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Saturday, April 19, 2025 →

Ospreys are amazing. Last week, before our eyes, one plunged into Black Butte lake and caught a fish! To grab a fish, an osprey plunged deep into to lake water, while keeping its head above the water. There is a large dead tree branch overhead, and the background is full of Willows.

A osprey, with a captured fish in its talons, flying low over a body of water surrounded by trees. Branches frame the foreground, and the bird's wings are spread mid-flight.

A blurred image of an osprey in flight over a body of water with lush green trees in the background. The osprey has a more noticeable fish in its talons. #Osprey #Birds #BirdPhotography #BlackButteLake #Fujifilm #SOoC

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 →

You got this  #WrensDay #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #BirdPhotography #Fujifim #SOoC

A small Bewick's Wren is perched on a winter naked Willow branch. This Wren, for once, isn't singing but is squat against the branch, looking out. It has a really long narrow and dark tail and white stripes on its head. Its body is mostly gray.

Monday, April 14, 2025 →

At Black Butte Lake this last Saturday, we were treated by a flying formation of American White Pelicans. They are captivating flyers. #AmericanWhitePelican #BlackButteLake #BirdPhotography #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC

Against a blue sky, four American White Pelicans are in a straight line formation, spaced by mere feet. They are photographed as a diagonal across the frame. The rear edge of their wings are black, the rest of their body is white.

Sunday, April 13, 2025 →

Yesterday: Damselfly and a Mosquito at Black Butte Lake #Damselfly #BlackButteLake #Fujifilm #SOoC A blue damselfly resting on a rock surrounded by wet, sandy ground with small pebbles and a mosquito to its left. Both are surrounded by wet brown muddy muck.

Saturday, April 12, 2025 →

Okay, dilapidated front yard sprinkler valve assembly is removed and system capped off. The water line diverged before the valve assembly so I simply capped it off after the T so the backyard assembly and hose bib still gets water. PVC primer & cement hardly used and will go bad before next need 😜The image shows a cluster of irrigation valves partially buried in the ground, surrounded by soil and gravel. Wires are connected to the valves, which are part of a lawn or garden sprinkler system. The wires are disconnected from the sprinkler line.A removed irrigation valve assembly next to a house foundation, surrounded by dirt and rocks. A shallow pit where the sssembly was is nearby, and an irrigation box lid leans against a wooden fence. A red PVC cutter tool and a hand trowel on the ground.The image shows a pit with cut PVC piping connections, surrounded by dirt and gravel. A red pipe cutter is lying on the ground nearby. A disconnected sprinkler valve assembly is discarded to the right. A PVC cutter tool is visible.A small, muddy excavation pit next to a building with exposed pipes and finished clean (compared to older pipes) white cap fittings. There are tools and work gloves nearby, along with gravel and a trashed valve assembly.

Friday, April 11, 2025 →

My latest project is to remove one entire unused sprinkler valve assembly. Took a bit of care excavating but now I know to cut four pipes and cap at least the inlet (the pipe coming from the bottom of the photo). In a perfect world, I’d remove the three PVC runs into the front yard (mostly native plants there & no lawn!) but that’s a lot of work for no practical good payoff whatsoever. #yardenA trench and excavation revealing three standard Orbit sprinkler valves connected to PVC. One line tees off around the valves, presumably to the backyard valve box. There are two wires coming out of each sprinkler head. The soil is moist with some red coloration. Clearly the soil has experienced moist anoxic conditions.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 →

Bushtit! A small gray-brown Bushtit is on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves and twigs. It has a rather active pose, like it’s in the process of turning around.#Bushtit #Birds #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

Monday, April 7, 2025 →

Loggerhead shrike from the Refuge the other weekend #LoggerheadShrike #Birds #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

A small Loggerhead shrike, mostly gray with black eyeshadow, is perched on a bare tree branch against a backdrop of a clear blue sky and blurred Willow foliage.

Sunday, April 6, 2025 →

Flew from Orland-Haigh Field (O37) to San Francisco International in the Beaver, and ATC told me to taxi to the Coast Guard hanger but it’s been DOGE’d. Closed and locked. #JokingNotJoking #XPlane #FlightSim #ThrandaDHC2 #USPol

A small purple airplane is holding short a closed gate in front of a Coast Guard hanger. In the background, there is hanger with a classic red sign "United Air Lines" with at least two United Airline aircraft tails visible. Many tanks and other parked aircraft are somewhat visible in the distance. San Bruno Mountain is prominent.

