Celebrate Sherlock Holmes Day with 21 Queer Detective Reads!
May. 22nd, 2025 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday marks the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the most influential authors of modern detective stories. To honor his legacy, May 22 has been dubbed the Sherlock Holmes Day. Last year, we celebrated with a roundtable chat about the beloved sleuth. This year, we’re shifting our focus to his spiritual successors, wrapped in the rainbow flag. Enjoy the list of 21 Queer Detective Reads, compiled thanks to: Nina Waters, Shadaras, Owl Outerbridge, theirprofoundbond, hullosweetpea, Mikki Madison, Shea Sullivan, Dei Walker, Shannon, Rhosyn Goodfellow and an anonymous contributor.
Long Ago and Far Away: Repatriation of the Canadian Constitution
May. 22nd, 2025 10:36 amarlieQuite a few decades ago, when I was a child or a very young adult, still living in Canada though possibly attending university in the US, there was a major news and political event known as "the repatriation of the (Canadian) constitution". I was not involved in politics, or an active student of the history and constitutional questions involved; I was merely a random resident of Quebec, from a family with mostly British ancestry, who spoke English at home.
I'm intentionally not looking up the details as I write this, because the initial point I want to make involves what it looked like to J. Random, not what it looked like to the well informed. It's been a "hot" political issue for me ever since, as it had major effects on both my attitude and my future life choices; this has only been somewhat mitigated by recent examination of the actual history. I'm hoping "what it looked like to me" might cast some light on non-specialist perception of current and recent political issues, still too hot for most people to discuss - or even think about - objectively or even calmly.
There first thing to know is that I had no clue why the constitution was being repatriated, or even what the term "repatriation" was intended to mean. The whole thing was being presented as a good thing (TM), so I was clear that the political classes wanted it. (Later review suggests this was spin, not reality.) As I (mis)understood it, the idea was that Canada would take control of its own constitution, previously controlled by the United Kingdom and its parliament. This was good and necessary ... but why? Ah, nationalism. "We" wanted to control "our" own destiny, and were taking that control.
( Read more... )
I'm intentionally not looking up the details as I write this, because the initial point I want to make involves what it looked like to J. Random, not what it looked like to the well informed. It's been a "hot" political issue for me ever since, as it had major effects on both my attitude and my future life choices; this has only been somewhat mitigated by recent examination of the actual history. I'm hoping "what it looked like to me" might cast some light on non-specialist perception of current and recent political issues, still too hot for most people to discuss - or even think about - objectively or even calmly.
There first thing to know is that I had no clue why the constitution was being repatriated, or even what the term "repatriation" was intended to mean. The whole thing was being presented as a good thing (TM), so I was clear that the political classes wanted it. (Later review suggests this was spin, not reality.) As I (mis)understood it, the idea was that Canada would take control of its own constitution, previously controlled by the United Kingdom and its parliament. This was good and necessary ... but why? Ah, nationalism. "We" wanted to control "our" own destiny, and were taking that control.
( Read more... )
Pennies
May. 22nd, 2025 01:41 pmysabetwordsmithPeople are trying again to kill the penny. Just to add insult to injury, the law would require all prices to be rounded up.
Birdfeeding
May. 22nd, 2025 12:59 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I set out the flats of pots and watered them.
I've seen a young fox squirrel.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Of the 6 pots I sowed with Gaillardia 'Firewheel' seeds on 2/23/25, three sprouted. One of those has since died, but one of the remaining pots had two seedlings in it. I planted the survivors in one of the mowed strips of the prairie garden. So that's roughly 50% success if you count by pots, but less if you count by seeds since I put two in each pot. I plant them by pots, though, so it's not a terrible result.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I started trying to trim grass around the septic garden, but the grass shears broke. >_< Fortunately I had an older pair that I could use, but I need new ones. I did get one section trimmed. I'm taking advantage of the cool, cloudy weather for a laborious project.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I trimmed more grass around the septic garden.
I've seen a mourning dove, a phoebe, and two young ground squirrels.
