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Book: The Piano Shop on the Left Bank / Thad Carhart
This is a slow-paced, thoughtful book. I haven’t read anything like that recently, and it made me appreciate that reading can be relaxing and enriching without being overly manipulative or dramatic. Of course, if you don’t have any great interest in pianos or Paris, this may not be your cup of tea (or it may…
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Ring-necked Duck
We spotted this male Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) swimming in one of the holding ponds by Heron Lake, our RV park. You can just make out the purple ring around his neck that is the source of the species name, but the white ring on the bill is an easier way to identify these birds…
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R.I.P. Squeaky Bear
This morning I awoke to find Squeaky Bear lying eviscerated on the living room carpet. What fiend could have committed this grisly crime? Any amateur CSI enthusiasts out there? Update: Squeaky Bear’s bladder, the very source of his squeak, was found in Jezze’s water bowl. Hopefully all of SB’s organs are now accounted for, though…
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Movie: Night of the Hunter (1955)
I doubt I would’ve caught the influence of this film on Raising Arizona without some help. The quote near the end, “It’s a hard world for little things…” might have done it. Anyway, there are lots of influences if you look for them. A soulful, authentic sound track. Rich symbolism. Ambiguous religious figures. Evocative cinematography.…
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Geo Mashup Plugin 0.3 Beta
Sunday was windy and cold, so I sat in my lazyboy and cranked out some more more code. I believe this version of the Geo Mashup plugin is generally usable, but I’m calling it Beta until I know at least a few people have it working. New stuff: Added a special tag (<!–GeoMashup–>) to allow…
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Latest Mom Creations
I’ve liked the beaded jewelry I’ve seen my wife & friends make at bead shops – now my mom has done away with the bead shop and started making her own beads. Check out the results.
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Movie: My Architect
Some interest in either architecture or the theme of discovering a distant parent through their work is probably a prerequisite for the enjoyment of this film. I started out mostly interested in the few buildings that renegade architect Louis Kahn managed to bring into existence. Some of them just look blocky and institutional to me,…
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Golden Cornstalks
This is the harvested corn field behind our current home site. I’m leaving at about sunrise these days, when everything is awash in golden sunlight.
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My secret admirer
I was intrigued to receive this letter with no return address, not unlike the typewritten letters and cards I once sent to my wife Ann before I really knew her. She let me puzzle over it for awhile before confessing that she wrote it. I’m glad she’s my Freaky Secret Admirer.
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Geese on Ice
The temperature finally dropped enough to freeze the lake where these geese are wintering. It looked at first like they had just been frozen in place, but I think they’re sitting on the ice. The temperature was up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit when I left home today. Thankfully the recent winds finally calmed down.