I've lived with cats for most of my life, although right now I only have one of my own. I like dogs too, but cats are mysterious in their own way. Our's have always been affectionate and dedicated to us, though they have their own ways of showing it. The bond isn't quite the same as with a dog, but it's just as strong.
Cats still retain many wild tendencies, even though they're perfectly content to curl up nearby while you work or read or sleep. They're happy to have food and shelter provided to them, but can still hunt and pounce when needed. And despite not needed constant attention, they're there for you when you're sick, having a bad day, or just need to hug something.
Obviously, this isn't true for all cats. There are cat breeds, but the house cat in general is quite varied. Such a wide range of personalities, but they're all cats.
I have put up a lot of lights so far, and there's a little more I want to do. I have a back porch I'll put some red and green LED lights along the perimeter of, replacing the (failing) multicolor strings now. I also ordered some of the little solar LED strings for places in my yard. These actually work pretty well.
I have the front of my house well lit. The LED strings don't have the same light quality as the incandescents, but they have a nice look and don't use too much energy. I still have some incandescent strings I use where they won't be on as much.
It's neat, I think, to light stuff up this time of year as it gets darker here in the northern hemisphere. Regardless of if you're celebrating a holiday or not.
I actually kind of like messing with my network. Soon, I will set up a new router. I'll keep the general structure of my home network, but change some things on the router. It's a little mini-PC I put OpenBSD on.
This should be more powerful, and slightly more energy-efficient than the machine I was using before. Hopefully, that should give an edge should I ever end up with fiber internet. Also, the lower power should be helpful in terms of backup power – less draw from a UPS.
Artemis 1 has just launched as I type this. Orion is now in orbit around Earth. It was delayed a little, but now it's going. Hopefully the rest of the mission is smooth.
Congratulations to all who worked on this. I was never alive when people were walking on the moon, and now I expect to see it in my lifetime. Maybe they'll stick around for a while too.
We have a lot to worry about here on Earth. But it helps to take a step back, perhaps even to a nearby celestial body. The challenge teaches us a lot, of course, but it's also a good reminder of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things.
My region is supposed to get a lot of snow soon. We got a little today, but not much accumulation.
I can just imagine shoveling my driveway now. It's usually good for a few nice workouts a year, and my driveway is short enough that I can't really justify a snowblower. Luckily, it usually works out that I do it and then it's clear for a while. Having a nice coat of snow is worth that to me.
I was thinking about commenting here on the exodus from Twitter, and how the Fediverse is growing now that people are discovering it as an option. I've commented on my main Mastodon instance a little about this, and will just say that while the Fediverse isn't perfect, I think it's a great alternative to conventional social media. There's still work to be done, but that work is closer to an actual possibility since it's not a single platform owned by one person or a small group of people. In other words, on the Fediverse, your complaints and praises seem like they can actually reach the appropriate ears, at least in my experience.
Aside from that, it's beautiful here. The weather is warm, in the mid 70s F, and the leaves have mostly fallen around me. I spent most of today rounding them up, getting some of them to the curb, an preparing to do another haul soon. I did take a bunch and spread them over my little garden area, which will hopefully become good fertilizer in spring. But, most are going to the curb.
Halloween was pleasant, and frankly this could make a good Halloween night. I'm leaving some of my decorations up a little longer, perhaps until next weekend. Mostly they're orange lights, which I think are generally fall-appropriate. Next step will be colored and clear lights, in anticipation of the more wintry weather.
This weather is probably indicative of climate change. I remember getting all sort of weather around Halloween growing up, both warm like this and snowing. But, usually it was cooler. Maybe mid-50s F. It seems the weather has been trending warmer, just by my recollection.
It's cloudy and gray out, and rainy too. The leaves are starting to turn. I'm traveling, but will be home soon. I expect it to be the same when I return.
It's nice getting away, but this trip has left me awash. I'll be happy to be home.
There will be leaves, and some other fall cleanup. Some other changes too, seasonal and otherwise.
There are many cats in my life – my own, and those of my relatives. There have been for years. Other than college and a little while afterwards when I was living on my own, I've had them in my life.
They are interesting animals – intelligent, crafty, loving, but not necessarily apt to please you. I like dogs as well, and in fact I miss having one. But I can't imagine never having cats in my life.
It's autumn, but it's warm out. Kind of. I went for a walk earlier and it was very nice. Now it's pleasantly windy, and I can let the house air out. Enjoy this while you still can, before it gets too cold.
Still mostly leaves on trees. We'll see as time goes, but I'm getting ready to get the rake, leaf blower, and tarp, to try to put a dent in the inevitable deluge. Easier to get it now than to leave it until spring.
It's cloudy here, but the weather isn't too bad. We've been getting a lot of rain, and it's cooler. Things are still growing, and most of the leaves are still on the trees.
There's maybe a couple more mowings left, and then at some point I'll have to attack the leaves. I'm guessing sometime in the week before Halloween.
I love this time of year. I love all the seasons, but spring and autumn are special. You can feel transition happening, there's a lot of life.