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Birdfeeding
Apr. 14th, 2026 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, breezy, and mild.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.
I put out water for the birds.
.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.
I put out water for the birds.
.
ysabetwordsmith
Climate Change
Apr. 14th, 2026 01:59 amysabetwordsmithHurricanes are slowing down - and dumping far more rain than before
If you’ve ever watched a hurricane stall on a weather map and became worried, you’re picking up on something scientists are increasingly concerned about.
A new study suggests that rapid ocean warming isn’t just making tropical cyclones dump more rain.
It may also be slowing some of them down while they’re still in their tropical phase, which is basically the worst combo if you’re on the coast or anywhere downstream.
( Read more... )
If you’ve ever watched a hurricane stall on a weather map and became worried, you’re picking up on something scientists are increasingly concerned about.
A new study suggests that rapid ocean warming isn’t just making tropical cyclones dump more rain.
It may also be slowing some of them down while they’re still in their tropical phase, which is basically the worst combo if you’re on the coast or anywhere downstream.
( Read more... )
Today's Adventures
Apr. 13th, 2026 08:43 pmysabetwordsmithToday we did a bunch of different things, including a Charleston loop in the morning and a Champaign loop in the afternoon.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
fic vs fiction?
Apr. 13th, 2026 06:41 pmvarveThe more I hang around in fandom spaces the more I realize I am not a fic writer. I am an original fiction writer who happens to be writing a fic right now.
My WIP is my first ever fanfic. I have been writing about since I learned to read. And the way I see people write fanfic is, for the most part, vastly different from how I'm approaching my story.
It's fascinating, really, what kind of fun stuff is created by fic writers! Things I never would have thought of, like the various "standard" AUs, (college, coffeshop, etc.) or telling one story with the characters from another...
My WIP is my first ever fanfic. I have been writing about since I learned to read. And the way I see people write fanfic is, for the most part, vastly different from how I'm approaching my story.
It's fascinating, really, what kind of fun stuff is created by fic writers! Things I never would have thought of, like the various "standard" AUs, (college, coffeshop, etc.) or telling one story with the characters from another...
Birdfeeding
Apr. 13th, 2026 11:04 amysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, breezy, and mild.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.
I put out water for the birds.
I've seen a six-spotted tiger beetle on the brick of the big red birdbath. I figure it's either drinking from the moist brick or hunting other insects attracted to the water. :D
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.
I put out water for the birds.
I've seen a six-spotted tiger beetle on the brick of the big red birdbath. I figure it's either drinking from the moist brick or hunting other insects attracted to the water. :D
Monday Update 4-13-26
Apr. 13th, 2026 12:13 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Vocabulary: Quiddity
Economics
Nature
Birdfeeding
Today's Adventures
Philosophical Questions: City
Food
Birdfeeding
Space Exploration
Gaming
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 4-10-26: Meditation
Nature
Poem: "The Grabber"
Poem: "So DONE with It All"
Poem: Their Hidden Source
Poem: "Beautiful, Tough, Shiny, Resilient"
Food
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Draw a Bird Day
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Early Humans has 22 comments. Philosophical Questions: Pregnancy has 65 comments. Safety has 77 comments.
Last week's Poetry Fishbowl went well. I am still writing.
The weather has been variable here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, two turkey vultures, two blue jays, a brown-headed cowbird, a male cardinal, a male goldfinch,and a fox squirrel. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Leafing out: maple, hackberry, mulberry, mayapple, Dutchman's breeches, trillium, yellow trout lily, Asiatic lilies. Currently blooming: daffodils, violets, grape hyacinths, tulips, anemone, leucojum, yellow violet, bluebells, Solomon's seal, pansies, violas, sweet alyssum. Flower buds: peonies, alliums.
Vocabulary: Quiddity
Economics
Nature
Birdfeeding
Today's Adventures
Philosophical Questions: City
Food
Birdfeeding
Space Exploration
Gaming
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 4-10-26: Meditation
Nature
Poem: "The Grabber"
Poem: "So DONE with It All"
Poem: Their Hidden Source
Poem: "Beautiful, Tough, Shiny, Resilient"
Food
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Draw a Bird Day
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Early Humans has 22 comments. Philosophical Questions: Pregnancy has 65 comments. Safety has 77 comments.
Last week's Poetry Fishbowl went well. I am still writing.
