If you think you've got it - why don't you flaunt it

Today is partly cloudy and warm.

I haven't fed the birds yet, but I've seen a few sparrows and house finches. Despite not always seeing them in action, they continue to drain the hopper feeder daily.

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I fed the birds.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I did some work around the patio.

The 'Ambrosia' melon is blooming. The tomatillo has a tiny green lantern fruit. :D

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I picked half a baggie of mulberries in the south lot and savanna.

Yellow pear tomato has green fruit. Daylilies are blooming.

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I picked half a baggie of black raspberries, mostly along the south edge of the prairie garden.

Pinks, coreopsis, and black-eyed Susans are blooming in the prairie garden.

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I trimmed overhanging brush in the ritual meadow.

EDIT 6/16/25 -- I picked half a baggie of mulberries along the road and in the savanna.

The first of the yucca flowers are open in the white garden. :D

In the wildflower garden, purple and yellow coneflowers are forming. Narrow-leaf mountain mint is blooming.

EDIT 6/16/25 --Out of 4 pots of switchgrass, 3 had several seedlings each. I planted those in the prairie garden. They kind of fell apart though. I have some more started. I may wait to plant those until I see roots at the bottom holes.



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This video describes an instance of reverse benchmarking in restaurants.  Instead of trying to mimic what other people do well, identify what they do badly and do that  well. 


I routinely use this in my writing.  I look for things that other people do badly or not at all, then I write those things.  Also I never have the patience to wait around for 20 years while other folks work through the whole identity literature process.  New trait?  Trait-having hero!  Done.  This is how I wind up with things like An Army of One (neurodiverse characters making their own culture), The Bear Tunnels (Native American time travelers), The Moon Door (women with disabilities who become werewolves), The Ocracies (everything but monarchy), The Origami Mage and Path of the Paladins (ace heras), P.I.E. (a hera who doesn't fall for a jerk), Polychrome Heroics (superpowers that involve more than crime and crimefighting), and The Steamsmith (a black, genderqueer, British, steampunk engineer).  

Go ahead, throw me prompts for things that nobody is doing well, or doing at all, in any relevant prompt call.  We can fill that gap together.

Tonight we made grilled cheese with the pretzel bread that we bought recently at the Marshall Farmer's Market.  It turned out really well.  :D

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This sculpture is made of pipes that sing when the wind blows over them.  It's weird to see one made out of metal.  I'm used to live ones that open their holes as a means of summoning their pollinators.

Based on an audience poll, these are the Poetry Fishbowl themes for late 2025:

July 1 -- Weaponized Incompetence and Malicious Compliance
August 5 -- Books and Learning
September 2 -- Communication Styles
October 7 -- Witches and Wizards
November 4 -- Fairies and Fey
December 2 -- Sentient and Self-Aware Machines

Please mark your calendars, and I hope to see you then!

I found this protest sign amusing.