Page Started: 12/23/2010    Last update:  03/16/2011

This is the page where I will put pictures and videos of unusual things that aren't biological.

Although the camera shoots 1000 fps, captured frames are placed in a video file formatted to play back at 30 fps--which results in slow motion replay.  One second shot at 1000fps plays back at 30 fps, or 33.3 times slower.  Shooting 1 second at this rate results in 33 seconds of viewing time, and this increases in proportion. 10 seconds shot at 1000 fps will give 330 seconds of viewing time (or about 5 minutes)--and so on. That means that I had a lot of "dead" video to look through. With the right software, I can look at one frame at a time (which would take forever, ha ha) but each frame represents 1 thousandth of a second.
I reviewed the videos. I almost thought I didn't get anything, but finally found a few flashes. Even at 1000 fps, the lightning was very brief.  By using a number of video editing programs (Quicktime, Video Mach, Virtual Dub, Windows Movie Maker) I was able to resize the frame, and to slow down the action even more.
After resizing and slowing down the video, I captured frames from them. I did no other enhancements or alterations to the images.
Today's RICKUBISCAM shows the view to the Soutwest of my position at the park. The storm is moving left to right in the following frames, and the lightning strikes are South of me as I pan across.  Below are the frame captures. This stuff doesn't feature Buddha specifically, but she was there when it happened.

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       FIRST BOLT STREAMS DOWN                           BRIGHT PULSE!                           IONIZED AIR MAINTAINS GLOW                 -GLOW FADES

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    ESTABLISHING SHOT BETWEEN              STREAMERS FROM THE GROUND?             2ND BOLT, CONNECTION!         -IONIZED PATH MAINTAINS.
The weird artifact near the ground in the second image seems to be generated by the camera--perhaps because of the brightness of the image at that point.

-  - - 
              GLOW FADES                    RETURN STREAMER STARTS FROM GROUND    2ND BOLT, SECOND CONNECTION!      -THIS MAINTAINS LONGER.

-  --   -
     3RDBOLT, PRIMARY STREAMERS              3RD BOLT, CONNECTION!                   IONIZED PATH MAINTAINS        -RETURN STREAMER STARTS FROM GROUND.
The weird artifact near the ground in the first image seems to be generated by the camera--perhaps because of the brightness of the image at that point.

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  3RD BOLT, SECOND CONNECTION!               IONIZED PATH MAINTAINS                     GLOW FADES          -
Although these bolts are bright, they were quite far away, judging by how long it took for the thunder to reach me. At first glance, it's somewhat interesting that the primary and return strokes have exactly the same shape--but these all happened in fractions of a second--long before air movement could change the shape of the ionization path.  Lightning occurs when a high charge potential builds between two points (ground and air, or air to air). The current winds its way between these points until a primary connection is made. Then the energy rushes to equalize, but sometimes this can flow one way, then the other until the charges dissipate. The rushing energy ionizes (charges) the air, making it conductive and causing it to glow. The surrounding air is rapidly heated and expands, causing thunder.
I've edited a video from these clips. It can be seen here:  Lightning at Danny Jackson Bark Park 1000fps wmv 5.1mb

I've recently made several references to the low water levels in the park. Here are a series of images of 40 Acre Lake, taken on 6/18/2006. These were shot from the North length of the 40-Acre Lake Trail, and were taken as I moved East to West, starting from the Hoots Hollow Trail.  -----------------------

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         LOOKING EAST, FROM HOOT'S BENCH         ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN BENCH AND OBSERVATION TOWER      HALFWAY TO TOWER, LOOKING WEST.
For comparison, you can look at the material I shot in December of 2005 from not far from the halfway point I show in the images above. Even in December, the water level was lower than it should have been. You can look at this page, at the entry for December 4, 2005 to see some water in 40 Acre Lake, or look above that to the entry for November 28, 2004 to see what it looked like just before it got OVER filled and flooded.  If only that could happen now!

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                  AT THE OBSERVATION TOWER, LOOKING WEST.                          AT THE OBSERVATION TOWER, LOOKING SOUTH
I really hope that we can get a good rain soon. The Houston area has been getting rain through June, but not much of it has fallen on the park. 

