iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

What a fun weekend. We took our usual annual trip to Asheville, NC (with a quick side trip to Sylva and Dillsboro) and it was so much fun seeing old friends, and making new one’s as well. Can’t wait for next year!

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Let the festival begin! Time for the traditional afogatto to start the day’s fun.

A white mug containing espresso and salted caramel gelato, sits on a white marble table. A silver spoon rests inside the mug. In the background, there is a small white ceramic pitcher and the torso of a person wearing brown overalls.

Two white mugs filled with dark coffee and melting gelato sit on a white marble table alongside two small white pitchers. A person's hand reaches toward the table from the upper right corner, casting a shadow over the scene.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Day two of our vacation to Asheville!

Two men with full beards smile at the camera in front of a red brick wall. The man on the left wears a baseball cap, a black denim jacket over a graphic t-shirt, and sunglasses hanging from his collar. The man on the right wears glasses and a gray t-shirt featuring a large, cartoonish black cat face with yellow inner ears and wide white eyes.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It’s time. Chili, soup, and stew season is getting started! Now to simmer down and thicken for dinner.

A large stainless steel pot filled with a simmering, reddish-brown chili. The dish appears to contain ground meat, diced tomatoes, green bell peppers, and onions in a rich broth. The pot is sitting on a blue stovetop with a kitchen counter and a blender base visible in the background.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Another harvest from the #garden today. There is soooo much basil!

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

We’ve talked about a place to show off the Halloween and Christmas villages for a while… @candycorncum.bsky.social made the plan, and we now have a new place to build the villages on. Once the seasonal covering is on it, you won’t see where I can’t cut a straight line to save my life.

A custom-built, unfinished wooden desk or shelf wraps around a corner wall above a gray couch. The couch is decorated with a yellow textured pillow, a green velvet pillow with a leaf pattern, and a pillow featuring a large orange pumpkin. Above the desk, a framed print shows a neighborhood with houses and a distant city skyline, flanked by bright blue curtains on either side.

The husband lying sideways on a gray couch, with his head and upper body wedged underneath a low, unfinished wooden table or bench. A blue curtain and a white cloth rest on top of the wooden structure, and a bright red rug is visible on the floor beside the couch.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Ahhh, pre-autumnal mornings… There’s a flock of common white butterflies in the garden and a war starting between several bluebirds fighting over a nesting box (while ignoring a newer box on the other side of the yard). Summer seems to be making its last stand before winding down into fall.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Well, I didn’t expect a bar night to hit quite like that. A dolly memorial to start, and a full on Dolly drag show: 9-5, Jolene, and the Sweet Dreams cover. It’s a bar of pained joy tonight.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I just got it all cleaned up and it works! So do all the games I've found. A little bit of my childhood that still works, and I kind'a like better than the new consoles (yes, I'm from the 1900's). #Nintendo #GameBoy #1900'sGaming

An original gray Nintendo Game Boy console turned on and displaying the title screen for Super Mario Land. Surrounding the console are three Game Boy game cartridges in clear plastic cases: Alleyway, Tetris, and The Hunt for Red October, along with one empty case.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

If all goes well, we should have several monarchs fly off in about a month. Ignore the milkweed bugs… #caterpillars #monarchs

A monarch caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes crawls along the green stem of a milkweed plant. The plant features long, textured green leaves and large, fuzzy seed pods, with a background of blurred green grass and concrete.

A large monarch caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes crawls along a thick green plant stem. The stem and surrounding leaves are covered in numerous bright orange and black milkweed bugs in various stages of development.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And our first pumpkin is in!

A bumpy, pale green heirloom pumpkin with deep ribs, resting against a dark red background.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

A couple pictures from the gardens this morning. #Gardening #VeggieGardens

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Well, damn. I had hoped we’d last a bit longer before we had to start smashing these, but one just landed on the dogwood. #SpottedLanternFly #Invasives

A spotted lanternfly rests on the deeply textured, gray-brown bark of a tree trunk. A portion of a green wire cage is visible on the left side, and blurred green grass appears in the background on the right.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I guess I should do introductions for all our critters, so… this is Blondie (due to the light color of their tail), they love peanuts, roll g around in the grass, and stretching along the trunk is of dogwood trees.

