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After several tests, it seems Cora is improving. The biopsies have finally ruled out cancer, pointing instead to a very aggressive bacterium. After almost three weeks of antibiotics, she seems to be starting to be herself again.

The amount of dog hair that must be in that condo is making my nose itch. Our second foraging expedition, which was meant to be a dog walk, was a bonanza. Including the One Spear to Rule Them All!

My baby... we are in home. She is very tired.

Previously: Maybe we need a ceiling fan, so we may not need to run the A/C so much? Ok, Costco have a "Fandelier" Maybe that will work. OK. Some time later, after much installation. How About Now? No, not like that. Too UFO-y Do they have anything in white? "Yes Dear" : aka More Installation Later Acceptable. Blends in to the ceiling more. remote / App / Hey Google / Google Home automation for Light On/Off Brightness, Fan On/Off/Speed - it is quieter per more CFM. Color Temp as well. So a Win, Finally. Now to repeat for the other bedrooms, maybe.

Just a great day yesterday....went to hometown of Marblehead MA to help my mom with some work around the house, and just to spend some time. She's been having some health issues and I've also been helping with appointments and the like. It's good to get the time in with her. On a whim, I then called a dear family friend Judy who lives a couples streets away, and she was home. Got to spend a while with her as well, was great to catch up. She has had a tough time as well so I have been able to help her a bit too. It was then mid-to-late afternoon, but I hadn't had lunch. So on another whim I called my friend Melissa, she had re-connected with me when Karen passed; she lost her husband (suddenly) almost a year earlier. We've been very close since. She joined me for a late lunch/early dinner at a nice fish restaurant on the water in Salem MA. I speak a lot about "human connection" and how much it means to me. Yesterday was one of those great days, left me filled (heart and stomach) and happy!

Cowboy Junkies

Up in Maine, found out my next door neighbor went to the ER for a bad nosebleed. Visited her there, ended up keeping her company for almost 3 hours. Brought her home, then dog-watched these wonderful pups (2 Samoyeds and a 5-month old Golden - I THINK it's a blend with something else, l but not sure). At one point, she had 4 full-grown Samoyeds in her ~1100 sq ft condo!! She saw an ENT last night in Portland Maine and he helped a lot more than the local ER.....will find out today of the final prognosis & plan.

Foraged some wild asparagus from across the street

He was also the last musician survivor of “Harlem 1958.” https://uptowngrandcentral.org/harlem-1958 With the death of his fellow saxophonist Benny Golson in 2024, Mr. Rollins became the last survivor of the 58 musicians captured by the photographer Art Kane in his famous Esquire magazine group portrait “Harlem 1958.” “I was a fan,” Mr. Rollins told The Times in recalling the photo shoot in 2024. “I was in the picture, but it wasn’t so much as a musician — although I happened to be there as a musician — but I had been following jazz all my short life up to that time, so I knew a great deal about the guys.” He added that he was particularly proud to have been photographed alongside “my particular idols, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.”

Went to The City (by the bay) to see a controversial painting of a Woman with a Hat. Because: While we were there, we had a walk and took in some sights A Nice day out.

A couple big art exhibits in San Francisco. The crowds, of course, are going to the Monet, but the Etruscan show at the Legion of Honor is the one we hit today. Loved it.

Counterpoint to my paean of primes: Modern zooms can be really good. Last fall I bought a stack of lenses from an MV photographer who had gone mirrorless. The least interesting but most useful of the bunch was the 24-70mm F/2.8L II. It's the perfect "walk around" focal range and a vast improvement of the original model (which was more than a bit of a dog.) Also pictured is the 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II which is an impressive and massive beast, but also a great way to blow copious amount of dust into one's camera body. I took all of the following with the 24-70. It's been so long since I've posted photos in this thread that we're going all the way back to last Christmas. I'll win no awards for framing on this one (especially on a stationary object) but in spite of my snapshotesque abilities with the viewfinder, I really like the the look of this shot. 30 seconds at F/22, ISO200. I really needed to do shots significantly longer than 30 seconds, and I was too stubborn to raise the ISO. At this point I had not been able to locate my remote cable. Blissfully, the remote I bought for my 30D in 2006 works with the 5D IV. This coming Christmas I can do multi-minute exposures. This is the house my father grew up in. It has a big Cyrano De Bergerac portico that juts out into an already narrow sidewalk. For something like 150 years it has served as an inconvenience to all passers-by. I love it. Cool Story Bro: My grandparents were the last private family to live in the house. After they moved out in 1940s, it became a law office and of course it's been a retail shop for decades at this point. Right next to the Vineyard Haven ferry slip. Not pictured: the December wind ripping across the harbor and through my jacket. I will cheerfully take the same picture over and over again, in different weather an lighting conditions. Happy sledders enjoying the first snow of the season. Later afternoon sun on Sweetened Water Farm. There's that patch of woods again. The calm before the blizzard. The aftermath. Ideal lighting conditions at the Oak Bluffs harbor. Still shooting that 1980s car commercial. All good things must come to an end.

