gardening

90 discussion questions. 1. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

There are so many places! If I'm imagining myself being as physically limited as I am now - whereby I find walking difficult for more than about half an hour at best - then a cruise might be best.

I would like to cruise up the Danube and see the painted churches of Romania. But then again I would also like to cruise down the Nile and see Luxor. I could take a few lessons with Egyptian Raqs Sharqi teachers and get a new outfit while I was there.

If, on this imaginary trip, I'm also imagining myself as physically fit again, I'd like to go to Mexico and see what remains of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. Or perhaps to Peru to visit Machu Picchu

Alternatively, my son would like to go to Japan, so perhaps I would use my imaginary trip to take him there.

tielan

What if I don't want to run the electricity in my household like a standard Australian household?

( thinky thoughts )

ysabetwordsmith

This year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...

* Posted "Tutorials" on

getting_started.

* Posted "Gaming" on

girlgamers.

* Posted "Ostara" on

goddessfolk.

Current Mood: busy

yourlibrarian

1) Curious events yesterday. A takeout place we order from every other month or so couldn't be reached. Its website was not working over a half hour period. I looked up their number and at least 3 other sites listed the same one. Called it and was told it was not a valid number. Since I wanted more oranges, I figured I'd stop by to see if the restaurant had closed down.

Nope. They seemed completely unconcerned the website was down, and told me I'd used the wrong number (also seeming completely unconcerned a wrong one is widely available!) But at least we are not down yet another restaurant.

2) Got many yummy oranges but this store sells them by count not by weight. So I picked all the largest oranges I could and I swear some of these are bigger than both fists.

3) Nesting time for ducks is great for all the adorable little fluffs we will be seeing soon. It is definitely not so when we have to keep watching drakes attacking the female ducks. This week there was one poor female attacked simultaneously and sequentially by 5 drakes. She was finally able to get out of the lake (I felt half sure she had drowned) and one followed her and kept attacking her on land, which was the first time I'd seen that happen.

4) Was watching Life of Chuck and can I say I am incredibly tired of the romantic convention of looking at stars together and (usually the man) pointing out the constellations to the person they are wooing. Come up with something else!

That said, it was a nice little film. ( Read more... )

5) Belatedly I was not impressed with the Oscars. I was glad there were only 2 of the nominated songs sung and that there was no opening number, but I also would have preferred to skip that whole pre-filmed Conan bit and just have a very strong monologue (which I didn't think it was). ( Read more... )

Poll #34383 Kudos Footer-565

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unicornduke

Here's the thing about maple sap: it is much much sweeter than all other tree saps (I think), but it is still 1-2% sugar. There's some information out there that maple trees in the middle of fields without any competition can get up to 4% sugar.

Maple syrup is 66% sugar minimum.

So typically, the ratio is around 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Depending on the sugar content, this may be higher or lower. On a small scale, someone sets up a pan of sap over a fire, sits around and drinks alcohol while adding sap every so often and at the end, you might get a gallon or so of syrup. As soon as you move up in scale, then you move to continuous flow syrup production, where the sap is flowing in all the time and syrup is drawn off every so often.

We have the syrup production set up in the milkhouse of our barn. I found out recently that not everyone know what a milkhouse is, my experiences are not universal! This farm used to be a dairy, so the barn was set up for milking cows and the milkhouse is an attached room or building with cinderblock/stone whitewashed walls, concrete floor and a drain. In the milking days, this is where the milk would be stored in tanks for easy chilling until the milk truck comes to pick it up. It is easy to clean, away from the bacteria of the cows and easy to keep birds and other pests out of. (sidenote: do not ever drink raw milk unless you are the farmer or really really really trust the sanitation practices of the farmer (don't do this, raw milk farmers are fucking wackos) because cows have so much bacteria and poop pretty much on their udders. Pasteurization is a miraculous process to prevent illnesses)

To start, we have the sap run into 250 gallon food safe, cleaned totes with a filter. Once they are full, they get brought from the mountain and placed for gravity feeding into the milkhouse. The setup is beautiful, professional and normal. haha

A photo of a US Airways baggage cart sitting at the top of a small hill with two stacks of two pallets and two totes on top of the stacks. Blue tubing runs from the totes to the barn.

