Funny I should have [commented on getting to November without a frost](https://strandlines.blog/2021/11/01/no_frost_before_november/), as then we immediately had two or three during the first week of the month. Loads of redwings about now and the fieldfares have just arrived as well.

I’m trying out iA Writer on my Android phone. I had it on iOS way back, not long after it came out, if I recall correctly. The only reason I didn’t use it more was because the file handling didn’t work for me. And once I got in to using Drafts, where I could set up a workflow just how I liked it, there was no going back.

It’s perfectly fine to write with, however, it is doing something weird when I save. In order to run my Python script that saves a post with all the correct formatting, I start with a basic template file. I overwrite any text within that file, normally the previous post. But when I open the file there are a few lines from the previous version still there, at the bottom. Go figure.

I think I will try tweaking the Python script to clear all text from the template file once it has been copied to the formatted .md file [^1]. See if that does the trick.

[^1]: Just three lines of code needed using .truncate(0) to remove all text from the file.

To get to November without so much as a sniff of a frost. I couldn’t be certain, but that’s a first as far as I can recall.

This a test post to see if my Python script works correctly; copies this text, adds the front matter and saves the file with the correct name. If you are reading this on the blog, then all went according to plan.

With my move to an Android phone, the app I shall miss the most is Drafts. I have a ton of actions that I’ve made, although there are only a handful I use regularly. Replicating what they achieve will take some work but I hope my recent efforts with Python are going to come in handy.

Saving blog posts will be top of that list. The Drafts action I use adds the front matter with prompts for the url and tags, then saves it to Dropbox. Writing a Python script to enable me to do the same on Android – a weekend project?

Our dog had another seizure last night. Fortunately I was still up, so was able to be there while it happened. Again, he seems none the worse for wear, other than the exhaustion from the seizure and the drugs that make him a tad wobbly for a few hours. I slept downstairs on the sofa to keep en eye on him, as per the vets advice, but no further happenings. Now that he has had a second I guess it makes it more likely that there is an underlying problem. At nearly fifteen he has had a good innings so for however much longer we have him, we want to him to be happy and for us to enjoy his company.

I was able to watch three talks live at yesterday’s [Stoicon](https://modernstoicism.com/event/stoicon-2021/) plus some other bits as well.Kai Whiting and Leonidas Konstantakos presented the first talk on The Equality of Moral Errors(sounds esoteric but was anything but), from which I learned about their book [Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living in](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57251513-being-better?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TAvVFapulV&rank=1). I’ve added this to my reading list as it goes into Stoicism and its relevance to social justice, climate breakdown and global capitalism – some of the issues that have prompted me to look to philosophy for answers.

I’ve bought my ticket for [Stoicon 2021](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stoicon-2021-tickets-166851077063?keep_tld=1). All to be enjoyed from the comfort of my home! Tickets available from the above link.

I learned that the library at my son’s new school has a post-apocalyptic section. 😆 In the fiction department, I might add.