Cape Honeysuckle

An Interesting Development

 

Cape honeysuckle is native to southern Africa but grows, like a weed, in my California backyard. 

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

National Cookie Exchange Day

December 22 is National Cookie Exchange Day

National Cookie Exchange Day is supposed to be a festive day wherein  groups get together to bake their own cookie creations and swap them to enjoy a variety of flavors.

That is not going to happen here. But, I do have photos of home cooked cookies  that people have given to me over the years. 

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Pocket Knife Triptych

Tools With A Purpose

Three useful knives listed in the order in which I remember buying them:

Kershaw Baby Boa

Kershaw Baby Boa: photo by Cliff Hutson

Kershaw's Baby Boa knife, designed by Ken Onion. It uses a "SpeedSafe" torsion bar mechanism for assisted opening. This system allows the user to simply press the tang extension to snap the blade open and lock it in place.

Kershaw Chive

Kershaw Chive: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Kershaw Chive, also designed by Ken Onion, is one of the most popular assisted opening knives ever made.

Leatherman Skeletool KBx

Leatherman Skeletool KBx: photo by Cliff Hutson

A versatile combination blade, that can make precision cuts and slice through tougher materials. The built-in bottle opener on the clip is handy as well.

EDC

Knives are tools, functional items many people integrate into their daily lives. I have used the Skeletool as a regular part of my EDC for about two years. However, I will be switching back to the Chive as I believe it is easier to deploy. The Baby Boa is a good knife, but it is not as comfortable for me to handle as the other two and it is important that one be able to use their tools.

Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day

 Back to the Future or Ahead to the Past?

World Time 1972 Reissue: photo by Cliff Hutson

Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day is observed each December 8, which entices people to act as if they are from another time period, either past or future.  The original blog post that got the day rolling can be found here.  Since this post has not been made in a timely manner, I have noticed that the comics Day by Dave and Frazz have also taken notice of the celebration of the day.

Even though I feel that much of my life is performative, I am much too inhibited to go out in public and act as if I am a time traveler. However, I do have some time related photographs of a few of the modest watches in my modest watch collection that tie into the subject.

The above image is of a type of watch known as a world time are designed to display the time in multiple time zones simultaneously, making them ideal for travelers of the terrestrial type. As illustrated, if you know the time in San Francisco you can determine what time it is in 22 other cities around the globe. 

GMT Watch: photo by Cliff Hutson

This next watch has a complication commonly called an Office GMT. Its purpose is to show the time  in your home country, e.g. your office, and  to display a time zone in a different area of the world. This function is also known as a Caller GMT as it is very useful if one is doing business, or has relatives, overseas so that you don't try to contact them at an inconvenient time.  While there are GMT watches decidedly designed for the purpose, this watch would also work while traveling.

Back to the Future: photo by Cliff Hutson

This last watch is directly connected to time travel. It is a Casio CA53W-1 which is the current iteration of the watch worn by Marty McFly in the last two of the three Back to the Future movies. Some sources say that he had a CA-50 in the first one.

So, I am running out of time to get posted on my every Monday schedule. If only I could go back and do it time for those of you who would have participated had had ample warning. Oh well, there is always next year.

Reading Log: November 2025

 The books that I finished reading in the month of November 2025

November 2025 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Chasing the Dime," Michael Connelly

"2054," Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavrids 

“The Proving Ground,” Michael Connelly

“Exit Strategy,” Lee Child and Andrew Child

“Dead Lions,” Mick Herron

“Real Tigers,” Mick Herron

Studio Tour

The family visited Warner Bros. Studios and toured over 100 years of storytelling history:

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Tradecraft

 Use Your Tools

"Technology gets better everyday. That's fine. But most of the time all you need is a stick of gum, a pocket knife and a smile."

- Nathan Muir 

Pocket Knife: photo by Cliff Hutson

Area Code Day

 Area Code Day is celebrated on November 10

Phone Booth: photo by Cliff Hutson

Wikipedia tells us; "Telephone administrations that manage telecommunication infrastructure of extended size, such as a large country, often divide the territory into geographic areas. This benefits independent management by administrative or historical subdivisions, such as states and provinces, of the territory or country. Each area of subdivision is identified in the numbering plan with a routing code. This concept was first developed in the planning for a nationwide numbering plan for Operator Toll Dialing and Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) in the Bell System in the United States in the 1940s, a system that resulted in the North American Numbering Plan for World Zone 1. AT&T divided the United States and Canada into numbering plan areas (NPAs), and assigned to each NPA a unique three-digit prefix, the numbering plan area code, which became known in short-form as NPA code or simply area code. The area code is prefixed to each telephone number issued in its service area."

