2021-01-24: Here’s my iOS Shortcut that uses ShellFish App to show all journals over the years written “On This …
2021-01-23: Secure ShellFish for iOS is wonderful. Its shortcut functions allowed me to create a Shortcut that …
2021-01-23: Last year we successfully grew peppers by direct sowing mid-Spring. Today we’re starting plants from …
2021-01-23: Dutch baby for breakfast. It is really great with Meyer lemons (from the backyard tree; which is …
2021-01-20: Today was a very, very good day. 🇺🇸
2021-01-18: Possibly a Cooper’s Hawk casing out bird feeder and really freaking out the House Sparrows and White …
2021-01-17: Pruned the apricot today. I only kind of know what I’m doing. It looks about right to me. Every year …
2021-01-17: Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day: Today, Religious Freedom Day, is a …
2021-01-16: My partner is making beef salami but this time with added pork fat and more spices— the last batch …
2021-01-16: 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 …
2021-01-11: Currently reading: Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 📚
2021-01-10: Bibimbap!!
2021-01-10: Lesser Gold Finch picking at raisins that are softened from the rain and dew.
2021-01-09: Finished reading: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor ★★★★★ – pretty dang original! 📚
2021-01-09: I’m team pocket universe. It’s bigger inside. Spoilers in this linked article. Star Trek: …
2021-01-09: 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 …
2021-01-02: Logitech Circle View Doorbell and new transformer w/junction box successfully installed! I replaced …
2021-01-01: I routed the new doorbell wire from the garage, along the foundation tucked under the sheathing, …
2021-01-01: Backlit senescing cultivated hybridized California grapes (“Roger’s Red”). So far the Northern …
2021-01-01: 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 …
2020-12-31: Apple is successfully getting me to put HomePod Minis all over my house. Bought one, liked it for my …
2020-12-28: I installed a Lutron Caseta in-wall dimmer switch for the hallway today. Before it was wired as a …
2020-12-27: Currently reading: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor 📚
2020-12-27: 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 …
2020-12-26: Finished reading: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman ★★★★★ 📚
2020-12-26: Annual chest freezer de-icing, cleaning, inventory, and organizing. This year it’s especially …
2020-12-25: We had a lot of left over brisket so some went into disco fries.
2020-12-24: Tonight’s brisket prepared by my partner using Sous Vide for literally fork tender meat and then …
2020-12-24: 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 …
2020-12-23: Automating Deselection and Unchecking of Twitter Interests - EvilTester.com Automating Deselection and Unchecking of Twitter Interests - EvilTester.com: The final JavaScript …
2020-12-23: I like Apple Fitness+. HIIT workouts are accessible for a newbie. The trainers make me feel at ease …
2020-12-21: The preceding sunset was way more picturesque than Jupiter and Saturn 😜
2020-12-21: Here’s Jupiter and Saturn through a pair of high powered 9x63 binoculars.
2020-12-20: A benefit of not having anyone over for Christmas dinner is we can do wild, special food …
2020-12-20: The front yard California fuchsias (Epilobium canum) are still flowering and providing forage to the …
2020-12-18: And here’s the final caramel. They’re perfect. 🤗
2020-12-18: Annual caramel making. These seem 👌and perfectly plastic. Here’s a series of photos showing sugar …
2020-12-15: Black Phoebe! These flycatchers are elusive in our backyard.
2020-12-13: Unidentified hummingbird enjoying rosemary flowers today. Maybe a Black Chin. Doesn’t seem to have …
2020-12-12: Split Pea Soup made with a ham hock! Love the cold season 🥰
2020-12-12: Just watched the latest Star Trek: Discovery. Did not expect these twists! 😲Helps I don’t watch the …
2020-12-12: House Sparrows frenetically bathing under the mandarin this morning.
2020-12-11: Giant exhale.
2020-12-11: Front yard: today and April 19. I cleaned up a lot of it today. This yard of cultivated native …
2020-12-11: I expected a stressful post-election as Trump clearly foreshadowed his shenanigans but this is …
2020-12-09: Pulling out grass from the cultivated native sage is exhausting. At least I’m perfumed with sage …
2020-12-06: Currently reading: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman 📚
2020-12-06: The Annie Cat maximizing sunlight.
2020-12-05: Last year this was not our view into the backyard from the house. Now we regularly see White Crowns, …
2020-12-03: New bird in our backyard! Yellow-rumped Warbler. A pair was feasting on our cultivated California …
2020-12-02: Finished reading: Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer ★★★★☆📚
2020-12-02: December 2nd, 2013: at the Dresden Christmas Market.
2020-11-29: Partner made Naan today (along with Turkey Tikka Masala).
2020-11-29: 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 …
2020-11-27: Stuffing waffles. So crispy & savory.
2020-11-27: Mandarins and Meyer Lemons are ripening nicely. Maybe one more month until the Mandarins are sweet …
2020-11-26: Leftovers 🎉. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
2020-11-26: Alice’s Restaurant, a Thanksgiving tradition: music.apple.com
2020-11-26: The makings of Thanksgiving dinner for a couple is bread for stuffing and Turkey stock for just …
2020-11-25: Pecan Squares instead of Peacan Pie. And as we’re not having Thanksgiving with anyone, dessert is a …
2020-11-22: Sunset during our isolation vacation at the North Coast of California.
