With a dose of curiosity I recently asked Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT the following question, “Can you please look at the website www.crossingthethreshold.net and tell me what sort of person you think David Johnson is?" When I make use of AI, ChatGPT has been the platform that I go to. Why? Probably because as far as I am aware it was the first to appear for mainstream use, I started tinkering with it and over time have got used to its idiosyncrasies.
🤪 Life is crazy at times, throwing options at me both of which I can say “yes” to, but in a given moment one is getting in the way of another.
As I have written here a few times over the last couple of weeks, Maui is in bad need of rain. There have been showers, but what we need is a steady downpour over a number of days…maybe with the occasional break for some sun.
This afternoon we are hoping to get our solar system serviced, which sits on our roof. Today and the coming week (as far as I can trust the forecast here), looks like the best option that we have had for a while for a decent amount of rain. There was a shower this morning and the clouds are building. AND I don’t want the solar engineers not to be able to work on the roof. We have been waiting a long time for this service.
Rain yes. Rain no. Service…yes please. ⚘
This morning’s rainbow. 🌈
This morning’s (partial) rainbow. 🌈
I have just read BinaryDigit’s Trying to Blog More Often. This was responded to in turn by, Robert Birming and his post, Write whatever whenever, Sylvia and her post, Blogging for joy’s sake, and Alexandra and her post, For the love of the written word. There are possibly others out there as well? Do let me know if you are one. Why do I blog? I find it hard to put my finger on one solid reason,
Two photos of the cloud patterns this morning. The one on the left taken just before sunrise, the other was taken about an hour later.
😶 A quiet day is coming to an end. My wife has been off island for most of it, so I have been home alone. At least I was after taking my step-daughter’s dog to the vet, and almost missing that appointment due to some work on overhead cables in the most inconvenient place - holding up weekend traffic heading to the coast or into town. After a week of feeling unwell, I have appreciated the time to rest quietly. And I also appreciated having my step-daughter’s swimming pool next door. I sat in the warm water as the sun set this evening. I would still love some rain, but the clouds, sun, stilling wind and colours in the sky were perfect. I now sit waiting for my wife to return. ⚘
It’s been a slow day. I’m still feeling under the weather. I’ve no idea what I have. An acupuncture appointment this morning caused me to rest deeper later in the day. Now I am at home, quiet, missing an invitation to dinner with some dear friends, but appreciating the silence and stillness of home. The socializing would have been too much. ⚘
This will probably sound eternally ungrateful to those who would love some good weather, but I am getting fed up with these days of clear blue skies and hot sun! We are in the second week of October for goodness sake. Autumn is here. Where is the rain? In the past this has been a time to start dropping into the rainy season. Maybe not everyday, but at least enough rain to keep the world around us green…and to spice up the weather….
🤒 The last few days have seen me achy and low on energy. The vog, volcanic fog, might be in part to blame. The Trade winds have pretty much died out this week, giving the chance for the vog to drift over from the Big Island of Hawai’i. However, while vog can create lethargy I don’t think that it is totally to blame for how I feel right now. I hear that there is “something” going around, and I think that I have just become run down and picked up some version of that something.
So a day of pacing myself and not overdoing it. ⚘
As I followed the road as it meandered along the cliff tops, I looked out to the ocean. Everyone does while on this stretch of road. One can’t help but doing so. The ocean is suddenly in front of you.
The surfers are checking out the swell, is it worth stopping by later to catch some waves?
The visitors to the island just to sit in awe of the vast expanse ocean, and if the surfers are out, to capture their movements.
And even for the regular commuter, just to enjoy the natural beauty.
It is not unusual for traffic to slow over this stretch.
Today this ocean is like a mill pond. Still and calm, with hardly a ripple upon it. Though the surfers are still out there in force, looking to catch whatever the sea will offer up.
I heard the following yesterday and it has sat with me ever since,
Story telling is not just about remembering the past, it is about shaping the future.
The words jumped out at me when I heard them. They rang true in a way that I’m not sure that I can articulate right now.
As I find myself looking back over a time in my life from about 40 years ago, wanting to explore it and make sense of it in my life right now, I wonder if that is where I hear this quote speaking to me?
I will hold these words in mind as I reflect and write further about that time.
🩻 An early morning checkup scan means no food and only sips of water. I’ll be going looking for food and coffee afterwards. ⚘
🐶 We are looking after my wife’s daughter’s dog while she is away. This morning he got out of our property through a hole in the fence that I have not been able to find yet. The morning started off hot and he was in no hurry to listen to us to and stop running further away from us - he had his freedom and was enjoying himself. Thankfully he did not get hurt and I eventually caught him (my morning shower was by then null and void - I was dripping in sweat). Next job, to seal every hole that he might have squeezed through, however tight that squeeze might look to be. ⚘
🏢 I joined a meeting based in the UK last night, via Zoom. I do so about once a month. Depending on whether British Summer Time is current or not, the meeting starts at 11:00pm or 12:00am Hawaii Time (the clocks do not change through the seasons in Hawaii). The meeting usually ends between 1:00am and 2:00am, sometimes going on for longer. I rarely make it past 1:30am and the following day, always a Monday, is pretty much a write off for me. Right now I am feeling exhausted. ⚘
🕔 An early start to my Sunday, taking family to the airport for a business & pleasure trip. Things will be quieter around here for the next three weeks. ⚘
🥱 Last night was late - 1:00am to bed, a time that my body was rebelling against - looking after my grandson while waiting for the rest of the family to return home from the Maui County Fair. Today has been slow. ⚘
A flowering Yucca_gloriosa in our front yard. I don’t think that I have ever seen flower at this time of year. I associate them with Spring.
🎠 We’ll be heading to the 98th Maui County Fair this evening with the grandkids. This year’s Fair will be the first one since COVID. It will also be the first time that I have been to a County Fair here on Maui. So a new experience for me tonight. ⚘
📱 First world problem. I am considering whether to replace my loved iPhone 13 Mini with a new phone. The battery capacity of the Mini is down to 81%. I had it on low power mode all day yesterday in Honolulu. It made it through the day, just, though I didn’t use it too much and my wife dealt with Ubers on her more powerful phone. A battery replacement will cost me about $200 here on Maui, and though I haven’t checked yet I believe I would get a good trade in deal if I were to go the ‘new’ route. A new battery will see me through another four years, should my older eyes still be happy with the size…and my mind not be craving new technology. Oh decisions! ⚘