Snow and Wind

It started on Sunday afternoon and is expected to continue until Tuesday evening.

The snow began falling on Sunday afternoon, transforming the neighbourhood into a winter wonderland, starkly contrasting with Saturday's clear skies. This wintry spectacle is forecasted to continue its performance until Tuesday evening, blanketing our town in a thick, white coat.

Peering out of the kitchen window, the world outside seemed to have undergone a dramatic transformation overnight. The once-familiar scenery was now a canvas of pristine white, significantly different from yesterday's shades of grey and green. The wind relentlessly hurled snow and sleet with such force that it sounded like a shower of coarse sand against our home's sturdy vinyl siding. This symphony of nature's storm created a bewitching, intense ambience, reminding me of the winter season's rugged beauty.

outdoor winter scene
Sunday January 31, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 1170 s at f/2.8 | ISO 200
outdoor winter scene
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 130 s at f/9 | ISO 800
outdoor winter scene
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 1500 s at f/9 | ISO 6400

I started the morning by feeding Alphie his favourite breakfast, Friskies Stuf'd & Sauc'd Kick'n With Chicken & Dripp'n in Gravy. I then prepped for my morning coffee ritual, setting up the Chemex, scale, and Barazza
grinder. I planned to cook frumenty, enhancing it with a hint of saffron for a special breakfast treat.

Our neighbourhood had remained untouched by snowploughs since yesterday's snowfall. Bhavna and I had cleared our driveway the previous evening. However, thinking about the back-breaking work ahead and the new snowfall, she snuggled back into bed.

A subtle wave of panic washed over me as I realized it was Monday, 1 February, marking a month since my last contract concluded. The job search, a chore in itself, loomed ahead. Determined, I resolved to make the day count, actively searching for new opportunities.

food in bowl with coffee mug and notebook
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 1500 s at f/2.8 | ISO 1600
outdoor winter scene
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 1500 s at f/16 | ISO 12800
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | JC Penny MultiCoated Optics 80-200mm f/4.5 @ 200 mm | 1640 s at f/8.0 | ISO 800
outdoor winter scene
Monday February 1, 2021 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8 | 1500 s at f/16 | ISO 10000

First Brew - Blue Bottle Coffee Kenya Kiambu Hendege

  • Coffee Name: Kenya Kiambu Handege
  • Region: Kiambu
  • Country: Kenya
  • Producer: Handege Factory
  • Processing: Fully Washed
  • Cultivar: SL 28, SL 34
  • Elevation: 1600-1800 meters
  • Roaster: Blue Bottle Coffee
  • Brew Method: Chemex With Able Cone
  • Roast Date: January 19, 2020
  • Brew Date: January 22, 2020

About This Coffee

Coffee descriptions can seem vague. But one taste of this, and you’ll get what we mean by florality. Such delicate aromas are uncommon in Kenyan single origins. Usually, we’re gushing over juicy acidity or tropical fruitiness. But for a few years now, when we’ve had the luck to carry Handege Factory’s coffees, its perfume grabs our attention first. “We tasted dozens of coffees blind while in Nairobi this year,” our green coffee buyer recounts. “But Handege’s was the only one I could identify every time it was on the cupping table.”

Fujifilm X-E4 + XF27mmF2.8 R WR announced

I bought a pre-owned original version of the XF27mmF2.8 lens last year, and it quickly became my favourite and most often used lens. It almost always attached to my X-T2. I love the 40mm full-frame field of view. If I weren’t in between jobs right now, I would have immediately pre-ordered the new XF27mmF2.8 R WR lens for the weather resistance and aperture ring.

Fujifilm X-E4 XF27mmF2.8 R WR Black
Fujifilm X-E4 + XF27mmF2.8 R WR | Image © Fujifilm

Although I prefer “all controls at your fingertips” feature of the X-T series, I was excited about how the X-E4 has been refined around the range finder style. The flip-up screen is a near-perfect balance between “heads down at screen” for stealth street photography and “selfie mode”.

As usual, Jonas Rask has written an excellent experience report of the X-E4 and XF27mmF2.8 R WR. Check out his link.