tesla – Page 2 – Stilgherrian

25 May 202525 May 2025

Weekly Wrap 782: Now is the winter of our fluffed-up pigeon

A random rock dove (Columba livia), dark grey with light grey mottling on its wings, is fluffed up against the cold. It stands on a stainless steel rubbish bin in a park. In the background autumn leaves from London plane trees (Platanus × hispanica) are scattered on the lawn.

My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 May 2025 began with a solid burst of productivity, and then it rained a bunch, and then it all ended as I wished. I even scored a very special purchase, but I’m not telling you about that yet. The pigeon is from last week. And I know it isn’t actually winter yet.

19 May 202521 May 2025

Weekly Wrap 781: The Three Sisters who inspire productivity, or something

The view from the top of a very tall cliff down into a rugged valley, the floor of which is about 500 metres below. In the distance are sandstone cliffs a couple hundred metres high, and beyond that more mountains, all shaded blue. Yes, the Blue Mountains do look blue, thanks to chemicals exuded by the eucalypt trees, which cover the entire landscape apart from the vertical sandstone cliffs. Dominating the foreground on the left is a sandstone outcrop, thrusting upwards into three tall stacks. These are the Three Sisters.

During my week of Monday 12 to Sunday 18 May 2025 a client project reached a significant milestone, and I was very happy. I’m sure it has something to do with my visit to the Three Sisters the previous Saturday. I also started locking in the podcast production schedule.

05 May 202505 May 2025

Weekly Wrap 779: What a great big ship (and podcasts)!

A grey and drizzly day on Sydney Harbour. On the left is a warship, which we’re seeing from slightly off its starboard bow. It’s a modern landing [ship] helicopter dock (LHD), and the ski ramp on its bow looms over us. To its left towers a crane. On the right, however, we can see the Sydney CBD in the background, its skyscrapers and the distinctive Sydney Tower blurred out in the mists.

My week of Monday 28 April to Sunday 4 May 2025 was remarkably productive, with one podcast produced and a second recorded, and even some billable hours for clients. So I’m having to illustrate this post wth a photo from last week’s ferry trip to Manly.

27 April 202528 April 2025

Weekly Wrap 778: I take the ferry to Manly during an inside-out week, for some reason

It’s a beach scene, looking out onto the ocean with small, gently-rolling waves washing up on a yellow sand beach. The water is turquoise in the shallows, grading to a deep blue on the horizon. Overhead, threatening clouds billow and brood, although for the moment the beach itself is in sunlight. In the right-hand foreground, an older man in dark green t-shirt and brown shorts carries a red and yellow surfboard toward the water’s edge. Never change, Manly. Minutes after this photo was taken, the entire scene disappeared into a grey blur of drizzle and cloud.

My week of Monday 21 to Sunday 27 April 2025, like the one before it, was inside out. It’s the public holidays and the weekend days which have been busy, with fatigue hitting during the week. So it was a trip to Manly on Tuesday, and podcast work on the holidays.

06 April 202516 April 2025

Weekly Wrap 775: The pollen turns their poo yellow!

Close-up of a banksia flower, probably a variety of Banksia spinulosa, or hairpin banksia. The tall cylindrical inflorescences (flower spikes) have hundreds or even thousands of individual little flowers arranged along its length like a bottle brush. Each one is yellow, ending in a dark red hook. Sitting on this flower is a small bee.

My week of Monday 31 March to Sunday 6 April 2025 wasn’t very productive, but I’m feeling much, much better after a too-long period of fatigue. Have a flower. Have a bonus bee.

30 March 202506 April 2025

Weekly Wrap 774: Magpies are so talonted, yeah?

Close-up photo of the feet of an Australian magpie perched on a wooden doorframe. On each foot, there are three curved toes with claws in front of the wooden frame and one behind. All is shiny and black. Slightly out of focus in the upper background is the lower part of the bird’s body, white feathers below and black chest and wing feathers above.

During my week of Monday 24 to Sunday 30 March 2025 the numbers of my magnificent Magpie Army started to swell again, with 18 of them visiting the other morning. I took a photo. I also produced a podcast, launched a crowdfunder, and squeezed out a newsletter.