How political has science and climate change become? #video

| August 16, 2023

Deep down … I think most people know that there is something corrupt when it comes to climate science, grant money and politics. Still we are hesitate to question anything because “who am I to question these complicated issues?” It has always bothered me that so many things become an immediate, high priority “crisis” when […]

A collection of graphs and charts used on Twitter last week

| July 22, 2023

The week was abnormally filled with charts and graphs while chiming in to news stories and posts on Twitter this past week, but I’ll start with an animated GIF graphic and link to a story regarding offshore wind farm leases opening up in the Gulf of Mexico. As for the graphs and charts, here’s one […]

Learning more about the Everglades via audio field trip

| July 12, 2023

Enjoyed a long-ish audio field trip shared in the Washington Post last week by Lillian Cunningham. It was educational and a relaxing evening listen while “trying” to read a book (but I could not focus on both). 😉  The Everglades have always been interesting to me. My brother and I dreamt of living on Key […]

Music Monday: “Imagine” by Music Travel Love and Friends

| June 12, 2023

One cannot watch ANY of the videos by Music Travel Love and not be enamored by the beauty in the travel videography of their productions. The scenery aside, their singing of favorite hits throughout time is excellent and have me wanting to buy more of their music and hope for more beautiful travel. Most of […]

A ‘distance planning’ tip for hiking or backpacking to pass along

| May 23, 2023

My son Taylor has another semi-repeat backpacking trip planned with a friend from North Dakota (he is now in Montana) for the end of the summer in Glacier National Park (different area). The permits were obtained for the “loop” that they wanted … so now the packing and getting in shape begins (it was fun […]

A bit more on the Portuguese Man O’ Wars this past week

| February 18, 2023

Brenda commented that I didn’t link any information on the the large numbers of Portuguese Man O’ Wars earlier this week, so figured I would share a beach photo of a bourgeoning Portuguese Man O’ War spawn that were washing up all over the beach this past week (click above). The interesting colored spot on […]

A bird feeder idea for those with access to curved glass

| February 7, 2023

For those with with a love for feeding birds and access to a curved piece of glass (or perhaps the ability to heat and curve plexiglass?) … here’s an interesting project idea. Click on image for a short .mp4 video Although having this bird feeder in your window might get old after a while, it would be […]

Solar panels aren’t the solution for every home and climate

| January 10, 2023

As I commented on Twitter … “until nuclear fusion arrives in bulk, there are limits to living without fossil fuels.” We need political leaders, climate activists and business leaders restricting capital through ESG measures who can exercise a little bit more commonsense when it comes to restricting and going to war with US domestic energy […]

How to dispose of household batteries property

| October 15, 2022

Disposing of household batteries could use some clarity since not everyone knows which ones can be tossed with everyday trash and which ones should be recycled or taken to a collection site. Do you dispose of them correctly? Batteries are broken down into two broad categories: Single-use and rechargeable. How you dispose of them is […]

Orcas attacking Great White Sharks for their liver and heart

| September 3, 2022

Over the past several years, I’ve been reading stories about how pods of Orcasattack Great White Sharks. A Daily Mail article with photos and a short drone video segment this summer was particularly interesting. Would an 👉 orca eat a swimmer‘s 👈 liver or heart? 😨 At least seven great white shark carcasses have washed […]

Treating Sod Webworms is delayed by a Sprayer repair

| August 30, 2022

Having recently ordered some Permethrin SFR 36.8% from DoMyOwn.com in order to hopefully prevent the sod webworm invasion that happened last year, I started a late August spraying this past weekend. Little did I know that the bearings in my aging 25 gallon sprayer were almost all failing (except for one – photo below). I […]

A couple Great Horned Owls surprised us with their hoots

| August 29, 2022

Neither photo is mine, but Brenda and I were both startled in hearing the sounds of owls coming from was seemed like inside the house.   Great Horned Owl Hoots After we slowly crept around inside our house, wondering where they were, we deciphered that the “hoots” were coming from the fireplace. "Hm, were they […]

Motorheads are slowly showing interest in EVs #automotive

| August 20, 2022

My social participation in automotive groups and forums that were common for me decades ago (CinciTDI, TDIClub, etc) have shifted to social media friends on Facebook groups (not so much anymore) and Twitter (daily). Those contacts include a bunch of automotive journalist as well as people just interested in cars and trucks. The conversations has […]

The itsy bitsy spider stopped by the pool: Misumessus oblongus

| August 4, 2022

One never knows who will stop by to join me by the pool on a hot evening (it is hot this week). On Wednesday it was an American Green Crab Spider (Misumessus oblongus). These little “almost luminous” vivid green spiders move like crabs but don’t spin spider webs. They spend their time climbing through green […]

