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Dec 19, 2024: Last Sunday: an American Kestrel. Just look at that face! 🤩 #AmericanKestrel #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

Dec 16, 2024: Stereotypical Black-necked Stilts at the refuge yesterday #BlackNeckedStilts #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC #MondayIsForTheBirds

Dec 15, 2024: The Snow Geese cannot be missed right now at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Also not to be missed: widebodies on approach to SFO. In this …

Dec 14, 2024: When my wireless network goes on the fritz, adding another WiFi node fixes it. Then I remove it a few days later and there’s no instability 🤷‍♂️ It’s …

Dec 14, 2024: Only 9am and already there’s an inch of rain for the day! Gotta pump the closed basin in our backyard again (it’s a couple meters from the house) …

Dec 12, 2024: Overnight rain total was 1.25”. That’s quite good for the Sacramento Valley! #CaWx

Dec 11, 2024: Marsh Wren! #WrensDay #MarshWren #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC 🪶

Dec 9, 2024: Some ducks had a bad hair day yesterday on account of the wind. These may have been Mergansers #Ducks #CommonMerganser #Birds #Fujifilm #SuperCropped

Dec 9, 2024: The new Dawn dish soap scent is… intense. And therefore bad. Didn’t they think of the poor oil sullied ocean critters??

Dec 9, 2024: ~M5.7 earthquake just happened southeast of Reno, NV. I did not feel it but of course my Raspberry Shake did. #Earthquake #RaspberryShake

Dec 8, 2024: A stunning clear day today. Here’s Mt. Lassen from the Black Butte Dam. Quite the change from burn pile smoke of the last several days

Dec 8, 2024: A nice, if breezy, day at Black Butte Reservoir. It was not great for bird watching… unless you prefer seagulls and vultures

Dec 5, 2024: A fire pit at a Christmas Market in Berlin, 2023 #Berlin #Travel #Fujifilm #SOoC

Dec 5, 2024: USGS reports a M6.6 off Cape Mendocino. Here’s my seismograph curtesy of Raspberry Shake. Be sure to log a Did You Feel It at the USGS site. #CaWx …

Dec 5, 2024: well that was an earthquake that I felt. Thought I was losing it for a moment #CAWx #Earthquake

Dec 4, 2024: Berlin, December 2023. Looking across the Spree toward the Berlin Cathedral #Berlin #Travel #Fujifilm #SOoC

Dec 3, 2024: Frankfurt Airport train station on December 4, 2023 #Travel #Trains #EDDF #Fujifilm #SOoC

Dec 2, 2024: On this day in 2023, we began our trip to Germany. We flew KSFO-EDDF (Frankfurt) on United 777-3 reg. N2250U #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #N2250U #B77W …

Dec 2, 2024: A random San Francisco photo, looking south down Main Street from Market Street. January 2023. #SanFranciso #Fujifilm #SOoC

Dec 1, 2024: A very grim story - it doesn’t candy coat the great human tragedy of airplane crashes: “Chaos in the Clouds: The Crash of TWA Flight 514 and Its …

Nov 30, 2024: Our first frost! And so the birds are having a lousy morning (re)discovering frozen water #Birds 🪶

Nov 26, 2024: November 26 and we’ve already heard Last Christmas.

Nov 21, 2024: I nearly forgot to show-off this Ruby-crowned Kinglet that foraged in our backyard today. It loved the asparagus fronds, sweet basil, and grapes. It’s …

Nov 19, 2024: Big storm coming, the air is thick with smoke, so all the ag piles must be burning 🤢 glad we’ve an decent air filter

Nov 19, 2024: Yawman Arrow is celebrating MSFS2024’s release with a sale on their fantastically portable controller - $149 USD #YawmanArrow #MSFS2024 #FlightSim …

Nov 17, 2024: More big birds from yesterday: a White Egret, a Red Tailed Hawk, and an Air India 777-2 VT-AEG flying SFO-DEL at 30,000 ft #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge …

Nov 16, 2024: Today’s best birds at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge includes a Bald Eagle, a Belted Kingfisher (!!!!!!), a well hidden Meadow Lark, and a Black …

Nov 16, 2024: “We have about the same number of federal employees than we had in the 1960s, even though the government does and spends a lot more now. As a …

Nov 15, 2024: Tankless Water Heater citric acid flush day! About 1.5lb citric acid to 3.5 gallons of water. Long ago I did the math to get the right pH and now I …

Nov 15, 2024: Big X-Plane 12 beta release! ATC now support SIDs, STARs, and the AIRAC cycle is now 2402, iirc updated from 1801. There’s lots more.. What’s new in …

Nov 13, 2024: X-Crafts, an X-Plane Aircraft developer, is trying to list all actively maintained X-Plane 11 and 12 add-ons at one webpage #XPlane #FlightSim

Nov 11, 2024: House Finches are gorging on shriveled up elderberries in our backyard

Nov 3, 2024: A Lesser Gold Finch gorging on sweet basil seeds in our backyard

Nov 1, 2024: As previously mentioned, there was a circus behind us from last Friday through Monday. And its final act (for us, twice a day) was a loud explosion …

Oct 30, 2024: A circus came to town for the weekend. Behind us. The City got an earful from us and our neighbors as we only found out when the tent was being …

Oct 26, 2024: I just donated to Rose Yee to #KickLaMalfaOut

Oct 23, 2024: Welcome back, small yellow bird! #Birds #WarblerOrNot #BirdWatching #Fujifilm #SOoC 🪶

Oct 20, 2024: As today is the International Day of the Controller, here’s a photo to celebrate their astonishing work. #SFO #KSFO #AvGeek

Oct 19, 2024: We voted! I voted the Not a Loser or a Sucker Veteran slate. Oh, and for democracy and actual freedom.

Oct 18, 2024: Big thank you to Hawaiian Airlines for being compassionate and generously refunding our non-refundable airfare 💕

Oct 14, 2024: Bidwell Park has goats! Under the watchful eye of a Great Pyrenees, they’re chowing down on the poison oak & vinca choked understory just …

Oct 14, 2024: But for the cost, this new lens is tempting. PetaPixel: The Familiar Fujifilm XF 500mm f/5.6 Brings Portable Super-Tele Photography to the X Series

Oct 13, 2024: Today we made a quick visit to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. There’s no missing the White Fronted Geese now and there’s still plenty of …

Oct 11, 2024: It’s a nice 69°F outside in NorCal but the air quality is gnarly because of agriculture/large property owner pile burning. #CaWx

Oct 8, 2024: A (western?) toad left this dropping literally at our front door. It’s full of pillbugs (roly-polies)!

Sep 30, 2024: Inspector Woodpecker was quite enthusiastic about this eucalyptus #Birds #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #NorthernFlicker #Fujifilm #SooC

Sep 29, 2024: Here’s to a fine Sunday morning flying an Embraer E-175 from KSEA to KPHX (Seattle to Phoenix). Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens loom large. #XPlane12 …

Sep 28, 2024: At the refuge, the only newcomers are white crowns and white fronted geese. But I only photographed a Black Phoebe that just pooped and a rather brave …

Sep 22, 2024: XPlane 12’s boat update is fun but IMHO a sailboat just down SFO’s runway 28R is taking it too far #XPlane12 #BetaRelease #FlightSim

Sep 22, 2024: It’s great that XPlane lets aircraft devs bypass native modeling but that means other native features may not work. The usual example is a broken …

Sep 21, 2024: For now, here’s an urban Black Phoebe #BlackPhoebe #Birds #BirdWatching

Sep 21, 2024: Geese & White Crowns are back. Soon as the weather stays cooler, I hope to be out at the refuges on weekends. And that should mean photos to …

Sep 15, 2024: Yikes. Dresden’s Carola Bridge collapsed in their early morning hours. Apparently a tram had just crossed it and no one was on the bridge. And soon …

Sep 14, 2024: I got the latest iOS 18 developer beta and its Home app can download PG&E energy use data & make it nicely accessible along with comparisons. …

Sep 9, 2024: Today, our roofers repaired a set of joined eaves that had been a leaky but exterior only problem for years. It finally got bad enough with the …

Sep 8, 2024: My wife enjoyed sunset at Laguna Beach this last Friday

Sep 7, 2024: My modern need to vanquish all notifications and icon badges has bled into World of Warcraft, where I can’t ignore any quests. Over 10 years ago I …

Sep 4, 2024: Today, my wife (on a business trip) photographed the Southwest “Missouri One” livery at Sacramento International #AvGeek #N280WN #PlaneSpotting #KSMF

Sep 3, 2024: I’ve had Grado SR–125 headphones for almost 20 years now. I’ve neglected them the last ten years. Their second set of L cushions were disintegrating, …

Sep 2, 2024: Spam texts are getting feisty

Sep 1, 2024: In World of Warcraft’s War Within, I have made it to Dornogal. My Druid hasn’t died yet. Not sure if that means I’m badass or that first part of the …

Aug 31, 2024: FlightFactor 777v2 Release is “Imminent” The FlightFactor 777v2 has been in development for a staggering period of time I say this as someone that …

Aug 30, 2024: I just learned about Follower Dungeons in World of Warcraft. Being able to now play the game solo, at my own pace, is very tempting. I’m happy to see …

Aug 28, 2024: Got the new Covid vaccine tonight

Aug 25, 2024: Asian pears are ready for fresh eating! The yellow ones are New Century and the brown ones are Hosui. Our nectarines were hammered by the heat and …

Aug 12, 2024: Last Sunday, caught this Navy E6-B bird flying west of the refuge. Apparently they were on a west coast tour. #E6B #AvGeek

Aug 11, 2024: Saw a bad-ass Tarantula-hawk Wasp at the refuge. I haven’t seen tarantulas around these parts, though. #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Pepsis …

Aug 11, 2024: Rabbits all day at the refuge this pleasant summer morning #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Rabbits

Aug 10, 2024: In X-Plane 12, flew from KLAX to KJFK in the classic 747-200. I came in hot and then a bit low, but everyone got off the plane in short order so guess …

Aug 8, 2024: My RaspberryShake detected the M7.1 earthquake from super early this morning Pacific time. Here’s the USGS link: …

Aug 7, 2024: It’s really disappointing that Amazon can’t be bothered to make reasonable delivery schedules in my own nick of the woods. It’s not a new problem! UPS …

Aug 6, 2024: Well, I cannot help but be excited that Tim Walz is a Geographer and a GIS practitioner.

Aug 3, 2024: If you have a Yawman Arrow Controller, X-Plane 12, and the Felis 747-200, here’s my amateur-hour FlyWithLua script (on GitHub) to enable the Yawman …

Jul 28, 2024: Smoke from thr Park Fire has, for the first time, obviously made it to the surface of the west side of the Sacramento Valley. I can smell it and the …

Jul 28, 2024: Plex is nice. Random album radio FTW. Even better that I can augment my local library by adding albums from Tidal 🥳

Jul 27, 2024: The temperatures are in the 70s and it is quite overcast with clouds and smoke. So we took advantage of the fall-like weather and went to Black Butte …

Jul 26, 2024: I guess this is one way Scrubjays cool themselves off? All splayed & fluffed out with its beak wide open. This jay is very comfortable around us …

Jul 26, 2024: A better view of the Park Fire pyrocumulous from the other side of the Sacramento Valley. #ParkFire #CaWx

Jul 26, 2024: Park Fire from way across the west Sacramento Valley near Orland ☹️ #ParkFire #CAWx

Jul 22, 2024: Today’s Sonos app update restores most local library functionality. Here I go with app and firmware updates 🤞

Jul 21, 2024: At Medford, Oregon airport, two fire fighter tanker aircraft on final approach on July 17, 2024. A DC-10 (registered N522AX/TKR512) and a C-130 …

Jul 19, 2024: Apple moving drivers away from kernel space to user space on macOS suddenly makes sense. #macOS

Jul 19, 2024: With all the CrowdStrike insanity, glad I’m off work today. But hoping my org didn’t get hit too hard!

Jul 17, 2024: Today I’m at Medford just for the evening. So here’s a photo straight out of the camera of tanker 912, a DC-10. #TKR912 #DC10 #Fujifilm #AvGeek

Jul 16, 2024: So my spouse noticed her Kindle Lock Screen is now trying to sell Large Language Model slop 😖

Jul 16, 2024: Finally, alternatives to Lithium batteries are on the market. Undecided with Matt Ferrell: Solid State Batteries Are REALLY Here: Yoshino Power …

Jul 13, 2024: Monsoonal moisture is invading the Northern Sacramento Valley. There are high level clouds now. Normally the wet bulb starts decreasing at daylight. …

Jul 10, 2024: If you like Watch Duty, the free (!) iOS app Calamity goes beyond wildfires into major airport delays, bad weather, earthquakes, solar flares & …

Jul 9, 2024: The highly unusual multi-day extreme heat of over 110°F took a huge toll on our Asian pears and nectarines. Worm food, now. #CaWx

Jul 7, 2024: SFGate has a good round-up of the latest at KSFO (San Francisco International Airport): "Why the pandemic was the best thing to happen to SFO's …

Jul 7, 2024: Rabbit at the refuge yesterday. #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Rabbit

Jul 6, 2024: Today, before the heat got too extreme, we visited a nearby wildlife refuge. Here’s a Heron, King Bird, American Kestrel, and a Steel-Blue Cricket …

Jul 6, 2024: Good morning from the westside of the North Sacramento Valley where, at 06:00, it was 79°F at 31% Relative Humidity. Today, highs could reach 118° but …

Jul 5, 2024: It is 19:00 and the outdoor temperature is finally dropping. The high was 113°F at 7% relative humidity. I’ll take this dry heat any day.

Jul 5, 2024: Today I learned how to use BareBones Edit with Git. It is real easy. I’m such a nerd.

Jul 4, 2024: I’m watering the front yard plants tonight because knuckleheads gotta set off fireworks. I must say that the Rachio hose timer is pretty handy in …

Jul 3, 2024: In my part of the N. Sacramento Valley, 85 degrees F this morning. The humidity is 20% and it’ll drop. Temperatures may rise up to 113 today. Winds …

Jun 29, 2024: Internet has been great all morning. Condition Green. Thanks for being good sports over my rants!

Jun 29, 2024: I connected my RaspberryPi ADSB receiver to Ethernet and turned off WiFi. It gained an impressive 10-20 mile range increase after the WiFi radio …

Jun 28, 2024: Maybe my getting stormy today over a few week’s of progressively worse internet speeds dislodged an electron somewhere because suddenly non-VPN …

Jun 28, 2024: I sure hope my streaming services don’t use IP addresses alone to determine a household. ‘Cuz my IP address may be traveling the continent to avoid …

Jun 28, 2024: Comcast/Xfinity Internet Woes Comcast/Xfinity internet at my home has some kind of network issue that sure feels like throttling. For customer service, it’s literally impossible to …

Jun 28, 2024: U.S. land management agencies losing Chevron deference will be madness. Generally judges accept that agencies know what they’re doing as they do …

Jun 27, 2024: How about some American White Pelicans doing some formation flying last weekend. They were real far so was glad to be present enough to enjoy their …

Jun 26, 2024: Fujifilm just released firmware updates that include, for some models, the Reala Ace film simulation. Looking forward to trying it out on my X-T5 this …

Jun 23, 2024: A different kind of common bird one can see from the nearby refuge. An Air Tractor. The heat shimmer was super bad though. #AvGeek #AirTractor

Jun 23, 2024: Here’s that Northern Harrier, a bit distant & blurred in the center of this photo, that I mentioned Friday. Was lovely to see it on the hunt, …

Jun 21, 2024: We saw a Double Crested Cormorant at the wildlife refuge today. Not shown here, but there was also a Northern Harrier patrolling the seasonally …

Jun 19, 2024: A helicopter has been flying a lot over my town so I looked up their previous flights. Okay… guess I shouldn’t be surprised they drew a phallus in the …

Jun 19, 2024: On PetaPixel: Scientists Capture Never-Before-Seen Footage of Deep-Sea Squid Cradling Huge Eggs

Jun 18, 2024: Windows 11’s File Explorer’s Forward and Back buttons randomly not working is quite the treat. The insane part is that after moving the …

Jun 17, 2024: Stories on California ghost towns are always entertaining. The latest one is from SF Gate: It was supposed to be a California utopia. It turned into a …

Jun 7, 2024: I received a new kind of spam text message today: “Hey, is this Ryan?” Guess spammers/scammers are now personalizing their phishing expeditions with …

Jun 5, 2024: Our resident scrub jays didn’t have much of a green thumb this year. Or they did a great job eating their cache. This is the only sunflower they grew

Jun 3, 2024: Our avocado tree seems to be producing now. But I won’t bet on any of the fruit making it to maturity sometime between this November and next March. …

Jun 2, 2024: Just as most non-native plants stop flowering in time for summer, the California Fuchsias have just begun adding a splash of red. Currently the native …

Jun 2, 2024: Paramount+'s Strategy is Baffling Paramount+ still has nothing to watch once a season of Star Trek is over. Paramount cancelled Star Trek: Discovery and there’s only one more season of …

May 31, 2024: Marestail weeds are impossible to pull out of compacted ground. I’m avoiding herbicide so I’ve resorted to using hand pruners to cut Marestail weeds …

May 27, 2024: The Flight Simulator Navigation Data Economy Flight Simulation has quite the economy surrounding it. I’m not particularly fond of the navigation data sector of that economy. If you want the …

May 26, 2024: The Capay Unit refuge was bustling today. Here’s a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar and a Black headed Grosbeak. Also saw Orioles, Black Phoebes, …

May 26, 2024: Sonos Ace headphones are not for me since all I ever wanted from such a thing was to transfer my music seamlessly between speakers and headphones. And …

May 26, 2024: Western Wood-Pewee! A first for us. Spotted at the Pine Creek Unit of the #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #WesternWoodPeWee #Fujifilm

May 24, 2024: Windows 11 Thoughts I have Windows 11 on my work PC now. What does not work for me: File Explorer's simplified right-click context menu where useful file interaction & …

May 20, 2024: It is hilarious to me, but not surprising, that my AirPods only work properly with the web-based version of MS Teams. Their app on my Windows 11 work …

May 19, 2024: It is super cool that Flame Skimmer dragonflies are spending time in our backyard. This one was stationed on that stick nearly all day. And then …

May 18, 2024: Lots of Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies feasting on purple thistle flower nectar at a wildlife refuge today. #PipevineSwallowtail #Butterfly …

May 16, 2024: From last weekend at the refuge: a Bullock's Oriole in a Willow tree. #BullocksOriole #Birds #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm

May 13, 2024: NO Pedestrians Beyond This Point: Black Phoebe enforced #Birds #Fujifilm #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge

May 12, 2024: At the refuge yesterday, pretty certain I saw and photographed a Western Kingbird vomit up a stone or something‽ #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm …

May 11, 2024: Sometimes unintentional photos are the best. Today at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge south of Willows:

May 10, 2024: Aurora in Northern California ☺️ Good night, folks!

May 10, 2024: Tonight with aurora potential in Northern California, there’s opportunity to run three cameras tonight to see who wins the light gathering war. I’m …

May 5, 2024: As I understand the Chestnut-backed Chickadee, it being upside-down in the trees is pretty typical. It was a frenetic bird and at the time I had no …

May 2, 2024: This is a vicious scam. Chase Bank needs to fix that app prompt ASAP to make it clear they’re confirming YOU initiated the call, not the other way …

May 1, 2024: One of very many Western Blue Birds at Lynch Canyon Open Space Park, Northern California. Lots of Blue Bird nest boxes there!

Apr 30, 2024: In Tonopah, NV, they have a Hometown Pizza and two classy looking hotels 📷 #MBApr

Apr 29, 2024: On our hike last Saturday, a few drifting swarms of bugs were along the trail. Probably mosquitoes but I didn’t dare walk through them to find out 📷 …

Apr 28, 2024: One year ago today: spotted three of the California Condor community in flight at Pinnacles National Park. Stunning birds & park 📷 #MBApr

Apr 27, 2024: On today’s 3 mile hike at the Lynch Canyon Open Space Park in California ‘s North Bay, we were surprised by a garter snake actively hunting in the …

Apr 26, 2024: Poor critter lost its tail! This was also the first lizard I’ve seen this year so it has had a rough start after hibernation 📷#MBApr

Apr 26, 2024: I’ve had a lot of gardening to do with sharp implements so finally got my TDAP booster. I’m ready for a sore arm.

Apr 25, 2024: I think this is the “Big Al” Allosaurus skeleton at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT. Nice spine (backbones)! 📷 #MBApr

Apr 24, 2024: I love the layers of light in this photo of me taking photos in the desert near Death Valley 📷 #MBApr

Apr 23, 2024: Compared to my old Intel 16” MacBook Pro, this M3 14” MBP is dreamy. As everyone reports, the battery life is ridiculously good. 76% remains and still …

Apr 22, 2024: I’d love to be this solo seagull flying sapphire blue skies 📷 #MBApr

Apr 21, 2024: Death Valley’s Telescope Peak from Furnace Creek. It is the park’s tallest mountain at 11,043 feet (3366 m) 📷 #MBApr

Apr 20, 2024: Mid-March 2024 at the Donner Summit rest area (east-bound). I suppose once the building was dug out, ice formed in the alcove as heat warmed the …

Apr 20, 2024: We’re planting only one row this year. Just tomatoes, various peppers, basil, and an overwintered thyme. All prepped, just need to plant! #gardening

Apr 20, 2024: The new The Libertines album “All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade” is solid if you like Britpop

Apr 19, 2024: A slightly early birthday present to me: a Sonos Move 2. Sounds very good! It’ll be great keeping me from the odd anxiety of silence and listening to …

Apr 19, 2024: Neighbor’s gas mower they use every year: won’t start. My electric mower I start every couple of years: works like a charm!

Apr 19, 2024: Got off work just in time to find out Congressman LaMalfa voted against aid for Ukraine. 😩 Fortunately saner, less toolish politicians are prevailing.

