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: “X” marks the spot over our farm.
: Finished reading: So Far Gone by Jess Walter 📚Second chances, dysfunctional families, good humor. It was an enjoyable read. I recommend it.
: My granddaughter asked me to show her how to use a slide rule. I still remember 50+ years later. Old guy stuff.
: We got up early this morning and paddled our kayaks across the Snake River to pick blackberries. We picked a couple of gallons, paddled back, and were …
: Finished reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen 📚. I very much enjoyed this survey of all kinds of note keeping throughout western history. It is one I …
: I was digging out an old concrete border around a tree in the yard. The cement was probably poured about a century ago. The farm cat who lived here …
: Spouse: Did we get any mail today? Me: Do you want to buy a Ford or go to the circus? Spouse: Uh, no. Me: Then we didn’t get any mail.
: There was a beautiful complete double rainbow late this afternoon.
: Blogging to Baumgartner 5/4/2025 Subject for today’s email to Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-WA): Your vote against ensuring ICE does not deport U.S. Citizens. I was appalled by …
: I put some of our abundant supply of rocks to good use today.
: Another bed has received its Spring cleaning.
: Today's phone message to Baumgartner Subject for today’s phone message to Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-WA): Funding cuts to food pantries Hi, my name is Richard Rupp and I’m a …
: Blogging to Baumgartner Since the beginning of the current U.S. presidential administration I have been emailing or calling my congressman about once a week on a variety of …
: Finished listening to : Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison 📚🎧. It was okay. This is a new series starter from the author of The Hollows series, …
: Finished reading: CABIN by Patrick Hutchison 📚. This is a funny memoir about a guy who buys a remote dilapidated cabin that enriched his life. I …
: It took 7 trips to the farm store, but I finally acquired this year’s additions to our flock. The demand for chicks this year is huge.
: Winter is not quite over yet.
: I’m tempted to leave our first generation Echo connected. Training an AI on nothing besides “Alexa, play NPR” should be a good thing.
: Finished listening to: Battle Bond by Lindsay Buroker 📚🎧. This is from the Death Before Dragons series. It’s a guilty pleasure.
: Finished reading: Still Life by Louise Penny 📚. This is the first book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. It’s a terrific story, but there is so …
: Currently reading: Still Life by Louise Penny 📚 Favorite quote so far: “He knew it was there, that opiate of the Anglos. And his hand clutched the box …
: Finished reading: A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor 📚This is the 4th book in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. I am enjoying these books, and …
: Finished reading: The Universe Within by G. S. Jennsen 📚. 4 ⭐️s. This is the latest book from an author I enjoy. This is probably not a good entry …
: I happily discovered today that our favorite chips are a product of Canada 🍁.
: Currently reading: The Universe Within by G. S. Jennsen 📚. I purchased this direct from the author (via BookFunnel) and I can read it on any of my …
: Pretty start to what is predicted to be a snowy day.
: Finished reading: Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 📚. 3 ⭐️s. This is an unusual read. Long essays on history, anthropology, and philosophy wrapped …
: Mac or PC laptop? This is an easy decision for most people reading this. I used a PC for my entire working career. The professional software I used for many of those …
: The bird feeders are a popular place on this snowy day.
: Finished reading: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros 📚This second book of the series was as good as the first. Lots of violence, suspense, and romance. I …
: Just sent my first message to our new congressional representative. I have a feeling many more will follow. ☹️
: Finished reading: The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche 📚This is a well researched and well written fantasy that takes place during the plague in …
: The sun caught this patch of Lunaria on our hike.
