One more test post to confirm connection to Mastodon (I’m @mistersugar on opalstack.social).
Just a test post as I reconnect my Micro.blog account to Bluesky and Mastodon.
Stepped outside to walk up to my studio office. ‘Will I see turtles or snakes?’ I asked. A few paces up the gravel drive and this turtle was waiting. A few paces more, a pileated woodpecker high in a loblolly pine. As I unlocked the studio, a screaming hawk alighted in another pine.
Here’s a video clip of today’s turtle moving away from me. She was not interested in posing for photos.
This truck stops for turtles. Had to get Oliver to the UNC soccer camp this morning and this turtle was crossing the gravel drive. I jumped out to take photos. She looks old.
Another creature encountered near my studio office.
Stepped outside to walk up to my studio office. ‘Will I see turtles or snakes?’ I asked. A few paces up the gravel drive and this turtle was waiting. A few paces more, a pileated woodpecker high in a yellow pine. As I unlocked the studio, a screaming hawk alighted in another pine.
Tropical Storm Chantal has been spinning over us (Chapel Hill and Carrboro) and dumping rain for hours. Can’t seem to get out of here.
Heavy rains. Black bean soup is delicious topped with cotija, avocado, chicken, and cilantro. And USMNT score first Gold Up goal in under 4 minutes!
Earlier today I finished a long Zuiker Chronicles blog post about our 10 days in Ireland. That was a great vacation, and I’m eager to get back to Ireland soon.
Woke up feeling past COVID and ready to play soccer, but Tropical Storm Chantal has rained out the pick-up action today, so I went to the mall to buy a new suit. Now I’m back home, listening to Billie Eilish on the record player while a pot of midnight black been soup simmers.
Catching up on movie trailers this morning and now I’m eager to see the documentary Architecton when it’s out in August. Feels similar to Baraka and Koyaanisqatsi.
I spent most of the week quarantined in an upstairs bedroom. Retested this morning and that darn confirmation line is still there, though fainter. I’m feeling good, will go for a short ruck in a bit. Should be able to post my Ireland travelogue today.
This Pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) hopped into the breezeway, momentarily perching on my boot.
I last saw this turtle, with its damaged carapace, 11 months ago in nearly the same spot.
Erin has been at her desk for much of the day, catching up on a vacation’s worth of work email. She’s got full windows looking out into the forest, and the birds at the feeder entertain her. She looked out and noticed this box turtle moving through the grass.
One of many vacation surprises was the meal we had on our last night, at the Old Storehouse Bar & Restaurant in Dublin (Temple Bar area), and now I want to recreate it here at home: fresh Irish salmon served with creamy root vegetable orzotto. And at the market today, pearled barley was on sale.
Finished reading Twist by Colum McCann on the Dublin-to-Charlotte flight yesterday. I seemed to be the only passenger using the reading light in the darkened cabin, one or two others using e-readers, most watching movies. Twist was a good read, its riff on the speed of internet traffic timely. 📚
Yesterday, after a train to Bray to hike the hill, I doubled back to Dublin, transferred to the Luas Red Line, and walked to Rascals Brewing for some tastes. Moving again, I noticed the canal lock across the street. This delighted me, so I walked along Grand Canal to the next stop at Goldenbridge.
In the middle of Johnnie Fox’s Hooley show (Irish singers and dancers) outside of Dublin my phone gave me a notification that Hapa (my favorite Hawaiian duo) has a new EP. Music is life.