Apr 18, 2024: Here is a random Death Valley vista. They’re all stunning no matter my mood 📷 #MBApr

Apr 17, 2024: Definitely looking forward to the absolute transcendence that is homegrown nectarines! Our two Asian pear trees also have a great fruit set this year …

Apr 16, 2024: Gotta have a bit of the flâneur spirit to partake in street photography. Or you’d miss a random dog-dog encounter in San Francisco. 📷#MBApr

Apr 15, 2024: Today I lucked out and saw a small Painted Lady butterfly delighting in our clover. My X-T5 camera and telephoto lens were thankfully ready to go! 📷 …

Apr 14, 2024: A gorgeous Barrel Cactus from Joshua Tree National Park 📷 #MBApr

Apr 13, 2024: My spouse took a page from Korean cuisine and made a nice gochujang-based BBQ sauce for tonight’s sweet potato & kale burgers 📷 #MBApr

Apr 12, 2024: In X-Plane 12, I finally managed to get the 747-200 (modeled by Felis) up to cruise with only minor passenger discomfort. Had a little trouble with …

Apr 12, 2024: I installed my first Sharkbite plumbing fixture and it’s kinda magic how easy & low stress it was. Anyway, the ridiculous hosebib setup is why no …

Apr 12, 2024: Uncovered a historical artifact while cutting back the lavender. Guess AT&T hasn’t needed this equipment portal for quite some time. PG&E at …

Apr 12, 2024: Perfect day in California for yard work. So much to do. I can’t believe this young of the year mix of native grape and very not native maple. The …

Apr 11, 2024: A few weeks ago, we spotted a Bald Eagle high in the sky. It appeared to have nesting material or perhaps prey in its claws. Super Resolution didn’t …

Apr 10, 2024: A narrow gauge steam train engine at Oybin, Saxony, Germany. June 2022. 📷 #MBApr

Apr 9, 2024: Last December, in Berlin, we went to the Ritter Sport store and bought what seemed like every chocolate bar except Crispy Banana. I kind of regret …

Apr 8, 2024: I was way more interested in the sunspot. Used the reverse binoculars projection method to aid in blindness prevention 📷 #MBApr #PartialEclipse 😆

Apr 7, 2024: The occasional donut or two may not be genuinely super-duper essential to my well-being but they’re soo good in the moment! 📷 #MBApr

Apr 6, 2024: Here’s a windy 2019 August day at Coyote Point, just south of San Francisco International Airport. Some activities: plane spotting, kitesurfing, and …

Apr 5, 2024: Death Valley National Park can seem incredibly (and perhaps dangerously) serene 📷 #MBApr

Apr 4, 2024: Last weekend, fresh foliage adorn our stalwart oaks of Northern California. The interior coast range’s Snow Mountain looms in the background. 📷 #MBApr

Apr 4, 2024: A M4.8 earthquake northeast of Chico just happened. I didn’t feel it. But my Raspberry Shake REALLY felt it. #RaspberryShake #California #Earthquake

Apr 3, 2024: Ever played with Guinness themed cards at Lassen National Park? Eight years ago, we did! 📷 #MBApr

Apr 2, 2024: Pear flowers! This year our two Asian pear trees bloomed simultaneously. Good bet they cross pollinated 📷 #MBApr

Apr 2, 2024: Absolutely massive earthquake in Taiwan. Detected by my Raspberry Shake seismometer. It was fortunately 35 km deep. Hoping for the best. …

Apr 1, 2024: I’m going to try participating in micro.blog’s April photo challenge. So each day in April I’ll post one photo based on a word given by micro.blog. …

Mar 31, 2024: Flying Swallows are tough to photograph. They are speedy! Here’s an assortment of Cliff Swallows #Birds #BirdPhotography

Mar 30, 2024: I never appreciated how electric ovens do not exhaust heat like gas ovens. This new oven of ours (with induction cooktop) will be nice during the …

Mar 28, 2024: My watch today basically told me to breathe. There was no good reason for the surge of adrenaline at the start of a Teams call. If it weren’t for a …

Mar 25, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 7

This is the last post in this Death Valley photo log. After the short hike at Mosaic Canyon, it began to rain pretty decently, so we headed back to …

Mar 24, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 6

This is a slightly shorter post today for just Mosaic Canyon.

Mar 23, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 5

Most of the second full day at Death Valley! 

Mar 22, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 4

Following the lake at Badwater, we went reversed course to the north.

Mar 21, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 3

Continuing from the Stove-Pipe Wells village, we went to an actual Stove-Pipe Well just to the north.

Mar 20, 2024: For the first time both our Asian pear trees are in full bloom! They can pollinate each other so this is very good of news. No Death Valley photos …

Mar 19, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 2

Tonight I’ve a quick post of our drive into Death Valley.

Mar 18, 2024: Death Valley Road Trip Part 1

We had been talking about visiting Death Valley for many years. We finally did it! Here is the first post in a series.

Mar 18, 2024: Rainbow Canyon near Death Valley

Mar 18, 2024: At Death Valley, a Crow Apparently Begs

Mar 16, 2024: Passed through Tonopah 🤡 😬

Mar 15, 2024: The wind was far calmer today at Death Valley, so here’s a Desert Sunflower without motion blur #BloomScrolling #FlowerReport #DeathValley #Fujifilm

Mar 15, 2024: Meanwhile, yesterday, somewhere in Death Valley #DeathValley #Fujifilm

Mar 13, 2024: I’m trying the Tidal music streaming service. So far I really like the mixes they make based on the genres I listen to. They’re far more successful …

Mar 10, 2024: Conical perforated metal strainers are pretty great for pulpy food compared to fine mesh wire strainers (impossible to clean!). We just juiced all our …

Mar 10, 2024: Daylight Saving Time means more energy use. The heat pump works harder w/hour longer low temps before sunrise. In summer, later sunset means the …

Mar 9, 2024: Our full bloom nectarine tree

Mar 9, 2024: We were barely tolerated by a pair of nesting Osprey at the refuge today. 😬#Osprey #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm

Mar 9, 2024: Yesterday I picked up our wine club box at the New Clairvaux winery in Vina, CA. Couldn’t beat the weather! #Fujifilm

Mar 8, 2024: Our front yard Ceanothus bushes are nearly in full bloom. They are very popular with all sorts of bees and assassin bugs #BloomScrolling

Mar 4, 2024: A Glossy Ibis at the refuge yesterday #GlossyIbis #Birds #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge

Mar 3, 2024: Spotted a stunning American Kestrel at the refuge today #Birds #BirdWatching #AmericanKestrel

Mar 3, 2024: Lagunitas IPNA is very good for a hoppy non-alcoholic beer. It’s has non-generic, tasty hops (citrus and tropical flavors) with a light malt …

Mar 2, 2024: Some photos my awesome wife took at the airports she traveled through for a work trip. A319s and a 737-8. #AvGeek

Mar 1, 2024: Sun and rain! Thunderstorms are trying to develop. Maybe they’ll amount ri something on the east side of the Sacramento Valley. #CaWx

Feb 27, 2024: Today, our nectarine had its first bloom #BloomScrolling

Feb 26, 2024: We think this is a Loggerhead Shrike, though could also easily be a Northern Shrike. Either way, what a sharp looking bird. This is the second time we …

Feb 25, 2024: Black Necked Stilts at the Sacramento Refuge yesterday with the Sutter Buttes looming beyond #Birds #BirdPhotography #Fujifilm …

Feb 25, 2024: Northern California is in full almond bloom. Our backyard fruit trees are on the precipice of blooming. The ceanothus in the front yard is starting to …

Feb 24, 2024: Gorgeous day at the Refuge. #Fujifilm

Feb 23, 2024: “‘Like sending bees to war’: the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession” …

Feb 23, 2024: A Golden-crowned Sparrow 🪶 #BirdPhotography #GoldenCrownedSparrow #Fujifilm

Feb 19, 2024: This rainy President’s Day, I’m getting used to the Yawman Arrow Controller by flying patterns in Laminar’s C172. With an XBox …

Feb 19, 2024: If the sun can keep breaking through the clouds today, we may see some thunderstorms in the northern Sacramento Valley… looking promising for weather …

Feb 10, 2024: On our induction stove, just a regular silicon mat under heavy cookware is good to protect the surface. EM easily passes through the mat & still …

Feb 4, 2024: Near Chico, CA, we just accumulated 2” of rain and this mockingbird has seen quite enough

Jan 27, 2024: Local Raley’s grocery has non-alcoholic beer imported from Germany. It’s good as hoped. Malty, which I prefer over hoppy.

Jan 27, 2024: Today, finally saw a Spotted Towhee at the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge - Pine Creek Unit. I’d only seen California Towhees before and …

Jan 27, 2024: A quick storm today for the N. Sacramento Valley. I missed this in the forecast. We’ll actually start drying out for a few days tomorrow. 50°F right …

Jan 26, 2024: The weather has been so damp that there’s been hardly any good time to prune. Since we’re finally drying out a bit, I went ahead and pruned our …

Jan 22, 2024: Turns out a 2023 model year dishwasher is quite the upgrade to a 2003 model year dishwasher. Oh the new possibilities for loading dishes when there is …

Jan 21, 2024: I’ve never seen an installed anti-tip bracket for a slide-in oven/stove until I installed one myself.

Jan 18, 2024: We’re getting a new dishwasher tomorrow. Whoever installed the old one I’m removing…. WTAF with the electric connection! Madness. The dishwasher is …

Jan 16, 2024: Just had my first flight with the Yawman Arrow flight simulator controller. It is so nice. I’m impressed with its smooth axes operation and their …

Jan 14, 2024: Compared to German Non-Alcoholic (NA) beer, Sierra Nevada Brewery’s NA Trail Pass beer is fine. The IPA is too bitter and like hop water. Malt flavors …

Jan 13, 2024: Here’s a Western Meadow Lark photobombing a White Crown Sparrow. Or was it the other way? #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #WesternMeadowLark …

Jan 9, 2024: A ravenous Orange Crowned Warbler! #Birds #OrangeCrownedWarbler #fujifilm 🪶

Jan 6, 2024: Here’s a surprise flock of American White Pelicans flying north along the Sacramento River near Corning, CA. #Birds #AmericanWhitePelican #Fujifilm

Jan 6, 2024: Germany has great non-alcoholic beer and they seem quite popular there. More than you’d expect! They’re so much better than the rightfully maligned …

Jan 4, 2024: A Western Blue Bird living its best life. First time we’ve seen them feasting on our cultivated natives California grapes. #Birds #WesternBlueBird …

Jan 1, 2024: Some birds spotted today at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge: a Bald Eagle, a Merlin, and a Black Phoebe. 🪶 #Birds …

Jan 1, 2024: Here’s my RaspberryShake’s recording of the M7.5 earthquake at Japan. #RaspberryShake #Earthquake #Japan

Dec 31, 2023: #SilentSunday

Dec 30, 2023: COVID Sucks (Stay Fully Vaccinated ) Glad I’m fully vaccinated as my post-Germany COVID symptoms/disease could be lots worse. Took several days to test positive. The infection …

Dec 24, 2023: #SilentSunday #Deutschland #Berlin

Dec 23, 2023: A Hooded Crow harasses a generally unflappable Kestrel at Berlin Tempelhof. #Fujifilm #Birds 🪶#Deutschland #Berlin

Dec 17, 2023: After two weeks in Germany, Fujifilm’s new XApp was ace for geotags and JPEG transfers to my iPhone. Tips: set custom saved settings' power …

Dec 17, 2023: #SilentSunday #Tempelhof #Berlin #AvGeek

Dec 16, 2023: I’ve been waiting for this compact flight simulator controller for over a year. I’m pretty excited about it. Made in the USA, which for electronics, …

Dec 15, 2023: Love getting out of the bus at the departure stand. Returning today to SFO from Germany. #Travel #Deutschland #B77W #Fujifilm #AvGeek ✈️

Dec 3, 2023: Guten Morgen! Yesterday, after arriving at Frankfurt, Germany, we had lunch with jet-lag friendly alkoholfrei Bier. Today, in an hour, we’re catching …

Dec 2, 2023: My 3-year old 777-300 ride tonight to Frankfurt. SFO gate G9 has decent views of that gate’s aircraft. Lucky me! (Not sarcasm; most gates here are …

Dec 1, 2023: On PetaPixel: “Science Explains The Rainbows That Appear in Hummingbirds' Wings” …

Nov 26, 2023: #SilentSunday

Nov 24, 2023: Yellow-Rumped Warbler was on the backyard cultivated Native California Grapes just long enough for this fortunate shot. #Birds #YellowRumpedWarbler …

Nov 23, 2023: Here’s the turkey that appeared out of a hollow at Point Reyes National Seashore (years ago) and tried to steal our lunch. #Birds 🪶

Nov 21, 2023: Orange-crowned Warblers are back, feasting on dried out grapes. We’ve also observed Yellow-Rumped Warblers in the grapes. #Birds #OrangeCrownedWarbler …

Nov 11, 2023: Snow Geese are back in Northern California. It’s nice living in a fly-way. #SnowGeese #Birds #Fujifilm 🪶

Nov 7, 2023: Walnut trees in Northern California right now.

Nov 5, 2023: We had a distinguished visitor in our backyard today, hunting at our feeder. This is a Cooper’s Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Absolutely stunning.

Nov 5, 2023: Good morning. The time changed so I’m now technically up an hour early but I got the usual hours of sleep. So here’s a likely Savanna Sparrow from the …

Oct 28, 2023: I’m still amazed how the beta blocker Propranolol means I no longer have a physical tachycardic fight/flight response to normal situations like …

Oct 20, 2023: The Orange-crowned Warbler(s) is/are back! They found our cultivated native California grapes a few years ago and have been back annually. I like to …

Oct 15, 2023: KCIC (Chico Municipal) had an open house yesterday. Two BAE-146s, C-GRNT and N908AS, are stored there. Owned by Air Spray, a fire tanker company. I …

Oct 14, 2023: Orland, CA government is pretty decent: “Groundwater recharge sites in Glenn County help provide water to households”

Oct 9, 2023: I guess it’s good that the lost Budgie (parakeet) keeps returning to our bird friendly backyard. The neon green bird seems to be flocking with house …

Oct 9, 2023: I may have a breakthrough with my anxiety. A beta blocker. Forces my brain to stop being an adrenaline junky for low stakes things like… hobbies, …

Oct 9, 2023: Good morning from California, where Fall is finally reasserting itself.

Oct 8, 2023: Some wildlife at the Red Bluff Recreation Area (managed by the Mendocino National Forest). Lots of amphibians at Ben’s Pond(?)! We also observed well …

Oct 1, 2023: Happy new water year! According to WeatherCat software, my wx station recorded a total of 27.91” for Oct 1, 2022 - Sep 30, 2023 water year. Compare …

Sep 30, 2023: Phew. No U.S. government shutdown for at least 45 days. I’ll take it.

Sep 30, 2023: Someone lost a parakeet or a small parrot 🙁😳 #BirdsOfMastodon #NotFromAroundHere

Sep 30, 2023: Three episodes into Silo on Apple TV+ and I’m loving it. https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/125988

Sep 29, 2023: Whelp. I’m done with work for the week. So, it’d be great if I can show up for work this Monday and not have to complete an "orderly shutdown.” It’d …

Sep 25, 2023: About time Apple Music shows are available in Apple Podcasts. Now, imagine this, I can resume playing shows anytime & easily know what I’ve …

Sep 24, 2023: In Northern California’s Fall, our whole house fan really shines. We can bring in cooler air at night when there’s no wind. The modern models are not …

Sep 23, 2023: Got out to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge this morning. The White Fronted Geese are here (along with many small migratory song birds)! …

Sep 22, 2023: Covid 💉✅ Flu 💉✅

Sep 19, 2023: At KSFO, just outside BART, is a pretty great view of the west side of G terminal. It’s easy to miss coming and going. #AvGeek #KSFO #B777 #B787 …

Sep 17, 2023: From the KSFO Terminal 2 Sky Terrace. I didn’t have my telephoto lens so I embraced the glass panes. Lufthansa 747-8 (D-ABYL) SFO-FRA #B748 #KSFO …

Sep 14, 2023: Covid booster and flu shots scheduled for next Friday! 🎉

Sep 9, 2023: We sometimes spoil our resident scrub jays with sunflower heads loaded with seeds.

Sep 9, 2023: So long, Google Chrome. The last straw has come.

Sep 6, 2023: I finally deleted my Twitter account. Even having an inactive account felt icky. And really really awful and gross over the last couple of days.

Sep 5, 2023: Lots of people with Covid at my workplace. I think the worst I’ve seen.

Sep 4, 2023: Today: A Coopers Hawk at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. #CoopersHawk #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography

Sep 4, 2023: Gray Buckeye Butterfly today at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. #Fujifilm #GrayBuckeye #Butterfly

Sep 3, 2023: Weather was nice today! Summer is waning and so I guess outdoor photography season can begin. Here are a few dragonflies enjoying an overcast and hazy …

Sep 3, 2023: Here’s a reminder that Fujifilm’s X RAW Studio stores its camera profiles at ~/Library/Application Support/com.fujifilm.denji/X RAW STUDIO It’s a …

Sep 1, 2023: Hooray, season 5 of Matt Groening’s Disenchantment is out! I’m always surprised now when Netflix releases another season of a show I enjoy.😊

Sep 1, 2023: I’ve been learning ArcGIS Pro cartography and I like what I’m finding. However the interface is like a big experiment and it is confusing. But it’s …

Aug 24, 2023: I managed to write an ugly Python script that converts MesoWest (via Synoptic download; nice people there btw) CSV weather data to WeatherCat (macOS …

Aug 21, 2023: Everyone should wash their watch bands more often, no matter the watch! Apple Watch bands are breeding grounds for bacteria - 9to5Mac …

Aug 18, 2023: “Potentially historic summer storm event to unfold in SoCal this weekend as weakening Hurricane Hilary threatens to move ashore as tropical …

Aug 17, 2023: The clouds didn’t clear this morning so much of yesterday’s heat couldn’t radiate to space and it’s 84°F outside at 06:40. 😳

Aug 15, 2023: Sigh. Appears there’s another big fire on the Mendocino NF. Plume over Mount Linn. Slide Fire @ 1.5 miles N of Mount Linn - #SlideFire …

Aug 13, 2023: macOS WeatherCat and Meteobridge with any Supported Wx Station I figured out how to have WeatherCat work with my Meteobridge that connects to my Ambient weather station. Turns out it is easy to do with …

Aug 11, 2023: Session 3 of Only Murders in the Building is out on Hulu!

Aug 8, 2023: A female Oriole having a nice evening Mantis snack in our backyard tonight.

Aug 6, 2023: Syrah grapes in Vina, California, at the New Clairvaux Winery are looking great! #California #Vineyards #Grapes

Aug 4, 2023: Drip line auto sprinkler diaphragm replace after it started leaking. Hope it clears leak checks throughout the day.

Aug 2, 2023: Mercury News: “We may be the last maskers’: California COVID cases are rising. “ I’m still wearing a mask indoors (not at home of course) and I’m …

Jul 28, 2023: New The Clientele album! I Am Not There Anymore by The Clientele https://album.link/us/i/1678797674

Jul 23, 2023: Huge cooldown for Northern California this week. I’m about to get a lot less cranky 😂

Jul 21, 2023: Nice! Photomator and Pixelmator Now Support Fujifilm Compressed RAW: …

Jul 21, 2023: “Abortion bans and restrictions are known to increase infant deaths, maternal deaths, and maternal suffering. And the US already has the worst …

Jul 19, 2023: This morning, House Finches were breakfasting on ripe elderberries in our backyard. #HouseFinch #BirdsOfMastodon #BirdWatching #Fujifilm

Jul 15, 2023: Much as I dislike that my heat-pump requires a proprietary communicating thermostat, I do like that I can change some deep level settings to optimize …

Jul 12, 2023: Delta 767 (N1604R) SFO-JFK and flock of Brown Pelicans. #AvGeek #B767 #PlaneSpotting #BirdsOfMastodon #BrownPelican

Jul 9, 2023: In more expected bird behavior, on the infill shores of the San Francisco Bay, here’s a Willet (a Sandpiper) snacking on a worm. #BirdsOfMastodon …

Jul 8, 2023: Back from a relaxing day of plane spotting at SFO. Here’s a series of aircraft landing and preparing for takeoff. Dang that’s a lot of 777s. #AvGeek …

Jul 7, 2023: Some real dinosaur stuff happened today at Bay Front Park just south of SFO. This Great Blue Heron caught a gopher, paraded around with it for several …

Jul 4, 2023: Volunteer Sunflowers in the backyard. The scrub jays garden really well. I continue to be impressed with the new Fujifilm XApp for transferring photos …

Jul 4, 2023: Out of an abundance of caution, early this morning I’m watering my front yard native plants in case the neighbors get whacky with their fireworks.The …

Jul 2, 2023: My #RaspberryShake detected the M6.9 in the vicinity of the Tonga Islands. #EarthquakeMastodon

Jun 30, 2023: Suppose it will only be a matter of time before the Justices are on the receiving end of their undemocratic, hateful rulings.

Jun 28, 2023: In preparation for the heat in California, added a ton of shade for some sensitive trees. That side of our house does get sun blasted in the …

Jun 24, 2023: It sure is easy to rise in FlightRadar24’s ADS-B rankings! I guess most people don’t even try to get a even half decent antenna position and reliable …

Jun 24, 2023: The new Rachio hose timer works well. Currently, it has fairly simple operation with basic App scheduling and timer. It doesn’t yet have smart home …

Jun 20, 2023: Perfect morning in California to cool the mass of the house off with our whole house fan. Normally it’s in the 90s this time of the year with lows in …

Jun 19, 2023: X-Plane 12 performance on a M2 Max Mac Studio It turns out that Austin Meyer, founder of Laminar and creator of X-Plane, uses a Mac Studio as his main computer (see interview). I imagine he has an …

Jun 18, 2023: I was watching BigJet TV’s Paris Airshow Preview and didn’t notice one of my E-175 gears didn’t extend. Landed at KRDD (Redding, CA) and found out …

Jun 13, 2023: Using Migration Assistant via thunderbolt is insanely fast.

Jun 10, 2023: I’ve been very patient with my M1 Mac Mini. But now I have an M2 Mac Studio on the way. Flight simming and photography will be enormously improved. …

Jun 5, 2023: Offline Apple Maps. FINALLY. #WWDC2023

Jun 5, 2023: Little NavMap, open source flight simulation flight planning software, is pretty great. I should have looked into it for X-Plane much sooner. …

Jun 3, 2023: Canceled YouTube Premium due to Google’s decision to once again allow election lies. Too bad they didn’t have a survey asking why I canceled.

Jun 2, 2023: macOS Universal Control is so very good when I’m multitasking between my Mac Mini and my MacBook Pro. One keyboard + one mouse = total control …

Jun 2, 2023: I’m slowly getting the canopies of my shrubs off the ground. Mostly to reduce outdoor cats hiding under them. I’ll do a lot to keep their destructive, …

May 29, 2023: Ash Throated Fly Catcher.

May 28, 2023: The new Fujifilm XApp is a vast improvement for transferring photos to a smartphone on the fly. But the app’s notifications alerting to the camera’s …

May 28, 2023: Air Tractor N802WW was overflying rice fields this morning. I think they were practicing seeding the fields. #AvGeek #Fujifilm

May 26, 2023: It is a few degrees warmer outside but 10% less relative humidity. The whole house fan made it more comfortable in a few minutes & humidity is …

May 25, 2023: Our native plants are going to love this storm! #CaWX

May 24, 2023: I hope the PR hype for the new Fujifilm mobile app is worth it! Seems promising and I like its new settings backup. Out May 25th. Petapixel: …

May 21, 2023: Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl OBT01 is on its way back to Long Beach. No idea what it is doing out and about. My ADSB receiver is tracking …

May 21, 2023: My ADSB receiver (plane tracker) has been doing quite well under adverse conditions of its testing location. I plan to dramatically improve reception …

May 21, 2023: Here is a Black-necked Stilt from the #SacramentoNationalWildlifeRefuge #BlackNeckedStilt #BirdsOfMastodon #Fujifilm

May 20, 2023: We visited the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and it was busy with all sorts of creatures. Gray Buckeye butterflies, American Avocets, Lesser …

May 19, 2023: Found my old Raspberry Pi 3 and finally got it set up as an ADSB feeder (aircraft tracker). Are people still skeptical of ADSB Exchange? Been a while …

May 17, 2023: Got sick of ArcGIS Pro 3.1’s Export Layout not saving export settings per Layout. So Export settings from one layout end up carrying forward to others …

May 16, 2023: Woodpecker granaries are really neat. This one was right on a trail at Pinnacles NP. We did see an acorn woodpecker nearby though the photo isn’t …

May 13, 2023: With the family today, we had whole glazed ham with scalloped potatoes (the potatoes are a Kenji López-Alt recipe). The swiss cheese (we used …

May 13, 2023: 71°F at 06:23 in the North Sacramento Valley. 18°F warmer than yesterday this time. 😬

May 12, 2023: I neglected to post that our cultivated native California roses (Rosa californica) are blooming. Their flowers are fragile and nearly just by looking …

May 12, 2023: 3am today: Another quake, another shake alert. M5.2 and I didn’t feel it. #RaspberryShake

May 11, 2023: Earthquake east of Chico near Susanville! People in Chico felt it but not here in Orland. Very clear signal on my #RaspberryShake

May 7, 2023: Ortho4XP on macOS Ventura Ortho4XP has some code that’s been deprecated in the latest Python 3 Shapely and Numpy. You’ll need to downgrade Shapely to version 1.8.5. …

May 6, 2023: Last weekend: just a taste of the views you can have at Pinnacles National Park, California, if you take the the High Peaks Trail. …

May 6, 2023: Last weekend: in its most happiest habitat, predominantly here are Yellow Monkeyflowers within massive rocks at Pinnacles National Park, California. …

Apr 30, 2023: I’ve learned a bit about repairing hose bibs and turns out it’s pretty easy. I’m kind of looking forward to repacking my front yard hose bib this …

Apr 30, 2023: Ash-throated flycatcher was also a new bird for us at Pinnacles National Park.

