The Wyze cam sound detector picked up a strong thunderstorm

| July 13, 2021

The downside of having self-monitored smarthome security cams, sound sensors, door triggers and motion detection at the Florida condo in Delray Beach is that one never knows what will set it off. Usually it has been a flash of light or in a couple cases a slightly weakened battery on a sensor. Yesterday though, even […]

Music Monday: Summer music listening with Yacht Rock Radio

| July 12, 2021

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Replaced a failed sump pump check valve after heavy rains

| June 26, 2021

Last weekend we had thunderstorms and tornado warning that dumped buckets of rain in our area. Thankfully no damage or serious flooding, but I did check on the sump and backyard pumps … I even added my spare pump to the pit in order to keep the water that builds up in the retention area […]

A leftover weekend photo and video turned animated gif

| June 22, 2021

Spent a lot more time this past weekend picking up branches, pumping out the pool and even set up a pump in the backyard to prevent flooding the pool. Thankfully no tornadoes on the ground, but the lightning, wind and rain was wild. Below is a video snippet … turned animated gif out the back […]

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 […]

Flowers, some Kubota service and waking up the Packard Hawk

| May 11, 2021

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Come on, it is late April 2021! Is Spring really in the air?

| April 22, 2021

After just finishing cutting the lawn on Tuesday night and working on our landscaping this past weekend in anticipation of a cold front with some “expected rain,” it ended up coming down as SNOW! I mean, come on, it is the time of year to be thinking sunshine, warmer weather and flowers .. not snow.  […]

Handy IFitIt tools for gadgets and Spring 2021 family photos

| March 13, 2021

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Winter weather for mid-February 2021. More snow.

| February 15, 2021

Click here for ani-gif above for full 25 second iPhone slow-motion video The icy sleet on top of our existing snow and pre-cleared roads has made travel dangerous this Monday afternoon in southwest Ohio. Thankfully for President’s Day Brenda and I are home (although it was by chance and not planned) and are able to […]

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” … […]

A snowy 2021 February stay-at-home day and a few idea photos

| February 10, 2021

We received a surprise snowfall on Monday night this week and it caught most of us, including the weather people and snowplows off-guard. Brenda worked until close in Oxford, Ohio and it took her nearly an hour and a half to drive home .. no salt on the roads and very few snowplows were out. […]

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Slick roads and an accident.

| December 19, 2020

Although this is the second snow of the season, the weather has turned colder and we ended up with a touch more of the white stuff this week … and with it, yet another accident on Bethany Road to our rear. I saw the flashing sheriff’s car lights and since I’m working from home, I […]

First Snow December 1st 2020 … and another backyard accident

| December 2, 2020

December 2020 rolled in with a light white blanket of snow and colder weather to let us know that winter is probably here for a while. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the temperature change, but I really don’t mind the hushed beauty of a “new-fallen snow” … as Clement Clarke Moore wrote […]

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 […]

A sign of Autumn and our 1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEL #TBT

| September 24, 2020

We had our first taste of cooler fall weather for 2020 last week as the hot 80+ degree days of August and early September gave way to pleasant mid-to-high 70s and cooler evenings dipping into the 40s. Brr, my body has not adjusted yet. As autumn approaches and the temperatures are more tolerable in the […]

An updated shade sail photo and a granddaughter photo too

| August 28, 2020

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A summer thunderstorm may be a Hurricane Laura precursor

| August 27, 2020

As the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana and Texas prepare for Hurricane Laura (as well as areas well inland), we got a taste of the kind of rain that might also be headed our way as this tropical weather works its way north. A strong thunderstorm swept through our area on Wednesday night this […]

Music Monday: Under Pressure – Queen, plus some humor

| August 24, 2020

Oh how the simplest humor can trigger a music flashback, at least for me! I’m not sure everyone’s brain operates like this, but the song Under Pressure from 1981/82 by Queen, and the late great David Bowie, is the first thing that came to mind when seeing the above image. Feeling Under Pressure? Perhaps you […]

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 […]

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 […]

Checking on the path of Tropical Storm Isaias – 8/2/2020

| August 2, 2020

While working on a few chores this Sunday, I checked on the path and strength of Hurricane now Tropical Storm Isais. It has moved just a bit more to the east than expected so for those who are on the east coast of Florida, take a deep breath. The storm could still pack strong winds, […]

We all have the same name for this #video: “Hand Of God”

| July 27, 2020

… or maybe the hand of the Michelin Man (photo) if you are not a person of faith. 😉

Music Monday: Time Passages -Al Stewart (1978)

| July 27, 2020

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Wouldn’t it be nice to cool off in the pool on hot summer days?

| July 10, 2020

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A moon rising iPhone 7-plus photo worthy of archiving

| June 3, 2020

Every once in a while when seeing what cellphone cameras can do, I wonder why I even bother to ever grab my camera bag and relatively expensive DSLR camera anymore? Last night the weather in Cincinnati was clear and humidity low. The moon was large and rising in the sky in the southeast and looks […]

