Back now from a great outing in the beautifully warm NC autum day - first the No Kings protest in Hillsborough, then down the road to the Salt & Smoke & Sound festival at Blackwood Farm: democracy + free expression + assembly + sun + music + bbq + beer = gratitude for U.S.A.
The Peace Corps has very nice Brand Guidelines. Also, tips on writing a blog post.
Feeling tired and happy after mid-day pick-up soccer in Cary; an insightful session with my career coach about many of the brands I developed; looking up to see an American kestrel; Solsbury Hill from Peter Gabriel Plays Live record, on my headphones (my song for every Friday in the 5pm hour).
Erin and I needed a way to wind down last night, so we re-watched The Bear S2E7, Forks, one of my favorite episodes of this show. I’ve given Unreasonable Hospitality, the yellow book Richie is reading as he tidies his apartment, to a bunch of friends. 🍿
Finished reading The Poisoner’s Handbook just in time for the meeting of our science writers book club last night. Deborah Blum - the author of this fascinating book about the forensic medicine, the chemistry of poisons, the Jazz Age and Prohibition, and more - actually joined us. So cool.
Making the season’s last batch of hot sauce, in the garage, listening to the Belair Lip Bombs. Advil earlier soothed some of the aches from a long, wet game of pick-up soccer this morning. Hope to be able to walk the forest to look for turtles.
There are many ways to post to Micro.blog. Usually I use the Mac app or MarsEdit. Not sure if Drummer still allows me to send a post over to the blog. Let’s test it.
Watched: A Few Good Men a couple of times this week. Just seemed to fit the mood of the country. 🍿
Last night, after I returned from the Science Communicators of North Carolina annual SONCIES awards ceremony, this year at the NC Botanical Garden (winners will be listed here soon), I joined the family upstairs for a viewing of the always sweet Far From the Madding Crowd. 🍿
Micro.blog is throwing an error for my Wan Smol Blog and photos are showing correctly. Maybe I need to update the mnml theme or a plugin.
Also in the ginger lily was this anchor stink bug.
Hiding in the stalk
of the white ginger lily,
tiny gray treefrog.
Washington Spirit vs. San Diego Wave at Audi Field on a perfect October Sunday. A 2-1 win in extra time!
Signs of the times, Washington, D.C.
Rapa Nui moai on the campus of The American University in Washington, D.C. Marker says this was gift of Chile to their friends in the U.S.A. (Seems to be a replica.)
Kitchen makings in process: homemade grenadine (recipe and fun story), vanilla extract (recipe). Finished over the weekend: roselle syrup (recipe). What’s next: orange bitters (recipe from Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons).
Much fun at the 28th annual Carrboro Music Festival. After 2 hours of soccer this morning and 3 hours of walking stage to stage, I am beat.
Tomorrow is the 28th annual Carrboro Music Festival, with 100 bands throughout the day. I’ll be there, after morning pick-up soccer, of course. Join us! It’s free.
In Pittsboro today, at Screaming for Vintage, I picked up Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel.
Then, in Saxapahaw, these five singles from the Record Booth stall inside Saxy-A-Go-Go:
[trying to fix a typo in the title. update, please]
A hot few days but the maple leaves are floating down and the hickory nuts are dropping with a thud.