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Photos: Charleston Food Forest
21 June 2025 02:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThese pictures are from Thursday. I went foraging at the Charleston Food Forest. It's across the parking lot from the Coles County Community Garden.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )Photos: Coles County Community Garden
21 June 2025 12:16 amysabetwordsmithThe Coles County Community Garden is across the parking lot from the Charleston Food Forest. It's not the kind where you rent a bed and grow what you want. It's tended by the community and anyone can come pick things to try.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )Recipe: "Pretzel Bread Savory Bread Pudding with Ham"
20 June 2025 10:18 pmysabetwordsmithWe made this tonight. It was delicious! We used some of the pretzel bread that we got at the Marshall Farmer's Market.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )Birdfeeding
20 June 2025 05:09 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and muggy.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I also saw a male cardinal and a squirrel up in the trees.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden. I picked the first 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomato and several 'Toscana' strawberries. I love the Toscanas and will definitely buy more if I see them next spring.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I also saw a male cardinal and a squirrel up in the trees.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden. I picked the first 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomato and several 'Toscana' strawberries. I love the Toscanas and will definitely buy more if I see them next spring.
Heat
20 June 2025 01:20 pmysabetwordsmithreadera has a post about heat precautions regarding the heat dome. These are my additions...( Read more... )Photos: Charleston Library Butterfly Gardens
20 June 2025 03:58 amysabetwordsmithWe visited the butterfly gardens at the Charleston Library, on June 19 although this is dated 20 because it's after midnight. They were filled with birds, although I didn't manage to catch any pictures of them.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )Tags:
The Devil's Plan (& Genius Game UK)
20 June 2025 03:44 pmscaramouchePartway through watching The Devil's Plan season 1, I did a quick search on youtube for TDP-related content to get an idea if TDP is/was popular. The algorithm fed me a video by ![[youtube.com profile]](https://youtube.com/favicon.ico)
TaranArmstrong commentating over Genius Game, a UK version of the original The Genius, which I forgot existed but at least knew existed at all because David Tennant is the "host". (Not really, he's in prerecorded video footage explaining the games and tallying results, but he's not physically there to host.)
I watched bits of Taran's videos and really enjoyed his commentary! He has a good handle on strategy and figuring out game mechanics to explain them in ways that I can understand (a blessing!), plus he has a good grip on the social aspects of the game. Most important though, I think, is that Taran's enthusiasm is nice and he gets invested in a fun-to-watch way, with good humour, and it's fun to see him so critical of Genius Game's mostly wishy-washy players and the UK audience's dislike of complicated games. The reason the algo fed me his videos is because he mentions that he loved TDP season 1 and wants to do commentary over TDP season 2. He couldn't upload the videos to youtube, so he put them on patreon instead, so I figured hey, once I started watching TDP season 2, I can intersperse that with his commentary videos.
TDP season 2 I think starts strong, there's a good selection of contestants, some of whom are well familiar with board games and/or card games, and the showrunners changed the format up where instead of two players going to prison at the end of every main match, half the players would go there, and instead of a prize match that all the non-prison players have to play to get prize money, there's a death match where all the prison players have to play to survive. Plus because the thing about season 1 was the hidden prison game, both sets of players immediately get on trying to figure out the hidden games in both areas, which are found pretty early in the season.
Unfortunately as the season went on, the flaw in the overall game design had an accumulative effect, and I found myself enjoying the show less and less, and ended up mostly (though not always) watching Taran's commentaries instead of the actual episodes. I bailed entirely in episode 10 of 12. I might go back, I might not, but it's just not fun anymore.
( Cut the rest for length. )
I watched bits of Taran's videos and really enjoyed his commentary! He has a good handle on strategy and figuring out game mechanics to explain them in ways that I can understand (a blessing!), plus he has a good grip on the social aspects of the game. Most important though, I think, is that Taran's enthusiasm is nice and he gets invested in a fun-to-watch way, with good humour, and it's fun to see him so critical of Genius Game's mostly wishy-washy players and the UK audience's dislike of complicated games. The reason the algo fed me his videos is because he mentions that he loved TDP season 1 and wants to do commentary over TDP season 2. He couldn't upload the videos to youtube, so he put them on patreon instead, so I figured hey, once I started watching TDP season 2, I can intersperse that with his commentary videos.
TDP season 2 I think starts strong, there's a good selection of contestants, some of whom are well familiar with board games and/or card games, and the showrunners changed the format up where instead of two players going to prison at the end of every main match, half the players would go there, and instead of a prize match that all the non-prison players have to play to get prize money, there's a death match where all the prison players have to play to survive. Plus because the thing about season 1 was the hidden prison game, both sets of players immediately get on trying to figure out the hidden games in both areas, which are found pretty early in the season.
Unfortunately as the season went on, the flaw in the overall game design had an accumulative effect, and I found myself enjoying the show less and less, and ended up mostly (though not always) watching Taran's commentaries instead of the actual episodes. I bailed entirely in episode 10 of 12. I might go back, I might not, but it's just not fun anymore.
