Tag: Journal
January 19, 2025 / Journal

Top Secret GORP Recipe

A geographical amendment, and some1 would say an improvement on the original recipe. This one is best suited for tropical environments and has a brilliant mixture of nuts, seeds, fruit and a little extra sweetness to balance the savory.

  • 1 cup of raw macadamia nuts
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds unsalted
  • ½ cup dried mango unsweetened
  • 1 cup dried pineapple, unsweetened
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened toasted coconut shreds
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • Pinch of salt to taste
  1. It’s me. I am the “some” ↩︎
January 19, 2025 / Journal

GPSy

January 18, 2025 / Journal

Bonita Día

Enjoyed a beautiful outing in Bonita Springs and Estero today that did not involve work. First stop was the Everglades Wonder Gardens, host to amazing landscapes and animal encounters. I was introduced to a few species of animals and birds I have never seen before, and added to my list of birds observed while in Florida.

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious Caribbean meal that included conch fritters and pineapple/mango/peppers shrimp served in a half cut pineapple. Those flavors were overwhelmingly yummy.

January 18, 2025 / Journal

What the Shell?

If I had the time, desire or moolah to do it, I would create a comprehensive seashell identifier app that would help viewers discover what they have found and catalog them. Exhibit A: the long, black shell shown in the photo. Is it an angel wing shell? A mollusk? Shell if I know!

Recent finds off of Captiva Island
January 17, 2025 / Journal

FlyDay 2025-01-17

Spooked this egret when I was working in the field under chilly, cloudy conditions.

January 16, 2025 / Journal

Today and Yesteryears

I am really digging the “On This Day” script I wrote and added to the Archives page. It prompts me about what I have experienced in the past and makes me reflect.

Well today I noticed that there were two themes from different years but all on the same date, today, January 16th.

This time last year I was sick in Houston, and ugh, that was the worst. Apparently I was sick on the same day way back in 2010. Thankfully this is not the case currently. Wait, is that a tickle in my throat? Better wash it down with Diet Doctor Pepper, STAT.

On this day in 2019 and again in 2022, I was feeling analytical about how I can utilize the iPad as a portable photo studio. For some reason and without intentionally doing so, I felt compelled writing those on the same day. Odd! I don’t feel compelled to write an update today, however.

January 16, 2025 / Journal

GeoDenbow

I’ve resubscribed to a premium Geocaching service and I am ready to go out and explore more. I was able to upload a few caches to my new Garmin GPS device named “Trekkie.” When I am out working tomorrow, I’ll try to find them on the islands.
January 10, 2025 / Journal

FlyDay Part II

A pelican flies parallel to the Sanibel Island Causeway while I was driving across.

January 9, 2025 / Thinking

Estero Gran Prix

Driving along Estero Beach Ave this morning felt like I was in a Formula 1 race because a police car was setting the pace and leading a long train of cars behind him as we swung around from chicane to chicane down the strip. I wanted to weave in and out to warm my tires but not easy to do in a work truck.

January 8, 2025 / Thinking

Wild Kingdom

Stuck in traffic on the way to the islands via the Sanibel Causeway this morning I had the pleasure of witnessing floating pelicans take off from the water because a pod of dolphins were swimming toward them. Four of them were swimming parallel to the shore and myself driving slowly until I lost sight of them as I went up the bridge. Wow.

On Captiva Island I heard a convocation1 of ospreys above me and went about my work. I then heard a loud “snap!” of a tree branch and looked up to see the seahawk carrying this large branch off into the sky. The branch was larger than it was and that is saying something.

I love nature down here.

  1. the collective noun for a group of osprey ↩︎
January 6, 2025 / Journal

From The Desk Of

The self-inking desk stamp has finally arrived so now I will be able to add a little more personal touch to my correspondence. It’ll look great inside the book covers as well.

January 5, 2025 / Journal

Video Bloopers

Video filming is not a skill I have but at the same time I really don’t want to pursue it either. I admire my little brother’s ability to film, edit and make a final product worthy of showing everyone over an audience of one.

The second attempt at setting up a trail camera backfired again. However, it did manage to capture…myself when I was talking with neighbors as they boated down the canal. Not the wildlife I was hoping to capture.

Another video attempt was made when I took the drone out for a few test flights. Remind me to pivot the camera out and not down. I have lovely footage of the ground that doesn’t do me any good. Lessons learned.

January 1, 2025 / Thinking

Annoyed

There are so many things I had planned to do to start a new year off but laying in bed off of my foot was not one of them.

I had hoped to get a casual ride in this morning and a dedicated ride in the early evening. Maybe by this weekend!
January 1, 2025 / Journal

False Start

What a crappy way to start the new year! I tweaked my anterior ligament on my right ankle again and am in a lot of pain as I hobble around. I have today off to recover quickly, hopefully, as I work again tomorrow. Ouch!
January 1, 2025 / Journal

Wildlife Camera

Ever since we relocated to Florida I have wanted to set up a trail camera to capture the local, bountiful wildlife in the backyard. After receiving an Amazon gift card I have done just that. I set it up yesterday in a good spot and hoped for the best. The idea was to capture the highly active creatures by day and night.

The first results are in: good camera angles, poor execution on my part. It seems the only wildlife I caught, in vivid photos and video, was myself as I installed and removed the camera. Aargh! Time to check the settings to recalibrate the sensors and timing of the camera. Lesson learned? We’ll see tomorrow!