Nostr notes by Brian Davis

that is real wealth right there.

2026-08-01T00:42:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…3234
_________________________

that is real wealth right there.

I dunno about welcoming. The vibe was very "don't touch ...

2026-07-31T18:44:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…xy7a
_________________________

I dunno about welcoming. The vibe was very "don't touch my blueberries you smelly ape" but I was excited to see them. 😂

#footpathfriday with my spirit animal: ursus americanus. Probably ...

2026-07-31T15:43:56Z

#footpathfriday with my spirit animal: ursus americanus. Probably the best picture I've every taken of a bear, from backpacking in the Olympics last summer in the first mile of my first day. 😁

#pnw #hiking

NASA would like you to put Io back.

2026-07-28T00:27:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…ll49
_________________________

NASA would like you to put Io back.

Spent the weekend working on Drax (my project van). Finally ...

2026-07-27T17:17:32Z

Spent the weekend working on Drax (my project van). Finally changed the diff oil. Not too bad a job once I figured out how to rotate one of the rear wheels, to move gears out of the way, so I could get my siphon pump tube down into the reservoir. Did not want to touch the old but not leaking cover. Discovered the spare tire is the wrong size but the OEM jack is pretty good. Also made plywood panels for the side doors. And more stickers! #vanconversion #diy

Me looking at picture 1: that's pretty steep. 2: looks kinda ...

2026-07-27T15:35:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3z7
_________________________

Me looking at picture 1: that's pretty steep. 2: looks kinda doable tho. 3: yeah I think I see a route. 4. Fuck.

soo.... did you climb it?

lovely! I can imagine ice age glaciers carving those perfectly ...

2026-07-26T15:49:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…yxkc
_________________________

lovely! I can imagine ice age glaciers carving those perfectly shaped valleys.

"Whatcha dooooing?" 😂

2026-07-26T15:44:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…qwhr
_________________________

"Whatcha dooooing?" 😂

#silentsunday #pnw #hiking ...

2026-07-26T15:18:37Z

#silentsunday #pnw #hiking

gorgeous!

2026-07-25T14:14:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…mlzt
_________________________

gorgeous!

On this #caturday it's ok if you need to hide from the world. ...

2026-07-25T14:13:38Z

On this #caturday it's ok if you need to hide from the world.

Enjoy the mountains and cool weather!

2026-07-22T15:44:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…7gf7
_________________________

Enjoy the mountains and cool weather!

For #waterfallwednesday I give you the spectacular Ramona Falls. ...

2026-07-22T14:45:58Z

For #waterfallwednesday I give you the spectacular Ramona Falls. I had never been there before hiking the Timberline weekend before last. Well deserving its iconic reputation.

#pnw #hiking

It's #mountainmonday so I'm thinking about mountains. Not ...

2026-07-20T15:31:12Z

It's #mountainmonday so I'm thinking about mountains.

Not unlike other days that end in 'y'. 😄

#pnw #hiking

#silentSunday #pnw #hiking ...

2026-07-19T15:49:52Z

#silentSunday #pnw #hiking

July Backpacking Trip 2026. After my June trip was rained out I ...

2026-07-15T20:09:23Z

July Backpacking Trip 2026. After my June trip was rained out I was really looking forward to these 4 days off. Saturday I hit the slopes of Pahto (Mt Adams) with hiking buddies at 3:30am. Strong start and lovely conditions but just below the false summit one of our party began experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness and made the 100% correct call to descend immediately. Still an incredible day. Tasted mountain air and everyone lived to climb another day. Can't ask for more.
#pnw #hiking
1/

The sign of a good weekend? Unpacked but not put away. Be glad ...

2026-07-15T18:46:09Z

The sign of a good weekend? Unpacked but not put away.

Be glad the smell doesn't come through. 🤪

#hiking

hmmm I see it. Maybe hasn't propogated yet?

2026-07-10T20:59:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…8xqv
_________________________

hmmm I see it. Maybe hasn't propogated yet?

But we're all animals and capable of the same thing. I think ...

2026-07-10T19:47:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…rldp
_________________________

But we're all animals and capable of the same thing. I think it's worth sitting with that and learning from it.

Fear is a signal to get curious. Courage is the ability to act against the urge of fear and requires preparation, practice, and discipline.

