October

 September - October 2026 - December

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A longish drive to the dentist reminded me that an important odometer reading would probably happen on the way home. Of course I totally forgot after reminding myself, understandably, with the distraction of dental work. But the universe tapped me at just the right time, the reading was 4444 exactly when I looked down! What are the chances?! Sadly, my phone had been soaking up rays on the passenger seat and refused to take any photos until it cooled down. Sigh!

Oct. 13

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A week ago (Oct. 6) I was trying to find a suitable spot to view the lunar occultation of Jupiter from Export PA. I didn't try hard enough and stayed in bed at the designated time (3:30am). Fortunately my niece Erin was out running and captured this on her phone.

The "Old Truck", a '58 Chevy panel with 235 engine (a number etched in my brain). A FB 2020 "memory". Truck art by Ron Bartnik, very early seventies. Thanks to Terry Caywood for digging this up! High school friends Jack V. and Jim M..
Trombonists leave your shirts on.

Oct. 12

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Brothers, and a link to audio of the owl I heard (and recorded) just prior to Zooming.
It's only a six second clip.

Flashback, thanks to Nick for finding this from my trumpet teacher.

Oct. 11

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Goose butts at the dam.

From a distance I couldn't ID those white blobs that appeared and disappeared.

Oct. 10

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Virginia trip

Playing music with Nick in E & S's lovely home.

Me, Sandy, Edwin, Nick 

Detail of the above, I like the extended hind legs.

Edwin and Nick on our walk along the canal in Fredericksburg.

I didn't get any hummingbird photos but it was so nice to see them (at feeder).

Oct. 7

 

September

   August - September 2026 - October

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Another happy place.

Playlist.

A FB 7-year memory, coming home from our last OBX trip. Stopped at our first cotton field and Edwin & Sandy's in VA.

Sep. 30

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Fun at open mic

YouTube Playlist

Sep. 29

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Sep. 28

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One more procrastinated task eliminated. Put a couple of Cone flowers in the ground today. Hopefully in a chipmunk free zone that was supposed to be a new Milkweed patch but it never took off. Oh yeh, put a Swamp MW in there too (that's the colourful one).

Experimenting with crappy phone video (removing bad frames), slo-mo dam-shadow-walking.

Sep. 27

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Short video link: Harvest Moon and Owl. I think my brother got the ID: Great Horned Owl, a first for me!

I'm not saying I've seen more Viceroys than Monarchs this year but I've certainly had more photo-ops with Viceroys, and that's a switch. This one is at about 8 meters through the kitchen window. I'm not really a metric guy but sometimes it's easier to read meters off the lens.

Sep. 26

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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWDLR96Nqhn8

Two songs so far.

Sep. 25

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Probably a repeat flashback, FB says it was posted 2 years ago, me and Nick 1975?

Vultures at the dam this morning

Sep. 24

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Whoop De Doo at open mic.
(I thought it should have been spelled Whoopty Do.)

Here is a playlist with the above and other songs from the same night.

Players: Steve Baggett; Cayne; Katy; Jim Vickers; Bobby Patetta.

My Wordle-brag picture du jour.

Sep. 22

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Whoops, missed another anniversary (a week ago, our 41st). Photo is from NSS Convention 2005.

Sep. 21

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FB's best haha today.

Sep. 19

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This cool cloud greeted me at the dam on the 16th and I only just got around to using it for my FB profile picture. Perhaps it will be my next Zoom background.

Sep. 18

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Seen on my daily walk.

I posted this in the Dull Men's Club saying "I hope this is not too disturbing". What gets me is how close to the end of the stretch is the offending rail length. Shocking!

Sep. 17

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Another link to another song (With A Lttle Help From My Friends, edited): https://youtu.be/nvs6wqX-Wjg This is a link to a song (All I Really Want To Do) I played at open mic: https://youtu.be/FJxOiHZEIR0

New record, actually got a bit higher but not quite to 60. I'm guessing better than usual because engine already warmed up. Also, lights and traffic were cooperative with gentle driving (from home to nursing home).