: Finished listening to: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 📚🎧. This is the first of a trilogy. I thought it was an exciting romantic (explicit) fantasy. I …
: Currently reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen 📚
: Old house dilemma: the drain pipe from the kitchen developed a leak. Unfortunately, it’s between the two pipes. My daughter (home renovator) suggested …
: We belong to an exercise group made up of people in their mid-60s to 80s that meets 3 times a week. Today we ran wind sprints (plural) followed by …
: Finished listening to: The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey 📚 🎧 4 stars. This is the first book in a new series. It’s well-written, and I’ll be …
: Finished reading: The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness 📚 3 stars. I have enjoyed reading this series including this latest book. However, I don’t …
: Finished reading: The fragile threads of power by V. E. Schwab 📚4 stars. This is a long one, but an enjoyable read. Several plot lines are developed …
: Replacing this old half-buried sidewalk has been on my todo list for years. Nice weather this month finally allowed me to finish it. Before: After:
: The Arkansas Black tree is going to have a nice harvest of apples this year. The Golden Delicious is no slacker this year either.
: It was a nice day to turn the manure pile.
: Currently reading: The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab 📚
: The temperature was down to 25° last night. The gardening season is done.
: Mother Nature put on a sky show this morning while I was doing chores.
: In today’s mail my wife received a letter from President Biden. I received a toy catalog from Walmart.
: It occurred to me that I spend more time thinking about writing than I spend writing. I need to reverse that.
: Finished reading: Still the Sun by Charlie N Holmberg 📚I really enjoyed this book. While the main character was solving the mystery that made up the …
: I subscribed to Peacock to watch the Olympics. They did a fine job, and we enjoyed it. Now that the games are over I was able to cancel the …
: Wild days in the inland northwest.
: Voting My wife and I spent an enjoyable couple of hours sitting on our patio and discussing our choices for office on the Washington State primary ballot. …
: We have alot of canola in bloom around us this year.
: I spent the day installing new flooring in our house. I found the work left me with a sense of well being and satisfaction.
: Taken on a windy day at beach
: Our orchard looked serene after last night’s snowfall.
: April Photoblogging Challenge Day 2: flower
: April Photoblogging Challenge Day 1: toy This dog toy lost its stuffing long ago, but Kessie still gets it out of the toy basket every day.
: I perused the MB Discover page today and picked up a half dozen new folks to follow.
: Today was a good day for taking photos. Contrails cross in the sky over our farm. Hiking the rim of the Snake River Canyon in Washington State. Kessie …
: Finished listening to: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison 📚🎧
: Finished listening to: Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows, #8) by Kim Harrison 📚🎧
: Finished reading: The Portable Door by Tom Holt 📚
: Finished listening to: White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, #7) by Kim Harrison 📚🎧
: Finished listening to: The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison 📚🎧
: Finished reading: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub 📚
: Simple jig for hand sawing Yesterday, I was hand-sawing some plywood panels when I had an idea for stabilizing the task. I started the cut and then clamped a scrap of wood …
: Finished listening to: For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, #5) by Kim Harrison 📚🎧. I’m enjoying this series. On to #6.
: I received the vintage rabbet plane I purchased on eBay today. I just had to sharpen the iron. I spent the afternoon teaching myself how to use it.🪚🔨
: Finished reading: Starter Villain by John Scalzi 📚. This is a fun read. John Scalzi writes the best dialog.
: Finished reading: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor 📚. I don’t normally like care for time travel stories, but this one is alright. I …
: Finished listening to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 📚🔊 This is one of the coziest books I’ve happened upon in a long …
: Finished reading: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis 📚 This is a nice piece of historical fiction about books and libraries.
: Finished listening to: A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4) by Kim Harrison 📚. I give up on most book series after two or three installments, but …
: Red-winged blackbirds returned to our feeders today. I’d better stock up on sunflower seeds.
: It took three separate parts orders and some creative modifications, but our thirty-year-old clothes dryer no longer sounds like an elementary school …
: Finished reading: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong 📚 This is an excellent book by one of the best science journalists around. It concerns the closer …
: Stories My wife and I had dinner this past week with a couple who we had met recently. This was something that we hadn’t done for several years. Why is it …
: It is one of those gray winter mornings where I can’t tell where the earth ends and the sky begins.
