Cracked into my last stash of Honest Tea ~ The joy of drinking this delight ends soon.

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Update on the countries and states I've visited

 The number of countries I've visited is still scant, but I added a whole new continent to my list in 2019.

Coverage within the US has expanded a little too, as of 2022.

My coverage within Canada last expanded in 2019 too.

My Mexico coverage hasn't expanded in more than a few years.

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"Love Actually" is the Nickelback of movies.

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City chickens 🐓 thinkin' that I'd just feed them as I walked by on the sidewalk

 

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Likely wrong, but verify your local laws to be certain

 

In the US, the rule for which lanes you are allowed to take on turns varies by state. However, the rule shown in this image is likely untrue in most places. Instead, more often than not, the right-of-way driver is allowed to pick their lane.

Of course, this post isn't legal advice, so check local laws to know the rule for your area. However, many people mistakenly believe their state allows them to turn when they don't have the right-of-way. A better rule is to always yield to right-of-way, regardless (because you never know what the other person is going to do).

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Awesome afternoon "Jamaican" crepe at Crepevine in Willowglen

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Wild Raspberries

'Midst verdant New Hampshire groves,

Midsummer rambles begin,

Paths dappled with sunbeams in droves,

Thru valleys and over crest therein.

Beneath the boughs, a shaded trail,

Respite from day's warm gleam,

Where birds chirp, squirrels flit and hail,

A hushed wonderland, a dream.

A crimson glint amidst the thorns,

Bramble with hidden treasure,

Sweet raspberries, ruddy adorn,

Luring with their vibrant pleasure.

Fragrance wafts upon the breeze,

Drawing with an urging thrill,

As if by magic they appease,

Beckoning call to nature's will.

Berries gleam, a ruby hue,

So plump, ripe, and tempting,

Flavors tart, sweet, and true,

Nature's gift, pure and uplifting.

Nectar of the sun, they hold,

Jewels on the verdant earth,

A bounty to be savored bold,

A moment of unbridled mirth.

With each indulgent, blissful bite,

Their sweetness floods my senses true,

And in this fleeting moment's light,

I am one with nature anew.

A fleeting visitor, am I,

In this wild, enchanting space,

Yet memory of the berry's lure,

Lingers long, a smile on my face.

----

I worked with ChatGPT 3.5 to write this poem.  Though most of these words and phrases aren't directly mine, the key phrases are directly from me; with most of elements being prompted by me in one way or another.  The poem isn't a masterpiece, but it's not bad either.  The creative role I performed was actually in the interaction with the chatbot trying to work though its abilities and limitations to get a modestly good result.  

The first chatbot version of this poem was passable, but not good.  In several iterations, the chatbot "forgot" the topic of the poem and focused on some secondary detail.  I had to redirect the chatbot several times.  I was moderately impressed with how well the chatbot handled minor edits, though it made unrequested changes to unaffected portions of the poem almost every time, so I had to review each iteration to revert unintended edits.  Of course, the process took a couple of hours.  

I could've written something better than this in the same amount of time on my own.  I might try this experiment again with different prompt.

BTW, the image above is from Stable Diffusion.

3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 - In-person and Virtual

February 11 - 18, 2023, we had a great return after the long night in Nashville, TN, with Heather Hasz, Michael Lord, Chin-loo Lama, Kendra Wardlow, Yoshihiro Dobashi, Joe Lance, Justin Kidder, Kristen Wilson Syrek, Santiago Laverde, Brenda Monahan, Salih Majid Al Ani, Michel Cloutier, Ian Hogg, Utpal Kumar, Avelino Rochino, Frank Ruepp, Alice Caspari, Sal Lama, Dan Ferrucci-Herzberg, Mark Burhop, Steve Calvert, Ryo Tanaka, Ian Pilkington, Barb Schmitz, Erin Kimbrell, Kirby Downey, Tara Hodgetts, Ditmars Veinbachs, Dan Riffell, John Matrishon, Josh Mayes, Robert Jost, Brad Williamson, Karen Daley, Mark Martel, Luke Daley, Matthieu Fourcade, Mike Buchli, Mike Sabocheck, Rachael Naoum, Brad Meador, Saurav Saha, Mark Rushton, Pruthvi Venketesh, Ian Baxter, Betty Baker, Shigeo Kimura, Shravan Jodalli, Jeff Niederman, Brian Zias and many others.  Places visited include L27, Nashville Music City Center, Pins Mechanical Co., Downtown Nashville, Bakersfield and Pancake Pantry.  (Original post/backup link)

Toby has passed

With Alice and Joie. Toby loved playing fetch on the stairs, barking at critters on TV, running on grass, long walks and hikes in new places, smelling the flowers (literally), lounging on our laps, and so much more. You are and will always be missed. (Original post/backup link)

Just some of the damage from Marshall Fire of 2022, one year ago.

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Sushi @ Sushi Monster in Belmont

 

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Palm tree backlit by the Moon at night

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Thanksgiving Squirrel

This Thanksgiving squirrel is thankful that my dogs cannot climb trees. As Toebzilla and Joie barked from different points around the tree, this little guy scooched around to hide behind the trunk.

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EDIT: So, who know?  #thanksgivingsquirrel is apparently a thing on Instagram.  Not a big thing, but there's more than a few postings with this hashtag, going back to 2013; with the first post resembling a bigfoot photo.  And, there's even some activity on twitter.  Fun!

Duane and Mary Acheson Bench is the perfect place to rest on the way back up the hill on this hike

 

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Banana Cream and Mint Chip on a Waffle Cone for my first visit and the last day of this ice cream parlor's season

 

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Goodbye Nichelle Nichols

My impression of Nichelle Nichols from our brief meeting is that she was a thoughtful and friendly sweetheart. The world is less bright without her.

Nichelle Nichols, 12/28/1932 - 07/30/2022

'STAR TREK' STAR NICHELLE NICHOLS DEAD AT 89 (backup)

Morning beverages at First Watch

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These berries are blue, but are they blueberries?

 

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Streets ahead?

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Rays Boathouse

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