Friday Filler: Did someone ask the gardener to smile?

| March 24, 2023

Who among us wouldn’t smile back at this unique plant? Very unusual looking to say the least? Although Friday Filler — or is it Filler Friday(?) — isn’t really a thing on MyDesultoryBlog, it does tend to be a way for to fill space on Friday with a Filler Foto when there’s no time to write or post. […]

Big and bigger Megalodon shark teeth

| February 23, 2023

When it comes to big teeth, Little Red Riding Hood’s wolf has nothing on this Megalodon shark tooth find … … or the one pulled up in a fishing net the other day.

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 few more family homebuilding photos and using rehab as an excuse to take a winter trip to Florida

| February 15, 2023

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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 […]

Lava flowing from Mauna Loa volcano a concern for residents

| November 29, 2022

Lava and smoky ash is sputtering from the world’s largest active volcano on the Hawaii’s Big Island. Mauna Loa isn’t immediately endangering towns, but eruption poses danger to over 200,000 people and the U.S. Geological Survey is warning people that it can be "very dynamic and that and advancing lava flows can change rapidly." (AP […]

Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza and beach pigeons …

| October 11, 2022

With a lot of football watching in the evening last week while on vacation in Delray Beach, our appetite was for pizza. Normally we might have ordered it from a pizza shop, but since Target had Red Baron pizzas on sale for $3.99, we opted for their Brick Oven medium pizza. Shockingly, neither Brenda or […]

Arachnophobia? How about some “exposure therapy?”

| October 2, 2022

While out mowing the lawn this week … I “think” I may have brought a spider in the house with me? In any case, it was on my shirt and I felt something crawling on my arm. After an instinctive swat and swipe of the hand, I notice it landed on my glass chair mat […]

Brace for Impact, Floridians. Hurricane Ian is here – 9/28/2022

| September 28, 2022

From way up high, Hurricane Ian is a much more attractive (ani-gif above) … but suspect those Ian left under water and in its storm ravaged path in western Cuba … AND has nearly everyone in Florida chewing their nails while they brace for impact. (residents need a “Miracle on the Hudson” moment) Governor DeSantis […]

Who knew? Prairie dogs used the Bernoulli principle

| September 24, 2022

In order to ensure sufficient oxygen within their burrow, prairie dogs use the Bernoulli’s principle. One of the entrances is built with a raised mound of dirt, while the other is not. This determines different wind velocities and different pressures. (Massimo – @Rainmaker1973) Bernoulli flow and viscous entrainment were identified by the researchers as the […]

Taylor’s slow move, galls autumn oak leaves and pool pump

| September 20, 2022

After helping Taylor move a few larger things over to his new condominium last weekend, he sent a photo of his still bare living room, but it is coming together. The TV is working so he could watch the 2022 losing Cincinnati Bengals (now 0-2) on Sunday afternoon. He has been slowing moving boxes of […]

Friday Filler: Even crabs hate getting sand in their eyes

| September 9, 2022

Who likes getting sand blown in their eyes at the beach … not even crabs.

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 […]

When hammerhead sharks feed, stay on the beach #video

| August 18, 2022

It is summer vacation season … and shark video time … so here’s one from Twitter of a LARGE Hammerhead Shark chasing a stingray in Orange Beach, Alabama. Whoa … it’s better to stay out of the water when this is happening. I’ll stick with just looking at the little Sand Tiger Sharks.

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 […]

Our 40th Anniversary trip to the Canadian Rockies (part 1)

| July 17, 2022

Well … this is part 1 of the Canadian Rockies 40th Anniversary wrap-up (a pre-post was made last week) and since there are just WAY too many photos and memories to recall for just one post (the curse of multiple smartphones with cameras that also shoot motion GIFs and video). It was much simpler 34 […]

Mystery of the oily red/brown spot killing the new grass

| July 5, 2022

While shoveling some additional soil fill next to the edge of our driveway, I noticed a dead “oily” looking patch on the relatively new grass seed? It seemed odd but figured perhaps an animal died there and that I just didn’t notice? Eventually I looked up and realized the cut limbs on the Mulberry tree […]

