: Finished reading: The Librarians by Sherry Thomas 📚This is an enjoyable read. There’s an ensemble of …
: Backyard observations: A house sparrow is chased from the suet feeder by a downy woodpecker who in …
: This is the best product review I have ever read: Best Gas Mask
: Blogging to Baumgartner, 1/25/2026 This is the email I sent to Representative Michael Baumgartner (R, 5th District, Washington State) …
: Blogging to Baumgartner (revived) Last year I sent a number of phone messages and emails to my congressional representative, Michael …
: A gaze of racoons having a midnight romp in our orchard last month.
: Finished reading: The Devil Reached Toward the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 📚This is a terrific oral …
: Finished reading: Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove 📚. I was scanning the new book …
: Finished reading: Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne 📚I enjoyed this “cozy …
: I don’t know why, but autumn is a time for beautiful sunsets (and sunrises) around here.
: I picked up our poultry feed for the next year.
: Fire in the sky late this afternoon.
: I got tired of all the piles of scrap lumber around the shop, and built a storage cart (from some of …
: It didn’t last as long as last evening’s aurora, but this sunrise was pretty nice.
: Finished reading: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle 📚. Pretty gory, but a good story.
: I came across a meme the other day that rings true for us, “If the house is clean the garden …
: “X” marks the spot over our farm.
: Finished reading: So Far Gone by Jess Walter 📚Second chances, dysfunctional families, good humor. It …
: My granddaughter asked me to show her how to use a slide rule. I still remember 50+ years later. Old …
: We got up early this morning and paddled our kayaks across the Snake River to pick blackberries. We …
: Finished reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen 📚. I very much enjoyed this survey of all kinds of …
: I was digging out an old concrete border around a tree in the yard. The cement was probably poured …
: Spouse: Did we get any mail today? Me: Do you want to buy a Ford or go to the circus? Spouse: Uh, …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: Blogging to Baumgartner Since the beginning of the current U.S. presidential administration I have been emailing or calling …
: Finished listening to : Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison 📚🎧. It was okay. This is a new series …
: Finished reading: CABIN by Patrick Hutchison 📚. This is a funny memoir about a guy who buys a remote …
: It took 7 trips to the farm store, but I finally acquired this year’s additions to our flock. The …
: Winter is not quite over yet.
: I’m tempted to leave our first generation Echo connected. Training an AI on nothing besides “Alexa, …
: Finished listening to: Battle Bond by Lindsay Buroker 📚🎧. This is from the Death Before Dragons …
: Finished reading: Still Life by Louise Penny 📚. This is the first book in the Chief Inspector …
: Currently reading: Still Life by Louise Penny 📚 Favorite quote so far: “He knew it was there, that …
: Finished reading: A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor 📚This is the 4th book in the Chronicles of St. …
: Finished reading: The Universe Within by G. S. Jennsen 📚. 4 ⭐️s. This is the latest book from an …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: Mac or PC laptop? This is an easy decision for most people reading this. I used a PC for my entire working career. The …
: 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 …
: Just sent my first message to our new congressional representative. I have a feeling many more will …
: Finished reading: The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche 📚This is a well researched and well …
: 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 …
: Currently reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen 📚
: Old house dilemma: the drain pipe from the kitchen developed a leak. Unfortunately, it’s between the …
: We belong to an exercise group made up of people in their mid-60s to 80s that meets 3 times a week. …
: Finished listening to: The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey 📚 🎧 4 stars. This is the first book in …
: Finished reading: The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness 📚 3 stars. I have enjoyed reading this …
: Finished reading: The fragile threads of power by V. E. Schwab 📚4 stars. This is a long one, but an …
: Replacing this old half-buried sidewalk has been on my todo list for years. Nice weather this month …
: The Arkansas Black tree is going to have a nice harvest of apples this year. The Golden Delicious is …
: 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 …
: It occurred to me that I spend more time thinking about writing than I spend writing. I need to …
: Finished reading: Still the Sun by Charlie N Holmberg 📚I really enjoyed this book. While the main …
: I subscribed to Peacock to watch the Olympics. They did a fine job, and we enjoyed it. Now that 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 …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: Finished listening to: For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, #5) by Kim Harrison 📚🎧. I’m enjoying this …
: I received the vintage rabbet plane I purchased on eBay today. I just had to sharpen the iron. I …
: Finished reading: Starter Villain by John Scalzi 📚. This is a fun read. John Scalzi writes the best …
: Finished reading: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor 📚. I don’t normally like …
: Finished listening to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 📚🔊 This is one …
: Finished reading: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis 📚 This is a nice piece of historical …
