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I have supervisors. A couple of little Warou, Welcome swallow spend the day sitting on the rail by the lounge. Such cuties! 🐦

Swallow scratching itself.
Swallow with head turned to the left.
Swallow turned slightly right and with beak slightly open.
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And for today’s yoga session we have a simple little neck twist with head tuck. 🐦

Swallow preening the feathers on its lower back.
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Weird thing, but Aotearoa New Zealand Law says that beaches are roads. Land Transport Act 1998: In Part 1, the Interpretation, it says: “road includes— (c) a beach.” Weirder: the Law doesn’t actually define ‘beach’. 😆

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While one Kāhu | Hawk was flying around, another was relaxing on a fencepost. 🐦

Hawk on the wing.
Hawk on a fence post.
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With the flax spears opening Tūī | Tui are visiting to feed. 🐦

Blue and black iridescent bird feeds in a flax flower.
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I’m outta here! 🐦

Pied Stilt flies off, at the beach.
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My old girl Sasha, eating her dinner last night. 🐶

Sasha eats dinner from a bowl on the floor.
Sasha with head raised above a bowl on the floor.
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Listening to what I think is a Korimako | Bellbird this morning. 😍

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This makes me happy. I’ve now sent out 10 issues of a local monthly community newsletter I write (Buttondown is great for this). My subscriber count is gradually growing. This issue went out to 52 subscribers.

Chart shows increasing numbers of newsletter subscribers.
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A new skill I’ve learned today: How To Compare Two Images. Makes a web page with a slider to compare two images. See Compare 2016 and 2019 images of the North track area and Compare 2016 and 2019 images of the Miratana track area.

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We had 300 grams of mushrooms that were getting a bit old, so I experimented with making Mushroom soup. That was easy and delicious. I only wish I’d been able to buy some yummy bread to go with it…

Mushrooms on a chopping board beside a knife.
Mushrooms in a saucepan with a silicon spoon.
A bowl of mushroom soup with a little parsley and a swirl of cream.
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Flax spears in late sun.

Flax spears in late sun.
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Not Boss at parking!

Large Ford vehicle with numberplate Goboss parked half on the kerb in a parking lot.
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When I want to learn how to best use my Apple stuff I turn to the utterly excellent Take Control Books. For a few days they are on sale:

50% off. Sale begins on Thursday 11/24 and runs through Thursday 12/1

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I just watched Why Am I Craving Sweets? | Serving Up Science:

When we eat foods that contain lots of fat and sugar, it’s the natural chemical dopamine that gives us a rush of elation and desire for more.

Interesting! I’ll watch more from this series for sure.

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Aaargh! I’m sitting here feeling peckish and wondering what to make for dinner. Meanwhile all my US blogpals are posting photos of Thanksgiving food…

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I’m not in the habit of posting photos of public toilets, but March 2022 just before demolition of the ~70 year old building: 1. a row of 3 inaccessible cubicles for women, 2. the interior of one cubicle (yuk). Then, 25 November 2022, a new, accessible, all-gender space. 🚽

Line of cublicles in the old toilet block.
Detail of one old cubicle.
Fresh new spacious cubicle with change table and accessibility features.
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The first time I’ve heard the Pīpīwharauroa | Shining cuckoo at Waikawa Beach. I’ve never seen one. It has the most annoying call:

Voice: the main call is a loud upwardly-slurred whistle repeated several times; the sequence usually ends with a downwardly-slurred whistle.

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Mighty disappointed that the right earbud on the pair that arrived today just won’t work in spite of charging, pairing and unpairing, resetting and general mucking about. Nothing. Amazon will refund when I return the buds. Now bought Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds locally.

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Took far too long to find out if a flashing white light meant the earbuds were charging or charged. Charging the headphones:

Flashing white: Charging
Lights in white for 12 seconds, and then turns off: Charging complete
Flashing white quickly: Charging error

Screenshot of what the lights mean.