2020-11-22: Fox Sparrows (?) enjoying the cultivated California Grape raisins. We’ve also perhaps identified …
2020-11-22: 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 …
2020-11-20: Cistus × purpureus (Purple-flowered Rock-rose)
2020-11-19: We brought ribeyes and a cast-iron with us (and the rest of what’s on the plate. Yeah that’s canned …
2020-11-19: Hot chocolate on the North Coast of California.
2020-11-19: Moonlight over the Pacific. Above the moon, Jupiter and then Saturn.
2020-11-18: Sundown at Trinidad, California. We’re hunkered down here for a few nights, completely …
2020-11-17: Good morning. This morning’s sun rise almost makes up for my neighbor being obsessive with their …
2020-11-16: I’m very thankful that my family is supportive of not getting together for Thanksgiving and very …
2020-11-15: I tested my journaling workflow in Big Sur on a secondary Mac and it worked. So I couldn’t …
2020-11-15: 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 …
2020-11-14: Joint Statement by President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris On Diwali, the …
2020-11-13: Toad in our bird bath tonight. That’s a first. We usually empty the baths to keep mosquitoes at bay …
2020-11-11: Planted a New Cherry Tree Today I planted a replacement Lapins Cherry today. Bought it from Stark Bro’s and it has a great …
2020-11-08: Pumpkin pie! And rump roast. Sunday is the best.
2020-11-08: The rainy season in California is right around the corner, so I just cleaned the rain gage & …
2020-11-07: Today’s celebratory homemade sourdough loaf and Prosecco
2020-11-07: Looking Forward Things I look forward to in the Biden-Harris administration: Countless backwards and terrible …
2020-11-07: Tearing up here. Biden & Harris wins.
2020-11-04: Since November 2nd I’ve stayed away from Twitter & Instagram. Feels kind of nice. Getting some …
2020-11-03: I’m looking forward to winter. Summer was far too long.
2020-11-02: I accidentally trashed my Windows 10 Virtual Machine and thought it was a total loss with no backup. …
2020-11-02: For today and a while after the election, Twitter & Instagram apps are removed from my devices. …
2020-10-29: Dark-Eyed Junco (Oregon) in the backyard! Had to photograph it through binoculars.
2020-10-27: Northern Mockingbird in our backyard. They’re not nearly as brave as the scrub jays but they’re …
2020-10-25: Got two volunteer conifer seedlings in the backyard — their needles are roundish and pointy, not in …
2020-10-24: PowerPhotos is worth the cost alone for trashing duplicate photos in a MacOS/iCloud Photo Library. …
2020-10-22: Started reading: Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer 📚
2020-10-18: TBH, Fall is grilling season here.
2020-10-18: A happy scrub jay feasting on some big bird seeds.
2020-10-17: Gorgeous loaf of homemade sourdough.
2020-10-17: Tore out the bark beetle infested Lapins Cherry today. It was half dead by beetles girdling it. In …
2020-10-15: Our dropped off California ballots were collected and accepted. I get very anxious when signing — …
2020-10-14: On iPhone 12: I love the telephoto lens so I’ll wait for the 2.5x camera or better to migrate down …
2020-10-12: Saved this gorgeous western alligator lizard this morning from a murderous outdoor cat. It was cold, …
2020-10-11: 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 …
2020-10-10: Backyard cultivated native elderberries decided summer is over! Yay!
2020-10-10: My typical workflow: here’s a thing I need to do. Hm. That seems more difficult than expected. …
2020-10-10: Just voted🇺🇸
2020-10-09: The Annie Cat has seasons. She only uses the wool bed during the cold season.
2020-10-08: Lemongrass came back this year after dying back over winter (we also took cuttings over winter and …
2020-10-08: Franciscan Assemblage. Mendocino NF. ❤️
2020-10-08: Been a few years since we first wanted to mulch the backyard. Weather got nice so here we go with 10 …
2020-10-07: We made roasted hot pepper sauce recently. A mix of jalapeños, anaheims, serranos and yellow wax …
2020-09-21: For iOS 14 Shortcuts, seems the volume control function for AirPlay devices is only reliable after …
2020-09-20: Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Chicken With Broccoli is pretty good. We added Gochugaru (Korean pepper …
2020-09-20: Tess of the Road was excellent so now reading where it all started: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 📚
2020-09-19: Billions of almonds waiting to be hulled.
2020-09-16: Western Toad finally makes a reappearance in the backyard and it has GROWN. Wish I had something for …
2020-09-13: The Annie Cat is so displeased that the game controller isn’t working right.
2020-09-12: Excellent sourdough shape, crumb, and pretty good flavor (48 hour refrigerator proof).
2020-09-12: Accidentally scrolled to the bottom of Sunlit app credits 😉
2020-09-09: Today’s obligatory wildfire smoke scene. Halide app made it dead easy to override auto white …
2020-09-08: Winds started after midnight here and dramatically warmed the air from ~75 to ~87°F. Likely …
2020-09-07: Blue Jay yelling at everything this afternoon. Maybe it’s angry at the wildfire smoke.
2020-09-06: Can confirm.
2020-09-06: Oof.
2020-09-06: Good morning: light of sunrise reflecting off the smoke.
