Connect Four - a non-trivial, two-players positional game (similar to Tic-Tac-Toe) with a vertical board.Tangram - the classic dissection puzzle and several variations including the Broken Cross.
Bugs can be hairy (jpeg image ~2.7Mb). I believe this is a long-haired June beetle or Polyphylla crinita. It was found in Portland, Oregon. See also the ten-lined June beetle. Thanks to David Snyner for the identification and various tips. I can honestly say that the bug enjoyed being photographed. That's why he is smiling in the picture.Supposedly, the two large frontal organs are antennae found in males (they are much smaller in a female) for detecting sexually receptive partners. In contrast to many insect species which use pheromones to locate one another, these beetles use sound.
Some tasks are inherently difficult (jpeg image ~.5Mb). Found along the trail from Beacon Rock State Park to Hamilton Mountain near Stevenson, Washington.
Sweet and sticky digging (jpeg image ~2.6Mb). A yellowjacket carved a big hole into a ripe Pinot Gris berry during the 2009 harvest near Forest Grove, Oregon. The sugar content measured with a refractometer was above 24 Brix, enough to make the yellowjacket -- and the harvester -- happy.
A few edible mushrooms easy to find in Oregon.
This picture was taken from a camera placed on the tip of the glider right wing. The glider, an old German-made Stratus, weights almost 60 lbs, has a wing span of over 30 ft, but can be folded inside a bag 5 ft long. The camera is activated by a pneumatic remote shutter release, visible in the picture, coiled around and along the wing supporting cable.Take off is from the summit of Mount Pisciavino, elevation 1900 ft, in the Italian Riviera; landing is on the beach of Alassio, about 1.5 miles away. The flight takes 5 minutes in still air, much longer with a moderate breeze blowing from the sea. At the time of the picture, the glider is circling over water to lose altitude for the landing.