Nik Hughes

Betteridges Law predicts: No

How did you spend Valentine's Day?

www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2026/02/16/p...

#birds 🪶 🦉

Penelope Antelope

As a deterrent, detention failed utterly. "Please don't throw me into the briar patch Brer Fox!"

In general, if there are words, I will be reading them.

And all y'all who post here on Blusky are enabling my addiction. I hope you feel appropriately about this.

8/8

In high school I would read books while walking to school. I had enough awareness that I would stop at every curb and look both ways for traffic. But I was frequently late for school. And so I'd get detention. Which was a quiet study hall where I could do my homework or finish my book. Bonus!

7/

Apparently in the meeting the teacher said "Nicky has been sneaking ahead in his reader." My parents claim to have been dumbfounded.

6/

I keep a finger in the section the class was reading while proceeding with the end of the book. My 2nd grade teacher called for a parent/teacher conference for my behavior problem. My dad told me he was going to kill me when he found out what heinous crime I had committed.

5/

As with any addiction, it got me into trouble. In 2nd grade, they handed out the readers we would be using for the first several weeks. Naturally, I took mine home and read most of it. In reading class the next next I was finishing while the class was reading the first 3 pages out loud.

4/

When I was in my early 40's, I was picking up ice hockey. I was reading books about how to do it. One skill specifically, I learned how to skate backwards from reading one book. I learned how to do butterfly saves from a book by Jacques Plante (who was NOT a butterfly goalie).

3/

And the two came together when I would learn physical skills by reading. Back when I was in like 1st grade, I learned how to whistle by reading a book. There was a picture of an owl and I unconsciously whistled at it. Surprised the hoot out of me.

2/

I've had a couple of epiphanies that have shaped my understanding of my own life.

[1] My mother identified for me that I never like to do a thing until I have watched it and figured out how to do it.

[2] I love reading. It is an addiction for me.

1/

Red Fox on snow under a holly bush or tree

Raccoon also known as Trash Panda looking at you while hiding behind trash bins

Wildlife today: 2 Red Foxen. 1 Trash Panda. 1 Pileated Woodpecker. (Not shown.) A good day volunteering at the park.

Just go old school and read the "Book of Love". Of course, we don't know "🎵who wrote the book of love🎵".

But the poor falcons need to get little snow shovels...

www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2026/02/01/t... 🪶🦉 #birds

www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2026/01/18/t...
🪶🦉#Birds

Now my mind is trying to add ear tucks to books I've read. It is going.... Oddly.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Starship Troopers

The answer is to also procure a jar of peanut butter. Stretch peanut butter sandwiches for lunch were a staple of my youth.

New Year, new breeding season. #Birds 🦉
www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2026/01/06/w...

Would a Reality Check be more effective if it was more of a Hip Check? Or maybe a Cross Check?

I'm certain that this explains SO MANY things about my mental state.

Adults bought me one of those rubber Indian spears you get in coney traps. Apparently Mom took me into the ladies' room at one point. I apparently crawled down the line of stalls poking ladies with my spear.

We went. I was handed a bottle of formula and put into a pen with a herd of baby reindeer. All who were my height. I got mobbed to death as they all tried to be the One who got the nipple.

True story. When I was 3ish years old the extended family was supposed to go to Santa's Village in up state NY. I was being fussy, didn't want to go, and declared "Santa Claus is dead. We wait HERE for Christmas Bunny."

Red-breasted Nuthatches Irrupting Those of us who enjoy watching the sprightly little Red-breasted Nuthatch climbing head-down tree trunks probing for insects or caching seeds are in luck this winter, as according to the latest for…

Irruption of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the eastern U.S. 🪶
naturallycuriouswithmaryholland.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/r...

Plus one Border Collie.

Added to my pre-order list. Oh look! Right next to Murderbot #8!

The latest winter outerwear is on sale at S.nematphora

A voter referendum will be held to determine if the new municipality will adopt the more traditional name for the area of "North North Bethesda".

Excellent! Looks perfect!

Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:

Southern Flying Squirrel
Spotted Eagle Ray
Red-tailed Hawk
Whale Shark
Blue Orchard Mason Bee