For those looking for the Paksworld short-fic collections: some of the oldest are out of print, but recent ones include Deeds of Honor, Deeds of Youth, and Deeds of Wisdom, which re-issued some selections in anthologies and prior collections, plus new stuff.. Same cover design + blue one in 2025.

I made a thing. Given that the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is THiS 4th of July, I believe that "NO KINGS" marches and demonstrations are more patriotic than any other. This is what it was about: NO KINGS. THE RIGHT TO PROTEST. FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Ours isn't as pretty, but here's a very weathered bit of fossil coral from our place in central TX.

Before is in the past we cannot change but must never forget. Today is now. Here's another little boy, younger than that one: Liam Ramos, five years old, used as bait to capture his father, image taken that day 2nd image days later, in concentration camp Dilley, TX

Governmental abuse of children. If you're not familiar with the famous painting by Yeames, "When Did You Last See Your Father?" take a look at this: the painting depicts a moment from the English Civil War in which a young boy from a royalist family is being questioned.

We need to get these domestic terrorists OFF ALL OUR STREETS, out of ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. NO MORE THREATS TO "CIVILIANS" that "We're watching...we'll be back...you have no rights...we have all the rights." ALL things ICE agents have said. Along with racial, gender, ethnic slurs.

We expect a near 80F Christmas. Upper 70s today, bright and breezy with S wind. Some oak leaves still on (falling to the wind, yeah) in every shade from deep maroon to bright red to some orange. The golden ones are already off that tree but the bigtooth maple is still glowing yellow. 2 weeks bk

Tale of Two Keyboards: L: "Hunchy" is old MS ergonomic keyboard, still working, but with a lot of wear (sticky dots to remind me of which letter's which) R: "Twinkletoes" or "Twinkles" new backlit keyboard (wrist rest separate) not ergonomic. Guess which I make more typos with.

THIS is the flag of NO KINGS HERE. THIS is the flag under which I served, and kept my oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. THIS is the flag--the ONLY flag--that represents what we have imperfectly, but steadily, tried to embody. NO KINGS = LOVE of country.

Good advice. We're very VERY dry right now, so the early fall color has turned brown and is crispy on the ground, but the shapes of the tree trunks are beautiful. Also just found Hackberry Emperor butterfly but will need to crop to show it.

ArmadilloCon is this weekend and I will be there, NOT here (home fires not kept burning because it's too hot, but you get the idea) by spouse who is not into SF conventions. I have a new collection to show off (Deeds of Wisdom) and writing friends to meet up with.

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 30, Decade 5 The Defence of Duffer's Drift, E.D.S.Swinton (1904. 1986 in the edition I have.)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 29, Decade 5 The Deed of Paksenarrion Elizabeth Moon (1988-89) in this cover, 1992

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 28, Decade 5 Don't Shoot the Dog, Karen Pryor (1984)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 27, Decade 5 How Children Learn, John Holt (1967)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 25 Decade 4 Thinking in Pictures Temple Grandin (1995)

Apple turnovers with puff pastry!!!!! Yes, it worked, they're delicious. 8 of them from one box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (2 sheets in box)

Umm....why didn't the picture of the covers get into this??? I took the picture, edited it, and thought I'd entered it into the above post. Let's try this again: A Natural History of the Trees of North America in 2 volumes, eastern & central, western. THERE IT IS.

#Booksky #ChallengeSky The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher, Lewis Thomas (1974)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 23 Decade 4 Fundamentals of Ecology, Eugene P. Odum (1971) 3rd edition

#Booksky #ChallengeSky Book 22 Decade 4 Experimental Microbial Ecology Sheldon Aaronson (1970)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 21, Decade 4 The Complete Training of Horse and Rider, Alois Podhajsky (1967)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 20, Decade 4 Man and His Geologic Environment, David N. Cargo and Bob F. Mallory (1974)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 19, Decade 4 Lads Before the Wind, Karen Pryor (1975)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 17, Decade 3 Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas, D.S. Correll and M.C. Johnston (1970)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 16, Decade 3 The Lord of the Rings (3 Vol.) J.R.R. Tolkein

Native grasses on our place (a few!). L to R: Bristlegrass (not yet keyed out--we have both knotroot bristlegrass and Scheele's; this is a new one), Eastern gama, White Tridens, and Big Bluestem.

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 13 Decade 3 Treason in Roman and Germanic Law, Floyd Seward Lear (1960)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 12, Decade 2 Dune, Frank Herbert (1965)

#BookSky #ChallengeSky Book 11, Decade 2 Three Came Home, Agnes Newton Keith (1947)