My hiking companion and I recently completed the Overland Track in Tasmania, and they posted a picture of our packs on a related group on Facebook. There was an overwhelming response, ranging from good job! to you’re a liar or you surely didn’t have a tent or you must be on a tour and didn’t bring food. I can understand the skepticism. Upon inspecting what people brought, and never used, there is definitely a preference for people to pack their fears. Considering this track seemed to be the first time many people have done a multi-day backpacking trip, there were a lot of things they likely would not pack after gaining a little more experience.

I recently purchased an Echo from Amazon, and we were contemplating how else to better integrate it with our somewhat minimalistic home. I thought it would be interesting to get it to link to a WiFi-enabled power outlet, but unfortunately they are pretty expensive in Australia. Then I stumbled across the Sonoff devices by Itead, and learned that they were somewhat hackable via a custom firmware. Coincidentally I received the two devices on the same day my daughter was off sick, so when she had her nap, I got hacking.

A few photos from my first trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There is not too much to say here, as the trip was very brief. As expected, Liechtenstein was picturesque, almost exactly like the setting of a romance film in which an American meets a European prince who sweeps her off her feet. Unfortunately, I also didn’t take many photos. Walking one of the many side streets

A few photos from Portugal in 2016.