Later and more work than usual in opening the pool this year

| May 26, 2020

It is never as easy as expected? I’m accustom to opening the pool each season now that I’ve been doing it for 20+ years in Cincinnati and another 5 or so in Hudson before that. Each season it should get easier, right? Nope. There always something … and the job is MUCH more challenging to […]

Out and about, yardwork, flowers and more rain

| May 24, 2020

It has been a slow start to getting our yard in shape. By now we usually have the pool open and flowers planned, but for some reason (probably rain) we are not ready for summer. Thankfully though, Saturday was nice most of the day. I waited as long as possible to add a few brown […]

Nothing like a heavy and steady rain to add to our water woes

| May 19, 2020

The heavy rain overnight continued to add to our COVID19 spring misery, as SW Ohio is under flood warning. The warning started last night and after double checking our Zoeller pumps (shouldn’t really expecting them to do much considering just how much rain comes down). Two of the pumps keep our basement from flooding and […]

FedEx shines when delivering packages in the rain #sarcasm

| May 7, 2020

Nine years ago, it would have been polite for our FedEx driver to have at LEAST left a note or to have mentioned he ran off the driveway … although it was understandable with the snow cover (see link). On the other hand, it makes me smile now, especially since I can use it as […]

Photos to keep us up-to-date with our growing granddaughters

| April 19, 2020

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My thoughts on the Coronavirus COVID-19 and investing

| March 7, 2020

I’ve purposely put off posting anything to MyDesultoryBlog as the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (#COVID19) began. Partially since it is challenging to separate the unfounded fears and panic from the real threat since the reporting varies based on news sources (Information from China is particularly questionable but western media sources aren’t all […]

Not much snow in Cincinnati for 2019-2020, but it is pretty

| February 26, 2020

We haven’t had much snow in SW Ohio this year .. so before it is totally gone for 2019-2020, I’ll share a few flakes above … after the “BIG FLAKES”  bickered last night in South Carolina (a list of Democratic Presidential Candidates debating in 2020). Democrats jockey for support ahead of S.C. primary The Democratic […]

Winter weather, driving and fun babysitting Annalyn

| February 8, 2020

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A trip to Florida so that Encore could function on 12 volts again

| January 30, 2020

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“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” … but not like this! #video

| December 21, 2019

I love these motion-sensing Wyze Cams …   Now what if someone happened to be coming to the front door? Yikes … although more than likely it would just be funny.

A peaceful quiet surprise snowfall and quality steel in tools

| December 16, 2019

December is here … and the snow arrived last night (snow 9 years ago), although it isn’t anything drastic, just peaceful and quiet. Actually the heavy snow surprised me considering Sunday afternoon was relatively pleasant and I was in the home theater watching Sunday Night Football (Bill beat the Steelers). When the game was over, […]

Windshield chips become ugly cracks when it is cold

| December 14, 2019

Don’t you just hate this! Earlier this week I was driving home through construction and traffic as I headed south from Columbus to Cincinnati on I-71 (road construction is not done yet!) and I heard a rock hit the windshield. It sounded pretty nasty, but after looking around carefully from the inside, all was fine […]

Notes on a few more master bathroom and upholstery updates

| September 25, 2019

Following up on my weekend post and a few of the projects that I’m trying to complete (or get started) during my few days in Florida is the “somewhat new to me” upholstery project. It has bogged down my to-do list schedule, but I was able to get the master bathroom corner mirrors and glass […]

Keeping a “Sharpie” eye on Tropical Storm Jerry

| September 19, 2019

So sorry President Trump (Sharpiegate) … I just can help myself when looking at weather forecast maps. #humor

The path of potential TS Humberto looks eerily familiar

| September 13, 2019

Tis the season for tropical storm watching as forecasters expect a similar path as Hurricane Dorian for potential Tropical Cyclone Nine turning into Tropical Storm Humberto (oom-BAIR-toh). Travelers along the east coast of the U.S. and those particularly in the northern Bahamas already suffering from Dorian will need to keep their guard up. Perhaps modifying […]

Productive home chores weekend while watching Dorian

| September 3, 2019

The approaching hurricane kept my attention this Labor Day weekend (writing this for Tuesday on Sunday) as there was really nothing I could do to prepare the condo in Delray Beach or our boat Encore (in the water) in preparation for the approaching storm. Likely when this posts, we will either have dodged a bullet […]

Hurricane Dorian upgraded to Category 3, but Cat 4 is likely

| August 30, 2019

As Floridians and those in the northern Bahamas prepare for Dorian, the first major hurricane to directly hit Florida’s Atlantic coast since Andrew (a Cat 5) in 1992, those of us with a vested interest out-of-state will not be sleeping well this weekend. There isn’t much we can do besides check our insurance policies and […]

Well it is hurricane season – so time to think about #Dorian

| August 28, 2019

Florida declares a state of emergency to prepare for Hurricane Dorian https://t.co/z9sLuLmlxq — Rich Corbett 🇺🇸 (@RichC) August 28, 2019