Automotive freedom: The politics of fossil fuel factors in

| July 2, 2022

In one of my social media automotive threads, I saw this comparison graphic and it triggered my thinking … both from a “freedom to choose” and “work need” perspective vs a “forced to comply” based on ever-changing environmental concerns or fiscal reasons … usually by politicians (regulation, taxes, dis-incentives or incentives). People are likely to […]

Books: “Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America” by Douglas Brinkley

| June 14, 2022

Although I once enjoyed reading biographical and history oriented books by Douglas Brinkley, as well as enjoyed interviews with him on TV, I’ve recently noticed a bit more political partisanship in his commentary and his appearances. To be fair, I wanted to give his writings another shot and try to remain open-minded. The book “Rightful […]

A riddle by Dennis Prager got me thinking …

| June 4, 2022

Q: What do you call a religious person who claims that the end is near? Answer: A fanatic. Q: What do you call a secular person who claims that the end is near? Answer: An environmentalist. When my podcasts on my weekend playlist are finished and I’m still in the mood for some audio content, […]

Birding outing for Katelyn with the family for her birthday

| May 17, 2022

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What is the mining environmental impact of going green?

| March 19, 2022

Sometimes people are too politically invested in climate change and environmental policies that they “can’t see the forest through the trees,” as John Heywood’s 1546 proverb propends (an idiom). This is not to say we can’t improve … or that we should be resist/thwart the shift towards renewables and improve our environmental footprint, BUT we ALL […]

Are you planning to go hiking or backpacking in bear country?

| February 6, 2022

For those of us who have gone hiking or backpacking in bear country before, we have been taught that avoiding trails shortly after bears have been encountered is the smartest approach to avoiding danger.   Of course this doesn’t guarantee not running into a bear on the trail. Having never carried bear spray in the […]

Tech Friday: Interesting electric heater and Bitcoin mining setup?

| November 19, 2021

How about mining Bitcoin and heating your house (room) with the excess energy/heat? For small room portable heating and cryptocurrency mining this looks interesting (although personally I’d rather install solar panels and sell electric power to the grid), check out the Heatbit website.

How do you prevent birds from hitting picture windows?

| October 7, 2021

… Boom …  Our new windows are really not that clean, but obviously the reflective quality is not helpful and looks painful for birds flying into them. I’m starting to wonder if we should rig up some kind of netting or thin sunshade? The latest bird to hit the window left a “dust” imprint clear […]

What happens when you make a Rhinoceros angry?

| October 6, 2021

Exhaust parts off the 2010 BMW X5 35d need to be recycled ($)

| September 12, 2021

Older photo of my 2010 BMW X5 35d from “fuel economy post” in 2016 after modifications Catalytic converters have precious metals that can be recycled, so I’ve been saving back a couple of the parts from the BMW X5 35d thinking that I might get a chance to see just what they might be worth. […]

Disposing and recycling takes a little more effort these days

| September 8, 2021

Since I have a couple items to pack up to take to a recycling and solid waste facility and was searching for options in our area (replaced an old AC compressor with refrigerant), it occurred to me that one way to reduce the items we generate is to not buy environmentally hazardous products in the […]

Central AC and final driveway prepping for the concrete pour

| August 27, 2021

Now that I’m spending more time working from my home office than ever before, I’m shock that I didn’t improve the comfort in my south west corner office before this year? The mini split AC unit has made a world of difference in controlling the temperature … and started me thinking about growing up without […]

Regularly see bats in the evening, but first time in the pool

| July 25, 2021

So what do you know about bats? Personally, I didn’t know very much at all. I see them regularly in the evening sky darting around and have always repeated the mantra that they are good for the environment because they eat mosquitos and pesky insects (article). Beyond that … and the vampire stories … I […]

Renewables and EV charging at home vs charging station issue

| July 3, 2021

As we transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles, the discussion I had with a German tourist on our cruise to Alaska continues to replay in my head. I am an advocate of free-market capitalism and smaller, less intrusive government … but have been known to stumble a bit and have supported government using incentives […]

To have both ears working, my balance and to be young again

| June 30, 2021

I enjoy the ocean but haven’t really had my equilibrium and balance back since my 2-year bout with Meniere’s Disease 20 years ago. That’s a bit depressing since I still have the desire to switch out our surfboard for a longboard (or SUP). That dream aside … my wife will tell you that I wasn’t […]

