Steve and Judy's Travels!

I’ve been wondering why we drive past so many wind turbines that are not turning on windy days.  It could be some are just turned off for maintenance.  I imagine a constant process of some turbines, different ones each day, being out of service at all times, while they get worked on.  But sometimes we see entire sections shut down; more than could all be worked on at once.

Now I see in the news, that on some days the wind turbines in the panhandle produce more energy than that area needs, but they can’t transmit that energy to other areas of the state to use because that “special” grid we have in Texas won’t support the transfer.  That’s why they’re turned off.  The Texas grid is not only isolated from the entire rest of the country, so we won’t be subject to federal regulations, but darn it, the grid can’t even properly share within the state, a one-state grid!

That’s the source of our mystery, thank you, Becky!

They are native to Texas and are often bred and released in batches as a biological pest control.  Their larvae eat aphids and other garden pests.

Here is what the adults look like.

(Not my photos.)

They lay their eggs on the underside of leaves, each one on an individual stalk which protects them from egg-predators.

Mystery solved.

Of course, it still could be space aliens disguising themselves to look like green lacewing eggs…

There is something on this plant.

We don’t know what it is.

Little blobs held out by filaments.

Eggs?  Why would eggs need to be out on spun filaments like that?

Don’t know.

I’ll try to get a clearer closeup tomorrow.

The Jetson One.

https://www.jetsonaero.com/

A 20 minute ride at 60 mile per hour.  (A 20 mile commute.)  A Formula One car for the sky.  Eight motors.  Eight propellers.  Simple controls.  Obstacle avoidance.  Computerized stability.  Recharge in an hour.  No license required!

Production sold out for 2022, but available for 2023!

But once in a while it provides us with a fresh crunchy jalapeno!