Greetings from the Mesa
I am back in my workshop/studio full time now for the first time in over a year. It’s a hot mess in there as it is also a partial “garage” for stuff. KP is helping me organize the space a bit better by moving some of the non-creative stuff out. The great thing about working in the studio is my stereo is in there so I’ve been listening to music again – A LOT. I’m setting up three work stations – a non-mobile art table, and two rolling work benches one for music/computing and one for smaller projects. Super excited to be back in there finally and making it my space again. And rocking out!
We’ve been on the rhubarb train lately since it is booming in the garden. Last week we had a rhubarb raspberry cheesecake crumble, and last night KP made a rhubarb khoresh. Some jackass critter took down our ready to bloom nanking cherry bush. So we’ve lost one pear tree, one elm tree, two nanking cherries, and a few of the garlics already. *Sigh* Going forward it’s screened beds only outside, and every tree is going to be gopher caged.
Our resident black-chinned hummingbirds have arrived. There are at least two so far, and more incoming. We have house sparrows nesting in the bluebird casita box, bluebirds nesting in the owl box, canyon towhees nesting somewhere unknown, says phoebes nesting in the portal, and finches eyeing the bog box. It’s birdpalooza round here. Can’t wait for baby bird season!
The April winds have arrived, but the weather has been otherwise fair and lovely. No complaints here. Tongy is still stable. The interminable wait for the vet appointment is *Sigh*.
Curiosities
- I’ve been thinking about upgrading my ham license to extra class. Will probably use Hamstudy again. I need to get my radios up and running again. It’s amazing how much hasn’t happened in the past year, and feels so good to be coming back online.
- Kill Yr Substack “Intercepts every Substack link you click and redirects it to the web snapshotting site
archive.is. The request to Substack never fires, which means that they never see your traffic, which means that their numbers go down. You still get to read the thing tho.” Jason Cosper is sick of Substack “platforming white supremacists, Nazis, neo-confederates, and so many of the worst people on the internet for a long time now. So I made a browser extension for all of us.” - 9 Extraordinary black fantasy authors you should be reading now. A couple new authors in this list I need to check out. Of course wholeheartedly recommend N.K. Jemisin and Dr. Nnedi.
- Your pantry is a cry for help Need to do this stat, and donate all the non-essentials to the food pantry.
- Get more library cards for Libby. Recipocard. Search by your home library to find reciprocal, partner, and non-resident card options. We already have bookmobile access to most physical books in the state, but this is an interesting alternative. Apparently I can get reciprocal cards from Santa Fe and ABQ. Of course you have to go in person to get them. *Sigh*
Consuming
Currently Reading: The Waste Lands, and finally finishing up I Saw the Sky Catch Fire
TV/Movies: Only watched the latest Hacks this week. We’ve been busy and exhausted.
Music: Billy Holliday. Also, it is the 10th anniversary of Prince’s transcendence. Anil Dash has put together a ridiculously awesome comprehensive “retrospective” of Prince’s work. It’s a must check out – maybe start with Every Single Video Prince Ever Made.