Today in headlines I won’t be bothered to click on: “I Can Hear You Fine. Is It Rude That I’m Still Wearing AirPods?” Yes. Yes, it is rude. You actually have to make the gesture that says “I give a rat’s ass about what you are saying.” Even if you don’t.

New on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail ‘stack: Hidden gems of Guilford County, in which I pause on the trail to loiter by streams and glean a snack from the (former) prison farm.

On the Banks of Plum Creek… in Alamance County, North Carolina.

What is it called when you need two letters to represent a single consonant sound, like ch or th? Like a diphthong, but for consonants. (It ought to be a diphthong, because the word has two of them, but I don’t think it is.)

Everyone is all upset about the effect that Twitter’s decline is going to have on journalism, but really, it’s been all downhill since the Weekly World News shut down.

In Martinsburg, West Virginia, the on-street parking is all metered, but the meters are still coin operated, and a quarter buys you an hour.

He had always considered himself a peaceful man. Until, one day, came the leaf blowers.

The Joys of the Open Road: Thinking about why country roads and pretty landscape lose their charm on foot. It isn’t only about the cars.

Also from Seven Bends State Park.