Well, it is, I think, except for either stain or paint (can’t decide–that’s why it’s nekkid), and replacing the wood scrap to which the tablet holder clamps (that’s all I had that was the right size, and it was too hot to drag out a table saw). I never did get a response about the missing piece of the first gooseneck tablet holder I’d bought, and I’d already had to put a screw in it, plus it was white, which I didn’t love, so I just got a new one. More importantly, I finally got around to making a new hinged bracket to replace my very rough prototype. Since I had 2′ of leftover 8″ board from my turtle nursery project yesterday, I decided to get this done as well. I wasn’t fussy, but the idea had come to me that cabinet hinges might work better than the small, multipurpose hinge I’d been using. I was quite correct; the offset cabinet hinges I’d bought for my bathroom before I decided on a different colour scheme were perfect! That would be why I don’t throw stuff away, even if I don’t use it for the purpose I originally got it.

Technically, the hinge is in its open position, but it’s like that that when the bracket is “closed”, meaning the tablet will be over in front of me.

When I push the tablet away from me so I don’t whack my head on it during the night, the hinge is in its closed position.

I test-fitted it on the headboard yesterday, but I was gross and sweaty, so I didn’t want to even touch the bed, let alone sit down on it. This morning, I had the idea that since this tablet holder is very long, it might not be a bad idea to have two hinges. The drill bit was already on from yesterday, so it took just a few minutes to add another.

This works really well! I don’t think I’ll need reading glasses, since the tablet will no longer be so close to my face. I wrangled it into position, and it’s comfortable to read without glasses. One less thing to remember when I’m falling asleep!

Tablet out of the way so I don’t hit it, or get blankets caught on it while straightening the bed.

Tablet in reading position. I’m not thrilled with the red USB cable I liberated from P, but meh. If I think of it sometime, I’ll get black or grey or something. Maybe once I decide whether to paint the bracket, or stain it. No rush–nobody who cares even goes in the bedroom anyway.

I had the day off yesterday, so I spent the vast majority of it, working on a proper nursery for the Roxettes. It’ll be somewhere between 60 days and next spring before they hatch (assuming they do hatch), but average is 70 days, so there was no hurry, but I had the extra day, and although it was hot as hell, it’s not going to get better until September, so I went with what I had.

I’d gone to CHC after work on Monday because the only boards I had were 12″ clear pine that were rather wider and significantly more expensive than necessary for a box turtle nursery. The lumber guy was very nice; I’d told him that if he had a couple of ugly 6 or 8 inch boards he wanted to get rid of, this would be a good time to do it because it didn’t matter to me. He cut two 1×8 in half for me so they’d fit in HK, and then I asked for something small to make corner braces, and he said he had some scrap that he’d ripped off a 2″ board earlier. More on that later. I got some outdoor screws just in case I didn’t have anything here that was the right length.

It was approximately 8 million degrees outside, even at 7AM, but it was only 7 million in the gradge, so that’s where I started. No goddamned way was I going to dig out the table saw or the mitre saw, and P doesn’t like it if I use a skilsaw in there because there’s a lot of dust. It was too early to use the skilsaw outside–it’s loud, and the last thing I need is neighbours calling cops, and I know one who would–so that left me with a jigsaw. Since this was definitely a case of function over fashion, and two of the boards were already 4′ long, I just used that.

Not exactly cabinet making here; a 3′ x 4′ frame, butt joints because: a) I had only a jigsaw; and, b) neither the turtles nor I gave a rat’s arse. I placed the escape openings in that corner because when the frame is in place, I want them to go in the direction of the creek or Sarah-Flah’s Giant Flowerbed, not to the north (AKA Trash Pandaville), and not to the east because should they make it across the patio and around the house without becoming a cat toy, they’d end up in our postage-stamp front yard, and then on the street. There’s little traffic, but I’d be sick if one of them were killed for just not knowing which way to go. Anyway, butt joints, 2″ high escape openings because I read on a turtle rescue site that they’d tried 1″ and the baby turtles had trouble getting out, then they increased to 2″ and it was perfect. One board was slightly warped and wouldn’t draw, so I have one bad corner. Not going to come apart, but doesn’t look nice. Meh.

Oh, the corner braces! The nice lumber guy thought he was being helpful when he cut the short lengths he knew I wanted for corner braces, and he was trying so hard to be nice that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I needed 45 degree angles. I just didn’t have the energy and it was too fucking hot to dig out the table saw or the mitre saw, and the pieces were too short to cut with a skilsaw if I wanted to keep all ten fingers, so I said fuck it and did the best I could with a jigsaw. Frame complete–good enough!

