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I may have a breakthrough with my anxiety. A beta blocker. Forces my brain to stop being an adrenaline junky for low stakes things like… hobbies, people, & work. My heart rate is now not near to or tachycardic for no good reason and that hugely helps my anxiety. A cardiologist is in my future.

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Good morning from California, where Fall is finally reasserting itself.

A backyard with a weather station and native plants. Early morning sunlight is reflecting off the bottoms of low clouds, resulting in a bright orange glow.
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Some wildlife at the Red Bluff Recreation Area (managed by the Mendocino National Forest). Lots of amphibians at Ben’s Pond(?)! We also observed well camouflaged mule deer and a busy Downy Woodpecker. #RedBluffRecreationAreaA frog or toad sitting in an algae filled pond, sticking its head out into the air. At least three Mule Deer in tall brown reeds, looking back towards the human interlopers. A Downy Woodpecker on a tree branch with a slightly motion blurred head. It was pecking at the time. The woodpecker has a white belly and black wings with rows of white spots. Its head has some white with a black stripe up the middle and over its eyes.

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Happy new water year! According to WeatherCat software, my wx station recorded a total of 27.91” for Oct 1, 2022 - Sep 30, 2023 water year. Compare that to 13.66” for Oct 1, 2021 - Sep 30, 2022 water year! Nature gave us a 0.5” boost yesterday. I’m in the N. Sac Valley #CAWx

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Someone lost a parakeet or a small parrot 🙁😳 #BirdsOfMastodon #NotFromAroundHere A bird with a green body and yellow head perched on an elderberry branch. It has black markings on its wings and tail. There are elderberries behind it.

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Three episodes into Silo on Apple TV+ and I’m loving it. https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/125988

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About time Apple Music shows are available in Apple Podcasts. Now, imagine this, I can resume playing shows anytime & easily know what I’ve listened to 🙄 Mainly I listen to Strombo.

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In Northern California’s Fall, our whole house fan really shines. We can bring in cooler air at night when there’s no wind. The modern models are not very loud! So our AC (heat pump) is off for the season now. That’s a bit earlier than usual as we often need a bit of cooling at night for sleep.

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Got out to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge this morning. The White Fronted Geese are here (along with many small migratory song birds)! #WhiteFrontedGoose Five Greater White Fronted Geese flying in a clear sky. They have bright white chests and tails. Their belly is striped with black. Their wings are gray. The photo is very soft or slightly blurry.

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Covid 💉✅ Flu 💉✅

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At KSFO, just outside BART, is a pretty great view of the west side of G terminal. It’s easy to miss coming and going. #AvGeek #KSFO #B777 #B787 #FujifilmUnited 787 (N45956) and United 777 (N796UA) parked at the KSFO G gates. and Air New Zealand 777 (ZK-DKN) is at stand in the far distance. It’s a clear day save the fog bank on the horizon to the northwest.

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From the KSFO Terminal 2 Sky Terrace. I didn’t have my telephoto lens so I embraced the glass panes. Lufthansa 747-8 (D-ABYL) SFO-FRA #B748 #KSFO #AvGeek #Fujifilm

A Lufthansa 747-800 taxiing to RW28L photographed from the Sky Terrace with three visible panes of glass and a plane with long spiny leaves on the left.
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Covid booster and flu shots scheduled for next Friday! 🎉

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We sometimes spoil our resident scrub jays with sunflower heads loaded with seeds. A juvenile Western Scrubjay looks down at a seed-filled sunflower head that’s on the ground. It is framed by a gravel pathway and some dry grass. Gray down is still on the bird’s back.

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So long, Google Chrome. The last straw has come.

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I finally deleted my Twitter account. Even having an inactive account felt icky. And really really awful and gross over the last couple of days.

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Lots of people with Covid at my workplace. I think the worst I’ve seen.

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Today: A Coopers Hawk at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. #CoopersHawk #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography Coopers Hawk in a brightly lit tree. It is hunting up high. It has brown bars on its tail and brown stripes on its neck.

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Gray Buckeye Butterfly today at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. #Fujifilm #GrayBuckeye #Butterfly Gray Buckeye butterfly among weeds with tinier yellow flowers. The butterfly has three eyes on each wing. It is orange, brown, gray and white with a fuzzy body.

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Weather was nice today! Summer is waning and so I guess outdoor photography season can begin. Here are a few dragonflies enjoying an overcast and hazy day. #Fujifilm

An in-flight green dragon fly against a blue sky.A long view to the Northern California Coast range. It's a hazy and overcast day. Oaks and rolling golden hills are in front of some rugged mountains.Within a muddy area with green algae, a stick juts out and a red striped dragonfly rests at the stick's end. The insect has red patches at the ends of its transparent wings.