4/25/2003: Bird breath
 

http://cellar.org/2003/birdbreath.jpg

Before this shot, which was sent along by xoxoxoBruce (thanks), it hadn't even occurred to me that birds might exhale water vapor.

After Bruce sent it, I found an official caption. This is a red-winged blackbird, and it's steaming in record-breaking weather in Maine last week: 3 degrees F.

looks more like
 

he snagged a cigarette butt from a passing motorist. :D

*cough* harsh

      Cigarette? Are you saying that this is actually the red-winged blacklung bird?

on the upside . . .
 

he can blow smoke rings then fly through them for practice




at least until he gets winded . . .

Re: on the upside . . .
 

... or winged.

No! It's possesed! See the ectoplasm?!

Re: 4/25/2003: Bird breath
 

That's -16°C, BTW.

Even though I can make the transition myself between celsius and fairenheit (how however the hell you spell it), I always seem to be able to get more information, or a better picture of the situation, out of a number in Celsius. This is especially valid when it's below the freezing point: I know 3 degrees F is really cold, but -16 degrees C evokes a reaction of "oh wow, that's really cold! that's almost the inverse over the freezing point of 20 degrees, which I tend to respect as comfortable spring weather!".

The reaction is not as strong on the other side, because I grew up respecting degrees F in the 90s or above as "really hot let's go to the beach", 60s-70s as spring weather and ~40 degrees as crisp autumn weather.

Doug: "Like how many beers would that be, if you want like, a sixpack in metric?"
Bob: "Six, six is 12, 30 is 42 beers. 42 metric beers."
Doug: "That's good for me eh. Count me in on metric."

sound file

That ain't his breath...
 

Hey, Bird! Puff, puff, pass, bitch!