I took the hardware cloth (leftovers from the Luna moth cocoon winter enclosure I built a few years ago) off the half-assed turtle nursery, and started to cut a straight edge. I had help in the form of a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar, trundling across the hardware cloth. I trekked him down to the pipevine because they’ve eaten all of the snakeroot, and on my way back, there was another, casually strolling across the patio. I took him to the pipevine, then went to the remains of the snakeroot to look for more. I found a few; they’re almost ready to pupate, but looked like they had a day’s worth of eating left. Maybe two. I took them to the pipevine, then found a tiny guy. I was going to take him to the wooly pipevine on the fence, but it was already occupied, so I found some tender leaves in Sarah-Flah’s Giant Flowerbed. While I was placing him, a female Pipevine Swallowtail was depositing eggs. I think it’s going to be another good year for this species! Anyway, once I’d finished caterpillar wrangling, I went back to work on the turtle nursery.

I used nail-in cable staples in the corners, regular staples (and lots of them!) on the rest because the nail-in ones would split a 1″ board if there were more than a few. Knowing raccoons as I do, they’ll worry the tiniest edge with their clever little hands until they get at whatever they’re after, so I put enough staples in this thing that I’m pretty sure I am now on Arrow’s Christmas card list.

Once I had the hardware cloth trimmed, I went around the edges with a scrap of wood, and pounded them all down flush. On the cut ends, I left the sharp wires, and just pushed them down so that any human picking it up wouldn’t get poked, but a raccoon trying to pick at the wire would get an unpleasant surprise. There–done!

I had to pull out the bachelors buttons that had volunteered there, but they were pretty much done anyway, and the bees and butterflies have lots of other flowers, so no real loss. The slabs of sandstone at the sides go on top because I don’t want skunks lifting the frame in their snuffling efforts to find worms, grubs, and insects. I put the flags back in; they’re a few inches from the edges of the hole that Roxy dug, so I’ll know the location of the actual nest.

Escape openings. Jigsaw blade was getting dull by this time, and I couldn’t be arsed to change it, but they’re not horrible.

Everything’s in place. Since I’d had to move some dirt around, and freshly dug, damp soil is a magnet for creatures that eat worms, I shoved some sweetgum balls around the spots where I’d dug soil. Given what else is available in our yard, and how close to the patio the nest is located, that should be enough to deter skunks. I know raccoons won’t bother spiky balls; their clever little hands are very sensitive, and spiky balls have worked to keep them from digging plants up around the pond.

Turtle nursery complete! Wait…something is missing. It’s a nursery, and no self-respecting nursery is without a…mobile! Some 1/4″ dowel left from winter roost houses, a hook/chain from a suet feeder (I always keep them, just in case), some fishing line and weights from P’s disused tackle box, and some laminated pictures of baby TMNT that I liberated off teh intarwebz.

P thought it was very funny, and they are rather cute!

Just a few shots I took…whenever I shot the video of BR and therefore had my camera on a tripod outside. P wanted a picture of a Sock, and then there were some hoodlum friends of Charlotte’s (though not Charlotte herself) down in the back forty.

Not great pictures because Sox are small and wary, so I have to zoom in instead of getting closer, but they’re so cute, and after feeding dozens of the little freeloaders all winter when they’re dull-coloured, it’s nice to have some hanging around in summer when they’re pretty (thanks in large part to the early-blooming flowers that are now going to seed).

Two of Charlotte’s hoodlum friends. Too bad I didn’t remove the cosmos stakes even though we had such crap weather this year that the flowers didn’t get to grow to their proper height. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be a bad photo.

Well, potential Roxettes, at least! P pointed Roxy out; he’d seen her while he was mowing. She’s usually in a flowerbed, but this time, she was right up by the patio. It was (and still is) hotter than hell, so I figured she was just doing her usual digging in an effort to stay cool(er…there is no cool here at this point in time). I said hi to her, left the grass alone where she was, and went about my business. I went to check on her after I’d finished; it was nearly 9PM because we’d started so late due to the heat. She was still there, so of course, I took a picture.

I’d Miffy-napped twice, so I was very late in going to bed. I was curious to see how deep a hole she’d dug, and, sure that she’d be off hunting snails or insects or something, I went over to look. She was still there, which I found odd. I thought perhaps something was wrong because she was half in and half out of her hole. I took another picture, then went to bed, but not before I started to wonder whether she might be doing something truly cool. I googled a little, then decided to wait until morning to see for sure.

I woke up late-ish, and the first thing I did was go and see whether perhaps Roxy had left us a present. Not only had she done just that, but she was still there, right next to a little spot of neatly tamped-down soil. If a turtle can be said to have an expression–and I choose to think they can–she looks rather proud of herself, I think.

So…now we have the nest of a near-threatened species of box turtle a few inches from the edge of the patio. Not that I would even consider it, but turtle eggs should never be moved except if absolutely necessary, and then only by an expert, because if they are turned, the baby turtles will die. I wonder why? Anyway, I won’t even pick Roxy up, let alone second-guess the nest site chosen by a creature whose relatives have been doing this for millions of years, so I decided to google the best way to protect the potential Roxettes. I had no boards 6″ or 8″ wide, but I’ll get some this week. For now, sandstone slabs will suffice to keep out curious predators. The babies couldn’t get out of this, but it’ll be at least a couple of months before they hatch, and they could even overwinter in their eggs, so it’s okay for now. Ugly as hell, but it’s in the back yard, and it’ll do until I get some boards that I can cut Roxette-doors in, and to which I can staple the hardware cloth securely. I’ll weight the frame down with sandstone, maybe. Don’t know yet, but I definitely want them to survive!

