Wild Kingdom

It was grizzly today.  We started the day using the hedge trimmer on the hedge again.  We did the major shearing yesterday, but there were a couple of wows that needed to be fixed.  I got the protruding wows, but then made a new one that will have to grow out.  All in all, it looks pretty good and I am glad that is done.

We considered riding, but there was a high wind advisory (which never materialized) as well as rain in the forecast.  So we didn't.  I did a 20 minute spin class on Youtube.  It never ceases to amaze me how hard the spin bike is.  It does cross over to road bike, so that's good.  Here is the weather radar.  It's an amazingly big weather system.  The west side of the state is soaked.  We've had a few hours of gentle rain, which the grass is enjoying.

The rabbits are missing.  I don't know if they got tired of us going out and talking to them and asking them to eat the neighbor's grass, or if they've been eaten.  There are owls nesting in the area, so they could be eaten.  Here are their photos, we miss seeing them, but the grass is happy.

The marmots have discovered our yard.  They're another species who eat grass and flowers.  Our neighbor had a lot of something flowering on the hill behind his house and they ate all of it; he's pretty distressed.  Another neighbor is trapping them and taking them out to an area that hasn't been developed yet.  These guys were on the rocks this morning.

This afternoon we had a turkey come by.  It's odd to see just one, they're usually in groups.

So, that's it from suburbia - hedges and animals.

The Verdict is IN!

Pretty cool, eh?  I am shocked.  

I've used this before, but thought it was worth bringing out again.

The Trial of 45 and Stuff Around the House

Welp,  the trial of the century is now in the hands of the jurors.  Apparently they've asked for clarification on jury instructions, as well as to review some testimony.  Many of the twitter fake-lawyers are saying the jury has to be unanimous on all counts, others are saying only the top charge.  Marco Rubio, arch spineless sycophant of the orange menace was claiming it was all charges. Asha Rangappa took issue with his tweet and said this. 

Here is the picture.  It's difficult to read without blowing it up a bunch, but it was nice of her to draw things out for him.

We spent a large part of the day putting down this product under the kitchen sink.  It's kind of a pain because you have to cut holes for the water lines, and they have to be accurate.  So, that took some time.  It looks much better than it did. 

The rhodies are blooming, they are not all out yet.

We have started discouraging the rabbits from eating the grass in our yard.  We walk right up to them, maybe three feet away, and finally they'll decide to run.  They are entirely too comfortable around people.

Here is a marmot and a bunny in the back yard.  They stood there long enough for me to get the phone out and take this. Then they ran.

We had a sunset last night.  It was pretty good.

The weather here continues to be crap.  There is upper level unstable air mass hurling wind and occasional rain at us.  Oddly enough, there is a freeze warning for tomorrow morning at 2am.  I'm finding that difficult to believe.  Anyway, one does not complain about this weather given what other parts of the country are suffering through at present.

Measurements, Plants and Godzilla

Today we went to REI.  They're having a sale, lots of people were there.  Jim recently bought a new bike saddle, because the old one was killing him.  He loves it.  So we went back for another one just like it.  While we were there I got my sit bones measured.  I am 13.6 cm across the ischeal tuberosities.  Jim is 10.1 cm.  Bike saddle manufacturers are using those measurements these days to size their saddles.  Specialized has been doing it for awhile, but they no longer make the saddle I'm riding, which is par for the course; if I like it, it gets discontinued.  I'm writing those numbers down so I can a) remember them, and b) find them after I forget.

Friday was a nice day, so we rode to the lake.  It was chilly and breezy, but not unbearable. 

Things are blooming some.  It's still in the low 40's at night, and I don't think the plants like it much.  This is the dogwood.  He's got a bunch of what appears to be dead wood in the center, but then there are leaves at the top.  I'm resisting the urge to get out the loppers.

The rhodies have many buds, but very few have opened.  I'm hoping for more if it ever warms up.  We have a weird weather pattern.  There is bright sun in the morning, getting our hopes up for good weather, but by about 1pm, clouds roll in, wind comes up and it's just unpleasant.  I'm writing this on the front porch, attempting to caramelize onions in a cast iron skillet in the grill, but they are remaining a pasty unpleasant shade of pale.  I think I'll turn the heat up, I'd like to go inside where it's warmer.

These are the red twig dogwoods we put in last year.  They've grown, and appear happy. 

Yesterday, for reasons unknown to me, the handlers for the orange menace decided it would be a good idea to send him to the Libertarian Convention.  It did not go well for him.  Here is a tweet containing footage of him telling them to vote for him, that the Libertarians are booing and heckling.  It was glorious.  There are articles on the subject, focusing on the MAGAT's attempt to flood the hall with orange menace supporters.  There are memes on the subject.

That's it!  That's all I have to say about things.

Bunnies and Broken Trees

We now have multiple rabbits in the yard.  They're eating patches of grass pretty much down to the roots.  They're darling and all, but I wish they would visit the neighbors.

They both have dark markings on their faces.  The top one also has a dark ring around his white tail. We're calling him "the mustache."

This one has the mark across his nose, but not on the side of his face.

Since it was windy, cold, and threatening rain, we walked up the hill to the big rock.  This happened the other night when the wind was up.

The branch appears to have been bent to the ground.

Other than this, I have not too much to say, except vote for the Democrats.

TV and Rudy

We ordered a new TV for the downstairs.  Since we got rid of cable, the old TV wasn't doing well with the internet.  A wi-fi extender probably would have helped, but after reading reviews that bang both sides of the course, a new television seemed simpler.  Since we had a Samsung in Tucson, with a remote that Jim really likes, we ordered one of them.

This is what Costco sent us yesterday.

When delivered, the box had a rip in it, and a corner was accordioned.  Somewhere along its path to us, it was most likely dropped.  So, after going through the unboxing process we re-boxed it and returned it to Costco.  Thursday I had spent about 40 minutes on the phone with a friend who cut the cord awhile ago trying to understand how the new TVs work.  There is so much stuff!  Cable is so much easier, turn it on, pick channel.  Anyway, all that was done on an LG remote, so we got another LG.  It has a little pointer so you can point the remote at stuff on the screen and activate it.  You can also talk to it.  There are hundreds of Youtube channels explaining how to set "always on" and this that and the other.  I may have to take notes.  It does make a person long for over the air TV and its simplicity.

Washington state used to charge $35 to recycle a TV.  People wouldn't pay it, and so they'd dump old electronics out in the woods.  Eventually they wised up and now recycle is free, which is better.

The weather here has tanked.  It's windy, and it's not warm.  Last night I had to get out my woolly flip flop socks, my feet were cold.  Of course, it's 99F in Tucson, so I'm not sure which is worse.

There was a sunset.  Not Arizona quality, but it will do.

The AZ Attorney General, Kris Mayes, served Rudi Giuliani yesterday.  He had a role in the AZ fake electors scheme, and now he will be arrested.  He's broke, getting a lawyer will be difficult for him.  It's going to be a difficult case for all of them to defend against since they made a video explaining what they were doing, and then filmed themselves signing the bogus elector documents.  You just can not fix stupid.

They got him at his 80th birthday party in Palm Beach.