The first peas sprouted a couple days ago and more are up now. :D The 'Chocolate Sprinkles' cherry tomato has the first green fruit, although it's among the last ones I planted, just over a week ago.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I wanted to go back out, but it was raining.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Eventually it stopped raining long enough for me to do more trimming.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Aaaaand now it's raining again.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I brought in the flats of pots.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I got back outside and started pulling weeds from inside the septic garden.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I pulled more weeds from inside the septic garden.
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 5/22/25 -- I set out the flats of pots and watered them.
I've seen a young fox squirrel.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Of the 6 pots I sowed with Gaillardia 'Firewheel' seeds on 2/23/25, three sprouted. One of those has since died, but one of the remaining pots had two seedlings in it. I planted the survivors in one of the mowed strips of the prairie garden. So that's roughly 50% success if you count by pots, but less if you count by seeds since I put two in each pot. I plant them by pots, though, so it's not a terrible result.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I started trying to trim grass around the septic garden, but the grass shears broke. >_< Fortunately I had an older pair that I could use, but I need new ones. I did get one section trimmed. I'm taking advantage of the cool, cloudy weather for a laborious project.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I trimmed more grass around the septic garden.
I've seen a mourning dove, a phoebe, and two young ground squirrels.
The first peas sprouted a couple days ago and more are up now. :D The 'Chocolate Sprinkles' cherry tomato has the first green fruit, although it's among the last ones I planted, just over a week ago.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I wanted to go back out, but it was raining.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Eventually it stopped raining long enough for me to do more trimming.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- Aaaaand now it's raining again.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I brought in the flats of pots.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I got back outside and started pulling weeds from inside the septic garden.
EDIT 5/22/25 -- I pulled more weeds from inside the septic garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Thankful Thursday
May. 22nd, 2025 03:02 pmmdlbearToday I am thankful for...
- Coffee (my stimulant drug of choice).
- Dark chocolate (my cough suppressant of choice, among other things).
- Tasty fish.
- Framework | Framework Laptop 12 pre-orders are now open! NO thanks for websites that only function in a private browsing window.
- Classic filk CDs like Keepers of the Flame — Phoenyx, back in production thanks to Prometheus Music.
- Finding a moving box tucked away under a table with several things that I feared had been left behind or lost.
Poor Life Choices
May. 21st, 2025 10:37 pmysabetwordsmithNever give up anything that makes you happy just because other people think it is silly or childish. Especially never give up an effective coping skill! Yes, I have stuffed animals. I am currently most fond of Snoozimals and Squishmallows for practical use, but we also have a weird stuffy collection for artistic merit.
Fossils
May. 21st, 2025 08:33 pmysabetwordsmithDexterity and climbing ability: how ancient human relatives used their hands
Scientists have found new evidence for how our fossil human relatives in South Africa may have used their hands. Researchers investigated variation in finger bone morphology to determine that South African hominins not only may have had different levels of dexterity, but also different climbing abilities.
Diversity is strength.
Scientists have found new evidence for how our fossil human relatives in South Africa may have used their hands. Researchers investigated variation in finger bone morphology to determine that South African hominins not only may have had different levels of dexterity, but also different climbing abilities.
Diversity is strength.
My 520 Day Guardian Reverse Exchange fics (both Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan)
May. 22nd, 2025 11:28 amchina_shopI wrote two things for the 520 Day Guardian Reverse Exchange, both Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. Firstly, my assignment, which I set during the blindness arc. This was the "4k words" fic I kept throwing tons of writing meta at... which helped to some degree, but the first draft still fell bafflingly flat. Thankfully, trobadora prodded me into making them actually talk about their feelings (what? who does that?!), and then it came into focus. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Also, this one had a title from pretty early on, so didn't cause me last-minute title stress. *pets it approvingly*
Title: Trust Fall (6163 words) [Teen and Up]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Mutual Pining, Emotional and Physical hurt/comfort, Domestic Weilan, Clothes Sharing, Protectiveness, Weilan letting their guard down around each other, Shen Wei’s secrets and Zhao Yunlan’s feelings about them, Episode Related, Blindness Arc, Missing Scene, Getting Together, First Kiss, Zhao Xinci's A+ parenting
Summary: Shen Wei’s grip on Zhao Yunlan’s arms tightened in line with the tension in his voice. “You didn’t tell Minister Gao.”
