Since next week’s forecast isn’t looking great, more rain/freezing temps, so we decided to make the most of this Saturday. Normally the weekends aren’t ideal for hiking here in Sedona since the trails are extra crowded and parking is nearly impossible to find, blasted tourists, but decided to throw caution to the wind and try our luck.

You know it's a serious hike when I'm wearing my Tilley.

We began the morning at Sedonuts where we tried a lemon-glazed, maple bacon, and a plain cake donut. I'm no donut connoisseur, but these were nearly as delicious as the ones we tried from The Holy Donut last September in Portland, Maine. These divine sugar laden calorie-bombs must've given us a little bit of luck because we found a parking space at the Thunder Mountain trailhead.

The hiking was gorgeous today, sunny with temperatures in the low fifties. If you're ever in the area I would highly recommend giving this Thunder Mountain trail a try. There's a bit of elevation to this one so the views of the surrounding area are stunning.

It had been years since we hiked this one and we're glad we check it out this morning. Not only did we burn off the calories from the donuts but we satisfied our cardio for the entire day with this hike. We only have two weeks left here in Sedona, I really hope our last one brings with it some nicer weather.

Enroute to Ukraine

I'm happy to report, @zirochka, that you have three autographed books headed your way. I was able to get my hands on some copies earlier than expected. I'll be dropping them off in the mail at the beginning of next week. I hope these books bring you joy and help open the door for a wonderful, peaceful, and prosperous next year of your life (we wish you a very early Happy Birthday)!

A Fish Fry, Created by AI (ChatGPT)

@bozz's post the other day featuring a mouth-watering photo of fish and chips inspired me to harness the power of AI to do something I've never done before in my life...fry haddock in an air fryer!

Since we're no spring chickens anymore, we try our best to eat healthy (unless we're having donuts) so we swapped out the chips for roasted Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes.

We tossed them with good olive oil and roasted them until they were well done. I have to say I enjoyed them even more than the fish.

I followed the AI chef's recipe closely, popped the filets into the air fryer and I have to say it rivaled some of best fish I've ever tasted and was definitely the best I've made at home.

The fish was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and very flavorful. We don't have an air fryer at home but that might be changing soon after we get home to St. Paul.

Here's the recipe ChatGPT created if you'd like to try it for yourself:

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chips
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pieces of white fish (such as cod or haddock), about 6 oz each
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs

Instructions:
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, toss the potato chips with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Place the potato chips in the air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally to ensure even cooking, until the chips are crispy and golden brown.

While the chips are cooking, prepare the fish. In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

In another shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk.
In a third shallow dish, place the breadcrumbs.
Dip each fish fillet in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs firmly onto the fish to ensure they stick.
Once the chips are done, remove them from the air fryer basket and place them on a serving platter. Place the breaded fish fillets in the air fryer basket and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through cooking, until the fish is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden brown.

Serve the fish and chips with your favorite dipping sauce, such as tartar sauce or ketchup.

Enjoy your homemade air fryer fish and chips!

All for now. Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.

~Eric Vance Walton~

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(Photos are original.)

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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.

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