“Solar Punk”

I’ve known this as an SF genre for a while.

“The name spells it out. “Solar” signals optimism and a strong association with renewable energy, while “punk” reflects a DIY ethos and an anti-capitalist philosophy.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-07/solarpunk-design-architecture-sustainable-future/103667452utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=abc_specialist_science_sfmc_20240410&utm_term=&utm_id=2335807&sfmc_id=338955086

My Sky +

+ abseiling lines … the window washers are threaded over the building. They did a great job on my windows, which are clean for the first time in their lives. If you can talk about the lives of windows.

And my sky + a few Cumulus humilis according to my interpretation of a diagram in Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s The Cloudspotter’s Guide. Minimal vertical extent, he says. ‘They look flattened and appear wider than they are tall and do not cause rain.’

I’ve had that book for about fifteen years and this is the first time I’ve lived somewhere where I can see a decent bit of sky when I look out of the windows.

Isn’t it strange by the way, that we still say ‘look out the windows’ when actually, usually, we look through the windows? I often notice a paradoxical thing in relation with doors. We walk through the doors?

Have you tried that recently? I don’t recommend it.

Playing …

Playing with shadows and reflections …

It’s just so weird that the two lights in the center of the photo are green when the two flanking them are the same sort of lights.

What I can see when I look out the window at them, is that the two outer lights are a warm yellowish glow, while the two inner light–the green ones in the photo–are a cool tone. Wonder if the difference is that they are LEDs? A mystery. I might have to ask Super Gavin who does the maintenance.

And seeing how much local light is actually sent uselessly into the night sky …

No wonder animals living in cities are changing their night time flight paths.

Go Low, Go Slow …

The above motto is the only thing I’ve retained from the exercise program I invested in September 2022. It was a disaster.

Graded exerecise is one of the worst things I could’ve done for my ME/CFS. In my defence, I was under the impression I’d fully recovered.

So. The motto. I apply it to every kind of new thing I need to adapt to, and this week that is LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone)

Last week’s dose of 0.1 mg per day went down very well. I had a great week, suddenly with a lot more energy every day!

Which felt amazing! I haven’t that kind of energy for years! And so much less pain. That means a dive down of inflammation.

These have to be taken at night. And their so-called half life is 4-6 hours. Meaning most of their strength is gone by morning.

This week I’m taking 0.2 mgs a day, at night. First 2 days I had a fatigue slump at 11 AM that lasted till about 2PM. Third day the slump started esrlier. Today, I slumped at 10 PM and am still in it at 6.45 PM.

Tonight I’m going back to 0.1 mg … going low and going slow. We’ll see what happens

My sky pic is from Saturday 5PM, beautiful!

Washed …

With water, vinegar and more water, the mystery stone is starting to give up its secrets.

When I washed it with vinegar the outer sandy-looking layer immediately began to melt. So that’s a limestone layer, I assume.

There appears to be a hole or cracked area in the center and a weird straight sliver in the upper left. That doesnt feel stony. Wonder if it could possibly be petrified wood?

This is a side shot. Another or same insertion … a sliver of something. Although, that area is also reminiscent of the bunch of leaf-thin layers.

And then that black circle … is it animal, vegetable or mineral? It looks like lichen. Too bad I don’t have a microscope. I wonder what mineral could make that yellow. Doesn’t look like sulfur. [I learnt ‘sulphur’ for that word.]

Getting more and more interesting.

The inside has to dry before I can get a good image.

Out Walking …

My first walk around the block … south along Carindale Street, east up hill and down on Winstanley Road, then north along Surbiton until Banchory Court.

It seemed a long way but at only about 2000 steps which equals about one kilometer, not very far at all.

Not yet off the premises, discovered that this plant, that I had thought non-flowering, is blooming.

Saw a few fungi … maybe three different species. Here’s one …

Last, a real surprise. A tiny native violet in amongst all the sturdy fast-growing exotics…

That one could’ve been sharper. My apologies. It was a long way down and shadowed by that plant adjacent.

I wonder if there’s an FB page for feral lego?