Phil Landmeier @shuttersparks@qoto.org

@Caiotekit I could use the help. I also have about 20 pounds of leftover rigatoni bolognese, fingerling potatoes, French green beans...

[burp]

@karlauerbach Hahaha.

@mountainwitch North Central WV here and I feel the same way. It's a strange place/emotion to feel. Too bad we don't have a name for it in English.

I'm originally from coastal Southern California so I constantly complain about the weather here. It's either too hot and humid or too cold. The past several years, the snow has gone away. It gets cold and winter lasts extra long but no snow to speak of.

This year has been very weird so far. Months ago we had a flash heatwave into the 80s which brought out the unpleasant insects. Then back to winter which killed them.

For the past month we've had Southern California weather. I use to joke that we'd get only a few days a year of So. Cal. type weather. This year, it's been almost every day. Temps in the 70s with low humidity, lows in the 40s and 50s. Wonderful. Fabulous. And no mosquitos. I can walk outside any time including sundown and early evening, not a single mosquito bite.

I should be thrilled, right? I'm not because this is wrong. Yes, I'm taking advantage of sitting on the porch at 7 PM and not being eaten alive by bugs. But it's creeping me out. This is not normal for here. Something is going on.

Some long-term climate models show a swath from the Carolinas to Wisconsin, including West Virginia, becoming drier and drier, ultimately becoming desert. But that's 100 years from now. This is now.

I'm also not seeing bees, wasps, or flies. The only insect that seems normal is wood bees.

Birds seem okay, but fewer. I have several feeders and "my" birds are going through 10 to 20 pounds a week of feed. This is low. All the species are here, just not in normal numbers. I should see lots of cardinals, but I only only see one or two. The chimney swifts seem okay, but maybe 25 percent of the usual number of them. I have no idea what they're eating since I perceive no flying insects to eat.

I dunno. It's creepin' me out.

73 de KW2P

@Kirabug Those who see it as such are telling on themselves. But we already knew that.

@olavf I think I have more than you. The struggle is real.

@KanaMauna @Green_Footballs @morgfair Yes, when you wish for something so hard that you can't see any other possible outcome.

@karlauerbach While we're on this topic, I'll say that radio news doesn't sound like news without the teletype noise in the background.

@knittingknots2 It's a shame they don't know what liberty is.

@Caiotekit Hmm, I was doing just that earlier tonight. After catering a wedding on Saturday, I have an abundance of cheeses, salami, and crackers that I've been "working" on.

@LouisIngenthron I wonder how well it works. In my case I instantly close the tab or on a smartphone, hit the "back" function. I figure they don't want me to look at their web page, so I don't.

Astrud Gilberto has died. One of the musical styles that defined my generation was bossa nova. The most famous song in that style is The Girl from Ipanema. The song was written by Joao Gilberto, who is considered the father of bossa nova. Astrud was his wife.

The Girl from Ipanema is sung by Astrud, a girl who is not a professional singer. How did this happen? On the day the song was recorded, the intended singer didn't show up and Joao asked Astrud to have a go at it. The result is epic because the song benefits enormously from her innocent, ordinary, non-flashy singing.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazilian-astrud-gilberto-sang-girl-ipanema-dead-83-rcna87910

Is it some kind of fad now that web sites have to have a video that plays automatically, blasting out, scaring the crap out of you, and waking up everyone around you?