Another Day, - - -

Another day, another dark-and-fuzzy image from the webcam's monitor. This time all I had to do was cut the connection to Ustream and log back in.

Whatever is causing this interruption might be at my end, or maybe not. Whatever the cause: it's frustrating.

Sorry about the occasional gaps in this streaming video. I'll keep looking for a solution.

Related posts:

• "Yet Another Connection Service SNAFU"
  (November 20, 2012)
• "Webcam Yanked Offline - Again"
  (October 10, 2012)
• "Offline - Again - - Online - Again"
  (October 8, 2012)
• " 'Sleep Mode' and Other - Improvements? "
  (September 29, 2012)
• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)

Yet Another Connection Service SNAFU

As you see, the webcam's offline.

Again.

Yesterday afternoon, my monitor showed the webcam's streaming video: but it was sincerely out of focus. And offline. That time, restarting my computer set things right.

I'm not doing anything different at this end, so my guess is that Ustream, the (free) service I use, has upgraded their system again: with the usual frustrating results.

Still, I can't complain. I'm getting back value for every cent I spend on their service. The streaming video of a panda was cute, too, and that's another topic.

I may have to restart my computer again, to get the webcam back. I'd rather not, since I'm in the middle of writing a post for another blog. Oh, well: stick around, or check back later. This, too, will change.

Related posts:

• "Webcam Yanked Offline - Again"
  (October 10, 2012)
• "Offline - Again - - Online - Again"
  (October 8, 2012)
• " 'Sleep Mode' and Other - Improvements? "
  (September 29, 2012)
• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)
• "Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue"
  (September 26, 2012)

Another - Improvement? But the Webcam's Back

Sorry about that. Ustream seems to have upgraded, or changed, how their connections work again.

The webcam was offline off and on today, and may stay connected now. Then again, it may not.

Still, I can't complain. I'm using the free version of Ustream, and am getting back every cent I spend on the service. Sadly, what's been happening for about a month now doesn't encourage me to start paying them for more of this.

Related posts:

• "Webcam Yanked Offline - Again"
  (October 10, 2012)
• " Offline - Again - - Online - Again"
  (October 8, 2012)
• " 'Sleep Mode' and Other - Improvements?"
  (September 29, 2012)
• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)
• "Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue"
  (September 26, 2012)

Webcam Yanked Offline - Again

Eventually, I suppose the Ustream will sort out issues with their new software.

Or maybe I'll discover that I'm missing some obvious technical point.

The webcam was offline for several minutes this morning, while I took care of some Windows updates. It was working fine through the afternoon: then, somewhere in the last hour or so, the webcam was yanked offline. How or why this happened, I'm not sure.

This time, the local display for the webcam had been replaced by Ustream's home page. That's convenient, in a way: but I'd much rather have had the webcam's signal going out.

I'm a tad frustrated, but still hopeful that these SNAFUs will get sorted out.

Related posts:

• " Offline - Again - - Online - Again"
  (October 8, 2012)
• " 'Sleep Mode' and Other - Improvements?"
  (September 29, 2012)
• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)
• "Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue"
  (September 26, 2012)
• "That's Odd: But the Webcam's Back"
  (September 25, 2012)

Offline - Again - - Online - Again

One of my daughters pointed out that the service provider that provides my household with Internet, telephone, and television, is has been advertising an upcoming improvement in their services.

That could explain the times when we lose Internet and/or telephone service. The company is probably swapping out old equipment: and not quite covering the gaps.

The good news is that we have a cell phone with another provider: and the outages haven't been more than a few hours each.

This webcam, though has been offline much more than I like lately. Eventually, I hope that the Internet service provider will work out the bugs in their new systems: and that the service I use to connect my webcam to the Internet will sort out their new-and-improved software.

Meanwhile, I'll try to keep on eye on the situation, and reconnect as needed.

Related posts:

• " 'Sleep Mode' and Other - Improvements?"
  (September 29, 2012)
• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)
• "Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue"
  (September 26, 2012)
• "That's Odd: But the Webcam's Back"
  (September 25, 2012)

"Sleep Mode" and Other - Improvements?

The mystery of the fuzzy window may have been solved:

• "Off Again, On Again - - -"
  (September 28, 2012)

I use the ustream.tv service to connect my webcam to the Internet. It's a free service, which is about what I can afford.

Good news, ustream.tv is constantly improving their software. That lets folks who like brand-new bells and whistles enjoy nifty new wrinkles in what ustream.tv can do.

Bad news, ustream.tv is constantly improving their software. That's probably the reason that you can't see the picture: particularly late at night and early in the morning.

That's when I sleep. I leave the computer on: but right now it's set to go into sleep mode after a set time with no input from me. A week or so ago, this wasn't an issue. Now, maybe it is.

It's a bit after 5:00 a.m. now, I wasn't planning to check my computer: and the reason I'm down here is another topic.

