I am very much locked into the Apple ecosystem. I use a 2020 MacBook Air - no Tahoe for me - and an iPhone 13 Mini. When I move on from my Air, maybe in the next year, I have been wondering whether to move to an iPad and leave behind MacOS. Why? A good question. A part of the answer is in simplification - I am thinking of an iPad Mini, though I will first need to see it in store, in case it is too small - though would it really be simplification?

I have been asking myself what I use my devices for? Mainly a handful of things, namely,

I have not looked into this in detail yet, simply because I am not ready to make the move right now, but I do have a couple of concerns.

  1. File storage: My files are mainly stored on my MacBook Air. What are my options for an iPad?
  2. Backup: I currently have two backup strategies. A hard drive powered by TimeMachine & Backblaze for offsite, cloud backup. Again what are my options for an iPad.
  3. Applications: At first glance, most of the apps that I use on MacOS are available on iOS. One exception that does come to mind is Calibre. I’ll have to take a closer look at this, see if there are any other apps that would cause me concern, and what other options might be, if any.

No rush here providing my trusted work horses keep going, but I’ve given myself plenty of food for thought.

A reflection of Alcácer do Sal’s pedestrian bridge in the River Sado.

A reflection of a bridge in a muddy river. White buildings are in the right river bank. Blue and cloudy sky above.

Empowered by Music

Some music seems to allow me to see past what I perceive to be all the blocks in my life, all the limitations, all those invisible and maybe not so invisible barriers preventing me from moving forward. I hear a specific piece of music and doors and windows are suddenly flung open. The grime is cleared from my foggy mind and I see before me a world of possibilities where there were none before.

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Looking across some of the newly flooded rice fields in Alcácer do Sal, this morning.

A flooded rice field looking like a small lake. In the distance is a small town of white houses. Above a dark cloud hangs ominously.

Some people, I find, have a way of making me and my day feel so much better through a simple action.

Thank you to the woman working at a cash register this morning at Continente on the edge of Grândola, Portugal. With our produce rung up and paid for, before I could speak any of my bubbling Portuguese, our teller gave the most natural smile and said in perfect English, ”Thank you and have a good weekend.” Her words felt heartfelt.

A simple, gracious deed, especially against the backdrop of the world’s problems, made my day that little bit brighter. It’s the simple things that make a difference.

Visits from our Neighbours and Apple Maps

Our neighbours from Maui stopped by over lunch two days ago to visit us in Alcácer do Sal. They had been up north in Ericeira visiting their daughter’s family and were heading to the Algarve for a long weekend. Their visit was all too brief, but in their favour they managed to get lost coming into town, which negated us having to take them around town - they did the self-guided tour!

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Thankfully this little guy was not for real.

A model rabbit in a small cadge hanging outside with a wall behind and foliage visible.

Just after I arrived in Portugal, the weather in Alcácer do Sal was in the high 30’s°C for a few days. The heat literally beat down on us. It was tiring, exhausting to be out. But not wanting to stay in, I went for a walk and this fountain in the local park was a welcome respite, the force of the water offering a cool breeze.

Dreaming of Wales. Back to an image that I took a couple of weeks ago while I was in Bristol, England. This is taken from Seawalls, looking down the River Avon towards the Bristol Channel. In the distance are the hills of Wales. I lived in South East Wales for almost 20 years, and a part of my heart is still there.

Looking from above and down the River Avon winding through lush green hills on one side and a road and hillside on the other. In the distance are hill, under a partly cloudy sky.

It’s been a week since I have posted anything here, and I am probably behind with a few stories and images. So here is a photo from yesterday in Lisbon. This character greeted us after lunch.

A drawing on a wall in black ink or pen of a character with a large head, wearing a hat with unreadable text and displaying an exaggerated grin, is depicted on a wall. A short shirt reveals his belly button.

Finished reading: Spring by Michael Morpurgo. 📚

I finished reading this while listening to Ralph Vaughn Williams’s Lark Ascending, which felt wholly appropriate for a book describing a British Spring.

I came across this conversation on YouTube and found it fascinating. A short conversation with physicist Dr. Brian Cox and Stephan Colbert, in which Cox explores or asks the question of what it means to be who we are in the vastness of the Universe.

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A rainbow, or should I say a double rainbow that showed itself while I was in Britain. My wife sent me the photograph, so photo credit to her. 🌈

A vibrant double rainbow arches over a lush garden landscape with a clear blue sky and scattered clouds. Long shadows extend across the lawn.

A visit back home to Bristol is not complete without a walk across the Downs.

An oak tree with a thick trunk and multiple sprawling branches is set against a blue sky with green foliage and grass in the background.

Beech tree branches with a dense canopy of green and copper coloured leaves create a natural ceiling, allowing specks of sunlight to filter through.

Cricket on The Close.

A large open field features a cricket game in progress, in the background are the buildings of Clifton College, a private school in Bristol, England. To the right is a large tent. All under a clear blue sky.

This morning’s view. The TWA hotel at JFK.

A corridor on an incline with a red carpet on the floor, curved white walls and a sand colored ceiling. At the far end a faint blue room is visible.

This morning there were four rainbows over the space of a couple of hours. One was too big to capture in one photo. Because of the number and size, I have made two collages of this morning’s rainbows 🌈

A collage of two photos of a rainbow against a grey cloudy sky over a hill of vegetation and a lawn.

A collage of three photos of rainbows against a cloudy sky over vegetation and a lawn.

These two were out for a stroll this morning.

Another snail I saw making its way across the driveway. An hour later it was almost across. Oh to live such an unhurried life.

Two snails crawling through the grass. A sunny hillside is seen in the distance.

A rainbow spotted while out walking this evening 🌈

Looking across a field of rough long grass, bushes and trees. A part rainbow is visible between a tree and the ground. Large clouds hang over head.

Looking across a field to a rainbow rising up out of the ocean. Big cloud in the sky.

☔ Well that sudden but big downpour cleared my head. I’m constantly surprised how atmospheric pressure build up gives me a headache. I probably shouldn’t be by now. I think that it is more surprise that such happens. I guess that my head is just sensitive to atmospheric conditions?

It cleared the air as well. Everything feels fresher now.