An old newspaper clipping and a great summer job #TBT

| July 25, 2019

When talking about the wide spread damage in the Dayton area by a tornado earlier this year with the guys putting on our new gutters (Raspberry Pi cam picked up one of the guys’ legs and tweeted it to me) …  I mentioned that I once did some tornado repairs in my hometown. I couldn’t […]

It has been HOT and an update on the New Gutters for the house

| July 23, 2019

The weather has been super hot and humid so far this July over most of the eastern half of the country. It is pool and grilling weather to be sure … although when the pool water temperature is 90 degrees, it really doesn’t feel all that refreshing anymore. Since I was clearing off the porches […]

Tropical Storm Barry expected to make landfall as a Hurricane

| July 13, 2019

As of Friday night 7/12/2019, Barry is a slow moving tropical storm baring down on the US Gulf Coast. According to projections, the wind is not the primary concern, although it is expected to be at hurricane strength as it makes landfall. The bigger problem is the already high "near record" Mississippi River height with […]

Finally joining the smartwatch and Fitbit wearer club

| June 26, 2019

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The yardwork theme continues with a sump pump to pool bypass

| June 18, 2019

With steady rains (and downpour storms) over the past week, the ground was soft enough for even this 60 year old guy to trench. I’ve been wanting to work on the “sump pump to pool” bypass ever since testing it with a temporary pipe to 2” roll up hose a few years ago. The water […]

A wide swath of Western Ohio was hit by storms and tornadoes

| May 28, 2019

Thankfully the tornado(es) and severe storms that blasted through Indiana and Ohio last night were all to our north. I checked in with my brother Ron in Tipp City and he was fine, although his home and my nephew Jaben’s (Huber Heights) were in the path of this nighttime storm. The photo of a massive […]

What makes the Mississippi River important and so big?

| May 5, 2019

Every student learns just how big and important the Mississippi River is in our country. From transporting materials from the America’s breadbasket to markets throughout the country and beyond … to draining the snowmelt and rainfall off the land so it can be cultivated (was reminded of this with all the flooding this spring). It […]

The weather is not to my liking, but it is a “Good Friday”

| April 19, 2019

After a first cutting of the backyard, the flowering phlox and Redbud trees make even a cold and gloomy “Good Friday” worth taking a panorama photo. But let’s keep our focus on what Jesus did for us and the reason we refer today as “GOOD Friday” – I like what Rev Franklin Graham shared on […]

It is cold and windy. Another layer of warm clothes please.

| January 30, 2019

An ani-gif of our Canary driveway cam early Wednesday Morning – 1/30/2019 The … dare I say a hated and banished phrase … “polar vortex” has swooped down from the north and frozen everything. It is brutally cold, but then it is winter. Schools, of course, are closed and even mail delivery in Cincinnati has been suspended. […]

Random thoughts – Stretching the last of deodorant on a cold day

| January 22, 2019

Am I the only one who contemplates the minutest things … or am I normal? This COLD morning I thought, “Hm, this is the last of my deodorant and it’s really cold … perhaps I can get away with a single swipe and make it last another day?”   The Raspberry Pi Cam view of […]

Appreciating a heated garage after the first big winter snow

| January 15, 2019

With a “heavy snowfall” that amounted to about 10 inches before melting a bit, I was thankful to have put the snow blower on the tractor last week.  It was about the wettest snow I’ve ever tried to blow and that’s saying something since I’ve been removing snow with the John Deere 330 since the […]

The wet, heavy snow might be too much for the John Deere?

| January 12, 2019

The Raspberry Pi Cam photo automatically captured the backyard snow during a break in the falling snowflakes. The storm was well forecasted, so decided it was time to put the snowblower on the old John Deere 330 diesel tractor. I hope the wet snow will “blow” as my preliminary shoveling has me thinking it might […]

The snow is here, but the Pi cam still shows an autumn sky

| November 29, 2018

The weather has turned this week with temperatures in the 20s and our second snow in Cincinnati for winter 2018-19 (here’s first). My automated Raspberry Pi cam regularly tweets out a photo with this one still looking like an autumn sky … or perhaps winter since the sun looks pretty low in the southern sky? […]

Heavy ice in the morning and snow tonight …

| November 15, 2018

Winter is here as the ice came in the morning bringing down branches and knocking out power all around Cincinnati … and just when I thought it was over, the Dark Sky app indicates the heavy snow is beginning in Liberty Township. Ugh! (I’m also playing a little bit with the slow-motion settings on the […]

Make it a good day and be sure to exercise your right to VOTE

| November 6, 2018

This year Brenda and I voted absentee …  or by mail. I knew it was an important mid-term and wanted to be sure our votes counted, but do miss the feeling of standing in line with others and waiting my turn at the polls. That said, minus the hiccup with our verification system (missing digits […]

Hurricanes and the stock market – duh, it’s October

| October 12, 2018

Q: Why am I not surprised to see U.S. stocks extend Wednesday’s ugly losses with more selling on Thursday? A: Because it is October! Well because the talking heads that “I listen to” point out just how strong our economy is and that corporate earnings are strong, consumer confidence high and the regulation and tax […]

ISS & FaceTime with Annalyn brightens an otherwise sour day

| October 11, 2018

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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