January 10, 2026 · 22:53

Hesperia Christmas Lights 2025 – First Dark

The first night without the lights up is always a sad one. Something’s missing.

The good news, as always, is that five or six days spent putting lights up only take a day or two to take down. Gravity helps.

There was a moment of awe and joy in the whole painful (literally) process. At one point, up on a ladder in a semi-precarious position, on a cold (high 40’s) and windy (15-20 knots with gusts to 30+) afternoon, I noticed a mass of crows headed overhead. I stuck my head out from under the roof and directly overhead, probably not more than 100 feet or so, were two absolutely gorgeous red-tailed hawks circling and hovering in the winds. The image of the crows scrambling to intercept the hawks immediately got compared in my mind to Battle of Britain images of the Spitfires scrambling to climb up to do battle with the German bombers.

The hawks however had another strategy. They caught a thermal and went into a tight spiral in it, their wings never flapping, just cruising up in the jet like they were in an invisible elevator. In less than five minutes they were mere dots in the sky, hundreds of feet up, where the crows couldn’t climb to get them.

Spectuacular, a great treat! I used to watch red-tailed hawks (and other kinds of hawks) at our Scarborough house. It’s such a relief to see them here as well!

Now if we could just get some juncos migrating through…

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Filed under Birds, Christmas Lights, Forever Home, Video

January 9, 2026 · 23:53

Hesperia Christmas Lights 2025 – Last Light

Normally I might have spent last weekend, i.e., first full weekend of the new year, taking down Christmas lights. But last weekend was pouring rain again, and I’m not THAT stupid. Most of this week has been dry, if cold and windy as hell, so this weekend will probably be dedicated to getting that task taken care of.

So, a little bit windblown, here’s last light. (It’s 23:45, windy, and 33° out there – the things I do for my “art”!)

The multiple lines of lights along the roofline did just fine, even with unbelievable amounts of rain and winds gusting at times to 65+ knots. The stuff up in the maple tree came down (at least partially, like here) almost daily when there was wind. And there’s always wind.

I think the wind took down two of the candy canes next to the driveway, but that’s mainly because I figure if it was Hissy, ALL of the candy canes would have been pulled loose or snapped. At least we didn’t have any rabbits chewing on the wiring this year! (See 2024, 2023, 2022…)

In this corner by the garage the wind swirls and spins, so next year I’ll have to remember and find a better way to keep these lights up in the trees and not on the ground.

Already planning and looking forward to next year!

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Filed under Christmas Lights, Forever Home, Photography

January 8, 2026 · 23:29

Stained Glass – January 8th

Because who couldn’t use a tiny little reminder that beauty still exists in the world, especially in light of the horrors going on all around us?

All images from Brussels Cathedral.

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Filed under Art, Photography, Travel

January 7, 2026 · 23:20

Proof Of Life – January 07th

Between today’s news, yesterday’s news, the news of the last year, the news of the last ten years, life, the universe, and everything, simply starting to scream is high on my list of things to do. I’m just not sure that I could stop.

I did get a haircut, and I can hear train whistles. I guess things don’t TOTALLY suck.

Tomorrow might be better. That possibility is what gets me up every morning. And prevents a 5150 hold. Well, that and Diet Coke (my caffeine substrate of choice).

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Filed under Deep Thoughts, Paul, Photography, Politics

January 6, 2026 · 22:57

Fast, Lacy Clouds

It was a matter of layers.

I was wondering what made that straight line splitting the lower layer of lacy clouds – probably a small plane, but it could be something natural. Or a really freakin’ huge bird…

The solid clouds were pretty stationary, and up at probably 3,000′ or so. The thin, lacy ones were much lower, probably about 1,000 feet or so, and moving like a bat out of Hell toward the north.

Keep looking up! Keep your eyes and your soul open to some of the ordinary and beautiful things up there.

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Filed under Photography, Weather

January 5, 2026 · 23:40

Proof Of Life – January 05th

THERE WAS A GIANT, YELLOW BALL OF LIGHT IN THE SKY TODAY, ALL DAY LONG!

There were still a few clouds floating around, but for the most part there were lots of blue areas and the giant yellow ball of light. When I stood in the yellow light it was warm and comfortable.

When I stood in the yellow, warm light I didn’t want to curl up in bed and cry any more. (Okay, let’s get real, two seconds of reading the news made me want to curl up and cry, yellow warm light or not, but that’s a different topic.)

