"If you are losing your leisure, look out! -- It may be you are losing your soul."
― Virginia Woolf
Nothing much new to share on this blog this weekend. Just Wednesday high temperatures were in the mid 70s, but we're finally getting seasonably chilly weather this weekend. Like Dottie Johnson, I'm not ready! In fact, I didn't go outside at all Saturday or today. With the 2022 tiger beetle (and insecting) season finally coming to an end, winter excursions can wait for now.
We got some snow yesterday, but it's already melted. That crabapple tree between the conifers has been hosting American Robins, House Finches, and Cedar Waxwings ― I tend to keep my eye on it when I'm home during the day. In fact, that's the very tree I found a Bohemian Waxwing back in 2012. Hard to believe that was already a decade ago.
From GOES-East a mixed bag for lighting, but here's the forecast ...
And then colder still for next weekend:
Alas, there will be no more November tiger beetle sightings in southern Wisconsin this year, but another tiger beetler found a Festive at Spring Green on Wednesday. I doubt it'll warm up enough to get them scrambling over the sand again until springtime. Avian-wise, except for rare stragglers, neotroptical songbirds are long gone as well. With the recent arrival of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows, the Boreal Butcher Bird isn't far behind ― Northern Shrikes!
Indeed, here are November sightings ― they're all over the Great Lakes states:
Again, there's plenty of time yet for winter birding and I'm content to spend this weekend indoors. Back to work tomorrow, which occasionally means splendid views sunrises and sunsets during my commute this time of year. This next photograph was taken along J just before PD looking east. This is part of a section of my commute I refer to as "The Deer Zone" on account of all the whitetail ― it includes J, Maurer Road, and Timber Road near Shoveler's Sink.
There's a little guitar news, I suppose. In an attempt to declutter my apartment, I purchased a guitar rack for the Stratocasters in my bedroom ― much tidier! There are a number of them in my living room, but they're more spread out.
I should have done this months ago.
Speaking of guitars ― solid rosewood necks are back at Fender's MOD Shop and I've been doodling at a possible new build:
Do I need another Stratocaster? Of course not. But they're fun to design. This build has a combination Shawbucker Humbucking and V-Mod Stratocaster HSH pickup configuration for vintage-style sound with added tone versatility. Above shows white/black pickups, and solid black below. I'm not sure which I like better, but perhaps it's better to hold onto my money for now. I found recently that Fender laid off 300 people in August ― it didn't make much news and read about it on Strat-talk.com. Hey ― I've certainly been doing my part to keep business good. Incidentally, guitars of most brands sold like wildfire during the pandemic, but as is the case in other consumer markets, demand has since subsided.
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell