Riding with Piplup

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO200
 “Piplup at the Park” Cedar Park, 2026

Piplup and I got out for a ride this afternoon. It’s been a while since the two of us hit the bike path together. Temps were up in the 90s and the sun was beating down hard, but the path was nearly empty and a nice breeze kept things pleasant. Good to be back in the saddle. ☀️🚲

New Mini Tripod

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E5, 35mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO800
 “Mini Tripod” Cedar Park, 2026

I picked up a little tripod from Ulanzi for my iPhone. I’ve been wanting to make more videos, and I actually borrowed Mariko’s model first to try it out. She uses hers constantly though, so I finally grabbed one of my own. Turns out it’s just as handy as I hoped, folds up small and holds the phone steady without any fuss. I love it! 🎥😊

Pepper Summer

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“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

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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

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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. 🧳