Consumer Reports discussed pros and cons of several major toothbrush brands, and a huge con on some was the price (up to $300!) In their columns of noise, durability, customer satisfaction, etc., the one that I chose was one of the best, yet least expensive. Philips Sonicare series 4000 was about $40. The brush head on it was medium, and as Charmion notes, made my teeth ache. I found it at Kohls (and while for some reason Amazon prices the colors of the handle differently, Kohls was $40 for any color). The ultra soft bristle replacement heads required some searching and I was surprised to land on Costco as a result. I mail-ordered the pack of eight heads with a modest shipping fee. Just as my refrigerator keeps track of the calendar and turns on a light when the water filter needs replacing, my toothbrush will apparently light up when the brush head needs replacing. Were I interested, I could go through a series of switch on-and-off and lights flashing steps to change the intensity from low to high. Low is fine with me.

A quick biology lesson regarding my smoked salmon. Wild caught salmon have gone the anadromous route, fresh water immaturity, heading out to sea for years as adults, then returning to fresh water to spawn. Catching them in the ocean is where they are largest and good eating. Farm raised "Atlantic salmon" are generally awful; poor flavor, artificial coloring, poor farm conditions and they've had a poor diet and the addition of antibiotics. My young friend in the market described the care and good diet of the farmed fish from Scotland, and I agree, they are excellent fish. But they aren't the best for smoking because they are like the eunuchs of the salmon world - well fed and kept in an enclosure where all they can do is develop more fat and less muscle. They would be nicer for grilling or cooking for a meal, but when the goal of smoking is low-temperature for hours to slow cook and dry the strips of fish, they are so oily the result isn't going to be the same. I smoked them for about five hours (if I were a purist doing the heating and drying just in the Little Chief I could leave them in for up to 12 hours) and put them in the oven to bring them to a uniform 125 degrees. If you're looking for good farmed fish, the company is Wester Ross, a small brand that is kind of picky who they sell their fish to. Texas' HEB owns a few high-end Central Market stores, and they had to talk the company into selling them their fish, and before that Wester Ross sent representatives over to see how CM runs their fish counters.

It's a lovely day again, sunny and highs in the 70s.