Pileated woodpecker

I think the need for updated AQI reading by so many may have broken the PurpleAir map.

How to tell a headline writer is old - how many people remember that mercury was used in thermometers? Even I, an Old, first read it as referring to the planet (it IS Mercury Retrograde).

When the juror website is functional they are quick!

Bought myself a birthday cake because I wanted one - half went into the freezer as single slices FFR. Best benefit of the day is I get to cancel upcoming jury duty (not obligated after 70) - I do think it’s a civic duty, but they assign a courthouse far from your address, so annoying commute.

Guess I don’t need to water stuff this evening. I doubt the Boston Esplanade crowd got to shelter - at least so far no lightning.

9:30pm - it might get down to 78/8F by 5am. Gonna try to hit Wegnans between 6-7am while the air is hopefully still breathable.

Does this device need to be portable? If not, you could combine some wifi-only phone device with a bluetooth receiver that has manual controls. Once you logged in on the phone to the app & connected to BT receiver you use the latter to forward/stop/etc. I have this that also powers my old speakers.

If they are the backs with curls, those collect gunk inside the curls that is difficult to clean without taking off and rubbing something around the inside (like the earring post). I used to soak mine in hydrogen peroxide.

Well, that’s worked out: I sold J’s never-used ebike to a nice lesbian couple. I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle their four $100 bills, but the estimate I just got from the arborist is about an hour’s work @$365/hr and he’d love cash :-)

I’m never going to be an “on the stand 30 min away at 6am” birder, but I did get there by 9am and got 2 lifers. I only figured to hear the Rail, but it actually flew low from on side of the path to the other in front of me!

About 2/3 inch total.

Half an inch of rain in 30 minutes. Good because we are in a drought, but so much at once rolls off before it can sink into the dey soil.

For some reason Google thinks this is in Italian...

I looked up in my email - after I signed up last spring they sent a message offering to send it for free - don't know if that's still a thing.

The front yard robin’s eggs have hatched - right after this a parent arrived with food.

Got the signs up in my front yard native plant beds.

Attended a fun party this weekend organized by a friend with lots of musician friends. We played 4 pre-chosen cover songs for fun, had a Mexican buffet dinner, then played a music-related game (teams name songs using a specific word). Partial video clip of one song:

Neighborhood red fox decided to chill out in my back yard yesterday.

Zoe does not approve of harp crescendos, but I told her she was free to go to another room while I watched this celebration of life video for a friend’s husband (who I just learned was born inly a few months before me )

This is a cat checkpoint: show the most recent cat photo on your phone. *BOOP* you’re it

I think it’s safe to say the overnight high migration has dumped one or more Tennessee warblers on my yard

After following @maryrobinettekowal.com 's cat Elsie & their friend Flounder I finally bit the bullet for some @fluentpet.bsky.social buttons for a great price (plus RC gift cards) from Chewy. I'm hoping Zoe at least will be interested.

Someone has claimed a home in the front yard cherry tree. #birds

A warbler-ful morning in my backyard (stats from my Birdweather PUC detector)

One of the MN birding trip guides does such a good barred owl imitation that a real one came to check him out.

I just spent the week in se minnesota birding - still kinda early. Our group had 89 confirmed species tons of butter-butts & blue gray gnatcatchers. At least I got 9 lifers!

Seven #lifers so far this week on my Minnesota trip:

Hoping I can lift the 20-lb carryon into the overhead bin.

Nice thing: twice this week I've been approached by passers-by as I entered/left my car in the driveway to say how much joy our blossoming cherry tree gives them - got it as an Arnold Arboretum member perk ~10 yrs ago.