trees and canopies
shelter for the fisherman
stoic as a river: he is still
in movement
engaged like a painter
watching the moment.
This poem was inspired by Jules-Louis Dupré's "Willows, with a Man Fishing".
Morning impressions
Opening the window, a vivid dancing shadow of the trees between the glass and the sun appears the wall, illuminating yesterday’s ideas written across my whiteboard. The shadow is a temporary, moving work of art, detailing the contours of leaves and, when I stand in front, th...
the park
eyes closed, sights
of day — memories —
appear vivid
as trees and paths
paint the skyline
with colour.
Impressionism
with colour, motion.
Bear Blog Carnival September 2026: Music memories
Do you remember the moment when you first heard your favourite song performed live? Or a moment when a friend told you that a song you love was a cover and that there were many more versions to hear? Do you remember a particular street performer – a guitarist, a pianist, or ...
Hiding elements on mobile and desktop with CSS
My website navigation bar varies on desktop and mobile devices. On desktop devices, the navigation bar appears to the left of the page with a list of links to pages on my website. My website tagline, from ;; james, appears in the sidebar, too. On mobile devices, the navigati...
this is me trying (to make a zine)
After the IndieWeb Zine Pop Up in May, I decided that I wanted to make a zine. I had already made a zine before, Quiet Edinburgh, but the zine was more of a booklet. After the meetup, I started feeling inspired. I wanted to make a tiny paper zine, one that I could fit in my ...
Inspirations
I remember the moment I was standing before four or five of Monet’s Haystack paintings, each depicting a different season. I was in awe of the colour. I could move between each of them and see the same scene from a new perspective, from the warm sunsets of summer to the fros...
Time
Flowers fade into fall. Every day brings us closer to autumn. I walk around for a while, admiring details I have seen a hundred times and yet, each time, find something new to see, and then stand for a moment and watch as people wander in the park, or sit and spend the momen...
Marble Memories
This is my contribution to the September 2026 IndieWeb Fiction Carnival on the theme of "Moonlight".
“Fields glisten under the moonlight.” This is what John used to say whenever anybody asked why he liked to walk so late at night. “You can see way more stars if you are outs...
IndieWeb Fiction Carnival September 2026: Moonlight
When you close your eyes and think of moonlight, what do you see? An author typing a story on an antique typewriter while burning the midnight oil? A musician who is perpetually unaware that there is moonlight outside because they are playing in an underground club? A person...
Wonders of Web Weaving, Episode 17
The seventeenth episode of Wonders of Web Weaving is out:
In Episode 17, Mike interviews James, the author of "with words, wonder" (formerly James' Coffee Blog) about, among other things, identity and personal websites, writing on the web, communicating the potential of personal websites, and more.
I hope you enjoy the episode!
Wonders of Web Weaving also has an RSS feed you can use to follow along from wherever you get your podcasts.
What does it take to be on or be part of the #indieweb?As several have shared before me:* own your domain and publish some content on itThat’s the foundation. If you have a personal website on a domain you own and control, you’re on the indieweb or part of the indieweb or how...
Due to recent reports about “AI”/LLM/“agent” tools and services, I have growing concerns that the #security properties of the open web are changing, or have already changed, in practice, to a degree that we haven’t seen in many years.This past week’s articles / reports on fur...
Enjoy some art with me
Throughout August I have written a few blog posts about paintings (example). When I have written these posts, I have looked closely at a digital or pained photograph of a painting and written my impressions, sometimes with contextual background that I have researched.
For t...
We can pickle it. But will we want to?
Ken Albala thinks maybe not.
”This next generation is really going to not care much about pickles, or they’re going to like pickles that are bought in the store and made industrially and really not care about the strange, weird local thing that comes from the other corner of the earth. I think that’s going to fade.”
We talked about fermentation around the world and the past and future of real pickles.
Chinese Idioms (Guest post by Naty)
One of the options for the Blaugust Community Award is to write a guest post for another blogger. Zachary and I wrote guest posts for each other's sites earlier in the month. Today I have the pleasure of Naty publishing a guest post here. The topic is Chinese idioms. Herebel...
A moment
Yellowing leaves blow over the path in front of me, making a sound as they move. Every leaf, a colourful reminder of the coming autumn. Looking up and around and straight ahead, I felt the fresh breeze blow against my face and my hair. The sunlit grass gleamed. Further ahead, the canopy of trees rustled with the wind. With every sound and colour and feeling, I feel alive.
Blaugust 2026 in review
I am sitting with a cup of tea by my side as I have been on many mornings this month. This morning, instead of being precariously balanced on the arm of the chair, the cup rests between the right arm of the chair and my right leg, keeping me warm in a way where the temperatu...
Early Autumn
I look out to the trees around and I see a sea of green. The air was warm today; summer is still here. With that said, there are ever more signs that indicate the beginning of the forthcoming season. Every so often, I notice a tree whose leaves are yellowing. This morning, I...