( Cut the rest for length. )Mirror Uhura
20 June 2025 06:08 pmmificGoing slowly with my into-a-bar fic, but meanwhile, I made art of Uhura from the mirror universe to celebrate Juneteenth day. Click through for the full size pic on AO3.
FIC: The Royal Sanctuary: Jackalfire Grove (Tempestuous Tours)
19 June 2025 09:01 pmduskpetersonThe best place to start your visit to the royal sanctuary is at Jackalfire Grove, just outside the door leading to the sanctuary. At one time, this grove of jackalfire trees was smaller, overlooking the so-called burning ground, where some of the worst events in Koretian history took place.
It is here, from the time of Koretia's earliest days, that god-cursed men and women were stoned to death. It is here that, in recent centuries, disobedient slaves were burned alive. And it is here that, during the ninth, the King of Koretia was slain by a rival in one of the many blood feuds that rent the fabric of Koretian society.
All of these atrocities – stoning, burning alive, and blood feuds – were abolished by the Emorians during their occupation of Koretia. Their abolition was confirmed by Koretia's present ruler, the Jackal, when he ascended the throne. Yet only two generations have passed since the outlawing of the most pernicious aspect of the Koretian gods' law. Many residents of Koretia's capital still remember the festive crowds that used to gather here when a god-cursed man or woman was stoned, or when a slave was burned alive.
Not surprisingly, most Koretians today avoid visiting this grove. Paradoxically, the Jackal encourages visits here, especially by families with children who like to play amidst the trees. It is his way of turning evil to good.
Before leaving, be sure to pluck a twig or leaf from one of the jackalfire trees. Bring it with you to the royal sanctuary.
[Translator's note: One of the terrible events in Jackalfire Grove occurs in Death Mask.]
Juneteenth: American Cowboys
19 June 2025 11:39 amsanguinityHappy Juneteenth! Just a quick post:
The Black, African, and African-American employee group at work shared this documentary with us for Juneteenth, about the early days of the Pendleton Round-up (a prestigious rodeo located in Pendleton, Oregon), and two cowboys of color who competed in the 1911 bronc-riding finals: George Fletcher and Jackson Sundown.
(Note: contains discussion of genocide, namely the US govt's war against the Nez Perce. Also, predictably, discussions of racism. Also archival rodeo footage, including bronc-riding and calf-roping.)
The Black, African, and African-American employee group at work shared this documentary with us for Juneteenth, about the early days of the Pendleton Round-up (a prestigious rodeo located in Pendleton, Oregon), and two cowboys of color who competed in the 1911 bronc-riding finals: George Fletcher and Jackson Sundown.
(Note: contains discussion of genocide, namely the US govt's war against the Nez Perce. Also, predictably, discussions of racism. Also archival rodeo footage, including bronc-riding and calf-roping.)
Birdfeeding
19 June 2025 01:18 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and mild. It rained yesterday.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- We went out for a while and saw the library wildflower meadow, Fox Ridge, and the Charleston Food Forest.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder that was half empty.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I sowed 5 pots with yellow raspberries.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the south side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.
Lots of fireflies are coming out. :D
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the North side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- We went out for a while and saw the library wildflower meadow, Fox Ridge, and the Charleston Food Forest.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder that was half empty.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I sowed 5 pots with yellow raspberries.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the south side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.
Lots of fireflies are coming out. :D
EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the North side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Wildlife
19 June 2025 01:16 pmysabetwordsmithNew butterfly species wows scientists: 'This discovery reveals a lineage shaped by 40,000 years of evolutionary solitude'
The Satyrium semiluna, or half-moon hairstreak, is a small gray butterfly that looks like a moth at first glance. The wildflower lovers are widespread across North America, from the Sagebrush steppe to the montane meadows of the Rocky Mountains.
But tucked away in the southeastern corner of Alberta, Canada, another colony of butterflies flaps across the Blakiston Fan landform of Waterton Lakes National Park.
Until now, they were thought to be a subpopulation of half-moon hairstreaks — until scientists made a phenomenal discovery: They were a new species of butterfly that had hidden in plain sight for centuries.
The researchers, who recently published their findings in the scientific journal ZooKeys, defined the new species as Satyrium curiosolus.
The Satyrium semiluna, or half-moon hairstreak, is a small gray butterfly that looks like a moth at first glance. The wildflower lovers are widespread across North America, from the Sagebrush steppe to the montane meadows of the Rocky Mountains.
But tucked away in the southeastern corner of Alberta, Canada, another colony of butterflies flaps across the Blakiston Fan landform of Waterton Lakes National Park.
Until now, they were thought to be a subpopulation of half-moon hairstreaks — until scientists made a phenomenal discovery: They were a new species of butterfly that had hidden in plain sight for centuries.
The researchers, who recently published their findings in the scientific journal ZooKeys, defined the new species as Satyrium curiosolus.