: It’s -22° F at our place this morning. That’s the coldest we can remember.
: We went to a production of “A Christmas Story” by the Lewiston (Idaho) Civic Theater. The music, choreography, and acting were excellent.
: Finished listening to: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. This is a well-written and performed urban fantasy. 🔊📚
: Finished reading: My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse. This is a classic collection of short stories. Every one of them made me smile. 📚
: We received the holiday catalog from the Vermont Country Store. I don’t think there was anything in it that wouldn’t have been there 50 years ago.
: I rescued a young hawk that accidentally flew in the door of my workshop this afternoon and couldn’t figure out how to leave. Fortunately, I was …
: As I was doing the morning chores I had the full moon setting in one direction, and sunrise in the opposite direction.
: It looks like lawn mowing season is over.
: A peaceful scene out our front window this morning.
: A pair of nighttime plum aficionados in our orchard.
: Gopher vs. human. The eternal contest.
: RSV and covid vaccines are in my arm. The covid vaccine effects were much milder than the previous 4 boosters. Now for the flu shot next week and I’ll …
: A Farm Mystery We have a small flock of chickens, 15 hens and a rooster. The birds have a large fenced yard and a spacious coop. A month ago I noticed that one of …
: A warm October evening brings out clouds of woolly aphids.
: The Economist quote of the day: “There is no improving the future without disturbing the present." - Catherine Booth ( founder of the Salvation Army ) …
: I ordered a trail camera and set it up in the orchard. We’re curious to see who has been munching on the fallen fruit at night.
: I went 30 for 30 on the September Photoblogging Challenge. I hope it strengthened my daily posting muscle, which was pretty wimpy.
: The prompt for day 30 of September Photoblogging Challenge is treasure.
: The prompt for day 29 of September Photoblogging Challenge is contrast.
: The prompt for day 28 of September Photoblogging Challenge is workout. After the workout.
: The prompt for day 27 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is embrace. (rugby scrum)
: The prompt for day 26 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is beverage. This is a current favorite.
: The prompt for day 25 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is flare.
: The prompt for day 24 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is belt sander.
: The prompt for day 23 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is a day in the life.
: The employees of Rodent Control Inc. taking a well deserved break.
: The prompt for day 22 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is road.
: The prompt for day 21 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is fall. A fall hike on the breaks above the Snake River.
: The prompt for day 20 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is disruption. This friendly young buck caused a bit of disruption around our place a …
: The prompt for day 19 of the September Photoblogging Challengeg is edge. Latest woodworking project.
: The prompt for day 18 of the September Photoblogging Challengeg is fabric.
: The prompt for day 17 of the September Photoblogging Challengeg is intense. The competition for the ball is intense.
: The prompt for day 16 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is oof!. Saturday morning rugby.
: The prompt for day 15 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is red. My favorite red object.
: The prompt for day 14 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is statue.
: The prompt for day 13 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is glowing.
: The prompt for day 12 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is panic. Smoke!
: The prompt for day 11 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is retrospect. The end of the pear harvest for this year.
: The prompt for day 10 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is cycle. Old bikes accumulate in this corner of the barn.
: The prompt for day 9 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is language. Hiking along an old railroad line in E. Washington the railroad mileage …
: The prompt for day 8 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is yonder.
: The prompt for day 7 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is panorama. The Palouse Prairie in SE Washington State.
: The prompt for day 6 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is well. (This is an old water well on our farm.)
: The prompt for day 5 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is forest.
: The prompt for day 4 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is orange.
: The prompt for day 3 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is precious.
: The prompt for day 2 of the Photoblogging Challenge is buildup.
: The prompt for day 1 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is abstract.
: The red pear harvest is going well.
: One of this past Spring’s new chicks has laid her first egg.
: This is one of our favorite hikes along the Potlatch River.
: Kayaking with my wife and our dogs on Lake Winchester in northern Idaho.
