foresterbob
Stories by foresterbob
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New Day Cafe – A Ranger Story from the Archives
One of the very first diaries I posted on Daily Kos was titled Ranger, Ranger, Pants on Fire. I doubt that many of you read the original story back in 2011, so I’m copying it for today’s entertainment. At the time, I seemed to have a knack for getting harassed by rangers. Thankfully there have…
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New Day Cafe – Thoughts on yet another birthday
Alert Readers at the Café know that I had a birthday this week. Even readers who are Barely Alert know this fact, given all the hubbub on that day. I’ve always been a bit evasive about exactly how old I am – not because I enjoy riddles but because I want Big Data to work…
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New Day Cafe – This and that for Thursday
On Tuesday I had some extra time while I was away from home. Rather than waste it by scrolling on my phone, I stopped at High Falls State Park. My annual pass had expired, so I bought a new one. Inflation hits everything; the senior pass jumped in price from $25 to $35. Still, that’s…
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New Day Cafe – Files From Forgotten Folders
Until about three years ago, the phones that I owned took lousy pictures. Images weren’t sharp, colors were muted. Most of those photos sat in subfolders that I ignored. With a bit of editing, mainly improving sharpness and color saturation, I’ve been able to salvage some of them. Most are from my days in the…
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New Day Cafe – I don’t know what to write about, so I’ll borrow some cool stuff from Bluesky
As I begin putting this diary together, it’s late Wednesday afternoon. Fortunately I’ve marked some posts from Bluesky to save. Let’s begin with an incredible journey and continue from there. When I see huge tracts of land cleared for trucking centers, data centers, and other industrial sites, I think about the migratory birds who, after…
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New Day Cafe – Four years of Kitty Narvik
On Sunday we were treated to pictures of Chrislove’s cat Zoe. Today is Narvik’s turn. Today is the fourth anniversary of his Gotcha Day. In May 2022 I had recently returned from Scandinavia, and had already chosen a gender-neutral name for my next cat. Now I had to find a cat to give the name…
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New Day Cafe – News from Bluesky and beyond
In last week’s diary, I included examples of AI images that were being passed off as photographs. To those who might say “no big deal,” I present an example from Georgia, about an hour from where I live, of the social cost of data centers. As you watch the video, consider also the environmental cost.…
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New Day Cafe – Musings about reality versus AI
As regular readers know, I post content at Bluesky each day. Usually a cat picture and a nature picture, but sometimes I venture into other topics. Along the way, I’ve discovered and followed photographers from all over the world. Some are professionals who post spectacular images; others are regular folks who take pics of things…
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New Day Cafe – Pictures from Sweden and Norway
Four years ago this week, I was in the middle of my trip to Scandinavia. Part of that time I was traveling alone – mostly by train, but one day by bus. I have been posting sets of four pictures on Bluesky. I will include a few of them here, and then move on to…
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New Day Cafe – Trying out the new bells and whistles
With yesterday’s New Day diary, we were able to test the new comment system, with varying success. It’s a bit confusing to keep up with comments and replies, but I will figure it out eventually. Meanwhile, I will try a few different elements of diary creation. First, a Bluesky post with ancient cats. Note: In…
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New Day Cafe – Spring Flowers
It’s late Wednesday night, I’ve been seriously busy all week, and I still have a diary to compose. Since I don’t feel like writing, I will Say It With Flowers.
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New Day Cafe – Fun with obscure words
My favorite word game is Boggle. I’ve played it for decades, beginning in the pre-internet days. You’d shake a box full of cubes with letters on each side…
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New Day Cafe – A Forester’s Adventures in Chile, Part 8
A mere 5 years ago, on March 19, 2021, I published Part 7 of my Chile diaries in honor of the 25th anniversary of that adventure. Those of you who possess…
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New Day Cafe – A Stunning Trip to the Grocery Store
Frequent readers know that I usually shop at Publix. However, a store called Food Depot is closer to my house, and is adjacent to a quiet neighborhood where I…
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New Day Cafe – Trains and Cabooses
Trains always make a good diary topic. Today I share a few of my pictures. First the cabooses. No longer needed on trains, they are often used as tourist…
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New Day Cafe – Backroads History, Cherry Creek Encampment, 1864-1865
Last Thursday’s diary included a sampling of backroad scenes, mainly in the western states. On my travel days, I often cover about 500 miles…
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New Day Cafe – Backroads (Image Library Rescue)
When I’m out in the wide open spaces, I like to take pictures of empty roads leading to the horizon. This is especially true when I’m on my way west.
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New Day Cafe – Kamala Harris Visits Macon, Georgia
Last Wednesday, February 11, Kamala Harris came to Macon as part of her 107 Days book tour. The event was billed as “A conversation with Kamala Harris…
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New Day Cafe – Even More Grocery Store Classics!
I have long contended that classic is the most overused, and therefore the most meaningless, word in product advertising. Looking at my previous New Day diaries…
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New Day Cafe – The Ears Have It
Last September, driving home from Idaho, I had one final day in the mountains. I visited Devils Tower, and then crossed into South Dakota. Mountains gave way to…
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New Day Cafe – Narvik Pics from the Image Library, 2024
The Image Library will soon be history. One way to rescue pictures from the library is to publish them in diaries. Nearly all of my pics of my kitty Narvik are…
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New Day Cafe – More Narvik Pics from the Image Library
The Image Library will soon be history. One way to rescue pictures from the library is to publish them in diaries. Nearly all of my pics of my kitty Narvik are…
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New Day Cafe – Pictures of Young Narvik (Image Library Rescue)
The Image Library will soon be history. One way to rescue pictures from the library is to publish them in diaries. Nearly all of my pics of my kitty Narvik are…
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New Day Cafe – The freddinwiddie Edition; or, Someone Is Wrong on the Internet!
I had been wavering on a topic for this week’s contribution, until I was inspired by a four-word reply to one of my comments. Let’s set the stage.
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New Day Cafe – Remembering 2025, One Picture Per Month
Instead of doing a commentary on the events of the year gone by, I’m going to post one photo from each month of 2025. In doing so, I will cover as many…