Sep. 15

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Supposedly the crescent Moon and Venus were to be seen but the clouds didn't cooperate.

Every morning I wonder 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚?

Just to prove he's still here:

The Hummingbird I've been seeing.

Sep. 14

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A special treat at the nursing home today. This lovely Monarch boy (looking like he just came out today) was lingering at the front door and let me get quite close with my phone. Size alone said "migrator" if not time of year.

Sep. 13

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Distant shots with the not-so-great camera. Predictable that the Eagle would make an appearance on the day I decided not to walk with the heavy lens.

I like the wing-tips crossing the tail.

Double-crested Cormorant. I'd see this then it would vanish, swimming underwater to reappear a good distance away.

Sep. 12

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So many pictures today, I don't know where to begin and will probably get them out of order (reverse chronological).

I started the day at the dam where a photo (not good enough to share) confirmed that little distant thing on a tree was indeed a bird (the Kingfisher no less). Then came some fun with the Hummingbird. Later in the afternoon I repeated my nature walk at Dix Park.

Finally, I thought I'd try to catch the International Space Station's flyover at about 8:30pm.

For my first attempt I wasn't sure where to point the camera. Can you find Ursa Minor?

I moved the camera for part two. Cassiopeia is visible.

Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia annotated.

Eastern Tailed Blue, a very small butterfly.

Dix Park: My first ever sighting of the Least Flycatcher..

I'm sure this is one of the Sulphur butterflies and I'm guessing it's the Clouded Sulphur. I've seen that pink border in many pictures but I think this is the first I've captured it in a photo of mine.

Monarch in a sea of Goldenrod at Dix Park. I can hardly believe how few Monarchs I saw this year, and how few photo-ops I had.

This young male hummingbird came to the open window repeatedly. I like to think he could have been the same one checking me out on the patio last week. I did not see yesterday's mature male today.

UPDATE: Some slowed-down video of the Hummingbird in the window. The video is half speed but the audio is not (it just plays twice). I'm going to miss that sound.

Sep. 11

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Same guy. I like the ghost-wing effect.

I tend to get a bit sad when Hummingbird season ends, but I still have visitors. Sadness gone. This feeder is in shade now so I thought I'd try some flash.

Sep. 10

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Had a great opportunity with dominant male HB sitting in the sun but all my shots came out over exposed and looking like crap! Woe is me.

Sep. 9

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Earthshine

Around 6am, crescent Moon again. This time with Jupiter. Special bonus: Jupiter's Galilean moons are also visible in the photo. Later today, during daylight, our Moon will pass in front of (occult) Jupiter. I won't be attempting to photograph that. Earthshine

Sep. 8

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Last of the Worley's sweet corn. Best I ever had, I know where I'm going next summer.

Ripples and reflections of the guard-rail posts at the dam.

This morning's crescent Moon. Different terminator detail with different exposures (1/500 & 1/30). A combined image.

My brother Nick happens to be in Australia at the moment. Here is a photo of a Blue Winged Kookaburra sent by his roommate Billy Pfahl. I've heard that the Kookaburra is a cousin of our Kingfisher. Sep. 7

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Belted Kingfisher

Halfway through my longest walk in years, about 2.9m. Is 4.6km more impressive?!! Raising the question: is there such a thing as a kilometer stone?

A bit of a milestone, first time to dam's-end in some years (selfie to prove it). Rewarded with Kingfisher and vulture photo-ops.

I don't recall a MPG higher than this yet. I'm stopped in my driveway even though it looks shaky.

Sep. 6

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https://youtu.be/mfI9qzGzIL8

A song I've been wanting to do at open mic. Weather kept me away last night so here it is at home.

Sep. 4

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At last, a slightly interesting odometer reading in the new KIA.

Sep. 3