Interesting pics?

[Poconos]

Thought I'd start horsing around with the new toy putting it to use for something other than what it was bought for. As I find other interesting stuff in my pool or elsewhere I'll take some pics of it too.

This one is a mosaic of several pics of DE particles all taken at the same magnification...400X. Particles were in solution so I could catch individual particles. In the pic they range from almost the smallest, some were a little smaller, to the biggest. The one in the upper left corner was 3 stuck together.

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Found some spilled filter sand.

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After a heavy downpour the other day there was a bunch of bright yellow stuff on the bottom in places. Sucked up some, let it settle out, then took these pics of pollen particles. Note...the 1600X really isn't quite. Not using the oil on the lens like required. But who cares. I know...I need a life .

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18 May 06 -- How about the leg shot of a fly?

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[Watermom]

You really gotta get a life!:p

[aylad]

Al, you have WAYYY too much time on your hands!! :)

[CarlD]

Our own "Grizzly Adams" !:D

[Poolsean]

Does this officially make me a geek if I enjoyed those pictures?

[MaryLee]

Does this officially make me a geek if I enjoyed those pictures?

Yes it does....guess I'm a geek too!!

Great pics!!

[nater]

Hey Al, Cool pics!
How about setting up a little experiment?

Would it be possible to "grow" some algae in a cup of water somewhere, then add bleach and use your new toy to capture the results?

Does the mere fact of me suggesting this make me a Super Geek? ;)

[Poconos]

Bet when I try and grow algae I'll have a difficult time. Will give it a try though. Or, I could just go to one of the ponds areound here that looks like a slime pit. Have to look at my stream water too. Bet there's some interesting stuff there too.

[PoolDoc]

I'll have to look and see if I still have it, but I used to have a one liter Coke bottle with pool water in it, that grew algae continuously for 5+ years, remaining sealed the entire time. It got moved a few years ago, and I haven't seen it. But we've got some cleaning up to do, so it may reappear.

If I find it, and remember, I'll ship it to you, for your microscopic examination.

Ben

PS: If you really want to terrify the folks that see it, grab some water out of a stagnant deck puddle, and show people the live squigglies in the water.:eek:

[CarlD]

Geez, Ben...I just paid $65 for a "biosphere" the NYC Museum of Natural History for my kid's 11th birthday--sealed globe about the size of a softball with minature shrimp, some plants and an airspace...It stays sealed in indirect light--I could have saved a bundle and just sealed pool water in a Mason Jar!

[Watermom]

Ya'll are making a big mistake encouraging Al to post further pics. You never know what he'll post next. It's like your mother used to tell you when someone was bugging you -- if you ignore him, he'll go away. Now ya'll are gonna have to endure more! He is loving this, you know! That microscope is almost his favorite new toy!

[Poconos]

Check the latest addition. On the algae, think I'll grab some stream water, put it in a beaker with a little sand as a catalyst, put it in the sun and see what I can grow.