iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The neighbor’s 8-ft Halloween werewolf used to freak Frannie out whenever we walked by it in the Fall. This year, no reaction whatsoever. #Halloween #Corgi #CorgiCrew #CorgisOfBluesky

Frannie, hanging out at the feet of the neighbor’s Halloween werewolf decoration. She had really been disliking this display in past years.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

My uncle, Keith Taylor, who passed way last month would have been 84 years old today. RIP, Keith.

My uncle, Keith Taylor, out to lunch with me at his favorite Mexican restaurant in Lincoln, NE.

This is the day I presented Keith with our family history book.

As a surprise to him, I had his Taylor family genealogy research (and personal memories/stories) retyped and published thru Amazon in book format.

He was thrilled, and got many copies of the book placed into libraries around the Midwest - specifically, in towns where the stories and his memories took place.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

There was a great crowd at the #CoverThat gig on Friday night. People were up and dancing for all three sets. I was also using new software for the lighting, and there seems to be some bugs in the control interface. Hopefully, that can be ironed out with the support people. #SoundMan #MaestroDMX

A great crowd out on Friday night for the Cover That gig.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I have all of the vegetables cut up, and I've got the stew on the stovetop. I make enough to have meals for the week. #VegetableStew #HomeCooking

The vegetables are all cut up, and the stew is on the stovetop.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I had multiple sound mixing gigs last week. September is a very busy month for sound gigs. I'm also going to hit the road to record a birthday show/concert for a chicago-based musician this week. Pictured below - outdoor gig in Slater, IA for Cover That. #CoverThat

Gig is underway and the sun is still up.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The church near my house is getting ready to drain their pond as a part of a building project they planned. Earth moving gear is staged, and work started this morning. A new deeper pond will be made near the old one. I’m happy to report they will not be connecting their parking lot to our street.

Earth moving equipment has been staged near the pond at the church by my house.

The church looks ready to remove trees, landscaping and a bunch of dirt to make a new water detention area. This will drain over to a new, deeper pond which should support fish.

This will make the neighborhood kids happy!

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Riding my e-bike to lunch with former coworkers today, I noticed the bracket holding my computer to the handlebars was broken. I called the shop where I bought the bike and found I had to replace the whole unit, as bracket/computer are 1 piece. The old computer had 631 miles. #Mokwheel #Obsidian

My e-bike's new computer with 0.0 miles on it.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The wife redid the succulent plants setup tonight. I like! #Succulents #HenAndChicks

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Baby got some new shoes yesterday. Costco had a sale starting, so I pulled the trigger on four. My pickup gets the tires rotated at every oil change, and sets last for 50k to 55k miles. Pretty good for a big diesel pickup. This was not an unexpected expense, but the bank account feels empty today.

A new set of light truck tires for my pickup.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

And now something from our “Well, that’s not something you see every day” file - A man on a mobility scooter with his German Shepherd dog in the drive-thru line at Starbucks this morning. #Starbucks #PeopleOfStarbucks #YepHeWentThere

Just a man on a mobility scooter with his German Shepherd dog in the drive-thru line at Starbucks this morning.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I received my Seestern homage of the Doxa 300T. The watch wasn’t running well. It was gaining 10s per minute and would quit running after a few minutes. A local watch shop opened it and found the hairspring was caught on another piece. It received a hard bump. It’s running great now! #Watches

A Seestern homage of the Doxa 300T Professional watch.

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Reposted by Jay Taylor

Viktor Winetrout @viktorwinetrout.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Love is about finding that one special person who can’t decide where to eat

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I see that it’s praying mantis season in Iowa again. It’s a big one! #PrayingMantis #Nature

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Zoey, our Mini Fox Terrier, is using the grass at the edge of the driveway as a pillow. She’s a funny little dog… #DogsOfBluesky #ZoeyTheMiniFoxTerrier

Zoey the Mini Fox Terrier lying down in the driveway and using the grass as a pillow.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I just got word that my Uncle Keith, my Dad's last living sibling, passed away this this week. He was the only uncle on my Dad's side that I really knew at all. All of my (Dad's side) uncles died before I could form long-lasting memories of them. I only have the stories from their lives.

My uncle, Keith Taylor, on the day I presented to him that physical book that I had printed of our family history (with his memories and stories added).

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I only break out the #RussellReserve15 #Bourbon on notable occasions. Unfortunately, those occasions are not always joyful. More info will be posted very shortly, when appropriate. ¡Salud! #WildTurkey #RusselsReserve #CelebrationOfLife

A bottle of Russell’s Reserve 15-yr old bourbon whiskey.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Oh, no! I'm very sorry to hear this. I never got a chance to see the classic three-piece lineup. RIP, Frank.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The last three times I’ve had a #Cigar in the driveway, little black gnats swarm me after I light up - but not before. Annoying. So, I stopped at local #CigarLounge today and smoked a #Perdomo for the first time. I brought 3 home. I also got to meet this sweet, 11-wk old Lab pup named Cleo(patra).

