Drip, Drip, Drip - Three Times the Fun

Ever see a triple faucet combination? Me neither. This plumbing masterpiece is attached to a water line outside of a county fair livestock showcase. My guess is that the animal caretakers must need several access points to capture or divert the liquid. Perhaps hoses run off this configuration while a single faucet fills a bucket. Who knows? I'll have to return at summer fair time to discover how triple faucets are used.

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Blockin' Out Scenery - Restricted Air Operations Signs

Nothing like a fence and an in-your-face sign to take the joy out of plane watching. Some small airports don't have many barriers to photographing aircraft while mid- to large airports heavily restrict visual access, let alone casual wandering. In this case a Subair.com (short for Suburban Air Freight) craft sits ready for its next frieght or personnel airlift assignment. Options for the observer is to put up with the wire fence distraction or to peek through the mesh. As a photographer I vote for sticking the lens through the fence and snapping away. Besides, like the song says 'Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?' can make for a more dramatic photo.

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A Bridge Not Too Far

Along the Cedar River in Cedar Falls, Iowa the walleyes have started to bite. Each Spring the fish swim past this bridge to the nearby roller dam. There they discover a cement wall and travel no further upriver. Some walleye spawn in the bridge area while others retreat downriver. Several anglers tried their luck this day but nothing was biting. 

Spanning the river is a Pratt through truss bridge used by the Canadian National Railway and was built in 1899. 

The walleye angler told me he heard stories of a covered bridge at this location prior to 1899. People complained the bridge's interior smelled from the locomotives' smoke of the day.

That is not the case any more. The truss design is open and the locomotives don't belch too much these days. And by the way, no one is permitted to trespass on the bridge, let alone fish for walleye from the aerial vantage point. Good to know.

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Corvair Wheel Rising

Adding to my post from yesterday is this head on view of a Chevrolet Corvair's steering wheel as seen through the windshield. Dried dirt marks the glass but does not take away from the interior's range of vivid blues.

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This Corvair is Safe Even At Zero Speed

A 1960s era Chevrolet Corvair slowly sinks into a gravel parking lot in Waterloo, Iowa. The owner intends to restore the car but the timeline on his project seems to have found mission creep. Corvairs were called 'Unsafe at Any Speed' by Ralph Nader for issues related to swing axle suspension.

While other autos of that era had the same suspension mechanisms, the Corvair became the poster child for a popular car with alleged poor engineering. More surprising was the positioning of the gas tank ahead of the driver. Meanwhile the engine was located where trunks are normally placed - like VW Bugs. In the 1960s people were drawn to the car's unique looks and speed. Today the Corvair is an icon of the era and continues to draw thousands of fans to auto clubs.

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You Know its Spring When Air Tractors Arrive

Like returning robins, the turning back to daylight savings time, and consecutive non frost mornings, a sure sign of Spring is the sight of an aero sprayer. Currently tied to the tarmac at the Waterloo Regional Airport is this five bladed crop sprayer, ready to go for the season.

By tracing the identification number on the side of the aircraft this is an Air Tractor AT-602 model which entered service on March 16, 2004. The agricultural flyer zooms up to 198 mph, has 600 mile range and carries 630 gallons of spray (located just ahead of the pilot,) all courtesy of the 1,050 hp turboprop engine. When working a field these sprayers are fun to watch, which may be within the month or so.

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Spring Branch Trout in the Springtime

Spring branch, a spring-fed stream supports these two rainbow trout located on state fish hatchery property near Manchester, Iowa. About 50 yards downstream a fly fisherman tried his best to catch these two colorful swimmers and their brethren. He didn't have any luck while I was there.

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