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Somewhere in the early 2000s, I saw The Appleseed Cast play with Mates of State at The University of Wisconsin at Madison. It was a beautiful show, right down by the water outside the university pub.

During The Appleseed Cast's set, their drummer broke a snare skin, replaced it with a new one, and kept on playing without stopping the set. After the show, he gave me the skin, and the stick that he broke it with.

At the time, I didn't have the presence of mind to ask the band to sign it. Tonight, about a decade later, I got a second chance.

After The Appleseed Cast's Media Club show in Vancouver, I invited them to crash at my house, a few blocks from the venue. It was an honor to be able to help them out after nearly 14 years of having them in regular rotation on my stereo.

I missed snapping a photo of Chris mid-signature, but here's a photo of Nate, Nathan, Taylor, and Jordan completing my memory of that night in Madison.

Almost exactly 3 years after Graham left his orchids with me, one of them sprouted this!

I immediately killed one of the gift orchids, decimated the second, and managed to keep this one, the third, leafy but flowerless – until now!

I have no idea what did it; it was likely a combination of fertilizer with a regimen of putting it outside in the cold every night, then bringing it back into the house in the morning.

Expect updates.

This photo was taken at the incomparable Shooting Star Inn, an off-grid, sustainable bed & breakfast that features a tour of the night's sky by professional photographer and astronomy enthusiast Tom Taylor.

This photo was taken at the incomparable Shooting Star Inn, an off-grid, sustainable bed & breakfast that features a tour of the night's sky by professional photographer and astronomy enthusiast Tom Taylor.

This photo was taken at the incomparable Shooting Star Inn, an off-grid, sustainable bed & breakfast that features a tour of the night's sky by professional photographer and astronomy enthusiast Tom Taylor.