iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 1h

RIP Ranger: Feb. 11, 2018 to Oct. 11, 2026 It was hard to say goodbye last night. Ranger lost his battle with cancer yesterday In the morning, he seemed like his old self, full of energy and went on one of his favorite walks. Around noon, he started to fade and passed shortly after six.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Yep! That pretty well sums it up. This fell in my email and needed to be shared.

Meme Text reads:

JON STEWART NAILED IT AGAIN...
"SO IN THE FUTURE WE'LL USE AI TO CURE DISEASES, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S MOSTLY MURDER, SURVEILLANCE, AND SURGE PRICING FOR THE MCRIB. WHAT A TRADE!"

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I came home from the gym to find Ms. Scout living her best life. 😝 Once again, I’m reminded that “No dogs on the bed” is meaningless when no humans are home. 😂

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

This got dropped in my email, gave me a smile and needed to be passed along.

Funny meme that records all the walking from GenX songs.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Sheep and goats to the rescue! They’ve got a huge mixed flock clearing dried vegetation near my house. I’ve seen flocks do the same for fire prevention up on hillsides, but this is the first time I’ve seen them down by the road.

Sheep and goats clearing dried vegetation for fire prevention.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Sourdough Bulge: I swear, when I slid this cracked whole wheat loaf into the oven, it was perfectly round. Somehow, something went wrong during the bake—one side swelled up, almost like a tumor. It’s ugly, but it tastes great. 👍🏻

Asymmetrical cracked whole wheat sourdough loaf.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

A friend shared this with me, and I felt like I had to pass it along. 😂

Funny meme on how to tell if an image is AI generated. Hint: The hands are feet. 😂

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy 4th of July! There’s not much going on here to commemorate the 250th — no fireworks, but a nearby high school is putting on a drone and laser show. We’ll probably attend.

“Happy 4th of July” written in sand above red, white and blue flip flops.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Happy Father’s Day! 🎉 I’ve got a celebratory brunch and dinner coming up. And last night, a homemade apple pie from scratch was baked for me —using apples picked from our tree. 🍎 It doesn’t get much better than this. 😊

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Yeasted Honey Cornbread Loaf: I tried a different sourdough recipe made with white whole wheat and cornmeal. It has a slightly different texture and a distinctive corn flavor. I’m pleased with how it turned out. 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

I’ve been feeding the neighborhood crows for a while now. They’re remarkable creatures, and I enjoy talking about them — which is how this ended up in an email. It needed to be shared. 😂

Funny crow cartoon that needed to be shared.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Happy birthday, Scout! 🥳🎉🎊🎂 I can’t believe it’s been ten wonderful years. The Best Dog Ever had two special meals and visited some favorite places. We went to Home Depot, which she’s loved since puppyhood; at Starbucks she got a pup cup, and later we hiked in the butterfly grove.

Scout having a pup-cup outside Starbucks.

Scout at the Butterfly Grove on her birthday.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

It’s not a ball! Ranger’s loving his new ring toy for fetch. Although he usually responds to “Drop the ball,” he seems to know the ring isn’t a ball — he looks puzzled and tilts his head when you say it. Ranger appears to understand that “ball” is a type of toy, but not all toys are balls. 🐾

Ranger the GSD playing with his ring toy.

GSD staring intently at a gold ring toy.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

This gave me a chuckle and needed to be passed along. 😂

Funny photo of a security camera reading “1984.” 😆

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

I feel accomplished today — I finished planting the vegetable garden and baked a batch of sourdough pretzels. 🥨

Homemade sourdough pretzels hot out of the oven.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Happy #Mother’sDay! We got our new Mother’s Day rose planted yesterday 💐 May all the mother’s out there have a day filled with treats and special surprises. 🎉

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Happy Mayday! The roses have exploded the last few days.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Monkey‑Fist Bread: I tied the dough into a “monkey‑fist” knot as an experiment. It looked similar to the first picture before baking, but the shape didn’t survive the oven—still, I like how it turned out. 😋 The loaf is sourdough made with white whole‑wheat and rye.