: Finished listening to: A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4) by Kim Harrison 📚. I give up on most …
: 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 …
: Finished reading: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong 📚 This is an excellent book by one of the best …
: Stories My wife and I had dinner this past week with a couple who we had met recently. This was something …
: It is one of those gray winter mornings where I can’t tell where the earth ends and the sky …
: 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. …
: Finished listening to: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. This is a well-written and performed …
: Finished reading: My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse. This is a classic collection of short stories. …
: We received the holiday catalog from the Vermont Country Store. I don’t think there was …
: I rescued a young hawk that accidentally flew in the door of my workshop this afternoon and …
: As I was doing the morning chores I had the full moon setting in one direction, and sunrise in the …
: 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 …
: A Farm Mystery We have a small flock of chickens, 15 hens and a rooster. The birds have a large fenced yard and a …
: 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 …
: I ordered a trail camera and set it up in the orchard. We’re curious to see who has been …
: I went 30 for 30 on the September Photoblogging Challenge. I hope it strengthened my daily posting …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: The prompt for day 20 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is disruption. This friendly young …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: The prompt for day 10 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is cycle. Old bikes accumulate in …
: The prompt for day 9 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is language. Hiking along an old …
: 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 …
: The prompt for day 6 of the September Photoblogging Challenge is well. (This is an old water well on …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: I found this insect in the garden last summer, and took a photo for identification with iNaturalist. …
: One year during the holidays we put together this tiny model bookstore. We had fun, but it took a …
: Finished reading: Freedom’s Fire Box Set (audio) by Bobby Adair 📚 I picked up the 5 audiobook box …
: 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 …
: It may not seem like much now, but once the weather warms this becomes the central location of our …
: 📷 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 …
: 📷 I made several of these gimcrack yard lights five years ago from some wood scraps and cheap solar …
: 📷 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 …
: Our 52 year old 3-door commercial fridge was acting up today. The farm family that installed it in …
: 2.5 years after I retired I still get occasional calls from my old university colleagues for tech …
: 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 …
: One of the many things I like about this platform is the mention of apps and services that folks …
: Ms. Bean will often come find me when I am working in my study upstairs. Sometimes my wife will send …
: I’m updating my web design knowledge, which dates back to the days when the <blink> tag was …
: Is America Broken? I just finished listening to The Gray Area podcast titled “Is America Broken? “. Sean Illing …
: Finished reading: Liberation Day by George Saunders 📚 This is a book of ten short stories. I enjoyed …
: Finished reading: Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill 📚 My …
: I really dislike year end reviews of the news (or most anything else, actually). It seems to dampen …
: 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 …
: Roof Socks We have some heavy snow predicted for the next few days, so I decided it was time to refresh 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 …
: 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 …
: On a snowy day like today, it’s nice to be able to sink into the warmth and safety of a …
: The official Washington State fish is the steelhead trout. However, our house favorite is the coho …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: Farm animals out for a graze.
: On these unusually cold November mornings I have to break up the ice on the chickens' water bucket. …
: Something I’ve noticed about my use of MB. I check the Timeline, read some of the …
: Every morning I repeat the same farm chores, but I also take notice of the beauty of the early …
: 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, …
: 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 …
: I admit to being an anglophile, and I’ve always liked hearing the British pronunciation of …
: My pondering over my mbnov post for leave has me thinking that English would make more sense if the …
: Although I tried to adjust my technique, I still haven’t found the best method for extracting …
: It is important to remember when looking at maps of election results for the US that land …
: 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 …
: For a long time non-profit organizations have included address labels in their solicitation …
: We have a green ash tree out our window that attracts a wide variety of bird species. Today I …
: As I establish a habit of making regular blog posts, the insight from my fellow microbloggers will …
: 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 …
: 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 …
: I received my second Covid booster yesterday. I’m wiped out today, but it is nice to have some …
: 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 …
: I found this 15 cm painted turtle in the middle of the road while on a walk along the wheat fields …