February 4, 2006 --  Here are a couple of clips I shot at Scobee Field. It's a full-sized airfield built for model aircraft hobbyists. These clips feature model jets with working turbine engines.   SCOBEE02/04/06 A 5MB  SCOBEE 02/04/06 B 5MB

June 04 & 18, 2005--  It was the weekend before my surgery (June 6th). I'd eaten at a nice restaurant ("it NEVER closes") not far from downtown; and then I went to get a haircut. I was driving down Montrose when this house caught my attention. After my haircut, I returned to the intersection of Montrose and Willard,  parked at the Texas Art Supply, walked across the street, and took the image shown in the OLD RICKUBISCAM, below.
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                                                                                     OLD RICKUBISCAM
Now you know why I stopped. Below (TURN OFF THE VACUUM!) is another picture from across the street.  Fortunately, I'd seen a short report on this on our local TV news (but I hadn't noted where the house was), or I wouldn't have known what to think when I saw this. This house is an arresting sight when you don't expect to see it.
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 TURN OF THE VACUUM!!              THE DESCRIPTION
This house is actually an art piece. The card affixed to it (see DESCRIPTION, above), named it as Inversion. I was able to return to this house after my surgery, on June 18th. The remaining three images above show me inside the hole, showing scale. If you happen to be in Houston, you might consider driving by and seeing this for yourself.
And, I'm recovering quite well from the surgery.

November 28, 2004 Today was certainly a NON-typical day at Brazos Bend State park. The Brazos River, and Big Creek-which meet at the Southeast end of the park-were both swollen with rainwater, and were much higher than usual. The Brazos River had breached its banks, and Big Creek was backflowing into the park via Pilant Slough, although it had already breached its banks in some areas. I was on the trails in the morning, and it was a beautiful day.
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                                                                                               ALLIGATOR WITH SKIN
However, the water slowly crept into the park. Here are some pictures I took as I walked the park, and also did a short riding patrol with Chuck and Sharon. I had scheduled two interpretive programs, or else I would have stayed out on the trails longer. The picture above shows an alligator that had come up onto the 40-Acre Lake trail (which hadn't flooded...yet) with a deerskin in its jaws (I said the alligator had a fur coat. I didn't say it was wearing it.) The skin had probably gotten washed into the water by the flooding, where the alligator had found it. The alligator moved back into the water and slowly swam off when I got closer.   Clicking on the images will show them larger.
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       WITH SKIN CLOSER           WATER FLOW AT 40 ACRE       40 ACRE HIGH WATER           40 ACRE/PILANT BRIDGE         OBSERVATION TOWER
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   ELM LAKE PICNIC AREA              THAT'S BIG CREEK!               HALE LAKE PAVILION          HALE LAKE FISHING PIER       HALE LAKE PICNIC AREA
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      BLUESTEM TRAIL                   ISLE OF BAD INTENT              FLOATING BADNESS          REALLY ANNOYED ANTS     FACING THE CAMPING LOOPS
As we went around Bluestem and Red Buckeyee trails, we encountered a number of floating ant mats. We stopped near one just long enough to get a few pictures (see  ISLE OF BAD INTENT, FLOATING BADNESS, and REALLY ANNOYED ANTS, above). These are floating islands made entirely of Fire Ants. This one was about 18 inches around. Here in Houston, mats of this type are a big problem when we have high water.
The flooded, displaced Fire Ants make a raft (or island) of their own bodies. They are very much alive, and will swarm onto anything they can that will get them out of the water. If they swarm onto something living, they "show their gratitude" by stinging the hell out of whatever they've climbed on. We moved on after a few pictures so we wouldn't risk the ant mat lighting on our Kaboda, and from there onto us!
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      CAMPING LOOP                     AWAY FROM THE RIVER          NEARING BIG CREEK             NO CAMPFIRES TONIGHT      THAT'S BIG CREEK AGAIN
These pictures were all taken before 12:00 PM Sunday. It was an odd feeling to ride around in the partly sunny, calm weather and see all this water slowly rising.
The water was still rising Sunday evening. If anyone is interested in visiting the park this coming week,it would be a good idea to call the park first and check conditions there.  The last news I got (today, December 1) is that most of the park was under water.

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