Ramblings of Old John: Skies of yesterday, clouds intermittent dashes of blue, colors sent by winter’s sun. Morning came slow to light sky pastel tinged clouds. Melting last night, hard ice formed. Feeders filled early. Quiet day. 38ºF headed to 42. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: After blue skies, fast melting, evening sky, slate gray! Morn’ showed rosy orange sunrise, world touched by Jack Frost’s fingers, silver/sparkling. Quickly gray ticking hid pale diffuse sun! Grosbeaks in, out. 32ºF headed to 41. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: After all day, gray, incessant rain, freezing on contact, Sky Painter broke out jar of brilliant blue, brushed it across the heavens. Yellow sun peeked out. Plows still hurry! Cardinals, Juncos, Jays, et al. 33ºF headed to 39. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Saw a Williamson's Sapsucker today, rare here in Lubbock, TX. 🪶

Ramblings of Old John: Dark skies, filled with gray moody clouds, waiting. Morning, layer frozen rain, covered w/couple “ of fluffy snow. Snow plows dropped gravel, not plowing. Dark brown contrast on world of white. Gang at feeders. 24ºF headed to34. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Red-shouldered Hawk a'floofin from the Christmas Bird Count about two weeks ago. 🪶 Mercer County, NJ

Who was in charge when Epstein "died"? www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exz...

Ramblings of Old John: Night came in darkening clouds, peeked out morning, new snow..3-4”. Under flat sky, trees flocked in layers of white. Day of contrasts of lights and darks. Shoveling commenced! Feeders full of winter regulars. 16ºF headed to 29. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: Night drifted in, day left quietly with a hint of color. Morn’ broke easy breeze, white of the pond blended into the utter pale blue of an empty sky. Cold seeps down deep in old bones. Woods silent, only tracks. 5ºF headed to 18. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: Stunningly beautiful day, skies filled with brilliant blue, with scattered clouds. Sunset exploded cross the Bay! Morning brought in old gray blanket, but easy wind. Juncos, an Juncos. Ducks on the water! 7ºF headed to 19. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: Night fell, under golden full moon, harsh winds abated. Morning broke in washed out blue of late Winter’s sky. Quick sunrise east. Holidays past, putting home back together! Lots of day to day. Feeders full. 13ºF headed to 21. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Ramblings of Old John: Stark blue sky, teeth chattering wind, ripping new snow from trees in clods, pitching onward. Yesterday snow or snow squalls near all day under dark grundy skies. Birds famished, waiting in line. More shoveling! 7ºF headed to 19. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Number of people who go bankrupt every year because of medical bills or illness-related work loss: 🇦🇺 0 🇨🇦 0 🇩🇰 0 🇫🇮 0 🇫🇷 0 🇩🇪 0 🇮🇸 0 🇮🇪 0 🇮🇹 0 🇯🇵 0 🇳🇱 0 🇳🇴 0 🇵🇹 0 🇪🇸 0 🇸🇪 0 🇬🇧 0 🇺🇸 530,000 There’s a lesson there.

Happy New Year. THERE. I said it & I really mean it, even though the odds are it will be every bit as challenging & frustrating as the last one.

Ramblings of Old John! After yesterday’s sparkling blue skies, deep ocean blue, Morning arrived, beep beep of snow plows and Winter’s wonderland. Gentle snowfall, building quickly, cup of Joe, shovel working, high boots, happy Dog. 23ºF headed to 29. Ya’ll be careful out there!

@housedemocrats.bsky.social Time to start another Discharge Petition! www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...

John’s Splinters: As we slide into Winter’s Doldrums, the last day of 2025 broke with a delicate sunrise, still cold morning. A message Spring is coming? Lovely yesterday but just cold. Pileated rocking the woods. Nice walk around! 11ºF headed to 27. Ya’ll be careful out there.

. My most licensed/sold/printed image and I still ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I sorta get it. For the last #MountainMonday of 2025, the Absaroka Beartooth range. I once licensed it to an insurance company and had to rethink my life. #EastCoastKin #Montana #Mountains #LifeIsShort

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdButts

Congratulations to us on this public health failure 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ This disease should be eradicated from the globe: -no animal reservoir -safe and effective vaccine The only reasons for persistence is conflict and anti-vaccine misinformation. So sad…😢

John’s Splinters: Dark clouds crawled cross sky, drenching rains fell forming sharp rime on all it touched. Night came in with haunting blurring! Morning, rattling of home, temps dropped, patches of blue make appearance. Joe in hand. 20ºF headed to 21. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: Yesterday, Lovely blue skies, quiet walk down lane. Morn’ arrived, freezing rain, Stratus resting on land! Lane is slicker than greased owl snot! Just dreary day’s start! Mud strewn w/snow plows, soaked clothes!. 23ºF headed to 42. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: Up early, to catch ferry! Bitter cold in Rig. Stunning morn’ on water. Steam rising, layers of clouds filtering cold sunlight! Beautiful end of day! Water dark, looks frigid! Long drive, dropped off Son, returned. 14ºF headed to 31. Ya’ll be careful out there!

I am a pediatric ICU physician. I am filled with dread knowing viruses and bacteria will provide the education to families who don't vaccinate their children. And the cost will be dear.