A squirrel clings vertically to the rough bark of a tree trunk, looking upwards. The background features bright green grass and a paved surface.

A gray squirrel with a bushy tail stands in the grass next to a garden bed edged with light-colored stones and small green plants with tiny yellow flowers.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Meet bubba, our little chipmunk buddy that loves peanuts.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

We made pizza for dinner, and I snapped a few pics of the garden during a walk. And the salad bowl garden is starting to come in for a nice, safe, diarrhea-free salad in a few weeks. #gardening #cooking

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Cinnamon and Honey (two of our local buns) trying to find some shelter from the rain under a crepe Myrtle tree.

Two small brown rabbits sit in the grass on either side of a flowering tree with pink blossoms. A paved path runs diagonally in the background behind the tree.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Cherry tomatoes are coming in nicely, at least, the ones that don’t get eaten straight off the vine.

A close-up of a tomato plant with several small tomatoes ripening on the vine, ranging in color from green to yellow, orange, and red.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Had some short ribs that were nearing the end of their shelf life, so made a quick sweet and savory glaze, and onto the grill with them. Came out really good, I’d say.

Ten pieces of seasoned, raw meat, possibly pork ribs, are arranged on the grates of a black outdoor grill. A small, rectangular smoker box sits on the upper left side of the grill grates, and light smoke is rising from the meat.

A glass baking dish holds twelve individual, cooked pork ribs. The ribs are glazed and feature dark grill marks, resting on a countertop next to a large, orange, pumpkin-shaped ceramic dish.

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Reposted by Matt

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 15/07/2026

Please avoid all salads, including word.

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Reposted by Matt

Kevin Tompkins @ktompkinsii.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Me: "It's time to start eating healthy." Lettuce: "I'm going to give you explosive diarrhea!" Chips and cookies in my pantry: "I would never do that to you."

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

The longer I work in tech, the more I just want it to slow down and go back a bit. Hubby showed me a phone he wants when it's time to upgrade, and I kind'a want one too. I grew up with the Commodore 64, and this... commodore.net/callback/

commodore.net

Callback 8020: The Future of Flip-Phones

Meet Callback 8020: the perfect blend of functionality and privacy in a Flip-Phone, no social media or browser allowed.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Getting a nice summer thunderstorm. Went from 92 to 73 degrees fast, and we’ve gotten about .3” of rain so far. Only downside is the gust front took out the power. The garden is loving it, though, so no complaints.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Another harvest from the blackberries, and we have some baby bottle gourds starting to come in!

A top-down view of a white bucket partially filled with freshly picked, ripe blackberries. The dark purple and black berries are piled together at the bottom, with a few faint purple juice stains visible on the inside of the bucket.

A bottle gourd starting to form behind the spent flower on a vine.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Time for another quick berry harvest from the yard, and an after pic of the cobbler the first batch made. Not pictured is the homemade vanilla ice cream that went on top of said cobbler. #garden #berries #baking

A cobbler made from The blackberries previously harvested from The bush

A large container of blackberries harvested from a wild blackberry bush.

Blackberry bush full of green, red, and ripe black berries.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

The Jack-O-Lantern Lilly finally bloomed, and didn’t get eaten by the deer! #garden #bloomscrolling #flowers

A black flower with orange speckles in front of green leaves. The flower has six petals and a white center with orange stamens. The background is a dirt ground with green plants.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Dinner tonight is a Parmesan crusted chicken and pasta primavera. Not to bad, I’d say. #cooking #springmeals #pasta

A silver pan of penne pasta with asparagus, green beans, and peas on a blue stove top.

