Collection of my notes on Eclipses
PhotoTagger
Yesterday I had a digital itch: I wanted to easily add tags to my pictures from the Windows Explorer.
Thanks to Claude, I scratched that itch and now have PhotoTagger, a tailor made software just for me.
Read on for how easy this was!
Notes: Picante Surf Playlists
Every August since 1986 Picante Surf has been holding a amateur surf competition in Tapia de Casariego and when possible I have been there making a playlist of the great music that they are blasting.
Summer Moment of Zen 2026
This summer’s moment of Zen was a bit different: instead of watching a cycle of tides, we went in search of cloudless skys to watch a total eclipse and that lead us to a “castro” (an Iron Age fortified hilltop settlement).
Disclaimer: there are no amazing images or videos of the eclipse as I was busy being in the moment for the 1 minute 29 seconds of totality and did not want to be fighting with technology. This was a good idea because the one picture I took is above and it in no way captures how crazy amazing and mind blowing totality is.
read on for more!
Book Report: Godspeed
Another book that we read in my work book club, and as I have read so many C.J. Box books, I was right at home in Wyoming. At first I did not like it too much, then I resisted finishing because it was making me nervous, but in the end I finished it just in time for our final discussion and found it a good read.
Book Report: The Odyssey
In preparation for Christopher Nolan’s new film that comes out July 17th 2026 I just finished reading The Odyssey!
Read on for my impressions of the book, and once I see the movie (hopefully in IMAX on July 17th) impressions of it!
Recipe: Cercedilla Kirschtorte
Last year for my wife’s birthday I made Black Velvet cake and I was telling my german boss, Martin, about it and he mentioned that it kinda reminded him of the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (commonly know as Black Forest Cake). Later I asked ChatGPT about it:
A Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, commonly known as Black Forest Cake, is a classic German dessert that consists of layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and whipped cream. It is traditionally flavored with Kirschwasser, a clear cherry brandy, which gives the cake its distinctive taste. The cake is typically decorated with chocolate shavings and more cherries.
So I then asked it for a recipe and saved it in my recipe archive and this year I made it for my wife’s birthday. But as I was in Cercedilla sourcing some of the key ingredients (sour cherries and Kirschwasser) was complicated so I had to reroute a bit (spanish picota cherries and spanish brandy) so I have rebaptized what I made as as Cercedilla Kirschtorte!
