel the annual compulsion to clean the windows (and for those of you who do yours twice a year, just go away. I don't want to hear about it).

 I decided last spring (when I was still 75) to hire the work done this year. Now that the time has come I have decided to tackle it (somewhat) again. I have come to the conclusion that I'm too old to do between the windows and that doing the insides and outsides would have to be good enough. And I wouldn't do the outside of the second floor windows at all. I just can't handle working atop a ladder any longer.

 Mom would turn over in her grave.

So on May 10 I began ...

 And on May 25 I "finished" ...

 My bedroom window is the worst of all because it is behind the bed. But when I woke this morning I decided to not make the bed so I could walk around on top of it and do my best to get the inside cleaned.

 On May 18 I crept up the stairs while Tom and Miss Parker still slept. Soon I heard the dog at the bottom of the stairs checking me out. She has to know everything that is happening. Was it really me up there or might it be someone she wasn't aware of? And could they be eating?!

 Anyway, except for the porch windows I'm done. I'll get to them soon.

 Here's how I keep track of which windows I've washed. I date the inside and outside on this sheet as I get the job completed.

 Like my window washing, it's a bit crude. But it works. And as Dad always said: "It's good enough".

The Cottage of Mason

  With a close family member* now residing at The Cottage of Mason (since 05/09/26) Tom and I drove down for a first time yesterday and we were both mightily impressed by the place. Both the physical structure and the people who work there were wonderful.

 Here's a quick photo tour ...

6491 Reading Road, Mason OH

 Our  family member's room...

 Looking from the bed to the bath...

 Interior view of the bathroom...

 Serving area for the dining room...

 Paintings such as this make the place feel more like home...

 The sauna area is available to all residents...

 We stayed about an  hour and a hald for the first visit but plan on going back weekly.

* I am not going to identify the family member publicly nor have I posted any pictures with people shown.

Epiphyllium Hybrid Red Orchid Cactus Blooms

 

05/10/26 - 7:24 am

 Tom bought this cactus at Crystal Gardens in Frankfort, Michigan . We think it was three or four years ago. It had a large bud on it when he bought it and we remember it blooming as soon as we got it home (it commanded the sunny window of the car the whole return trip).

 It hasn't bloomed since. I water it lightly every Thursday and a few days ago I noticed new growth. That soon turned red and it was obvious that it was a bud.

05/09/26 - 3:23 pm

05/09/26 - 7:06 pm

 By late day yesterday it began to open. I don't know if this cactus is considered a "night bloomer" but  it didn't begin opening until the sun was very low in the sky.

05/09/26 - 8:17 pm

 Only just over an hour later!

05/09/26 - 9:19 pm

 Before I went to be I checked it in the dark (I turned on the porch light for this shot).

 Information on the cactus can be found here.