Last Tuesday: Belmar Park (again)

Jul. 7th, 2025 10:15 pm
mistressofmuses: Image of nebulae in the colors of the bi pride flag: pink, purple, and blue (Default)
[personal profile] mistressofmuses
My time off schedule was a weird one. I took last Saturday off for Pride, then had to work on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are my usual days off, but I had to work on Wednesday. Then I took Thursday - Tuesday off for my vacation time. (I absolutely could have taken the Wednesday off and gotten nine days in a row instead of six, but I tried to be all responsible and come in to ensure I could help close a class. A class that wound up only having four students in it and definitely did not require my presence, lol.)

So this is from before my real "vacation" started, but last Tuesday, we went back to Belmar Park. The previous time it had been a bit too hot for Bella, so we had to turn around and do a fairly abbreviated walk. This time was a bit cooler, so we hoped we could get around the whole lake.

Eh... mixed success on that. We did get farther, but then Bella still got a bit overheated. Of course, at that point we really were about halfway around, so there wasn't a way to just make it shorter. We stopped for a long break in the shade with water and snacks until she'd cooled back down. She is just not suited to hot weather. We did ultimately make it around the whole thing.


Bella, the aforementioned hot-dog.


Small bumblebee with pollen saddlebags.


Thirteen more pictures, mostly birds, some other:

A duck with some brand new babies!


A wider view of the duck and ducklings, because there's also a turtle on the branch.


Another bumblebee! This one with such a nice orange belt.


A family of geese, the goslings just coming in to their adult markings. In the background is the side of the cormorant island, and you can see a cormorant sunning with its wings open.


Different goose! The consensus in one of the local birding groups is that she is in fact a hybrid between a Canada goose and a domestic goose, and she's lived in the park for many years at this point. I know I've seen her there several times over the years, sometimes with other geese and sometimes solo.


This was a funny sight coming up past the field, all the heads sticking up in the tall grass, haha.


When they came across the path behind us, it was more obvious that yes, this is a mother duck and five nearly full-grown ducklings. Quite a contrast from the family group of five brand new baby ducklings! Kudos to this one for succeeding at getting them all to this point!


A pair of mourning doves on the bench.


Judgemental swallow.


Turtles!


Baby bunny!


Bright red ladybug!


And a squirrel.



Bonus Berry Mad lurking in her plant pot.

An Expectation of Disbelief

Jul. 7th, 2025 11:58 pm
unspeakablehorror: (Default)
[personal profile] unspeakablehorror
I always find it surprising when someone has an expectation of being believed, because I usually expect that I won't be believed. I argue for the things that are important to me because they are important to me, not out of any expectation that people will be persuaded by anything I say. Which is why I often won't even bother to argue something unless it seems really important.
donutsweeper: (Default)
[personal profile] donutsweeper
Whoops, I completely forgot to mention in my last post that there was a Friday the 13th tattoo related flash and I wrote an Iron Triangle triple drabble for it: As Evening Slowly Slides Into Night. Summary: An evening, like many others, for the Iron Triangle. (And their shared big bed.)

The Hurt/Comfort exchange has (finally) opened! Lots of fandoms to peruse here. Authors will be revealed on the 11th. I got great Guardian art and a fic for The First Shot and, as always, there's just a ton of amazing things in the collection.

Battleship hit its signup cap within 36 hours of opening so now it's just a random prompt period for a few more days until teams are assigned and then it actually starts on the 12th I think. If you want the chance of getting stuff created (fic, art or podfic) for you, prompting is open to anyone. As prompting is a bit complicated, a few different people have written up guides on how to do it: guide #1, guide #2, and guide #3. All are tumblr posts but I checked them in a private tab and they all work when not signed into tumblr. You might not get anything, but, then again, you might so feel free to peruse the tagset (also linked in all the tumblr posts) and see if there's some fandoms and a few freeform additional tags (500+ ranging from the most E rated things to very, very G) that catch your eye and consider throwing in a prompt or two (or 50, the max).

I've only done 11 prompts so far and haven't decided if I want to do more or not. I tend to keep mine pretty simple as I find my eyes glaze over at huge walls of tags so I pick 10-20 and leave it at that with a few comments in the prompt box along with my DNWs but everyone does it differently. If you want to prompt and have any questions, I'd be happy to help.

Well into the ramp up of this year's Battleship it randomly changed its rules to no longer accept crochet art. I'd already started planning a project to fulfill the 'battlesheep' additional tag and decided to finish it anyway. Behold the 'fearsome' (major use of airquotes there) Battlesheep!! (And I now make up 12.7% of AO3's entire crochet tag between my main and birthday bash account.)

I still haven't gotten any of the links from Pocket posted to any of my research link posts, I really need to start working on that. Ugh. So much to do, so little time.

