October 1, 2026 · 23:42

I’m Being Watched

This time of year, every morning, about the time that I’m doing my morning routine, there are three or four dozen pigeons landing on the porch roof prior to hopping down onto the turf to eat. While they’re up there on the edge, there are always a couple that are looking down into the window, watching me dry off as I get out of the shower.

It’s a little bit odd being watched by the birds while I’m naked, but I guess it’s only fair since I watch them all day long.

I just wish that they would stop laughing so loud and pointing!

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Filed under Birds, Photography

September 30, 2026 · 23:41

Fine Feathered Friends – September 30th

It stood out at the feeder, even from across the yard.

The pictures don’t totally convey just how bright YELLOW that belly was!

The Merlin app IDs this as a Lesser Goldfinch, as I suspected. I had also heard it around for a week or so, so it didn’t catch me by surprise.

Happy September!

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Filed under Birds, Photography

September 29, 2026 · 23:22

Being Neighborly When Your Neighbors Are Quail

When my beloved Chiefs are on, as they were Sunday, and we score a touchdown, as we did a bunch of times against Miami on Sunday, it’s tradition for me to step out onto the porch (good acoustics!) and blow the Vuvuzela of Victory.

This bothers the birds. If it’s just the pigeons, finches, and wrens, the heck with them, I blow it anyway.

But I felt bad about disturbing the entire covey of quail.

I counted eight.

At least. They kept shuffling around, they all look alike (sort of), and they won’t keep their name badges on!

The ground was covered with 35-40 pigeons, so it was like the Jets vs the Sharks down there, but finally the quail joined the feeding frenzy.

They’re gorgeous to see!

I’m not an expert, but I think I have proof that we had both males (left) and females (right) present!

Anyway, I took the Vuvuzela of Victory out into the front yard and blew it there instead of into the back yard. Trying to keep peace in the yard, even with the wild squab.

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Filed under Birds, Critters, Forever Home, KC Chiefs, Photography

September 28, 2026 · 22:21

The Sight Of Distant Thunder

About 80 miles as the crow flies, just north of Indio, there’s a big thunderstorm tonight.

I didn’t know that before I went out a couple of hours after sunset to refill the birdseed feeders. But it didn’t take long to figure out.

While the base of the thunderstorms were well over the horizon and behind the mountains, the tops of the thunderstorm cells probably went up to at least 40,000 feet and were filled with lightning, so they were perfectly visible, even from this far away.

I love the video. I love watching thunderstorms. I love listening to the thunder roll across the valley and bounce off of the hillsides. The thunder in this case is way, way too far away to hear, but the sights of the lightning ripping through the clouds was exquisite.

Bigger picture, it’s a line of intense thunderstorms and downpours and flash flooding all the way from Indio through the Colorado River Valley, Las Vegas, Cedar City, and Salt Lake City, all being sucked up from the remnants of Hurricane Polo, currently over Baja.

This “el Niño” year is going to be wild!

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Filed under Forever Home, Photography, Video, Weather

September 27, 2026 · 23:17

Savage Sunset

The house was filled with a pink & orange glow from outside, like we were trapped in a humongous neon tube.

I went outside into the back yard, facing east, away from the sunset, and found this.

It was spectacular, to say the least.

Then I turned around and saw the western sky…

I ran and got Ronnie so she could see it also.

It was incredible, and you could of course see the shadows above us from the lower clouds closer to the horizon.

The extreme angle of the sunlight made the texture of the clouds stand out in sharp relief, and of course, the colors just kept getting more and more vivid.

I had left my dinner on the table to run outside and look. Having to re-heat it was worth the effort!

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Filed under Forever Home, Photography, Sunsets, Weather

September 26, 2026 · 23:03

Clouds 1, Harvest Moonrise 0

Look on social media over the past couple of days and you probably saw tons of pictures of the waxing gibbous Moon, getting closer and closer to full. Lots of folks were looking forward to seeing tonight’s moonrise of the Harvest Moon, the Full Moon that’s closest to the autum equinox, which was a bit over three days ago.

In the High Desert region, we were socked in with clouds. No rain today, but no clear skies either.

Okey dokey! Maybe tomorrow we’ll at least get a little bit of rain. Probably not, but I can hope!

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Filed under Astronomy, Sunsets, Weather

September 25, 2026 · 23:41

Overhead Sun & Clouds

It was unusual – tons and tons of deep blue skies all around, but one honkin’ huge set of clouds right over our neighborhood as I was walking down to the community mail box.

The contrasts were exquisite!

Later, the clouds started building into thunderheads over the mountains to the southeast.

There were roads shut down and some serious flash flooding off by Yucaipa.

We’re all keeping our eyes peeled for Sunday and Monday when we’re expecting to get the remnants of Hurricane Polo, which is currently STILL a Cat 5 storm off of Baja.

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Filed under Photography, Weather

September 24, 2026 · 23:16

Not Quite Full

The first full Moon of fall isn’t until Friday night at 9:49 Pacific Time, about 22 hours from now, but it was spectacular rising through the pink clouds in the east during tonight’s sunset.

Later it looked amazing while dodging in and out of high, scattered clouds and the pallet went from orange to blue.

96.8% illuminated, making it bright enough to blot out all but the brightest stars, but it would be a wonderful night for flying!

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Filed under Astronomy, Photography, Sunsets, Weather

September 23, 2026 · 23:35

A Better Day

Yesterday was a long, long day and I was exhausted. I fell asleep at my desk and woke up with less than five minutes before midnight. So last night’s post was what, in baseball terms, would be called “an emergency hack.”

Today was better, I finally got up off the ground and got a few goals accomplished. But I’m still not hitting on all cylinders.

So, enjoy some fireworks!

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Filed under Fireworks, Photography

September 22, 2026 · 23:56

Proof Of Life – September 22nd

I’m here.

I’m tired.

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