I just happened to be walking by the Bee Happy bed, thinking I need to kill the grass growing in it, when I noticed that among the 500-lb bees in the Oswego tea, there was a Snowberry Clearwing. I looked more closely and realized it was actually a Hummingbird Clearwing, but there was a Snowberry in the flowers, too. Gee, not hard to tell I grow a lot of honeysuckle, is it?

Not great photos; it’s hot, and I was in the sun, and they were flying. Good enough to know for sure what they are, though.

Hemaris diffinis:

Hemaris thysbe:

Well, actually Tic Tock, since it’s a Ticwatch E. I finally broke down and bought an actual smartwatch instead of those cheap Chinese ones with a 10′ BT range and little functionality beyond reading notifications. After a slightly rocky start last night, it seems to be functioning as it should; I have access to Google Girl, and wifi connectivity, and that’s really all I wanted. I refuse to give the gouging bastards at AT&T money every month for an extra line so I can leave my phone at home and still take the non-existent calls that I get so frequently, and besides, I feel weird if I don’t have my phone, so as long as I can see notifications, send texts or email, and have voice access to Google Girl, it’s good enough, and worth neither the cost of an extra line nor a $300+ watch.

I got the E instead of the S so I can change straps; the first thing I did when I got it was turn off all of the fitness stuff and the heart rate monitor, and I don’t intend to use it for outdoor sporting, so as long as the GPS has a general idea of where I am, it’s good enough. I don’t like the strap it came with, but one good thing about the Ticwatch E is that it takes standard 20mm straps without adapters. Ticwatch S has GPS in the band, so it can’t be changed, and since I don’t care about super-accurate GPS, but do care about using a standard band, I went with the E.

It’s not the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, but it’s quite responsive, and not huge like the Gear Frontier that I would otherwise have liked. No NMFC payments on the Ticwatch, but Schnuck’s is the only store around here that has it anyway, so meh.  I got a couple of glass screen protectors, and a cool metal strap I hope won’t look too bad with a polycarbonate-bodied watch. Both will be here Monday; I didn’t order them with the watch because I didn’t want to bother returning cheap things had I opened the watch and thought, “God, this thing is too ugly to put upon my person!”

It came with a couple of okay faces, and some seriously hideous ones, but I downloaded the Holo watch face for free, and it’s perfect. Time I can see, configurable for 24h time, date format (and even the spacers) that I can have the way I want, and the swooshie-thing is actually a battery display. That is awesome; I don’t need to know whether the battery is precisely at 78% or 79%, and I don’t want a stupid little battery icon. This looks nice, and gives me enough information to know whether I need to charge it or not. Since I’ve turned off all the fitness crap, step counter, and heart rate monitor, I think I’ll be able to get away with leaving the always-on screen and Ok Google detection on, and still not run out of juice.

The only apps I’ve downloaded have been the watch face, Hangouts so I can message R, Messages so I can send texts, and TinyCAM Pro because I wanted to see whether it would work. I took this last night, so the image is B&W, but I can indeed see my cameras on my watch. At least on wifi; I haven’t yet figured out for sure whether this watch will “piggyback” on my phone’s mobile data. I think it does, but I’m not positive yet.

I just took another photo of the same camera during the day.

Overall, it’s not a bad-looking watch; it can’t be the size of a dumb-watch because then the screen would be too small, and it has to be thicker because it’s not just displaying time, but it doesn’t look too dorky to wear. So far, I’m happy with it, and glad I didn’t cough up $300+ for a Gear. This should be good enough for my purposes, and at only slightly more than half the price of a Gear, I’ll take it. Hopefully, it won’t crap out on me after 6 months or something.

I’m always happy to see “my” turtle. I know it’s Roxy for sure because I got a better picture of her this time. Same chip out of her carapace; just a little more worn than last year.

Round Two of the Pipevine faterpillars. I just love these crazy-looking little guys.

First Grey Stick bloom of 2018 found this morning. MLBs will be happy about it, and so will the 500 Pound Bees!

I set up the camera on Saturday thinking it would take days, if not weeks, to get BR, but he and his mate both made several visits. Hopefully that means the Red-headed Woodpecker population has increased by however many chicks they had, and they now have more free time to visit with us.

We were mowing the lawn when P saw her, she was digging in, and I won’t pick her up, so the picture is bad, but she’s an ornate with a chill attitude and a big chip out of the front of her carapace, so I know it’s Boxy Roxy. Back for the third year at Parview. I was so happy to see her!

The second wave of Pipevine nomapillars.

Cool-looking seed pod on Virginia Snakeroot.

Partridge Pea seeded itself everywhere this year, but it’s welcome.

The recent rains have made the 544 Bright Lights bloom beautifully. They didn’t get very tall, but the flowers were covered with bees and even a Snowberry Clearwing.

Pretty white lily in the pond. Which, BTW, now has crystal clear water. Yaaayyy!