“What? This? Eh, why bother him with minor operational details during a holiday?”
“Details.” Shen Wei’s tone was flat, which probably meant his brow was stern. Not Envoy-forbidding, but something in the Mildly Disapproving Professor range.
Zhao Yunlan refused to be disapproved of. Why let worry flood in and wash away their victory?
And then I picked up a late-ish pinch hit. Which would have been completely fine, except that I pounced on the "outsider POV" prompt (yes!!), without considering that my outsider POV fics always run long, because I feel like the POV character needs to get their own arc as well as the requested pairing being very present. Seven thousand words later... Yeah, this is why I've been AWOL for the last week and a half. (Well, and other reasons. But this was a big part of it.)
Anyway, this is one of those post-canon/everyone lives fics, told from Li Qian's POV. I always feel like, having had her life saved by Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan at the beginning of canon, she has a low-key life debt to them. Not like she should call them benefactor or anything, but like they're karmically linked now, which is only a tiny step away from being found family. I had a lot of fun with her perspective, and (again, thanks totrobadora's beta) added more shippiness in the rewrite, and this is how it came out.
Note: This did not come complete with a preordained title, and I was flailing until inspiration hit about an hour before reveals.
Title: The Life-Changing Magic of a Home-Cooked Meal (7341 words) [General Audiences]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Lǐ Qiàn & Shěn Wēi, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, POV Outsider, Domestic, Politics, Dark Energy Science, Worldbuilding, Found Family, Sharing Clothes, Banter, Established Relationship, Long-Haired Shen Wei
Summary: Li Qian peered past him down the hall, but there was no sign of Professor Shen. What should she do with her gifts?
“He’s in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. I’ll take you.” Chief Zhao opened the door wider, and Li Qian squared her shoulders and walked into the home of Professor Shen, Shen Wei, hero, public figure, and Ambassador of Dixing.
Chief Zhao seemed completely at ease. He took her coat and hung it on a coat-rack that was already thickly layered with wool overcoats and leather and denim jackets. She left her shoes on the floor below, next to a pair of fine leather shoes, some casual sheepskin boots and some heavy black ones with buckles.
Her initial base assumption that the Black-Cloaked Envoy would live in eerie, solitary splendour was starting to seem shaky.
trobadora prodded me into making them actually talk about their feelings (what? who does that?!), and then it came into focus. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Also, this one had a title from pretty early on, so didn't cause me last-minute title stress. *pets it approvingly*Title: Trust Fall (6163 words) [Teen and Up]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Mutual Pining, Emotional and Physical hurt/comfort, Domestic Weilan, Clothes Sharing, Protectiveness, Weilan letting their guard down around each other, Shen Wei’s secrets and Zhao Yunlan’s feelings about them, Episode Related, Blindness Arc, Missing Scene, Getting Together, First Kiss, Zhao Xinci's A+ parenting
Summary: Shen Wei’s grip on Zhao Yunlan’s arms tightened in line with the tension in his voice. “You didn’t tell Minister Gao.”
“What? This? Eh, why bother him with minor operational details during a holiday?”
“Details.” Shen Wei’s tone was flat, which probably meant his brow was stern. Not Envoy-forbidding, but something in the Mildly Disapproving Professor range.
Zhao Yunlan refused to be disapproved of. Why let worry flood in and wash away their victory?
And then I picked up a late-ish pinch hit. Which would have been completely fine, except that I pounced on the "outsider POV" prompt (yes!!), without considering that my outsider POV fics always run long, because I feel like the POV character needs to get their own arc as well as the requested pairing being very present. Seven thousand words later... Yeah, this is why I've been AWOL for the last week and a half. (Well, and other reasons. But this was a big part of it.)
