Reading

Entry tags:

type: promotion: event

[Promo] October Review-a-Thon 2025

We are getting closer and closer to October (where is the time going?!) and the [Sign-Up Post] October Review-a-Thon 2025 post is of course still up. Sign-ups will not close until Oct 31, LOL.

This event took place last October, too, and the rules are the same. I'm super excited to see what reviews will be posted!

(It's a low-commitment event: you can drop your sign up at any time, and if you don't manage to post a review on your claimed day(s), there are zero (0) consequences. Just have fun at your desired comfort level!)

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the old picnic table garden.

I picked 4 goldenberries.

I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes.

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Whale Watching

I should immediately add that although we did see whales, I was not able to get any pics of them! Unfortunately the boat, which was not that large, was rocking too much to focus and the whales came and went too quickly even for the camera phone. Did catch the sea lions on the buoys but not even the ones briefly following us out of the docks as they were there and gone too quickly.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 5 ground cherries and a red cherry tomato. The ground cherries are related to tomatillos, with a sweet fruit inside a husk. They are about the size of a chickpea with a faint pineapple flavor. :D

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlngs.

Cicacas and crickets are singing. Fireflies are out. I saw a bat.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: hopeful

Entry tags:

garden

Tribulations

Before leaving for a scheduled surgery last Thursday, I gave the garden a good watering and made sure the fences were clear, secure, and operating. Hours after my procedure my wife told me that something had gotten into our plum tomatoes and at least five were chewed and/or pulled off the plants. This was the first time this season that our garden was ‘attacked.’

Upon my return we set up the trail cam between rows to try to see who was enjoying our veggies.

Chippee! (Yes, chipmunk ;o) Not seen are the mice that come by, too.

Obviously, the fencing can’t keep these out. I’ve tried Repel sprays and even dosed the plants lightly with fungicide to dissuade the rodents, but it has had minimal affect on them. Offering them water in little dishes helped a bit. *sigh* Even a pumpkin was fair game :o(

Partial solution: we are picking the tomatoes at first blush. From there we are ripening them in the house in paper bags (adding a banana helps the process). It works.

First batch of sauce!

About eight pounds of tomatoes yielded five pints. One jar did not seal and will be used in a day or two.

Entry tags:

type: review

Book review: "Concerning My Daughter"

Title: Concerning My Daughter
Author: Kim Hye-Jin (translation by Jamie Chang)
Genre: Fiction, literary fiction

Today I finished book #11 on the "Women in Translation" rec list: Concerning My Daught by Kim Hye-Jin, translated from Korean by Jamie Chang. This book is about an a widow in her mid-70s who ends up sharing a home with her adult daughter and her daughter's partner. Her contentious relationship with her daughter pits her long-held beliefs and societal viewpoints against her love for her child; simultaneously, she struggles in her job caring for an elderly dementia patient in a nursing home.

The protagonist is a person who values, above all, keeping your head down and doing what's expected of you. She does not believe in standing out; she does not believe in involving yourself in other people's problems; perhaps for these reasons, she believes the only people you can ever count on are family. This is how she's lived her whole life, and she believes it was for the best. However, this mindset puts her directly in conflict with her daughter, a lesbian activist who is fighting for equal employment treatment for queer professors and teachers in the South Korean educational system.

When her daughter, Green, runs out of money to pay rent after a quarrel with the university where she was lecturing, the protagonist allows Green and her partner Lane to move in, despite their fractious relationship.

( Read more... )

Entry tags:

animal: bat

Nature diary

Yesterday I stood on the balcony at half past nine, when it was a little less hot outside then inside my apartment. I listened for bird calls, but there were none. Even the swallows and the seagulls seemed to be asleep already. Instead, there were bats!
They weren't easy to see, but as I was looking at the sky, I noticed those little dark shapes fluttering by. They looked almost like leaves in the wind, but clearly had a mind of their own, flying back and forth in front of me.
I wonder what species they were. It's impossible to tell. They could have been pipistrelles, given how small they were, but there's no way to be sure. During the day, they probably live in holes in the old trees beyond the lawn, or perhaps in little cracks in the walls of the building.
I hope they caught a lot of mosquitoes.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering. :P

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I watered the patio plants, old picnic garden, and new picnic garden.

I picked a red cherry tomato.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

I've seen a male cardinal in the forest garden.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, telephone pole garden, and some of the savanna seedlings.

Crickets and cicadas are singing. Fireflies are out; I haven't seen them in a while.

There was a skunk in the south lot.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: hot

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Turkeys continue

Our little flock of poults with mom have continued to visit the past week or so.

I've spotted a molting Cardinal and Blue Jay this week too. It has also been another warm week here in Rhode Island.

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Spring Views

Some months ago now, spotted a baby bunny in a field. So cute!

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I potted up 4 asparagus berries from the Charleston Food Forest.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Entry tags:

type: meme

RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday

What are you reading? Are you reading?

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I potted up 12 sweet cherry seeds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I watered some plants on the old and new picnic tables that were wilting, then did the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings. I'm annoyed that some plants are wilting so soon after copious watering, because I can't haul that hose around every day, or even every few days. >_<

I've seen a skunk on the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- We reeled up the garden hose. Yay. Yay.

I am done for the night.

Entry tags:

rocks,
water: sea

The Devil's Punchbowl

Not far from our hotel was a rock feature that had an interesting look to it. What was especially interesting to me were its walls.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I put out water for the birds. They had drained the small metal birdbath.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, house yard, and patio plants.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic gardens. I didn't have energy or daylight to pick up the hose, though; I had to turn it off and just leave it out. :/ I'll try to reel it up tomorrow. It's exhausting to maneuver.

I am done for the night.

.

West wind

A walk up onto the Purbeck Hills to watch the west wind blowing...

( Read more... )

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Just Create - Kennel Edition

I may need to start putting the post up on Fridays. I'm started volunteering on Saturdary mornings and it wipes me out for most of the day.

What are you working on? What have you finished? What do you need encouragement on?

Are there any cool events or challenges happening that you want to hype?

What do you just want to talk about?

What have you been watching or reading?

Chores and other not-fun things count!

Remember to encourage other commenters and we have a discord where we can do work-alongs and chat, linked in the sticky

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/9/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.