iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Splitting red oak logs today. Largest 300+lbs. I'm a traditionalist, not masochist. 13 years ago i did this with saw and maul. Took 3 months. Love technology. This'll take about 4 days to split the entire tree.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Good morning. Try to be strong today, my friends. Just do your best and it'll all be good. Peace

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Mediterranean Chicken with all 4 kids and grandkids. Joy last night before FiL funeral this morning. Cooked with son. It was great. Cabernet paired well.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Good night from Persimmon Knob

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

After FiL's passing on Christmas Day, family is gathering for Monday funeral. First kids and grands arrived today. 2 more and families Sunday along with 4 nieces and nephews and families. Joy and love amidst sorrow. As is right and just.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Granada is a great city to visit. Mountainside neighborhoods. The Alhambra. Breathtaking churches. Vibrant and safe walk appeal. Really excellent food.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

You ought to be Advent maxing. You know it. Do it tastefully and in muted tones. It's not yet Christmas. It's Advent. Prepare.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Mom and daughter 1 made Serbian Pita (spinach cheese eggs in phyllo) and a phyllo cranberry brie custard pie. What a combo

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

if you're not carcass-maxing, you're putting food in the trash. I boiled the carcass for 7 hours. Then in fridge for a day. Total gelatin. Pulled all bones. Shocking how much meat is there. Now aromatics & veggies boil all day. Then feast. It is *so* delicious. It'll feed us for 4 days.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

I put my wild apple brew in the windows specifically to have sunlight help the alcohol.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Late season liqueurs cooking in window. 2 jars wild Persimmon. One jar Satsuma orange and one jar Georgia Pecans. You can do this.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Man, every tear you find huge sycamore leaves. The ones who held on the longest and grew biggest.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

And a well-managed forest ensures we have wood to heat the home every winter no matter the future of the grid.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Also, there's free maple syrup.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

There are a lot of people who be moan where the world is. Finding a place like ours and reforesting it is both simple and relatively inexpensive compared to most of life's activities. And it leaves something for our successors. Nothing like feeding grandkids the fruits of their future land

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Reforestation also increases wildlife. Deer eat from the orchard and from increased nut production. The Meadow is now prime spot for does to birth fawns. We have quail now. More turkeys than we can count. So that also provides us with meat for the year. A real bounty.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Our small orchard produces more fruit than we can eat. So we preserve like crazy, give fruit t an neighbor who wants it in any amount. Apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

What were dry creek beds for 11 months of the year now run year round or nearly so. Pond creek dries occasionally. Spring Creek is always wet and sports fish and snapping turtles after only 12 years. Reforestation makes land a water sink and retains it vice running off.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Now, The Meadow (as it's will always be called) sports wild orchids not known in this region, wild passion fruit, and a crap ton of pollinators.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Thread on reforesting land. In 2012 we moved to new house on 15.5 acres. ~6 acres old growth forest. Rest hayed pasture. Started transplanting saplings first year and every year for 6 years. Now The Meadow is a forest. 3 species Chestnuts including 25 15/16ths American. 70 species of trees

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Sunset from the creek stand at Angel Hill Farm this evening.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Boccadasse, Genoa, Italy

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Inside the bato of this dead Sycamore to the left of the stand I'm sitting in rn is a healthy clump of Chanterelles. They're about 15 ft up the tree. Too bad. They look so good.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Annecy and Lyon are delightful, off the beaten path places to visit in France. Here are pictures of Château Menthon and the island castle in Annecy. Also some doors of Lyon and the interior of Notre Dame de Fouvriere. I'm leading an intimate small group (6 guests) Excursion in May. Hope you'll come.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Forests mimic cathedrals. Cathedrals mimic forests. God created one. God inspired the other. We should ponder the similarities. We should give thanks for both. We should regenerate our great woods. We should build great churches anew like our forebears did. Together.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Made Mugolio this fall. Fermented pine/spruce syrup. Packed green cones in sugar and let sit for 2 months. Makes intense syrup. Used a few tablespoons in chicken goulash tonight was delightful. 10/10 simple. Free cones everywhere in spring/summer. Win win.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 25/05/2024

Random dinner picture, Genoa

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 25/05/2024

Lunch at Ostaia du Richetto above Genoa built into medieval wall protecting the city and run by same family since 1890. Caterina is a wonderful hostess and so gracious. Recommend.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 25/05/2024

Santa Maria delle Vigne, Genoa. Built 10th Century

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 07/01/2024

Who wants to go to Genoa in May? Exquisitely curated small group Excursion. 6 guests, 2 hosts. All included plus airfare. Stay in 15th C B&B. Trip of a life time. Two spots remaining. Contact me ASAP. See CulturalDebrisExcursions.com

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 24/11/2023

Family gathering yesterday was outstanding. Son in law asked to assist in prep. Sister made potatoes. Mom made Mac&Cheese. Gravy was as good as it gets. We're all gonna make it.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/10/2023

World's longest portico is in Bologna. Goes up hill to shrine of Our Lady of St Luke. After the Holy Land fell in Middle Ages and pilgrims could no longer go local shrines became pilgrimages. This one has copy of St Luke's icon of Mary&Jesus. 3 mile walk. Mass on Feast of St Luke yesterday. Awesome.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/10/2023

Walking along a portico this morning. A door is open to our right. I sense strong presence. Go inside. Church of St Caterina di Saragosa. No lights but dim rain light through windows & candles. Place was filled with presence. Thin space. Hair stand on end. Holy Tiny parish church. Bologna

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/10/2023

Modena,Italy. Palazzo Ducale

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 19/09/2023

Me: where's the trail? Park service: follow arrows Me: ????!??!!!!???!!??? Park service: take stairs

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 14/09/2023

Also, I saw this bald eagle eating a deer today. For real

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 20/08/2023

Passion flower and passion fruit growing wild in our reforestation acres

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 20/08/2023

Our ceiling paneling project is coming along. Started by cutting down trees 2 years ago. Milled the wood. Dried the wood. Cut to fit. Now finally going up. White Oak. Red Oak. Pine. Poplar. Black Walnut. Sycamore. Ash

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 03/07/2023

Hey friends. Work your tail off while you must so that you can see waterfalls and flowers while you can. Peace to you all

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 02/07/2023

The Continental Divide Trail above Wolf Creek Ski Area from the Divide marker on US160 to the top of Alberta Peak is as fine a trail as you can find in N Am. Very accessible. 6 miles out/back. 1k' gain. Follows the Divide. Water on the left > Pacific, right > Atlantic. Stunning.

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 21/06/2023

Excellent interview of Dale Ahlquist, President of the Society of GK Chesterton by Alan Cornett on the Cultural Debris Podcast. They discuss the Cultural Debris Excursion to Genoa which we're leading in Oct. Come with us! youtu.be/0en91gofxS4

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 30/05/2023

Anniversary dinner tonight

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 30/05/2023

Went simpling (old English word for foraging for wild herbs) this afternoon to make a summer batch of Angel Hill Farm Herbal Liqueur. Look at that color after only an hour of soak!

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 30/05/2023

This, my friends, is a very tall, very healthy, Shagbark Hickory tree

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 29/05/2023

My favorite spot on the Liguria coast is not far from there. San Fruttuoso

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Tom Ruby @tomruby.bsky.social · 29/05/2023

11 years ago I gave my daughter a fly rod at my retirement ceremony. Last week I watched her 3 kids with my wife while she and her husband fished for trout. She still has it. What a woman she is, mother, wife, daughter, friend, example and scholar

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