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A visually stunning documentation.

“The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble, with recent research suggesting insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate.”

The collapse of insects

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A close-up image of several pink-red moss Sporophytes, the stems a ovular capsule and with a pointed tip at the end.

Moss Sporophyte: Seta, Capsule, Operculum (capsule lid)

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Goldfinch, tufted titmouse and black capped chickadee

A yellow gray bird perches on a branch set against a blurred winter background a gray bird with a gray tuft of feathers on its head perching on a brown branch set against a blurred winter background a gray bird with white underbelly with a black cap of feathers and a black chin is perched on a branch against a blurred winter background
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One of my favorite trail ride sections is a patch of cedar trees with an abundance of moss near the trail providing some winter color. A fat tire bike is leaning against a tree next to a trail

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“China and the US, also among the largest emitters in the world, perform poorly on a per-capita basis. The United States also loses points for its renewable energy use, while China disappoints on climate change policy.”

Which Countries Act to Protect the Climate? Countries ranked by their climate protection performance according to the Climate Change Performance Index 2023

Which Countries Act to Protect the Climate? | Statista

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Junco! Another fun little bird.

A small gray and brown bird perched on a branch facing the other direction, but looking back at the camera. The background is a blurred brown winter landscape.A small dark gray and white bird perched on a branch. The background is a blurred brown winter landscape.

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Revisiting one of my favorite quick meals: Peanut butter, banana, oatmeal smoothie. The base recipe is below but you could add other additional fruit or use different nuts/milk.

  • 1 cup of regular, rolled oats
  • 1 banana
  • 2 tsp of sugar
  • 2 tbs peanut butter
  • 1 cup of soy milk
  • 1 cup of water
  1. Peal and put banana in freezer 2 hours before making
  2. Put 1 cup of rolled oats in blender with soy milk and water and let it sit for 10 minutes
  3. Add sugar, banana, peanut butter
  4. Blend
A creamy smoothie in a clear plastic tumbler with a straw
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A small, energy efficient laundry machine for a tiny house or other small space.

In the early 90s there was a television show called Northern Exposure and in one episode one of the characters was debating getting their own washing machine. They were resistant because they enjoyed the social aspect of going to the neighborhood laundromat. Why use natural resources for a tool that could be had in a communal setting? As a conservation-minded, community-oriented activist that resonated with me.

Fast forward to 2022 and I’ve been living in my tiny house for 12 of the last 14 years and it was only yesterday that I finally did a load of laundry in my own washing machine. In previous years I either used a laundromat in town or I’d wash when I visited with my folks who are also nearby neighbors.

I’ve thought off and on of getting my own washing machine but in a small tiny house the choices are limited. My folks are planning to move and rather than automatically revert to a laundromat in town I went looking again to see what might have changed since I last looked over a decade ago. I was surprised to find that there are now fairly small top loading washing machines optimized for small spaces. They come in several sizes but in general, compared to a standard washing machine they’ll do a small to medium load. I decided to try one of the larger options in the hopes that I’ll be able to wash a small blanket when needed.

A small white wash machine with two sections, each with a transparent gray lid

I’ve only done one load of laundry but thought I’d offer up a mini review. Obviously this doesn’t speak to the longevity or durability but I think I can comment on the effectiveness and usability . The machine I purchased has left and right sections. The left side for washing will take up to 18lbs and the right side for “drying” via a spin cycle takes up to 8lbs at a time. I did a medium load with was pretty typical for what I need to do: a few hand towels, wash cloths, socks, a couple pillow cases, a couple t-shirts, a sweatshirt, padded cycling shorts, and some underwear. I could have done a full load and added in a towel or a few more t-shirts. I’ll have no problem doing a full-sized sheet and a few clothing items. A small blanket should be fine to wash, not sure if it will fit in the spinner.

Looking down into the washtub of a small white washing machine which contains dirty brown water and soap suds

Some of these machines drain via gravity and require that the hose be level with the machine to drain out the water. The machine I bought has a pump and so the hose can be elevated to a sink to drain. I did a 10 minute wash cycle with soap then drained it and did a 10 minute rinse. The machine offers a forceful, efficient movement of the water during the washing process. The water after the soap cycle was obviously dirty and the water after the rinse cycle was clear. I divided the load into 3 for 3 different 3-4 minute spin cycles. The result was exactly what I hoped for: clean stuff that was fairly dry. Given the colder weather I hung most of it up to dry on a clothes line in my tiny house.

These are fairly energy efficient, maxing out at 280 watts so could be used with a solar/battery off grid system without too much drain for an average load. Assuming it holds up for several years I’ll consider it well worth the $200 cost.

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Tim Chaten invited me to join him on his podcast iPad Pros to talk about the new Affinity 2.0 creative suite. Affinity previously set a high bar for design apps on the iPad and Publisher raises it even higher. It was a fun conversation and my thanks to Tim for inviting me on!

