A Nomadic Hermit

Told ya I'd catch back up.

They will soon ban "open-carry of a hoagie."

"No, that AK-47 is fine sir; I'm talking to the guy next to you with the foot-long philly! Put it down NOW!!!"

Those are a couple of amazingly special captures! Outstanding!

A baby deer peeking from behind its mother as they both watch me warily.

Here's a momma deer and her wee one giving me "the business" for daring to open the back door this morning.

Weather radar image that appears to be in the shape of a profile of a zombie walking.

Severe thunderstorm warning: expect heavy rain, large hail, and apparently zombies...

Although I guess I am seeking ONE affirmation... my own!

Today is my 32nd consecutive day tobacco-free. 31 days in the book. One whole month. Not seeking congratulations nor affirmations...

Just screaming into the void, "Hey! Look! I *can* do this!"

At least *someone* gets me.

[contented sigh]

Math teacher: "Remember, you must show your work."

Me: "That's a hostile and political act!"

"April showers" at 44.4°N latitude and 5,200ft altitude.

So. Much. Insider-trading happening today I suspect.

And now "Promentory" is playing in my head. Not a bad thing.

Great shot! But time for me to go to bed... briefly thought this was Sauron's Eye atop Mt. Doom.

I'm getting too old for this nonsense... I'll just be an hour behind y'all, okay? I'll catch up in the fall.

#daylightsavings

Golden Wings

Stunning!

A photo from Voyager of what looks like a speck of dust in a beam of a light, but is actually the planet Earth lit by a sunbeam, and the following quote from Carl Sagan's book "Pale Blue Dot." "The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." -Carl Sagan; Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

"Momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."

We really miss you Dr. Carl Sagan. #carlsagan #palebluedot

We've been annexed by Russia.

Today, everyone got to see it.

Many folks are on Medicaid but don’t know it because their state calls it something else. Hoosiercare in IN. Peach care in GA. Badgercare in WI.

They don’t realize their medical care is on the chopping block. What does your state call it? Let’s get replies going and the word out!

Absolute stunner!

Yep. Virtually every night. And in ultra-HD 4k too!

Thank you for the kind words! Mother Nature did all the hard work, I just got to stand there and watch. 🙂

I lost my job. USDA Forest Service. My probation was up next week. I did everything right. I took a GS-7 role with a master’s degree just to get my foot in the door. I spent years doing seasonal fieldwork for low pay, working in remote places, gaining experience, and building skills, just for a chance at a permanent position. I was about to be a GS-9. I wrote NEPA reports. I conducted field surveys. I worked fire support. I dedicated myself to this work because I believed in it. Public lands don’t manage themselves. The wildlife, watersheds, and forests we protect don’t just stay protected without people on the ground making it happen. My coworkers and I took on that responsibility, often in places most people never think about but that matter more than they know. And now? Just like that, I’m out. Edit: I’ve consistently supported progressive policies and have voted Democrat in every national and local election since I was 18. I do appreciate folks asking, I have some coworker having a serious 'leopards ate my face' moment right now.

This comment on r/fednews really stood out to me. Trump and Musk want people to think they're firing do-nothing "bureaucrats," but they're really getting rid of people dedicated to serving this country and keeping it operational. I hope these stories get told.

Stunner!

Thank you Kyle.

A colorful sunrise over the beach, reflecting in the breaking waves and the sea foam

Some days I need to escape to a memory of a better time. This was one of those better times. The sand was cool and the water was warm. And the colors, oh my gosh the colors...

#sunrise #beachweek #photography #escapism

Keep. Making. Art.

Photo of an inviting road leading into a fog-shrouded forest at sunrise.

A brutally cold morning here made my mind wander to a warmer memory during a trip back home last fall.

"A Morning Invitation"
Blue Ridge Parkway, near the NC/VA border, Sept. 2024

And I ponder "Oh gee,
Could only I think
Of humans encountered
As such might this be."

And I ponder "Oh gee,
Could only I think
Of humans encountered
As such might this be."