FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood: in these days of Harvest Feasts and Ox Roasts, here at the Diner we have for the first time: Acornfest!

Neighbor Johnnie is quite fastidious about his lawn but with his big oak, there's a problem: acorns. He spends a lot of time each year using a litter picker to gather them. We've seen this for years and this year C suggested a experiment: we'll take the acorns off his hands and see how our wild friends react. Johnnie was quite agreeable with the idea so, he gave us a big bag of them  and I put them on the Buffet. Within a couple of hours, MamaC waddled over to see the newest bill of fare. At first she seemed tentative. Gave them a try and wandered off. Hmmm, I thought-is this going to be an acquired taste, like learning to enjoy a beer? However, it seems to have grown on her as she visited another 3 times!

The following day, I put out another treat: the end corner of a calzone. Our girl certainly enjoys an exotic diet! 

It appears she is the only one who imbibes the acorns-seen no one else-the squirrelies seem to like the sunflower seeds better. Here she is snacking amidst a Raucous Caucus of sparrows: 

MamaC basking in some late afternoon sunlight. 

She is Rubenesque these days. You gotta wonder about her account on Groundhog Tinder: I might be older, boys but I am very experienced and acorn-fed. Hubba hubba!
 
Harvest Moon Day-We got the pool covered-yay! After supper, we gathered around the Tube afterward. Tis a change of season: space heater time and Buddy is very happy to have one blasting into his face. He is such a funny guy.

 

Curious patterns-we had as background while we ate, an hour's worth of sea turtles swimming.

Outside:

Harvest moon rising:
 

Neil Young's Harvest Moon from 1992:

~

Sedum in the West Garden:

Afternoon light in my bedroom:

~

Welcome back Mr. Tufted Titmouse! Having a bite with a Mr. Redbird, who is still recovering from molt.

What they do during Summer: 

During the late spring and summer months, Tufted Titmice primarily feed on insects and caterpillars high up in the dense forest canopy. Because they are busy nesting, raising their young, and finding plenty of natural food, they rarely need to visit backyard bird feeders, making them seem completely absent.

Why They "Return" in September

As summer winds down and insect populations drop, titmice transition to a diet of seeds and nuts. They are famous for "caching"—aggressively gathering seeds from feeders and hiding them individually under tree bark or in crevices to save for the winter

~ 

 I spotted a Nutkin on the bath and realized that it was a Mom.

A couple of days later, she and her 4 kids are checking out Grandfather Birch's lofts-awwww, so cute:

A couple of Mamas:

Our street was repaved this week, something that has not been done since we moved in 16 years ago. Nice job!

With the pool covered, our billowing monster has returned: 

Little Guy seems to be ailing-there's a segment in his tail that seems to have shedded fur-what's up bro?

Tail looking kinky

 

You can see a notch before the first dark band

I haven't seen RW recently. According to research, the females and juveniles have headed out to Southern US/Mexico. The males linger until October/November fueling up for the journey.

A couple of things from my childhood-giant flocks of blackbirds that gathered in our swamp in the back corner of our 15 acres in the evening who were quite loud; ground fog I encountered as I walked 1/4 mile to the main road to catch the bus.

Grandfather Birch's leaves are beginning to turn. It seems early to me and according to past posts, he did the same thing last year-both summers were droughty and he had the leaf skeletonizers to contend with. 2023-he turned in mid-October.

Fun Facts

2026 currently is the first time in 112 years that there have been zero hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin.

What European city has the largest population?  Moscow over 13 million within the city limits; 21 million in the metropolitan area. 

MADads: William Shatner's insatiable need for attention is well-known and documented. Futurama's character Calculon is a parody of Shatner. For this year's SuperDuper Bowl, he starred in a Kellogg's Raisin Bran Ad: 

 

Tagline: Will Shat here and you can too!

 

New term for me: lifestyle visit. Saw an ad for this where folks sign up for guided visits to see places for potential retirement. Looked rather posh in a White Lotus kind of way. 

Algorithm irony: the other day while I was surfing YT, I came across an ad featuring a young black woman exercising wearing one of those diabetic glucose monitoring patches on her arm-beats poking your finger every hour-with a tagline of Helps You Succeed! 

This was followed by an AI rendering of The Colonel hawking his $10 Bucket specials for tenders, wings and nuggets. 

Bad algorithms! 