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Talking Affinity 2.0 on the iPad Pros Podcast

Tim Chaten invited me to join him on his podcast iPad Pros to talk about the new Affinity 2.0 creative suite. Affinity is notable for bringing its Photo and Designer apps to the iPad several years ago. In contrast to Adobe, Serif’s apps were fully featured and equal to their desktop apps. They set the standard for design apps on the iPad and the new Publisher 2.0 for iPad raises the bar even higher. It was a fun conversation and my thanks to Tim for inviting me on!

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Beau of the Fifth Column: Let’s talk about the railroads….

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Winter fat-biking sunset. The trail is so quiet this time of year, always relaxing.

A fat bike parked near a lake at sunset  A fat bike leaning against the tree near the onl at sunset 
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Really loving #Mastoot by @libei@mastodon.social. Discovered today that when viewing photos of natural subjects such as birds, insects, flowers, etc, it uses the built-in object ID found in Apple Photos. A very useful feature for those that like to browse nature photos!

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“Globally, only one in 50 new cars were fully electric in 2020… even if all new cars were electric now, it would still take 15-20 years to replace the world’s fossil fuel car fleet.”

Cycling is ten times more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

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The Northern Cardinal always provides some welcome color in the otherwise grayish brown winter landscape. And their song is always nice to hear. #bird #Birds #Nature #Wildlife #Birdwatching #WildlifePhotography

A vibrant, red bird, sitting on a branch set against a blurred, brownish, winter backgroundA tan-gray bird with reddish orange highlights on the wing tail and tuft of feathers on top of her head, sitting on a branch set against a blurred, brownish, winter backgroundA vibrant, red bird, sitting on a branch set against a blurred, brownish, winter background

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White-breasted Nuthatch, another winter favorite. #bird #Birds #Nature #Wildlife #Birdwatching #WildlifePhotography

A small gray bird with a white head, a dark blue gray patch along the top of its head. The bird is perched on a branch.A small gray bird with a white head, a dark blue gray patch along the top of its head. The bird is perched on a tree trunk.

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Tufted Titmouse, one of my favorite winter birds.  #bird

A small gray bird with a creamy white underbelly and black beak perches on a brown branch against a blurred winter landscape A small gray bird with a creamy white underbelly and black beak perches on a brown branch against a blurred winter landscape
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“Some of Earth’s weirdest fungi, including types of lichen, mycorrhizal, and insect symbiotes, never quite seemed to fit in our current tree of life.

These Mysterious Fungi Belong to an Entirely New Branch on The Tree of Life : ScienceAlert

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Ilex verticillata, American Winterberry Taken on my trail ride yesterday. Fun to play with framing and bokeh.

Very small, red, circular berries dripping with dew.Very small, red, circular berries dripping with dew.

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A couple months ago I decided to try out a couple of iPad accessories from Moft. They have a series of products that are designed to work well together, the Snap System. I bought the Snap Case and the Snap Float Stand. The various items can be purchased separately or in bundles. Their website is a little confusing when trying to create bundles.

Of the various iPad accessories I’ve tried over the years I think this pair is my favorite. While I spend some time at a desk I’m often on a futon/beanbag and this combination works great in both places. In both situations it works well to be propped up at various angles in the horizontal or portrait positions. The float stand is also a kickstand that can be used in so many different orientations that it is basically without limit. And it’s very stable on a pillow in my lap.
Fairly typical configurations over the course of a day: iPad propped up in horizontal position, Pencil attached at bottom

An iPad propped up in horizontal position, Pencil attached at top, front view An iPad propped up in horizontal position, Pencil attached at top, rear view showing standiPad propped up in horizontal position, Pencil attached at top An iPad propped up in portrait mode, photo of backside showing the stand An iPad propped up in portrait modeiPad propped up in portrait mode

I find that with this case and stand I’ve been using the iPad as a tablet far more because I like having it propped up but without a keyboard in the way. If I want a keyboard I can just reach over and grab it. If I want a keyboard/trackpad I can attach it to the Magic Keyboard which is also nearby.

Because the stand and case are magnetic the stand pulls away easily. I did find that the embedded magnets in the Snap Case were not as strong as I wanted them and I was getting accidental detachments when readjusting the stand angles. Moft includes an extra sticky metal plate with the stand so I attached that to the case as it provides a much stronger connection that never comes off accidentally.

The Snap Case is really thin and Apple’s Magic Keyboard attaches just fine to the Snap Case and closes too though it bulges a bit with the added thickness. That said, because the case is so thin it’s not going to provide much protection in a fall though it does provide a bit protection in terms of daily wear along the edges and back-side.

Two last notes. First, the case also has a convenient spot for the Pencil. If you have a Pencil and like keeping it close by this is a nice addition. It also serves as an extra place to hold the iPad. Second, while the case provides access to the 3 buttons on the outer edges of the iPad it makes it fairly difficult to actually press those buttons.

#iPad