A screensaver with the best most relaxing photos and a nice hot morning beverage to start the day.
Close up of a Meyer Lemon still on the tree. 😋
Tomato sprouts all day today! Peppers should be next. 🌱

Lemon grass is overwintering nicely. This time we dug up the plant to include roots. Last year we rooted a few stalks in water; here’s its progeny 👌 There’s another bunch of lemon grass outdoors. If it survives, that’ll be the second year overwintering outside in native soil. 🌱

We have a lot of citrus in the backyard: mandarins, Meyer lemons, and Valencias. This means it is time for Alton Brown’s Acid Jellies! We don’t coat them with sugar at the end of the cook as we’ve found the sugar is too hydrophilic in humid winters & the jellies get… damp. 🌱


Gorgeous today at Burris Creek in Northern California.
White Crown borb soaking in the warmth of a cinder block & preening outside the slider.


Here’s my iOS Shortcut that uses ShellFish App to show all journals over the years written “On This Day”. I’m pretty pleased with it. You’ll see it relies on good file management!
Secure ShellFish for iOS is wonderful. Its shortcut functions allowed me to create a Shortcut that shows all journals written “On This Day” from my SSH server. Slick.
Last year we successfully grew peppers by direct sowing mid-Spring. Today we’re starting plants from seed indoors. Mostly peppers: Thai, Serrano, Jalapeño, Santa Fe. 🤞🌱
Dutch baby for breakfast. It is really great with Meyer lemons (from the backyard tree; which is great as we can’t get Meyers in town).


Today was a very, very good day. 🇺🇸
Possibly a Cooper’s Hawk casing out bird feeder and really freaking out the House Sparrows and White Crowns. We’re honored to have a hawk visit our backyard. Amazing.


Pruned the apricot today. I only kind of know what I’m doing. It looks about right to me. Every year I open it up a bit more and reduce its height. I let it get too big. Before and after.


Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day
Statement from President-elect Biden on Religious Freedom Day:
Today, Religious Freedom Day, is a symbol of that commitment — and a reminder that the work of protecting religious freedom, for people of all faiths and none, is never finished.
I love the inclusiveness of the incoming Biden-Harris Administration.
My partner is making beef salami but this time with added pork fat and more spices— the last batch was too dry and too smoky (will smoke less this time).


A Peaceable Washington D.C. in 2015
I’ve been looking through photos of my work trip to Washington D.C. in 2015. Insurrection against the Constitution at the Capitol was not a thought and I felt safe, secure.
Near the Washington Monument, looking towards the White House:

The Washington Monument:

The Yates Building, U.S. Forest Service HQ:

Looking toward the U.S. Capitol, under extensive renovations:

Ultramafic rocks at the Smithsonian:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport:

Currently reading: Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 📚
Bibimbap!!

Lesser Gold Finch picking at raisins that are softened from the rain and dew.
