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The Mallard Ducks are back

RichC
The Mallard Ducks are back
Seeing Mallard Ducks show up in the spring “like clockwork” had me wondering just how long this particular pair has been showing up at our pool (still covered) and landscape pond … and how long they live (see below)?  For years ducks show up in the spring, have been chased by our dog Tootsie (for the 17 years of her life), and usually find a place to nest — it is sometimes odd where eggs show up?

Is a Costco membership worth it?

RichC
Is a Costco membership worth it?
After one year of Costco Executive membership it was time to ask the “is it worth it” question. Thankfully for us, after one year, it did pay for itself for the first year. For us, at least for the first year, being an Executive Member vs Gold Star Member at Costco did pay off, but we also bought too much stuff! So how about in 2024? After my back of the envelope calculations came up with a net gain of $26 for 2023, it was time to think about 2024; Do we upgrade or downgrade?

October has made investors nervous for nearly 100 years

RichC
What is there about October that upsets people and financial markets? For nearly a century investors get nervous this time of year. Unfortunately watching the market as closely as I do, one would think I would have sold stocks at the first sign of trouble in October. Nope, I expected better from a few of my conservative holdings , but they are not immune ($CVX, $XOM and utility CEFs and ETFs).

A young chef in the making

RichC
From experience, I do know that younggist children in the U.S. (often farm kids -- or commercial fisherman kids) were responsible for home chores, pitched in with caring for their siblings ... and over a century ago (thankfully) would be sent to work outside the home. But in many parts of the world, children learn a bit younger how to take care of themselves and their families. Here is one destined to work in a kitchen, or at least as a street vendor.

Flyover images of mountains on Pluto

RichC
As a boy growing up enamored with the NASA Apollo program and going to the moon in the 1960s, I’m still a little peeved at Pluto’s demotion from planet status. Nevertheless, I’m amazed at the New Horizon spaceship’s video flying over the mountains of Pluto. Amazing and a worthwhile Friday Filler on MyDesultoryBlog.com.

A curved glass bird feeder idea

RichC
For those with with a love for feeding birds and access to a curved piece of glass (or perhaps the ability to heat and curve plexiglass???) … here’s an interesting project idea. Click on image for a short .mp4 video Although having this bird feeder in your window might get old after a while, it would be a great idea for those shut-in or able to convince an assisted living facility to be able to put this in a window.

Working with MarsEdit for MyDesultoryBlog.com

RichC
This is a test only post from a new to me Mac app called MarsEdit. It is similar to my much loved Open Live Writer on Windows, but without a few of the features or ablity to preview the blog format while typing. Still I’m going to give it a try and see if I can adjust to it. Just added my own macro to MarsEdit with the “Read More” tag to split posts (missing).