Escape from the city

Aug 28, 2026 · Maine Event

Late last night, Matt's work computer went kaput. After a certain amount of panic, we realized he would need to work within the bureaucracy to get a new one during the time we thought we would come back up to Olema. So that all happened in the wee hours, then we worked until 2 or so and then drove up. And here we are in this gorgeous place with so many birds and trees. It seems so glorious. On very foggy mornings, sometimes you can smell West Marin scent being imported to SF.

While we were home yesterday, we put our house more or less back together. The contractors are done. We passed inspection. The W/D was delivered and works great. The new heating system is spectacular, and the feel of it is more like an old-timey radiator heater. The way it works is that it uses your hot water tank to heat air, which is then blown into your ducts. It feels much nicer than our previous. The Charlie Copper stove is fast and accurate. The oven heats to 400° in 4 mins - although it lacks the personality of the Wedgewood.

Some links:

I've been upset about the devastation in Nepal and Tibet. 165 feet a second. When mountains send stuff down, it's not good.

Marmots steal your shoes, but even more they eat your wires. Turns out the mice do this too. Do you think the animals are starting trying to tell us something? Or are wires tasty - don't knock it till you try it?

Even the colors are changing in the forest

Close-up of the meadow. I love the color/texture going on. It's super wild and raw.

Just the tail end of a quick sunset that had lit up the whole bank of the fog

6:36 am – 7:44 pm, which is 13 hours and 8 minutes of daylight (Portland, Maine is now 13 hours and 20 minutes - closer!)

The bird of the day is the Greater Prairie-Chicken

Here is a poem for you.

Love, Tawnia

Bird List: 46 species today

Canada Goose
California Quail
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Western Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Brown Pelican
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Barn Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Western Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bushtit
Wrentit
Brown Creeper
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Yellow Warbler
Wilson's Warbler