We had my parents down for dinner so I made 6 lbs of baby back ribs and both sweet Italian and garlic/cheese smoked sausage.

^^ After decades of loving them, I finally got to see them 2 years ago. Will also see them later this year too. Me: went to a nearby town's annual Multi-Cultural Festival. What a time! Great people, gifts, food, and music. Had very good Indian street food, bought a small sculpture from Zimbabwe and mini-paintings from France (now relocated here, a follower of Daniel Venjean). Saw music from people who are from Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, India, Africa, and Haiti. Wonderful time was had, met a few very nice people and had some nice chats with the vendors and some of the musicians. Some pics. In the 5th pic where the Indian woman is dancing, the guy in the red and yellow shirt is a good friend, known him since i was in my lower to mid single-digits. He is the drummer for the African band fronted by the man next to him, seen in the next two after that. For one of the bands, there were two couples - one with a child - who did some very nice salsa dancing!

Made chicken shawarma with naan tonight. The naan was one of my better batches.

This is a pretty cool take on a console system....could also go in Amp Porn but I like the wood on this one.

Every 3-4 years I listen to Paul Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints, and with apologies to Graceland which I love, but has never quite resonated the same, think it's international mix fills a hole no other album does or likely ever will. I'll listen to a dozen or so times in quick succession and promptly stop again. Two times today... so far. Maybe you will find a love That you discover accidentally Who falls against you gently As a pickpocket Brushes your thigh Further to fly

It was the side burner on the grill so that counts, right?

Andrew and I went for less-prep, faster-cook pizza for dinner tonight. Still working on my launching, but getting a bit more reliable.

There is no reason hand-made, point-to-point wiring cannot be done right.

Detroit pizza a bit further North in Michigan

The boys have played four matches in just two days. The national championship is two weeks away, and they're starting to feel the pressure. PD: I've finally been able to try out the 70-200 f2.8L lens.

Birthday girl wanted pancakes.

Some music nerd requested a box for his violin strings. So two wood nerds set out building such a thing. We had some figured Cherry and some Walnut, so... Now I just need that music nerd from Austin to look at his messages and give me an address to send this package to.

I'm finally getting around to listening to Sonny Rollins. We've been at the lake house for a few weeks. Will listen to, Way Out West, when I get back to my vinyl rig. Till then, Qobuz will have to suffice.

Because reasons... Speaking of friends of the thread. Way Out West by Sonny Rollins (1957) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0088807201473 Example: My first Sonny album I purchased, heavy vinyl from 1992 Analogue Productions. Always stuck. And lives in my queue rent free. I looked and I had three others in my queue, so they just moved to the top. RIP Sonny... 'n thx...

Hania Rani, Manchester Collective, Hugh Brunt: Non Fiction Ex.

Hard to believe this came out in 1972. It still seems ahead of its time in 2026. Ex.

@Knuckledragger - the ticks have been horrific up here this spring. For the last couple of weeks I've been finding anywhere from 2-6 on the couch every night that are presumably riding the dog into the house after he gets walked. So (joy of joys) part of my nightly ritual before sitting down to relax in the mostly dark living room is to inspect the couch via flashlight to find the little fuckers. Found two tonight right near where I typically sit, so happy to have done that and then sent them straight to hell in a blazing inferno.

I went on a deep dive through Jacob's photos on FB. These are some shots he took over the years that AFAIK he did not post here: The opposite focal point of this shot (where the gate is in focus and the house is OOF) would be interesting. I think the slight vignetting here is an artifact of the lens, not a software filter.

Initial viewing confirms I managed to NOT screw it up. Looks pretty cool.

Look into unifi wifi https://ui.com/wifi It's meant for covering a large area with easy integration of multiple access points. You could put one access point in the main house and another in the loft over the garage and you should have excellent coverage everywhere. You would need to install the controller on your computer to set everything up, but once it's running you don't really need to do anything else. It would also give you the ability to easily monitor it all while you're away. You could continue to use the current router, or you could use a unifi router (I have an extra in a box that I never opened of you want it).

