A very good Mantis.
Photos
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 back in? Why does MacOS forget so easily?
My favorite around-the-home power tool. Okay, besides my electric drill/driver.
An indoor aloe succulent growing a flower stalk.
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 for posting.
Color Stages of Caramel
Friday, December 13, 2019
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 expected and it takes 10 minutes instead of 6 or 7 to get to 300°F. Then, I heat to 340°F instead of 350°F because that’s too burnt for friends. I combine the broken up butter with the cream in a Pyrex measure cup so all of that goes in at once – making it less stressful with one less step.Front yarden update: California Buckwheat’s dead flowers are showy red and the Blue Oak has decided it is winter. California fuchsias still have flowers for the hummingbirds. Front of the house illuminated by mostly bug friendly amber lights. 🐞🐝
Just cracked open the homemade boozy eggnog that’s been aging since September 8 2019. It’s delightful, smooth, and not gloppy.
Birds gorging on sweet basil seeds.
- Valencia sloooowly ripening & 2) mandarins rapidly coloring but still a month out from peak sweetness
These Extra-crispy Parmesan-crusted roasted potatoes by J. Kenji López-Alt are pretty great.
So my iPhone has started detecting The Annie Cat as a focus area!
One more month until these mandarins are perfectly sweet. Patience!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 →
Armillaria mellea. Honey mushroom 🥾
Looking toward Saint John Mountain from near Fouts Springs, CA. Chaparral plants.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 →
Visited some tree frogs in the forest today. Pseudacris sierra.
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!
Today’s sourdough with a side of Annie Cat stare.
Tree says “It's not fall, but spring!”, Other Tree says “FALL!”
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
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 so I checked if it was alive. There’s still some green in a cutting so… I suppose it’s still alive. I needed to prune that branch anyway.A very good lake. 🥾
Also in bloom! Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat).
Front yard native plants currently in bloom: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia; red flowers adored by hummingbirds) and Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Bush; small, pleasantly scented white flowers loved by small pollinators).
We’re starting to get some color on our Mandarins. These should be perfectly sweet by end of December 🌳
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.
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 strawberry taffy). Happy Halloween 🎃
Yesterday: Mount Shasta from near Mount Linn. 🥾
Barely photographed a bee on our holy basil. They were extremely shy and did not loiter. 🐝
The Annie Cat waiting patiently for the nighttime brushing routine to begin.
Western toads in the backyard 🐝😍
Cooler weather means it’s time to check your tire pressure! A bit low as they need 32 PSI.