Birdhouses and raccoons and a great Drew and Katelyn photo

| June 20, 2021

Received nice photo from Katelyn and Drew last week and since I included one of Taylor and Megan last week, this is one that needed to be archived on my blog. Most most personal photos nowadays are of our granddaughters as Brenda and I have long ago moved past the stage of photos our ourselves […]

Thoughts on better sun protection with a better slim brim hat

| May 19, 2021

Like a lot of middle-aged Americans from the baby boomer generation (FYI, I”m at the tail end), I’ve spent way too many years unprotected in the sun. Although I haven’t gone out of my way to get that “healthy tan” (cough, cough) as we used to say in the old days, I’ve still ended up […]

Opinion: We need an all of the above energy plan in the U.S.

| February 25, 2021

As an advocate of renewable energy, be it biofuels, hydro, solar, wind, etc for decades, I don’t understand why Americans can’t come together on a united “all inclusive” energy plan? I know a few anti-solar/wind energy types, but usually they are just pushing back against the extremist wanting to do away with all fossil fuels […]

The coyotes in southwestern Ohio are healthy and active

| February 13, 2021

We live in a fairly developed area and yet the variety of animals surviving amidst the traffic and people continues to amaze me. When we built in Liberty Township, Ohio in the mid-1990s you would have called our area “developing but rural.” Now, there is no question we are suburban and “in my opinion” … […]

Filler post since we are busy with family, but a great photo!

| December 26, 2020

What’s “The greatest threat to life on Earth” – according to theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking #video

| December 9, 2020

No … not a pandemic (like Covid19) … or 45 years of Global Warming … or the current adopted term – Climate Change – according to Green New Deal Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or environmental activist Greta Thunberg  … but an asteroid concluded the late Stephen Hawking. Also, there’s some real history, not a political ideology, […]

It feels like winter, but those pesky Stink Bugs are still here?

| December 8, 2020

One of the irritations in using motion sensing security cameras (ani gif from previous post) at our house is that no matter how much I tweak the settings, they still detect motion and even declare “person detected” when it comes to movement. The biggest offender is slightly older Canary cam that I have set up […]

Photos of a few new hardwood trees from my brother’s nursery

| September 15, 2020

It has been eleven years since we last purchased a few trees from my brother Ron’s retirement avocation – a nursery dedicated to NativeOhioPlants. He started planting trees years before so after he retired from the Air Force in 2018, it was a natural to make it a part time business. It’s not too big […]

The climate hardiness guides says “no” to Evergreen Clematis

| August 16, 2020

After doing a little research on different kinds of Clematis, I thought I had the perfect pick for the rear corner of the pool house garage where I often work outside the back door. Something that stayed green a bit longer in the year like Evergreen Clematis sounded perfect … but the “Plant Hardiness Zone […]

A baby mourning dove is trying to blend in outside the door

| August 14, 2020

Wouldn’t you know, just as I was contemplating how to get rid of our annoying pair of Mourning Doves (pretty much pigeons in my book), they go and have at least one baby. Now I can’t in good conscious shoo them away. The little guy must have jumped or fallen out of the nest and […]

Planning ahead for a stay-at-home visit with our granddaughter

| July 22, 2020

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Love our current vehicles, but do miss my VW Jetta TDI #TBT

| July 16, 2020

The publicity around Ford’s new “bucking” Bronco for 2021 had me thinking about cars this week … as well as seeing a post from 12 years ago highlighting 100,000 odometer reading on Katelyn’s first car. Bronco aside, a few of my favorite vehicles are running through my head, but have a special soft spot my […]

Idea: Using eggshells as planters to grow seedlings

| July 2, 2020

Every once in a while an idea triggers me into thinking … “I’m going to try this!” Last week I stumbled across a Lifehacker post that was worth archiving. Using biodegradable eggshells to start seedlings … and after losing half the $60 in flower flats we purchased this year, I may give this one a […]

Where’s the strangest place to find wild mallard duck eggs?

| May 22, 2020

I know it seems like a strange question, but our annual pair of ducks spend a lot of time in and around our pool. It doesn’t matter if it is covered or not, these mallard ducks do enjoy the relative safety of sleeping on the pool cover in the spring. My guess it provides them […]

Nature is brutal! A Praying Mantis vs a Murder Hornet

| May 9, 2020

Nothing like a little nature video with your breakfast cereal to start your day .. YIKES!  I’ll never be able to look at my “Little Praying Friend” the same again. The latest news is that the giant 2 inch Murder Hornets (Asian giant hornets) are showing up in the western United States and threatening honey […]