Maybe if we say nice things and make small sacrifices on a rudimentary altar, nothing fancy, just a chicken or two, then the giant yellow ball of warm light will come back tomorrow.

It will be my friend. I think I will name him “Ra.”

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Filed under Photography, Weather

January 4, 2026 · 23:32

The Brain Freeze Strikes Back

I did my usual picture and a couple hundred words of drivel last night and was NOT expecting this morning’s reaction to it.

First, to explain – when I publish one of these daily bits of 100% human-created content (no AI here, and there never will be, well, unless I’m sharing so that I can point and laugh and mock) it goes out to about 770 email subscribers, onto my website, and then to Facebook, Mastodon, Spoutible, Bluesky, Threads, Tumblr (no one was more surprised that I even HAD a Tumblr account than I was!), and Linkedin.

This morning I got an automated email that said that I had a comment posted on my post on Linkedin. (Insert my surprised face here.)

Reacting without taking time to ponder (about two seconds) I was amazed that something I said had violated a LinkedIn policy. COOL! But what was it about brain freeze that had triggered them? I mean, they’ve been fine with all of the times I’ve suggested that our “President” and his evil minions engage in sexual acts that are physiologically unlikely and would require far more contortionist capabilities than I’ve ever given any of them credit for. But they’re upset about brain freeze?

Maybe it was the comment about how we might be living in a simulation that has bugs in the programming and brain freeze is one of them? Did I accidentally stumple on one of the great secrets of the universe and now Big Ice Cream (or its overlord, Big Universal Bug Tracking Customer Support) was going to have to disappear me?

However, after that two seconds of amazement and amusement had passed, I began to suspect that it might simply be fake, a phishing attempt of some sort. Wouldn’t “LinkedIn security” have at least one follower? Is that link even to a valid address?

Huh! Imagine that! I didn’t even know scammers were trolling in Linkedin. I’m happy that Linkedin is aware of it and on top of its game.

On the other hand, isn’t that exactly what Big Ice Cream would want us to think? This might not be over…

 

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Filed under Farce, Social Media

January 3, 2026 · 23:55

Why Is There Brain Freeze?

Especially when you’re eating ice cream. Ice cream is by definition a perfect good. How come it can be turned into a nightmare, a horrible, painful thing by brain freeze?

This is proof to me that there is no kind, benovolent, loving, omnipotent God or Creator. There may be a Creator, or we may be in a simulation of some sort, but there’s no omnipotence involved. There are any number of errors or bugs in the system.

On the ultimate scale of horrors, the top billing of course goes to things like childhood cancer or worms that have their larva grow in your eyeballs and blind you for life. Not to mention the existance and ongoing lack of consequences for a whole raft of current US politicians. Despite all of the press it gets in Bible, we’re not seeing nearly enough smiting these days.

But having had a busy, stressful day and persevering and getting things accomplished and rewarding yourself with some quality ice cream, only to be BLINDED by unstoppable pain after like three bites, that’s gotta be up there on the list. And it’s very personal. (Not that eyeball larva isn’t…)

I’d like to talk to the manager, please!

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Filed under Photography, Politics, Paul, Moral Outrage, Religion, Deep Thoughts

January 2, 2026 · 23:52

Random Old Photos – January 02nd

Oh, god, this office. The guy who was in this office. The stories behind him being hired, and then being fired six months later. The stories I could tell if the statute of limitations on slander ever expires. But isn’t the truth an absolute defense against slander?

I was telling someone about this guy and my experiences with him just the other day. Maybe that subconscious trigger led me to this set of pictures when I was looking for something random to share.

Or, he’s haunting me. Could go either way.

Frankly, if I’m going to be haunted, I would prefer someone much different. More succubussy, for starters.

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Filed under Paul, Photography

January 1, 2026 · 23:57

2026 Arrives

First of all, my undying thanks to everyone who continues to follow this site and my photos and writing and blaterationings. I appreciate all of the likes, comments, and suggestions, and will always appreciate any and all feedback.

We got a bit of a break from the rain, but while I was out refilling the bird feeders it was drizzling with the sun out, which means rainbows. It wasn’t the brightest one in the world, but you can see the arc out there.

To the south you couldn’t QUITE see the mountain under the clouds, except for a couple of spots where, if you look really close…

The clouds were rolling through FAST, with chunks falling down from the base, indicative of some serious turbulence up there. A good day to not be flying.

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Filed under Forever Home, Photography, Weather