Some early flowers are peeking up in the yard.
Another year another week in March spent on Sanibel Island. Most of our time was spent on the beach, but we did get over to the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for some birdwatching. We didn’t see nearly as many birds as we usually do and were told that there was a drought affecting both the food and the water levels, meaning the few birds that were around didn’t need to hang out on the sandbars near the road. I was able to get a few pics of the usual fare though: an ibis, brown pelican, and little blue heron. 📷
Year in books 2025 📚
The Murderbot Diaries
Martha Wells · Series · 7 books
I loved Murderbot! Everything from the world that it was set in to the cynical internal dialogue of Murderbot. I ripped right through these in the Spring while I was in Florida. Recommend them to anyone who enjoys sci-fi mixed with quirky cynical commentary.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman · Series · 4 books
Didn’t really get hooked on the first book but they really pick up. The audiobooks are top-notch, and I had to double check that they were in fact voiced by only Jeff Hays and not an ensemble cast.
Finished reading: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree 📚
Really enjoyed this book. Cozy is definitely the right word for it. What else would you expect from a book about opening a coffee shop?
Listened to two great podcasts on tools that I enjoy using. The first was a Decoder episode with Steph Ango and the next with the CEO of Kagi on Mac Power Users. Both of them are passionate about what they do and want to make the products as good as they can for their users.
Day 30: “Solitude” 📷
Shi Shi Beach in the fog was magical.
#mbjune
Day 29: “Winding”
The Manistee River is so beautiful in the Fall. I’ve backpacked it more than once, and I would do it again.
#mbjune
Day 28: “ephemeral” 📷
Drove to Ohio to see the eclipse back in April of last year, and it was a very memorable experience. Will never forget how the sky looked like sunset in every direction for those fleeting moments.
#mbjune
Day 27: “Collective” 📷
Is a collection of shells a collective? I don’t know. What I do know is that I enjoy the trips down to Florida where my parents enjoy collecting these and so many more.
#mbjune
Day 26: “Bridge” 📷
Update: I realized that this is actually the bridge over the Red River. Another beautiful area, but I do still have a special place in my heard for Manistee.
Love hiking on the Manistee River Trail and this bridge is a highlight.
#mbjune
Day 25: “Decay” 📷
Looking at where I took this, and I find it interesting that this was right around the corner from Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.
#mbjune
Day 24: “Bloom” 📷
The local botanical garden was right around the corner for years, and it took my brother for visiting for us to visit.
#mbjune
Day 23: “Fracture” 📷
While hiking in Cuyahoga National Park, we met a park ranger who guided us down a small hidden canyon with some carvings in the rock face. Felt like we walked into a different world outside of time.
#mbjune
Day 22: “Hometown” 📷
There weren’t many things to see in my hometown but many fields of corn, wheat, and soybeans. This little drive goes back to the cemetery we lived near. It was a peaceful route to walk, and we enjoyed hiking through the woods back to the river beyond.
#mbjune
Day 21: “Silhouette” 📷
I went way back to 2011 to find this photo I took while in Greece. I remember this ferry ride that stopped by a few islands on its way to Patmos. Lovely sunset. The ride took hours, and I think we arrived sometime around 2am.
#mbjune
Day 20: “Gather” 📷
There is just something about apple picking in the Autumn… Even in the heat of the Summer when I don’t want the bright sunny days to end, I can smell the Fall air. If it weren’t for Winter, and maybe despite it, Autumn may be my favorite season.
challenges.micro.blog/2025/05/3…
#mbjune
Day 19: “Equal” 📷
Nephew left his shoes at the house after visiting for the weekend. I suppose shoes aren’t really equal and are really more like mirror images of each other…
challenges.micro.blog/2025/05/3…
#mbjune
Day 18: “Texture” 📷
Hard to describe how this green sand in Hawaii felt, but it was definitely different from light fluffy white sand. Learned that there are only a few green sand beaches in the world. This one was quite the trek getting to.
challenges.micro.blog/2025/05/3…
#mbjune
Day 17: “Warmth” 📷
I don’t know how else to describe Hawaii other than very warm and very beautiful.
challenges.micro.blog/2025/05/3…
#mbjune
Day 16: “Blur” 📷
I am almost certain this on the way home from or on my way to my last trip before COVID shut everything down back in March 2020.
challenges.micro.blog/2025/05/3…
#mbjune