The weather has been variable here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, two turkey vultures, two blue jays, a brown-headed cowbird, a male cardinal, a male goldfinch,and a fox squirrel. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Leafing out: maple, hackberry, mulberry, mayapple, Dutchman's breeches, trillium, yellow trout lily, Asiatic lilies. Currently blooming: daffodils, violets, grape hyacinths, tulips, anemone, leucojum, yellow violet, bluebells, Solomon's seal, pansies, violas, sweet alyssum. Flower buds: peonies, alliums.
Vocabulary: Quiddity
Apr. 12th, 2026 08:21 pmysabetwordsmithIn scholastic philosophy, "quiddity" was another term for the essence of an object, literally its "whatness" or "what it is." It's the quality that makes something what it is.
My partner Doug mentioned it tonight, and I had only seen it in Scrabble dictionaries. Try to lay that one over a triple word score. It's 8 letters but you can build it onto quid, id, dit, or it.
My partner Doug mentioned it tonight, and I had only seen it in Scrabble dictionaries. Try to lay that one over a triple word score. It's 8 letters but you can build it onto quid, id, dit, or it.
Economics
Apr. 12th, 2026 07:46 pmysabetwordsmithAnnexation Is a Promise Cities Rarely Measure
When cities expand their boundaries, they aren’t just adding land, they’re taking on decades of financial obligations that short-term metrics fail to capture.
( Read more... )
When cities expand their boundaries, they aren’t just adding land, they’re taking on decades of financial obligations that short-term metrics fail to capture.
( Read more... )
Nature
Apr. 12th, 2026 05:28 pmysabetwordsmithTropical trees favor cooperation over competition
Step into a tropical forest, and something feels different right away. The air feels rich, the ground feels alive, and every plant seems part of a bigger system.
This sense of connection is not just your imagination. Science now shows that trees in these forests actively support one another, creating a strong and balanced ecosystem.
Step into a tropical forest, and something feels different right away. The air feels rich, the ground feels alive, and every plant seems part of a bigger system.
This sense of connection is not just your imagination. Science now shows that trees in these forests actively support one another, creating a strong and balanced ecosystem.
Farm update - RIP Egon
Apr. 12th, 2026 11:27 pmluzulaToday Egon was taken by a goshawk, which ate at his body for a while before we discovered it had happened. I hope he died quickly. We will mourn you, Egon: you will never again cuddle with Eva, nor mate with a flirty female. I have tears in my eyes as I write this.
E and I took what was left of his body and salvaged his heart, liver, kidneys, one half of his breast, and one leg for us to eat. Although afterwards we discovered this page and realized there was more we could have used. I also examined what I realized must be the gizzard, which was quite interesting--I totally see now how they can swallow whole oat and barley grains and have them be crushed by the gravel in that strong hollow piece of muscle. It's strange to look at the other ducks now and know what they look like inside.
I made a three-course meal tonight, containing four things I have never cooked before, marked by numbers:
Starter: Duck heart, liver, and kidneys (1), fried with soy sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper, garlic, rice wine, and a little bean paste. Thank you, Egon, it was delicious.
Main course: Hamburgers with acorn patties (2) and homemade French fries (3), with carrot slaw, homemade mayonnaise, grated homemade cheese, and chili sauce. The acorns had been leached for a long time and made quite a good base for minced "meat".
Dessert: Crème brûlée (4) flavored with rum, seared with E's new gas burner. It is really for killing weeds that have just sprouted, but why not take advantage?
E and I took what was left of his body and salvaged his heart, liver, kidneys, one half of his breast, and one leg for us to eat. Although afterwards we discovered this page and realized there was more we could have used. I also examined what I realized must be the gizzard, which was quite interesting--I totally see now how they can swallow whole oat and barley grains and have them be crushed by the gravel in that strong hollow piece of muscle. It's strange to look at the other ducks now and know what they look like inside.
I made a three-course meal tonight, containing four things I have never cooked before, marked by numbers:
Starter: Duck heart, liver, and kidneys (1), fried with soy sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper, garlic, rice wine, and a little bean paste. Thank you, Egon, it was delicious.
Main course: Hamburgers with acorn patties (2) and homemade French fries (3), with carrot slaw, homemade mayonnaise, grated homemade cheese, and chili sauce. The acorns had been leached for a long time and made quite a good base for minced "meat".
Dessert: Crème brûlée (4) flavored with rum, seared with E's new gas burner. It is really for killing weeds that have just sprouted, but why not take advantage?
