On this beautiful morning in Chapel Hill, I am grateful for the Micro.blog community, which has remained positive and generous and a nice play to be since the very beginning. Thanks to all of you!
On this beautiful morning in Chapel Hill, I am grateful for the Micro.blog community, which has remained positive and generous and a nice play to be since the very beginning. Thanks to all of you!
One of the cats left this juvenile rat snake near the front door. It was alive but injured. I moved it to the forest, came back to see it moving a bit. Seemed to be asking me to tell the cats it’s on the same eat mice team. Hope it survives.
I have a page on my Zuiker Chronicles site to explain What I’m Doing Now. I’ve finally gotten in the habit of updating at the start of each month. (I mention Micro.blog, naturally.) Of course, I also have an About page.
Sunday morning soccer in Durham with a large group (enough for two games side by side). Always fun to see these friends from around the world, and happy to have scored a goal and made a few good assists (but plenty of bad passes, too).
I did go yesterday to Raleigh to meet my uncle John at the IBMA World of Bluegrass festival. The highlight of the evening show was a brilliant performance by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. (Watch her cover of She’s a Rainbow.) After the show we also heard Della Mae, also good!
Out walking the property to assess damage from tropical storm Ian yesterday. Lots of small branches and leaves and acorns on the ground. This hickory snapped and fell over out back.
Rains and wind from Hurricane Ian are here in North Carolina. Expecting downpours later as the storm comes through Chapel Hill. I’m supposed to drive to Raleigh to meet my uncle for an evening of music at the IBM World of Bluegrass Festival but may be too dangerous.
Out in the woods again this afternoon with the chainsaw at the fallen hickory tree. This turtle crawled out of the way and under a cedar stump. 🐢
Clearing fallen branches and cutting firewood today. Turned a decaying log and saw this salamander (possibly a four-toed salamander).
So far this morning, I’ve seen a ruby-throated hummingbird outside my office window, and that bald eagle along the road. Hoping to see or hear an owl or two tonight, and most likely the pileated woodpeckers will be busy in the woods out back.
Holy cow! Just saw a bald eagle swoop down roadside here in Carrboro, NC. And to think I went all the way to Alaska this summer to see eagles. (There are eagles at nearby Jordan Lake.)
I haven’t seen many turtles this summer during my walks in our woods. This one turned up near our front door. 🐢
Last day at the pool
Reading ‘bout Benin bronzes
French fries with ketchup
That Phoenix post by @maique reminded me of something we did in the early years of blogging: we took turns hosting a weekly blog carnival, a round-up of blog posts on a theme. In the M.b world, for example, someone would point to various posts about visiting Phoenix.
I do not like centipedes. But this one was inside an old beer bottle that I kicked out of the ground so easier to observe.
Stunning day on the Outer Banks near the village of Avon. We’ve come to visit with Carrboro friends who own a house here.
I used the Rode PodMic, Zoom PodTrak P4, and my aging iPhone 8 to record a couple of interviews for an article I’m writing for the Duke School of Medicine. Setup worked great.
I struggled to get today’s Wordle. I stayed up too late watching a movie, and I have a lot on my mind with family issues and work assignments. Eventually I got the word. Tonight I will sleep more.
A strike/rally/sit-in making move-in day at American University very slow and interesting.
Dinner last night my my uncle John and cousin Kristin; breakfast this morning with my uncle Michael (at Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe). When we drop Malia at American University tomorrow, we will be comforted to know she’ll be close to family.
In Washington D.C. to take Malia to college (at American University). Need to find the local bar where Liverpool fans will be for the ManU game tomorrow.
Erin and I went to dinner with Malia last night, her last in Chapel Hill before she embarks on college life in D.C. She went out with friends, Erin and I mixed gin & tonics and walked with dog (followed by cats) to our build site to measure the future rooms. #changes
A couple of years ago, I chopped down a few princess trees (Paulownia tomentosa) out in the woods. This is an invasive tree in North Carolina. When we cleared the spot for our new house, the seeds clearly got moved around because I’ve been pulling seedlings throughout the woods.
