Miraz Jordan

Cool: The Loop of Life coffin

is grown from mycelium, the root network of mushrooms. … hay or hemp is placed in a wooden box-shaped mold. Fungus is added, and watered … Within a week you have a solid box that … breaks down quickly and stimulates the decomposition of the body

If I were in a different country I might worry… A military helicopter came from the north (where the base is) did a slow circuit north of the village then went away. Then it came back, did two slow, low laps of our house, then went away again. Weird.

I couldn’t really get close enough and only had my iPhone with me, but that white speck around middle photo is a Royal Spoonbill. So glad to see it as I thought perhaps the spoonbills had abandoned us.

Our View of Space Is Becoming Blurrier

the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope … sits in the Atacama desert [which] has warmed by 1.5 °C over the last four decades.

this causes turbulence within the dome, which degrades the image quality and causes blurring.

After a week of westerly gales, cloud, rain etc the beach this morning was absolutely stunning.

One of the podcasts I really enjoy is Mothers of Invention, about climate justice. The episode We Are The People Of The Beans had a particularly interesting section about silvopastoral systems, that I think Aotearoa New Zealand, with all its cow farms, would benefit from.

I finally got around to watching (and enjoying) Booksmart. It was both moving and funny.

It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two graduating high school girls who set out to finally break the rules and party on their last day of classes

First time this season I’ve spotted ‘our’ kōtare (kingfisher).

Wow. I updated to Apple Safari v14, then visited @cheri’s website and followed a link to one other site. Then I looked at Safari’s Privacy report. It had blocked 18 trackers! It blocked Facebook at Cheri’s site and loads of trackers at the other one.

Kiwis: TVNZ ☛ Origins is superb!

Scotty Morrison explores the origins of the Māori people, visiting the Wairau Bar site which could be the first community in Aotearoa. He tries to locate his hawaiki, his homeland, in the Pacific, but is hawaiki a real place or just a concept?

Unfortunately this Common skink I found in the garden was very dead, but I was thrilled nevertheless. This proves that the extremely rare flashes of something I’ve thought I‘ve seen were very probably (live) skinks. I suspect recent frosts have taken their toll.

I don’t know if it was the 5 am-ness, but today’s Apple Event just filled me with yawns. I feel like I know the script off by heart — change it up, Apple. The beautiful people with their beautiful words just didn’t connect. Maybe time to be a bit less perfect?

Ahhh, spring. Westerly gales all week, including gusts last night to 87 Kph and a thunderstorm at bedtime.

This unusual driftwood made me think of a planet and satellite moon. The two tree bases weren’t just accidentally connected but actually grown together.