Coolest thing you’ve seen or done recently

[HuskyNan]

I have an ulterior motive for starting this thread I went to an air show yesterday that showcased military aircraft from the C-17 cargo planes to The A10 Warthogs to B52s to the Navy’s F18s to the fabulous Air Force Thunderbirds. There’s nothing better than sitting on the beach with a few thousand people cheering on our military.

So, what cool thing have you done, or seen, or visited recently?

 

[Huskee11]

I went to the show "Tina" at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford this afternoon. It is about the life of Tina Turner. The show blends her incredible music into her challenging but ultimately amazingly successful life story.

It was wonderful. Probably the best show I have ever seen at the Bushnell, and I have seen a lot of shows there.

The lead who played Tina, Zurin Villanueva, absolutely knocked it out of the park.

There is life after UConn basketball!

 

[huskyharry]

Removed a lipoma from an inmate patient’s shoulder that was about the size of my fist.

(I’m an Internal Medicine physician at a prison…procedures like this are new to me over the last few months)

 

[luvgiraf]

Not sure if this is recent enough (July 30, 2022) but I stood on top of the highest mountain in Africa. Pretty cool, in more ways than one

 

[Centerstream]

This is something that my wife has seen recently. We have lived here on our farm in NC since 2005. In that time, my wife has renewed her love of photography and spends a lot of time walking around the farm taking photos. She has always wanted to see any type of owl that she might come across. Often during the last 17+ years, we have heard them but never were able to catch a glimpse. That was until a month ago when she saw a Barred Owl on a trail to one of our horse pastures. Since then she has seen another one and has seen both frequently. She is one happy photographer!!!

 

[Bigboote]

No way can I top @luvgiraf , figuratively or literally. But I had a red fox snoozing in my yard (in the middle of the DC suburbs) for much of the day several days ago.

Another day last week I saw an intact dead red-tailed hawk. I'd never seen a well-preserved hawk up close before.

Yes, I'm all about nature.

Foxy Loxy:

 

[Rixxx]

The Monday after Easter, I was walking my neighborhood in southeastern PA at 8:30 in morning. I looked up in the sky and counted 15-20 vapor trails. It seems most air traffic was headed West with a few headed North. It was a very unique sight for me.

 

[uconnfan68]

No way can I top @luvgiraf , figuratively or literally. But I had a red fox snoozing in my yard (in the middle of the DC suburbs) for much of the day several days ago.

Another day last week I saw an intact dead red-tailed hawk. I'd never seen a well-preserved hawk up close before.

Yes, I'm all about nature.

Foxy Loxy:

View attachment 87435

No pictures, but we saw a family of red foxes that have been living under a shed in a neighbor’s yard. Parents and 4 little ones. They were playing in the early morning like little puppies.

 

[vtcwbuff]

No way can I top @luvgiraf , figuratively or literally. But I had a red fox snoozing in my yard (in the middle of the DC suburbs) for much of the day several days ago.

Another day last week I saw an intact dead red-tailed hawk. I'd never seen a well-preserved hawk up close before.

Yes, I'm all about nature.

Foxy Loxy:

View attachment 87435

All about nature - me too. Last week I got to watch a beautiful red fox trotting down our road carrying an unfortunate chicken from a neighbor's coop.

 

[EdSaid]

This was at the Hyatt in incline village, Lake Tahoe last august. It was carved with a chain saw from a ponderosa pine.

 

[HuskyPhan]

Held my first grandchild yesterday-for the first time

 

[bantamlaker]

We had an unexpected visitor a few weeks ago.

 

[Scud49]

Yes, agree with you guys, nature is where its at.

Last fall made a trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone, hope to make another trip somewhere this fall. I'll include some of my pix.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

We had an unexpected visitor a few weeks ago.View attachment 87451View attachment 87452

Cool! Except for the unexpected part. Call first.

 

[Scud49]

 

[Scud49]

We were fortunate enough to get some photos of a Great Gray Owl:

 

[Scud49]

 

[SVCBeercats]

I have an ulterior motive for starting this thread I went to an air show yesterday that showcased military aircraft from the C-17 cargo planes to The A10 Warthogs to B52s to the Navy’s F18s to the fabulous Air Force Thunderbirds. There’s nothing better than sitting on the beach with a few thousand people cheering on our military.

So, what cool thing have you done, or seen, or visited recently?

Nothing cool lately for me but ...
Your post reminded me of the following. Being part of the creation of -15 Advanced Tactical Fighter was seriously cool. At an unrelated project meeting with the head of McDonnell Douglas (MDC) military aircraft and several other participants I noticed an Israeli Air Force newspaper on his bulletin board. It was from the head of the Israeli Air Force. He wrote: "I Thought you would enjoy knowing the true quality of your F-15." There was a picture of a F-15 without its right wing. In a training accident its right wing was destroyed but the pilot managed to control the spin with considerable skill, lots of afterburner thrust, and an amazingly airframe capable of ridiculous lift. The pilot landed without incident if you think landing a one wing airplane at 260 knots is without incident. I found a video below.

 

[SoCalCanine]

View attachment 87443
Held my first grandchild yesterday-for the first time

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Welcome to the best club on earth!

 

[uconnfan68]

I have an ulterior motive for starting this thread I went to an air show yesterday that showcased military aircraft from the C-17 cargo planes to The A10 Warthogs to B52s to the Navy’s F18s to the fabulous Air Force Thunderbirds. There’s nothing better than sitting on the beach with a few thousand people cheering on our military.

