Today, our nectarine had its first bloom #BloomScrolling
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 spotted them atop the same tree. #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Shrike #Fujifilm 🪶 
Black Necked Stilts at the Sacramento Refuge yesterday with the Sutter Buttes looming beyond #Birds #BirdPhotography #Fujifilm #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge
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 bloom and the manzanitas have been in full bloom for about a week now 
Gorgeous day at the Refuge. #Fujifilm 
“‘Like sending bees to war’: the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession” http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/07/honeybees-deaths-almonds-hives-aoe
A Golden-crowned Sparrow 🪶 #BirdPhotography #GoldenCrownedSparrow #Fujifilm
This rainy President’s Day, I’m getting used to the Yawman Arrow Controller by flying patterns in Laminar’s C172. With an XBox controller, I never could fly the C172 well. It really sucked as yaw control was not easy. So far, the Yawman Arrow controller has been terrific #YawmanArrow #XPlane #FlightSimulation #AvGeek
If the sun can keep breaking through the clouds today, we may see some thunderstorms in the northern Sacramento Valley… looking promising for weather nerds #CaWx 
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 direct heats the cookware. Those mats are useful! Baking, candy, and now this. 
Near Chico, CA, we just accumulated 2” of rain and this mockingbird has seen quite enough
Local Raley’s grocery has non-alcoholic beer imported from Germany. It’s good as hoped. Malty, which I prefer over hoppy. 
Today, finally saw a Spotted Towhee at the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge - Pine Creek Unit. I’d only seen California Towhees before and they’re not nearly this fancy looking. 
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 now, should get to 60° today. #CaWx
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 cultivated native grapes. Sunday should be the warmest day, so I will likely prune the fruit trees then.
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 a 3rd rack for flatware! And tines that flatten! And it’s super quiet! 🥳 But will it last 20 years?
I’ve never seen an installed anti-tip bracket for a slide-in oven/stove until I installed one myself. 
We’re getting a new dishwasher tomorrow. Whoever installed the old one I’m removing…. WTAF with the electric connection! Madness. The dishwasher is wired directly to an extension cord, which is plugged into an electrical cord that is wired directly into a wall box. All outside a junction box. 🤬
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 sensitivity. I’m very happy with this and, on first flight, was worth the wait. #YawmanArrow #FlightSim #XPlane
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 should be highlighted more in Golden and IPA. Will buy Golden again; it’s most like beer. Big leap over previous NA beers