Last but not least, a single [community profile] recthething fic rec (MDZS/Untamed):
Burn with the sun, die with the sun (series). Summary: A collection of works in which Wen Xu picks Wei Wuxian off Yiling's streets and makes him an integral part of the Wen Sect. (An interesting AU series where shortly after getting his sword WWX is sort of thrown out of the Jiang/Madam Yu sends him to Yiling and tells him he can't return until he's tamed the Burial Mounds but after saving Wen Xu's life there he is taken in by the Wen, currently 3 works, 21k total)

Likky Emergency

Jul. 7th, 2025 08:28 pm
meningioma: (MGS - LIKKYCHEETO)
[personal profile] meningioma
srry, youll have to click the dw thumbnails, friends
so, likkys arm just popped off. it was a broken piecve of plastic in the inside of his shoulder joint. I thank my lucky stars that it wasnt a ball joint, just a socket and stick joint.

i tried drawing out how the joint goes, I hope it makes sense!!
most of the movement comes from the shape of the shoulder piece itself and how it slots into the curve of the chest, which is something im glad for. anyway, i htought it was going to be an easy job for krazy glue, one peeled off thumb print later, and it keeps falling back out! if push comes to shove, I may have to look into 3d printing, but for now im letting the krazy glue cure over night before I try plugging the arm back in.

... at least one of us is enjoying this. DAMN YOU OCELOT!!!
(jk im having fun. i like learning more about how these guys are constructed. im really relieved it was a simple ass joint PHEW)

Poem: "Tomato Seedlings in Tin Cans"

Jul. 7th, 2025 04:48 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem is spillover from the June 3, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "growth" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest bingo. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the series Daughters of the Apocalypse.

Read more... )
badfalcon: (Winchesters)
[personal profile] badfalcon
I... am still processing that Sinner v Dimitrov match. My heart is breaking for Grigor and no lie when he went down clutching his chest, both Li and I thought for a horrible horrible moment that he was having a fucking heart attack.

Genuinely thought he was gonna beat Jannik. And I was fucking gutted for that. But that is nothing like where I expected that match to go. Poor Grisha 😭

✨glimmers and good things – day 5 ✨
three tiny joys, glimmers, or moments of soft comfort from today

💇‍♀️ I received some really lovely comments about my hair today - it felt nice to be seen like that.

💌 A friend was at the Sinner v Dimitrov game, and sent me a gorgeous pic of Darren & Simone they took because they knew I’d love it - such a thoughtful surprise.

🥪 Made myself a thunder & lightning sandwich with clotted cream from the fridge - simple, indulgent, and exactly what I needed.

That’s me for today. If you feel like sharing your glimmers, I’d love to read them 💛
Be gentle with yourself, especially if the good things were hard to find.

Bee Food Flowers

Jul. 7th, 2025 03:11 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Scientists’ top 10 bee-magnet blooms—turn any lawn into a pollinator paradise

Botanists from the University of Copenhagen and the UK set out to find the best flower combinations for bees and hoverflies.
Danish and Welsh botanists sifted through 400 studies, field-tested seed mixes, and uncovered a lineup of native and exotic blooms that both thrill human eyes and lure bees and hoverflies in droves, offering ready-made recipes for transforming lawns, parks, and patios into vibrant pollinator hotspots
.


Below are the plants recommended for European and United Kingdom uses...

Read more... )

Monday Update 7-7-25

Jul. 7th, 2025 02:10 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Artwork of the wordsmith typing. (typing)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poem: "An Interest in the Affairs of Your Government"
Poem: "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness"
Poem: "Always Surprised by Consequences"
Poem: "No Such Thing as Finished"
Geology
Birdfeeding
Today's Smoothie
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Government
Fireworks
Writing About Fireworks
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 7-4-25: Historical Fiction
Blazing the Trail: Celebrating Indigenous Fire Stewardship
Birdfeeding
Climate Change
Birdfeeding
Problem-Solving
Hard Things

"Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 41 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 146 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 95 comments.


[community profile] sunshine_revival is running through July. See the schedule, meet the moderators, and use the master post to navigate the event. Meet new folks in the friending meme. Spread the word!

Sunshine-Revival-2025-Banner-3.png

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 1: Light
Poem: "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility"

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 2: Tunnel of Love
Poem: "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers"


[community profile] summerofthe69 is now open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Tetris 69 and Body Worship 69.


"In the Heart of the Hidden Garden" is now complete! Lawrence shows Stan more of his favorite places.


The weather has been variable here. It rained yesterday and last night. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a pair of mourning doves, a male cardinal, a gray catbird, a fox squirrel, a skunk, and at least 1 probably 2 bats. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, impatiens, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, snowball bush, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, narrow-leaf mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant. Daylilies are done blooming. Cucumbers, tomatillo, and pepper have green fruit. The first 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomato ripened and some other tomatoes are showing color. Wild strawberries, mulberries, peas, and blackberries are ripe. Black raspberries are done.