Anyway, this is one of those post-canon/everyone lives fics, told from Li Qian's POV. I always feel like, having had her life saved by Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan at the beginning of canon, she has a low-key life debt to them. Not like she should call them benefactor or anything, but like they're karmically linked now, which is only a tiny step away from being found family. I had a lot of fun with her perspective, and (again, thanks to
trobadora's beta) added more shippiness in the rewrite, and this is how it came out. Note: This did not come complete with a preordained title, and I was flailing until inspiration hit about an hour before reveals.
Title: The Life-Changing Magic of a Home-Cooked Meal (7341 words) [General Audiences]
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Relationships: Lǐ Qiàn & Shěn Wēi, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, POV Outsider, Domestic, Politics, Dark Energy Science, Worldbuilding, Found Family, Sharing Clothes, Banter, Established Relationship, Long-Haired Shen Wei
Summary: Li Qian peered past him down the hall, but there was no sign of Professor Shen. What should she do with her gifts?
“He’s in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. I’ll take you.” Chief Zhao opened the door wider, and Li Qian squared her shoulders and walked into the home of Professor Shen, Shen Wei, hero, public figure, and Ambassador of Dixing.
Chief Zhao seemed completely at ease. He took her coat and hung it on a coat-rack that was already thickly layered with wool overcoats and leather and denim jackets. She left her shoes on the floor below, next to a pair of fine leather shoes, some casual sheepskin boots and some heavy black ones with buckles.
Her initial base assumption that the Black-Cloaked Envoy would live in eerie, solitary splendour was starting to seem shaky.
Almost there! Almost! (Retirement)
May. 21st, 2025 03:50 pmhrjTicked off two more things on the retirement checklist this morning: getting copies of the two paystubs that I was still missing, and getting my official "retirement gift" from the attaboy catalog. As usual, the catalog offerings were mostly either "already have one" or "no use for this" but in the end I settled on a wet/dry shop vac. You know, in the event that I ever get back to doing carpentry projects or whatnot. After you pick your primary gift, they roll you over into the gift card section, where you pick gift cards until you run out of remaining balance. So I currently have $250 worth of gift cards for Black Angus Steakhouse that I will be looking for a special occasion to use.
Most of the IRA activity is complete -- I have confirmation and documents for one of the annuities and for the managed fund (the "pretend this doesn't exist for now" fund). I should get the confirmation and paperwork for the other annuity shortly. I've updated my budget projections spreadsheet and concluded that the annuities are probably over-deducting for taxes, but I think I'll let it ride for now. This year is going to be completely weird for income taxes and I'd rather get a refund than have to pay. Next year I can fine tune things, and the year after that I should be able to predict fairly precisely.
Oh, and still waiting on Social Security to come through. I think on Friday I'll do another round of sitting on the phone to check in. (I check the website almost every day, on the chance that an approval will show up there before I get it in the mail.)
In the mean time, I'm continuing with an overstuffed calendar. Mon/Tues in Stockton to run medical errands for my dad. This morning recording an interview for the podcast, then working with the electrician who will be re-doing my electrical panel. In a couple hours I'll do a guest appearance by zoom for a college class that read one of my books. Tomorrow the electrician starts and completes the panel work, mostly while I'm out of the house for a combined bike ride and routine medical check-up. (I figure since they sent me a pre-work questionnaire about my exercise, I'll properly impress them if I show up in my bike togs all sweaty.) Online Wiscon is this weekend, then Monday the HVAC folks come to do my annual maintenance. And then I have nothing extra scheduled for a week and a half before the Nebula conference (which I'm attending virtually). June is pretty empty at this point, but the way things have been going, who knows?
Most of the IRA activity is complete -- I have confirmation and documents for one of the annuities and for the managed fund (the "pretend this doesn't exist for now" fund). I should get the confirmation and paperwork for the other annuity shortly. I've updated my budget projections spreadsheet and concluded that the annuities are probably over-deducting for taxes, but I think I'll let it ride for now. This year is going to be completely weird for income taxes and I'd rather get a refund than have to pay. Next year I can fine tune things, and the year after that I should be able to predict fairly precisely.