2020-09-05: Today starts an oppressive heat wave. At least the humidity is low. The smoke from California fires …
2020-09-04: A scrub jay checking out the new bird feeder. Birds haven’t taken to it yet. They’re still eating …
2020-09-03: Finished The City We Became (great book) and now currently reading: Tess of the Road by Rachel …
2020-09-03: August Complex smoke this afternoon. Silver lining is the smoke cooled the air temperature down …
2020-09-01: Our trio of Scrub Jays are leaving almond hulls behind. Maybe they’re giving us gifts for providing …
2020-08-31: We love this homemade smoked beef salami — could use a bit more paprika but great first try.
2020-08-30: A day of discovery making salami for the first time with a smoker we were given. Smells and looks …
2020-08-29: Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt is an excellent recipe — those …
2020-08-29: Still currently reading: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin – and enjoying it! Making me look …
2020-08-29: Large ash flake that landed in my safe backyard — over a dozen miles away from the August Complex on …
2020-08-28: Nothing but pleasant emotions with a view like this. I wish this were my backyard but so glad I had …
2020-08-27: Overcome a poorly seasoned cast iron pan by cooking lots of fatty things like Guanciale.
2020-08-26: The Annie Cat is not always relentless at being judgy. Sometimes she looks borderline benevolent.
2020-08-25: Here’s some hope that our trio of Scrub Jays will eat our cultivated California native grapes.
2020-08-24: Frosty garden grown hot peppers (from the freezer) about to become hot sauce. We harvest over the …
2020-08-23: In mid-2016 we discovered this graceful Silk Moth at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, CA.
2020-08-23: I dislike Instagram’s new suggested posts. It is a new source of anxiety in that I might see …
2020-08-22: This last week was insane and that is why I posted the Sourdough Dashi Scallion Pancakes twice for …
2020-08-22: VMware Fusion 12 Player It is pretty awesome that VMware Fusion Player is replacing VMware Fusion Standard and Player is …
2020-08-22: This perch is pretty much The Annie Cat’s summer home during the day.
2020-08-21: Sourdough Dashi Scallion Pancakes from last weekend had some serious crunch. A bit salty but very …
2020-08-20: Wish I could change today’s cooler smokey summer day to a rainy winter day. The August Complex fires …
2020-08-19: Metallic ribbon and a fake bird of prey truly keeps the birds away from our figs.
2020-08-18: Falafel on a grid.
2020-08-17: This western milkweed bug stuffing itself into the eye of the Brown Turkey Fig is decidedly not …
2020-08-16: Likely the plume of the Doe Fire on the Mendocino National Forest.
2020-08-16: Currently reading: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin. I’ve had this book on library hold for …
2020-08-16: Read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsym Muir. ★★★★☆ The novel meandered a bit but was thoroughly enjoyable. …
2020-08-16: These Sourdough Dashi Scallion crepes were not stationary for long.
2020-08-16: Unusual weather in NorCal but it is keeping daytime temps cooler than yesterday. The overnight low …
2020-08-15: The cultivated native plants likely needed some morning water for this California heatwave. It’s …
2020-08-15: The Annie Cat in silhouette.
2020-08-14: Peppers among peppers. Nachos for dinner tonight. The red jalapeño and yellow wax peppers were home …
2020-08-13: With the incoming heatwave in California, we will filter out direct sunlight to help keep these …
2020-08-12: West Point Light House on the Puget Sound. During a trip to visit friends Mid–2016.
2020-08-11: SFO, August 2009: when 747s were still fairly popular for long haul transport. I’ve never flown on …
2020-08-10: Looking out at set of creepy toothy, grinning windows (dormers?) from Dom St. Petri in Bautzen, …
2020-08-09: So much Regina Spektor in my playlist lately.
2020-08-09: The Annie Cat is black-and-white and loves self-scritching her mouth and cheeks (don’t all cats?)
2020-08-08: Another Bee’s eye view. Gorging on a Gilia. Early 2017.
2020-08-08: Hummingbirds love these cultivated native California fuchsias so here’s their bird’s eye view of …
2020-08-07: Daytripping in mid-October can result in this view of Mount Lassen from Brokeoff Mountain. 2019.
2020-08-06: Fissures bisect land in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. The massive landslide is moving to …
2020-08-05: A quaternary lava flow at ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve on Maui. Haleakalā is in the …
2020-08-04: Currently reading: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsym Muir 📚
2020-08-04: There was (and must still be) absolute peace in the Haleakala erosional crater. Late 2018.
2020-08-03: A bug that we call the European honeybee, enjoying cultivated native California sage flowers. 2017. …
2020-08-02: Jellyfish floating in an aquarium at the Birch Aquarium, La Jolla, CA in 2004. #mbaug
2020-08-01: I can’t say if it’s related but I haven’t received any mail for four days now. I can say that’s …
2020-08-01: What used to be Up at Coyote Point just south of SFO. #mbaug
2020-07-29: Mantis on the cherry tree. … and peppers! Though ants are trying to farm aphids on them.
2020-07-27: Cultivated native California grapes. Seedy & thick skinned but good to eat. Since the birds …
2020-07-25: Bulgogi. Beef Bulgogi (asada cut) hot off the grill.
2020-07-25: Today’s harvest. Brown turkey figs and a small ripe jalapeño.
2020-07-24: Orange Grove Update This year, our Mandarin orange will provide plenty to eat in January. We’re lucky it’s not alternate …
2020-07-23: The lemon grass coming in strong. It came back from last year’s planting and a cutting we took.
