weofodthignen

The more he sees of the works of mortals, the more Hythlodaeus is reminded of his ancient past.

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-and-israel-war-with-iran-leaves-uranium-stockpiles-uncertain/

The Trump administration’s war with Iran over its nuclear ambitions raises new questions about the country’s uranium stockpile

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-and-israel-war-with-iran-leaves-uranium-stockpiles-uncertain/

My order has arrived from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. :D

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Current Mood: excited

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My willow cuttings have arrived! :D I will need to unpack them and set them up. My plan is to put some in water, which makes willow water, which can be used to root other things. I shall take cuttings from some dogwoods and other things here to see if this works. I also intend to put some willow cuttings in soil to see how that works. Since willows are pretty much the easiest thing to propagate from cuttings, and I have 3 of each color, I figure at least one of each should survive.

Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.

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Current Mood: excited

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I didn't like the Hyperion series, but I am happy that I've read it. His civilization, and its pilgrims, were alien in the best sense. The Shrike will feature in my nightmares for years to come.

While it may not have been to my taste, I recognize that we have lost another original voice in science fiction and that's sad for the communities of fans and writers.

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r.i.p.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-who-just-made-its-predictions-for-the-2026-2027-flu-season/

The WHO has warned countries in the Northern Hemisphere to be prepared to fight influenza viruses that fall under the subtypes H1N1 and H3N2 and the lineage B/Victoria in the next flu season

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-who-just-made-its-predictions-for-the-2026-2027-flu-season/

Today is cloudy, cold, and damp. Last night it snowed a bit, then sleeted, and seems to have rained later. Now most of the ice has melted off.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 3/2/26 -- I transplanted snowdrops from the parking lot to the white garden.

EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I set up a label with the new Sharpie Oil Paint Pen (Extra Fine) and took pictures.

I saw a squirrel in the trees.

EDIT 3/2/26 -- My red curly willow cuttings arrived, as did my order from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have set up two of the willow cuttings in water, one in potting soil. I also took a cutting from the fishpond mulberry tree and one from a red dogwood, which I added to the water cups to see if the willows will help those root too.

EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a male cardinal chasing a female, and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/saharan-dust-storms-bring-risk-of-blood-rain-and-fiery-skies-to-southern/

Known as “La Calima,” this desert dust plume could hit Spain, Portugal and France, bringing with it grit-laden, rust-colored rainfall

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/saharan-dust-storms-bring-risk-of-blood-rain-and-fiery-skies-to-southern/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-dutch-fish-doorbell-helps-migrating-fish-each-spring/

A Dutch lock is closed for the spring, and its employees want you to tell them when migrating fish come knocking by ringing a digital doorbell

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-dutch-fish-doorbell-helps-migrating-fish-each-spring/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/face-of-ancient-human-ancestor-little-foot-reconstructed-for-the-first-time/

“Little Foot” is the most complete Australopithecus fossil ever found. And now we finally have an idea of what this group of ancient hominins looked like

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/face-of-ancient-human-ancestor-little-foot-reconstructed-for-the-first-time/

I had a little run of "brief meetings with old hockey friends" in the last two weekends. A few words, a hug, sometimes just a wave in passing while we both briefly occupied the same ice rink. All of them put a smile on my face.

Saturday before last was the Varsity matchup between Oxford Vikings A and Cambridge Narwhals at Cambridge rink, before my Kodiaks 2 team played visiting team Invicta Dynamics. Three of my tournament buddies from Biarritz were on the Vikings team. The next day Kodiaks were away at Bristol. I had an expected brief chat with my friend C from Hull camp but also complete surprise appearances from M who coaches Hull camp and goalie J, both of whom are tournament buddies. M was there with the away team for the previous game, J now lives in Bristol, which I theoretically knew but had forgotten.

Saturday just gone I had an evening game in Peterborough with Warbirds. I arrived a bit early and saw the previous game in progress: Phantoms Dev women were playing Streatham Storm Dev (my first ever hockey team). I recognised the jerseys first, and then a bunch of the faces. I dumped my kit in the changing room and went to lurk next to their bench and cheer them on for their last ten minutes. The timing worked out for me to see the end of their game (they won!) and walk with them back to their changing room before I needed to join Warbirds in ours.

Tags:

friends,
ice hockey

I'm in the livingroom because our tenant sleeps directly under my office---and she doesn't get up til 11am or so. This means the livingroom becomes my office. It's good having a tenant--money coming in for very little effort or expense. And she will move out mid-March and I look forward to that. Friends will come visit and stay in our basement then, and it is good having friends.

Another first world gripe this morning: my left wrist hurts. I tweaked it hard (and banged my elbow) running a waterfall a few weeks back, and yesterday I spent the day kayaking. That seems to have aggravated it. I can't seem to take enough anti-inflammatories to be comfortable. I wonder if I might have broken something in the wrist but my doc appointment doesn't come around until April 1. No foolin.

The big news of the world is of course that Israel and the U.S. are gleefully attacking Iran. How disgusting it is, all of it. My apologies to the world for the dastardly behavior of our president and congress. War is great for a few rich people and terrible for all the poor who suffer and die as soldiers and anyone caught near to the "action". How disgusting the language we use to justify it. How delightful the language in Jesse Welles songs, I listen to them on utube and they stick in my head. War isn't murder. Join ice. Red. Lots of good political protest songs and a few nonpolitical, like Bugs, and Siddhartha.

Taxes are my next project. I have a giant basket full of papers that needs review just to find the ones needed, and then I need to look up whatever I haven't got yet. I'm married now (this is a first time marriage that happened in my 50's) and my husband does the taxes. That's cool, I don't mind not doing taxes, but I am still doing my father's taxes because he is in memory care.

Hope my friends out there in the world are doing all right. Might be a good time to lay in an extra supply of foodstuffs and TP.

Some idiot pulled the fire alarm at about 5 this morning so I have a headache. Today I have to reestablish my credit card info with my internet and phone accounts, pay my rent, make an appointment regarding the damn rent raise and take out the garbage. It's a little too early right now to do any of that.

Current Music: "Friendship is Witchcraft"

The Zen Marines Marching Chant (to the tune of "Sound Off!"):
Na-am Yo Ho Renkge Kyo
Om Mani Padmi Hum
Na-am Yo Ho Renkge Kyo
Om Mani Padmi Hum
Sound off! One Two
Sound off! Three Four
Bring it on down
Ha-re-krish na
Har-Re-KRISH_NAH!