Come on people, we are better than this! #COVID19

| April 29, 2020

As one commenter on the Bluewater Sailing and Cruising FB social group stated, “People are disgusting.” Its also what we  are all seeing in the parking lots of our communities during the coronavirus pandemic. All kinds of PPE is being lazily discarded. Without thinking, people toss their used rubber gloves, wipes and masks after they […]

Getting close to nature … this might be too close!

| April 25, 2020

Once upon a time, I worked at Sea World in Aurora, Ohio. I did not work with the Killer Whales (Orcas), but was fortunate enough to have been able to “hang out” with them when the park was closed. I would often enjoy sitting on lunch breaks watching them “watching me” while exercising in the […]

The Canary cam, another cardinal and a painted pry bar

| April 24, 2020

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that our brightly color cardinal enjoyed “looking at himself” in our window’s Canary cam – he was probably looking for a mate. Now that he’s found one … he seems to be avoid her; she is likely checking his usual haunts and asking “where is he?” I suspect there […]

A 1989 family glacier photo and thoughts on climate change #TBT

| February 6, 2020

It has been a shockingly mild winter, at least in Cincinnati this year. Generally I don’t put the snow blower on the John Deere 330 tractor until it is needed, yet this year I prepared early … and may have frightened the snow away? Having a winter without much snow is not totally unheard of, […]

Sesame Street has Big Bird … but Africa has the real thing

| January 22, 2020

Just how big is an African Crowned Eagle’s talons? BIG!!! A wider-view photo below …

Music Monday: Green Day and the a US National Park road trip

| January 20, 2020

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Tesla unveiled the highly anticipated Cybertruck #video

| November 23, 2019

Tesla’s version of a “pickup truck” is being offered as a “green” alternative to America’s appetite for a consumer truck. Ford continues to dominate with it’s F-150 with Chevy and Dodge nipping at their heels. For some reason, we Americans want a pickup truck even though few use their dressed up beasts to haul anything. […]

A pair of large healthy howling coyotes are hanging around

| November 13, 2019

For years in our increasingly populated (with people) Liberty Township, Ohio community has had a fair amount of wildlife roaming our neighborhoods. I’ve commented several times before and have never really been concerned when the critters are of the fox and smaller variety. Raccoons are still my least favorite, but those pesky chipmunks have recently […]

Those Chipmunks are outsmarting me again

| November 1, 2019

It is proving a challenge to stay ahead of the growing family of chipmunks and to keep them from burrowing under our patios and sidewalks … not to mention a digging holes in ever bed and mulched mound. So far this year I’ve removed about a dozen,l but lately one of these little guys has […]

Wildlife Photography – Photographer of the year photos 2019

| October 19, 2019

Wildlife photography whether beautiful or funny have always been something I’ve enjoyed. There was a time that I thought I would spend my vacations hiking and sailing with a camera in hand … but it requires far more dedication and "love of hobby" than I was willing to devote. Still … this years photos on […]

Do you participate in Us vs Them with life and political issues?

| October 5, 2019

Most people recognize how polarized our country has become … thanks in part to politicians and the media fanning the divisive flames. I’m not sure why we fall prey to their tactics, but generating hate and dislike for each other does seem to work when it comes to building campaign war-chests and rabid supporters. I […]

Who really wants Northern Water Snakes in their pool?

| October 2, 2019

Although they are not venomous, the people I know  don’t like to go swimming with snakes … Northern Water Snakes in this case (I think – see screen grab below). After being away for a week, once again the local wildlife has decided to make our pool their home – it has been dry. I […]

Ever hear a Florida alligator bellow? #video

| September 29, 2019

This must be what it was like to live in the Jurassic era … or camping in the Everglades as mating season begins for the gators in Florida? (been there, done that!) A post on Facebook from the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens in Naples, Florida shows three alligators bobbing in the water, making loud […]

Archive: Thankful to have my family within driving distance

| September 16, 2019

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Tech Friday: Insect repellents and my AfterShokz headset

| September 13, 2019

Just a heads-up for others using AfterShokz bone conduction headphones while doing outdoorsy kinds of things where bug spray is used – DON’T. I love my Aftershokz Bluetooth headphones, most likely because it enables me to hear things around me while still enabling me to clearly hear talk and music. For me, being deaf in […]

Plugging up holes and dealing with irritated yellow jackets

| August 27, 2019

We have more bees and wasps appearing around our house this summer, on the other hand, we have always had nests in the woods but this year a few more have moved closer to the house. When preparing to stain the fence this year, I had to glue 3/8” dowels in the carpenter bees holes […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog