Misc, non-boats

I just learned of a new service which uses AIS to track commercial vessels (really any so equipped) and plot them on a map.  Here's an example showing our stretch of the Multnomah Channel in Oregon.  These locations are almost real time.  Watch them for a while and you'll see the underway craft moving. (The diamonds are moored.)

If you see a colorful little icon of a boat, that is the position of a real vessel, usually one over 299 Gross Tons.  If you click on the icon you will learn something of the vessel. 

You can learn more at their website: marinetraffic.com

--Brian

Janet thought she heard some unhappy cows so we looked out the window and saw the source.  This photo only shows the tail end of the cattle drive.  There were a lot more of them strung out along the dike.  You can see the guy on the ATV at the rear of the line.  There were lots of trucks up on top of the dike to discourage them from going up.  There are large areas at the north end of Sauvie's Island where they run cattle during the summer, but now that fall is here I think they probably want to get them out so the hunters don't "harvest" them.

--Brian

There are three or four floatplanes based just upstream from us. Here comes one of them:

This guy has no tail numbers. I thought all private planes were supposed to have tail numbers.

Beginning of takeoff run:

Airborne!