Oh, and still waiting on Social Security to come through. I think on Friday I'll do another round of sitting on the phone to check in. (I check the website almost every day, on the chance that an approval will show up there before I get it in the mail.)
In the mean time, I'm continuing with an overstuffed calendar. Mon/Tues in Stockton to run medical errands for my dad. This morning recording an interview for the podcast, then working with the electrician who will be re-doing my electrical panel. In a couple hours I'll do a guest appearance by zoom for a college class that read one of my books. Tomorrow the electrician starts and completes the panel work, mostly while I'm out of the house for a combined bike ride and routine medical check-up. (I figure since they sent me a pre-work questionnaire about my exercise, I'll properly impress them if I show up in my bike togs all sweaty.) Online Wiscon is this weekend, then Monday the HVAC folks come to do my annual maintenance. And then I have nothing extra scheduled for a week and a half before the Nebula conference (which I'm attending virtually). June is pretty empty at this point, but the way things have been going, who knows?
proposed restrictions on covid vaccines
May. 21st, 2025 05:07 pmredbirdThe clowns running the FDA have proposed restricting access to covid vaccines, to people over 65 or who have certain medical conditions. There's a public docket for comments on the proposal.
Your Local Epidemiologist has a good post about the proposal, including that the people suggesting this know that nobody is going to do the placebo-controlled tests of new boosters they want to require.
Possible talking points include:
Families and caregivers wouldn't be eligible for the vaccine, even if they share a household, unlike the current UK recommendations.
Doctors, dentists, and other medical staff wouldn't be eligible either.
My own comment included that the reason I'd still be eligible for the vaccine is a lung problem caused by covid.
(cross-posting from![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisfinecrew)
Your Local Epidemiologist has a good post about the proposal, including that the people suggesting this know that nobody is going to do the placebo-controlled tests of new boosters they want to require.
Possible talking points include:
Families and caregivers wouldn't be eligible for the vaccine, even if they share a household, unlike the current UK recommendations.
Doctors, dentists, and other medical staff wouldn't be eligible either.
My own comment included that the reason I'd still be eligible for the vaccine is a lung problem caused by covid.
(cross-posting from
thisfinecrew)Three makes a genre?
May. 21st, 2025 10:43 pmdhampyresaWebtoon's Dr. Kim of London is about a modern-day Korean surgeon being reincarnated in 19th century England and having to deal with lack of sanitation and public amputations and other such barbaries. This puts it in the same third-time's-the-genre as the manga Jin (modern day Japanese surgeon in 19th century Japan) and the K-drama Faith The Great Doctor (modern day Korean surgeon in 14th century Korea).
I love me a good "let's science the shit out of this" story and both it and its medical-historical subgenre need names. Any ideas?
I love me a good "let's science the shit out of this" story and both it and its medical-historical subgenre need names. Any ideas?
as supplies run low
May. 21st, 2025 11:58 amsolarbirdI’ve been checking hardware stores the last couple of weeks, mostly because there are things I need, but a little because I’m watching their stocks fall.
Smaller hardware stores are having a harder time covering the stock gap than larger ones. That makes obvious sense; they have less to begin with, so the duplications and outright gaps are more clearly visible. Hand tools in particular are getting pretty thin on the ground at this point; screwdriver bit replacements – well, lots of particular varieties are no longer available. Stuff like that. It’s been a multi-week process, not all-at-once – though it will probably look that way in retrospect.
Today, though, I had a somewhat more pointed experience.
Yesterday, Home Depot had 34 of a particular China-made mini circular saw available. It’s inexpensive because it’s corded; it’s from WEN, who make very basic but generally adequate enough kit for people on a budget. A chonkier Ryobi, perhaps. And last night, they had 34 of these saws available for store pickup or delivery.