Monkey fist knot sourdough bread made with white whole wheat and rye.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

This meme landed in my inbox, made me chuckle, and had to be shared. 🤣

The beached S.S. Minnow from Gilligan’s Island.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Woke up to cold, rainy weather—perfect for vegetable soup and a loaf of sourdough. I started the crockpot for the soup and mixed the dough, but while everything was underway the sky cleared, the sun came out, and it warmed up. Oh well. 😂 This is potato bread made with leftover mashed potatoes. 😋

A loaf of potato sourdough with sesame seeds on top.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

I started this sourdough loaf late yesterday afternoon. By morning it hadn’t risen much, but it picked up a bit mid-morning—and oven spring saved the day. The dough is mostly oat flour with some rye and a little bread flour. I’m really pleased with how it turned out. 😋

Sourdough bread made with oat flour that has flax seeds on top.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Wow! Now that’s a dress code! 🤣 A friend sent this to me and it gave me a chuckle and I felt the need to pass it along. 🤭

Restaurant dress code suggesting people not wear swimsuits, but actually telling people to take them off.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Uncontrolled Variables I added hempseed meal to a loaf of sourdough. I also tossed in some feta—my first time adding cheese. It’s flavorful, but the crumb is gritty; I blame the hempseed. The feta was tasty, but the loaf turned out dense. Now I don’t know which ingredient caused the poor rise. 🤦🏻

Slice of whole wheat and hempseed bread with feta cheese inclusions.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Run-of-the-Mill Sourdough: I keep a canister for leftover bits of flour—anything left in bags that’s not enough for a full recipe. Today was cold and damp, and we were without electricity. I mixed up a sourdough and decided to add a fancy design. 😋

Run-of-the-Mill Sourdough loaf fresh out of the oven.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

One of the handiest things about having sourdough starter in the kitchen is that it's easy to whip up some last-minute pizza dough. That’s exactly what happened today at my house, and it turned out delicious! 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Another one bites the dust. Supercuts had been at this location for over a decade, and I only noticed it was closed today because they were taking down the sign. It's unsettling how many "can't fail" small businesses are shutting down in my area.

Sign telling Supercuts will be permanently closed at this location.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I made avocado sourdough using white whole wheat, rye, and oatmeal. I had my doubts about whether my starter would be up to the task today. However, this morning, I decided to throw caution to the wind, and I’m glad I did. The loaf turned out soft and fluffy, with a mild sourdough flavor. 😋

Avocado sourdough made with white whole wheat, rye and oatmeal. 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Yesterday, while exercising my dogs at the park, the leash slipped out of my pocket. We searched but couldn’t find it — the dual leash is green and black and almost camouflaged. Later that day I returned to the same area with the dog in the photo, and he found it on command. Small miracle. 🤩

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Home Plate Grill is closing at the end of the month. It's not fancy, but it provided affordable family fun, especially when our kids were little. I spoke with the owner, and the economic downturn is what led to their closure. Inflation and people eating out less because of it are to blame.

Hamburger, fries and a shake at Home Plate Grill.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

While cleaning out the kitchen cabinet, I stumbled upon this culinary delight. I’m generally not a big fan of canned seafood, but this particular item? Yuck! 🤢

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

It was cold and damp here on California’s Central Coast today. Thankfully, the sourdough I mixed up yesterday finished proofing this afternoon, allowing me to bake it just in time for dinner. 😋 This is a simple recipe that uses bread flour, with just a bit of rye and whole wheat added for flavor.

Simple sourdough loaf made primarily bread flour, with a bit of rye and whole wheat added for flavor.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

While hiking, I came across an abandoned shack next to the railroad tracks. I assume it’s related to the railroad, but I’m not entirely sure. Beyond being a nesting ground for swallows, does anyone know what purpose this little building served? I noticed a small desk through the window. Thanks! 🙏🏻

Small, abandoned shack next to railroad tracks.