John’s Splinters: Harsh wind filled skies with white swirling snow. Dark sky yesterday! Beautiful close of day. Bitter cold w/ empty skies this morning. Snow plows refilled driveway, again. Walk down lane drifted snow. Feeders empty. 6ºF headed to 17. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters! Woke to falling snow, on pristine Morn’ Another 4-5 “added. Stillness pervades senses. Pine branches tip with weight, like a hat to a passing Lady! Lots of shoveling, road plows builds wall in drive. Winter hat now! 13ºF headed to 30! Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: As night laid dark hand, winter’s snow began, covering all in blanket of white. Dry flakes pushed by North wind! Snowplows trying to stay ahead. Glasses dotted with warming drops. Snow filtering down tops of boots. 15ºF headed to 24. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: Morning arrived, brightening skies, low peeking sun. Stratus filtered in, hiding blue, filling day with overcast. Predictions of White falling later. Ahh Christmas time? Jays, Red Squirrels, Nuthatches, et al. 18ºF headed to 29. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: Day filled with driving, wait for Ferry, joy having son home. Incredible cloud formations, driving north winds, fast changing cross pale sky. Power off 4 hrs. Beautiful Morn’ walk but for cold wind. Tree to decorate. 16ºF headed to 24. Ya’ be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: Yesterday filled with dark brooding skies, pelting rain, and hammering winds. Bit of color in pale sky, wind’s down but still rocking trees. Mucky ground from rain, frozen hard. Lane branch littered! Filled feeders. 28ºF headed to 34. Ya’ll be careful out there!

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 20 The beauty that is Horsetail Falls at Yosemite National Park. For just a few days a year in February, and only if water is flowing at the falls, "Horsetail Falls" appears just at sunset.

John’s Splinters: Slate gray skies, overhanging my home. Fast walk just ended as the quickening wind/down pouring rain hit with a bang. Hunkering down for the day! Evening filled with light golden edges, glowing. Birds attacking feeder. 43ºF headed to 52. Ya’ll be safe out there!

John’s Splinters: Subtle, pale swirls last night, darkness quickly fell. Morning’s eastern Sunrise, oranges/reds. Thin Stratus moved in. Wind storm manana? Down to the sea, white caps, clouds sliding in! Birds to feed. Clean house! 29ºF headed to 43. Ya’ll be careful out there!

John’s Splinters: As the light overcame darkness, clouds slowly developed shapes. Sun finally peeked above the trees, adding pale winter color. Nice walk down the lane, breeze but with warming, ok. Feeder empties! Transfer station. 27ºF headed to 39. Ya’ll be careful out there.

John’s Splinters: After siding banging day, cloud bank out Northwest, in a clear blue Winter’s sky. Sun popped up giving sparkle to my world! Out the Red Door down lane. Crisp, smell off wood smoke on near non-existent breeze. 15ºF headed to 32. Merry, safe, Christmas, Ya’ll!

John’s Splinters: bit of a break in late clouds last night, after a clear day, subdued sunset. Then morning came, bright an blustery. Pond frozen hard now. The feeder horde arrived in spades yesterday. Shower, later bit of baking! 14ºF headed to 22. Ya’ll be careful out there.

. For the #BlueSkyArtShow, today's theme is #FavoriteThings. I cannot explain how solid these two are regardless of what type of human shit I am going through at the time. We humans are a pain in the ass. #EastCoastKin #DogsOfBlueSky #photography #Samoyed #Montana

. Small town Christmas Stroll in my hometown. 2/3 "You leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain on a sad and lonely face" - Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy #EastCoastKin #Montana #photography

. Tonight's sunset was a corker! Taken from my backyard, and my pesky neighbors *still* haven't moved their house out of my way! #EastCoastKin #Stunday #photography #sunset #Montana

Great-billed Heron and Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray. Stills from the encounter between bird and fish. Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin, Singapore, Dec 25 🧵 1/2 #birds #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #heron #singapore #birdsseenin2025

John’s Splinters: Quickly the clouds arrived, afternoon flurries slicked the roads. Monotone morning, slate grays, washed out whites, an sepia! Pleasant walk however, little breeze. Regulars empty feeders. Christmas tree to put up. 27ºF headed to 30. Ya’ll be careful out there!

Poverty is a policy choice. Concentrated wealth is a policy choice. Inequality is a policy choice. None of it is natural or inevitable. Remember: We have the power to build a system that serves the many, not the powerful few.

Heartbreaking and horrifying to go to bed reading about the mass shooting at Brown University and wake up to read about the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Thinking of the victims, their loved ones, and those affected by the hate that drove these attacks.

Sunset on Anna Maria island, Florida. #photography

Grasslands dawn #ArtAdventCalendar #Photography

🌱 Still blooming at local park (protected from wind, next to a building). Native flowering currant budding, highs ‘60’s and drifting down to ‘50’s. Hope the inevitable freezes ahead don’t cause too much winter kill….

Covered Bridge #Photography

Eagle Mesa… Spirits of Monument Valley…

John’s Splinters: Striking sunset, too quickly faded into dark. Morning broke, clear blue skies filled with ragged Cirrus drifting off east. Pleasant walk down regular path. Nice w/ no wind. Laundry, put up tree, shower on agenda. 14ºF headed to 35. Ya’ll be careful out there!