Apr 29, 2023: Went to Pinnacles National Park on Friday and we were treated to soaring and resting California Condors. Amazing to watch these birds, not long ago …

Apr 26, 2023: American Gold Finch digging for sunflower seeds the other day. #AmericanGoldFinch #Birds #Fujifilm

Apr 23, 2023: We’ve been monitoring a nest over the last two months. We saw nothing but the tip of tail feathers until today. We thought it was a Hawk or an Eagle. …

Apr 23, 2023: Our native plant garden in the front yard. It looks unmaintained but I swear it is! Nearly everything is flowering including sage, Ceanothus, globe …

Apr 19, 2023: And now a female Bullock’s Oriole has shown up in our backyard. What luck. #BullocksOriole #Birds

Apr 18, 2023: Here’s yesterday’s Bullock’s Oriole looking right at the camera. #BullocksOriole #Birds

Apr 17, 2023: Bullock’s Oriole in our backyard Ceanothus. This is our first backyard Oriole! Wow. #BullocksOriole #Birds #Fujifilm

Apr 16, 2023: Ladybug larvas were later than normal this year but geez do they have a feast now!

Apr 15, 2023: We planted our vegetable and herb seedlings today. Our home compost has turned out real nice. Took several years to build up enough for use. The worms …

Apr 15, 2023: Present me is very thankful that past me connected all the commons in our newer irrigation box. So I didn’t have to undo the common “water proof” wire …

Apr 15, 2023: I experienced weirdness with my HomeKit Thread network the other day after updating to the latest HomePod and ATV software. Of all devices, one of my …

Apr 14, 2023: We’re now a one car household. Feels good! My poor Golf has been barely driven since I started working remotely.

Apr 12, 2023: My #RaspberryShake caught the M 4.4 Cobb, CA earthquake early this morning. I did not feel it here in Orland.

Apr 11, 2023: First Cedar Waxwing ever in our backyard! They have a creepy high pitched song.

Apr 8, 2023: Sorry, I’m not selling my X100V. I’ve had it since Sep 2021, and I only had to wait 2 months to get it. It’s great. DPReview: “Can’t find a …

Apr 2, 2023: Spotted our first Marsh Wren today at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. That vertical tail is something else. #Birds #MarshWren #Fujifilm

Apr 1, 2023: It has been a week. Today, introvert me gets what it needs and now I’m alone for a bit. Always difficult balancing my needs with my assumed & …

Mar 26, 2023: Annie the Cat taking in a big dose of sunlight (again, but cuter this time). I hope she shakes her sinus infection soon.

Mar 25, 2023: Photographed our first Downy woodpecker today. #Birds #BirdWatching #DownyWoodpecker #Fujifilm

Mar 25, 2023: Here’s Annie the Cat enjoying some fresh air. She’s been sick but we’re fighting through it. #caturday

Mar 24, 2023: Our young “New Century” Asian Pear tree is in full bloom. Our “Hosui” Asian Pear isn’t mature enough to flower and cross pollinate. Maybe next year!

Mar 24, 2023: Not long from now is Summer. Better get our fresh baked sourdough fix while we can!

Mar 23, 2023: I went to Shasta Dam today for a work thing. I think I overheard they may have opened a controlled spillway gate today? Gorgeous day. Water levels are …

Mar 21, 2023: Just got some pea sized hail in Orland, CA. #CaWX

Mar 21, 2023: DPReview.com to close. I loath Amazon even more now. I wish DPReview employees the very best. The site was my go-to for everything photography.

Mar 19, 2023: European Honeybees were all over our manzanitas yesterday.

Mar 18, 2023: Korean Air 777-3 HL7204 from ICN on approach to SFO on January 21, 2023. #AvGeek #PlaneSpotting #AviationPhotography #Fujifilm

Mar 15, 2023: I’m getting more sore that MS still don’t have a macOS Bedrock edition. Surely the market is bigger there‽ I end up running Windows in VMWare 🤮 …

Mar 14, 2023: 1.5 inches of rain so far today in Orland, CA. 😬#CaWX

Mar 12, 2023: I didn’t lose an hour of sleep but I sure did lose a precious hour of weekend daytime activities.

Mar 11, 2023: First bloom of our a front yard Ceanothus today. So many more to come. So. Many.

Mar 11, 2023: The iOS Parcel app doesn’t write expected delivery dates to an iCloud calendar but only to a local calendar. So I just created a Shortcut Automation …

Mar 11, 2023: The iOS Parcel app doesn’t write expected delivery dates to an iCloud calendar but only to a local calendar. So I just created a Shortcut Automation …

Mar 10, 2023: And here’s a rabbit at the Northern California refuge. Normally they’re at a full run. #Rabbit

Mar 10, 2023: Northern Flickers have evaded my best efforts to photograph them. So this photo from today at a Northern California refuge will do for now. #Birds …

Mar 10, 2023: Last week I nearly missed this Great Blue Heron at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. #Birds #BirdWatching #GreatBlueHeron

Mar 9, 2023: We just hit 1 inch of rain today in the North Sacramento Valley. 😳

Mar 9, 2023: For several years I was in a “I hate hops in beer” phase. After having tons of not hoppy beer in Germany last year, I learned to like IPA beer like …

Mar 9, 2023: Here’s the Bald Eagle from last week’s headshot in all its glory. The wildlife refuges in California are a gem.

Mar 8, 2023: Snow Geese from last weekend. #Birds #BirdWatching #SnowGeese

Mar 5, 2023: Spotted a Bald Eagle today!

Mar 5, 2023: X-Plane Official now has a Discord. I didn’t expect that development. Hopefully it’s well moderated. #XPlane

Mar 4, 2023: macOS Ventura settings and notifications (STILL getting unfixable log-in item notifications repeatedly) are a pitiful, frustrating mess but Windows, …

Mar 1, 2023: Overnight, as often it does, a slight breeze developed in the west side of the North Sacramento Valley! No freeze for us, but can’t say the same for …

Feb 28, 2023: A hard freeze likely tonight and tomorrow night in the North Sacramento Valley. Hopefully a light breeze will keep the temps higher. Tonight we did …

Feb 28, 2023: Finished reading: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️… and now starting there next book in the series, The Ask and the Answer. 📚

Feb 26, 2023: This was one of two batches of mandarins juiced today for this week’s breakfast 😋

Feb 26, 2023: I hate the MacOS login items notification that when clicked doesn’t tell me jack and furthermore the app it claims has added itself is disabled on …

Feb 24, 2023: A few “better” photos of last night’s brief snow around 1 am last night in Orland, CA. Around 1:15 am it went back to rain but points further north …

Feb 24, 2023: Snow in Orland, CA. Wow. #CAWx

Feb 23, 2023: Just a few degrees lower and Orland, CA could get snow tonight. Raining right now at 39°F. Doppler returns look softer at Red Bluff & northward… …

Feb 20, 2023: I juiced & pasteurized two liters worth of mandarins today. The mandarins still on the tree should hold quite a while longer even with the …

Feb 20, 2023: In X-Plane 12.04 Beta 2 I’m following United 2376 (777-2, EWR-SFO) in an A340-6. I’m barely keeping up with the 777. There's some light chop just west …

Feb 18, 2023: I spied a Spotted Towhee today by the Sacramento River. #Birds #BirdWatching #SpottedTowhee #Fujifilm

Feb 17, 2023: The Western Blue Birds have already discovered the new piles of grape vine trimmings that still have clusters of raisins. And one of the Mockingbirds …

Feb 17, 2023: Finally pruned the bird feeding native California grapes (cultivated of course). Only had a few more weeks until they woke up! Always quite the puzzle …

Feb 16, 2023: On January 20 at SFO, 2023. Eva Air 777-3 Reg. B-16731 arrives from Taipei with Japan Airlines 777-3 Reg. JA734J holding for takeoff to Tokyo Haneda. …

Feb 11, 2023: Western Blue Birds have been in the neighborhood for a while now. Today they finally found our desiccated grapes! #Birds #BirdWatching …

Feb 10, 2023: Just flying an A340-600 from San Francisco International into Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. #XPlane #FlightSim #AvGeek

Feb 9, 2023: I’m done with 1Password. I'm tired of the 1Password 8 Safari extension breaking. The app itself is still awful with glaring limitations. The good news …

Feb 4, 2023: Another #Caturday about to pop down into history.

Feb 3, 2023: I updated my iOS/macO Shortcut that takes a photo with geotag & date (preferably with timezone) from the Sharesheet and loads …

Feb 3, 2023: I must admit I’m going to miss certain key people & orgs on Twitter no longer showing up in NetNewsWire and likely Mastodon (‪@ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org‬ …

Feb 2, 2023: My first listen to Everything Is by Neutral Milk Hotel - released yesterday. Very short. https://album.link/us/i/1659915193

Feb 1, 2023: Why companies use Okta device verification for accounts that rarely need to be used is mind boggling. Like I totally forgot it was a thing when I got …

Jan 31, 2023: On the celebrated day of the last ever delivery of a new 747, here’s a throw back to 2005. The lone Korean Air 747 was parked at LAX and the photo …

Jan 29, 2023: Here’s a quick & dirty iOS Shortcut that takes a photo with full geotag, date metadata (preferably with timezone) from the Sharesheet and loads …

Jan 29, 2023: Alaska follows up on using boxed water with this is good news: No more plastic cups for Alaska Airlines - The Points Guy …

Jan 29, 2023: A Bufflehead south of the active SFO runways 28L/28R. They’re fun to watch foraging.

Jan 28, 2023: Thanks to my library, currently reading: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik 📚

Jan 28, 2023: On BigJetTV first class+ members only live stream (part 3) on YouTube, just watched an insane departure from Toronto of an Emirates A380 literally …

Jan 27, 2023: UA59 777-322 from Frankfurt landing at San Francisco on 1/20/2023 #B77W #PlaneSpotting #avgeek #fujifilm

Jan 27, 2023: I love that people regularly share what music they’re excited about on mastodon. I rarely saw that in my Twitter timeline.

Jan 26, 2023: Black-necked Stilt near the City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary. What a pose!

Jan 26, 2023: Got lists set up in Mastodon. Much better than a deluge in my main timeline. @ivory@tapbots.social can filter list members out of the main timeline, …

Jan 25, 2023: Emirates A380 preparing to take off from SFO to Dubai on 1/20/2023 during golden hour #avgeek #planespotting #A380 #fujifilm

Jan 24, 2023: Here’s an Emirates A380 turning right onto SFO runway 28R on January 20, 2023. I’m fully impressed with my X-T5 and the Fujifilm 70-300mm lens. Those …

Jan 22, 2023: Lunar New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. #LunarNewYear #SanFrancisco #Fujifilm

Jan 22, 2023: Great Egret on the San Francisco Bay Trail just south of The City Of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary. #birds #GreatEgret #Fujifilm

Jan 20, 2023: My first time at Bayshore for SFO plane spotting.

Jan 19, 2023: I’d love to be able to customize my autofocus boxes. www.dpreview.com

Jan 17, 2023: This is super exciting - the Yawman Arrow controller for flight simulation has been (finally) revealed! fselite.net has the details. #flightsim

Jan 16, 2023: Indisputably confirmed Yellow Rumped Warbler at yesterday’s visit to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. They were everywhere but it’s rare to …

Jan 15, 2023: What luck today. Photographed a juvenile Bald Eagle (second year?) at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. #birds #BaldEagle #Fujifilm

Jan 14, 2023: OMG this is insane. Pea sized hail & the backyard is just flooded here in Orland. Lightening too. #cawx

Jan 14, 2023: I really enjoy flying the Toliss A340 in X-Plane 12. This is on approach to Oakland International. Just a short flight from San Francisco …

Jan 13, 2023: Now that the latest wave of rain is done, 1.6 inches of rain today. Highest daily total so far I think. Unheard of in Orland. #cawx

Jan 13, 2023: 0.6 inches/hour now in my backyard😳 #cawx

Jan 13, 2023: Annie Creek is flowing! 0.4 inches/hour right now. The back yard is ponding hard.

Jan 13, 2023: My partner only looked at cat, bird, and wildfire posts on Twitter using Tweetbot. Its permanent chronical timeline was key. Now that Tweetbot appears …

Jan 12, 2023: 1.2” yesterday in Orland. CA. #cawx

Jan 7, 2023: Love to see Stony Creek flowing in the main channel and out into its braids. I never saw it flow in the main channel during the 2022 water year. Stony …

Jan 6, 2023: Last night an RV and car caught fire behind us. As far as I know, no one was injured. Here are better photos of the action. There was a really nice …

Jan 5, 2023: RV and car caught fire behind us in an empty lot. We’re pretty sure it was abandoned. Ambulance left quickly without lights so unoccupied, …

Jan 4, 2023: In my N. Sac Valley backyard, got 0.44” from 17:00-19:00 today. Winds are beginning to gust over 20 mph, approaching 30 where my anemometer maxes out. …

Jan 3, 2023: There’s potential for large impacts from weather in California over the next week or so. We just inventoried our emergency kit & are charging our …

Jan 2, 2023: Red Tail Hawk from yesterday’s bird watching at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. It’s not surprising that they’re not easy to spot. Even rarer …

Jan 2, 2023: The Fujifilm X-T5 can output to HIEF (.HIF) with 10-bit color. That gives more room for minor adjustments. But Apple Photos can’t load the .HIF, just …

Jan 2, 2023: While bird watching yesterday, a M5.3 earthquake occurred south of Rio Dell. My RaspberryShake felt it but I sure didn’t …

Jan 1, 2023: Snow Mountain in the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California still has snow and seems it got a fresh coat.

Jan 1, 2023: Spotted a Belted Kingfisher today! #kingfisher #birds

Dec 31, 2022: The Annie Cat in her new favorite sleeping place #caturday

Dec 31, 2022: Okay I’m glad the brunt of the atmospheric river missed the North Sacramento Valley. Geez. Gerry Díaz :sutro: (@geravitywave@sfba.social) …

Dec 31, 2022: I’m happy to see there’s still snow on the peaks of the interior Northern California Coast Range. Hope the snow survives as they sponge up all the …

Dec 30, 2022: In X-Plane 12, the KJFK RNAV Z Runway 13L approach is lot of fun. Watch a real-world YouTube video of it.. Default XP is just missing the lead-in …

Dec 28, 2022: May 2016 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In late 2017 this 747-400 went out of service. Hard to believe Delta ever operated 747s only five …

Dec 27, 2022: Our thrice delayed trip to Germany has this year’s three of my top four aviation photos — from SFO and FRA. And then one for a trip back from Montana …

Dec 26, 2022: Randomly thinking about my first A340-600 flight in 2013 SFO-Munich. I love that plane - especially if fitted with lower lavatory hall that also has …

Dec 26, 2022:

Dec 25, 2022: Some flyover photos from 12/24: United 777-200 LHR-SFO at 37,000 ft; Emirates A380-800 DXB-SFO at 39,000 ft; Qatar A350-1000 DOH-SFO 41,000 ft; SW 737 …

Dec 24, 2022: Yesterday: Red-winged Black Birds at the local wildlife refuge. Likely some Starlings in there too.

Dec 24, 2022: I’m rather impressed with how popular #caturday is on Mastodon.

Dec 24, 2022: Our cat’s 2nd preferred winter sleeping area. #caturday

Dec 24, 2022: Snow Geese flying overhead at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. #fujifilm

Dec 23, 2022: Just had a leak detector go off. This time a toilet water line started leaking at its connector to the tank. I’m very pleased with this result!

Dec 23, 2022: Here’s a Red Tail Hawk from today’s visit to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.

Dec 23, 2022: Chef’s treat: caramel scrapings from the pan!

Dec 23, 2022: Done. Just need to salt the caramel in 30 minutes.

Dec 23, 2022: Almost done making the caramel. Just needs to hit 250°F

Dec 23, 2022: I’m going to make caramel today. Alton Brown’s Dark Caramel recipe never fails. Though I prefer a little less dark so I cut the highest temp from 350 …

Dec 23, 2022: The 2013 Dresden Christmas Market. Guaranteed to make you cheerful no matter how cold it is.

Dec 20, 2022: A ravenous Yellow Rumped Warbler visited our grapes again. Eat up, little bird!

Dec 20, 2022: My RaspberryShake detected the M6.4 earthquake in Ferndale, CA. Sounds like a lot of important infrastructure damage, like the main bridge into town …

Dec 19, 2022: Frankfurt International last June. I knew there’d be no shortage of 747s there but was still gobsmacked by their numbers.

Dec 17, 2022: This Yellow Rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) is yet another bird feasting on our raisins. Yesterday’s Ruby Crowned Kinglet might actually be an …

Dec 17, 2022: Tried the first “Phat Tyre” ale I bottled. It’s good! The batch can use one more week to bottle condition.

Dec 17, 2022: Black Butte peak and Black Butte butte. Mostly greenstone/metabasalt at the snowy peak and basalt at the buttes around Black Butte Lake.

Dec 16, 2022: Ruby Crowned Kinglet (update on 12/17: more likely a Orange-crowned Warbler, as the Kinglet has bars on its wings, this one — the Warbler — does not). …

Dec 16, 2022: Today’s moon.

Dec 15, 2022: Relatively rare morning where my car door was slightly stuck due to frost.

Dec 14, 2022: I am super excited to now have the XF70-300mm telephoto lens. I’ll no longer feel crazy constrained taking pictures of birds and aircraft (mainly). …

Dec 14, 2022: Western Mockingbird foraging for raisins in our backyard.

Dec 11, 2022: Pizza night!

Dec 11, 2022: Rain in California. You got to love it after months of hazy blue sky.

Dec 10, 2022: #Caturday

Dec 10, 2022: Extremely interesting to watch KSFO operations with a stiff wind from the south. All the approaches look bonkers landing at opposite ends of runways …

Dec 9, 2022: Beer is bottled and now to hope nothing got contaminated during the process. This is so much work. It’s hard to justify it to myself at times.

Dec 8, 2022: Bottling day tomorrow! Bottles are now washed and will drain & dry overnight. It’s Phat Tyre Ale.

Dec 8, 2022: My account on mastodon.sdf.org straight up vanished during their database upgrades that were meant to increase performance. Lots of people losing …

Dec 7, 2022: A quick Mars + the Moon shot

Dec 5, 2022: I set up my MBP’s Hazel to sync the latest Fujifilm X RAW Studio camera profiles from my Mac Mini. Now if I’m on the go I’ll be set. Glad they’re …

Dec 3, 2022: First roast of the winter!

Dec 3, 2022: Yellow Rumped Warbler in the grapes this time!

Dec 2, 2022: Got a Kinglet in one place for a few moments!

Dec 2, 2022: Close up of the pea sized hail and frost. The hail didn’t melt overnight!

Dec 2, 2022: First major frosty morning here.

Dec 1, 2022: Pea sized hail in Orland!!

Dec 1, 2022: Some kind of Kinglet, maybe a Ruby Crown Kinglet, in the grapes this time. Was moving fast as birds do.

Dec 1, 2022: It’s hilarious to me that it’s easier for me to use the Sonos app to listen to the latest Apple Music Strombo Show. Sonos app can put the show front …

Nov 29, 2022: Western Mockingbird enjoying a desiccated grape in our backyard.

Nov 28, 2022: Oops. Didn’t quite get the focus right. Still looks delicious. And was. Left over cranberry sauce + Humboldt Creamery vanilla ice cream.

Nov 27, 2022: Fujifilm X Raw Studio is very snappy with the X-T5 camera. Hardly any wait for reprocessing lossless compressed raw. Took a few seconds with the …

Nov 26, 2022: #caturday

Nov 26, 2022: In the Micro.Blog app, I’d love to be able to selectively disable cross-posting sites instead of all or nothing. Here’s hawk bum for reading my …

Nov 25, 2022: Gorgeous day today in Northern California. This is from the same place where we saw the Northern Flickers (and Nutall’s and Acorn Woodpeckers).

Nov 25, 2022: Northern Flickers galore on the trail today. Managed to photograph one.

Nov 23, 2022: My contribution to Thanksgiving is cleaning up the kitchen after major steps are completed by my wife & cranberry sauce. Can’t wait for tomorrow. …

Nov 23, 2022: WiFi tethering with the X-T5 looks like a game changer for around the house photos. I’ve got my Mac Mini as the Fujifilm Acquire server. I tested …

Nov 22, 2022: The 5 Ghz WiFi setting to transfer from X-T5 to the Fujifilm iOS app is surprisingly usable with only a few seconds per 20MB 40 megapixel JPEG. …

Nov 22, 2022: Backyard House Sparrows - 84mm equivalent & cropped to zoom, using those X-T5 40 Megapixels! I am planning to get a 200 mm lens in a few months …

Nov 22, 2022: Put the ale into secondary fermentation this morning and my sample is at 5% ABV! 🍺 🙌

Nov 22, 2022: Good news. The X Raw Studio config files (~/Library/App Support/com.fujifilm.denji) for the Fujifilm X-T5 are exactly the same as for the X100V. Only …

Nov 20, 2022: Here’s me on the Snyder Creek trail gazing at the talus field, but still wanting to be out of there (rockfall is the reason for this talus). This is …

Nov 19, 2022: Back in September we visited Glacier National Park. We didn't take the Going to the Sun Road, but opted for the lesser traveled Snyder Creek trail. …

Nov 19, 2022: Been over a week since putting in 1 Gbps powerline adapters and it’s perfectly fine for basic Mac Mini server duty (HomeBridge, file server), Sonos, …

Nov 18, 2022: I’ve snagged a Fujifilm X-T5 — it’ll be delivered Tuesday. I haven’t had a camera with interchangeable lens system in over a decade! I’m so excited. I …

Nov 17, 2022: I’m apparently harvesting Mastodon accounts tonight.

Nov 12, 2022: I’ve had good success with an old 200 Mbps powerline adapter, so I’ve finally splurged on a gigabit adapter plus an 8 port switch. A few weeks I’ll …

Nov 12, 2022: Had my gas & electric company switch our home from gas heat to electric heat service (we now have a heat pump). The main impact is we now get …

Nov 11, 2022: Phat Tyre Ale is now fermenting. A couple of mistakes were made but nothing critical (probably). It’s getting easier and less stressful every time as …

Nov 10, 2022: Funky moonrise tonight.

Nov 10, 2022: I just turned the compost and wow those soaking rains bring the FATTEST volunteer earthworms into the compost (or encourages them to gorge & get …

Nov 5, 2022: Went to New Clairvaux Vineyard (home of Trappist-Cistercian monks) to pick up our first wine club order. It’s such a nice grounds.

Nov 5, 2022: Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Narwhal Imperial Stout is really good.

Nov 5, 2022: Thoughts on Heat Pump Heating The weather chilled enough that our new Fujitsu 36LMAS heat pump is fully operational transferring outdoor heat into the house (during the cooling …

Nov 3, 2022: Going to try Northern Brewer's Phat Tyre Ale Extract Beer Recipe Kit this Winter. Will be the first time with secondary fermentation.

Nov 2, 2022: Fujifilm X Raw Studio for macOS crashed on launch the last few weeks. Worked fine with other user accounts. Eventually I nuked the right crumbs to …

Nov 1, 2022: 0.34” of rain today! Finally, the rainy season has begun in California. 🤞

Oct 31, 2022: So Slate is suddenly increasing their subscription from $59 a year to $119. And I can’t find the cancel button fast enough. Oh wait, it is missing …

Oct 30, 2022: Go away, Bolsonaro.

Oct 30, 2022: Region appropriate milkweed seeds sown today. Hope we get enough rain to avoid regular irrigation for germination and establishment. 🌱

Oct 30, 2022: I’m slowly understanding Mastodon and I’m sure happy that I chose micro.blog a while ago. Wish that searching for Mastodon users …

Oct 29, 2022: Replaced a leaky toilet valve this morning. Now that have had quite enough low grade anxiety & I feel accomplished, time to be extra lazy.