12/

And revert to shouting slurs because they feel threatened by ...

2026-07-10T19:44:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…p5rk
_________________________

And revert to shouting slurs because they feel threatened by slightest suggestion they might be wrong. They avoid actually engaging with ideas on merits because they are terrified of looking foolish and learning they were wrong is too scary.

That's the opposite of courage.

My cat isn't being brave when she flips out because I tried to clip her nails. Her fear is in charge. These guys are doing the same thing.

11/

All their suggestions for action are based on fear. They're ...

2026-07-10T19:40:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…s00k
_________________________

All their suggestions for action are based on fear. They're afraid feminists are going to (somehow?) destroy the masculinity of real men, dominate women. Diversity is going to (somehow?) take away their strength, attack people who are different. Immigrants are threatening white culture, state sanctioned violence towards immigrants.

For all their loud declarations of strength and manhood, questioning these tough guys' ideas causes them to go immediately on the aggression.

10/

That was all a preface to something I've recently realized ...

2026-07-10T19:36:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…8zse
_________________________

That was all a preface to something I've recently realized about the folks hyping "real" masculinity, the anti-trans, homophobic, fascism supporting movement. When I hear these talking heads ranting about how wokeness is making us (American culture) weak, feminism is emasculating men, diversity is leading to the fall of the empire, etc, I had this gut reaction, I thought, "These guys are cowards." But I couldn't articulate why I thought that until just now.

9/

Sometimes I say no because the risks are not acceptable. ...

2026-07-10T19:35:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…klga
_________________________

Sometimes I say no because the risks are not acceptable. Sometimes I just don't have it in me today. Sometimes I say yes and regret it. Sometimes I do the thing and it's really hard and I fuck it up, but come believe it was the right decision anyway. I hate the fact that the right decision can feel wrong and the wrong decision feel right, but we do our best anyway.

8/

The same techniques apply. Analysis: What am I afraid of? What ...

2026-07-10T19:35:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…ayl6
_________________________

The same techniques apply. Analysis: What am I afraid of? What are the legitimate risks and consequences of saying yes? Can those be mitigated? What will it cost me to say no to this? What outcome do I want? Planning: How can I work toward that outcome? What things are in my control? How can I practice scenario? Then, practice, discipline, experience, and growth.

There's no universal heuristic.

7/

Without that preparation and practice, without having a plan and ...

2026-07-10T19:34:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…yy0u
_________________________

Without that preparation and practice, without having a plan and the physical ability to carry it out, we tend to freeze up.

And this generalizes all over the place. Public speaking, hard conversations, finding out I was wrong, accepting accountability, being authentic and vulnerable, helping people in crisis, anytime that I realize my behavior (usually avoidance) is being directed by fear. This is another kind of courage, I don't have a perfect name for, let's call it Relational Courage.

6/

There's only room for the intense, whole body focus that the ...

2026-07-10T19:33:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…u6t8
_________________________

There's only room for the intense, whole body focus that the activity requires. I think the state he's describing is the biological state that is created by the emotion of fear. The survival instinct takes over, heart rate and respiration increase, focus narrows. Everything becomes about surviving the next few moments. Being able to exist in that state and retain the ability to consciously act requires preparation, discipline, and practice.

5/

Many people have a natural, physiological reaction to heights. I ...

2026-07-10T19:33:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…jxh8
_________________________

Many people have a natural, physiological reaction to heights. I ask myself, is the activity legitimately dangerous? What are the risks? How can I mitigate them? Is the mitigated risk acceptable? Fear is the signal that starts analysis. It can trigger intense focus. But I don't want it to be the deciding factor.

I saw an interview with Alex Honnold (first person to free solo El Capitan) and when asked if he was afraid he said something like in free climbing there's no room for fear.

4/

But better than that, it started a process to reframe fear as a ...

2026-07-10T19:32:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…kayq
_________________________

But better than that, it started a process to reframe fear as a signal to get curious and take another look. What was I afraid of happening? Was that a realistic outcome? Could the risk be mitigated? At some point I started to view fear as a sign that here was something that could cause me to grow.

I think of Physical Courage as the ability to override the animal instinct to self preservation. Something like jumping off the high dive at the pool.

3/

I made a decision that summer to start saying yes to things that ...