Sorry for the slow reply, challenging week here. Garlic Naan: 2 tsp active dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 large egg 1/3 cup avocado oil 1/4 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I often do 50/50 w/ bread flour) 1 tsp salt Naan Prep: Combine yeast, sugar, and water. Stir, let rest for until bubbly ~ 5 minutes. Add egg, oil, yogurt to yeast mixture and mix until combined. Combine salt and flour in a large bowl (stand mixer). Add liquid ingredients and mix/knead for 4-5 minutes until a smooth dough ball forms. Grease bowl to prevent sticking, cover and let rest/rise for min 1 hr or until doubled in size. On a floured surface, roll into rough log shape and divide into even pieces. Shape into balls, cover, and on let rest for 20 minutes on a flour dusted cutting board/sheet pan/whatever. Roll into flattened discs, 8” in diameter and roughly 1/8” thick. Cook on a lightly oiled, hot skillet or flat top grill. ~60 seconds each side w/ care taken not to burn. That all was extracted from this - .

^ Cool Canon J20x Super box lens on that Sony. And yes, I've previously had sex with women.

Little Baby Talking Heads.

For those interested, WKCR is running a 48 hour Sonny Rollins Memorial Broadcast Friday and Saturday. http://wkcr.streamguys1.com/live.m3u

I have to admit I prefer Magnus Öström's style but last night I started reviewing Dan Berglund's discography with Tonbrucket. Then, I felt the need to put on this vinyl: an old friend of this thread but for me it is still magical.

I was lucky to see Sonny in 2012 shortly before he was forced to stop playing for health reasons. He was still a colossus. RIP to the true legend.

cooked my first brisket last night. 7 lb. GMG Pellet smoker 185 for 4 hrs, 225 for 4 hrs, then when it hit 205 internally went to "warm" mode. Smoke ring is kinda visible, flavor is REALLY good and super juicy and tender.

I have a Taycan as a loaner while the Boxster is in the shop for a warranty repair. I kind of hated Macan EV, but I love this! These drive so so so well. Even in the base "4" trim it is quick, cruises beautifully, and is a wonderful place to watch the miles tick by. I honestly think most people I know who will never go to the track would be happier in one of these than something like a 911. If you want to go bombing on public roads, these things rock. If all you do is street drive, you can ignore the sports cars. Porsche is doing a lot of trickery with torque vectoring to help these things go around corners. The traction and stability control you can get in an EV is on a totally different level. This is not a pure driving experience and if you come from one of the sports cars you will feel it any time you get close to the limit. Still, no one will ever track these so it really doesn't matter. Sub limit handles great. I am impressed. The price on these things new is eye watering, but used or CPO I may have to keep my eye open in the future. This is an amazing daily driver. The higher trim ones must just be ballistically fast. It has all the power and speed of the performance Teslas only its from a company who knows how to make a properly fast car. If only they didn't cost so much.

Hania Rani "Home" Beautiful

'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry

Today Ale helped me change the rear air springs on my car... Yesterday, we celebrated his 11th birthday and we got home in the early hours. His face gives him away.. 😁

Split Enz, True Colours (everything except "I Got You")

Gemini says: Design & Build The "Basic" Aesthetic: "They look like the default headphones NPCs wear in a low-budget video game from 2017." The Fingerprint Magnet: "These headphones have a better memory for my oily fingerprints than I do for my passwords." The Plastic Fantastic: "They cost a fortune but feel like they were made in a factory that primarily produces budget-bin lunchboxes." The 'Incognito' Look: "They’re perfect if your goal is to look like an IT support worker who hasn't seen the sun in three fiscal quarters." Function & Tech The Touch Controls: "Sony’s touch controls are like a social experiment to see how quickly a user can accidentally skip a song while trying to pause it." The Noise Cancellation: "The noise cancellation is so good, it’s the only thing keeping you from realizing that the music you're listening to is actually trash." The 'Smart' Features: "They have so many 'smart' features that they spend more time trying to figure out what I’m doing than actually playing my music." The "Wait, What?" Mode: "The 'Speak-to-Chat' feature is the technological equivalent of a nosy neighbor who won't stop interrupting you to ask if you're okay." The "Audiophile" Perspective The Sound Profile: "They sound like they were tuned by someone who thinks 'warm and balanced' is a synonym for 'underwater.'" The Price Tag: "The best part about these headphones is how they make you feel—mostly poor, but at least you can't hear anyone asking you for a loan."

Nao Yoshioka - Flow

yep

Obviously, no universal right choice, though I get a kick out of opposite prime/zoom conclusions somewhat arguing the same case. I rarely need many focus lengths with me... one, maybe two will do... so zooms, especially AF zooms, are too big and heavy... "too much to carry around". They only leave the house under special occasions. I really wish there was a new Leica WATE/MATE-ish lens made by someone. Also nice shots Knucks, especially the 135/tree. Here’s the single shot I took with a non-phone in Vegas recently. Sigma BF & 35mm f/2 Contemporary.