Oct 28, 2022: More signs of Fall with flocks of birds migrating overhead.

Oct 27, 2022: And here I thought we had a neighbor operating a wood stove for heat. Ugh. share.watchduty.org Barn fire with spread to vegetation - Hwy 99W, Orland …

Oct 25, 2022: Thumbs up on Apple’s Shared Photo Library. We set it up to start with photos starting on 10/24, skipped the Moments, and set it to Manual. Now our …

Oct 23, 2022: Found European Fanta at World Market yesterday, and it goes very well with pizza. Fanta being slightly sweet and made using actual juice is so good.

Oct 23, 2022: Software documentation is usually neglected. So I’m super impressed that ToLiSS has already updated their A321 documentation for X-Plane 12 …

Oct 22, 2022: It’s the time of the year where every two weeks I prune the front yard native plants back. I fill the green waste bin and then I stop. That makes it …

Oct 22, 2022: I hope M2 Mac Minis are announced this week. X-Plane 12 goes over energy budget of my 2019 MBP (Radeon GFX), slowly draining the battery. Frame rates …

Oct 16, 2022: I replaced our two bedroom smoke detectors. The new ones have sealed 10 year batteries so no flimsy 9V cartridge to deal with. Love that these new …

Oct 16, 2022: This is great for X-Plane quick view key bindings: Get a UI Numpad using macOS Accessibility (Easily Create Virtual UI Hotkeys!) - Tutorials - …

Oct 15, 2022: Shedding of a mantis on our rosemary plant.

Oct 15, 2022: I now always get way inside my head when signing a mail-in ballot. It didn’t used to be this way.

Oct 10, 2022: Cleared out the pepper plants that were vigorously revived from rain ~18 days ago & put some clover seed down. The garden is ready for winter. …

Oct 10, 2022: Mantis in our happiest avocado tree.

Oct 8, 2022: The whole house fan is really nice. It actually cools off the mass of the house so its temperature doesn’t rebound like it did with floor fans …

Oct 2, 2022: That’s a lot of Rice A Roni 😬

Oct 1, 2022: Part of the HVAC replacement project included removing the decrepit swamp cooler. The eyesore & potential rain entry point is gone!! Contractors …

Sep 30, 2022: Heat pump installed and initial impression is it is amazingly quiet compared to the old traditional AC. First photo is the new heat pump (Fujitsu …

Sep 27, 2022: Snagged the best plane spotting spot at KSEA’s N terminal.

Sep 22, 2022: Mount Rainier and in the far distance, likely Mount Adams. Flying east from KSEA to KMSO

Sep 22, 2022: 787s at KSEA. I’m on board that E175 from earlier today & now going to KMSO

Sep 22, 2022: I appreciate that we’ll be on this exact E175 later today for a connecting flight to MSO

Sep 19, 2022: I’ve been enjoying X-Plane 12 Early Release (now beta 3) even if my MacBook Pro (x86) frame rates never get above 33. Compared to MS Flight Simulator …

Sep 18, 2022: The very first storm of meteorological Fall and White Crown birds have already descended upon our backyard. It’s cool that they prefer our warmer …

Sep 17, 2022: In California, our baking season has begun. Inaugurated with Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

Sep 17, 2022: Today at the Orland Flea Market.

Sep 16, 2022: To no one in particular… Please remember to wipe your smart phone camera lenses off before taking photos. You don’t need to suffer with that fog in …

Sep 13, 2022: My @raspishake detected the M4.4 earthquake out of Santa Rosa, CA. Too far for me to feel though.

Sep 11, 2022: Today the weather was very nice and we had to make molè. An indulgent start of heavy comfort food season.

Sep 11, 2022: Our volunteer conifers seem happy. First year they’ve developed cones‽ 🌱🌲

Sep 11, 2022: Used to be ddclient for dynamic DNS updates required web-skip=’IP Address:’ when checking the web for the WAN IP. But uh, seems like that’s been …

Sep 8, 2022: Covid booster ✅ Flu shot ✅

Sep 8, 2022: 06:54 AM and was 82°F & rising in the backyard here in Orland, CA. Amazing.

Sep 5, 2022: beestat says it’s too hot for the A/C to keep up. It’s also a Smart Day / which means we need save energy. That’s easy: increase the AC from 77°F to …

Sep 2, 2022: Got a proposal back from a contractor. It includes a ducted mini split which is a new concept to me and they are awfully tempting. Seems to be better …

Sep 1, 2022: Pacific Gas & Electric SmartDay today and I bet tomorrow, too. Between 1600-2100, we’ll be setting our A/C to “away” and being …

Aug 31, 2022: For the next week, ~record hot temperatures! Once again, time to protect our Hosui Asian Pear’s central leader with shade cloth. I had to lash an old …

Aug 28, 2022: Had a standoff tonight. White had just rolled the double sixes.

Aug 27, 2022: Seems the first contractor I asked for an estimate from for a heat pump ghosted me. Takes a lot out of me for me to call anyone and have them in my …

Aug 16, 2022: Hope this leaf bursting bud on the central leader of my young Asian pear tree survives today’s max 114° heat in Northern California. A few more days …

Aug 14, 2022: Smoke from the Six Rivers Lightning Complex earlier this morning creeping in towards our home in the North Sacramento Valley. It’s now smellably (😜) …

Aug 13, 2022: We’re very happy with Trader Joe’s Bavarian Bratwurst. Pretty close to Nürnberger style but much bigger. Of course we had no choice but to prepare it …

Aug 13, 2022: For All Mankind finale was a heck of a roller coaster. Woah.

Aug 13, 2022: Our home heat and air conditioning is 18 years old. We were planning on replacing it with a heat pump & now with the Inflation Reduction Act …

Aug 5, 2022: Guess my endless tweaks to my drip schedules with the Rachio sprinkler controller are paying off. We used 9000 gallons last two months (150 gallons …

Jul 24, 2022: These backyard figs look good but they’re not sweet. We dried them out and plan on using them in a bake in a week or so.

Jul 22, 2022: M4.3 earthquake SE of Orovolle, CA occurred at 18:41 Pacific. I didn’t feel it. @raspishake #ShakeNet

Jul 18, 2022: Super happy with our peppers this year. Best harvest ever (and much more to pick). Mostly serranos in the bowl. Love ripe peppers. Can’t get those at …

Jul 16, 2022: Based on my spreadsheet, it’s time to replace our ~20 year old A/C & nat gas heater with a new heat pump. Nat gas is now almost as expensive as …

Jul 15, 2022: Introverts that have to go to the office at least once a week find fridays amazing. Or at least I do. Fridays in the office: Empty - The Washington …

Jul 10, 2022: Peppers & tomatoes (fortunately many of the delicious fruit do not have end rot) are ripening and we’re harvesting every few days now.

Jul 10, 2022: Hot air balloons behind our house this last Saturday. Not common at all & a delight to see.

Jul 7, 2022: From early June: rain over Munich’s Olympiapark.

Jul 5, 2022: All is not great in our garden though. We still have a heck of a time with end rot on our tomatoes despite amendments with calcium. Into the compost …

Jul 4, 2022: Pepper garden update🌱

Jul 4, 2022: How the Yurok Tribe is bringing back the California Condor - On ArsTechnica

Jul 3, 2022: With insanity at European airports I’m thankful our early June trip to Germany was nearly flawless. We 😷managed to not get Corona (we tested ourselves …

Jul 2, 2022: Beetle killed trees in Saxony, Germany.

Jul 1, 2022: On my Mac Mini I have NetNewsWire pulling Tweets by specific users. Meanwhile, I’ve set my eero to block Twitter on my mobile devices. With …

Jun 29, 2022: Earlier in June: on a trail to Oybin, Saxony, Germany. Saxony has the best sandstone.

Jun 27, 2022: Earlier this month: When in Munich, you must ride the catfish?

Jun 26, 2022: Before our trip to Germany, I pruned the first big leaves off a sunflower because they were shading out a pepper. Now the sunflower has a flower near …

Jun 25, 2022: 6/12: in a forest southwest of Bautzen, Saxony, Germany.

Jun 25, 2022: Gray Hairstreak butterfly on one of our pepper plants.

Jun 23, 2022: 6/14: Minerals under ultraviolet light at the Freiberg Mineral Exhibition.

Jun 23, 2022: 6/14: Freiberg Mineral Exhibition at Freudenstein Castle. An exquisite collection.

Jun 23, 2022: I emergency bought a Ratio 6 coffee maker after my old Ninja broke. Best of all, and I didn’t know about this, @RatioCoffee just refunded the cost …

Jun 22, 2022: June 6 in Munich.

Jun 21, 2022: June 6, 2022: the higher regional court building in Munich (Oberlandesgericht München).

Jun 20, 2022: Germany trip recap: some 787-9 photos while boarding FRA-DEN. I love it when boarding is at a stand and not a gate.

Jun 20, 2022: Our peppers exploded. Best yields ever. Already we roasted some shishitos to go with quesadillas. 🌱

Jun 19, 2022: We concluded our trip to Germany. It ended nicely despite the current upheaval of travel. Best unexpected thing to happen was the captain of the …

Jun 17, 2022: Hello my first ever 787 flight! 🛫EDDF🛬KDEN🥳

Jun 16, 2022: I’m thrilled with this view of Frankfurt International from my hotel room. Great place to end this trip.

Jun 10, 2022: Countryside of Saxony, Germany. Barley fields!

Jun 8, 2022: Obligatory photo of surfers at the Eisbachwelle in Munich’s English Garden.

Jun 7, 2022: Eurasian Coots in the Pagodenburger See at the Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich.

May 31, 2022: Gorgeous dragonfly in the backyard today. Lucked out with the lighting.

May 30, 2022: Been trying to get to Germany to visit very good friends the last three years. Might actually happen this time.🤞

May 30, 2022: A very comfy Eurasian Collared Dove. Glad our backyard can be a refuge from the neighborhood outdoor cats

May 29, 2022: So I’ll not fly MSFS 2020 again with it bugging out & turning me straight to the airport at start of my downwind approach despite a properly …

May 27, 2022: Peppers are on the way! 🌱

May 24, 2022: A few more photos of the #EdwardFire in Orland, CA today. Fortunately our house was never in danger. Sad that this fire was likely preventable with …

May 23, 2022: Elderberries are ripening already. And there’s so many more in the hopper! 🌱

May 22, 2022: One front yard clump California Fuchsias is blooming. This one is always a month ahead of the others. Not pictured, but our yarrow is flowering too. …

May 21, 2022: I do not love it when Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 inexplicably drops my entire approach flight plan and drives me direct to the arrival airport. …

May 15, 2022: Backyard is looking good. Peppers & tomatoes are flowering. The elderberries are still flowering.

May 14, 2022: Our grapes are getting plump real fast. And our volunteer conifers are super happy. They grew several inches this year. 🌱🌳

May 13, 2022: Baby “Bacon” variety avocados! Latest date I’ve seen berries on this tree. Let’s see if they’ll survive summer and winter. 🌱🌳

May 13, 2022: Probably going to have a bumper crop of figs this year! Last year was meager. 🌱🌳

May 12, 2022: Spotted a Hooded Oriole in the front yard as we we started an after lunch walk. What luck. A first!

May 9, 2022: More of this rain please.

May 8, 2022: Our front yard Toyon (first photo) and Yarrow (2nd photo) are blooming. Just the California buckwheat and the California fuchsias are left to bloom. 🌱

May 8, 2022: Been several years & usually I’m behind on WiFi tech so figured it was time replace the old eero Pro with an eero Pro 6E. I only use one eero as …

May 7, 2022: Mockingbirds are going to have an amazing late summer of grapes from our cultivated California grapes. These have an amazing assortment of bugs too. …

May 2, 2022: Pineapple guavas have been blooming for a few weeks now. The Mockingbirds love munching on the flower petals.

Apr 25, 2022: Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Last March.

Apr 24, 2022: Spring.

Apr 24, 2022: Wild California Grape flowers.

Apr 18, 2022: Area scrub jays have really got the hang of our feeder. Although, recently one jay tried to peck at the seeds through the transparent canister.

Apr 17, 2022: Our homemade Bulgogi fries. Inspired by a food show that had a terrible implementation of this idea. We got it right 🤫

Apr 17, 2022: Here’s a magenta flower from one of our cultivated California Wild Roses.

Apr 10, 2022: The Annie Cat.

Apr 9, 2022: So far, max gust of 40 mph at my backyard today. And that weather station isn’t ideally located.

Apr 9, 2022: The Annie Cat in a bag.

Apr 8, 2022: Today was the first taste of the Bravarian Hefeweizen home-brew and it is an unqualified success. This second brew is better carbonated (first was …

Apr 3, 2022: California Scrub-Jays carefully inspecting our just planted peppers and tomatoes🌱

Apr 3, 2022: Happy I got the last batch of beer fermented before this upcoming insane heat wave. We’re transplanting our peppers and tomatoes today. Rob Mayeda on …

Apr 3, 2022: Good morning, Waffle! 🧇

Apr 3, 2022: Colors balance shift is a key part of Film recipes so my Shortcut would fail to match as white balance would inexplicably reset via Q. Fujifilm found …

Apr 1, 2022: Hefeweizen bottling day. Here’s my factory. This’ll be the last brew until winter as I don’t use much air conditioning or have a fridge for …

Apr 1, 2022: Avocado flowers! 🌱🌳

Mar 31, 2022: Assassin bugs are bad ass. They seem to be more common than ever in our yards. They’re also not camera shy. We welcome them!

Mar 27, 2022: Lessons learned: in MSFS 2020, never change flight phases if flight plan is manually input to FMS. Super lame because the Plan UI doesn’t let you …

Mar 27, 2022: Finally got to the season two, episode two of Picard 😳 what a great premise

Mar 26, 2022: Only 4% of Flight Simulator players have completed an Instrument Landing System landing‽ Clearly I’m too nerdy for this game.

Mar 26, 2022: Poppies (1st photo) are now in full bloom and clarkias (2nd) are about to do the same. 🌱

Mar 25, 2022: Recent mornings, our cultivated native California grape leaf tips have droplets of water. Apparently this process is called guttation. They’re likely …

Mar 20, 2022:

Mar 19, 2022: Now in bloom in our backyard: cultivated California Wild Roses (pic 1) and Elderberry (2). Still gorging themselves: ladybugs. Everywhere in our front …

Mar 19, 2022: Latest Shortcuts for macOS Has Vast Improvements What's new in Shortcuts in iOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3: “End If” and “End Repeat” can now be dragged in the Shortcuts editor That’s a big deal. I’ve …

Mar 18, 2022: Here goes my second brew - a simple Bavarian Hefeweizen. With way warmer than normal temperatures I figure our house will be close to or within the …

Mar 16, 2022: Eurasian Collared Dove drinking party.

Mar 13, 2022: Potatoe croquettes for lunch today. Great use of leftover mashed potatoes.

Mar 13, 2022: Citrus gummies are a great way to use backyard citrus. We made Meyer lemon with Valencia orange gummies. An Alton Brown recipe. We’ve frozen our …

Mar 13, 2022: macOS Shortcuts, Logger for Shortcuts, Shortcuts Temporary Files, and Hazel Logger for Shortcuts provided me exactly the information to figure out how to get Hazel to properly use a Shortcut against a file. Now I can have …

Mar 12, 2022: From last Monday near Tomales Point in beautiful California, a genus Arctia moth caterpillar on lupins.

Mar 12, 2022: Raspberry Shakes do great science in the challenging conditions of Haiti: When a seismic network failed, citizen science stepped in on Ars Technica

Mar 11, 2022: I’ve been playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on the Xbox Series S. I’m surprised at how it keeps my mind off everything and on a passion of mine …

Mar 11, 2022: From last Monday, a very loud acorn woodpecker at the Point Reyes National seashore visitor center.

Mar 10, 2022: From last Monday, the Pacific Ocean and Tonalite rock at Tomales Point.

Mar 9, 2022: Peppers and two tomato seedlings are making great progress. We’ll likely be hardening them off in a few weeks and plant by April.🌱

Mar 9, 2022: More Point Reyes National Seashore photos from last Monday: bumble hovering near a flower, elk, and another coyote.

Mar 8, 2022: Yesterday, at Point Reyes National Seashore on the Tomales Point Trail, this hunting coyote could have been showing off. The coyote didn’t catch …

Mar 6, 2022: The freeze we got a few weeks ago, down to 28°F, did no clear harm to our plants. Mandarin, Valencia, Meyer lemon, & avocado flowers fine. Our …

Mar 5, 2022: Front yard is looking really nice. I’ve been trying to rein it in with lots of pruning. I know our annual wildflowers super appreciated the 0.38” of …

Feb 27, 2022: After weeks of warmer than normal weather, weather swung the other way and we had freezing temps for a few days. Had to cover up the weaker & less …

Feb 21, 2022: We’re slowly preparing the backyard crop rows for planting. We just pulled all the weeds & bolting cilantro out to the compost pile. Saturday we …

Feb 20, 2022: Harvested our first homegrown Valencia orange this year. So very sweet. Even the pith isn’t bitter. We may want to harvest the rest early if there’s a …

Feb 20, 2022: The Annie Cat.

Feb 19, 2022: Veggie sushi for dinner tonight.

Feb 19, 2022: Gilias were the first annual flowers to bloom in our yard. Can you believe these are just as or more aggressive at spreading compared to poppies? 🌱

Feb 19, 2022: First bloom for our Valencia orange tree. About three weeks early compared to 2020 & 2021. 🌱🌳

Feb 19, 2022: Ladybug larva gorging on aphids gorging on sage. And nearby, a bright orange ladybug pupa. 🐞 🌱

Feb 18, 2022: Honey bee approaching a nectarine flower. 🌳🌱

Feb 17, 2022: Our New Century Asian Pear tree, seeing as it’s already showy as heck, will be glorious in a few years. 🌱🌳

Feb 16, 2022: Our cultivated native grapes are leaking water from pruning cuts, and that is normal. But unexpected. 🌱

Feb 15, 2022: Today I noticed my cultivated native grapevines we’re leaking water where I recently pruned them. A quick search revealed that is totally normal. I’ll …

Feb 12, 2022: Here’s three more flowering cultivated native plants from the front yard: sage, then manzanita, then western red bud.

Feb 11, 2022: … and here’s a lovely jumping spider hanging out on a manzanita leaf that’s surrounded by a creeping sage bush. Some white manzanita flowers show …

Feb 11, 2022: Sure feels & looks like spring in our front yard. I think this is an assassin bug on a newly blooming Ceanothus. 🌱

Feb 10, 2022: …. and here is our new (this year) New Century Asian Pear about ready to burst. 🌱🌳

Feb 10, 2022: Our Nectarine is very close to blooming. This is its second year in the ground here. 🌱🌳

Feb 6, 2022: California Towhee from this morning. First sighting ever in the backyard but have seen these around the neighborhood. They don’t seem to care much for …

Feb 6, 2022: Almond bloom season is already upon us 😒. You can’t avoid it in most of California.

Feb 6, 2022: Okay, for once in my life I managed to replace a key home feature without any frigg’n drama. Kitchen faucet replaced & why didn’t we do this …

Feb 6, 2022: Thanks to a Honeywell leak detector, at 22:30 we woke to an extraordinarily loud beeping from under the sink & found there a fresh leak. Could …

Feb 5, 2022: Took a walk around a small lake today and saw: 1) turtles sunning on a log; 2) a western meadow lark; 3) redwing blackbirds; 4) long billed curlews; …

Feb 3, 2022: Audio calls where I have to talk are literally bad for my health hah. The two heart rate peaks after 9am were Teams calls. If not for my anxiety med, …

Jan 31, 2022: I looked out into the backyard just in time to see a Nuttall’s Woodpecker investigating our cultivated elderberry and Ceanothus bushes. So cool!

Jan 30, 2022: We started our peppers today: ancho, jalapeño, serrano, shishito, santa fe, and two tomatoes. Trying for variety this year. 🌱

Jan 29, 2022: Did a bit of pruning of the apricot today. Doesn’t look like much but I removed lots of suckers and interior branches. I’ve quit trying to top it. …

Jan 29, 2022: If you’re new to Apple Music, because reasons, you may follow me. https://music.apple.com/profile/rpmik

Jan 29, 2022: Dynamic Range Priority Added to "What was my Fujifilm Recipe?" macOS 12 Shortcut I’ve updated my “What was my Fujifilm Recipe?” macOS 12 Shortcut. It now includes support for Dynamic Range Priority. The …

Jan 28, 2022: The Annie Cat successfully catting this past afternoon.

Jan 23, 2022:

Jan 23, 2022: Managing Anxiety My doctor increased my dose of an anxiety med. Took three weeks to feel the effects of that but once again I don’t feel like I’m racing against time …

Jan 22, 2022: A few different birds & a landscape from today’s nature walk. One vulture and one 777.

Jan 22, 2022: macOS Shortcut: What's my Fujifilm Focal Length? Since I now have the TCL-X100II attachment and I make ample use of the Digital Teleconverter feature, I made a quick macOS Shortcut to add Fujifilm …

Jan 22, 2022: I pay for 800 Mbps down and 15 Mbps up. Xfinity/Comcast over-provisions my download a ton. Recently I got a free unannounced bump in upload speed. …

Jan 21, 2022: House Sparrows on the feeder and a reddening House Finch waiting its turn on top of the pole.

Jan 17, 2022: The front yard Manzanitas (1st photo) and Coyote Bushes (2nd) are flowering. Next up are the Ceanothus bushes, then the Elderberries. 🌱

Jan 16, 2022: Today I had to remove a trespassing & bird harassing “Happy Birthday To You” balloon from our mandarin tree and then dispose of it. A birthday …

Jan 16, 2022: Last night’s roast beef dinner. Sunday night came early! 🤭

Jan 16, 2022: Random aircraft photo of mine from 2005 at Incheon International Airport, Republic of South Korea. You won’t see lined up 747s like this …

Jan 15, 2022: Today we moved our lemon grass over a few feet to give our new Asian pear tree some room. Then we finally mulched the area. Looking good! BTW, our …

Jan 15, 2022: On Twitter, Matt Roberts, an atmospheric science student, showed a spike in atmospheric pressure at Half Moon Bay airport around 4am. Likely caused by …

Jan 11, 2022: Honey bees are apparently feeding on bird seed dust. Never seen this behavior before. More photos on Flickr.

Jan 9, 2022: On today’s walk, there was a very photogenic & easy-going Black Phoebe. This one did not want to leave their tree.

Jan 8, 2022: My favorite person made cinnamon rolls today for tomorrow morning and another weekend (raw rolls apparently freeze well).

Jan 7, 2022: In the great valley of California, one learns to appreciate winter clouds after summer’s constant blue or smokey sky.

Jan 2, 2022: A very frosty morning today. My weather station read a low of 29°F just after midnight.

Jan 1, 2022: I planted two Asian pear trees today. A New Century (1st photo) and a Hosui (2nd photo). They’re from Stark Bro’s. These may be the last fruit trees I …

Dec 31, 2021: We’re ending the year with disco fries. Everyone, have a good start to 2022.

Dec 31, 2021: One more photo of today’s aebleskiver making.

Dec 31, 2021: Aebleskiver day!

Dec 30, 2021: After a few years of iPhone night mode, high ISO photography (as high as 12800) with my X100V is pretty nice. I really can’t be bothered by the noise …

Dec 26, 2021: Last night. Winter views like this make slogging through summer worth it.

Dec 25, 2021: As is annual tradition, made caramel the other day. Every batch is unique. Compared to last year, the caramels are harder but bolder in flavor.

Dec 24, 2021: Christmas Soup is a before Christmas tradition for us. Easy and so very tasty.

