Quick thoughts
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 like them best.
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 end up using most. H/T to @timapple for Nostr.
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 just comes up to see me. She demands an ear rub and then lies on the floor until I am finished.
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 Mike Dane on YouTube. Thanks @custom. YouTube videos are not my preferred learning environment but this series was quite good.
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 premises.
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 each day after dinner. Be aware you need an account with Apple Music or Spotify to access the playlists.
Happy New Year everyone! 🎉
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 me what happened the last time I tried to be optimistic about the year ahead.
The temperature this morning is -15°F. It reminds me of the year we lived in Duluth, MN.
Finished reading: The Bookstore Sisters 📚
Between the storms.
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.
Finished reading (actually, finished listening to): The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
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 them when I step out to do the evening chores.
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 towhee. It doesn’t look anything like the adult but the behavior is characteristic.
My motivation was tested today on a difficult jigsaw puzzle.