2020-07-22: Change your AC and/or furnace filter with high flow MERV-8 every three months or sooner if you’ve …
2020-07-21: Here’s a drooping Brown Turkey fig — means it’s perfectly sweet & tender for eating. Don’t wait …
2020-07-19: Brown Turkey figs are rapidly ripening. Patiently waiting for them to start drooping as a sign of …
2020-07-19: The birds aren’t eating the grapes, so we might as well. 😋
2020-07-18: Here’s an adjusted/“developed” version of NEOWISE (see the original straight from Night Mode)
2020-07-18: Anaheim pepper with a surprise mantis for scale. Then a jalapeño. Just popped out of nowhere while I …
2020-07-17: Garden Update Experimental pepper garden update: Cayenne, jalapeño, Anaheim, Hungarian wax. We will ripen all …
2020-07-14: Scrub jay!
2020-07-12: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) at 04:17. Very cool. The last quarter moon washed it out a lot. iPhone 11 …
2020-07-11: Watering the front yard and this hummingbird was really curious about the water and I swear the bird …
2020-07-10: Our cultivated native California grapes are ripening! The birds will hopefully soon find them. Or …
2020-07-10: Our peppers are doing okay despite the very late seeding. Just a bit of brown rot initially but some …
2020-07-04: Somewhere around Tehachapi, CA.
2020-06-27: The last two days of 110°F heat has also resulted in our cultivated native California grapes turning …
2020-06-26: 110°F yesterday and today. The avocados we planted 2-3 years ago transpire water more than they can …
2020-06-23: Scrub Jay patiently waiting for the grapes to ripen.
2020-06-21: The makings of Chai ice cream (admittedly without the tea).
2020-06-21: Upon a recent update to VMware Fusion 11.5.5, sound began crackling in Windows 10. For some reason …
2020-06-20: So many Brown Turkey Figs!
2020-06-18: Leafhopper Assassin with a meal.
2020-06-15: Hummingbird enjoying succulent flowers.
2020-06-14: Shooting Star or Primula hendersonii (maybe) at Hidden Lakes, Lassen National Forest last Friday …
2020-06-14: 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 …
2020-06-13: Tostones or patacones (made whenever we find green plantains at SavMor, which isn’t often). 😋
2020-06-13: Hidden Lakes, Lassen National Forest We went on a hike to the Hidden Lakes in the Caribou Wilderness on the Lassen National Forest. It …
2020-06-07: Volunteer tomato is flowering. Who knows what kind of fruit this might grow (if pollinated). So too …
2020-05-31: [Crispy Cheese and Kimchi-Topped Skillet …
2020-05-30: 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 …
2020-05-28: The California Buckwheat is now blooming — cool hot pink anthers!
2020-05-27: The toyon is in full bloom and it is impossible to photograph its flowers without pollinators. A …
2020-05-25: Today’s front yard Poppies and Clarkias.
2020-05-25: I finally got around to messing with iStat Menu's Time menu and I’m sold. Having a calendar and …
2020-05-24: Cultivated native California grapes are coming along quite well.
2020-05-24: ... made from the left over Bulgogi the next day, Bibimbap! Crisped up the white rice a bit too.
2020-05-23: Homemade Bulgogi.
2020-05-23: If only I could have got closer to this gorgeous blue dragonfly in the front yard. This super crop …
2020-05-23: Inaugural cook on the Baking Steel Mini Griddle. We love the original size for pizza, cooking lots …
2020-05-21: The Annie Cat in a box.
2020-05-19: Bee butt on the first understated blooms of our cultivated Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).
2020-05-17: 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 …
2020-05-15: An unidentified grasshopper of some kind on our cultivated native California wild rose. Genus …
2020-05-13: Why must Apple hide three finger drag on their touch pads under Accessibility? It’s my favorite …
2020-05-12: Lunchtime snack: Sweet Cherries fresh from the backyard tree.
2020-05-10: Freshly churned strawberry ice cream.
2020-05-10: Lunch today: Chuck Roast (left over) Sandwich. Cooked on Baking Steel.
2020-05-10: chuck roast (left over) sandwiches on homemade sourdough. The Baking Steel is pretty great as a …
2020-05-08: Cherry tree update: almost dark red! (and then they’re hopefully ripe and sweet; had two today and …
2020-05-07: The backyard native California grapes are about done flowering and beginning to swell.
2020-05-04: Metallic flagging and a fake hawk to discourage birds from the cherries. The blue jays are smart and …
2020-05-03: Our sweet cherries are looking tastier everyday.
2020-05-03: Pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) flowers.
2020-05-02: Cherries on the bark beetle-caused malnourished, unshaded branches (to right) are blushing fast (May …
2020-05-02: Just found out that MacOS Catalina’s new shell (zsh) doesn’t require me to remove spaces from file …
2020-04-30: Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) flower bud. These flowers are going to be huge.
2020-04-29: Turns out native California grape flowers ate definitely not showy but are well loved by small …
2020-04-27: I think these are as showy as native California grape flowers get. Will report back.
2020-04-26: Backyard elderberry in full bloom. Fence behind it is six feet tall.
2020-04-26: Fruit Tree Irrigation: an Experiment For several years I’ve watered my fruit trees using a Generation 2 Rachio controller and their …
2020-04-25: Wild California Grapes are coming along — these are the flowers buds.