One more thing: While searching for documentation on ustream.tv's "sleep mode" fuzzification feature, I ran into this video feed:

• "Too Cute Kitten Cam"
  AnimalPlanet Kitten playing on the Cat-pitol Building

Enjoy.

Off Again, On Again - - -

The webcam's back online, and this time it wasn't my fault. Internet and telephone service to my household was cut, briefly, this evening.

Sunsets - and sunrises - are colorful events, now that it's autumn. There's not much sky in the webcam's image: but we've got some colorful trees. Minnesota is in the Central time zone, by the way.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue"
  (September 26, 2012)
• "That's Odd: But the Webcam's Back"
  (September 25, 2012)
• "Less Sky, More Birds"
  (June 5, 2012)
• "Intermittent Internet Interruptions: Irritating!"
  (January 15, 2012)
• "No Internet, No Phone: Call Tech Support?"
  (March 29, 2011)

Aha! Webcam's Back: and I've Got a Clue

As I posted yesterday, I've had some trouble with the webcam:

• "That's Odd: But the Webcam's Back"
  (September 25, 2012)

Today, the webcam went offline again: but this time my system told me that the problem was that Shockwave had crashed.

I'm hoping that this is a rare occurrence. If it's not, at least I know what questions to ask next time.

That's Odd: But the Webcam's Back

Usually, when this webcam isn't working, I have some idea as to what happened: a power failure; something like that.

This time, I have no idea why the browser I use to keep the webcam and video service on speaking terms - decided to 'change the channel.'

Closing the browser and starting it again has the webcam back online, and I hope this is one of those 'once in a lifetime' events.

Meanwhile: enjoy the view. I do. ;)

Changing Seasons

The forecast says it'll be a degree or two below freezing tonight, so I took the hummingbird feeder in. I'm quite confident that the hummers have long since headed south: leaving central Minnesota and the rest of the north.

Next, I should start thinking about what to set out during winter.

Another Month, Another Round for the Hummingbirds

I see it's been about three weeks since the last 'fill' of the hummingbird feeder. This time I gave it a more-than-usually-thorough cleaning before setting it out.

We'll see how long this pint lasts.

Hummingbird Feeder: Cleaned and Refilled

The amount of nectar, that 1-to-4 mix of sugar and water, dropped out of sight today. This pint lasted almost a month.

I get the impression that the level doesn't drop evenly: although I'd have to keep a record to be sure.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the hummers flit by.

Related posts:

• "Hummingbird Feeder: Another Pint"
  (July 14, 2012)
• "More Hummingbirds"
  (June 4, 2012)
• "Hummingbird: Yep, That's Definitely a Hummingbird"
  (May 20, 2012)
• "Hummingbird Feeder: Filled and In Place"
  (May 17, 2012)
• "1st Hummingbird"
  (June 15, 2011)

Webcam's Back: Again

I think, and hope, that this is the last 'the webcam is back online' post I write today:

• "Power's Back On: So is the Webcam"
  (July 25, 2012)

Power's Back On: So is the Webcam

The webcam's back online, along with my computer and all other equipment in my house.

We had a little thunder last night, along with power outages. Then an electrician and an inspector came to check out our electrical system: that's unrelated to the power outage. As of this moment, the household wiring is certifiably okay, power's back on: and I'm hoping for no more interruptions. For at least several hours.

Related posts:

• "Back Online: Ustream Malware Issue Resolved?"
  (June 11, 2012)
• "Intermittent Internet Interruptions: Irritating!"
  (January 15, 2012)
• "Webcam, Software, and All That"
  (December 30, 2011)
• "A Few Power Outages, a Brownout: Otherwise Okay"
  (December 22, 2011)
• "Offline, Again: 'Service Unavailable' - **Frustrating!**"
  (October 11, 2011)

Hummingbird Feeder: Another Pint

It's been a bit over two weeks since I refilled the hummingbird feeder. (June 25, 2012)

I saw another 'customer' stop by a few minutes ago.

Power's Back!

That planned power outage took longer than I'd expected.

The good news is that the webcam is back online.

The better news is that this house has significantly better wiring now, than it did yesterday.

Related post:

• "Planned Power Outage"
  (June 27, 2012)

Planned Power Outage

Sorry about this. My house will be without power for part of this morning: it's a planned outage, so that some electrical work can be done.

That will put this webcam offline for at least an hour.

I expect the outage to start in about 25 minutes: 8:30 a.m. in this time zone.

Thank you for your patience.

Hummingbirds: Refills

It took the hummingbirds three weeks to go through a pint this time. I'm not sure why they're not taking as much now. Maybe I caught some that were passing through. Or maybe someone else set up a more attractive station.

Whatever the cause, I'm still seeing at least one come by every hour. Probably more often than that, since I don't keep close watch on the window or the webcam.