2026-07-10T19:31:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…ae9m
_________________________

I made a decision that summer to start saying yes to things that I was afraid of. At the time I adopted the mantra, "I'll try anything once."

That was fine. It got me out of a place I could have gotten stuck and out into the world trying stuff. I let my fear of missing out override some of my fear of getting hurt or (much more often) being embarrassed and for a shy, timid kid that kinda worked to help me grow, instead of withdrawing into my shell of protective comfort.

2/

Brain dump warning! I've been thinking about courage this ...

2026-07-10T19:31:10Z

Brain dump warning! I've been thinking about courage this week.

Courage is ability to act against the impulse of fear.

I'm naturally a very cautious person. As a child you probably would have called me timid. There was a transformative moment when I went to a summer camp that had a zip line. I tried to pretend I didn't want to try it but really I was afraid. I left without taking advantage of that experience, one that my friends obviously enjoyed without anyone getting hurt.

1/

#mountainmonday from the archives. Pahto's (Mt Adams) summit ...

2026-07-06T16:01:11Z

#mountainmonday from the archives. Pahto's (Mt Adams) summit as seen from Pikers Peak. Hoping to get back here next weekend. Turns out a year is just about long enough for me to forget how hard it is and want to do it again. 😄

#pnw #hiking

yikes! Glad that turned out ok. There's a self arrest ...

2026-07-06T14:25:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…n27s
_________________________

yikes! Glad that turned out ok. There's a self arrest technique for trekking poles but I've never tried it.

A study in light from my rainy walk last weekend for ...

2026-07-03T15:12:39Z

A study in light from my rainy walk last weekend for #footpathfriday. #pnw #hiking

Looks like a great place to wander!

2026-06-29T18:28:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…ely5
_________________________

Looks like a great place to wander!

My weekend mountain plans were foiled by the return of Juneary. ...

2026-06-29T15:51:07Z

My weekend mountain plans were foiled by the return of Juneary. Can't really complain because summer precip in the west is a much needed gift. Particularly in a low snow year, particularly right before July 4.

So you get a #mountainmonday from the archives. Looking east from Eagle Cap in the summer of '23. What a great trip that was.

#pnw #hiking

I swear to god, the next time a conservative tries to gaslight me ...

2026-06-29T14:50:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…2ztf
_________________________

I swear to god, the next time a conservative tries to gaslight me about what I'm "really" upset about I will flip this fucking table.

Best tricks for drying out waterproof boots? Asking for a me. Yes ...

2026-06-28T23:17:23Z

Best tricks for drying out waterproof boots? Asking for a me.

Yes it was a lovely hike however not only did I visit waterfalls, one rather large one seemed to follow me around...

😁

2026-06-28T14:54:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…76ny
_________________________

😁

worth it!

2026-06-28T14:52:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…uy99
_________________________

worth it!

#silentSunday #pnw ...

2026-06-28T14:50:09Z

#silentSunday #pnw

beautiful shot! But did dinner get soggy?

2026-06-28T14:42:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…zta8
_________________________

beautiful shot!

But did dinner get soggy?

Joy must be looked for and nurtured but it cannot be earned. ...

2026-06-27T23:14:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…skuh
_________________________

Joy must be looked for and nurtured but it cannot be earned. It's a gift just like water, air, and sunlight, and it's just as necessary for people to flourish.

Joy, like dignity, is the birthright of every living thing.

/end

They never really go away. And there is certainly no shortage of ...

2026-06-27T23:14:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…pyw4
_________________________

They never really go away. And there is certainly no shortage of things happening in the world to induce anxiety or anger. Making room for joy does not require fixing all those things first, or to stop feeling all those feelings. Joy can exist alongside all the rest. What it does do, is make the rest bearable. It makes it worth enduring.

/7

Lately when I run I've been focusing intensely on the ...

2026-06-27T23:14:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…hu7n
_________________________

Lately when I run I've been focusing intensely on the movement, the whole body chain of muscles and joints that work together to convert gravity into forward momentum. There's joy in movement, in feeling my body do something it was so clearly made to do. It's why humans have always played sports and danced.

I've been depressed this week, feeling some heavy things. Old griefs are things that must sometimes be brought down from the attic and gone through again.

6/

But it came to me, I would never let someone talk that way to my ...

