My A6 to A5 Techo Upgrade

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/20 sec, ISO800
“Daily Timeline” Cedar Park, 2026

I’ve been using the Hobonichi Cousin Avec for a couple of weeks now, and I’m really enjoying the bigger size. My little A6 techo is compact and cute, but the A5 is just a better writing experience overall. The pages lie flatter, so I can use my Clampy, and I get to write at my normal size instead of concentrating on keeping my letters tiny. There are still spots where small writing is a must, like the daily timeline in the photo, but even there I’ve got twice the space to work with. And on the free-writing pages, I can just write without worrying about size at all. As a bonus, I’ve got more room to print bigger photos too. Overall, I’m happy with the mid-year switch to the Avec ✏️

Pepper Summer

“Scotch Bonnets” Cedar Park, 2026

This summer’s pepper plants are thriving! A friend recommended watering plenty and fertilizing often, and it’s really paid off. I’ve never harvested so many peppers from our Scotch Bonnet plant before, and the others are doing amazing too. I’ve been enjoying them every day, little by little. They’re super hot, but I love it. Yay! 🔥

Flat Tire

Photo info: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/4000 sec, ISO80
“Tire Change” Salado, 2026

We were on our way to a friend’s house for dinner when we got a flat tire, right in the middle of a busy highway. We pulled over and got it changed pretty smoothly, and only ended up 30 minutes late. The drive home was a different story though. The spare tire tops out at 50 mph, so we stuck to surface streets the whole way and it took quite a bit longer. Still, it could have been so much worse, so I’m counting it as a minor inconvenience and nothing more. 🔧

Photo Catch-Up

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/35 sec, ISO800
“Small Photos” Cedar Park, 2026

I didn’t bring my Canon Selphy photo printer to Japan with me, so now I’ve got over 30 photos to print, cut, and glue into my Hobonichi. Once I catch up, I can finally close the book on my A6 Hobonichi (pun intended) since I switched to my A5 Avec Cousin for the rest of 2026. Next time I take a long trip to Japan, I think I’ll just bring the printer along. It’s not too big, and it weighs almost nothing, so it should be an easy addition to the bag. 🧳

Jet-Lag Hosting

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
“Desserts” Cedar Park, 2026

We had a few friends over for dinner tonight. I always enjoy having them over, but it felt a little soon since we just got back and I’m not acclimated to Texas yet, physically from the jet lag and mentally from the post-Japan blues. I’m afraid I wasn’t the most lively host, though I tried to stay awake and keep smiling. After 30 to 45 minutes I was pretty much ready to check out. Oh well, that’s just how it goes sometimes.

The food was delicious of course, and I definitely had more than my share of the desserts. 🍮

Views from the Window Seat

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/3800 sec, ISO80
“Through the Window” Kansai 2026

I enjoy the window seat since I’m fascinated by clouds and the dynamic views you get from above. I don’t travel enough to ever get tired of these views. I love them. ✈️

Anyway, we’re back in Texas and I’m a bit sad. 😔 Please be patient as I catch up on the blog posts.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/3400 sec, ISO80
“Osaka Bay” Kansai, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 27mm, f/4, 1/2200 sec, ISO250
“Clouds” Arizona 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/1700 sec, ISO125
“Clouds” Arizona 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/2500 sec, ISO125
“Sun Halo” New Mexico, 2026