Dec 23, 2021: 😬 this backgammon game ended more intensely than expected. I won 🙌

Dec 23, 2021: Has anyone figured out the rhyme or reason behind Fujifilm cameras expiring smart phone-provided location information via bluetooth? Location …

Dec 22, 2021: I really enjoyed Hawkeye. A lot of fun. Hailee Steinfeld is great as Kate Bishop (… and Emily Dickinson).

Dec 21, 2021: I had rain gage issues the last big rain & wind storm. A mast pole was slightly loose so I wedged it in tighter. I also added weight to the bottom …

Dec 21, 2021: Listening to last week’s Accidental Tech Podcast– I’m befuddled by Marco Arment’s inability to boot an M1 Mac Mini without any …

Dec 21, 2021: “What was my Fujifilm Recipe?” macOS Shortcut update: exiftool now preserves the original file dates (-P) and it now overwrites the …

Dec 20, 2021: I didn’t feel the M 6.2 - 38km W of Petrolia, CA earthquake in Orland but it was easily recorded on the @raspishake.

Dec 19, 2021: Had homemade Korean pancakes (jeon) tonight. Filled with leftover banchan used in last night’s bibimbap.

Dec 19, 2021: Whole wheat waffles… smothered with definitely very healthy butter and maple syrup.

Dec 17, 2021: Success! First try of Hank’s Hefeweizen home brew and it is exactly what a Hefeweizen should be: delicious malt flavors and not hoppy. I’m so happy …

Dec 13, 2021: Wind and rain today in California.

Dec 12, 2021: Soggy House Finch.

Dec 12, 2021: Soggy house finches and house sparrows (maybe a fox sparrow too) sheltering on grape vines from the wind and desperately needed rain.

Dec 11, 2021: Installed two of three Caseta switches. The 3rd end of run circuit neutral is miswired somewhere as bulbs flicker when the Caseta PD-6ANS switch is …

Dec 11, 2021: Caseta dimmer switches are easier since they don’t care about hot versus load wires. But the jokers that lived here before connected the upper switch …

Dec 11, 2021: I’m getting really good at installing Caseta switches. A no-contact voltage tester pen is key for safety & to get the hot wire right the first …

Dec 8, 2021: First beer I ever brewed is now bottled and will be carbonating for a few weeks. I tasted it and it is definitely a Hefeweizen. ~4.3% ABV. Not quite …

Dec 8, 2021: Finished reading: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett 📚 ★★★★

Dec 7, 2021: Beer bottle label graveyard. Tomorrow is bottling day.

Dec 6, 2021: Moravian star - the most festive our house gets on the exterior.

Dec 6, 2021: Our front yard cultivated native fuchsias are still blooming. All summer, with minimal added water, and into winter. Amazing plants.

Dec 5, 2021: The household chef making sandwich melts. I was just trying out the Kodak T-Max 400 film “recipe” found at FujiXWeekly.

Dec 4, 2021: Mushrooms!

Dec 4, 2021: Mural at La Corona Mexican Restaurant, Orland, CA.

Dec 4, 2021: Better B&W Recipe Detection and exif Keywords added to macOS "What was my Fujifilm Recipe" Shortcut I know that many people choose Fujifilm cameras for black and white photography. I hadn’t explored B&W photography yet so the original macOS …

Dec 3, 2021: Shortcuts for macOS really makes me want to say many oaths 🤬

Nov 27, 2021: Turkey Milanese. A great use of leftover white meat.

Nov 26, 2021: Turkey Pho (well, inspired by Pho).

Nov 26, 2021: Stuffing waffles for post-Thanksgiving breakfast is now 100% a tradition.

Nov 25, 2021: My partner in crime sure does know how to cook a golden, juicy bird.

Nov 24, 2021: Earlier this month In Lahaina, Maui, two Java Sparrows (Padda oryzivora) silently discussing the two intrusive humans below them.

Nov 23, 2021: For the first time, tried a very simple beer brewing. This is Hank’s Hefeweizen. I’m fermenting in the tub because I worry about leaks despite an …

Nov 23, 2021: From Maui earlier this month: Waihe’e Ridge Trail. A very popular choice these days. It’s in much better condition than the last time we hiked …

Nov 22, 2021: Was trying to take a casual picture of The Annie Cat and…

Nov 22, 2021: Finished reading: Champion by Marie Lu 📚 I read this one pretty dang fast! I returned it to the digital library 9 days early (21 day loan). ★★★★

Nov 22, 2021: From Maui earlier this month: a few more early mornings with Haleakala.

Nov 21, 2021: macOS 12 Shortcut: What was my Fujifilm Recipe? NOTE: the link to this Shortcut, and then its changelog, is at the end of this page. About I’ve created a macOS 12 only Shortcut to remind me what …

Nov 21, 2021: From Maui earlier this month: sunset on a boat. While we mostly enjoyed the sunset cruise, we learned that we are firmly terrestrial people and won’t …

Nov 21, 2021: With macOS 12.0.1 Shortcuts’ Run Shell Script, Shortcuts often crashes when reading stdout text. After much experimentation, my workaround: send …

Nov 20, 2021: From Maui: Sea Turtle Part Photos Here’s a collection of sea turtle parts while on Maui earlier this month. I made ample use of the X100V’s continuous shooting mode, …

Nov 11, 2021: Saw a beautiful orchid today.

Nov 10, 2021: From the left: Jupiter, Moon, Saturn. Then just the moon.

Nov 10, 2021: Haleakala as the morning sun peaks over. Then crepuscular rays! The first time I ever noticed them.

Nov 9, 2021: Dragon’s Teeth at Kapalua, Hawaii.

Nov 9, 2021: Playing with Bulb on my X100V. 7 second exposure of Haleakala at nautical dawn. So cool that I can control the shutter with my phone.

Nov 8, 2021: Sunrises and Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii never get old.

Nov 6, 2021: I didn’t get why people include grain in their digital photos, thinking it is an anachronistic hipster thing. I’ve fully come around and find grain …

Nov 6, 2021: Current Slate of Fujifilm Film Simulations I’ve got a slate of six Film Simulations from Fuji X Weekly loaded on my X100V. Fuji X Weekly’s Film Recipes app is nice for a quick reference. Here’s …

Nov 5, 2021: Closer look at a senescing apricot leaf compared to a still green leaf.

Nov 5, 2021: Our apricot is almost ready to overwinter. The nectarine at the bottom left is being a bit stubborn. California wild rose at the bottom right is in …

Nov 2, 2021: Perfect field weather today.

Oct 31, 2021: Sourdough biscuits for breakfast today. With the X100V, learning manual focus & judicious aperture settings are key for food. And willing use of …

Oct 30, 2021: We’ve got patty melts and a cat tonight, but no Aurora.

Oct 30, 2021: Oh hello there! 👋

Oct 30, 2021: I love not spending tons of time processing RAW by using Fujifilm X100V’s Film Simulations. These on-camera JPEGs look great and Fujifilm X Raw …

Oct 30, 2021: My current drip system is an aging hodgepodge with uneven tree watering. I just got a bunch of new drip stuff from dripdepot.com (20% sale). Will be …

Oct 29, 2021: Fridge water dispenser started leaking. Its valve refuses to completely close. This has been an on and off problem but now is permanent. I had to …

Oct 28, 2021: This little backyard lizard lives underneath that cinder block.

Oct 24, 2021: Chocolate chip with walnut cookie connections.

Oct 23, 2021: Turkey taquitos. Fried. Meaning delicious.

Oct 23, 2021: So much rain and soon far too much in too few days. 1” total so far this month.

Oct 22, 2021: This morning after 0.55” rain. The clouds cleared out astonishingly fast.

Oct 22, 2021: No rest for birds this time of the year. Here’s a Yellow Rumped Warbler (lower right) and Lesser Gold Finch (upper left) in our cultivated native …

Oct 22, 2021: We got the JJ Covid-19 vaccination very early this year so of course we just went and got Pfizer boosters 🙌

Oct 21, 2021: Our cat utilizing all her available space.

Oct 20, 2021: I don’t do sports but I have a backyard.

Oct 19, 2021: Bird bath mirror.

Oct 17, 2021: First measurable precipitation of the 2022 water year in Orland, CA! 🎉

Oct 17, 2021: As a follow up, I’ve updated an older Fujifilm Get Film Simulation iOS Shortcut to now include ACROS and Monochrome simulations. This has only been …

Oct 17, 2021: There’s a thoughtful post on Fuji X Weekly. After spending several weeks with a X100V, I’m in agreement with the utility and power of Fujifilm Film …

Oct 15, 2021: Cooler weather = bread baking season. My partner made Sourdough specifically for stuffing. Excellent priorities.

Oct 15, 2021: Ethereal light shafts in a coastal forest (Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in California). From 2015.

Oct 15, 2021: Perma-loc splice is an okay fix for drip tape punctured by fighting cats. Please keep your cats indoors. Cats are destructive of not only wildlife but …

Oct 13, 2021: Of all the animals we see in our backyard, the western toad is our favorite. It was very loud tonight in the leaves. Just look at that foot!!

Oct 11, 2021: Hygge in the neighborhood. Hygge is part of today’s micro.blog challenge.

Oct 11, 2021: M6.9 earthquake in Alaska registered on my RaspberryShake.

Oct 10, 2021: There’s now a Thai restaurant where I live! Pretty decent for a small town.

Oct 10, 2021: Last night’s constellation of the moon, Venus, and street light at one of the bridges over I-5.

Oct 9, 2021: I wouldn’t feel safe flying in that biplane! Almost as bad as a helicopter.

Oct 9, 2021: Celebrated mom’s birthday today with chicken fried steak (one of her favorites)! A great day.

Oct 9, 2021: Albums queue syncing between my iOS devices is effing amazing. Start a queue of albums on my iPhone, then effortlessly transition play on iPad (and …

Oct 8, 2021: A Feijoa sellowiana of ours got very stressed this summer because of a clogged irrigation emitter. It is now flowering out of season. A nice surprise.

Oct 8, 2021: At just about Civil Twilight tonight.

Oct 7, 2021: Here’s our resident Western Toad that’s likely en route to the compost pile. And yes, that’s toad scat in front of the toad. The toad has a circuit to …

Oct 7, 2021: Spice in the form of home grown assorted peppers. Turned these fine frozen specimens into hot sauce last weekend.

Oct 6, 2021: Our street is nicely obscured from the front yard by cultivated native California plants. They rarely get watered but has been more frequent the past …

Oct 5, 2021: I don’t consider this Fujifilm X100V a toy but it sure brings me a lot of joy. Most photos I’ve posted lately are from it. Except this one, of course.

Oct 4, 2021: Sharp looking (spotted bird?) grasshopper! It was resting in our California buckwheat.

Oct 3, 2021: A little bit of excitement at an over crossing today.

Oct 3, 2021: Our first backyard Spotted Towhee!

Oct 3, 2021: A majority onion tarte tartin. This tarte literally has the flavors of French Onion soup but this is so much better.

Oct 2, 2021: September 22, 2021: full moon after dark.

Oct 1, 2021: Our replacement rear fence got finishing touches today. Very excited to no longer have a very old fence threatening total collapse because its wood …

Oct 1, 2021: Just got this year’s flu shot! 💉

Sep 29, 2021: I just tried Fastmail’s and 1Password’s Masked email. It’s pretty great especially since it worked with a custom domain on day one!

Sep 27, 2021: Preying Mantis in our California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). They sure do keep two eyes on you.

Sep 26, 2021: Sunflower seeds ready to be eaten by backyard birds. Bet the scrub jays will cache them all.

Sep 25, 2021: I was not a fan of this Black Widow that was in my very well sorted irrigation parts bin earlier today. 🌱

Sep 25, 2021: I’ve installed valves to isolate our crop rows so we can have slightly better control of what rows get water. Hope to get herbs seeded in the first …

Sep 25, 2021: California fuchsias still blooming, and that makes our hummingbirds very pleased.

Sep 24, 2021: Now that I’m adding to our compost pile at night, our resident Western Toad can be seen hard at work. Mustn’t let the bugs get too far away from the …

Sep 24, 2021: My partner’s new iPhone 13 Mini setup with no fuss. Phew. Coming from an XR, she is super excited about its size. Super pocketable.

Sep 24, 2021: Here’s my annual “elderberries are breaking summer dormancy” post.

Sep 24, 2021: Before and after: California grape leaves.

Sep 21, 2021: I had one last use of Dropbox with a iOS Shortcut. Now that iOS 15 supports file operations anywhere in iCloud, Dropbox is a goner.

Sep 20, 2021: Quick temp fence repair. Someone long ago didn’t set the fence posts in concrete so they’ll all rotting out. It’s time for a new rear fence. Cross …

Sep 19, 2021: Long time followers know I cannot not take the opportunity to photograph a mantis.

Sep 19, 2021: If you use recent Fujifilm camera (e.g. X100V), they have neat film simulations. I’ve made a iOS 15 Shortcut that’ll get the film sim from EXIF of a …

Sep 19, 2021: Last night the clouds and last light of the sun put on a good show.

Sep 18, 2021: Korean Fried Cauliflower.

Sep 18, 2021: Cooler weather today meant I could finally cleanup the backyard garden. I can’t believe how hardy pepper plants are. Most were still alive despite a …

Sep 18, 2021: Good morning! The weather in Northern California is starting to feel like fall. 😍

Sep 17, 2021: I got a new stand-alone camera. I had forgotten just how powerful choosing your own f-stop is. Makes iPhone cameras feel cramped as they get faster …

Sep 12, 2021: Being up when it is dark now means we get to see The Infinity Toad.

Sep 12, 2021: I kept thinking that my elderberries are late waking up from summer dormancy but my log shows they wake up in early October. I’m impatient! 🌱

Sep 11, 2021: A Katydid visited and rested with us today.

Sep 10, 2021: Autumn.

Sep 10, 2021: Got 0.29” rain last night here in California 🤗 I’m quite happy that our rain gage survived the summer.

Sep 8, 2021: California fuchsias and hidden mantis in the front yard this morning.

Sep 7, 2021: Grapes are now turning to raisins but the birds still love them.

Sep 5, 2021: Mockingbird.

Sep 3, 2021: Really cool hearing a Spritualized song on Ted Lasso.

Sep 2, 2021: Our first grosbeak sighting! This is a Black-headed Grosbeak. It is eating our cultivated California native grapes.

Aug 31, 2021: I see Instagram is phasing me out as a user with their future requirement for date of birth. I can hardly trust anybody with that Personally …

Aug 30, 2021: If you live in California, please vote no on the recall of Governor Newsom. There’s literally no good reason to upend State government right …

Aug 15, 2021: Mockingbirds enjoying our grapes (these cultivated California native grapes are for the birds!).

Aug 11, 2021: Mockingbirds love our cultivated native grapes 🥰 It’s the best seeing them swallow a large grape whole. We’ve seen at least five in our backyard. They …

Aug 7, 2021: Homegrown Fantasia nectarines are amazing, even when still firm. Hope I can keep the tree that’s been planted for 1-year safe from beetles. 🌱

Aug 2, 2021: Still many small earthquakes occurring south of Black Butte mountain on the Mendocino NF. Impressive M3.7 today AND a M2.7 on the same @raspishake …

Aug 1, 2021: On 7/31, six small <= M3.0 quakes ocurred on the Mendocino NF near Rocky Basin Creek. All within hours of each other. The last cluster was …

Jul 29, 2021: My @raspishake captured the M8.2 Alaska earthquake. And then some. Wow.

Jul 25, 2021: So there’s been a cluster of small shallow quakes in a central part of the Mendocino National Forest the last couple of days and this is the largest …

Jul 25, 2021: We started pickling two almost full pint jars of Santa Fe peppers today. Turns out they’re not great for hot sauce as their flesh is pretty thin and …

Jul 24, 2021: We made our first batch of hot sauce the other weekend. Two pounds worth of home grown peppers made about 32 oz of sauce (we like a sauce that is …

Jul 24, 2021: It’s our first smoky day of the summer. The automatic air filtration device agrees with a bright LED and maximum power.

Jul 23, 2021: We have harvested around 6 pounds of peppers and there’s probably another pound on our plants. They were no longer setting fruit in our heat so we’ve …

Jul 18, 2021: I love fixing cracked main drip line tubing and a bad pressure regulator seal in 100°F weather. I took this as an opportunity to remove previous …

Jul 18, 2021: M5.1 earthquake south of Eureka, CA registered nicely on my RaspberryShake @raspishake though I definitely didn’t feel it (was asleep).

Jul 17, 2021: As far as I can find my county has a paltry 40% of its population fully vaccinated. That is very sad. So though I’m vaccinated, I’m still running …

Jul 11, 2021: So many ripe Serranos & other varieties. This is hands down our best year for peppers. It has taken many years of trial and error to get here. Hot …

Jul 10, 2021: Volunteer sunflower from this morning. It took advantage of an emitter and I’m a sucker for known flowering volunteers 🌱

Jul 8, 2021: Wow big seismic signal from near Tahoe and also the Central Valley‽ Recorded by my #RaspberryShake @raspishake #ShakeNet mobile app. I didn’t feel it. …

Jul 5, 2021: Edible garden update: we continue to harvest lots of red & ripe peppers for hot sauce. The tomatoes are basically done for the season at 195 …

Jul 4, 2021: Had a really good Independence Day fried chicken with a slaw based on real garlic aioli & ripe red Santa Fe peppers.

Jul 3, 2021: I like Sierra Nevada’s Summer Break. Citrusy as expected and not too hoppy. It’s very refreshing. Just don’t expect a lot of complexity (it is a solid …

Jul 3, 2021: The Annie Cat hoping neighbors don’t ruin her sleepy time with obnoxious fireworks this July 4.

Jul 2, 2021: Because of Safari’s new clearly bad UI changes, I’m not installing the public iOS and MacOS betas. Just listening to people talk about the new UI …

Jun 30, 2021: Tried Spotify again after a few years and it still is terrible for managing and listening to actual music libraries. Apple Music (my profile) is a …

Jun 27, 2021: Yesterday’s max temperature at my Orland, CA station was 115°F.

Jun 26, 2021: View of the backyard before we shelter indoors from the heat the rest of the day.

Jun 26, 2021: Covered up the avocados again in advance of today’s 110°F weather. Every time we do this it gets simpler and better. Wrapping the sheet around a …

Jun 25, 2021: Our peppers are now rapidly ripening. And they are crazy hot 🤤! 🌱

Jun 25, 2021: Windows 11 requires UEFI firmware. I use VMWare Fusion 12 Player (free) for Windows 10. Seems only VMWare Fusion 12 Pro can change firmware from BIOS …

Jun 22, 2021: The lapins cherry we planted last November is dead. It only grew a few leaves. Super bummed. Stark Bro’s is great & gave me a 125% store …

Jun 20, 2021: Last Monday, on the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon, we were lucky to see Spotted Towhees. They really blend in to their surroundings!

Jun 19, 2021: Last Sunday at Hoover Dam. Yes, Lake Meade is visibly very low (look at that bathtub ring!) and perhaps the dam is all the more impressive because if …

Jun 18, 2021: No surprise why I spent today processing raw photos. Cool that Carrot Weather can report on my weather station.

Jun 18, 2021: Big Horn Sheep seen from the Bright Angel Trail at Grand Canyon NP last Monday. The young one hopped up from below and surprised the hikers. Glad I …

Jun 18, 2021: 40 tomatoes harvested today at just over 7 pounds. During cooler weather a few weeks back they managed to set fruit, so lots more on the way. Our …

Jun 17, 2021: My first flight on a 737-MAX8. Yeah I’m a commercial aviation geek and it’s great to be back in the air.

Jun 15, 2021: Went to the Grand Canyon yesterday. Over 250 photos to sort through but here’s two photos from the Bright Angel Trail. Obligatory one of the canyon …

Jun 13, 2021: 20 months since my last flight. Happily flying on a 737-7H4.

Jun 12, 2021: Does anyone else get yearly free download speed increases from Comcast/Xfinity or are they giving rural areas more bandwidth to look better on paper? …

Jun 12, 2021: Six pounds of tomatoes harvested today. Total of 12 pounds this season. Ants have started aphid farming but hoping our mantises keep up! 🌱

Jun 12, 2021: Pandoc now available for M1 Macs via Homebrew The amazing document converter, Pandoc, is finally available from Homebrew for M1 Macs! So I’ve adjusted my journal workflow to be on my M1 Mac …

Jun 10, 2021: We harvested 2.5 pounds of tomatoes today. Almost 6 pounds total so far this season. We can’t use them that fast so many go in the freezer for future …

Jun 8, 2021: We have a crazy amount of tomatoes ripening all at once — this is just one plant. We have three more.😳 Marigolds we started from seed are finally …

Jun 8, 2021: I can hardly wait for Shortcuts on MacOS. That’s my favorite announcement from WWDC. Automator never clicked for me. I’m willing to wait so bugs …

Jun 6, 2021: First ripe backyard garden tomato of the year. 🌱🍅 There’ll be many more to come!

Jun 6, 2021: Cultivated California buckwheat (front yard) flowers being buzzed by a honeybee.

Jun 5, 2021: These Santa Fe peppers are prolific! They seem to be more resistant to disease than jalapeños. 🌱

Jun 5, 2021: I’ve always loved listening to entire albums, as is evidence by my iOS Shortcut to randomize complete albums in track order. I don’t need …

Jun 5, 2021: One variety of Cultivated California Fuchsias are full bloom in the front yard. This clump regularly blooms first, the others a month or two later.

Jun 3, 2021: This beneficial little mantis (and other excellent insects) is why we don’t use insecticide in our yards. 🌱

Jun 2, 2021: One day at 111°F in my sunny backyard and another at 105°F, and my Logitech Circle View doorbell has not overheated. Its circumstances: 24V 20VA …

Jun 2, 2021: Finished reading: City of Saints and Madmen (Ambergris, #1) by Jeff VanderMeer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚

Jun 1, 2021: Our fennel plants are managing fine in this 105°F+ heat. 🌱

May 31, 2021: Ooof. Though I have a suspicion my weather station measures higher than it should. It topped out at 111°F today.

May 31, 2021: That time of the year where we temporarily shade the avocado trees as they have a hard time taking up water fast enough during 105°F+ temperatures… …

May 30, 2021: Front yard cultivated California Buckwheat & a few butterflies (Coliadinae?). 🌱

May 30, 2021: Happy to say this sap sucking Leptoglossus zonatus is no longer suckling our tomato plants. 🌱

May 29, 2021: These jalapeños decided they had enough being outdoors and came right off the plant during inspection. They look fit to eat though are a little dried …

May 28, 2021: Not sure why the M4.2 Lake Tahoe earthquake event isn’t showing up in the RaspberryShake app but my Shake definitely detected it. I did not feel it.

May 26, 2021: Our oldest jalapeños are starting to ripen to red. We can’t get delicious ripe peppers from the local store so it is worth growing them. We’ve got a …

May 24, 2021: Front yard Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is flowering now. Small pollinators are rejoicing. Maybe this winter it’ll finally have bright red berries. …

May 23, 2021: Serrano & Santa Fe peppers are doing great and just a few dozen tomatoes with end rot. Jalapeños are quickly recovering from black spot. Thai …

May 22, 2021: Partner made Boston cream pie (dessert after an amazing ribeye). 🤤

May 22, 2021: First bloom of cultivated California fuchsias. The California buckwheat is about to start feeding pollinators. Toyon is next, though about a week …

May 22, 2021: My partner uses my Apple ID for apps and her own for iCloud. When I changed my Apple ID email, her (my) App Store Apple ID seamlessly switched over. …

May 21, 2021: I just changed my Apple ID email address. That was scary. I think everything is fine? Took a bit of device coercing. Some needed complete log-offs, …

May 20, 2021: Western redbud has to share soil with a bird planted sunflower.