Swallows nests in the eves of an abandoned railroad shack.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Yesterday, I baked a loaf of avocado sourdough. Adding a ripe avocado typically makes the bread have an extra soft crumb without significantly altering the flavor. However, I’m not sure why, but this time the taste turned out to be particularly sour and tart. 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Working in my front yard, I heard an unusual bird call. I thought to myself, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was a quail.” I’ve spotted plenty of quail in the Santa Barbara backcountry, but nowhere near my home. Later I spotted this handsome bird hanging out on the roof of my Jeep. 😆

Closeup of California quail on Jeep roof.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

This made me smile and I felt the need to pass it along. 😝

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

It usually takes a long time for sourdough to rise, but this particular loaf took especially long, leading me to worry it might be a failure. I remained skeptical even after placing it in the oven, but the bread proved me wrong. This is a honey oatmeal loaf topped with dark flax seeds. 😋

A honey oatmeal sourdough loaf topped with dark flax seeds.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Friday the 13th! A friend sent me this important safety warning. Having seen enough of those films, I believe it’s wise advice. 😜

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

This made me laugh, so I’m passing it along. I have to lock my dogs out during Zoom meetings. Sometimes I can hear them whimpering outside the door.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Blonde Pumpernickel Sourdough Experiment: I followed my pumpernickel recipe but excluded cocoa powder, molasses, and any other ingredients that would artificially darken the bread. Interestingly, even though the color is lighter, the taste and texture are very similar. 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

For months, I’ve known one of my auxiliary backup lights was hung crooked. It’s something I doubt anyone else would notice, but once I saw it, I couldn't ignore it. Long story short, I ended up spending the afternoon addressing several minor issues that only I would ever notice.

Auxiliary backup light mounted under the bumper of a jeep.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

A friend emailed me this and I felt the need to pass it along.

Caption on photo reads: “The deer isn't crossing the road, the road is crossing the forest.”

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

The weather has been cloudy and cold here on California's Central Coast, so I decided it would be the perfect day to fire up the oven and bake some sourdough. This loaf is primarily made with spelt flour but also includes buckwheat and dark rye. The crust reminds me of a soft pretzel—super tasty!

Sourdough spelt with buckwheat and rye bread.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

We’ve had a strange week with Amazon sending us junk we didn’t order or pay for. Despite notifying them, the boxes won’t stop. So far, we’ve received a space heater, a giant business key fob, a cat litter scoop, a dish rack, and a static discharger. Has anyone else experienced this lately?

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

We’ve been under Flash Flood Warnings most of the day here on the California Central Coast. I put together this loaf of sourdough and decided to get fancy with a stencil I was gifted for Christmas. The bread is mostly white whole wheat with a touch of rye and some chia seeds. 😋

White whole wheat sourdough with chia seeds. It has a leaf stenciled on top.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

We’re supposed to get clobbered by a storm. Rain is coming for us through Christmas, so I’m going for cozy vibes. Tonight’s dinner: The sourdough is a Sonora (white whole wheat) and dark rye blend, paired with a warm bowl of vegetable soup. 🥖🍲

Loaf of sourdough bread made with Sonora wheat and rye.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

I’ve seen various verisions of this meme over the years, but it’s an important point!

Meme stating that dogs are not Christmas presents, but a commitment.

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Here on the California’s Central Coast, we’ve been getting soaked — flash flood warnings. Trapped inside and going stir crazy, I decided to put together a loaf of sourdough deli rye. It’s mainly whole wheat with a 1/4 cup of rye. It’s not exactly light and fluffy, but I’m happy with it. 🤤

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

#Buckwheat #Sourdough: I love this recipe, WHEN it works. The trouble is it rarely does. Normally I have trouble getting this recipe to rise. This time that wasn’t a problem, but it kind of exploded in the oven. Believe-it-or-not, I had windmill design cut into the top. Oh, well. 😋

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Eric J. White @ericjwhite.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Crow Gift: I'm not sure what this little thing is, but my best guess is it's a decoration from a jacket or purse zipper. What I am sure of is that my crow friend wanted me to see the delivery. The crow waited in the tree, flew down, and dropped it right in the food dish. What amazing creatures!

Crow gift (silver deer trinket) and a dime for scale.

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