2020-04-24: Front yard Clarkia update: nearly full bloom. Hoping the white lined sphinx moth caterpillars show …
2020-04-22: For Earth Day, bees on the elderberry and the avocado.
2020-04-21: This HUGE bumble bee really wants the Toyon flowers to open up! Been buzzing around for several …
2020-04-20: Today’s Clarkias and Poppies.
2020-04-19: Homemade Naan atop a piping hot Baking Steel.
2020-04-19: First bloom of our backyard California wild roses (Rosa Californica)!
2020-04-18: Today, first time in weeks flour and sugar could be bought 🥳 go King Arthur flour!
2020-04-17: Snakefly hunting insects on a bed of elderberry flowers.
2020-04-17: Warmer than usual weather means Peppers are rapidly sprouting. We direct seeded this year as an …
2020-04-17: I can never remember brackets or parentheses for Markdown links!
2020-04-16: Yarrow is now in bloom and the carpet beetles are gorging themselves on pollen.
2020-04-16: Seen at lunch: iNaturalist guesses this is a Leafhopper Assassin bug on our California grape. …
2020-04-15: Today we donated all our U.S. stimulus money to the local food bank.
2020-04-13: The swarm in our little blue oak is getting a new home.
2020-04-12: With [Watchsmith](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/watchsmith/id1483088503), I get a hamburger when my …
2020-04-12: Never knew my penchant for buying cleaning supplies weeks in advance of running out would be useful …
2020-04-12: When your yards are a pollen and nectar paradise, this can happen. Time to get in touch with a local …
2020-04-12: Bee butt on a front yard Gilia 🐝
2020-04-11: This western toad is why I carefully cut back the parsley. I knew it was in there somewhere. I …
2020-04-11: Got to pay attention to notice avocado flowers. Our “Bacon” Avocado tree is flowering. Our …
2020-04-10: Falafel soft tacos tonight since we had dry chickpeas, the herb garden was begging for it, and we …
2020-04-09: Think we might get cherries in mid to late May! A few tree branches have extremely undersized leaves …
2020-04-08: Got a few Apricot fruits to set... in a few weeks they may drop as the tree balances its energy.
2020-04-07: First elderberry flowers in the backyard.
2020-04-05: Our (majority) whole wheat crust pizza.
2020-04-05: 🐞
2020-04-05: Apple delayed shipment of 2020 MacBook Air. Understandable. Buyer’s remorse came fast and furious so …
2020-04-04: Home fried sweet potato chips. Because we didn’t use the potato in a Massaman curry last week (had …
2020-04-04: I’m experimenting with [Meteobridge Templates](https://meteobridge.com/wiki/index.php/Templates) and …
2020-04-01: Newly emerged ladybug 🐞
2020-03-31: Future native California grapes.🐞🐝
2020-03-29: Was prepping the vegetable garden bed and had to dodge lots of ladybugs.
2020-03-29: We had been planning a May trip to Germany for a few years. We’re cancelling it. We're patiently …
2020-03-27: Front yard (mostly) native garden update.
2020-03-23: Good morning! Here’s Orion’s Belt of Ladybugs on white clover.
2020-03-22: Yellow Dal w/Garlic & Brown Basmati and make ahead veggie enchiladas all at once.
2020-03-22: Our local grocery store’s distributor ran out of eggs by the dozen. 😕
2020-03-22: What do you need this morning? Bee butt on Gilia flowers and Baby Blue Eyes.
2020-03-21: Realized we can keep our front door open with closed screen because there shouldn’t be door to door …
2020-03-21: Takeout from a local Orland, CA restaurant. Even in rural California, online takeout is available! …
2020-03-21: I’d say nationwide telework went very well this last week. Only had a few hours of repeat VPN …
2020-03-21: “Hey Siri, play some music.” “Okay, let’s kick things off with Widespread Panic.” 😳
2020-03-17: Working from home today - nationwide stress test of VPN.
2020-03-15: It’s high time we start taking photos behind the flowers. Apricot flower.
2020-03-14: 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 …
2020-03-14: Glad lots of people are learning about public library eBooks. My library in rural California has had …
2020-03-14: Not going anywhere unless necessary so time to try Sous Vide London Broil. Just under two pounds of …
2020-03-13: Cherry tree in full bloom.
2020-03-13: At the USDA, I’m not allowed to telework as I haven’t been personally affected by SARS-CoV-2. I’m …
2020-03-12: There’s a retirement party this Saturday. Could be up to 100 people. So far it’s not postponed or …
2020-03-12: This morning’s view out the backyard window. The California Lilacs (purple!) are out of control. …
2020-03-09: A successful section of our vegetative fence line screen. Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), California …
2020-03-08: Wow first earthquake I’ve experienced in a very long time. Off Cape Mendocino. It was a slow roll. …
2020-03-08: Sunset over the Pacific. Two versions, no filter, just different exposure settings. iPhone 11 Pro …
2020-03-08: Gray Whale spouts (center photo) off the coast of Northern California.
2020-03-07: Western toad hanging out in one of our irrigation boxes. We have a wildlife ramp in there for this …
2020-03-06: A Very Good Overcomplicated Journal Workflow Our journal workflow is probably more complicated than it needs to be. There’s room to optimize this …
2020-03-06: European honeybee on a California Lilac (Ceanothus). 🐝
2020-03-05: Our front yarden sage plants (first two photos) and all the Ceanothus are now flowering.