2026-06-27T23:13:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…hlxe
_________________________

But it came to me, I would never let someone talk that way to my kids. I would never dream of talking that way to a junior engineer at work or a novice runner. Why do I talk that way to myself? I still fixed the thing and I take joy in that. An object in my life did NOT go in the garbage but was made useful again, by me. The inner critic is a thief of joy (probably got that from Brene Brown). It's silly of me to choose criticism over joy.

5/

It doesn't have to be a doom rectangle, it could just be ...

2026-06-27T23:13:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…4kmv
_________________________

It doesn't have to be a doom rectangle, it could just be another means of human connection.

Yeserday I stopped in the middle of my driveway to admire the raindrops on some grass. Just stopped, knealt down, and focused on the way they sparkled in the sun. No hurry, no fear of looking silly, just drinking in that mundane beauty. That was joy.

I was fixing something and made a stupid mistake. My inner critic had harsh words for me, words I'm ashamed I said out loud.

4/

The doom rectangle that I'm posting these thoughts on claims ...

2026-06-27T23:12:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…xxrj
_________________________

The doom rectangle that I'm posting these thoughts on claims an unreasonable percentage of my attention. The algorithms (both machine and human) that decide what gets promoted here are biased towards outrage. It's so much easier to get people's attention by making them angry. Every now and again I'm reminded of what the internet can be, when I get sucked into a fun little game, or a new webcomic, or have a silly interaction with the fediverse.

3/

I'm not sure if we've forgotten this, or never really ...

2026-06-27T23:12:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…hd04
_________________________

I'm not sure if we've forgotten this, or never really knew it, but we've believed a cultural lie that joy must be earned, that every injustice must first be righted, and every broken thing mended, and every messy thing cleaned up, before we can allow ourselves to partake in joy. It's baloney. Joy can coexist with grief, rage, and even depression. It doesn't require anything of me except my attention. But that's the problem, my attention is usually divided a thousand ways.

2/

I've been gnawing on an idea this weekend that, like a piece ...

2026-06-27T23:12:04Z

I've been gnawing on an idea this weekend that, like a piece of gristle in my steak, stubbornly refuses to resolve into anything distinct and palatable. But this being the internet I'm not about to let that stop me. Please return your seats and tray tables to the upright and locked position, I'm about to brain dump.

Joy, like dignity, is the birthright of every living thing.

1/

#footpathfriday #pnw #hiking This really impressive collection of ...

2026-06-26T17:58:24Z

#footpathfriday #pnw #hiking

This really impressive collection of Western Skunk Cabbage (aka Swamp Lantern) from our beach trip last weekend. I dunno that I've ever seen so many in one place and so big!

#throwbackthursday to the time I declared my truck a stationary ...

2026-06-25T16:06:19Z

#throwbackthursday to the time I declared my truck a stationary research lab and began disassembling the engine. I learned a lot but ended up selling it to someone else to fix up.

breathtaking!

2026-06-22T04:02:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…4mxu
_________________________

breathtaking!

Tonight's dinner is..... .... Leftovers from four different ...

2026-06-19T00:36:09Z

Tonight's dinner is.....

.... Leftovers from four different meals tossed together and drizzled with hot sauce.

It ain't pretty but it gets the job done. 🤪

The solutions to many of the challenges of our time are the same ...

2026-06-18T20:47:59Z

The solutions to many of the challenges of our time are the same solutions to challenges in the past: slow down, find allies, put in the hard work, focus on fundamentals. Make the tent big but keep your circle of trust small. Diffuse leadership. Encourage initiative.

We're facing multiple crisises that cut across society in different ways. The pace of change is accelerating and people are desperate in a lot of different ways.

1/

oh my! That's lovely.

2026-06-18T00:10:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…jj0j
_________________________

oh my! That's lovely.

#whatsinyourpack? #hiking What is the consensus about Alpha ...

2026-06-17T15:53:12Z

#whatsinyourpack? #hiking

What is the consensus about Alpha Direct (and similar technical fleeces)? Worth the cost? How durable, breathable, etc?

I've been using merino base and mid layers for a while and I really like how breathable and comfy they are and that I can wear them for several days without them holding odors. BUT I could save a couple hundred grams by switching to fleece.

An alpha sleeping bag liner is also pretty interesting.

https://www.garagegrowngear.com/collections/alpha-direct-1

#pnw #hiking A black bear sow attacked a group of teens on Mt Si ...