I've adjusted the webcam's focus: with noticeable improvement. Now I get a sort of 'stop motion' effect with the hummingbird wings as they hover.

Related post:

• "More Hummingbirds"
  (June 4, 2012)

Back Online: Ustream Malware Issue Resolved?

The webcam's back online.

I've got some pretty good security keeping a virtual eye on my in-house software. Not even that trigger-happy crew of AI guards got concerned when I checked Ustream.tv out a few minutes ago.

Whatever was behind the malware issue that apparently affected every Ustream feed earlier today, it seems to be resolved.

Chris Crumn's updated post about the malware alert issue that plagued Ustream.tv today is the best I've found so far:

• "UStream Hacked Ahead Of Apple's WWDC?"
  Chris Crumn WebProNews (June 11, 2012)

Hats off to Chris Crumn, by the way, for providing detailed information: including (screenshots?)

Judging from some of the, ah, imaginative postings I saw elsewhere, there may be new versions of the old Google conspiracy theories brewing.

More-or-less-related posts:

• "Offline, For Now"
  (June 11, 2012)
• "Mayan Apocalypse Transition: Book a Galactic Cruise; or Take the Cosmic Bike Tour"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (February 3, 2012)
• "How to Not Sound Crazy - or - THE PARANOIDS ARE AFTER ME!!!"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (June 12, 2011)
• "Nuclear Weapons, Space Aliens, Conspiracy Theories, and Getting a Grip"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (September 24, 2010)
  Particularly
  • Threat From Boogabooga!
• "Want to be Paranoid, but Just Can't Find the Time?"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (August 27, 2008)

Offline, For Now

Streaming video from this webcam won't be available for a while. Something's gone wrong with Ustream, the service I use.

First: You're okay, and so am I. Like the fellow says, "no problem."

Second: It looks like someone's hacked Ustream. My malware/virus alerts tell me 'don't go to that site,' so I didn't. Webcam service got dropped at about the same time.

You're okay, because there's nothing coming from Ustream. I'm okay, because I pay attention to 'don't go there' alerts.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that I won't be looking out the window through my webcam until whatever went wrong got fixed. And there's nothing I can do to help fix it: apart from wait, and not joggle Ustream's elbow with 'is it fixed yet? is it fixed yet?' messages.

Back Online - Again

If you tried using this webcam last night or earlier this morning: sorry about that.

My household lost internet and telephone connections last night. Service got restored momentarily, but then connections were gone again. For hours.

We're back online now, happily.

This is the second major interruption in about as many weeks. Loss of the Internet is a major nuisance, since that's how I update my blogs and websites. A more serious issue is losing telephone service. After this outage, I've started setting up backup procedures for emergencies.

Related posts:

• "Intermittent Internet Interruptions: Irritating!"
  (January 15, 2012)
• "A Few Power Outages, a Brownout: Otherwise Okay"
  (December 22, 2011)
• "Offline, Again: 'Service Unavailable' - **Frustrating!**"
  (October 11, 2011)

Less Sky, More Birds

Now, why didn't I think of that?

Someone asked me about where this webcam is pointing - and I realized that I'd been leaving it in the same position for - well, for a long time.

This isn't a big change, just twisted a little to the left and tilted a bit more down. The sky isn't visible now, but the entire hummingbird feeder is inside the frame now, plus a little of the airspace around it.

The hummers will still probably show up as streaks and little ovals - but now we'll see them when they're around the 'left' side of the feeder.

More Hummingbirds

Yesterday I refilled the hummingbird feeder. They'd gone through nearly a pint of the 'one to four' sugar-water mix in a week.

It's a satisfactory arrangement: the hummingbirds get food - or fuel, anyway - and I get to watch them.

Hummingbird: Yep, That's Definitely a Hummingbird

I think I spotted a hummingbird buzz near the feeder a day or so ago: but just before 5:00 this afternoon, I definitely saw a hummingbird stop by the feeder. Briefly, without perching: which is par for the course where those little birds are concerned.

Hummingbird Feeder: Filled and In Place

About an hour ago I mixed my first 1-to-4 mix of sugar and water, and put the hummingbird feeder out.

A tip of the hat to my wife, for reminding me about the feeder.

Now the question is: when will I see the first hummingbird?

Related posts:

• "1st Hummingbird"
  (June 15, 2011)
• "First Batch for the Hummingbirds"
  (June 12, 2011)
• "Getting Ready for Winter"
  (October 13, 2010)
• "Hummingbirds"
  (July 13, 2010)
• "Hummingbird Feeder's Out"
  (May 21, 2010)

Intermittent Internet Interruptions: Irritating!

You may or may not be able to see my webcam's feed today. It depends on when you take a look.

We've got off-again, on-again Internet service today. Which is not great surprise, since the week's snowfall is melting: and our ISP's equipment gets erratic when damp.

Oh, well: it could be worse.