( lots of words and photos )

scrubjayspeaks

“If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride,” she sang to herself, a funny little lullaby to keep her creations soothed while she worked on the last fine details. Her deft fingers curled up wood shavings fine as paper and light as feathers, the skill needed to make lumps of wood into something capable of flight. Wishes weren’t horses, of course; they were birds, carved from the heaviest of hopes into the faintest of whispers, sent out into the world to alight where they may.

---

LL#1371

ysabetwordsmith

Earth's changing climate is harming crop diversity exactly where the security of global food production needs it most

A new study warns that if global warming surpasses 1.5°C, vast regions could lose critical crop diversity, heightening the risk to worldwide food security.

Researchers predict that about one-third of global food production may be in jeopardy due to higher temperatures, underscoring how climate change is expected to reshape agriculture, especially in vulnerable low-latitude countries.

You know what? I think they're barking up the wrong tree here. Humans have done FAR more damage to the foodstream than climate change has so far. I'm sure climate change will get around to that, but it's late to the party. Humans have already discarded many traditional crops because they don't lend themselves to commercial growing, drastically limiting the typical diet.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny, less cold, with a light breeze. This is a huge improvement. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I did a bit of work outdoors.

The mower has been picked up for its spring tuneup.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I picked up more junk from the parking lot.

I've seen a lot more sparrows and house finches, plus a fox squirrel.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I started trying to unearth the edge of the sidewalk bordering the parking lot on the south side. It is exhausting, and must be done before the stump-grinder guy arrives early tomorrow. D:

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I hacked away at the east end of the sidewalk. There are still several feet of the middle buried.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I continued hacking at the sidewalk edge.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I did more hacking at the sidewalk edge. I think it's about as good as I can get it. There's a big patch in the middle that I couldn't clear due to roots and brush, but at least the edge is more-or-less visible at both ends.

I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.

EDIT 3/18/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

badly_knitted

Title: Holes
Fandom: BtVS
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Buffy.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 493: A Stitch In Time at

drabble_zone.
Setting: Season 2.
Summary: Slaying causes a lot of wear and tear.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Holes... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Commendations
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Ryo receives another commendation.
Written Using: The tw100 prompt ‘Thanks’.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Triple drabble.

( Commendations... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Dog-Tired
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Twins.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 909: Dog, at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto has never been so tired.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble. Set in the Nosy ‘Verse.

( Dog-Tired... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

galadhir

Oh, and lump-wise, I saw the Doctor on Monday and she referred me to the appropriate clinic, so now I have an appointment to see a specialist on the 27th. (The NHS can move quite fast when it needs to :) )

galadhir

It's approximately two weeks since we had the heat pump put in, and I know I promised an update on how it is going :)

I thought it would be a bit colder, but it's not. We have been so toasty that we had to set the thermostat down a degree.

I was also worried that there might not be enough hot water in the tank that DH could have a shower in the morning and I could have a bath in the evening. Probably - I thought - we'd have to boost the hot water with the supplementary immersion heater if we wanted a bath full of hot water in the evening.

But no, the hot water is actually hotter with the heat pump than it was with the boiler, and the tank is hot enough throughout the day that there is enough left in the evening to run a pre-bedtime bath and more.

The cost of running it seems to be about equal to the cost of both electricity and gas that we used for heating the house, which DH seemed to think was good, although not as spectacular a saving as I expected. Still, it means that we are no longer dependent on oil as a household, and that is a step toward a less fossil-fuel based world, while not being worse for us in any way.

rebeccmeister

I've reached that stage of the semester where it feels like I do little else besides teaching and sleeping exhaustedly.

I generally don't use the living room for much, aside from sometimes playing with George or for sitting down in a chair momentarily while grinding coffee beans in the morning. On Monday morning, when I walked over to the living room, I noticed a new source of flashing light (ugh, video short so I can't embed):

https://youtube.com/shorts/wNbGotTv_wc?si=5Ot627re8zZF9cGX

That is one of the monitors in

scrottie's office. He has been in California since November. It wasn't doing that the day before. Maybe the recent power outage caused this? Regardless, I dug out the key to his office door and went in to turn off this monitor again. The cats were briefly entertained by the opportunity to poke around in a space they haven't been in lately.