Four pieces of breaded chicken on a white cutting board. A knife is next to the chicken. A plastic bag and a wooden box with knives are in the background.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Had a great night at the theater last night for one of our favorite shows, SIX. I really love that show. Normally pulling a phone out after the show starts will get you in trouble, but they actually told us to “get your phones out” at the end for the reprise. I was not ready, so it’s a late shot.

A stage with blue curtains and gold trim. The curtains have a design on them that is not clear. There are lights shining on the stage. There are people standing on the stage. There are people sitting in the audience.

Two men with long beards sitting in a theater with red seats. They are smiling and posing for a photo. The theater is dimly lit and there are other people sitting in the rows behind them. The men are wearing glasses and one is wearing a green shirt while the other is wearing a blue shirt with small red dots. There is a black railing behind the rows of seats.

A rock band performing on a stage with purple and orange lights. The stage is decorated with lights and confetti. The band members are playing instruments and singing. The background has a large sign with the letters "SIX" in blue lights. There are people standing on either side of the stage.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

The first radish of the season! Creamy and crunchy with a lovely spiciness. #garden #vegetables

A white radish with green leaves on a gray surface. The radish is on a frosted glass table with a wicker edge.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

I just watched (and heard) a blue jay perfectly imitate a crow to the point the Merlin app identified it as an American Crow. #birds #bluejay

Screenshot from Merlin Bird ID App showing a crow that was actually a blue jay.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Columbines have such an intricate flower when they bloom. #flowers #bloomscrolling #columbines

A purple columbine flower with multiple petals and a yellow center in front of a brick wall. There is a green bud next to the flower. There is a red flower in the background.

A pink and purple columbine flower blooms next to a brick wall. The flower has multiple layers of petals and a green stem. There are other buds and leaves on the stem. The background is blurred but there are hints of other plants and flowers.

A group of purple columbine flowers with green stems and leaves in front of a brick wall. The flowers have multiple layers of petals and a yellow center. There is a white object with text on it in the top left corner of the image. The text is not legible.

A pink columbine flower with a yellow center blooms on a green stem. The flower is in focus, while the background is blurred. There is a building and trees in the background.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

And in today’s garden exploits: mulch. We got all the flower beds covered and added a couple new flowers. #garden #flowers #diy

A small front yard garden with a brick retaining wall contains freshly mulched flower beds with scattered blooming plants and a tall, painted ceramic planter featuring floral designs. A white metal lamppost with rust spots stands near the garden bed, next to steps leading up to a brick house with a porch and white railing. A red hanging planter with green foliage sits on the wall, and a tree-lined residential street with bright spring greenery is visible in the background.

A brick wall with a decorative metal hose reel and a black vent covers a garden bed with small plants and pink flower petals. A black hose lies across the bed, and a yellow pot with a green plant sits on a concrete step to the right. The ground is covered with more pink petals and brown mulch.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans) growing in the back yard. These are always a beautiful sight in the early spring when things are just starting to wake up. #bloomscrolling #wildflowers #flowers

A field of purple flowers with green leaves and brown leaves. There is a yellow flower in the bottom right corner.

A field of purple flowers with gray leaves. There is a yellow flower and a brown leaf in the foreground.

A cluster of purple flowers with fuzzy centers and green leaves. The flowers are arranged in vertical rows. There is a brown leaf and a gray rock in the background. The scene is well-lit by natural daylight.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

The ham just got the last coat of glaze, so it’s almost ready. Just need it to caramelize a bit.

A spiral-cut ham with a golden brown glaze resting on a metal rack in a roasting pan, inside an oven.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Preparing to host a gathering this afternoon with friends, and the cooking is really coming together. Ham is in the oven, glaze is cooking down, hubby’s greens are in the crockpot, and the last grocery run is done. I think we’re about ready. #cooking #food #easter

Ham roasting in a pan with a foil tent. Pan is on the bottom rack of the oven.

Apricot, brown sugar, and grainy mustard ham glaze in a pot thickening up on low heat.