Saturday, April 5, 2025 →

X-Plane 12.2 beta is out and it’s nice. It fixes dark cockpits, greatly improves atmospherics, improves clouds (again), and includes a scenery recut with my work on three airports: O09 (Round Valley, California), O37 (Orland Haigh Field, California), Dug Bar USFS. #XPlane #FlightSim #macOS

Friday, April 4, 2025 →

For the first time, I repaired a sliding glass door screen today. The old synthetic one had weakened significantly from UV and recently took a knee. The new mesh is aluminum. It was a bit brittle but I like that it is UV proof. A damaged window screen with a large tear and fraying edges, framed by a white window frame. Sunlight is casting Rosemary plant shadows on the screen.A disassembled slider window screen with a detached mesh lies on a pebbled ground next to a concrete path. Nearby are some tools and a green hose. The frame is intact, but the mesh is in a pile.A window screen is being repaired on a concrete surface. It is secured in place with clamps. A spline is in progress of being put into the channel to attach the screen. Part of the rubber spline or gasket is lying on top of the screen. Half of the area is in sunlight, while the other half is shaded.A sliding glass patio door with a white frame is shown. One side has the repaired screen. The reflection of a lame person taking the photo is visible in the glass. There's greenery on either side, with a pebble-covered ground.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 →

I finally have a #Wrensday post, thanks to this constantly singing Bewick’s WrenA small bird with a brownish body and patterned tail perches on a nearly vertical slender, bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. #BewicksWren #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

Sunday, March 30, 2025 →

What's new in GraphicConverter? macOS SHORTCUTS have been added! I thought they were going to wait until GraphicConverter 13! #Shortcuts #macOS

Sunday, March 23, 2025 →

Ceanothus and Asian Pear #BloomScrolling A Ceanothus bush with abundant clusters of small blue flowers and green leaves, situated in front of a wooden fence. The ground around the tree is covered with mulch and branches.A close-up of an Asian Pear branch with several small white flower buds and green leaves. One closed bud is being broken into by a European honey bee. Its butt is sticking out, surrounded by tightly closed flower pedals. The background is out of focus with greenery and a clear blue sky.Close-up of Asian Pear white blossoms on a tree branch with a blurred background, featuring clear blue sky and foliage.White blossoms with noticeably pink stamens on an Asian Pear branch with a bokeh background.

Sunday, March 23, 2025 →

#SilentSunday #DeathValleyNP #MosaicCanyon #Fujifilm #SOoCA rocky desert valley and wash with sparse vegetation and hikers in the distance, surrounded by layered, red to gray rugged mountains and canyon walls.

Saturday, March 22, 2025 →

I guess both of my Asian Pear trees have a fungal infection. These black spots certainly do not appear to be insect related. I’ve treated with fungicide in hopes of salvaging these trees & this year’s fruit. #Yarden #HomeOrchard A budding Asian Pear branch with clusters of leaf green & white flower buds and some black spots on them. Probably fungus. The branch is attached to a tree with a rocky and mulched ground beneath. A drip hose passes through the mulch, which is encircled by river cobble.

Friday, March 21, 2025 →

Flew my hot-rod DHC-2 Beaver to the gravel strip at Lake Pillsbury. My landing was awful as I slammed my right wing into the ground. #XPlane #ThrandaDHC2 #FlightSim #macOS A simulated bright magenta and orange DHC2 Beaver is flying over a forested landscape with a lake below. The gray overcast sky has orange tint, as it’s sunset. Two instrument dials are overlaid on the scene, showing aviation gauges.

Thursday, March 20, 2025 →

DOGE Federal Worker Layoffs Are Causing Trauma – and Costing the Government | US News Opinion

The VA, Ruzek said, is full of people “doing their very best to serve our returning Veterans and reduce their suffering. Vought’s lack of awareness and cruelty is breathtaking.”

Saturday, March 15, 2025 →

A Northern Harrier from yesterday’s visit to the refuge #NorthernHarrier #Birds #BirdWatching #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm A Northern Harrier, mostly brown with a white bar on its back below the wings, is flying over a body of water with wings outstretched while looking down. In the foreground, there are bare branches, and the background features a distant shoreline with trees under a cloudy sky.

