Happy New Year. I hope this post finds you well, or at least not hungover. I went to bed at 10:40 PM last night, and turned off the lights around 11:30 PM. I was woken up at midnight by the commercial quality fireworks show somebody nearby was shooting off.

I spent most of this first day of 2026 working on a secret project that I can't share yet. But I will tell you I was building a website. I will share it soon.

It's cold here today, just barely 40F (4C). We went for a birding walk in the neighborhood park and checked off our first 16 species of the year. For the record, the first bird I recorded in eBird this year was a Downy Woodpecker.

Side note - woodpeckers are symbols of good fortune in many Native American cultures, as well as Celtic and Roman traditions. I could use some good fortune this year.

Continuing the effort to bring forth some good fortune, I'm making jambalaya with black eyed peas and corn bread for dinner.

2025 sucked. I'm tired of looking back. Onward to 2026, whatever it brings.