A table with a white tablecloth holds a variety of items. There are two bowls of chips, one clear and one black and white checkered. A yellow pitcher, a gray jug, and a blue container are also present. A slow cooker is on the left side of the table. A colorful flag and a glass dispenser are in the background. The tablecloth has a yellow and white pattern with lemons. The floor is tiled with a geometric pattern.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Nature at its best, carpet bugle growing in the back yard.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Ok, need some advice here... We've been expanding the list of fish we make for dinner to be more than just salmon. So far, we've done cod, snapper, and halibut, and they've all been great. What else should we be looking to add to the rotation?

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Something we learned about an old house: three passes with the carpet cleaner and the water is still almost black. Dad can’t remember if it’s ever been cleaned, but it is now. Rather satisfying to see.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

We may have bluebirds moving in soon. This one was really interested in the new birdhouse.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

It’s only 9:30 AM and it’s already almost 75 degrees (Fahrenheit) in my office already… I think we can see what kind of day this will end up being. 😞

Air quality sensor showing 74 degrees Fahrenheit at 9:30 AM

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

We had some time on this absolutely gorgeous day, so we went for a walk at the park and the yellow trout Lillie’s are just stunning right now. #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #nature #spring

A yellow flower (yellow trout Lilly, Erythronium americanum) with six petals and a brown stem stands tall among green leaves. The flower has a pinkish hue at the base of its petals. In the background, there are more yellow flowers and brown leaves. The scene is well-lit by natural daylight.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

A little more gardening at home, trying to add some color to the front steps with containers of poppy and petunias #flowers #gardens

A set of steps leading up to a brick building with a white railing. There are three potted plants on the steps, one yellow, one white, and one green. There is a traditional azalea bush with pink flowers next to the steps. The word "Love grows here" is written in gold letters on the yellow pot.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Just a small batch this time, but I think I may have lost the blueberry flavor as it weals fermenting. Either way, cider is getting ready to finish. Just need the to settle.

A mix of blue and clear bottles filled with blueberry cider to bottle finish.

A small bottle of cider for testing the finishing of the larger batch.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

What do you do with leftover cookie dough? Make cookie muffins! Cranberry white chocolate chip cookies baked in a muffin tin. The make the perfect little cups for a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. 🍽️🍪

A group of round cookies with white and red chunks on a black wire rack. The cookies are on a yellow countertop.

A cookie cup with white chocolate chips and red cranberries on a metal cooling rack.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

And a nice dinner made by the hubby for Lá Fhéile Pádraig: cabbage, corned beef, soda bread, and potato farels.

A blue and white plate holds a serving of corned beef, cabbage, potato farels, and soda bread. The corned beef is shredded and mixed with cooked cabbage. The fried potato farels are golden brown and appear crispy. The soda bread is a round loaf with a crusty exterior and a soft interior. The plate is placed on a wooden table.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Found an old camera that still works, and pulled the photos off it. Not bad for a 2015 Nikon Coolpix.

A tree branch with green needles extends across the image. The background is a hazy blue sky with white clouds. There is a mountain range in the distance. The image is slightly blurry.

A circular metal plaque embedded in concrete. The plaque has text around the edge that reads "N.C. GEODETIC SURVEY FOR INFO WRITE TO RALEIGH ANDY 2002 DISTRICT LOW HORIZONTAL CONTROL." There is a triangular symbol in the center. The concrete around the plaque is cracked and weathered.

A view of Pilot Mountain knob with trees on top under a cloudy sky. There is a staircase leading up the mountain. In the distance, there are more mountains and a valley.

A landscape photo of rolling hills and fields under a cloudy sky. The foreground shows a mix of green and brown fields, with some patches of trees and a few small buildings scattered throughout. In the distance, the hills fade into a hazy blue horizon. The sky is mostly overcast with some lighter clouds near the horizon. There are no visible text elements.

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Matt @rangermattnc.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

And lunch came out great! Burgers, pretzels, and sake. Perfect t for a lovely spring day!

A plate with a burger and fries next to a bottle of sake and two sake cups. The sake bottle has a red and black label with foreign text. The sake cups are brown with black eyes. The plate has a blue and white pattern.

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