An 11-wk old Labrador puppy named Cleo in the cigar shop.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I have secured the loose skid plate on my pickup ($). I like easy (read “cheap”) auto repairs. The other two unexpected pickup repairs this year have been: 1) New front wheel bearings while down in FL ($$$) 2) New heater core ($$$$). #DIYAutoRepair #HomeAutoMechanic

Skid plate secured with proper bolts, washers, lock washers, and nuts.

The skid plate is back into its proper position.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A couple of years ago, while the dogs and I were walking by a 78-yr old neighbor's house, he greeted me with, "Hey, Al, how are you doing?" I didn't correct him at the time. So, now every time we walk by, he calls me Al. I feel a bit badly, but this one is my fault. #YouCanCallMeAl #PaulSimon

Screenshot from the video for "You Can Call Me Al" featuring Paul Simon and Chevy Chase.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

My neighbor mentioned that I had something hanging down underneath my pickup. Sure enough, there is a plate hanging down. It seems to be missing two bolts. I stopped at a big box hardware store and bought some stainless steel hardware to fix this, but need smaller bolts. This is tomorrow’s project.

Something hanging loose underneath my pickup.

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Reposted by Jay Taylor

852dude @852dude.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Bro. People are cool as fuck.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

My brother had a couple of my favorite local beers sitting in his garage beer fridge, leftover from the last batch that was released. I asked at the brewery, and the next run of DCMS is not being scheduled yet. #Beer #Sour #BarnTownBrewing #DontCallMeShirley

A can of Barn Town Brewing’s “Don’t Call Me Shirley” beer.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I’m outside enjoying some driveway time, smoking a #Cigar and listening to some #ChicagoCubs baseball. Frannie the Corgi is inching closer to Spencer, a neighborhood Siamese cat. Both are acting very chill - more curious and cautious than playing or aggressive. #CorgiCrew #FrannieTheCorgi

Spencer the cat, chilling on a neighbor’s sidewalk, while Frannie the Corgi slowly approaches to investigate the situation.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My wife and I visited a new veterinary office near our house yesterday. A former neighbor is a vet there. We felt comfortable with the vibe and their answers to our questions, so we booked a new client appointment to move the dog’s care to them. #NoPrivateEquity #PrivateEquityVet #CorgiCrew

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I’ve been unhappy with some changes that have been implemented at the veterinary practice that we’ve taken our pets to for the last *30* years. Now I think know why. They were purchased by a private equity firm. Time to start looking for a new vet for our dogs… #PrivateEquity #PrivateEquityVet

You can check to see if your vet’s office has been purchased by a private equity group at:

privateequityvet.org.

Unfortunately, ours has been.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The weather is decent this morning, so the dogs and I are enjoying some driveway time in the shade. #MLB game playing in the background and smoking an #ArturoFuente in a light breeze. There’s nothing else on the agenda for today. It’s a good day!

Smoking an Arturo Fuente cigar in the driveway and enjoying the light breeze.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I’m listening to some MLB baseball and relaxing out in the driveway, and Zoey decided to lie down on the grass - very unusual for her! #DrivewayParty

Zoey the Mini Fox Terrier relaxing in the grass.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It’s that time of year again… The local park field has turned yellow with flowers on the spurge that’s growing. Also, the cicadas seem loud and early this year. #Nature #YellowFlowers

The local park covered in yellow flowers.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I had a great night playing #AmericanMahjongg this week. I won three games out of four. Up until this point, I had only called Mahjong three times ever. #Mahjong #Mahjongg

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I’m making up a big batch of vegetable stew for meals for the week. The recipe is in the ALT text. Lots of vegetable plus lentils and tofu for protein and fiber. 365 calories per serving. You can spice to your liking. #VegetableStew #HealthyEating #OffsetsBourbonAndCigars #OrSoIHope

Vegetable Stew

1 Tbsp olive oil
7 cloves garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 red peppers
3/4 cup lentils
8 large carrots
1 pound celery
6 small portabella mushrooms
5 oz baby spinach
2 large russet potatoes
16 oz firm tofu
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 can corn, low sodium
1 can peas, low sodium

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

The next canning project is raspberry preserves. We stocked up at Costco today, and I put up 10 pint jars this evening. #HomeCanning #WaterBathCanning #Canning #Raspberries

12 flats of organic raspberries from Costco, sitting near the canned blueberries and rhubarb sauce canned earlier in the Spring.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Here are 10 photos from our 2026 #Cruise to #Mexico and #Belize on the #Celebrity #Beyond. We stayed in Little Havana the night before we departed, did excursions at each of the ports, and had surprise meetings along the way. I brought back some #CubanCigars while I had access to buy them in MX.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Frannie the Corgi, lying out on the driveway enjoying the warm sunshine. She’s so funny. She’ll run from shady spot to shady spot on our walls because it’s hot, but will also bask on the hot concrete and direct sunshine. #FrannieTheCorgi #Corgi #PembrokeWelshCorgi #CorgiCrew

Frannie, soaking up the hot sunshine on the driveway after I finished up the yard work.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Back from our cruise to #Mexico and #Belize and had to take care of the out-of-control yard today. The string trimmer that I’ve owned for 30 years or so finally crapped out. It wound down with a gentle fizzle and is now in the garbage can. I’ve resurrected this a couple of times over the decades.