Birdfeeding
Apr. 12th, 2026 02:39 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and warm with howling wind.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches plus a brown-headed cowbird.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I did some work around the patio.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I emptied the bag of raised bed soil into the hollow by the garden shed.
I picked up the big branch in the south lot.
A third tuft of violet leaves is blooming yellow. That's three now, although this one is smaller. I'm so happy that my yellow violets are spreading. :D 3q3q3q!!!
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the orchard and moved them to the firepit.
I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder. I heard a bluejay screaming above the south lot but didn't see it.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit.
I saw two bluejays high in the trees above the house yard, bobbing up and down, screeching at each other. \o/
It's trying to spit rain.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit. We also dragged the biggest branch to the side where it won't block the mow path.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches plus a brown-headed cowbird.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I did some work around the patio.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I emptied the bag of raised bed soil into the hollow by the garden shed.
I picked up the big branch in the south lot.
A third tuft of violet leaves is blooming yellow. That's three now, although this one is smaller. I'm so happy that my yellow violets are spreading. :D 3q3q3q!!!
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the orchard and moved them to the firepit.
I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder. I heard a bluejay screaming above the south lot but didn't see it.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit.
I saw two bluejays high in the trees above the house yard, bobbing up and down, screeching at each other. \o/
It's trying to spit rain.
EDIT 4/12/26 -- I picked up more big branches in the savanna and moved them to the firepit. We also dragged the biggest branch to the side where it won't block the mow path.
I am done for the night.
Today's Adventures
Apr. 11th, 2026 09:12 pmysabetwordsmithToday we went to the Small Business Fest held just outside Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University. It was several times bigger than we expected, which was awesome. It wrapped around the entire square, and one side had booths down both sides of the walkway. This was nearly the size of the old Celebration fest, with very similar offerings. They do this twice a year now, spring and fall.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Philosophical Questions: City
Apr. 11th, 2026 08:02 pmysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
What would a perfect city be like?
( Read more... )
What would a perfect city be like?
( Read more... )
Food
Apr. 11th, 2026 05:29 pmysabetwordsmithTruckloads of food are being wasted because computers won’t approve them
Modern food systems may look stable on the surface, but they are increasingly dependent on digital systems that can quietly become a major point of failure. Today, food must be “recognized” by databases and automated platforms to be transported, sold, or even released, meaning that if systems go down, food can effectively become unusable—even when it’s physically available.
( Read more... )
Modern food systems may look stable on the surface, but they are increasingly dependent on digital systems that can quietly become a major point of failure. Today, food must be “recognized” by databases and automated platforms to be transported, sold, or even released, meaning that if systems go down, food can effectively become unusable—even when it’s physically available.
( Read more... )
the sun is shining and I've got stuff to do
Apr. 11th, 2026 04:41 pmautobotscoutriellaToday's to-do list, with a few items already checked off because I was going to post this earlier and forgot:
-fold laundry
-put up hummingbird feeder
-clean out dead plants from the porch garden and get the pots back in shape
-reply to AO3 comments
-put away winter decorations and get out the spring ones
-pick up groceries
-write 200 words on either Forsaken Road or broken beaten damned (I picked broken beaten damned but I might poke Forsaken Road later)
-crosspost some fic from FFA and the PWKM
I had some feline help with the plants ("Springs, what's in your mouth? Give me that. GIVE ME THAT. No, you can't eat the chives. Leave the wasp ALONE."), so I anticipate summer gardening will be somewhat more exciting than it was when Prowl was content to nap under the chairs while I worked. I need to go get some more pots, because mine are in pretty sad shape after a decade of being left out in all weather, so I may need to add a quick trip to Lowe's on the way home to my to-do list, but we'll see how it goes.
EDIT: I finished! And made that trip to Lowe's and organized the shed while I was at it. A productive day.
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I had some feline help with the plants ("Springs, what's in your mouth? Give me that. GIVE ME THAT. No, you can't eat the chives. Leave the wasp ALONE."), so I anticipate summer gardening will be somewhat more exciting than it was when Prowl was content to nap under the chairs while I worked. I need to go get some more pots, because mine are in pretty sad shape after a decade of being left out in all weather, so I may need to add a quick trip to Lowe's on the way home to my to-do list, but we'll see how it goes.