2026-06-17T15:15:41Z

#pnw #hiking

A black bear sow attacked a group of teens on Mt Si yesterday when they got too close to its cubs. Everyone is ok, minor injuries only. Reports are that they surprised the bear, which may indicate they were approaching from down wind. This is one of the things folks mean when they say, "Be aware of your surroundings." Learn to notice conditions and terrain that could result in surprising a wild animal.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/bear-attack-mt-si-seriously-injures-hiker-shuts-down-mountain/281-d91d18b9-de93-4c57-9d0b-80aa97223cab

#pnw #hiking USFS has opened forest road 99, which makes the ...

2026-06-17T15:09:14Z

#pnw #hiking

USFS has opened forest road 99, which makes the Windy Ridge trailhead on Loowit (Mt St Helens) accessible from the south. If you are looking to day hike into the blast zone this is the most accessible option.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/giffordpinchot/recreation/forest-road-99

right?! Pretty insane. I didn't realize what I was getting ...

2026-06-16T21:34:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…vt57
_________________________

right?! Pretty insane. I didn't realize what I was getting but I did notice a jump in image quality ... and size.

Another favorite shot of Loowit (aka Mt St Helens), this time ...

2026-06-16T21:32:05Z

Another favorite shot of Loowit (aka Mt St Helens), this time from the little oasis near Pumice Butte on the south east side from last fall.

#pnw #hiking

My Motorola has a 50MP camera that trips the upload limit most of ...

2026-06-16T21:22:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…yuw3
_________________________

My Motorola has a 50MP camera that trips the upload limit most of the time.

Time to get some mountains in to my feed on the new instance. ...

2026-06-16T19:58:02Z

Time to get some mountains in to my feed on the new instance. Loowit, also called Lawetlat'la, aka Mt St Helens from just above the south fork of the Toutle shortly after sunrise. With just a bit of a rainbow hanging in the air because the mountains are for everyone. 🏳️‍🌈

Fair warning: I've been posting about this mountain a LOT. 😄

#pnw #hiking #highlights

I could have imported my bio, header, avatar, etc but opted to ...

2026-06-16T19:31:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…4y0s
_________________________

I could have imported my bio, header, avatar, etc but opted to create it manually. And manually fixed the few ui and account settings I care about.

The sticky part is that moving posts over require third party tools. I'm not so concerned with that but I could see that being a problem for some folks.

2/

You'll want to read a more detailed how-to but briefly it ...

2026-06-16T19:31:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…mjt0
_________________________

You'll want to read a more detailed how-to but briefly it looks like:

1. Create new account, setup alias to old
2. From old account, export data, forward to new
3. On the new account, import followers, lists, blocks, etc

The bulk of my followers were setup to automatically accept requests and came back immediately. About 5% are either defunct accounts, or waiting for approval.

1/

What's folks favorite #android app for browsing #mastodon? ...

2026-06-16T18:29:10Z

What's folks favorite #android app for browsing #mastodon?

Just installed tusky but it doesn't let me hide boosts from my home feed, which is a must for my sanity.

The biggest loss by far are @npub1fa7…w284's star trek ...

2026-06-16T17:10:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…6cqq
_________________________

The biggest loss by far are Michael Stanclift (npub1fa7…w284)'s star trek emojis!

😭

I'm still repopulating all that. Bit of a pain but things ...

2026-06-16T17:09:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…6cqq
_________________________

I'm still repopulating all that. Bit of a pain but things should slowly come over.

I don't know what happened behind the scenes. Yesterday ...

2026-06-16T17:06:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…rgeh
_________________________

I don't know what happened behind the scenes. Yesterday Michael gave us 2 weeks notice he's closing it down. :sadness:

New instance, new #introduction time. Formerly ...

2026-06-16T16:58:03Z

New instance, new #introduction time.

Formerly intrepidhero@vmst.io.

I post a lot of #hiking, #mountaineering, and #caturday pictures, #cooking, #gardening, #diy projects, esoteric #programming and grumpy #tech and #design thoughts, and #poetry, both my own and attributed. I like #scifi and #fantasy and when I post about politics it will get a CW.

Posts are meant to be ephemeral. Anything I want to keep up long term will end up on my website.

☮️