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Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Dancing Cow Day!

Posted in Holidays, tagged , , , , , , on April 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I saw my first flower buds yesterday, in a planter filled with lovely little purple crocus plants. We still have a tiny bit of snow in the yard and my mother reports snow down south, but even so it’s starting to feel like spring. 

It’s good timing, too. Today is Økodag, or Dancing Cow Day in Denmark, when the country’s 200,000 organic cows leave their winter barns and head out to greener pastures. This year is extra special as the event has been on hold for the past two years.

Danes revel in ‘dancing cow day’ for first time since Covid outbreak

“The cows are so happy to be outdoors, to feel the sun and the wind, that they dance,” she said. “Out in the field, a cow can also go for her favourite dishes – grass, clover, various herbs etc.”

Happy spring!

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Photo by Luke Thornton on Unsplash

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In Short, Life

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on April 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Does my yard look tidy? It does not. We left last year’s detritus over winter and it’s still there. A lot of our neighbors started raking and clipping and blowing and trashing leaves and other plant materials as soon as they could find the grass beneath the snow, but not us.

Instead, we have Mr and Mrs Cardinal out front, perching on the Joe Pye Weed stems as they hunt for lunch among the dried maple leaves. We have squirrels coming down into the back yard to gather up mouthfuls of pine needles for nest building. We have duos of doves, clusters of chickadees, and gaggles of goldfinches growing brighter by the day. We have, in short, life.

And while it may not always be pretty, it is beautiful.

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Photo by Michel Bosma on Unsplash

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(Not Quite) Spring

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on April 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday’s rain was doing a great job of washing away the last of the snow, and a little spark told me that spring might finally be here.

A few days ago I went for a walk through the neighborhood with Mr Man. A cool breeze but bright sun, and every other driveway was occupied by an optimist with summer tires. Mr Man shook his head. Too early, he said. He was right. 

We woke this morning to snow. Big, fat flakes coating the ground, the trees, the everything in a layer of white. It won’t last, but we still have a few more days before spring makes its true entrance.

Can’t wait.

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Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

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On The New Climate Change Report

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on April 6, 2022| 2 Comments »

“Honestly, if you’re given the choice between Armageddon or tea, you don’t say ‘what kind of tea?’” 

― Neil Gaiman

Wise advice.

Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

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Photo by Aniketh Kanukurthi on Unsplash

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Happy 109th

Posted in Likes, tagged , , , , , , on April 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Today would have been The Whippersnapper‘s 109th birthday. I was hoping to post another photo of her but my father, keeper of the family album, is out of town.

For now just let me say to my grandmother, dancer, baker, tea maker and all-around excellent human being:

I miss you, but I love that you were here.

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Photo by Logan Ellzey on Unsplash

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Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on April 4, 2022| 1 Comment »

If your library is not “unsafe,” it probably isn’t doing its job.

— John Berry

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Photo by Rabie Madaci on Unsplash

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Are We There Yet?

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , on April 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Like most kids I spent a lot of time on road trips asking, “Are we there yet?” It wasn’t that I wanted to arrive, necessarily. I liked the road part of road trips, with the ever-changing scenery, the usually forbidden foods from exotic restaurants like McDonald’s, and the sense of making progress.

I enjoy progress, the sense of action, of leveling up. I also really like finishing things, but some days that’s not in the cards. That’s particularly true on days when I am learning a new genre, a new technique, or a new idea. Those days, I have to be satisfied with knowing that I’ve moved that much farther down the road.

I spent much of my fun time today learning more about designing for 3D objects. By the end of the afternoon my screen looked like this:

Based on Clyde Coman’s Paint Tool

Yes, my brain is now as scrambled as you might think, but it’s a fun project. And soon I won’t just be moving toward my destination, I’ll be there.

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Photo by Madhu Shesharam on Unsplash

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Shine On, You Crazy Star, You

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

This may seem late to some of my more southerly readers, but today is the first time it feels like spring. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and I went out for a walk with Mr. Man and didn’t have to shovel. (Sure, there’s still snow on the ground, but I saw my first motorcycle of the year, kids are running around in shorts, and robins are all over the yard.

It’s a good day!

The Sun did all that and more. Let’s go for a little visit, shall we?

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It’s Not What You See, It’s What You Are

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , on April 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.

— Andy Warhol

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Photo by Eduard Delputte on Unsplash

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When Virtual is Best

Posted in Other, tagged , , on March 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

For today, a six-word commentary on the news that in-person negotiations with Russia are once again underway, and that Ukrainian negotiators have been warned not to eat, drink or touch anything.

Russian negotiators, awaiting your Zoom invite.

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Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash

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