May 17, 2021: I think we are having a bumper crop of figs this year. Oh and we did find some tomatoes with end rot but seems localized for now. We likely added …

May 16, 2021: Front yard California fuchsias (or maybe the buckwheat or the toyon) are next to flower. Our fuchsias and buckwheat can flower all summer into fall …

May 16, 2021: YesPlz #129 nailed our preferred roast (medium-ish). First time with YesPlz. Was well balanced and not overly acidic. YesPlz (weekend roast) on the …

May 15, 2021: I created a shuffle albums Shortcut a while back. It’s now retired for the iOS Albums app. It’s great with its focus on albums and I love its …

May 15, 2021: With the latest iOS, if a martini is in my face, Apple Watch unlocks my phone 🤗

May 15, 2021: Ensalada Hybrid Tomatoes are doing extremely well in Orland, CA. No sign of end rot or any disease. 🌱

May 14, 2021: Santa Fe pepper flower and a young Santa Fe pepper. We did get a bit of bacterial spot (?) on the jalapeño plants but that seems to have winked out. 🌱 …

May 13, 2021: Got a new work truck today. Looking forward to breaking it in next week. Hope it handles as well as or better than the last rig 🤞

May 11, 2021: Pineapple Guavas (Feijoa sellowiana) are flowering. Perhaps this year they’ll fruit.

May 10, 2021: Our cultivated native California Grapes are coming along very nicely. Same can’t be said for our new cherry tree (more on that later perhaps) 🌱

May 9, 2021: California Corn Lilies contrast with a burned Forest. There’s possibly shallow groundwater below this patch.

May 9, 2021: A Shooting Star (Primula) flower in the August Complex burn area about 1/4 mile north below the summit of Black Butte.

May 8, 2021: iNaturalist hasn’t confirmed but these purple flowers appear to be Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) near the cirque & summit of Black Butte in the …

May 7, 2021: Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum) from near the summit of Black Butte in California’s northern Coast Range. Rocks always make a photo …

May 7, 2021: M4.7 earthquake near Truckee, CA on May 6 at 21:35 was recorded on my #RaspberryShake. I did not feel it.

May 6, 2021: Finally had a chance to visit the summit of Black Butte on the Mendocino NF. About time. A geologist’s wonderland: several identifiable glacial …

May 4, 2021: First bloom of the peppers. Serranos in this case. 🌱

May 2, 2021: When the gusty winds are trying to uproot the top heavy tomatoes, one must get creative to save them. 🌱🍅

May 2, 2021: Can’t wait for For All Mankind season 3. Ridiculously good 2nd season 😳

May 1, 2021: Fairly rare earthquake (M3.0) in Chico, CA today at 11:26PDT. The #RaspberryShake managed to record it though I didn’t feel it 😕 I just noticed it …

May 1, 2021: I’ve thinned at least a dozen nectarines off this young tree. This “Fantasia” Nectarine is incredibly fruitful. 🌳🌱

Apr 30, 2021: Japan — was that you, M6.8‽ #RaspberryShake

Apr 27, 2021: Tomatoes are incoming! 🌱

Apr 26, 2021: Cultivated California Wild Grapes are looking great after a heavy prune. I always forget to take before photos 🌱

Apr 25, 2021: Biiig kitten stretch!

Apr 25, 2021: And here’s the follow-up @raspishake graphic of the M3.7 at Lake Tahoe.

Apr 25, 2021: I really enjoy how Shadow and Bone (on Netflix) has integrated Six of Crows. Very smart.

Apr 25, 2021: The M3.8 Earthquake near Incline Village, CA at 15:33 UTC/08:33 PDT isn’t yet on the RaspberryShake app but it may well have been recorded by my …

Apr 24, 2021: Peppers and tomatoes got their second Jobes fertilization today in advance of likely rain. We really don’t want end rot on our fruit! Flowers should …

Apr 24, 2021: Going to be starting Shadow and Bone on Netflix today. Really good books by Leigh Bardugo.

Apr 24, 2021: M6.5 Tonga earthquake registered on my #RaspberryShake - first non-local earthquake I’ve seen recorded! Took 12 minutes for the seismic waves to hit …

Apr 23, 2021: My #RaspberryShake detected a M3.9 earthquake in the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone just northwest of Lake Pillsbury in the Mendocino National Forest. I …

Apr 22, 2021: Might be a Copestylum mexicanum (Mexican cactus fly). If so, it is fittingly on a cultivated California wild rose flower.

Apr 20, 2021: I just noticed there was another small M2.8 earthquake near Willows, CA last night. This was also clearly detected by my #RaspberryShake — so cool.

Apr 19, 2021: Now that is a clear, unambiguous seismic signal! M3.7 near Willows, CA. I didn’t feel it. #RaspberryShake

Apr 19, 2021: Our back porch grapes look awesome this year! The fullest they’ve ever been.

Apr 18, 2021: The humble shrub that’s predicting a terrible fire season The humble shrub that’s predicting a terrible fire season. I like the rust color of dried out chamise flowers. I don’t like where this fire …

Apr 17, 2021: Peppers and tomatoes garden update: tomatoes are flowering and peppers are finally growing post-transplant. The Drip Depot crop row irrigation kit is …

Apr 17, 2021: Our mandarin tree is in full bloom. 🌱🌳

Apr 17, 2021: While adding 1/2 GPH drip to the backyard Ceanothus plants, spotted this glorious lizard doing its thing on our largest Ceanothus. 🌱💚

Apr 16, 2021: MeteoBridge Email Weather Alerts & FastMail MeteoBridge reports my weather station data to all sorts of services. To be rid of IFTTT, I finally set MeteoBridge up to send an email if certain …

Apr 15, 2021: The “Fantasia” nectarines are coming along. First ever crop. We’ve had to thin a dozen or so because its branches are too young. We’ll thin more soon. …

Apr 12, 2021: iOS Shortcut: RaspberryShake Helicorder 24 Hour PDT Plot I’ve a RaspberryShake that serves up helicorder plots. By default, they’re in UTC. My brain isn’t yet wired to convert UTC to PDT (my local time). So …

Apr 11, 2021: Front yard update. Poppies are now blooming, joining the creeping sage and the Ceanothus (California Lilac). 🌱

Apr 10, 2021: Backyard Elderberries are seeking pollinators.

Apr 7, 2021: Our “Bacon” Avocado tree is blooming basically right on time as compared to last year on April 11th. It has yet to produce any fruit and it is …

Apr 4, 2021: It’s been well over a year since since we last saw lizards in our backyard. I blame outdoor cats. These are alligator lizards and I’ve spotted them …

Apr 3, 2021: This seems like a legit earthquake signal. Happened in the middle of the night April 2nd so cultural noise is minimal. #Earthquake recorded on the …

Apr 2, 2021: I just hooked up one more drip line to the little Antelco eZyvalve valve box. I think I’m done for the season reconfiguring our drip system. Time to …

Apr 1, 2021: Spring mornings in our front yard. Sage and Ceanothus are in full bloom. 💚🌱

Mar 31, 2021: Our native California grapes have been very busy over the last week! 🌱

Mar 30, 2021: This morning, two Northern Mockingbirds briefly hung out on our backyard patio. It seems super rare to see a pair of them.

Mar 28, 2021: We planted all our indoor pepper and tomato starts. The Serranos looked most distressed prior to transplant 🤞🌱

Mar 28, 2021: iOS Shortcut: RaspberryShake Helicorder 24 Hour Plot I rapidly made a iOS 14 Shortcut that automatically pulls the last 24 hours of helicorder plots from your #RaspberryShake (it assumes a rs.local …

Mar 27, 2021: I just installed this Antelco eZyvalve 4 Zone Valve Box. I’m very pleased so far. We’ll see how durable and long lasting it is. I’ll be connecting …

Mar 26, 2021: I used the Controller app to create an automation that triggers upon press of my Logitech doorbell button. Then I converted it to a Shortcut so that …

Mar 25, 2021: Ceanothus (California lilac) is magnificently blooming. 🌱

Mar 20, 2021: Row Crop irrigation kit from Drip Depot installed. Really pleased with this so far. I need to stake the tubes in a bit. Will be planting in a week or …

Mar 19, 2021: Currently reading: 1Q84 (Vintage International) by Haruki Murakami 📚

Mar 18, 2021: Finished reading: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin ★★★★★ 📚. I honestly could barely put the book down to sleep. Super.

Mar 18, 2021: J&J Vaccine ✅ thanks, quick call list!!

Mar 17, 2021: The nectarine is about to start shedding its flowers. Leaves are growing. Since it is pretty young starting its second year in the ground, I’ll be …

Mar 16, 2021: A slow, rolling bloom for the apricot this year. It didn’t fruit at all last year. Here’s hoping for a fruitful year. (it has fruited before so we …

Mar 14, 2021: In-flight water drops.

Mar 14, 2021: Twitter Feeds in the latest NetNewsWire 6 beta are great. The key is to be really choosy.

Mar 13, 2021: The monster alligator lizard in the shed still lives! Maybe 6 inches long. Been well over a year since last seen.

Mar 13, 2021: Facebook/Instagram Harvests Location Metadata Before Stripping for Posts I always expected this: Facebook/Instagram harvests photo location metadata before removing it for posts. That data is added to the poster’s data …

Mar 12, 2021: Took a Potensic D58 drone photo today of the backyard (bottom photo) to compare against January 2020 (top photo). Looking real nice. Fun to have …

Mar 11, 2021: We’re finally eating our backyard Valencia oranges. Sooo good. 🍊🌳🌱

Mar 10, 2021: We got some pea-sized hail today!

Mar 9, 2021: Currently reading: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 📚

Mar 8, 2021: I finished reading: The Power by Naomi Alderman ★★★★★ 📚

Mar 8, 2021: How it started (Mar 2020) and how it’s going (Mar 2021) in the backyard. All lawn is removed! Garden rows are ready for our indoor started peppers and …

Mar 7, 2021: Sunday dinner: Sous vide Arm Roast followed by Boston Cream Pie.

Mar 7, 2021: Slowly preparing the backyard garden rows over the past few months 😅 Almost time to plant the peppers, tomatoes, and direct sow the herbs. No more …

Mar 6, 2021: This is quite the year for catchweed (aka bedstraw aka genus Galium). It is everywhere! It even manages to grow in thick mulch with impressively long …

Mar 6, 2021: Our “Bacon” Avocado flower buds are developing nicely. Also, the fig is waking up. 🌱🌳

Mar 4, 2021: First apricot bloom. Hopefully, as in past years, far more will follow. Figure this flower puts pollinators on notice. 🌳🌱

Mar 3, 2021: The front yard blue oak has awakened! 🌱

Mar 2, 2021: This should be my last nectarine flower photo. This year. 🌳🌱

Mar 2, 2021: Easiest way to deal with (perhaps) hundreds of mandarins once ripe: juice them. These have brightened to very red-orange I wonder if they are closer …

Feb 28, 2021: The nectarine is up and at ‘em with many glorious blooms. 🌱🌳

Feb 27, 2021: Pompasetting nectarine.

Feb 26, 2021: Not my favourite 3/4”-minus gravel as the rocks definitely didn’t come from rivers with their headwaters in the California Nothern Coast Range but …

Feb 25, 2021: One of these days I’ll paint the PVC pipe to hide my poor PVC cementing job and a few barcodes. 🌱

Feb 25, 2021: First bloom today of our nectarine! 🌳 🌱

Feb 24, 2021: In 2012 our baby kitten (aka The Annie Cat) was just as clumsy as she is today (though she is more cautious now).

Feb 23, 2021: A banana slug from a 2010 trip to Jug Handle State Reserve, California (the north coast).

Feb 22, 2021: Got a warm spell in California so now I expect the nectarine to bloom any day now. The local almond trees already have.🌳🌱

Feb 21, 2021: There are so many colors in a landslide. This slide complex is at Bar Creek on the Mendocino NF, dropping a main road a dozen or so feet and topping …

Feb 20, 2021: Currently reading: The Power by Naomi Alderman 📚

Feb 20, 2021: Started prepping the garden rows today. Great weather and perfect soil moisture. Was surprised how well the electric tiller did. 🌱

Feb 20, 2021: I’m experimenting with HomeKit Automations converted to Shortcuts. This one, when a Home member arrives, will turn on a welcome light if the Logitech …

Feb 20, 2021: This morning: the most symmetrical Dutch baby we’ve ever had.

Feb 19, 2021: I finished reading The child finder by Rene Denfeld ★★★★ 📚

Feb 19, 2021: The peppers and tomatoes are still alive and growing fast. The tomatoes might get root bound sooner than we’d prefer… 🌱

Feb 18, 2021: Today, at home, the spice drawer was cleaned out and organized.

Feb 17, 2021: The Fantasia nectarine (planted Jan 2020) is still in swollen bud stage. Has been for days. It’s sooo close to blooming. Here’s hoping it’ll produce …

Feb 16, 2021: Look, I put a pressure gauge on the new hose bibb! I must be an erudite of irrigation systems. 🙃

Feb 15, 2021: Korean cheese buldak for dinner tonight. Chicken in a hot chili sauce covered with mozzarella 🌶🌶🌶🌶 😋

Feb 15, 2021: Mount Lassen’s reflection upon Juniper Lake in summer of 2016.

Feb 15, 2021: I pressure checked the new hose bibb this morning; it had a slow leak at the valve threads & PVC adapter. Tightening made it worse, so after …

Feb 14, 2021: Front yard update: the manzanitas are in full bloom! The poppies are trying to take over. Waiting on the Ceanothus (California lilac) to bloom… …

Feb 14, 2021: I installed a new hose spigot on an old PVC waterline today. I’m trying to have the patience to give the PVC joints lots of time to cure before …

Feb 14, 2021: Have compassion for your neighborhood birbs and borbs. They may help you relax a bit as you gaze at their theatrics.

Feb 13, 2021: Someday we’ll figure out how to make rice noodles right. Did a bunch of experiments today and almost got there. We just want perfect Drunken Noodles …

Feb 13, 2021: Hello, probably Spruce. Put on some good growth this year, yeah? You weren’t invited, you’re kind of a weed, but I like you anyway.

Feb 13, 2021: Got to make the rock rings around the citrus trees larger so drip emitters can be moved back for better root growth. Also may help with frost as the …

Feb 12, 2021: Happy Lunar New Year 🧧

Feb 12, 2021: Sporg! A pipe to nowhere 😋

Feb 11, 2021: A cozy sleeping machine. Yeah she’s awake. She can sense when the camera comes out to give the stink eye.

Feb 10, 2021: Currently reading: The child finder by Rene Denfeld 📚

Feb 10, 2021: Energy makes growing peppers & tomatoes in the winter possible. Got lots of jalapeños, serranos, santa fe, and a variety of tomatoe. We’ll …

Feb 9, 2021: I finished City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab ★★★★ 📚

Feb 9, 2021: Mud Creek, CA south of Mt. Shasta after a pretty intense debris flow in 2014. The deposits are muddy and full of variously sized rocks and other …

Feb 8, 2021: Got a lot of hope for these little peppers and tomatoes! 🌱

Feb 7, 2021: For Sunday breakfast, my partner made rösti with Swiss cheese in the middle and a sunny-side up egg on top. For Sunday dinner, my partner made …

Feb 7, 2021: We’re craving Manzanita flower blooms in the front yard. Almost there… 🌱

Feb 6, 2021: Beef tenderloin filets getting the royal treatment of butter basting. Cooked to medium rare.

Feb 6, 2021: Our first front yard daffodil flower of 2021. Bloomed about two weeks later than last year (Jan 24, 2020). A small pollinator is already taking …

Feb 6, 2021: Apple Photos thinks eating campfire roasted marshmallows off a metal stick is a sport. I agree.

Feb 5, 2021: Pets are the best since they always find new unexpected ways to delight, unknowingly helping their stressed out humans!

Feb 4, 2021: Back in 2013 we half-heartedly grew corn. We got so excited over the seemingly nice looking ears of corn. We peeled back the layers of husk and …

Feb 3, 2021: Cats are pros at comfort.

Feb 2, 2021: Currently reading: City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab 📚

Feb 2, 2021: I finished The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I’m sooo looking forward to the next book in this series. ★★★★★ 📚

Feb 2, 2021: A screensaver with the best most relaxing photos and a nice hot morning beverage to start the day.

Feb 1, 2021: Close up of a Meyer Lemon still on the tree. 😋

Jan 31, 2021: Tomato sprouts all day today! Peppers should be next. 🌱

Jan 31, 2021: Lemon grass is overwintering nicely. This time we dug up the plant to include roots. Last year we rooted a few stalks in water; here’s its progeny 👌 …

Jan 31, 2021: We have a lot of citrus in the backyard: mandarins, Meyer lemons, and Valencias. This means it is time for Alton Brown’s Acid Jellies! We don’t coat …

Jan 30, 2021: Gorgeous today at Burris Creek in Northern California.

Jan 29, 2021: White Crown borb soaking in the warmth of a cinder block & preening outside the slider.

Jan 24, 2021: Here’s my iOS Shortcut that uses ShellFish App to show all journals over the years written “On This Day”. I’m pretty pleased with it. You’ll see it …

Jan 23, 2021: Secure ShellFish for iOS is wonderful. Its shortcut functions allowed me to create a Shortcut that shows all journals written “On This Day” from my …

Jan 23, 2021: Last year we successfully grew peppers by direct sowing mid-Spring. Today we’re starting plants from seed indoors. Mostly peppers: Thai, Serrano, …

Jan 23, 2021: Dutch baby for breakfast. It is really great with Meyer lemons (from the backyard tree; which is great as we can’t get Meyers in town).

Jan 20, 2021: Today was a very, very good day. 🇺🇸

Jan 18, 2021: Possibly a Cooper’s Hawk casing out bird feeder and really freaking out the House Sparrows and White Crowns. We’re honored to have a hawk visit our …

Jan 17, 2021: Pruned the apricot today. I only kind of know what I’m doing. It looks about right to me. Every year I open it up a bit more and reduce its height. I …

Jan 17, 2021: Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day: Today, Religious Freedom Day, is a symbol of that commitment — and a reminder that the …

Jan 16, 2021: My partner is making beef salami but this time with added pork fat and more spices— the last batch was too dry and too smoky (will smoke less this …

Jan 16, 2021: A Peaceable Washington D.C. in 2015 I’ve been looking through photos of my work trip to Washington D.C. in 2015. Insurrection against the Constitution at the Capitol was not a thought …

Jan 11, 2021: Currently reading: Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 📚

Jan 10, 2021: Bibimbap!!

Jan 10, 2021: Lesser Gold Finch picking at raisins that are softened from the rain and dew.

Jan 9, 2021: Finished reading: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor ★★★★★ – pretty dang original! 📚

Jan 9, 2021: I’m team pocket universe. It’s bigger inside. Spoilers in this linked article. Star Trek: Discovery’s Turbolifts Defy Logic - CBR

Jan 9, 2021: Installed Logitech Circle View Doorbell Chime-Kit and Hardware Doorbell Chime Why did I decide to install the chime-kit and doorbell chime after I installed the Logitech doorbell (and it worked fine)? Netatmo released their …

Jan 2, 2021: Logitech Circle View Doorbell and new transformer w/junction box successfully installed! I replaced an unused garage outlet with a proper junction box …

Jan 1, 2021: I routed the new doorbell wire from the garage, along the foundation tucked under the sheathing, then up the hollow frame of a security door, then …

Jan 1, 2021: Backlit senescing cultivated hybridized California grapes (“Roger’s Red”). So far the Northern Mockingbirds are its prime visitors for raisins. We’ve …

Jan 1, 2021: Logitech Circle View Doorbell Initial Thoughts Got a Logitech Circle View doorbell. I haven’t mounted it yet but I’m already pretty happy with it after setting it up and testing it. It can power up …

Dec 31, 2020: Apple is successfully getting me to put HomePod Minis all over my house. Bought one, liked it for my smaller rooms, so I’m slowly adding more. …

Dec 28, 2020: I installed a Lutron Caseta in-wall dimmer switch for the hallway today. Before it was wired as a 3-way so one switch is now a wired dimmer and the …

Dec 27, 2020: Currently reading: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor 📚

Dec 27, 2020: Earthquake M 3.8 - 16km ESE of Willows, CA Earthquake M 3.8 - 16km ESE of Willows, CA: well, I heard a quick shifting/crack-like sound from the house reacting from this earthquake and that was …

Dec 26, 2020: Finished reading: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman ★★★★★ 📚

Dec 26, 2020: Annual chest freezer de-icing, cleaning, inventory, and organizing. This year it’s especially important since we’re about to get a 1/2 Table Mountain …

Dec 25, 2020: We had a lot of left over brisket so some went into disco fries.

Dec 24, 2020: Tonight’s brisket prepared by my partner using Sous Vide for literally fork tender meat and then finished with convection bake for decadent …

Dec 24, 2020: My New Markdown Editing and Preview Apps MultiMarkdown Composer and Marked 2 fit my Markdown needs perfectly. One key item is that I can drag a photo into the MultiMarkdown window and …

Dec 23, 2020: Automating Deselection and Unchecking of Twitter Interests - EvilTester.com Automating Deselection and Unchecking of Twitter Interests - EvilTester.com: The final JavaScript works to automatically deselect Twitter ad …

Dec 23, 2020: I like Apple Fitness+. HIIT workouts are accessible for a newbie. The trainers make me feel at ease and not judged (it’s irrational). I exercise daily …

Dec 21, 2020: The preceding sunset was way more picturesque than Jupiter and Saturn 😜

Dec 21, 2020: Here’s Jupiter and Saturn through a pair of high powered 9x63 binoculars.

Dec 20, 2020: A benefit of not having anyone over for Christmas dinner is we can do wild, special food experiments. So we’re making Sous Vide Smoked Brisket for …

Dec 20, 2020: The front yard California fuchsias (Epilobium canum) are still flowering and providing forage to the hummingbirds. I really need to cut these back …

Dec 18, 2020: And here’s the final caramel. They’re perfect. 🤗

Dec 18, 2020: Annual caramel making. These seem 👌and perfectly plastic. Here’s a series of photos showing sugar mixture color at ~300°F, 320°F, near 340°F, after …

Dec 15, 2020: Black Phoebe! These flycatchers are elusive in our backyard.

Dec 13, 2020: Unidentified hummingbird enjoying rosemary flowers today. Maybe a Black Chin. Doesn’t seem to have the colorations of an Anna’s.

Dec 12, 2020: Split Pea Soup made with a ham hock! Love the cold season 🥰

Dec 12, 2020: Just watched the latest Star Trek: Discovery. Did not expect these twists! 😲Helps I don’t watch the “Next Time…” scenes. 🖖

Dec 12, 2020: House Sparrows frenetically bathing under the mandarin this morning.

Dec 11, 2020: Giant exhale.

Dec 11, 2020: Front yard: today and April 19. I cleaned up a lot of it today. This yard of cultivated native plants is so much more rewarding than a lawn.

Dec 9, 2020: Pulling out grass from the cultivated native sage is exhausting. At least I’m perfumed with sage now.

Dec 6, 2020: Currently reading: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman 📚

Dec 6, 2020: The Annie Cat maximizing sunlight.

Dec 5, 2020: Last year this was not our view into the backyard from the house. Now we regularly see White Crowns, House Sparrows, European Collared Doves, Scrub …

Dec 3, 2020: New bird in our backyard! Yellow-rumped Warbler. A pair was feasting on our cultivated California Grapes that now have raisins.

Dec 2, 2020: Finished reading: Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer ★★★★☆📚

Dec 2, 2020: December 2nd, 2013: at the Dresden Christmas Market.

Nov 29, 2020: Partner made Naan today (along with Turkey Tikka Masala).

Nov 29, 2020: macOS Big Sur TimeMachine and Bootable External Drives If you have any bootable APFS containers on an external drive, macOS Big Sur will not allow you to assign any of the containers on that drive to …

Nov 27, 2020: Stuffing waffles. So crispy & savory.

Nov 27, 2020: Mandarins and Meyer Lemons are ripening nicely. Maybe one more month until the Mandarins are sweet enough.