Someone decided that this needed to celebrated.

Reading Log: October 2025

 The books that I finished reading in the month of October 2025

October 2025 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"The Targeter," Nada Bakos 

"Cry Havoc," Jack Carr

"Agents of Innocence," David Ignatius 

"Slow Horses," Mick Herron

"Pariah," Dan Fesperman 

EDC

 The EDC of a sketchy old man:

Everyday Carry (EDC): photo by Cliff Hutson

▪ Leatherman Skeletool KBx

▪ Wallet

▪ Space Pen

▪ Field Notes memo book

▪ Casio G-SHOCK DW5600BCE-1

▪ Leatherman Style PS

EDC stands for “Every Day Carry,” not, in my case, Electric Daisy Carnival. Your everyday carry is the collection of items you carry with you in your pockets or your bag on a daily basis. For some, it has become a lifestyle. For others of us, it is just stuff that you might need in the course of being out and about doing what needs to done.

National Chicken and Waffles Day

 Off Topic

October 20th is  National Chicken and Waffles Day. I usually mark these occasions by posting photographs I have taken of the subject in question. However, it seems that over the many years that I have been cooking and taking photos I have never done this combination.  But, as I have nothing better to offer, I am posting some snaps of waffles and other foods.

So, this week it came down to this lame effort or nothing at all and I did not want to break my streak.

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day: 10/13/2025

Bay Leaves and Chiles: photo by Cliff Hutson

 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is observed on the second Monday in October, in many parts of the United States, in recognition of the histories, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, and their ancestors, who live in what is now known as North America. 

I have written about this holiday several times before; here, here, and here. So, I am taking the day off to mark this occasion. 

Reading Log: September 2025

 The books that I finished reading in September 2025

September 2025 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"True Believer," Jack Carr

"Savage Son," Jack Carr

"2034," Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavrids 

"Sheepdogs," Elliot Ackerman

"The Gray Man," Mark Greaney 

Fire Challenge Coin (Front): photo by Cliff Hutson

Fire Challenge Coin (Reverse): photo by Cliff Hutson

National Coffee Day

 National Coffee Day is celebrated on September 29, 2025

This is an easy day to observe as for most Americans coffee is a daily ritual, with two-thirds drinking at least one cup a day and many enjoying multiple cups at home or on the go. If you should be wondering about to participate, this site may give you some ideas.

As for me, I will just drink the usual three cups that I have with my breakfast, at home, and then get on with my day. But, I have posted a few coffee related photographs.

Musical note:  

"They've Got an Awful Lot of Coffee in Brazil"

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Autumnal Equinox - 2025

The First Day Fall - 2025 

Autumn Trilogy Notebooks: photo by Cliff Hutson

The autumnal equinox in 2025 occurs today (September 22) at 2:19 PM EDT (11:19 AM PDT). This marks the official start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

I have used a photo of some notebooks by Field Notes as the leaves where I live will not start to turn for several weeks. I wrote about this phenomena some years ago.

Takes a licking . . .

 . . . and keeps on ticking

Timex Watch: photo by Cliff Hutson

I grew up the heyday of the commercials that John Cameron Swayze did for Timex watches. Therefore, when I saw the Urban Pop 40mm Eco-Friendly Strap Watch on sale I just had to but it for the nostalgia value alone. However, I ware it because it looks good ( to me anyway) and is comfortable on my wrist.

However, I have no plans to test it and see if it holds up as well as the watches of the past. While it has a water resistance rating of 50 meters, I do not have access to an outboard motor.

FWIW: Water resistance 

50 meters = 5 bars = 5 atmosphere = 165 feet = 73.5 PSI

• Worry-free accidental splashing 
• Can wear in rain and snow
• Can submerge in water
• Safe to swim in the pool and ocean