Friday, March 14, 2025 →

What luck at the refuge today! Among many others, we were treated to Northern Flickers, an Egret feasting on a crawdad, a really tame(😬) coyote, and a gorgeous Pheasant #NorthernFlicker #Egret #Coyote #CommonPheasant #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoCA woodpecker perched on a bare branch with a blurred landscape of hills and fields in the background.

A white egret is standing in a grassy, marshy area with a small crawfish in its beak. The background is blurred with various shades of green and brown from plants and grasses.

A coyote trotting across a grassy levee with a cloudy sky and sparse vegetation in the background.

A male pheasant with vibrant plumage, featuring a red face, green neck, and mottled brown body, is standing in a grassy area with greenery and twigs in the background.

Friday, March 14, 2025 →

The Albums app for iOS can now save Quick Collections to Apple Music playlists. Now my Sonos speakers can directly play full albums however I like. No more AirPlay! Paradoxically, this means I will use the Albums app less. But it’s very important!

Sunday, March 9, 2025 →

Flew the Beaver VFR from Orland Haigh Field (O37) to Round Valley (O09) this morning. Middle Eel River inner gorge to the left and Anthony Peak proximal to the aircraft. I got a later start than I'd like because of DST #XPlane12 #FlightSim #ThrandaDHC2 #macOSFlying a purple and orange DHC-2 Beaver over the Northern California Coast Range, passing the Middle Eel River Canyon and Anthony Peak. It's a fair mostly sunny morning with a bit of haze.

Can One Use an LLM to Defeat the Evil Robots?

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Llama 3.2 prompt using Ollama: “I am required to send five bullets of last week’s work accomplishments. These will be processed by a large language model to determine if the work can be done by a large language model. Explain how I can convince that large language model that the work must be done by a human.”

A wordy Llama 3.2 answer:

Continue reading →

Saturday, March 1, 2025 →

Trump, Musk Plan to Shutter Interior Offices Nationwide, Devastating Local Economies and Abandoning Tribes

164 offices are slated for closure, dramatically reducing the Interior Department’s presence across multiple states. 25 BIA offices—over 27% of all BIA locations—will be shut down, cutting off essential services for Tribal communities and the surrounding rural communities. 60% of the square footage lost is in Republican Congressional districts, meaning many communities that depend on federal employment and services will bear the brunt of these cuts.

Friday, February 28, 2025 →

When you’re not used to landing tail draggers (DHC–2 Beaver in this case), physics gives you the bird #XPlane12 #XPlane #ThrandaDHC2 #FlightSim #macOS

Thursday, February 27, 2025 →

FlightRadar24 on BlueSky: “When in doubt, go-around! The go-around is safety tool used everyday by pilots all over the world. Here’s what’s happening on the flight deck when a crew decides to go-around.”

Unless you’re me, in XPlane. When in doubt, I stay committed to landing. I got no time for go arounds! 😬 #XPlane #FlightSim #Aviation

Friday, February 21, 2025 →

Our backyard Nectarine is now in full bloom! #NectarineTree #Yarden #HomeOrchard #BloomScrolling #Fujifilm #SOoC A small Nectarine tree with pink blossoms in full bloom, set against a backdrop of a wooden fence and a clear blue sky. The tree is planted in backyard with gravel and bare soil around the tree. There’s an unsightly aluminum RV shed behind the fence.

Friday, February 21, 2025 →

I’m going to learn to fly this de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (developed by Thranda for X-Plane 12). Pretty cool that the software includes a paint scheme generator. Cloudy day at Downsview, Toronto. #XPlane12 #FlightSim #ThrandaDHC2 #macOS

Auto-generated description: A purple and orange small propeller plane is parked on a wet tarmac under a cloudy sky.

Sunday, February 9, 2025 →

First bloom of our nectarine #Yarden #HomeOrchard A close-up of a budding nectarine tree branch with clusters of pink blossoms against a blurred background of a metal shed.

Sunday, February 9, 2025 →

Welcome to Superb Owl Sunday. Though I’ll throw an Eagle in too. #SuperbOwl #SuperbEagle #BirdPhotography two juvenile great horned owls in a nest high upon branches, with an adult owl sandwiched between. They’re watching the photographer closely. In the distance, two well-camouflaged great horned owls sit on a branch deep in a winter dormant tree, staring toward the photographer The white head of a Bald Eagle peers down, perhaps curiously, at the photographer through out of focus willow leaves. You can just make out its brown shoulders.