Nov 26, 2020: Leftovers 🎉. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Nov 26, 2020: Alice’s Restaurant, a Thanksgiving tradition: music.apple.com

Nov 26, 2020: The makings of Thanksgiving dinner for a couple is bread for stuffing and Turkey stock for just about everything. My partner is very busy; I don’t …

Nov 25, 2020: Pecan Squares instead of Peacan Pie. And as we’re not having Thanksgiving with anyone, dessert is a day early! 😋

Nov 22, 2020: Sunset during our isolation vacation at the North Coast of California.

Nov 22, 2020: Fox Sparrows (?) enjoying the cultivated California Grape raisins. We’ve also perhaps identified House Finches… in addition to the many White …

Nov 22, 2020: New M1 Mac Mini on the way I bought a new M1 Mac Mini, 8gb RAM with 1 TB SSD for home server duties and testing software (like Homebrew) I need for a non-server machine. I’ve …

Nov 20, 2020: Cistus × purpureus (Purple-flowered Rock-rose)

Nov 19, 2020: We brought ribeyes and a cast-iron with us (and the rest of what’s on the plate. Yeah that’s canned baked beans, so what?)👌

Nov 19, 2020: Hot chocolate on the North Coast of California.

Nov 19, 2020: Moonlight over the Pacific. Above the moon, Jupiter and then Saturn.

Nov 18, 2020: Sundown at Trinidad, California. We’re hunkered down here for a few nights, completely self-sufficient and not likely to go anywhere. Not a bad choice …

Nov 17, 2020: Good morning. This morning’s sun rise almost makes up for my neighbor being obsessive with their sheet metal shelters and sheds.

Nov 16, 2020: I’m very thankful that my family is supportive of not getting together for Thanksgiving and very likely Christmas. We’ve so much hope for next year …

Nov 15, 2020: I tested my journaling workflow in Big Sur on a secondary Mac and it worked. So I couldn’t help myself and, despite SuperDuper! not being ready …

Nov 15, 2020: The Results of the 2020 Home Orchard Fixed Daily Watering Experiment This last orchard growing season, Iwatered using daily fixed schedules that took into account average daily evapotranspiration and estimated daily …

Nov 14, 2020: Joint Statement by President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris On Diwali, the Festival of Lights: But Diwali is ultimately a …

Nov 13, 2020: Toad in our bird bath tonight. That’s a first. We usually empty the baths to keep mosquitoes at bay and keep cats from being too keen on the backyard …

Nov 11, 2020: Planted a New Cherry Tree Today I planted a replacement Lapins Cherry today. Bought it from Stark Bro’s and it has a great unblemished, no prune cut trunk. That is never the case if …

Nov 8, 2020: Pumpkin pie! And rump roast. Sunday is the best.

Nov 8, 2020: The rainy season in California is right around the corner, so I just cleaned the rain gage & other weather station components of summer’s dust and …

Nov 7, 2020: Today’s celebratory homemade sourdough loaf and Prosecco

Nov 7, 2020: Tearing up here. Biden & Harris wins.

Nov 4, 2020: Since November 2nd I’ve stayed away from Twitter & Instagram. Feels kind of nice. Getting some mileage out of Apple Arcade for distraction.

Nov 3, 2020: I’m looking forward to winter. Summer was far too long.

Nov 2, 2020: I accidentally trashed my Windows 10 Virtual Machine and thought it was a total loss with no backup. Two weeks later I realized I had a SuperDuper! …

Nov 2, 2020: For today and a while after the election, Twitter & Instagram apps are removed from my devices. So far I’m avoiding their web counterparts. …

Oct 29, 2020: Dark-Eyed Junco (Oregon) in the backyard! Had to photograph it through binoculars.

Oct 27, 2020: Northern Mockingbird in our backyard. They’re not nearly as brave as the scrub jays but they’re using our backyard more and more.

Oct 25, 2020: Got two volunteer conifer seedlings in the backyard — their needles are roundish and pointy, not in clusters. Thinking maybe spruce? 🧐 We’re …

Oct 24, 2020: PowerPhotos is worth the cost alone for trashing duplicate photos in a MacOS/iCloud Photo Library. I’m curious about using it to move legacy scanned …

Oct 22, 2020: Started reading: Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer 📚

Oct 18, 2020: TBH, Fall is grilling season here.

Oct 18, 2020: A happy scrub jay feasting on some big bird seeds.

Oct 17, 2020: Gorgeous loaf of homemade sourdough.

Oct 17, 2020: Tore out the bark beetle infested Lapins Cherry today. It was half dead by beetles girdling it. In November we’ll put in a new Lapins Cherry from …

Oct 15, 2020: Our dropped off California ballots were collected and accepted. I get very anxious when signing — afraid of signing it wrong. I practice a bit first.

Oct 14, 2020: On iPhone 12: I love the telephoto lens so I’ll wait for the 2.5x camera or better to migrate down into the iPhone Pro from the Max. The Max is a …

Oct 12, 2020: Saved this gorgeous western alligator lizard this morning from a murderous outdoor cat. It was cold, on its back, and sluggish (very vulnerable) when …

Oct 11, 2020: Siri Shortcut for Meteobridge Weather Report If you have a weather station with Meteobridge, I’ve made a iOS Siri Shortcut so Siri can tell you about current conditions. You can tweak the weather …

Oct 10, 2020: Backyard cultivated native elderberries decided summer is over! Yay!

Oct 10, 2020: My typical workflow: here’s a thing I need to do. Hm. That seems more difficult than expected. What’s easier than that? And easier than that? No, …

Oct 10, 2020: Just voted🇺🇸

Oct 9, 2020: The Annie Cat has seasons. She only uses the wool bed during the cold season.

Oct 8, 2020: Lemongrass came back this year after dying back over winter (we also took cuttings over winter and one managed to take). So here’s homemade lemongrass …

Oct 8, 2020: Franciscan Assemblage. Mendocino NF. ❤️

Oct 8, 2020: Been a few years since we first wanted to mulch the backyard. Weather got nice so here we go with 10 cu yd of chips!

Oct 7, 2020: We made roasted hot pepper sauce recently. A mix of jalapeños, anaheims, serranos and yellow wax peppers (more orange red upon ripening)👌 Worth the …

Sep 21, 2020: For iOS 14 Shortcuts, seems the volume control function for AirPlay devices is only reliable after the audio begins. So for a DarkNoise shortcut, it …

Sep 20, 2020: Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Chicken With Broccoli is pretty good. We added Gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) for extra heat. Would recommend serving as a …

Sep 20, 2020: Tess of the Road was excellent so now reading where it all started: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 📚

Sep 19, 2020: Billions of almonds waiting to be hulled.

Sep 16, 2020: Western Toad finally makes a reappearance in the backyard and it has GROWN. Wish I had something for scale.

Sep 13, 2020: The Annie Cat is so displeased that the game controller isn’t working right.

Sep 12, 2020: Excellent sourdough shape, crumb, and pretty good flavor (48 hour refrigerator proof).

Sep 12, 2020: Accidentally scrolled to the bottom of Sunlit app credits 😉

Sep 9, 2020: Today’s obligatory wildfire smoke scene. Halide app made it dead easy to override auto white balance.

Sep 8, 2020: Winds started after midnight here and dramatically warmed the air from ~75 to ~87°F. Likely katabatic winds.

Sep 7, 2020: Blue Jay yelling at everything this afternoon. Maybe it’s angry at the wildfire smoke.

Sep 6, 2020: Can confirm.

Sep 6, 2020: Oof.

Sep 6, 2020: Good morning: light of sunrise reflecting off the smoke.

Sep 5, 2020: Today starts an oppressive heat wave. At least the humidity is low. The smoke from California fires is thin today so not getting much help from it.

Sep 4, 2020: A scrub jay checking out the new bird feeder. Birds haven’t taken to it yet. They’re still eating grapes and desiccated elderberries.

Sep 3, 2020: Finished The City We Became (great book) and now currently reading: Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman 📚

Sep 3, 2020: August Complex smoke this afternoon. Silver lining is the smoke cooled the air temperature down several degrees.

Sep 2, 2020:

Sep 1, 2020: Our trio of Scrub Jays are leaving almond hulls behind. Maybe they’re giving us gifts for providing water? We do compost….

Aug 31, 2020: We love this homemade smoked beef salami — could use a bit more paprika but great first try.

Aug 30, 2020: A day of discovery making salami for the first time with a smoker we were given. Smells and looks great but it may be a bit loose.

Aug 29, 2020: Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt is an excellent recipe — those with lower spice tolerance may want to drizzle the …

Aug 29, 2020: Still currently reading: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin – and enjoying it! Making me look through my photos of New York. Oh look, …

Aug 29, 2020: Large ash flake that landed in my safe backyard — over a dozen miles away from the August Complex on the Mendocino National Forest. This had a lot of …

Aug 28, 2020: Nothing but pleasant emotions with a view like this. I wish this were my backyard but so glad I had the presence of mind to take this photo. Hidden …

Aug 27, 2020: Overcome a poorly seasoned cast iron pan by cooking lots of fatty things like Guanciale.

Aug 26, 2020: The Annie Cat is not always relentless at being judgy. Sometimes she looks borderline benevolent.

Aug 25, 2020: Here’s some hope that our trio of Scrub Jays will eat our cultivated California native grapes.

Aug 24, 2020: Frosty garden grown hot peppers (from the freezer) about to become hot sauce. We harvest over the summer and freeze until ready.

Aug 23, 2020: In mid-2016 we discovered this graceful Silk Moth at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, CA.

Aug 23, 2020: I dislike Instagram’s new suggested posts. It is a new source of anxiety in that I might see something I try to avoid. Instagram is in solid FB …

Aug 22, 2020: This last week was insane and that is why I posted the Sourdough Dashi Scallion Pancakes twice for the micro.blog August challenge. Is that cheating? …

Aug 22, 2020: VMware Fusion 12 Player It is pretty awesome that VMware Fusion Player is replacing VMware Fusion Standard and Player is free for personal use. This is weird to me since I …

Aug 22, 2020: This perch is pretty much The Annie Cat’s summer home during the day.

Aug 21, 2020: Sourdough Dashi Scallion Pancakes from last weekend had some serious crunch. A bit salty but very tasty. Perhaps use a bit less Dashi next time.

Aug 20, 2020: Wish I could change today’s cooler smokey summer day to a rainy winter day. The August Complex fires are insane.

Aug 19, 2020: Metallic ribbon and a fake bird of prey truly keeps the birds away from our figs.

Aug 18, 2020: Falafel on a grid.

Aug 17, 2020: This western milkweed bug stuffing itself into the eye of the Brown Turkey Fig is decidedly not cuddly and I do not like them ruining my figs! We …

Aug 16, 2020: Likely the plume of the Doe Fire on the Mendocino National Forest.

Aug 16, 2020: Currently reading: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin. I’ve had this book on library hold for months. The eBook finally became available in …

Aug 16, 2020: Read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsym Muir. ★★★★☆ The novel meandered a bit but was thoroughly enjoyable. Its prose took a little bit to get used to. I look …

Aug 16, 2020: These Sourdough Dashi Scallion crepes were not stationary for long.

Aug 16, 2020: Unusual weather in NorCal but it is keeping daytime temps cooler than yesterday. The overnight low was about 80°. It is currently 81°. Lightning to …

Aug 15, 2020: The cultivated native plants likely needed some morning water for this California heatwave. It’s like a furnace vent out there.

Aug 15, 2020: The Annie Cat in silhouette.

Aug 14, 2020: Peppers among peppers. Nachos for dinner tonight. The red jalapeño and yellow wax peppers were home grown.

Aug 13, 2020: With the incoming heatwave in California, we will filter out direct sunlight to help keep these little avocado trees from scorching to death. Also: …

Aug 12, 2020: West Point Light House on the Puget Sound. During a trip to visit friends Mid–2016.

Aug 11, 2020: SFO, August 2009: when 747s were still fairly popular for long haul transport. I’ve never flown on one 😞

Aug 10, 2020: Looking out at set of creepy toothy, grinning windows (dormers?) from Dom St. Petri in Bautzen, Germany. 2009.

Aug 9, 2020: So much Regina Spektor in my playlist lately.

Aug 9, 2020: The Annie Cat is black-and-white and loves self-scritching her mouth and cheeks (don’t all cats?)

Aug 8, 2020: Another Bee’s eye view. Gorging on a Gilia. Early 2017.

Aug 8, 2020: Hummingbirds love these cultivated native California fuchsias so here’s their bird’s eye view of them.

Aug 7, 2020: Daytripping in mid-October can result in this view of Mount Lassen from Brokeoff Mountain. 2019.

Aug 6, 2020: Fissures bisect land in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. The massive landslide is moving to the left. Late 2019.

Aug 5, 2020: A quaternary lava flow at ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve on Maui. Haleakalā is in the background. Late 2018. #mbaug

Aug 4, 2020: Currently reading: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsym Muir 📚

Aug 4, 2020: There was (and must still be) absolute peace in the Haleakala erosional crater. Late 2018. 

Aug 3, 2020: A bug that we call the European honeybee, enjoying cultivated native California sage flowers. 2017. #mbaug

Aug 2, 2020: Jellyfish floating in an aquarium at the Birch Aquarium, La Jolla, CA in 2004. #mbaug

Aug 1, 2020: I can’t say if it’s related but I haven’t received any mail for four days now. I can say that’s highly unusual and concerning. twitter.com

Aug 1, 2020: What used to be Up at Coyote Point just south of SFO. #mbaug

Jul 29, 2020: Mantis on the cherry tree. … and peppers! Though ants are trying to farm aphids on them.

Jul 27, 2020: Cultivated native California grapes. Seedy & thick skinned but good to eat. Since the birds aren’t.

Jul 25, 2020: Bulgogi. Beef Bulgogi (asada cut) hot off the grill.

Jul 25, 2020: Today’s harvest. Brown turkey figs and a small ripe jalapeño.

Jul 24, 2020: Orange Grove Update This year, our Mandarin orange will provide plenty to eat in January. We’re lucky it’s not alternate bearing (this year, anyway). Meanwhile, this is …

Jul 23, 2020: The lemon grass coming in strong. It came back from last year’s planting and a cutting we took.

Jul 22, 2020: Change your AC and/or furnace filter with high flow MERV-8 every three months or sooner if you’ve got pets (long haired cat in our case). The HVAC …

Jul 21, 2020: Here’s a drooping Brown Turkey fig — means it’s perfectly sweet & tender for eating. Don’t wait too long after a Brown Turkey fig reaches this …

Jul 19, 2020: Brown Turkey figs are rapidly ripening. Patiently waiting for them to start drooping as a sign of ripeness.

Jul 19, 2020: The birds aren’t eating the grapes, so we might as well. 😋

Jul 18, 2020: Here’s an adjusted/“developed” version of NEOWISE (see the original straight from Night Mode)

Jul 18, 2020: Anaheim pepper with a surprise mantis for scale. Then a jalapeño. Just popped out of nowhere while I inspected the peppers this morning. It’s …

Jul 17, 2020: Garden Update Experimental pepper garden update: Cayenne, jalapeño, Anaheim, Hungarian wax. We will ripen all peppers to red for making hot sauce and tastier …

Jul 14, 2020: Scrub jay!

Jul 12, 2020: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) at 04:17. Very cool. The last quarter moon washed it out a lot. iPhone 11 Pro, night mode.

Jul 11, 2020: Watering the front yard and this hummingbird was really curious about the water and I swear the bird took a drink.

Jul 10, 2020: Our cultivated native California grapes are ripening! The birds will hopefully soon find them. Or we’ll enjoy them despite their massive seeds.

Jul 10, 2020: Our peppers are doing okay despite the very late seeding. Just a bit of brown rot initially but some Jobes organic fertilizer seems to have stopped …

Jul 4, 2020: Somewhere around Tehachapi, CA.

Jun 27, 2020: The last two days of 110°F heat has also resulted in our cultivated native California grapes turning to raisins on the vine.

Jun 26, 2020: 110°F yesterday and today. The avocados we planted 2-3 years ago transpire water more than they can replenish from the ground and so their leaves …

Jun 23, 2020: Scrub Jay patiently waiting for the grapes to ripen.

Jun 21, 2020: The makings of Chai ice cream (admittedly without the tea).

Jun 21, 2020: Upon a recent update to VMware Fusion 11.5.5, sound began crackling in Windows 10. For some reason sound.virtualDev = "hdaudio" was missing from my …

Jun 20, 2020: So many Brown Turkey Figs!

Jun 18, 2020: Leafhopper Assassin with a meal.

Jun 15, 2020: Hummingbird enjoying succulent flowers.

Jun 14, 2020: Shooting Star or Primula hendersonii (maybe) at Hidden Lakes, Lassen National Forest last Friday 6/12.

Jun 14, 2020: Sous Vide Filet Mignon, Medium Rare We set the Filet Mignon into the water bath (in a bag of course, air displaced by water so water touches as much steak surface as possible), then set …

Jun 13, 2020: Tostones or patacones (made whenever we find green plantains at SavMor, which isn’t often). 😋

Jun 13, 2020: Hidden Lakes, Lassen National Forest We went on a hike to the Hidden Lakes in the Caribou Wilderness on the Lassen National Forest. It started at the Hay Meadows Trail Head, north of Lake …

Jun 7, 2020: Volunteer tomato is flowering. Who knows what kind of fruit this might grow (if pollinated). So too blooms our late April direct seeded peppers …

May 31, 2020: [Crispy Cheese and Kimchi-Topped Skillet Rice](https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/10/kimchi-cheese-rice-recipe.html) — quite delicious.

May 30, 2020: Keep MacBook from Sleeping with Lid Down The MacOS app Amphetamine is pretty slick. As promised, it keeps my MacBook Air awake even if the lid is closed and there is no external display …

May 28, 2020: The California Buckwheat is now blooming — cool hot pink anthers!

May 27, 2020: The toyon is in full bloom and it is impossible to photograph its flowers without pollinators. A very popular plant!

May 25, 2020: Today’s front yard Poppies and Clarkias.

May 25, 2020: I finally got around to messing with iStat Menu's Time menu and I’m sold. Having a calendar and events embedded in the clock is lovely.

May 24, 2020: Cultivated native California grapes are coming along quite well.

May 24, 2020: ... made from the left over Bulgogi the next day, Bibimbap! Crisped up the white rice a bit too.

May 23, 2020: Homemade Bulgogi.

May 23, 2020: If only I could have got closer to this gorgeous blue dragonfly in the front yard. This super crop will have to do.

May 23, 2020: Inaugural cook on the Baking Steel Mini Griddle. We love the original size for pizza, cooking lots of vegetables etc but it is too big for most of our …

May 21, 2020: The Annie Cat in a box.

May 19, 2020: Bee butt on the first understated blooms of our cultivated Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).

May 17, 2020: Upgraded to 16" MBP ❤️ Since 2010, I have always had a 13” Mac laptop — now I’m on a 16” MacBook Pro and I love it. I upgraded from a 2018 MacBook Air. I waited for the new …

May 15, 2020: An unidentified grasshopper of some kind on our cultivated native California wild rose. Genus _Scudderia_?

May 13, 2020: Why must Apple hide three finger drag on their touch pads under Accessibility? It’s my favorite touch feature of the touch pad.

May 12, 2020: Lunchtime snack: Sweet Cherries fresh from the backyard tree.

May 10, 2020: Freshly churned strawberry ice cream.

May 10, 2020: Lunch today: Chuck Roast (left over) Sandwich. Cooked on Baking Steel.

May 10, 2020: chuck roast (left over) sandwiches on homemade sourdough. The Baking Steel is pretty great as a griddle.

May 8, 2020: Cherry tree update: almost dark red! (and then they’re hopefully ripe and sweet; had two today and they were not there yet: tasted like early season …

May 7, 2020: The backyard native California grapes are about done flowering and beginning to swell.

May 4, 2020: Metallic flagging and a fake hawk to discourage birds from the cherries. The blue jays are smart and eventually don’t care but smaller birds stay …

May 3, 2020: Our sweet cherries are looking tastier everyday.

May 3, 2020: Pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) flowers.

May 2, 2020: Cherries on the bark beetle-caused malnourished, unshaded branches (to right) are blushing fast (May not be very good cherries). The resident blue …

May 2, 2020: Just found out that MacOS Catalina’s new shell (zsh) doesn’t require me to remove spaces from file names for my simple Markdown to PDF shell command — …

Apr 30, 2020: Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) flower bud. These flowers are going to be huge.

Apr 29, 2020: Turns out native California grape flowers ate definitely not showy but are well loved by small pollinators.

Apr 27, 2020: I think these are as showy as native California grape flowers get. Will report back.

Apr 26, 2020: Backyard elderberry in full bloom. Fence behind it is six feet tall.

Apr 26, 2020: Fruit Tree Irrigation: an Experiment For several years I’ve watered my fruit trees using a Generation 2 Rachio controller and their irrigation method called “Flex Daily”. This method …

Apr 25, 2020: Wild California Grapes are coming along — these are the flowers buds.

Apr 24, 2020: Front yard Clarkia update: nearly full bloom. Hoping the white lined sphinx moth caterpillars show up soon. Though, this year there is far less forage …

Apr 22, 2020: For Earth Day, bees on the elderberry and the avocado.

Apr 21, 2020: This HUGE bumble bee really wants the Toyon flowers to open up! Been buzzing around for several minutes.

Apr 20, 2020: Today’s Clarkias and Poppies.

Apr 19, 2020: Homemade Naan atop a piping hot Baking Steel.

Apr 19, 2020: First bloom of our backyard California wild roses (Rosa Californica)!

Apr 18, 2020: Today, first time in weeks flour and sugar could be bought 🥳 go King Arthur flour!

Apr 17, 2020: Snakefly hunting insects on a bed of elderberry flowers.

Apr 17, 2020: Warmer than usual weather means Peppers are rapidly sprouting. We direct seeded this year as an experiment.

Apr 17, 2020: I can never remember brackets or parentheses for Markdown links!

Apr 16, 2020: Yarrow is now in bloom and the carpet beetles are gorging themselves on pollen.

Apr 16, 2020: Seen at lunch: iNaturalist guesses this is a Leafhopper Assassin bug on our California grape. Assassins in our back yard! A good bug!

Apr 15, 2020: Today we donated all our U.S. stimulus money to the local food bank.

Apr 13, 2020: The swarm in our little blue oak is getting a new home.

Apr 12, 2020: With [Watchsmith](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/watchsmith/id1483088503), I get a hamburger when my move/exercise/stand goals are met.

Apr 12, 2020: Never knew my penchant for buying cleaning supplies weeks in advance of running out would be useful during a pandemic. Thankful for my insanity under …

Apr 12, 2020: When your yards are a pollen and nectar paradise, this can happen. Time to get in touch with a local apiary!

Apr 12, 2020: Bee butt on a front yard Gilia 🐝

Apr 11, 2020: This western toad is why I carefully cut back the parsley. I knew it was in there somewhere. I stopped at the toad and gently covered with trimmings …

Apr 11, 2020: Got to pay attention to notice avocado flowers. Our “Bacon” Avocado tree is flowering. Our “Mexicola” variety is not— too bad because they’re type A …

Apr 10, 2020: Falafel soft tacos tonight since we had dry chickpeas, the herb garden was begging for it, and we always have corn tortillas. Topped with red onion …

Apr 9, 2020: Think we might get cherries in mid to late May! A few tree branches have extremely undersized leaves because of bark beetle damage starving the …

Apr 8, 2020: Got a few Apricot fruits to set... in a few weeks they may drop as the tree balances its energy.

Apr 7, 2020: First elderberry flowers in the backyard.

Apr 5, 2020: Our (majority) whole wheat crust pizza.

Apr 5, 2020: 🐞

Apr 5, 2020: Apple delayed shipment of 2020 MacBook Air. Understandable. Buyer’s remorse came fast and furious so I canceled. I’ll keep mashing those butterfly …

Apr 4, 2020: Home fried sweet potato chips. Because we didn’t use the potato in a Massaman curry last week (had spaghetti instead).

