Today’s moment of zen brought to you by the lovely landscaping at the Visitor’s Center at Raystown Lake, Hesston, PA (May 25th, 2022).
Dog vs. Deer
Deer have been visiting in the evenings the last few days and Jiro is none too pleased. They appear to ignore him though, seemingly knowing that he can’t get past his invisible fence.
Waldo's Famous Fried Bologna Sandwich
Took advantage of Thursday evening’s lovely warm and sunny weather to ride out with a friend to Waldo, home of the famous fried bologna sandwich.
Bonsai Care
Re-potted my 3-yr old juniper bonsai to a slightly larger one, and hoping I didn't stress it too much in the process.
Feeding the Brain
There’s a limitless supply of both relevant and mindless “information” out there, whether in digital or print form, and whether we seek it, or is presented deliberately to catch our eyeballs. It is challenging to be discerning these days when it comes to actually useful and edifying knowledge, but luckily, with a little effort, we can curate a collection of content in a variety of forms that can be both.
Having had e-books on the iPad for a while, I have gone back to old-school print books borrowed from another old-school source: the local public library. Here’s what I’m reading right now —
Here are the other library-borrowed books I have read so far this year —
I also listen to Overcast every time I get in the car, and here is a list of podcasts that I keep current at this time.
I also have a long list of YouTube subscriptions, but that’s mostly for mindless stuff - travel, food, music, photography, architecture, and general knowledge vlogs. A few empty calories here and there can’t hurt.
Brain food … mmm, almost as good as a Michelin-star dining experience.
Cookout with the Breakfast Club
A cookout this past weekend to celebrate the Moodster’s birthday and to bid farewell to Steve who’s moving back to Alabama.
Stormy
Last night’s thunderstorms brought out some amazing clouds and cloud formations.
Smelling A Lot Like Christmas
You know Christmas is just around the corner when the house fills with the sweet smells of smoked, “honeybaked” ham. In the Big Green Egg, of course.
Looking A Lot Like Christmas
The Christmas spirit has arrived … in a most modern way.
Nicer on the Feet
This weekend, I installed a new “area rug” in the master bedroom - actually, a combined 30 carpet tiles from FLOR, specifically, Upcycle in Blue Jay. Cold mornings won’t be as startling on the feet as before.
A Post in Time
Surprise! A long due post. Sometimes, life happens, and blogs and posts are neglected. Sometimes, one needs time off from the internet and its social universe to maintain decent semblances of sanity and overall mental health. Sometimes, the Squarespace mobile app just needs to get better and more user friendly to encourage more frequent posting. All excuses, I know, but all valid nevertheless.
Anyway, a most recent notable change is my new ride - a 2019 Passport Elite AWD, in Modern Steel Metallic. Here are some pics.
A New Hobby
So I started a new hobby this week.
Outdoor Dining
New outdoor dining set is finally in and now completes the new Japanese-themed backyard space.
Big Green Egg Life
Now that the backyard landscape is finished (and thriving despite this recent stretch of dry and hot weather), I’ve been putting the BGE to use in its new table setup.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 7
It is finished! My Japanese-themed rear courtyard patio and landscape which the house’s main living areas open to, finally completed today! Backyard serenity starts today.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 6
Almost done … I can almost taste the finished product! Still, some minor niggling details need to be corrected to finally call it ‘completed’.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 5
Good progress today. A few minor details need to be addressed, but otherwise, happy with how things are coming together.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 4
Things went much more smoothly today. Boulders placed properly after a meeting with the project site manager, additional plants delivered and installed, and now, the vision is slowly coming into focus.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 3
New plants I selected delivered and installed. But newly placed boulders may need to be moved around.
Backyard Landscape Project: Day 2
A bit of a mess of a day. Plant, rock, stone, and boulder materials all selected and delivered without my input. A few pass muster; most will have to be returned and replaced.
