August has that bittersweet quality to it – the last proper month of summer before the leaves start turning and the evenings draw in. Looking back at my camera roll from this month, it’s a mix of making the most of the decent weather, good food, and those little moments that make ordinary days memorable.
Life This Month
We managed to squeeze in some proper days out this month before autumn arrived. One highlight was a trip to play some crazy golf – you know the type with the themed holes, water features, and that one windmill that seems specifically designed to make you look foolish.
There’s something brilliantly humbling about crazy golf. You can be having a great round, feeling pretty confident about your putting skills, and then a garden gnome statue completely derails your ball into a stream. Still, it’s all part of the fun, and we had a proper laugh despite my questionable scores.
Chasing Rainbows
One of those moments you can’t plan for happened during a drive this month. The sky was doing that typical British thing where it can’t decide between sunshine and rain, and suddenly there it was – a perfect rainbow arching over the road ahead.
There’s something about catching a rainbow while driving that feels like a small gift. These are the moments that make you grateful you had your phone to hand (safely, as a passenger, of course). August had its fair share of those grey motorhome-following-on-the-A-road kind of days, but moments like this made up for it.
Good Food, Good Times
August wouldn’t be complete without some proper food moments, and we had a few good ones this month. Sometimes you just need a proper mixed grill situation – the kind where you can’t decide between kebab meat, chicken, chips, or naan bread, so you just get everything.
There’s been a bit of DIY happening around the house too – nothing major, just some painting and touching up. Amazing how much a fresh coat of paint can brighten up a room, even if it does mean spending an afternoon covered in white emulsion.
Tech Corner
August saw me tinkering with a few things around the home setup. Here are a couple of tips that might save you some headaches:
Docker Tip: Container Health Checks
If you’re running self-hosted services at home, adding health checks to your Docker containers can save you from that “why is this not working?” moment. Here’s a simple example for a web service:
services:
myapp:
image: myapp:latest
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:8080/health"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 3
start_period: 40sThis way, Docker knows when your container is actually healthy and ready, not just running. Pairs nicely with depends_on conditions if you’ve got services that need to start in order.
Home Network Tip: Router Placement Matters
Did a bit of network optimisation this month (yes, I photograph my router credentials stickers – for my own records, not for sharing!). If your WiFi is patchy, before buying a mesh system, try these free fixes:
- Height matters – routers work better elevated, not hidden behind the TV cabinet
- Central location – WiFi radiates outward, so a corner placement wastes half your signal
- Away from interference – microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones can all cause issues
Sometimes the simple stuff makes all the difference before throwing money at the problem.
Looking Ahead
September’s bringing the start of that cosy season – the one where you start thinking about comfort food, warm lighting, and spending more evenings in. The RGB setup at home is ready for those longer nights, and I’ve got a few projects lined up to keep busy as the weather turns.
But for now, here’s to the last of summer and all the little adventures it brought.
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