2020-05-31: Crispy Cheese and Kimchi-Topped Skillet Rice — quite delicious.
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 …