Buttercups photo and reflecting on another school shooting

| May 28, 2022

We are enjoying my late mother-in-law’s transplanted Buttercups (Ranunculus) that we brought home from the Jamestown, NY farmhouse (winter pics). Initially, Brenda’s sister Chris asked me to bring her some home for her since I was the one driving back and forth to western New York to clean out, take care of the property and […]

Birding outing for Katelyn with the family for her birthday

| May 17, 2022

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Enjoyed a Mother’s Day beach week of R & R in Florida

| May 10, 2022

Depressing as it may be, our vacation in Delray Beach is over, but it was a perfect and needed rest and relaxation trip. Our old 2002 Honda Odyssey is still surviving … although I did pondering a new Florida vehicle after having to jumpstart and fidget with the flakey AC. Yet it still didn’t convince […]

Spring, apple blossoms, an iPhone photo & an Ellerie #video

| April 25, 2022

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Bummer, we didn’t plan a winter or spring break this year

| March 20, 2022

Photo from February 2013 in Delray Beach while visiting Brenda’s parents For years … well decades really … we have been fortunate enough to escape winter in February or sometimes March or April and head to sunny or warmer climates for a week. Often it was to visit either Brenda’s or my parents who would […]

It is semi-officially spring when our lilacs bud

| March 18, 2022

Each year I think I take a photo of either our flowers or trees coming back to life in the spring. I know from a quick search that there are at least ten posts similar to this one over the years … here is one from February 2017.  Since this particular lilac plant can’t be […]

Mesmerizing Migration Map triggered family memories #TBT

| March 17, 2022

From the start of my small publishing business in the late 1980s, Consolidated Printing and Publishing Co, I have been fortunate to have worked with the Audubon Society as both a customer and board member over the decades. My kids remember hiking and taking trips tied to birds and their migration stops and even made […]

Tech Friday: Apple Event and our WyzeCam3 picks up a fox

| March 11, 2022

Here are a couple of technology highlights to mention on a Tech Friday from earlier this week. First, the new driveway Wyze Cam3 set-up (moved it) picked up an evening fox whizzing by and the second, an event on Tuesday from Apple announcing new products. Personally, I’m not sure what kind of surprise was expected […]

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 […]

New Year’s Eve Friday Filler Photo: Make 2022 better than 2021

| December 31, 2021

As we wind down 2021 and close the book on a stressful COVID19 filled year … here’s hoping next year will bring an end to the pandemic. If that is not going to be the case, then let’s hope the Omicron Variant isn’t as deadly as the Delta Variant … and that we will keep […]

A Blue Whale in clear water off the coast of Western Australia

| November 7, 2021

Maybe it is just me, but seeing this drone photo of a Blue Whale off the coast of Western Australia was impressive. Australia is one of those countries on my bucket list, but it is such a long and expensive flight … and Australia is a huge country to visit in a single trip, that […]

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

Driveway update and too late for Sod Webworm damage?

| September 1, 2021

Who knew we would be having so much rain in late August? It has been a pain for the crew trying to finish our concrete driveway project … but the “big pours” should be done for now and “I hope” they will be back to address a puddling issue in the rear (something I mentioned […]

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 […]

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 […]

Annalyn’s imagination and critter ‘picture week’ at our house

| June 11, 2021

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Weekend chores update: Robins, office cleaning and AC prep

| June 1, 2021

The robin eggs in the back porch (earlier in May above) wreath Brenda made from her grandmother’s grapevines years ago, have hatched Below was day one (left) and day two (right) … as Brenda commented … “you should wait until they’re a bit cuter.” The weather was “so-so” this past Memorial Day weekend, but since […]

Washing cars, opening the pool before a surprise trip to Toledo

| May 25, 2021

This past weekend was a busy weekend and won’t likely let up for a little while – full schedule … and I’m not even really back to traveling for work! It started with getting the mowing finished up on Friday night so that I could spend time on getting the initial pool cleaning and pump […]

