Just what the doctor ordered ;)

Been there, done that. Old news.

No Caffe Mingo? Good Italian food to be had there.

That paint scheme looks like the bird was assembled from spare parts of other models...

"The outer tail feathers on Hairy Woodpeckers are unmarked, but they are spotted on Downy Woodpeckers."

I think I spotted something on those tail feathers...

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/species-compare/#:~:text=Hairy%20Woodpeckers%20are%20larger%20than,are%20spotted%20on%20Downy%20Woodpeckers.

Hey, Carolyn. I’ve been generally following your wether lately, and one thing about it is that it’s making our own cruddy weather actually look pretty good!

Yes, definitely I think it would be too late in the year to plan a tour in Slovenia. September and early October yes, but by late October you’d have to be pretty lucky. Andalucia would be perfect in my opinion, but then maybe you’ve already been there. Let us know if you’re anywhere near Valencia and maybe we could finally meet up in person!

Hi Scott & Rachael, I'm with you in Portland hoping all goes well with you Scott, and I'm also with you crossing the Pyrenees in 2017. We were actually in Barcelona at the same time and caught up in the Catalonian independence referendum too. It was full on. We're still trying to decide where to go later this year and I'm re-reading some of your journals.
Do you think it would start gettting too cold in Slovenia by the end of October? I know you had an exceptionally warm end to summer last year but that could be a blip. We've just had the worst summer on record with floods and cyclones. Climate change! Perhaps Spain/Portugal a better bet in October.
Good luck with your cardiologist appointment and I look forward to Sicily!

Helps to be in an upbeat mood.

Gray and stark, certainly. Beautiful? That's in the eye and mind of the beholder, I guess. I'm glad you find it so.

I am often surprised to find that cultural things that can be so much a part of one person's life are unknown to others. For example, how interesting it would be to survey the population on a city street and find how many have ever heard of Frank Sinatra, or Bob Dylan, or etc. But even with my head in the sand here in Canada, I knew of Black Panther (but not Ma Rainey!).

He’s the man, alright. A remarkable actor, whom I don’t think I’ve seen before. It was startling to learn he barely lived to the film’s completion.

“At last some solace! The lack of recognition was sole crushing, they said archly.”

Thanks! I was beginning to feel hurt that no one had extended a compliment.

Excellent news! And your feet look marvelous.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom? Ah yes, with Chadwick Boseman.