: Finished listening : Buried by Graham Masterton 📚 This book is part of a series.it is well-written with good character development. That kept me …
: A nice instrument and piece of furniture.
: Our rooster and a few of his court.
: There’s a good chance that it will start raining in a few minutes.
: I filled out a 10 page PDF form on my iPad with an Apple Pencil. It looked great,so I saved and submitted it. Later I opened the document on my PC to …
: I found this insect in the garden last summer, and took a photo for identification with iNaturalist. It’s a type of burying beetle.
: One year during the holidays we put together this tiny model bookstore. We had fun, but it took a lot of time.
: Finished reading: Freedom’s Fire Box Set (audio) by Bobby Adair 📚 I picked up the 5 audiobook box set on Chirp for $5. It’s standard military space …
: Our home has lots of houseplants.
: This analog watch was given to me by my beloved wife back when she was my girlfriend - about 45 years ago.
: It may not seem like much now, but once the weather warms this becomes the central location of our lives. It is where we eat and drink, and our days …
: 📷 early March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 road March Microblogging Challenge
: 📷 Patience March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 horizon March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 Waiting for a connection. March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 shiny This is a bowling trophy awarded to an ancestor in the 19th century. Years ago we would lend it to a local congregation to use in their …
: 📷 I made several of these gimcrack yard lights five years ago from some wood scraps and cheap solar lights. About half of them still work. March …
: 📷 My daily ritual. March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 Together March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 From a walk my wife and I did last summer along the Washington-Idaho border.
: 📷 Whole March Photoblogging Challenge
: The 2023 gardening season has begun with a tray of pepper varieties. 🌶️ 🫑
: 📷 Old time domestic engineering March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 Kitchen tile March Photoblogging challenge
: 📷 Zip tie on a gate next to praying mantis eggs. March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 Solitude. This is a favorite reading spot. March Photoblogging Challenge
: 📷 Weather Micro.blog March Photoblogging Challenge
: The chickens are secure. March Photoblogging Challenge🐓
: Worth reading: Is it ethical to be on Twitter in the Musk era - A personal answer by John Scalzi
: During the winter we have a food court for the birds. I’m glad I filled the feeders before the snow started.
: Our 52 year old 3-door commercial fridge was acting up today. The farm family that installed it in 1970 had 10 kids, so a big fridge was nice. …
: 2.5 years after I retired I still get occasional calls from my old university colleagues for tech support. It’s nice to be remembered I guess 🙄.
: The farm cats like it when we park a warm car in the garage in winter.
: We set out some of last season’s apples for the birds. Yesterday they were gone in several hours. House finches, starlings, and red-wing blackbirds …
: One of the many things I like about this platform is the mention of apps and services that folks use. I like reading about them even though I don’t …
: Ms. Bean will often come find me when I am working in my study upstairs. Sometimes my wife will send her up to get me for some chore, but often she …
: I’m updating my web design knowledge, which dates back to the days when the <blink> tag was considered acceptable. I just watched the Hugo series by …
: Is America Broken? I just finished listening to The Gray Area podcast titled “Is America Broken? “. Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse about an essay she published …
: Finished reading: Liberation Day by George Saunders 📚 This is a book of ten short stories. I enjoyed all of them, although several had very unusual …
: Finished reading: Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill 📚 My wife and I used this book to guide our listening …
: I really dislike year end reviews of the news (or most anything else, actually). It seems to dampen the hopefulness of the holiday season by reminding …
: The temperature this morning is -15°F. It reminds me of the year we lived in Duluth, MN.
: Finished reading: The Bookstore Sisters 📚
: A huge willow after the ice fog lifted. If you look at the center of the tree you can see a major branch that split.
: Roof Socks We have some heavy snow predicted for the next few days, so I decided it was time to refresh the “roof socks”. There are a couple of places on the …
: Finished reading (actually, finished listening to): The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
: Three cheers for utility workers We had several days of thick ice fog this past week. The power was out for 11 hours on one of the foggy days. We were fine. We have an emergency …
: Elderberry branches after a couple of days of ice fog.
: This is the extent of my holiday decorating this year. I spent more time tracking down dead light bulbs than hanging the lights. Still, I enjoy seeing …
: On a snowy day like today, it’s nice to be able to sink into the warmth and safety of a comfortable chair by the fire.
: The official Washington State fish is the steelhead trout. However, our house favorite is the coho salmon.
: Although the trend is towards a warmer climate, it has been a damn cold November.
: On the topic of backyard birds, I finally identified a little brown bird that has been scratching under the thistle feeder. It’s a juvenile spotted …
: My motivation was tested today on a difficult jigsaw puzzle.
: I missed yesterday’s mbnov challenge word. I guess that shows a lack of commitment.
: Largely because of this month’s challenge, participating on Mb has become a daily ritual.
: Even though I am retired, I retain my professional interest in maps and the data that go into them.
: I find that reading and participating in conversations on Mb have lead me to adjust my whole approach to social media. It has nothing to do with the …
: Farm animals out for a graze.
: On these unusually cold November mornings I have to break up the ice on the chickens' water bucket. (Although I see that they didn’t wait around for …
: Something I’ve noticed about my use of MB. I check the Timeline, read some of the conversations, participate if I have something to say. Then I look …
: Every morning I repeat the same farm chores, but I also take notice of the beauty of the early morning.
: I think I can walk into any room in our house and find a novel I haven’t finished.
: This mystery tire showed up at our place several years ago. I assumed it belonged to our son-in-law, who was storing some things at our place as they …
: We use lots of rain barrels for watering the gardens on our farm.
: As we were waiting at the pharmacy for our fifth covid shot, I told my wife that a mobile immunization service could make a good franchise …
: I admit to being an anglophile, and I’ve always liked hearing the British pronunciation of aluminium.
: My pondering over my mbnov post for leave has me thinking that English would make more sense if the plural for leaf was leafs instead of leaves.
: Although I tried to adjust my technique, I still haven’t found the best method for extracting walnuts from their shells.
: It is important to remember when looking at maps of election results for the US that land doesn’t vote, people do.
: My suspicion is that by the end of the day I will be following 20 more Micro.bloggers.
: The display of avian gluttony at our bird feeders is impressive.
: A cup of hot Irish breakfast tea will minister to my sense of well-being.
: It is a beautiful morning for a stroll across the Palouse prairie in southeastern Washington state.
: I’m certain that I have never spent this much effort trying to use a particular word in a post.
: I’m certain I could be more productive, but I’m going to have another cup of coffee and read through the MB Discovery feed.
: For a long time non-profit organizations have included address labels in their solicitation mailings. Any single mailing would provide a lifetime …
: We have a green ash tree out our window that attracts a wide variety of bird species. Today I snapped a photo of a female downy woodpecker on the …
: As I establish a habit of making regular blog posts, the insight from my fellow microbloggers will be valuable.
: Finished reading: Uprooted by Naomi Novik 📚
: Our favorite plum tree took a hard hit in last night’s wind storm.
: This year our autumn lasted less than two weeks.
: I replaced a picket fence I built years ago with a rail fence. The rails are 100+ year old siding boards from a farm shed I dismantled. I trimmed the …
: This thunderstorm barely missed us.
: The trellises for the beans are up. 🌱
: Finished reading: [The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society] This is a book that would not normally be one that I picked up, but I thoroughly …
: I received my second Covid booster yesterday. I’m wiped out today, but it is nice to have some downtime.
: Our hiking companions are tired of having their pictures taken. 🐕
: This is a view from our hike yesterday in McCroskey State Park, along the Washington-Idaho border. 🥾
: My wife read about someone who keeps deer out of the garden by running a single strand of fishing line around the perimeter 30 inches high. I already …
: I found this 15 cm painted turtle in the middle of the road while on a walk along the wheat fields near our home. I helped it continue its journey …