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Local Raley’s grocery has non-alcoholic beer imported from Germany. It’s good as hoped. Malty, which I prefer over hoppy. A hand holding a bottle of Clausthaler Original Non-Alcoholic beer, which contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. The label includes the phrases “Superior Taste,” “Crisp & Fresh,” and “The German Pioneer”

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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 spotted towhee, with unique white markings on its black wings, perched on a bare branch among tangled branches with lichen growth.

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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

A Doppler radar representation of the North Sacramento Valley. Shows incoming rain just above Orland. From the RadarScope app.
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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.

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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?

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I’ve never seen an installed anti-tip bracket for a slide-in oven/stove until I installed one myself. A corner behind a kitchen appliance with a wall and floor showing signs of dirt and residue. There are two metallic conduit pipe, a metal anti-tip bracket, and an installation instruction manual is partially visible on the right side.

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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. 🤬

The dishwasher is wired directly to an extension cord, which is plugged into an electrical line that is wired into the wall. All outside a junction box. It’s dusty in here.
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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 #XPlaneE175 landing almost on center at Kona, Hawaii with a giant shield volcano in the background.

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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

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Here’s a Western Meadow Lark photobombing a White Crown Sparrow. Or was it the other way? #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #WesternMeadowLark #BirdPhotography #AvianGeek #Fujifilm Two birds perched in dry brush. The closest bird displaying yellow markings. That one is a Western Meadow Lark. The farthest away bird looks like a small white crown.

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A ravenous Orange Crowned Warbler! #Birds #OrangeCrownedWarbler #fujifilm 🪶An Orange Crowned Warbler perched on a dormant grape vine, beak agape, lunging toward a dried up grape cluster. The warbler looks light yellow.

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Here’s a surprise flock of American White Pelicans flying north along the Sacramento River near Corning, CA. #Birds #AmericanWhitePelican #Fujifilm White and black pelicans fly under an overcast sky.

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Germany has great non-alcoholic beer and they seem quite popular there. More than you’d expect! They’re so much better than the rightfully maligned O’Douls. So I’m excited that Sierra Nevada Brewery is getting into this market. Can’t wait to try! https://sierranevada.com/brews/trail-pass-golden

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A Western Blue Bird living its best life. First time we’ve seen them feasting on our cultivated natives California grapes. #Birds #WesternBlueBird #Fujifilm A Western Blue Bird in defoliated grape vines, showing off its rust red chest atop a bunch of dried out grapes. The bird has a blue head and is looking to the left.

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Some birds spotted today at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge: a Bald Eagle, a Merlin, and a Black Phoebe. 🪶 #Birds #SacramentoNationalWildlifeRefuge #BaldEagle #Merlin #BlackPhoebe #Fujifilm Bald eagle, looking left across its left shoulder, perched on a Willow tree branch surrounded by foliage.

A Merlin perched on a leafless tree branch against a clear blue sky.

A Black Phoebe bird in mid-flight over a calm body of water with light ripples and reflections of vegetation on the surface.

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Here’s my RaspberryShake’s recording of the M7.5 earthquake at Japan. #RaspberryShake #Earthquake #Japan

A seismograph of the M7.5 earthquake at Japan on 1/1/2024
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#SilentSunday A tranquil wetland scene with dry, reedy plants protruding from the water and a single red and white fishing bobber visible among the stalks. The bobber reflects in the placid water below.

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COVID Sucks (Stay Fully Vaccinated )

Glad I’m fully vaccinated as my post-Germany COVID symptoms/disease could be lots worse. Took several days to test positive. The infection started with an on/off fever, sore throat, cold-like symptoms, & general malaise. My finger tips tingled for a few hours (immune system must have gone after my nerve myelin)! Two weeks later, my head is congested (ears not at right pressure) and I’ve a minor cough. Get vaccinated & protect yourself. Don’t travel during peak respiratory virus season. Avoid poorly ventilated (we’ve learned… nothing) trains. Still, Germany was pretty great! Photos will be randomly posted.

A positive COVID test results. The lolly-pop BinaxNOW style test.
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#SilentSunday #Deutschland #Berlin A person bundled in winter clothing and a small dog patiently looking up to that person on a snow-covered path in a park with trees, a bench, and a trash can covered in grafiti. It is snowing.

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A Hooded Crow harasses a generally unflappable Kestrel at Berlin Tempelhof. #Fujifilm #Birds 🪶#Deutschland #Berlin In shallow snow, a hooded crow chases after a small brown kestrel. Dead brown weedy plants frame the background. The image is watermarked, Copyright Ryan Mikulovsky