Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

Happy New Year everybody! I got my booster shot today. Very easy! You get the shot in a pharmacy. You book an appointment online and just wander in. Very different from the huge gymnasium where I had my first jabs … Continue reading →

Happy holidays everyone! Off we go to spend Xmas Day at Point Reyes. This has become a bit of a tradition. https://thequietripple.com/2019/12/28/wool/ It is very Scottish weather-wise. It is cold, wet, windy, grey to dark. James is an excellent companion … Continue reading →

I have written before about snugness and cosiness, I crave both. I can’t get it in Okinawa, they just don’t sell it. West Highland winters are long, wet, cold and dark. For thousands of years my ancestors hunched around peat … Continue reading →

So, I intend to make a Homeric birdwatching trip to the middle of Mexico, then back across Mexico to pop out somewhere in Texas. Next, I will negotiate the Southern states to pop out in North Carolina to visit Ben. … Continue reading →

Well not really; the animals that we go to look for are correctly called Californian Sea Otters but to me they look more like beavers than otters. James and I prepare little; boat, Minn Kota, bedding, camera with big lens. … Continue reading →

I have been on a ferocious fitness regime. Bebo has inducted me into an exclusive workout club. All members are older, funny, live around here and are obsessive about muscle definition. Three times a week we meet up early in … Continue reading →

The title is in the French language and refers to pig behavior. They roll around, wallow, in muck. In France, I seem to remember that the expression refered to staying up too late, drinking far too much, smoking too much, … Continue reading →

So much fun to be had! I go down to Stanford to have lunch with dearest Rachel. I go to Clement St to shop. It is very similar to Shanghai. The Chinese supermarkets have an incredible range of stuff. Essentially … Continue reading →

Son James makes wonderful planters modeled from the top bit of a female. I do not wish to be accused of titillation nor branded a pornographer. Nor do I wish the blog banned on the grounds of lubricity. I must … Continue reading →

My truck thinks too much. I have noticed that she can spend days on end without moving but just philosophizing. This leads to the pale cast of thought syndrome that has settled on her headlamps. Her headlights are very dim. … Continue reading →