Speaking of possessed electronics, this darn document reader in the classroom where I teach REFUSES to behave.

https://youtube.com/shorts/XOfzN8CHTN4?si=KyggBAjMfkk1zSPB

I keep having to record videos of it because apparently our IT folks can't reproduce the issue. Their most recent hypothesis has been that something about the OS on my computer is causing interference when I have my computer plugged into the HDMI input. But in this instance, my computer is totally unplugged from the system. So.

A silver lining to my inability to function in the evenings is that George likes to come and snuggle. I've been putting on birdwatching videos for him, but decided last night to try out a cat documentary instead.

The cat documentary did manage to hold his attention for a good 20 minutes before he heard some noise and decided he needed to run off.

ysabetwordsmith

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This is today's freebie, inspired by a prompt from LJ user My_partner_doug.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

spiralicious

Today’s challenge is a chance to express your love to fandom, and what better way than a love letter? If you feel really creative, the letter doesn’t have to come from you. You could write as your favourite character, someone completely fictitious or your past or future self - or just as you in this moment.

Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.

Dear Fandom,

Over the years, we've been through a lot; changes in platforms, media types, etiquette & norms, and terminology, to name a few. We've lost and gained friends. You were there during my darkest hours and you've been there for my biggest triumphs. And we've definitely had our issues from time to time over the last few decades, but I'll always be grateful you're in my life.

Yours always,

Kat/Spiralicious

An old-fashioned ornament of two young girls bundled up in coats and walking side by side is nestled amidst pine boughs.

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: the chicken coop

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cold. At least the howling wind stopped.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

Many of the plants that were sprouting have died from the hard freeze. :/ Some still look fine though. At least some of the sprouts in my jug and tub greenhouses have survived.

EDIT 3/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 3/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a large flock of sparrows and two male cardinals.

EDIT 3/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

yourlibrarian

1) Whoa, the changes at Tumblr have meant a flood of people signing up for accounts at Pillowfort. I just went through a feed four times longer than usual.

2) We've watched four episodes of Starfleet Academy and are both pleasantly surprised by it. I confess I haven't been very enthused by the new crop of shows. In fact my favorite season was one that it seems most viewers didn't care for, which was S1 of Discovery. ( Read more... )

3) Looks like it isn't just late night shows that are winding to a close but talk shows and entertainment news. I can see why podcasts would be far cheaper to make and competing with the audience, but I do wonder if most can put out episodes as consistently as is done with larger productions. (I note, for example, that Access Hollywood has four hosts).

4) Not being a reader of Outlander, I had no idea there was a separate Lord John Grey series. A spinoff based on the books sounds great, and you'd think with the success of Heated Rivalry (it was a Jeopardy question this week!) that the timing would be perfect. Granted, a period piece with a large cast would be significantly more expensive, but it also has a built in audience via its linked TV show and books.

5) Watched Zootopia 2 and enjoyed it. I particularly liked how they worked in references to favorite things from the first film without having it slow down or detract from the story in progress. For us this was wolves starting a howl, and the appearance of the sloth. There were lots of little in-jokes (such as the Hulu menu) and things moved along quite well, with fun new characters to meet.

Poll #34380 Kudos Footer-562

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Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

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badly_knitted

Title: Without A Trace
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Ryo vanishes while looking for witnesses to a crime.
Written Using: The prompt ‘Trace’.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Without A Trace... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

(no subject)

home and energy thoughts

Community Thursdays

Odds and Ends

The Boiling

Lake Lewisia #1371

Science

Birdfeeding

BtVS Double Drabble: Holes

FAKE Triple Drabble: Commendations

Double Drabble: Dog-Tired

(no subject)

(no subject)

Ghosts in the machine [status, cats]

Cuddle Party

Poem: "Who Once Knew Better Words"

2026 Snowflake Challenge #3

Birdfeeding

Things to Like

FAKE Double Drabble: Without A Trace

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March 2026

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