Apr 4, 2020: I’m experimenting with Meteobridge Templates and Siri Shortcuts so Siri can tell me about the weather just by pulling data off the local network data …

Apr 1, 2020: Newly emerged ladybug 🐞

Mar 31, 2020: Future native California grapes.🐞🐝

Mar 29, 2020: Was prepping the vegetable garden bed and had to dodge lots of ladybugs.

Mar 29, 2020: We had been planning a May trip to Germany for a few years. We’re cancelling it. We're patiently waiting to get a refund for airfare. We’re glad to …

Mar 27, 2020: Front yard (mostly) native garden update.

Mar 23, 2020: Good morning! Here’s Orion’s Belt of Ladybugs on white clover.

Mar 22, 2020: Yellow Dal w/Garlic & Brown Basmati and make ahead veggie enchiladas all at once.

Mar 22, 2020: Our local grocery store’s distributor ran out of eggs by the dozen. 😕

Mar 22, 2020: What do you need this morning? Bee butt on Gilia flowers and Baby Blue Eyes.

Mar 21, 2020: Realized we can keep our front door open with closed screen because there shouldn’t be door to door sales people right now. The Annie Cat is in …

Mar 21, 2020: Takeout from a local Orland, CA restaurant. Even in rural California, online takeout is available! Several restaurants here are offering online orders …

Mar 21, 2020: I’d say nationwide telework went very well this last week. Only had a few hours of repeat VPN disconnections. Bandwidth was not constrained relative …

Mar 21, 2020: “Hey Siri, play some music.” “Okay, let’s kick things off with Widespread Panic.” 😳

Mar 17, 2020: Working from home today - nationwide stress test of VPN.

Mar 15, 2020: It’s high time we start taking photos behind the flowers. Apricot flower.

Mar 14, 2020: Sous Vide London Broil (Beef) We had a two pound London Broil in the freezer chest and nowhere to go because of SARS-CoV-2. Might as well try Sous Vide! We did the water …

Mar 14, 2020: Glad lots of people are learning about public library eBooks. My library in rural California has had them for a while now and I love it. They’re also …

Mar 14, 2020: Not going anywhere unless necessary so time to try Sous Vide London Broil. Just under two pounds of meat held at 132°F/55.6°C for 8 hours. Just salt …

Mar 13, 2020: Cherry tree in full bloom.

Mar 13, 2020: At the USDA, I’m not allowed to telework as I haven’t been personally affected by SARS-CoV-2. I’m capable of telework and I prefer it. Guess they’re …

Mar 12, 2020: There’s a retirement party this Saturday. Could be up to 100 people. So far it’s not postponed or cancelled. I started getting very anxious over …

Mar 12, 2020: This morning’s view out the backyard window. The California Lilacs (purple!) are out of control. Mandarin in the foreground. Elderberry to the far …

Mar 9, 2020: A successful section of our vegetative fence line screen. Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), California Lilac (Ceanothus), and a Mandarin tree. A few …

Mar 8, 2020: Wow first earthquake I’ve experienced in a very long time. Off Cape Mendocino. It was a slow roll. Made me slightly nauseous and confused at first. …

Mar 8, 2020: Sunset over the Pacific. Two versions, no filter, just different exposure settings. iPhone 11 Pro 2x. Northern California.

Mar 8, 2020: Gray Whale spouts (center photo) off the coast of Northern California.

Mar 7, 2020: Western toad hanging out in one of our irrigation boxes. We have a wildlife ramp in there for this reason.

Mar 6, 2020: A Very Good Overcomplicated Journal Workflow Our journal workflow is probably more complicated than it needs to be. There’s room to optimize this workflow. It grew out of our moving away from Day …

Mar 6, 2020: European honeybee on a California Lilac (Ceanothus). 🐝

Mar 5, 2020: Our front yarden sage plants (first two photos) and all the Ceanothus are now flowering.

Mar 4, 2020: Our apricot had its first bloom today. A few weeks ahead last year. This tree has rarely yielded fruit. 🤞🌳

Mar 3, 2020: Our cherry tree had its first bloom today.

Mar 1, 2020: There are many **vision**s brewing in these caskets at [Moksa Brewery](https://moksabrewing.com).

Mar 1, 2020: Alcohol dreaming to escape their bottles. Later, I had a dry gin martini on the rocks.

Feb 29, 2020: Ember leaping from a pepper roasting over a gas flame.

Feb 28, 2020: 2020 Spring: Blooms to Come Here in the Northern Sacramento Valley of California, the blooming seems to be happening all at once with the unusually dry and warm late winter. …

Feb 28, 2020: And here’s a California gilia.

Feb 28, 2020: First front yard California poppy bloom of the year.

Feb 28, 2020: We love this red curry paste. Fortify it with fresh lemon grass! 🌶🌶🌶🥵

Feb 28, 2020: Glad I’m not below that cherry picker.

Feb 27, 2020: Our cherry tree’s super close **together** buds are opening up! Soon flower buds will rapidly drop on stems, bloom, and then by late May... ripe …

Feb 26, 2020: This horse won’t escape… though I feel jumping the fence is easily within its abilities.

Feb 25, 2020: In 2010: Plenty of limestone & marble rock hurdles in the Marble Wilderness, Klamath National Forest, Northern California.

Feb 24, 2020: Double

Feb 23, 2020: Experimenting with our first bird feeding station. Suet with seed for a variety of birds.

Feb 22, 2020: The dull spectacle of me trying to figure out the kitchen sink’s plumbing. My iPhone is a handy remote eye, well suited for dark, tight spaces.

Feb 21, 2020: Progress. Nectarine is growing!

Feb 20, 2020: A tan greywacke sandstone from the Northern California Coast Range (Franciscan Assemblage bedrock). cm scale.

Feb 19, 2020: The pull to “like” on Twitter is impressive. I’m doing my best to refrain but my finger has a mind of its own.

Feb 19, 2020: Never for want of space in California’s Central Valley. Those grapes will be waking up soon.

Feb 18, 2020: Hard to oppose California’s almond bloom! ❤️ Our apricot will bloom mid March and the cherry late March (but it’s nearly girdled by boring beetles).

Feb 17, 2020: One of two Valencia oranges from the backyard tree 😋

Feb 17, 2020: Not cool. Whoever installed the kitchen sink didn’t use plumbers putty or silicone so now the under sink bracket is rusted out. Might be a plumber’s …

Feb 16, 2020: Bees seem to never **rest** when manzanitas are blooming. I gave up trying to photograph them.

Feb 15, 2020: House Wiring is an Adventure I finished installing some new switches today. Worst thing I found in the existing wiring that I could fix myself was paint coated copper under the …

Feb 15, 2020: Use of ladders require good balance. I barely have that and dislike them immensely despite their great utility.

Feb 14, 2020: Mid-February 2020 Update: Home Orchard and Native Plants It has been 19 days since it last rained here. The outdoor temperatures have been in the mid-70s. The area’s almond orchards are blooming in waves …

Feb 14, 2020: Warmth and a marshmallow on the Carrizo Plain in 2010.

Feb 13, 2020: Late last year in New York I saw many a High Rise including this curvy one.

Feb 12, 2020: During the cold season, Annie has an enormous attachment to her heated bed.

Feb 11, 2020: November 2010: The Carrizo Plain National Monument. A great spot for geology students to explore structures along the San Andreas Fault.

Feb 10, 2020: This morning’s view of Northern California’s interior coast range. Cameo by a Tractor Supply sign.

Feb 9, 2020: I. Uh. Well.

Feb 9, 2020: During a lull of the wind.

Feb 9, 2020: I want a cavern full of juke boxes playing All You Need is Love.

Feb 9, 2020: The Prisoner is wild and genius.

Feb 8, 2020: The transparent rectangular thing is the push on connector I wrote about earlier. Really nice; way better than wire nuts in some cases.

Feb 8, 2020: Quite a contrast! Old switches in bottom photo, new Caseta switches in top. I finally got to use a few push-in connectors and they’re great when the …

Feb 7, 2020: Last August I went to Coyote Point just south of the main approach to SFO. Coyote Point is famous for people looking above at airliners. It’s probable …

Feb 6, 2020: The California native plant garden is very green right now and soon there will be plenty of flowers. The blue oak will wake up near end of February.

Feb 5, 2020: Wildlife scaring and killing outdoor cats like to hide under our native ceanothus. I regularly scare them out in hopes they’ll eventually stay away …

Feb 4, 2020: Love it when I can spot Mt. Lassen and Brokeoff Mountain from the valley.

Feb 3, 2020: Sweet mandarins reflecting a whole lot of red showing just how ripe they are. Picked last Saturday to share at work. They were gone shortly after …

Feb 2, 2020: No sight distance through the evergreen toyon. It’s very happy. So is our manzanita — getting ready to flower. 🐝🌳

Feb 1, 2020: Planted more asparagus today. They came with white asparagus sprouts. Looks like freaky white worms in this photo.

Feb 1, 2020: My attempt at an open vase pruned apricot tree 🌳 📷

Jan 31, 2020: Backyard Relaxation Relaxing can mean accomplishing things. The backyard always offers things to accomplish! Accomplishing things makes me feel good. Today I: braved a …

Jan 31, 2020: I would very much love it if MacOS Catalina stopped logging me out of some anonymous Apple ID service. Every week, if not more. And the process to log …

Jan 26, 2020: Tree Chilling Hours and a Bad Bug We’re around 770 chilling hours this season — almost 100 more than last year at this time. We hope this means we get a good crop off our ~800 chilll …

Jan 25, 2020: Asparagus is weird. Finally moved the crowns to a place we can regularly irrigate.

Jan 20, 2020: Previous home owners did not ground the ceiling fan! Such an easy fix for a bit more safety. Did they not read the installation manual? At least the …

Jan 19, 2020: Upgraded from (down/up) 175/6 Mbps to 300/11 Mbps soon as I hit the “order” button. $1 less, too. No contract. Worth checking Xfinity internet-only …

Jan 18, 2020: When a ceiling fan announces that it absolutely wants to be replaced, this happens.

Jan 17, 2020: The beetles really tore up our Lapins cherry tree this last year. It is almost girdled. If we’re lucky maybe one more season of fruit.

Jan 17, 2020:

Jan 12, 2020: Yesterday’s planted nectarine began life here in a rather peculiar way:

Jan 12, 2020: Going to punt this fan replacement job to another weekend. This nest of wires needs a day I can be relaxed and patient.

Jan 11, 2020: Our 2-year old plum died so now we’re trying a “Fantasia” nectarine. 400-500 chill hours is doable here.

Jan 9, 2020: Left to right: Moon and Orion (partial; got the belt!)

Jan 7, 2020: Frosty morning in the yarden 🐝

Jan 5, 2020: Our Elderberries coming back after they scorched in the summer heat last year. Resilient native plants! The birds loved the berries late summer.

Jan 5, 2020: Yesterday we spent some time taking a mental break at Burris Creek near Black Butte Lake, CA.

Jan 4, 2020: We’re trying to propagate lemon grass after dividing canes from our outdoor plant (hope it overwinters). The centers of the canes have popped up — …

Jan 3, 2020: I disturbed this overwintering ladybug while cleaning up this past year’s Holy Basil growth.

Jan 3, 2020: Our Mandarin tree 🌳 is ready for as-needed harvest!

Jan 3, 2020: ImperfectFoods is trying to sell people on the produce I get at my rural grocery store: smaller, misshapen, definitely not the produce you’d find at …

Jan 2, 2020: This is a nightmare.

Jan 2, 2020: Caseta & Dimming LEDs I replaced a Caseta dimmer switch with the non-dimming version as I’m installing a ceiling fan w/light soon. I’m getting used to tucking and bending …

Jan 1, 2020: Dealing with house wiring that makes me go “WTF THEY THINKING?” Don’t DIY if you don’t want to take the time to do it right…

Dec 28, 2019: I am really into For All Mankind.

Dec 28, 2019: Unearthed and powered up a Raspberry Pi 3. Took a bit of time to remember how I configured it for HomeBridge. Upgrading to Debian Stretch for the heck …

Dec 28, 2019: Cut down this years’ California fuchsias yesterday to encourage & release a new year of growth.

Dec 27, 2019: I’m pleased that MacOS 10.15’s Photos app reconstructs Live Photos from exported .heic and .mov pairs that I uploaded to my NAS via PhotoSync. 📱👍

Dec 25, 2019: I love Shortcuts. There goes a tedious repetitive task to oblivion!!📱

Dec 22, 2019: Side mirror view: tumbleweed on a front bumper.

Dec 21, 2019: Dancy Mandarins are so very close to perfect ripeness. Need to blush a bit more toward red.

Dec 21, 2019: A very good Mantis.

Dec 20, 2019: Never fails. This infernal badged Sys Prefs issue is so far the most annoying MacOS Catalina issue I’ve had. What services need iCloud to be logged …

Dec 20, 2019: My favorite around-the-home power tool. Okay, besides my electric drill/driver.

Dec 20, 2019: An indoor aloe succulent growing a flower stalk.

Dec 15, 2019: A colorful sunrise and a fresh coat of snow on Snow Mountain, NorCal. I love my iPhone 11 Pro. No way my previous could have exposed these well enough …

Dec 13, 2019: Color Stages of Caramel I use Alton Brown’s dark caramel recipe with some minor modifications to suit taste. First, the mixture always gets to 230°F a few minutes faster than …

Dec 7, 2019: Front yarden update: California Buckwheat’s dead flowers are showy red and the Blue Oak has decided it is winter. California fuchsias still have …

Dec 7, 2019: To HomePod: “How’s the timer?” HomePod: “The timer is cancelled.” 🙀🤷‍♂️📱

Dec 6, 2019: The [iRobot Braava m6 has a threshold problem](https://homesupport.irobot.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/21012/kw/Threshold) and it is a bit frustrating …

Dec 6, 2019: Dear iPadOS notes: I’d love a default where a new single Notes window launches when I tap your springboard icon instead of the last split screen I …

Dec 1, 2019: Nest Cam vs HomeKit Secure Video There’s been some frustration with the current state of HomeKit Secure Video, but coming from a very pricey Nest Cam IQ Outdoor that basically is …

Nov 30, 2019: Test fromMarsEdit - does RichText convert to MarkDown? Does it bold? Who needs Italians when they steal arctic circle candy? Is underlining for chumps …

Nov 29, 2019: Sometimes my Sonos goes out of sync with the HomePod. The HomePod appears to then go through a process to resynchronize — maybe 75% successful. …

Nov 29, 2019: Just cracked open the homemade boozy eggnog that’s been aging since September 8 2019. It’s delightful, smooth, and not gloppy.

Nov 28, 2019: Birds gorging on sweet basil seeds.

Nov 28, 2019: The birds are gorging on seeds in our front and backyard gardens. So happy to provide them sustenance rather than a lawn desert!

Nov 27, 2019: I didn’t end up with even one permission prompt after installing MacOS Catalina & launching various apps. Maybe I accidentally turned off SIP? …

Nov 27, 2019: So MacOS Catalina’s SideCar feature requires the Mac user and target iPad to be signed in to the same AppleID even if the iPad is connected to USB. …

Nov 27, 2019: HomeBrew and SuperDuper! just released MacOS Catalina support so I suppose I will try to upgrade today…

Nov 24, 2019: Valencia sloooowly ripening & 2) mandarins rapidly coloring but still a month out from peak sweetness

Nov 23, 2019: These Extra-crispy Parmesan-crusted roasted potatoes by J. Kenji López-Alt are pretty great.

Nov 21, 2019: So my iPhone has started detecting The Annie Cat as a focus area!

Nov 21, 2019: One more month until these mandarins are perfectly sweet. Patience!

Nov 20, 2019: Armillaria mellea. Honey mushroom 🥾

Nov 19, 2019: Very pleased that HomeKit Secure Video streams live video on the LAN. No more stream to cloud and download, adding many seconds of video delay & …

Nov 17, 2019: I finally got a HomePod and I’m impressed that it can accurately hear me mumble across the room while it plays music📱

Nov 16, 2019: Full Random Albums Playlist Shortcut (Apple Music) I love listening to full albums. But often I’m not in the right mood to choose them. So a long time ago I created a Shortcut that creates an Apple …

Nov 16, 2019: Looking toward Saint John Mountain from near Fouts Springs, CA. Chaparral plants.

Nov 15, 2019: Pleased that my HomeKit devices still worked from the Home app during a big Comcast (Xfinity) & Verizon internet outage. Pretty sure Alexa and …

Nov 13, 2019: Visited some tree frogs in the forest today. Pseudacris sierra.

Nov 11, 2019: Old iPad Pro 9.7” just got replaced by an iPad Pro 11”. I did not expect to be impressed by the differences but dang that’s nice!

Nov 10, 2019: I have some anxiety over the iOS 13 Reminders upgrade button. If I upgrade, then my partner has to upgrade, and she lives on reminders. So if the …

Nov 9, 2019: The Prisoner, episode 10, “Hammer into Anvil” — soo good.

Nov 9, 2019: Today’s sourdough with a side of Annie Cat stare.

Nov 8, 2019: Shared Photo Libraries All these years Apple still has no way to share entire photo libraries with family. The shared family album is useful only to temporarily share the …

Nov 6, 2019: Tree says “It's not fall, but spring!”, Other Tree says “FALL!” The Lapins Cherry has some confused or mutated buds. It’s probably nothing to worry about. The dormant appearing plum tree, however, did not look well …

Nov 5, 2019: A very good lake. 🥾

Nov 3, 2019: Also in bloom! Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat).

Nov 3, 2019: Front yard native plants currently in bloom: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia; red flowers adored by hummingbirds) and Baccharis pilularis (Coyote …

Nov 3, 2019: Only those with broken circadian rhythms get an hour extra of sleep going to standard time.

Nov 2, 2019: We’re starting to get some color on our Mandarins. These should be perfectly sweet by end of December 🌳

Nov 2, 2019: In the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness on the Mendocino National Forest via the Ides Cove trail: A landslide-related fissure and then a view.

Oct 31, 2019: 19 trick-or-treater’s. Half last year. Fortunately, we’re stuck with good candy and not the milk duds with taffy (where milk duds taste like …

Oct 30, 2019: Yesterday: Mount Shasta from near Mount Linn. 🥾

Oct 26, 2019: iTunes Match to Apple Music My new iPhone refused to access old iTunes Match music, perhaps as a result of my unsubscribing from iTunes Match months after subscribing to Apple …

Oct 25, 2019: Barely photographed a bee on our holy basil. They were extremely shy and did not loiter. 🐝

Oct 23, 2019: The Annie Cat waiting patiently for the nighttime brushing routine to begin.

Oct 22, 2019: Western toads in the backyard 🐝😍

Oct 20, 2019: A little more than halfway through The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater and I don’t want it to end.

Oct 20, 2019: So the Shortcuts widget syncs the same shortcuts & order on iPad and iPhone. Too bad, as I have very different Shortcuts uses for these devices.

Oct 20, 2019: Cooler weather means it’s time to check your tire pressure! A bit low as they need 32 PSI.

Oct 19, 2019: Trees & rocks. 🥾

Oct 18, 2019: 🤦‍♂️📱 iPadOS 13.1.3

Oct 15, 2019: Mount Lassen. 🥾

Oct 14, 2019: I neglected to post a photo of Lassen National Park’s Brokeoff Mountain. The hike to its summit was 👌🥾

Oct 13, 2019: I love a sun-dappled wet meadow with accenting volcanic rocks! Yesterday, on the trail to Brokeoff Mountain in Lassen National Park.🥾

Oct 12, 2019: Today: Mount Lassen from Brokeoff Mountain.🥾

Oct 11, 2019: A front yard native garden update! Fuchsias & Cal Buckwheat are still flowering. Coyote bushes are struggling to flower (tiny pollinators love …

Oct 11, 2019: Thankful Apple still allows a different iTunes account for app purchases as Apple STILL provides no mechanism to share app subscriptions & in-app …

Oct 6, 2019: Praying Mantis on the grapevine. 🐝

Oct 5, 2019: Patecones are 👌🍴

Oct 5, 2019: Worth the tens cents for the bag. 🐈

Oct 5, 2019: Flu shot season!

Oct 5, 2019: Apple knew what they were doing delaying Deep Fusion photography feature in iPhone 11. After I saw real world results, I needed to upgrade from my …

Oct 2, 2019: The Annie Cat enjoying her heated bed that comes out every fall. 🐈

Oct 1, 2019: Another very good Praying Mantis hanging out in my front yard. 🐝

Oct 1, 2019: Oh cool. The exercise trigger for iOS 13.1.2 Shortcuts finally started working today.

Sep 29, 2019: This Preying Mantis (or others like her) has been hanging out on one of our California wild grape vines for a few days now. It’s lovely to have …

Sep 28, 2019: Using iOS 13 shortcuts & iPad home screen widget to set audio output to my airplay capable Sonos speaker and then immediately play music are all I …

Sep 27, 2019: California Wild Rose (Rosa californica) flowers are incredibly fragile. This backyard plant became quite happy when I added it to the drip …

Sep 27, 2019: This “Beauty” Japanese plum has been quite temperamental. No idea if it should be defoliated by now - happened last year too. Too much water? …

Sep 25, 2019: My new favorite watch face, from WatchOS 6, is Solar Dial. I’m often outdoors for work so at a glance view of the sun ephemeris is nice. Apple put a …

Sep 24, 2019: Good morning!

Sep 22, 2019: Piano repair in Flatiron.

Sep 21, 2019: This crisp very low IBU Montauk Summer Ale is what I needed this warm late summer evening on Long Island, NY.

Sep 21, 2019: Love how Mott Street in China Town (Manhattan) curves out of sight like a movie set.

Sep 20, 2019: I wanted all of the knishes.

Sep 20, 2019: Gorgeous day on the Brooklyn Bridge. Walked from Penn Station to Atlantic Terminal. Knishes, Lotus Seed Paste Cake, Ruebins, and Cheese Cake were …

Sep 20, 2019: JFK, New York. Scene from last night: a traffic jam in the hourly garage. Was treated to a horn serenade near midnight. Was kinda funny though the pay …

Sep 19, 2019: Snow Mountain and St. John mountain are looking pretty good after yesterday’s rain.

Sep 18, 2019: The audio sync feature on Apple’s tvOS 13 is 👌 Also, here’s a🌈 🌈

Sep 18, 2019: My almost 2 year old plum is so fickle. It’s senescing early. After digging into the soil, I think it is water deprived. So trying adding 1 gallon per …

Sep 16, 2019: Urban prescribed fire 🔥. Provides volunteer fire department training and reduces city blight & fine fuels in vacant lots.

Sep 15, 2019: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia) keeping pollinators, including hummingbirds, happy.

Sep 14, 2019: Mantis enjoying the accommodations of our little Blue Oak.

Sep 13, 2019: Anna’s Hummingbirds fighting over native fuchsias!

Sep 13, 2019: HomeKit is great because it doesn’t require internet for day to day operations. Internet goes down, I can still operate or expect automations as …

Sep 13, 2019: Ecobee 3 lite seems nice but had to change its default 0.5°f “Cool Differential Temp” to 1°f. We keep our house pretty warm so its heat saturated mass …

Sep 12, 2019: Bye bye Nest Thermostat Gen 1. Hello ecobee3 lite! I revised the Nest’s fancy screws to avoid drywall anchors — critical as the drywall is …

Sep 11, 2019: Almond harvest season.

Sep 10, 2019: Can’t wait to replace the 1st gen Nest Thermostat with this Ecobee3 Lite. A Friday project.

Sep 10, 2019: Going to be jealous of that iPhone 11’s 📱grown up front camera! About time it has near parity to the rear.

Sep 9, 2019: The package only had to go from one end of the state to another. Instead, it first went across the country! 🧐

Sep 8, 2019: Tonight’s homemade pizza 🍕

Sep 8, 2019: Preparing to move away from Nest (Google) to Ecobee this week. Just used a spare thermostat wire and C terminal on HVAC mainboard to create a common …

Dec 8, 2012: Eucalyptus plantation near Corning. This was supposed to be for a sustainable biofuels project.