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Black and white photo of the Monolith sculpture composed of intertwined human figures at the top of a grand stairway in Vigeland Park, with visitors nearby.

The Monolith at Vigeland Park. Oslo, Norway. 27th June, 2025.

Crowd gathered for a Pride parade in front of colorful buildings with rainbow flags and signs visible throughout, and Oslo Cathedral in the background.

Didn’t make it to Portland pride parade here today but found myself in the middle of the Oslo pride parade a few weeks ago. It was joyous! 🏳️‍🌈

Oslo, Norway. 28th June, 2025.

People walking through a lively plaza in front of Oslo City Hall, with red-brick towers displaying a large “75” banner.

Oslo City Hall from the promenade. Celebrating 75 years since its opening, the building, with its brick construction, looks architecturally distinct from older as well as newer buildings.

Oslo, Norway. 27th June, 2025.

Geometric facade of triangular mirrored panels reflecting distorted surroundings, with a person’s reflection visible at the center.

Oslo, Norway. 27th June, 2025.

Bronze statue of a dancing woman on a stone railing overlooking a sunny park lawn with scattered people sunbathing

Vigeland Park. Oslo, Norway. 27th June, 2025.

An aerial view of Oslo from an airplane window on a sunny day.

A few days ago I got back from a two week trip to Norway. It was a wonderful trip with Jenni and her family. I’ve been recovering from jet lag, and still decompressing, with questions like, “Why’s the sky dark?!”

Hope to share photos and blog posts in the coming days/weeks.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has now seen first light. On a mountaintop in Chile, it begins a decade long survey later this year. In just the tests of setting up it has already made so many discoveries, and produced some stunning images.

Already, in just over 10 hours of test observations, the observatory has discovered 2,104 never-before-seen-asteroids, including seven near-Earth asteroids, none of which pose any danger.

I can’t wait to see the world of knowledge, and understanding of the universe, it will open up during its mission.

“It will be capable of really detecting things that actually change very rapidly,” says Sandrine Thomas, deputy director of Rubin Observatory and the observatory’s telescope and site project scientist. “That, in itself, will be unique to the world. No other telescope would be able to do that.”

And, what photography enthusiast wouldn’t get excited over a giant camera?!

It’s equipped with a specially-designed large telescope, as well as a car-sized digital camera that’s the biggest such camera in the world.

😲

via NPR.

A Good Bread

A Good Bread

A dense multi-seed loaf of bread on a wooden cutting board with one thick slice beside it and an orange-handled knife in the background.

A few weeks ago, one evening, I came across a recipe video for a bread on YouTube. I watch videos of recipes on there all the time. I even make some of those. Later that same night I was thinking of it when I realized I had all the ingredients for it and that I could prep the mix for storing overnight and baking in the morning. I did exactly that.

The loaf I made lasted about a week and in that week I noticed I liked its taste and felt healthy. In my meals, I was substituting slices of that loaf for things like store bought bread, and rice. When that week ended I made another loaf. And then more…

Now I’ve made it four times and I still like it. I’ve raved about it to friends and family and have passed the recipe on to them. And now I thought I’d share with you as well, so here you go. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

Golden grass-covered hillside overlooking a reservoir flanked by tall evergreens, with a small structure, and city skyline under a blue sky with wispy clouds in the background.

Went on a walk at Mt. Tabor Park after a long time. Had been missing it. It was a lovely day for it.

A pastel-toned stylized fox mural framed by geometric black lines on a wall, intersected by a diagonal lamp shadow.

White building facade with three curtained windows above a pink-trimmed double door, bright orange graffiti art beside it, and diagonal shadows across the wall.

Overhanging green leafy branches casting dappled shadows on a sunlit yellow wall.

Boarded wooden panel covered in torn posters and two signs reading “Notice: Lies that tell the truth” and “Warning: There is no hidden meaning anymore,” above stickered metal posts amid overgrown grass.

Graffiti text on a gray wall reading “Friends here would rather watch you lose everything than help you gain anything,” alongside a chain-link fence.

Morning walk in Central Eastside. Portland, Oregon. 7th June, 2025.