So, what cool thing have you done, or seen, or visited recently?

View attachment 87424

A long time (1977?) ago I saw the Blue Angels at Miramar (Top Gun home), and they were great. Also that day, an F-14 recreated its legendary Paris Air Show debut. Most spectacular flight I’ve ever seen. You can read about it at www.topedge.com.

 

[The deacon]

Great idea for a thread, Nan. Thank you.

Out of the lots of excellent entries here, I'm with those of you favoring HuskyPhan's priceless experience. Enjoy every minute!

My cool experience pales to some above, but it is still super enjoyable if one is a fan of The Lord Of The Rings.

I've been re-reading the books, about halfway through The Two Towers, and was happily surprised a week ago to learn that The Return of the King movie would be recycled in theaters all over as a 20th anniversary celebration. Sure enough, it played April 13 at the local AMC theater in Danbury CT and will be shown a final time this coming Wednesday. I saw it in theaters several times back in 2003 and several more over times the years on DVD (the extended edition, of course). Still, seeing it April 13 was so exciting, and I'll be going back Wednesday with a couple of friends who've never seen it. It gets better each viewing.

I try to fight off hyperbole when it comes to 'greatest this or that,' but I'd have a hard time coming up with a movie I've ever enjoyed more.

I hope those of you who are also LOTR fans are getting to see it again on the big screen. It's well worth the effort to get there.

 

[CL82]

A long time (1977?) ago I saw the Blue Angels at Miramar (Top Gun home), and they were great. Also that day, an F-14 recreated its legendary Paris Air Show debut. Most spectacular flight I’ve ever seen. You can read about it at www.topedge.com.

A few months ago, I found out that a kid I coached is a Marine Harrier pilot now. Great kid and an Annapolis grad.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

About a month ago, took went to see the Chinese Dance Group "Shun Yen" with my wife, Sister-in-law and her husband at Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC. FANTASTIC SHOW...if you like performing dance troupes. This was the first time in a long time that I have been able to get my wife out for an evening of fun; given that she is totally disabled from advanced MS, and has a form of cancer called Neuro Endocrine Tumors in 4 places in her body. This was our first time at the Kennedy Center, and they were great getting us handicapped seating so she had a great view of the show while in her wheel chair and they made sure we got to our seats and back to the parking garage with no problems.

 

[cohenzone]

Saw my 8 year old granddaughter score 7 soccer goals today. Of course her league doesn’t use goaltenders but the net is only 4 feet wide. But none of the other kids can score like her.

Not that recently, (5 years ago) but the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian Chins might be the coolest man made thing I’ve ever seen in person - photos and film don’t nearly capture it - and I’m lucky to have seen some amazing man made things but the Warriors, thousands of them, are mind blowing.

 

[OldSchooler]

Spent 8 days in Iceland.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Enjoyed this classic:



I think it’s about UConn bb

 

[uconnfan68]

A few months ago, I found out that a kid I coached is a Marine Harrier pilot now. Great kid and an Annapolis grad.

View attachment 87483

The Harrier was also on display at the same air show. Making it bow to the crowd was ok, but the F14 doing a full afterburner vertical climb was really awesome.

 

[FormerCTrez]

View attachment 87443
Held my first grandchild yesterday-for the first time

Awe How precious!

 

[FormerCTrez]

About a month ago, took went to see the Chinese Dance Group "Shun Yen" with my wife, Sister-in-law and her husband at Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC. FANTASTIC SHOW...if you like performing dance troupes. This was the first time in a long time that I have been able to get my wife out for an evening of fun; given that she is totally disabled from advanced MS, and has a form of cancer called Neuro Endocrine Tumors in 4 places in her body. This was our first time at the Kennedy Center, and they were great getting us handicapped seating so she had a great view of the show while in her wheel chair and they made sure we got to our seats and back to the parking garage with no problems.

Glad to know that you and the family were able to enjoy an evening out. Also, prayers for your wife, that her symptoms may be controlled. I know it’s easier said than done, but I’ll add her to my prayer list none-the-less.

 

[Veteran]

It’s not recent, but here’s what I think is one of the coolest things in the history of the world. Certainly, the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. It takes a bit of word salad to describe, but it’s worth the read.

Back when I was living in Houston (this must have been in the mid 1980’s) an artist/sculptor (who must have also been an engineer) got permission from the city to temporarily erect one of his “works” in the open greenway between 2 parallel streets that access the city on the west side.

When you first glimpsed “it” as you exited the city, it looked like a bomber had flown overhead, opened its bombay doors and dumped a bunch of construction debris from an office building demolition. There were huge black I-beams of all sorts of shapes and sizes stuck in the ground at completely weird angles. In other words, it looked like a total mess.

But as you approached it, there was the optical illusion of all that “junk” moving around and slowly gathering together in center of your field of view. And when you reached just the right point all that moving junk briefly appeared to form a perfect square balancing on one corner. The center of the big square was cut out and you could see the actual landscape behind it.

And after you drove a second or two further down the road the square appeared to slowly “disassemble” itself until once again it looked just like a bunch of construction debris sticking out of the ground.

Just too cool!

It would be great to find a video. I’ve tried to research "it' on the internet several times since then, but I haven’t had any luck.