~ 

Whoa! Ad turned up for Halloween shirts-this was rather gruesome I thought, thanks to the past decades of slasher/bloody horror flicks: 

Geez-who would wear such a thing? The wife and kids just wouldn't shut up. At least there were shirts for women as well-yeah, the asshole's been banging his secretary again. I taught both of them a lesson. Creepier still would be people who wear the shirt outside of the Halloween festivities. Just who you want in line with you at a Meijer checkout lane.

~  

There's a long-standing joke about out transmissions going out into Space and how other entities might view them. Recently, a number of broadcasts have been received and it's a head-scratcher-have these creatures evolved? New species? What's with those white things sticking out of their heads?

 

Fun Fact: radiocarbon dating has a test ceiling reaching a maximum of 50,000 years back in time. 

Fun vids 

From the actor who brought us Philomena Cunk, a new series Ann Droid: 

~

Researchers investigating the marks in European caves discover a form of proto-writing. The caves were a library, left by earlier inhabitants for the next group to come along: how to stay alive.

One of the marks is a "Y" and is quite common. Turns out to be an elegant idea: it symbolizes birth. A new branch.

~ 

The curious tale of Gobekli Tepe site:

~ 

I've seen this during my time living and visiting AZ where the drive from Phoenix to Tucson was visually extraordinary after a wet spring.

FUBARland

Both Will Lawrence and Abdul El Sayed are being beaten bloody by attack ads using their past very vocal, very public stances on defunding the police. Oy.

It's an old problem: one sends signals to indicate where you are on the political spectrum. People understand and recognize that you also have other progressive ideas. But later on, this comes back and bites them in the ass. Some never recover, others survive the test which adds to their reps.

~ 

The basic insanity of Data Centers: with so much of the country having drought issues, they want to build these things. A large hyperscale facility can use 1 million to 5 million gallons of water per day—comparable to the daily use of a small town. I like the protest signs:

~ 

Fabulous joke concerning the utter failure of Trump TV: viewership for its premiere was surpassed by tape loops of someone watching their feet.

~ 

Friends-it feels to me that 3 major crises in the world will come to a head this winter:

1) here in the US, the mid-term elections. If the Dems can pull off a Blue Wave, take both houses of Congress, Roach becomes a giant demented Lame Duck. We can get some sense back into the government and get it working again.

2) the Russo-Ukraine war comes to its final stages. Zelenskyy publicly told Putin-we're gonna hurt your people this winter. Puty is running out of cash, his oligarch pals are starting to flee and the citizenry are fed up. He's increasingly being backed into a corner. Even money on whether China will give him sanctuary or that a car bomb will take him out.

3) Major elections this fall in Israel-will Bibi and his awful far-right pals limp through and continue their blood-letting against their neighbors or will the people finally put their foot down and say enough is enough? Whodathunk, that a nation who survived a holocaust 80 years ago, perpetuate their own against the Palestinans? They are a pariah nation now, much like South Africa during the apartheid years.

Better buckle up-it's gonna be a turbulent few months. Good luck to us all. 

HAPPY EQUINOX!

 

THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER

 

Old Father Time checked, so there'd be no doubt
Called on the north wind to come on out
Then cupped his hands so proudly to shout
La-di-da, di-da-di-dum, 'tis Autumn

 

The trees say they're tired, they've born too much fruit
Charmed all the wayside, there's no dispute
Now shedding leaves, they don't give a hoot
La-di-da, di-da-di-dum, 'tis Autumn

 

Then the birds got together
To chirp about the weather, mmm
After makin' their decision
In birdie-like precision
Turned about and made a bee-line to the south

 

My holding you close really is no crime
Ask the birds, the trees, and Old Father Time
It's just to help the mercury climb
La-di-da, di-da-di-dum, 'tis Autumn

 

It's just to help the mercury climb
La-di-da, di-la-di-dum, 'tis Autumn

Written in 1941 by Henry Nemo

Performed by The Nat King Cole Trio, 1947 

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood: 

9/14-First overnight this season to dip into the 40's-46° here.

9/16-Saw a black squirrel over at Johnny's, the first in several years. We have seen them occasionally but they haven't established a foothold in this part of Lansing unlike MSU and Downtown.

I finally got the lawn mowed today being the dry day bracked by rain. I hunkered down and got 'er done in one go, when I usually take 2-3 days. It was a beautiful day, with temps only reaching 69° with rain promised in the evening. After we got back from our celebration late lunch while C had her soak, Buddy chilled with me on the couch:

The big scamp, who likes to go roll around in the drive and hang out, has expanded his presence: in the middle of the street🙀Dude! 

At the Diner, the bath has been popular:

Harry

Nutkin

Mr. Redbird-wasssuppp??