Birdfeeding

Jul. 7th, 2025 01:59 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is partly sunny and warm. It rained yesterday and last night.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and at least one mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 7/7/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/7/25 -- I harvested a handful of peapods for supper. :D

EDIT 7/7/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

EDIT 7/7/25 -- I trimmed brush in the prairie garden.

The first of the gladioli are blooming in the telephone pole garden and notch of the prairie garden. A sunflower is blooming in the telephone pole garden too.

EDIT 7/7/25 -- I cut some of the brush into sticks for making bonfire cores.




.

2025.07.07

Jul. 7th, 2025 08:44 am
lsanderson: (Default)
[personal profile] lsanderson
Mosquitos with West Nile found in Twin Cities. From Bring Me The News: “The findings suggest West Nile activity is starting to pick up in the area. Officials say the timing of the positive tests aligns with when mosquitoes have historically first shown signs of the virus.” Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/first-west-nile-positive-mosquitoes-of-the-year-found-in-twin-cities-counties

Michael Douglas says he has ‘no real intentions’ of acting again: ‘I had to stop’
The 80-year-old, two-time Oscar winner said he had been ‘working pretty hard for almost 60 years’ – and is ‘quite happy’ watching his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones work
Sian Cain
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/07/michael-douglas-says-he-has-no-real-intentions-of-acting-again-i-had-to-stop

‘Chipping away at democracy’: authors fear outcome of US supreme court’s LGBTQ+ book ruling
Some parents can now opt students out of LGBTQ+ book readings. The writers warn of increased book bans and bias
Melissa Hellmann
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/07/authors-lgbtq-book-ruling-supreme-court

The radical 1960s schools experiment that created a whole new alphabet – and left thousands of children unable to spell
Decades ago, a generation of UK schoolchildren unwittingly took part in an initiative aimed at boosting reading skills – with lasting consequences
Emma Loffhagen
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/06/1960s-schools-experiment-created-new-alphabet-thousands-children-unable-to-spell

At least 81 dead and dozens missing in Texas floods as more rain looms
Gary O'Donoghue Chief North America correspondent
Ana Faguy BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddzrj323zzo

July 4th!

Jul. 6th, 2025 11:40 pm
mistressofmuses: Image of nebulae in the colors of the bi pride flag: pink, purple, and blue (Default)
[personal profile] mistressofmuses
I'm certainly not celebrating America's birthday right now.

But the 4th is also Alex's and my anniversary, so we celebrated that as usual. 16 years!

Our main "tradition" is making a fruit salad of Just The Good Fruits:


The Good Fruits in question!

Two peaches (one was very good, one was very meh), a nectarine (average), cherries (from our neighbor, which was nice of her), strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, two different mangoes (the small one was REALLY good, the larger one was fine but kind of bland), bananas, and mandarin oranges. The pear did not go in the fruit salad, because it didn't feel ripe.

I always like processing mangoes, because:


It's like a little hedgehog, lol.


The completed fruit salad.

We headed up to another city for their fireworks show, the one we've gone to a couple times in the last few years as well. This year we didn't get anything from the food trucks, and just ate our fruit salad and the other snacks we brought. It was warm, but not horribly hot. We got some wind for a bit, but no actual storm came through. We mostly ignored the cover bands that were performing, and picked an ebook to read for a couple hours, ha.


Bella! (This picture from Alex.)

Bella is fortunately extremely chill about fireworks. She didn't even jump at the first one. She sat and watched the first few, and then just seemed bored, haha. She just wanted snacks, and could not care less about the noise or anything. I am 1000% fine with her being bored instead of anxious about them. We were lucky with Cy when it came to fireworks too.

The fireworks themselves were pretty cool. As usual, I'm not a fan of the clips of "patriotic" songs that they're set to (though some of them aren't patriotic so much as just having "USA" in the lyrics.) But again, the finale was set to the 1812 Overture, which always remains cool. I may or may not have been imagining governmental buildings being blown up.

-

I need to devote some time to like... life admin, ha. I'm not sorry that I've managed to Do Things on my time off from work, since that was obviously the point! But I've also done nothing except those things, ha. I need to catch up on some regular life stuff, get caught up here, etc.
ysabetwordsmith: Damask smiling over their shoulder (polychrome)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem is spillover from the March 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Secrets" square in my 3-1-25 card for the Tolkien Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Victor Frankenstein in his fancy clothes (Frankenstein)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem came out of the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by [personal profile] janetmiles. It also fills the "close-knit community" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo fest. It belongs to the series Frankenstein's Family; it follows "Signs of Their Trespass," so read that first or this won't make much sense.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Damask smiling over their shoulder (polychrome)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem came out of the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] rix_scaedu. It also fills "The Harder They Fall" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by [personal profile] janetmiles. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

Read more... )

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