DavidCBaker

It has all the sensors, which you can read on the console (inside the house) and on the internet (if you aren't home, or want to share with neighbors).

I'm probably your closest weather reporting station, then.

Certainly. Each inch of snow, though, is about 0.1 inches of water. But it does report it. The yearly totals are messed up because I just installed it.

Yes, I think it is listed there. It shows up on my favorites when I click that link you provided, anyway.

Yep. About three blocks to the southeast east of Edmondson and OHB, up on that hill.

I put this up on the deck last weekend, and now it's feeding to the web: Davis | WeatherLink - My Weather Page You can get more detail by clicking the "summary" link, which takes you here: Davis | WeatherLink - My Weather Page It's a Davis Weather station, and all self-contained. Once you get it up and running, the sensor suite on top of the tower communicates with the console wirelessly. The console gets plugged into your ethernet network, and from there it automatically uploads the current weather to that webpage. You can also add your station as a personal weather station on the weather pages. You can see all the personal weather stations on this map: Davis | WeatherLink - WeatherLink Station Map If you search for Nashville, TN, you'll see two stations reporting. I'm the lower blue dot (called Nipper's Corner). It's actually pretty fun, and it's also nice to see exactly what YOUR weather is doing. The station is here: 6250 Davis Vantage Vue

It's a Canon 1DsMarkII, but it's been around a long time and you can get more for the money, now, like the Canon 5DMarkII.

I've had the Kindle 2 since it came out. Pros: screen is easy to read in most any condition, battery life is excellent, reception has been good everywhere I've tried. Cons: the interface is really sh1tty, and I mean really. They have no idea what a UI should be or how usability is even tracked/measured. I tried reading books and could never get into it. Plus, how do you loan someone a book? Finally, it's hard to take usable notes in it. I read the WSJ in it every day and for that it's not bad. I'm not keeping it, though. I'll try an iPad as soon as they come out and sell this one (to someone who hasn't read my review).

It was outside Villa de Leyva in Colombia, South America, where labor's pretty cheap.

I saw this place form a distance, and popped over there to see what it was. Turns out it is a terra cotta home a guy was building. I asked him if I could wander around, and he said I could (for $2). Pretty fascinating. I felt like I was on a set at some Disney movie:

I didn't. Just those two places. I grew up in Costa Rica and Guatemala, and also speak Spanish.

Cool! Join us over at BMWSportTouring.com. I'm "David" over there. I owned the board for six years, but now I just participate. I think we have 17,000 members worldwide.

That thought did cross my mind. Not quite like Cuba, but close behind.

Thanks, guys. I'm glad you're enjoying them, especially the ones of Pony's basement. He's pretty generous with his time, so any of you who haven't seen them should stop by.

I flew into Bogotá two nights ago and stayed there at a decent hotel. Bogotá struck me as a very cosmopolitan city of enthusiasm and life. The infrastructure would put many US cities to shame. Apparently this isn't just the land of cocaine and coffee. The next morning morning I got a ride (4 hours) to a little town of 8,000 people, high up in the mountains, called Villa de Leyva. The town was founded in 1572 and exists in all it's colonial beauty, largely unchanged. I haven't seen another tourist here all day. I got in just in time to do a little wandering. Here's what I'm going to call the "smoking fountain of my friend the dog." This little fountain is in the center of the Plaza Mayor, one of the largest town squares in the Americas. It's 130x130 yards. Then it was off to a margarita and a terrific fresh fish (from one of the many high altitude lakes nearby) in mango and pimento. Time is standing still. The next day brought a little more exploring. First, a very colorful courtyard: Then, two images from el Convento del Santo Ecce Homo, a Dominican convent founded in 1620. Something about this "faceless" nun, where the last vestiges of her humanity were removed, really struck me: And then the way the light hit this very old couch: Finally, two shots from Muisca observatory, from ca. 500 A.D. It's a Stonehenge-like site with about two dozen stone monoliths standing upright, planted in the earth. In this first shot you'll see that they are all in line. The shadows they cast would be measured as a means of determining planting seasons: It was also ritualistic and symbolic, speaking to the importance of fertility. There are a half dozen very obvious phallic stones (about 25' tall), like this one: Back home today.

The cheapest bike I ever owned, and maybe the most fun.

That actually WAS yours. Great gun--I just don't shoot it enough to justify hanging onto it.

Been working, traveling, and generally lots of things that get in the way of my hobbies.

At a store with terrific inventory and high prices. I'm sure you can guess the rest.

Been gone for awhile--missed the conversations around here. One of the things I did over the holidays was finally go through my photos over the last few years since I got back into shooting (cameras) and posting them all in one place: www.retake.com--david c. baker Photography is very therapeutic for me--hope you enjoy them.

Now I know what you're talking about. I've had the P30 now for several months, putting it through its paces. First, you can really get it to fit your hand, given the interchangeable sides and backstrap. Second, it just "shoots right"--point it and it seems like a very natural position with excellent balance. Third, if you still have any doubt, just field strip it and see a) how well thought out the takedown process is and how well made it is. I wish I'd tried this brand earlier! Here are some crappy iPhone pix:

Our youngest, Nate, who is 25, expressed some interest in shooting so I invited him along whenever I could. He was a real natural, and in fact I put him to work introducing other people to the sport (teaching is a good way to learn). Anyway, I told him I'd pay for the course if he was interested in getting his carry permit, and he did it up at Guns and Leather Saturday. He scored 100% on the written and the practical. I'm thrilled! His older brother is now interested, too.

Just got back, and saw something else I'd never seen: a 757 back-taxiing on an active runway (the main one) from one end to the other. There is no taxi way.

It's fun to see kids raise themselves a bit more than they are allowed to in the US. Half the stuff kids are allowed to do down here would get parents in jail in our country. I long for the old days, frankly, when everything dangerous wasn't automatically frowned on.

Just a photo trip--I've checked off all of Central America and about one-half of South America. Columbia is next. I have a very understanding wife to let me disappear for 3 days at a time on these things.