~

I think the monarchs have begun their journey to the SW. I haven't seen them in 10 days or so and I'm seeing snippets in the news that the migration has begun. 

 ~

Inter-species relations

It's a curious thing, the relationship between MamaC and Buddy. We've seen times where she will come very close, usually when he's on the deck or in this case, in one of his castle keeps:

Now, Mama is a veteran, having survived for several years bringing her kids over to raise under our shed. The latest occurance was this past week-Bud was in the North Keep, surveilling the Diner and Back 40. C saw her come up to the North end of the deck, next to the lavender planter. They looked at each other for a bit. In all instances, his Lordship has conducted his duties with professional, calm confidence. She always wanders off to graze. My theory is that this is part of her own security strategy: by approaching Bud, she is testing him to see how he reacts to her. Is he going to be a threat while she is eating? Or is he just a tiger who lives with the apes who will not hassle her? Unlike the squirrelies, who can be quite combative amongst themselves and others-it's just how they roll. No, the tiger is cool at the moment.

9/19-Rain day. During a lull, Bud went out for a quick patrol. Unusually, he rested on the garage-side step.

I let him in, gave him a towel job, a snack and he joined me on the couch to groom. Outside, the avians flocked to the Diner-many of the Raucous Caucus were there:

Folks had to wait in line for a booth to open. I spotted up on the Eastern branches of GF Birch, Mr. Redbird and Mr. Purple Finch having a chat. Mr. Redbird appears to still be recovering from his recent molt:

RB: Man! I hate rainy days. Always brings a crowd and it's usually the RC's (sparrows, not Roman Catholics). 

PF: Right?! Well, at least there's plenty to drink and eat in the 'hood. Damn those apes for messing up the climate. Never used to be all these extended extremes of heat/cold, wet/drought. Sure, we'd have a spike now and then but the weather was fairly consistent. Now...

RB: OUUUFFFFF!!! (a sudden burst of rain and wind caused both to briefly flutter then settle back to their perches) Oh, I'll be glad to have my feathers back. I look like shit. You look like you are just about done. 

PF: I'm getting there, mate, thanks for asking.

RB: Back to your comment-yeah, man-I know. It's such a mixed bag with the apes. Here in our 'hood, the apes are cool. Many have Diners that are consistently open every day which is really nice during the snow times. Some have additional offerings like these folks who live here. It's a nice spot-good place to bring up the kids, few hawks. Gotta keep an eye out for that tiger especially if you are a ground-feeder. He's done some birth control on those RC's. But to pull back out of this Eden, you discover that it's the apes as a whole that is the problem.

PF: Oh yes (excitedly) in inter-species chat groups-the stories they tell! Selfish and greedy bad apes! 

RB: Have you ever watched them have sex?

PF: (laughs, blushing as he is prone to do so) Of course! It's so damn funny!

RB: And the noises they make O-M-G!

PF: You've heard that the ape disease of gambling had taken hold with some in the avian community?

RB: NO!

PF: So I have heard and it began with our witnessing their "private interludes".

RB: What do they bet on and what do they bet with?

PF: Usually seeds of some kind. The rarer forms have more value.

Now, the bets center on a choice of several popular activities as well as when (day, night, nooner) and how often:

-from behind (our way)

-from in front (uhhh hard to do while balancing on a branch)

-mutual genital (NO WEIRD-we don't do that!)

-poophole (gross!)

RB: (nearly falling off the branch, fanning himself. His feathers have taken on a brighter glow, even in the mist) Hokey smoke! So, this is done in avian betting clubs? Do other species join in? Gender based?

PF: All of the above

RB: Wow, just wow. Learn something new everyday.

PF: I know! Hey, booths have opened up! He takes off and hollers over his shoulder-how's the wife?

RB takes off as well. Fine, he answers. Yours?

PF: Good!

 

They settle into their booths. The food is ready and they begin to dig in. Another shower begins but they don't mind-the food is good and filling on a chilly, wet early Fall afternoon.   

 ~

In Memoriam: Peter Max October 19, 1937 – September 14, 2026 noted artist of the 1960's with his pop and psychedelic artwork that "expressed the blissed-out exuberance of the countercultural 1960s" (NYT). Certainly, The Beatles' animated short Yellow Submarine points to his influence and style. His work (and Warhol's) certainly led me to my interest in silk screen printmaking.

~ 

New wild cat species discovered in Bolivia: Meet Mr. Tilcayo:

This new species Leopardus tilcayo is the first new living cat species named in over 100 years. I weighs only about 3 pounds and measure 18" long-smaller than an average house cat. Unlike someone we know, lol.

