January

December -  January 2026 

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This hawk was hopping around my feeder zone just before 6pm. Not great shots due to fading light and two dirty window panes. I'd have no clue if not for the FB Raptor ID group I follow. Now I'm 90% confident calling it an adult Coopers Hawk. Do experts agree? Yes! (1)

Jan 21

Of possible interest to the Wordle fans amongst us. Seen on FB.

Jan 20Some anniversaries.

Today is the 63-year anniversary of the Ridout family arriving in the US in '63. A foggy New York from the deck of the Queen Mary. I believe the kids are Ridouts and Justices (our two families emigrated together) with our Mum to the right of the kids. Edwin thinks that's me wearing glasses.

𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑨.𝑰. 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.

Speaking of Mum, a belated happy birthday to her, it was last week. I'm not much for people-photography usually, but this one ... magic!

Another missed anniversary, forty-four years together a month or two ago. Photo from 2002. The Maine convention trip.

Jan 17

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As promised, Sonic Specs (2012), the root of Settle Down. Presented in video format but it's really just audio with an unrelated picture.

Jan 15

Teaser: I'm a bit comical dancing around singing Settle Down. I really must make that video.

Me and Mick.

You may have heard this one before but since FB said it was a nine-year memory I thought I'd post a link to my only song from the Tune Town sessions with the Mick Rogers Band. Soundcloud won't let me log in anymore so can you tell me if this plays for you? (Some told me it plays but at least one person said it wouldn't.)

https://soundcloud.com/guitareth/settle-down

What a fun project that was. I had hoped to make a video of this song - might still happen. Studio footage exists and I even shot some footage of my Dad (whose voice can be heard in the song). Hmmm!

Jan 14

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6-year FB 'Memory': "Tonight I went to hear the Celtic Rush band for the first time. Big fun! And nobody complained about me joining in from time to time on recorder. This first picture was before I got the camera settings right but I like how it turned out. I'll leave it to Holly to post other pictures and video links (when I get them sorted). Thanks to all involved making me feel welcome!"

Jan 10

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Horn Tree. The new cradle is hidden but you can see that the alto mouthpiece on the left of the microphone (center) is now situated where I want it. That's fairly close to where the tenor mouthpiece would be which was the goal.

Lunch with my old friend Alan. Jan 9

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Update: Playlist of Mike Z's Jan. 6 videos (reverse chronological, conveniently putting me at the start).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS6SUX_nvl4&list=PLbBZtQQupUqT_-QZavuj6WO6bFgy7f4B4

I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob Dylan) Don't Pass Me By (Beatles) The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding)

Jeff Lopez - A Pirate Looks At 40 (Jimmy Buffet) Jeff Lopez - Workingmans's Blues (Merle Haggard) Jan 6 Seems like I've been mulling this over in my mind for months. Finally some action.

One of those days when I wonder if I could have been a genius (or at least dangerous) in another life. If only I spent half as much time practicing as I do on these projects I might (in another life) be a decent musician.

Jan 5

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Video record of another tree memory, this time with Alan Nemeth from 2020-11-10. It came down where we planned, avoiding the wires. Not a good memory for Alan, he got a bad case of poison ivy out of the deal. Jan 4

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I'm still adding videos from Dec 30, but instead of updating last month's page with every video I'll just put the PLAYLIST link here. New videos may or may not have me singing backup or playing bass.

FB 7-year memory, up a tree. I think this was when Peter Broberg came over and we tied a rope to his truck to have the tree (or one of the upper limbs) fall away from the road and/or wires. Mental details are fuzzy but the note says he took the photo and those are my surviving memories. Jan 3

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Small Victories dept.:
Cause for optimism? First avocado of the year is a winner. Last two of last year were total duds.

Over the summer I had this potted plant on my patio making so many red blooms. Thought I'd see if I could keep it alive overwinter but left it out one frost too many. It's in my window now, looking hopeless, but today ... I SEE GREEN!!! I didn't even water it lately.

Can't remember what it's called (maybe ending with "ia"?). Stems grew long, a bit viney. Here's a summer picture of the flowers.
Update (with thanks to Carol Norton): Looks much like Red Mandevilla.
Update 2: We're up to 3 votes for Red Mandevilla which I think is the one.

Note: this is a newly eclosed Monarch, I put him there for the photo before he was ready to fly. I got the impression that those flowers weren't very attractive to butterflies. If memory serves (always a dubious bet) the hummingbird was seen there sometimes.

Jan 2

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First exciting odometer reading of the year.

Jan 1