Thank you for your decades of service! The string trimmer is no more.

Enjoying a cigar and some Green River Full Proof Wheated #Bourbon in the driveway after yard work is done.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Today’s project was canning organic blueberries. My wife likes them with her yogurt, and it seems to be peak season for them in the stores. I hot packed these (water only, no added sugar) and put up seven pint jars today. #Costco #Canning #HomeCanning #Homesteading

Organic blueberries are heating, getting ready to hot pack can.

The blueberries are ready to go into jars.

A jar of blueberries ready to seal and hot water can.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

My friend @zoorat.bsky.social and I rode bicycles yesterday up to the Saylor Dam marina for lunch. I logged 70 miles for the day. Got home, then mowed the yard. Boy, I slept well last night! Frannie found the last sunny corner on the deck as we sat on the deck admiring my work. #CorgiCrew #Corgi

70 miles logged yesterday on the bicycle ride.

Frannie the Corgi found the last remaining sunny spot on the deck.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Partly cloudy, 77° and a light breeze. What a perfect day it is outside! The wife and I walked the dogs around the neighborhood, and are now sitting on the deck in the shade relaxing. Not to self: It’s time to power wash and seal the deck again. #DeckWeather #Bourbon

Sipping on a glass of bourbon and enjoying the warm temps.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

These are the rhubarb sauce jar lids clicking down as the vacuum seals are being made. #HomeCanning #Canning #Rhubarb

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I harvested rhubarb yesterday, then water bath canned the sauce that I made. I chose method this because our small freezer is pretty full, and I hate wasting rhubarb. I got eight 1/4-pint jars and three 1/2-pint jars of sauce. I use this sauce on toast and ice cream. #HomeCanning #Canning #Rhubarb

Freshly picked and chopped rhubarb getting prepared for water bath canning.

The processed 1/4-pint and 1/2-pint jars of rhubarb sauce are being water bath canned.

Done. I ended up with eight 1/4-pints and three 1/2-pint jars of canned rhubarb sauce.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I don’t normally promote AI videos, but will for this one…

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

We went out Friday night to see a band from North Dakota called Jennifer Lyn and the Groove Revival. They were great! It was their first time in Des Moines. It was also only my second time seeing a show at the Temple Theater. #BluesMusic #LiveMusic #DesMoines #TempleTheater

A wise shot of Jennifer Lyn and the Grove Revival on stage.

The lead guitarist of Jennifer Lyn and the Grove Revival living his best life. He looked like he was having a blast on stage.

Jennifer Lyn on stage in Des Moines’s Temple Theater.

Bass solo during the Jennifer Lyn and the Grove Revival show.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

We’ve moved the MLB listening party inside into the A/C, so I poured myself some Jack Daniels 12-yr batch 03. #JackDaniels #JackDaniels12-yr #TennesseeWhiskey #ControversialHotTake #Bourbon #YesItsBourbonToo

A bottle of Jack Daniels 12-yr Tennessee Whiskey, batch 03.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Many days, Zoey will hide back in the corner of the garage under my workbench. Today, she is snoozing on her carpet squares at the entrance of the garage, right behind the motorcycles. It’s shaded and still catches the breeze. #Dogs #DogDays #SeemsLikeSummer #ZoeyTheMiniFoxTerrier

Zoey, our Mini Fox Terrier, sleeping while I’m outside listening to MLB baseball.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

The second Cover That band outdoor gig in a week has now been canceled because of weather. #LiveMusic #RainDelay #LiveSoundMixing #CoverThat #CoverThatBand

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

My friend, @zoorat.bsky.social , and I put on about 35 miles on the bicycles today before the heat got too bad. #Bicycles #IceCreamRide

Spent the afternoon riding bicycles today with my friend. Pictured here at the ice cream stop in Dallas Center, IA.

The ice cream shop in Dallas Center, IA.

A little over 35 miles on the bike trip today.

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Jay Taylor @jaytaylor.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Listening to #DetroitTigers baseball and enjoying a My Father Le Bijou 1922 cigar in the driveway. The #ChicageCubs game starts in a few minutes. 84°, sunny and breezy. It is a good Saturday afternoon! #Cigars #MLBBaseball #DrivewayParty

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