~ 

MADads: Big Canvas Art Prints is hawking their newest line: you can have an image of your favorite dog, sitting on the can taking a dump while on its Iphone. Oy.

                                                ~ 

Really bad AI imagery: In a AI generated vid concerning archaeology, the camera pans across a desk with college textbooks. One read "Archaeology: Theery and Practice". Gawd-they didn't program the vocab intensively enough nor did they proof. 

~

FUBARland:

From The Canadian Resistance Army:

Nothing like the pipes and drums to get the Celtic blood up. Bastards! 

 

BIRTHDAY

Had a pleasant celebration yesterday of my 72 orbits around the sun. C only had office hours at the U so I picked her up and we had a late lunch at Soup Spoon Cafe. Tasty meal! We came home, C went to have her end of the day soak in the tub while Bud and I hung out on the couch surfing YT.

The bouquet was from Trader Joe's-I had bought some wine and the clerk, seeing my birth date on the license, rang a bell and another clerk swung by and returned with the small bouquet. A very good example of establishing a loyal client base by a retailer. Probably cost them a few bucks but I certainly will remember the gesture. 

We watched Edward Scissorhands-a bit of a companion piece with Lars and the Real Girl. Both feature a person who is outside the norm and it becomes a tale of how the community deals with him.
 

FIVE SECOND STORIES

9/7-Waning Crescent Moon and Jupiter just before dawn: 

9/8-East Garden:

9/11-deck garden:

Buddy is a longfellow and a funny boy: legs and tail hanging over the end of the chair cushion:

Seasonal rosy pink colors in the hydrangeas and sedum: 

The new squirrel, who I think was here in March, is certainly making himself known-took on MamaC and LG squirrel-then I saw him introduce himself to Bud:

Fortunately, Bud is pretty chill around the squirrelies-too big to eat unlike their unfortunate cousins the Chippers. He just keeps a patient eye on them. This one hung around for a couple of minutes before retreating. I've named him Harry, pointing to the Michael Caine character Harry Palmer from his mid-60's roles-a cool, tough crook turned spy. This guy has moxie, for sure.

We've been noticing Bud likes to lounge in the driveway. Certainly, a clear and visible signal to all-this is my realm. Our neighbors across the street have commented several times mentioning this trait of his.

I planted 4 russian sages around the ground down stump of our oak that perished in the past couple of years. I tried growing grass but it failed. Then I realized when I was mowing that I would be scalping any grass because of the slope. I put in the sages so as they mature, their spread will cover this bare spot.

9/12-took down the tomato bushes. Production had ended and what fruit remained wasn't turning. Better luck next year!

On a comfy early Fall afternoon after eating, folks were taking a siesta:

 

After a while, MamaC was feeling peckish and thought she'd check out the Buffet. Well, something new! Some elderly romaine lettuce C put out and I added some toms that were in various stages of ripeness. One of our family jokes is that few of our wild friends will try lettuce. None of the Buns-hell, they turn up their nose at carrots!

Mama evidently enjoyed a different kind of green as she snarfled it all up. Not so much with the toms. Someone will eat them.

9/13-after living in Tucson, AZ since 1980-81, my brother Mike and his wife are being moved to an assisted care facility in The Villages, FL located NW of Orlando. Martha's sister lives nearby. I wonder how Mike will react to living in a tropical climate for the first time since he was in 'Nam.

~

This Summer was the hottest on record for the contiguous 48 U.S. states in NOAA's 132-year history dating back to 1895.

~

I had never heard of this: The Northern Crusades (also known as the Baltic Crusades) were military campaigns from the 12-15th century aimed at converting pagan tribes and Slavic populations around the Baltic Sea to Latin Christianity. 

~ 

Callanish Stones: a prehistoric stone circle and stone alignment on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The monument was built during the Neolithic period, around c. 2750 BC. 

Tom Richardson

Gail Higginbottom & Roger Clay / RCAHMS.

A lunar and celestial observatory most likely tied to ceremonial rites.

Lunar Standstill: Research shows the stones are precisely positioned to track the Major Lunar Standstill, a rare event occurring every 18.6 years when the moon skims unusually low across the southern horizon. 

Solar and Stellar Alignments: Specific stone rows align with equinox sunsets, the midwinter setting sun, and stellar risings like Capella or the Pleiades. 

~

Hypnokitty!

 

OBEY ME! FEED ME!

~ 

FUBARland: it was good to see some good old-fashioned, boots on the ground canvassing from both the El Sayed and Lawrence campaigns in our neighborhood!