Thanks to Blain
Creeping closer inch by inch, 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River, the two side of a
$160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam slowly takes shape.
The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can
be twisting and winding around and across the dam itself.
When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona .
In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive concrete
arches which jut out of the rock face.
The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24 feet long which have been
cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung between temporary steel pylons.
like a traditional suspension bridge. But once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side
will be removed. Extra vertical columns will then be installed on the arches to carry the road.
The bridge has become known as the Hoover Dam bypass, although it is officially called the
Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, after a former governor of Nevada and an American Football
player from Arizona who joined the US Army and was killed in Afghanistan. Work on the bridge started in 2005
and should finish next year. An estimated 17,000 cars and trucks will cross it every day.
The dam was started in 1931 and used enough concrete to build a road from New York to San Francisco ..
The stretch of water it created, Lake Mead , is 110 miles long and took six years to fill.
The original road was opened at the same time as the famous dam in 1936.
An extra note: The top of the white band of rock in Lake Mead is the old waterline prior to the drought
and development in the Las Vegas area. It is over 100 feet above the current water level.
Thanks to Ray
How many dogs
does it take to change a light bulb?j
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Golden Retriever: The sun is
shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and
you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?
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Border Collie: Just one. And
then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code. |
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Dachshund: You know I can't
reach that stupid lamp! |
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Rottweiler: Make me.
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Boxer: Who cares? I can still
play with my squeaky toys in the dark. |
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Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!!
Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh?
Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please! |
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German Shepherd: I'll change it
as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I
haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that
no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.
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Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just
pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.
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Old English Sheep Dog: Light
bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb! |
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Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I
can still pee on the carpet in the dark. |
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Chihuahua :
Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or 'We don't need no stinking light bulb.'
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Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who
cares? |
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Australian Shepherd: First, I'll
put all the light bulbs in a little circle... |
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Poodle: I'll just blow in the
Border Collie's ear and he'll do it.. By the time he finishes rewiring
the house, my nails will be dry. |
How many cats does it take to change a light bulb?
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Cats do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is: |
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'How long will it be before I
can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage?' |
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ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF! |
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HAVE YOU SMILED TODAY?????
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Smile
'n' Pass it on!!!
Thanks to Colin
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Greetings from Calgary
These images come from Ed Bouvier who drives the Tundra Buggy and lives at the camp. He has just packed up to go home now after spending 45 days on the Tundra – imagine. During his internment he has sent out exclusive pictures from the camp via satellite internet and over the weekend I finally put a few images together to share with you. Fairly impressive stuff . A couple pics below come from Ian Thorliefson. He says he is not a professional photographer but judge for yourself.
Ed’s comments were that the bears all appear healthy and fat this year. He also indicated he has never seen so many groups of bears at the lodge that get along and even sleep in heaps together as they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze over. In one picture he has 15 bears all in the same frame. Quite an amazing place recently featured on animal planet.
The Great White Bear Lodge is actually a train of cars with big soft tires that they tow out and park on the Tundra, often under the constant glow of the northern lites.
This is the spacious lounge car but there are also sleeping cars and a kitchen and dining room.
Sunrise and sunset are usually spectacular even though it is in the minus 20 range.
People sleep at the Lodge and head out every day in Tundra Buggies looking for bears. These ones were like squeegee kids and were cleaning the tundra buggy.
The bears loaf around for weeks just waiting for the ice to freeze so they can get out and hunt for seals. At this stage they have probably not eaten since June or July.
And because the sea is so salty the ice takes a long time to freeze before it supports the weight of a bear.
What’s all this fuss about a Polar Bear dip, anyway?
The big males spar but seldom hurt each other. Later they will fall asleep together.
Kissing cousins
My, my, what big teeth you have…
Single white female looking for companionship… Any man will do!
Same gal after the sun came up…
Other denizens of the arctic like to hang around the Lodge too – like this Arctic Fox.
Or these Mirror Wolves.
Long-tailed Weasel.
Mom’s even bring their cubs of the year to the camp in spite of the big males.
This shaggy guy is very curious – and dirty too.
It appears the Camp is of great interest and every angle is explored. Ed told me they even climb the flagpole and eat the flag!!!
This guy found a gap by the generator car and was interested in nabbing a passing drumstick for an overdue supper.
Whenever outside work is required they call this guy to come out. It looks like he is pushing the bears away.
OK, what’s wrong with this idea? Wonder what they would do for a fire drill out here?
Stroll outside after dinner, anyone? Apparently this may be a new record with 15 bears all grouped together.
Hmm, if bears are essentially hermits over the summer, does this congregation then represent a ‘Hermitage of Bears’?
See you soon