Canary cam selfies, Taylor and his fraternity friends in the Bahamas and the passing of the UK’s Prince Phillip

| April 10, 2021

It is that time of year again … spring, when the camera loving birds (1, 2, 3) sit and look at the Pool Garage camera. The downside is that every time they sit and look at the Canary cam, it triggers a motion alert to my phone. Taylor and Megan are on their way back […]

Sticking with what I know: Bought my 4th pair of Vasque boots

| March 24, 2021

The more I think about it, the “lamer” it appears to be talking about shoes … but truth be told, the Sperry Topsider reviews and shoe insole posts still are in the top ten when it comes to blog numbers. I’m posting a photo of my newly arrived clearance priced Vasque hiking boots and previous […]

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” … […]

Archive: Professional Brenda and the Hawk Migration #TBT

| January 28, 2021

When searching for a photo of my 1996 Toyota 4Runner (never found one), I stumbled across a couple personal photos from 1997 and will archive them for today’s Throwback Thursday #TBT. One of “professional Brenda” dressed for the office in 1990’s style (ha!) and the other of our family on an October Hawk Migration birding […]

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

| December 26, 2020

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 […]

Tropical storms and encroachment brings out Florida wildlife

| November 19, 2020

If the active record-breaking hurricane season wasn’t enough to have you questioning the idea of moving to Florida, how about a 2000 pound great white shark off Miami, alligators that are straight out of the Jurassic Period on a Naples, FL golf course or constrictor snakes slithering out of the Everglades large enough to compete […]

Filler post … since I’m busy “Livin’ the Dream” :-)

| October 22, 2020

… and just so the humor category can be checked, here’s an Open vs Concealed Carry photo.

Reminder to myself: We need a new trash can. #video

| October 20, 2020

Just a “beary” interesting video that is making its way around social media. The bear is a big one, but I’m more impressed with the trash can!

Filler post: Shade Sail Stick Insects and a couple idea photos

| September 16, 2020

While brushing a few leaves off the new shade sails, this little guy caught my eye. It is amazing how different Stick Insects can change colors to fit their surroundings. Actually this blog post is just a mid-week filler post and a collection of a few photos that I thought were interesting or at least […]

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 […]

Archive: Brenda’s flowers, busy working bees and babysitting

| September 9, 2020

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Would you feel safe swimming with an Orca Pod? #video

| August 26, 2020

Just a filler video that I found eye-opening since my wife Brenda is a openwater, correction … shoreline swimmer. 😮

It is wearing out, but the Rat Zapper is still repairable

| August 23, 2020

Even though we have a few of those ultrasonic devices plugged into the walls, mice seem to find their way into the detached and attached garage then figure out how to squeeze there way into the house. I’d like to think I’m able to trap them before they find the kitchen, but who knows … […]

Spiders, Kadydids, iPhone7+ photos and cooling in the pool

| August 19, 2020

Since I spent most of the weekend outside again doing chores and projects as the weather has been great … I spotted a couple of insects enjoying summer as well. The normal bugs don’t grab my attention, but the brightly colored and unusual ones are worthy of photos (still impressed with the camera on my […]

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 […]

Barred spiral galaxy NGC4907 from 270 million light-years away

| August 12, 2020

An image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is just too beautiful not to include on MyDesultoryBlog. I many not be the biggest astronomy or space geek, but I do spend time looking up at the stars in the evening. Although I didn’t get a good look at the NEOWISE comet last week (not for […]

Archive: Remembering good times with my friend Jeff #TBT

| August 6, 2020

My friend Jeff has been part of my life since college and knows WAY too much about me … both good (which he conveniently forgets) and bad (which he’s remembers all too well). We’ve always have great times together, be it in Founders Hall dorm at ONU back in college or the many years after […]

A cute beach crab GIF and an eye-opening #filler shark photo

| August 2, 2020

This is when you are glad that you at least out on the water with a long board.  #surfing And if that is not your cup of tea … maybe strolling down the beach and poking a crab is more your speed?

Looking back 15 years on the blog and wondering what’s ahead?

| August 1, 2020

My goodness, where have the years gone!?! I know that I’m not the only one who asks that question, but when it stares me in the face from 6700 blog post ago … it is a big reminder. I’ve noted in this post that 15 years ago Taylor and I headed up to see my […]

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.