2020-03-04: Our apricot had its first bloom today. A few weeks ahead last year. This tree has rarely yielded …
2020-03-03: Our cherry tree had its first bloom today.
2020-03-01: There are many **vision**s brewing in these caskets at [Moksa Brewery](https://moksabrewing.com).
2020-03-01: Alcohol dreaming to escape their bottles. Later, I had a dry gin martini on the rocks.
2020-02-29: Ember leaping from a pepper roasting over a gas flame.
2020-02-28: 2020 Spring: Blooms to Come Here in the Northern Sacramento Valley of California, the blooming seems to be happening all at once …
2020-02-28: And here’s a California gilia.
2020-02-28: First front yard California poppy bloom of the year.
2020-02-28: We love this red curry paste. Fortify it with fresh lemon grass! 🌶🌶🌶🥵
2020-02-28: Glad I’m not below that cherry picker.
2020-02-27: Our cherry tree’s super close **together** buds are opening up! Soon flower buds will rapidly drop …
2020-02-26: This horse won’t escape… though I feel jumping the fence is easily within its abilities.
2020-02-25: In 2010: Plenty of limestone & marble rock hurdles in the Marble Wilderness, Klamath National …
2020-02-24: Double
2020-02-23: Experimenting with our first bird feeding station. Suet with seed for a variety of birds.
2020-02-22: The dull spectacle of me trying to figure out the kitchen sink’s plumbing. My iPhone is a handy …
2020-02-21: Progress. Nectarine is growing!
2020-02-20: A tan greywacke sandstone from the Northern California Coast Range (Franciscan Assemblage bedrock). …
2020-02-19: The pull to “like” on Twitter is impressive. I’m doing my best to refrain but my finger has a mind …
2020-02-19: Never for want of space in California’s Central Valley. Those grapes will be waking up soon.
2020-02-18: Hard to oppose California’s almond bloom! ❤️ Our apricot will bloom mid March and the cherry late …
2020-02-17: One of two Valencia oranges from the backyard tree 😋
2020-02-17: Not cool. Whoever installed the kitchen sink didn’t use plumbers putty or silicone so now the under …
2020-02-16: Bees seem to never **rest** when manzanitas are blooming. I gave up trying to photograph them.
2020-02-15: House Wiring is an Adventure I finished installing some new switches today. Worst thing I found in the existing wiring that I …
2020-02-15: Use of ladders require good balance. I barely have that and dislike them immensely despite their …
2020-02-14: 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. …
2020-02-14: Warmth and a marshmallow on the Carrizo Plain in 2010.
2020-02-13: Late last year in New York I saw many a High Rise including this curvy one.
2020-02-12: During the cold season, Annie has an enormous attachment to her heated bed.
2020-02-11: November 2010: The Carrizo Plain National Monument. A great spot for geology students to explore …
2020-02-10: This morning’s view of Northern California’s interior coast range. Cameo by a Tractor Supply sign.
2020-02-09: I. Uh. Well.
2020-02-09: During a lull of the wind.
2020-02-09: I want a cavern full of juke boxes playing All You Need is Love.
2020-02-09: The Prisoner is wild and genius.
2020-02-08: The transparent rectangular thing is the push on connector I wrote about earlier. Really nice; way …
2020-02-08: Quite a contrast! Old switches in bottom photo, new Caseta switches in top. I finally got to use a …
2020-02-07: Last August I went to Coyote Point just south of the main approach to SFO. Coyote Point is famous …
2020-02-06: The California native plant garden is very green right now and soon there will be plenty of flowers. …
2020-02-05: Wildlife scaring and killing outdoor cats like to hide under our native ceanothus. I regularly scare …
2020-02-04: Love it when I can spot Mt. Lassen and Brokeoff Mountain from the valley.
2020-02-03: Sweet mandarins reflecting a whole lot of red showing just how ripe they are. Picked last Saturday …
2020-02-02: No sight distance through the evergreen toyon. It’s very happy. So is our manzanita — getting ready …
2020-02-01: Planted more asparagus today. They came with white asparagus sprouts. Looks like freaky white worms …
2020-02-01: My attempt at an open vase pruned apricot tree 🌳 📷
2020-01-31: Backyard Relaxation Relaxing can mean accomplishing things. The backyard always offers things to accomplish! …
2020-01-31: I would very much love it if MacOS Catalina stopped logging me out of some anonymous Apple ID …
2020-01-26: 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 …
2020-01-25: Asparagus is weird. Finally moved the crowns to a place we can regularly irrigate.
2020-01-20: Previous home owners did not ground the ceiling fan! Such an easy fix for a bit more safety. Did …
2020-01-19: Upgraded from (down/up) 175/6 Mbps to 300/11 Mbps soon as I hit the “order” button. $1 less, too. No …
2020-01-18: When a ceiling fan announces that it absolutely wants to be replaced, this happens.
2020-01-17: The beetles really tore up our Lapins cherry tree this last year. It is almost girdled. If we’re …
2020-01-12: Yesterday’s planted nectarine began life here in a rather peculiar way:
2020-01-12: Going to punt this fan replacement job to another weekend. This nest of wires needs a day I can be …
2020-01-11: Our 2-year old plum died so now we’re trying a “Fantasia” nectarine. 400-500 chill hours is doable …
2020-01-09: Left to right: Moon and Orion (partial; got the belt!)
2020-01-07: Frosty morning in the yarden 🐝
2020-01-05: Our Elderberries coming back after they scorched in the summer heat last year. Resilient native …
2020-01-05: Yesterday we spent some time taking a mental break at Burris Creek near Black Butte Lake, CA.
2020-01-04: We’re trying to propagate lemon grass after dividing canes from our outdoor plant (hope it …
2020-01-03: I disturbed this overwintering ladybug while cleaning up this past year’s Holy Basil growth.
2020-01-03: Our Mandarin tree 🌳 is ready for as-needed harvest!
2020-01-03: ImperfectFoods is trying to sell people on the produce I get at my rural grocery store: smaller, …
2020-01-02: This is a nightmare.
2020-01-02: Caseta & Dimming LEDs I replaced a Caseta dimmer switch with the non-dimming version as I’m installing a ceiling fan …
2020-01-01: Dealing with house wiring that makes me go “WTF THEY THINKING?” Don’t DIY if you don’t want to take …
2019-12-28: I am really into For All Mankind.
2019-12-28: Unearthed and powered up a Raspberry Pi 3. Took a bit of time to remember how I configured it for …
2019-12-28: Cut down this years’ California fuchsias yesterday to encourage & release a new year of growth.
2019-12-27: I’m pleased that MacOS 10.15’s Photos app reconstructs Live Photos from exported .heic and .mov …
2019-12-25: I love Shortcuts. There goes a tedious repetitive task to oblivion!!📱
2019-12-22: Side mirror view: tumbleweed on a front bumper.
2019-12-21: Dancy Mandarins are so very close to perfect ripeness. Need to blush a bit more toward red.
2019-12-21: A very good Mantis.
2019-12-20: Never fails. This infernal badged Sys Prefs issue is so far the most annoying MacOS Catalina issue …
2019-12-20: My favorite around-the-home power tool. Okay, besides my electric drill/driver.
2019-12-20: An indoor aloe succulent growing a flower stalk.
2019-12-15: A colorful sunrise and a fresh coat of snow on Snow Mountain, NorCal. I love my iPhone 11 Pro. No …
2019-12-13: Color Stages of Caramel I use Alton Brown’s dark caramel recipe with some minor modifications to suit taste. First, the …
2019-12-07: Front yarden update: California Buckwheat’s dead flowers are showy red and the Blue Oak has decided …
2019-12-07: To HomePod: “How’s the timer?” HomePod: “The timer is cancelled.” 🙀🤷♂️📱
2019-12-06: The [iRobot Braava m6 has a threshold …
2019-12-06: Dear iPadOS notes: I’d love a default where a new single Notes window launches when I tap your …
2019-12-01: Nest Cam vs HomeKit Secure Video There’s been some frustration with the current state of HomeKit Secure Video, but coming from a very …
2019-11-30: Test fromMarsEdit - does RichText convert to MarkDown? Does it bold? Who needs Italians when they …
2019-11-29: Sometimes my Sonos goes out of sync with the HomePod. The HomePod appears to then go through a …
2019-11-29: Just cracked open the homemade boozy eggnog that’s been aging since September 8 2019. It’s …
2019-11-28: Birds gorging on sweet basil seeds.
2019-11-28: The birds are gorging on seeds in our front and backyard gardens. So happy to provide them …
2019-11-27: I didn’t end up with even one permission prompt after installing MacOS Catalina & launching …
2019-11-27: So MacOS Catalina’s SideCar feature requires the Mac user and target iPad to be signed in to the …
2019-11-27: HomeBrew and SuperDuper! just released MacOS Catalina support so I suppose I will try to upgrade …
2019-11-24: 1) Valencia sloooowly ripening & 2) mandarins rapidly coloring but still a month out from peak …
2019-11-23: These Extra-crispy Parmesan-crusted roasted potatoes by J. Kenji López-Alt are pretty great.
2019-11-21: So my iPhone has started detecting The Annie Cat as a focus area!
2019-11-21: One more month until these mandarins are perfectly sweet. Patience!
2019-11-20: Armillaria mellea. Honey mushroom 🥾
2019-11-19: Very pleased that HomeKit Secure Video streams live video on the LAN. No more stream to cloud and …
2019-11-17: I finally got a HomePod and I’m impressed that it can accurately hear me mumble across the room …
2019-11-16: 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 …
2019-11-16: Looking toward Saint John Mountain from near Fouts Springs, CA. Chaparral plants.
2019-11-15: Pleased that my HomeKit devices still worked from the Home app during a big Comcast (Xfinity) & …
2019-11-13: Visited some tree frogs in the forest today. Pseudacris sierra.
2019-11-11: Old iPad Pro 9.7” just got replaced by an iPad Pro 11”. I did not expect to be impressed by the …
2019-11-10: I have some anxiety over the iOS 13 Reminders upgrade button. If I upgrade, then my partner has to …
2019-11-09: The Prisoner, episode 10, “Hammer into Anvil” — soo good.
2019-11-09: Today’s sourdough with a side of Annie Cat stare.
2019-11-08: Shared Photo Libraries All these years Apple still has no way to share entire photo libraries with family. The shared …
2019-11-06: 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 …
2019-11-05: A very good lake. 🥾
2019-11-03: Also in bloom! Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat).
2019-11-03: Front yard native plants currently in bloom: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia; red flowers adored …
2019-11-03: Only those with broken circadian rhythms get an hour extra of sleep going to standard time.
2019-11-02: We’re starting to get some color on our Mandarins. These should be perfectly sweet by end of …
2019-11-02: In the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness on the Mendocino National Forest via the Ides Cove trail: A …
2019-10-31: 19 trick-or-treater’s. Half last year. Fortunately, we’re stuck with good candy and not the milk …
2019-10-30: Yesterday: Mount Shasta from near Mount Linn. 🥾
2019-10-26: iTunes Match to Apple Music My new iPhone refused to access old iTunes Match music, perhaps as a result of my unsubscribing from …
2019-10-25: Barely photographed a bee on our holy basil. They were extremely shy and did not loiter. 🐝
2019-10-23: The Annie Cat waiting patiently for the nighttime brushing routine to begin.
2019-10-22: Western toads in the backyard 🐝😍
2019-10-20: A little more than halfway through The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater and I don’t want it to end.
2019-10-20: So the Shortcuts widget syncs the same shortcuts & order on iPad and iPhone. Too bad, as I have …
2019-10-20: Cooler weather means it’s time to check your tire pressure! A bit low as they need 32 PSI.
2019-10-19: Trees & rocks. 🥾
2019-10-18: 🤦♂️📱 iPadOS 13.1.3
2019-10-15: Mount Lassen. 🥾
2019-10-14: I neglected to post a photo of Lassen National Park’s Brokeoff Mountain. The hike to its summit was …
2019-10-13: I love a sun-dappled wet meadow with accenting volcanic rocks! Yesterday, on the trail to Brokeoff …
2019-10-12: Today: Mount Lassen from Brokeoff Mountain.🥾
2019-10-11: A front yard native garden update! Fuchsias & Cal Buckwheat are still flowering. Coyote bushes …
2019-10-11: Thankful Apple still allows a different iTunes account for app purchases as Apple STILL provides no …
2019-10-06: Praying Mantis on the grapevine. 🐝
2019-10-05: Patecones are 👌🍴
2019-10-05: Worth the tens cents for the bag. 🐈
2019-10-05: Flu shot season!
2019-10-05: Apple knew what they were doing delaying Deep Fusion photography feature in iPhone 11. After I saw …
2019-10-02: The Annie Cat enjoying her heated bed that comes out every fall. 🐈
2019-10-01: Another very good Praying Mantis hanging out in my front yard. 🐝
2019-10-01: Oh cool. The exercise trigger for iOS 13.1.2 Shortcuts finally started working today.
2019-09-29: This Preying Mantis (or others like her) has been hanging out on one of our California wild grape …
2019-09-28: Using iOS 13 shortcuts & iPad home screen widget to set audio output to my airplay capable Sonos …
2019-09-27: California Wild Rose (Rosa californica) flowers are incredibly fragile. This backyard plant became …
2019-09-27: This “Beauty” Japanese plum has been quite temperamental. No idea if it should be defoliated by now …
2019-09-25: My new favorite watch face, from WatchOS 6, is Solar Dial. I’m often outdoors for work so at a …
2019-09-24: Good morning!
2019-09-22: Piano repair in Flatiron.
2019-09-21: This crisp very low IBU Montauk Summer Ale is what I needed this warm late summer evening on Long …
2019-09-21: Love how Mott Street in China Town (Manhattan) curves out of sight like a movie set.
2019-09-20: I wanted all of the knishes.
2019-09-20: Gorgeous day on the Brooklyn Bridge. Walked from Penn Station to Atlantic Terminal. Knishes, Lotus …
2019-09-20: JFK, New York. Scene from last night: a traffic jam in the hourly garage. Was treated to a horn …
2019-09-19: Snow Mountain and St. John mountain are looking pretty good after yesterday’s rain.
2019-09-18: The audio sync feature on Apple’s tvOS 13 is 👌 Also, here’s a🌈 🌈
2019-09-18: My almost 2 year old plum is so fickle. It’s senescing early. After digging into the soil, I think …
2019-09-16: Urban prescribed fire 🔥. Provides volunteer fire department training and reduces city blight & …
2019-09-15: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia) keeping pollinators, including hummingbirds, happy.
2019-09-14: Mantis enjoying the accommodations of our little Blue Oak.
2019-09-13: Anna’s Hummingbirds fighting over native fuchsias!
2019-09-13: HomeKit is great because it doesn’t require internet for day to day operations. Internet goes down, …
2019-09-13: Ecobee 3 lite seems nice but had to change its default 0.5°f “Cool Differential Temp” to 1°f. We …
2019-09-12: Bye bye Nest Thermostat Gen 1. Hello ecobee3 lite! I revised the Nest’s fancy screws to avoid …
2019-09-11: Almond harvest season.
2019-09-10: Can’t wait to replace the 1st gen Nest Thermostat with this Ecobee3 Lite. A Friday project.
2019-09-10: Going to be jealous of that iPhone 11’s 📱grown up front camera! About time it has near parity to the …
2019-09-09: The package only had to go from one end of the state to another. Instead, it first went across the …
2019-09-08: Tonight’s homemade pizza 🍕
2019-09-08: Preparing to move away from Nest (Google) to Ecobee this week. Just used a spare thermostat wire and …
2012-12-08: Eucalyptus plantation near Corning. This was supposed to be for a sustainable biofuels project.