This morning, when I woke up, they had 17.
An hour later, they had 15.
I was going to buy this with credit union rewards points, but it seems that was going to take too long. So I shelled out the cash, buying it immediately instead. It’s not a big deal for me, we’re still within our current tight budget this month.
So now they have 14.
Maybe that big drop was a one-off, a fluke – an organic surge, rather than someone grabbing a set for their employees while they could. Maybe Home Depot’s remaining 14 are enough that they’ll still have 10 in another month.
Or maybe it was scalpers. I don’t know how quickly these things sell, as a rule.
But that… that was a surprise.
Most people won’t notice stock thinning, I don’t think. Not quickly. I don’t have a reason for that other than recent experience shows that most people don’t notice a single goddamn thing until it punches them, personally, in the face. They to go get a thing, and it won’t be there, and then they notice.
A lot more people are probably pretty close to that moment of noticing.
They’ll notice it even more when their Medicare gets its $350 billion dollar cut.
It’ll be a moment of awareness, a moment of panic. It won’t last long – the fascist noise machine will do everything it can to patch it over – but it’ll be there.
Are you ready to take advantage of that? Particularly with your Trumpy relatives?
Maybe you should be.
Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.
Birdfeeding
May. 21st, 2025 01:14 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, a catbird, and a phoebe.
I put out water for the birds.
I set out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.
I've seen a female cardinal.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up 2 pink-flowered 'Toscana' strawberries, each in its own pot. I filled another pot with a purple-and-white striped 'Wave' petunia, a 'Dusty Miller' artemesia, and 2 white sweet alyssums. I put these on the tall metal planter and tied them in place.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- We moved 2 bags of composted manure to the old picnic table.
I've seen a young fox squirrel.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up the last of the Shithouse Marigolds and Charleston Food Forest marigolds, each in its own pot. These are the last of the ones I grew from seed. All winter-sown pots sprouted at least one marigold, and many sprouted several. That makes this a good approach to repeat.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed a pot with passionflower seeds. No idea if they'll actually fruit here, but it's a host plant for multiple butterfly species who only need the leaves. I've never tried to grow these before, and bought them on a whim when I saw the seed packet in a store, knowing that they are a valuable host plant.
I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed two pots with nasturtiums.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I took pictures of the pots where I sowed seeds earlier. Of the 10 pots of Little Bluestem that I sowed on 2/24/25, five of them sprouted healthy little clumps of grass. I planted these five in one of the strips of the prairie garden. While 50% is not a great success rate, it is a useful rate particularly with native plants that are expensive to buy in pots.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches along with several mourning doves.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, a catbird, and a phoebe.
I put out water for the birds.
I set out the flats of pots and watered them.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.
I've seen a female cardinal.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up 2 pink-flowered 'Toscana' strawberries, each in its own pot. I filled another pot with a purple-and-white striped 'Wave' petunia, a 'Dusty Miller' artemesia, and 2 white sweet alyssums. I put these on the tall metal planter and tied them in place.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- We moved 2 bags of composted manure to the old picnic table.
I've seen a young fox squirrel.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up the last of the Shithouse Marigolds and Charleston Food Forest marigolds, each in its own pot. These are the last of the ones I grew from seed. All winter-sown pots sprouted at least one marigold, and many sprouted several. That makes this a good approach to repeat.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed a pot with passionflower seeds. No idea if they'll actually fruit here, but it's a host plant for multiple butterfly species who only need the leaves. I've never tried to grow these before, and bought them on a whim when I saw the seed packet in a store, knowing that they are a valuable host plant.
I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed two pots with nasturtiums.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I took pictures of the pots where I sowed seeds earlier. Of the 10 pots of Little Bluestem that I sowed on 2/24/25, five of them sprouted healthy little clumps of grass. I planted these five in one of the strips of the prairie garden. While 50% is not a great success rate, it is a useful rate particularly with native plants that are expensive to buy in pots.
EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches along with several mourning doves.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Hard Things
May. 21st, 2025 12:25 pmysabetwordsmithLife is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 28-32 of 2025
May. 21st, 2025 07:18 amspikedluvWhat I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Brandy & Bullets (A Murder, She Wrote Mystery) by Donald Bain, And Justice There is None (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells, Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells and The Dragon Tamer by Megan Derr.
What I am Currently Reading: A Fountain Filled with Blood (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming.
What I Plan to Read Next: Another library book or more Murderbot.
Book 28 of 2025: Brandy & Bullets (A Murder, She Wrote Mystery) (Donald Bain)
I enjoyed this book more than the others. Perhaps because it took place in Cabot Cove? ( spoilers )
This book is the best of the bunch so far, but I'm not sure if that's because the author is becoming more comfortable writing them or because it took place in Cabot Cove, as I mentioned. I'm giving it four hearts.
♥♥♥♥
Book 29 of 2025: And Justice There is None (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
I really enjoyed this book. ( spoilers )
I think this series is getting better and better; I'm giving this book five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 30 of 2025: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I wanted to re-read this prior to starting the tv series. It was so good! ( spoilers )
I look forward to the further adventures of Murderbot! I'm giving this novella five hearts.
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Book 31 of 2025: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I didn't have to read this book to start the tv series, but I couldn't resist seeing what Murderbot would do next. I liked it a lot. ( spoilers )
I look forward to seeing what Murderbot does next. I'm giving this novella five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 32 of 2025: The Dragon Tamer (Megan Derr)
This was a cute little novella. ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this and recommend it if you’re looking for something to do for about a half hour. (I also checked out some of her other books and they look good.) I’m giving this one five hearts.
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What I am Currently Reading: A Fountain Filled with Blood (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming.
What I Plan to Read Next: Another library book or more Murderbot.
Book 28 of 2025: Brandy & Bullets (A Murder, She Wrote Mystery) (Donald Bain)
I enjoyed this book more than the others. Perhaps because it took place in Cabot Cove? ( spoilers )
This book is the best of the bunch so far, but I'm not sure if that's because the author is becoming more comfortable writing them or because it took place in Cabot Cove, as I mentioned. I'm giving it four hearts.
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Book 29 of 2025: And Justice There is None (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
I really enjoyed this book. ( spoilers )
I think this series is getting better and better; I'm giving this book five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 30 of 2025: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I wanted to re-read this prior to starting the tv series. It was so good! ( spoilers )
I look forward to the further adventures of Murderbot! I'm giving this novella five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 31 of 2025: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I didn't have to read this book to start the tv series, but I couldn't resist seeing what Murderbot would do next. I liked it a lot. ( spoilers )
I look forward to seeing what Murderbot does next. I'm giving this novella five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 32 of 2025: The Dragon Tamer (Megan Derr)
This was a cute little novella. ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this and recommend it if you’re looking for something to do for about a half hour. (I also checked out some of her other books and they look good.) I’m giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
"In the Heart of the Hidden Garden" is now open for microfunding!
May. 20th, 2025 11:23 pmysabetwordsmithThanks to a donation from lone_cat, you can now read the beginning of "In the Heart of the Hidden Garden." Lawrence and Stan look for their classrooms at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
lone_cat, you can now read the beginning of "In the Heart of the Hidden Garden." Lawrence and Stan look for their classrooms at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.Coral Reefs
May. 20th, 2025 09:15 pmysabetwordsmithNew 7-mile-long underwater sculpture park invites snorkelers to save coral reefs
With construction starting this year, the Great Florida Reef will soon feature a 7-mile public art installation: The Reefline.
Both a sculpture park and a snorkeling trail, the development will also serve as an artificial reef to offer shelter to fish, which will, in turn, help corals thrive.
( Read more... )
With construction starting this year, the Great Florida Reef will soon feature a 7-mile public art installation: The Reefline.
Both a sculpture park and a snorkeling trail, the development will also serve as an artificial reef to offer shelter to fish, which will, in turn, help corals thrive.
( Read more... )