EDIT: I finished! And made that trip to Lowe's and organized the shed while I was at it. A productive day.
Birdfeeding
Apr. 11th, 2026 12:08 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- We went out to a Small Business Fest today. We spent about 3 1/2 hours there, a lot longer than expected, but it was four or five times the size I expected and really awesome. :D But now my nose is pink from the sun and my legs feel like they're about to fall off, so that limits my yardening potential for the day.
On the way into town, we saw two turkey vultures visiting the remains of a possum at the edge of the yard.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I potted up most of the remaining flowers.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I potted up the last of the flowers.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night. *goflopnow*
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- We went out to a Small Business Fest today. We spent about 3 1/2 hours there, a lot longer than expected, but it was four or five times the size I expected and really awesome. :D But now my nose is pink from the sun and my legs feel like they're about to fall off, so that limits my yardening potential for the day.
On the way into town, we saw two turkey vultures visiting the remains of a possum at the edge of the yard.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I potted up most of the remaining flowers.
EDIT 4/11/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I potted up the last of the flowers.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night. *goflopnow*
PSA update regarding the Dreamwidth notifications
Apr. 11th, 2026 05:23 amvriddyI was growing really antsy about the missing notifications because day after day the tickets were piling up yet the problem didn't seem to get acknowledged anywhere (not in the known issues on the support page, not on ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png)
dw_maintenance, no replies to those tickets... I even went to check the dreamwidth github issues but crickets there too :C).
Anyway, behold! A few of the (many, many) tickets about notifications were updated with the following:
I can't wait! Thanks to the "Recent Comments" page which I'm checking first like a kinda inbox, I'm fairly sure I'm not missing anything posted anywhere on my journal. Unfortunately, because I have a couple of active posts at the moment, the "Recently Posted" page isn't as useful to me and if someone replies a couple of weeks later to a comment I left on their journal, which is usually one of Dreamwidth's strengths, I'm unlikely to see it if the notification gets dropped :C
Glad a fix is on the way and hope it's coming to us soon!! To all the chit-chat and associated notifications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😆 (Yes I'm constantly trying to get my inbox under control but not like this 😱 XD)
Edit: There is adw_maintenance post about it, now. One of the subthreads asks to share new, recent comments in which the notifications went missing.
dw_maintenance, no replies to those tickets... I even went to check the dreamwidth github issues but crickets there too :C).Anyway, behold! A few of the (many, many) tickets about notifications were updated with the following:
"Our developers have been looking into this and finally figured out what was going on. There's a fix in, and notifications should start flowing again. I can't say if you'll get the old ones, but new ones should be fine."
I can't wait! Thanks to the "Recent Comments" page which I'm checking first like a kinda inbox, I'm fairly sure I'm not missing anything posted anywhere on my journal. Unfortunately, because I have a couple of active posts at the moment, the "Recently Posted" page isn't as useful to me and if someone replies a couple of weeks later to a comment I left on their journal, which is usually one of Dreamwidth's strengths, I'm unlikely to see it if the notification gets dropped :C
Glad a fix is on the way and hope it's coming to us soon!! To all the chit-chat and associated notifications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😆 (Yes I'm constantly trying to get my inbox under control but not like this 😱 XD)
Edit: There is a
dw_maintenance post about it, now. One of the subthreads asks to share new, recent comments in which the notifications went missing.(no subject)
Apr. 10th, 2026 07:30 pmchocolatepotFeeling happy and curatorial this week, I restarted Wedding Wednesday and Footwear Friday on Bsky/Tumblr (and will get back to Miniature Monday as well): they've always been opportunities to practice clear but elegant label-writing, nd now I need that more than I have in several years.
I'm also psyched to eventually meet up with the Western NY Costuming Community after so many years of just not being near any groups. They're having a literary-themed picnic in early June and that will be mere weeks after I move out there, so I CANNOT try to make something, but at the same time I am so itching to do it. No!!! By now I don't think I have anything historical that fits ... Well, actually, I have a ca. 1908 blouse I made for everyday wear (except it looks way too frumpy as modern dress), and surely I could put together a walking skirt and be like "this is for The Secret Garden". And just be without a corset because the blouse is loose enough for it not to be too horrendously obvious.
Also having my usual "moving to a new place, is this when I finally get started with the SCA?" feelings. Thescorre has a lot going on.
I'm also psyched to eventually meet up with the Western NY Costuming Community after so many years of just not being near any groups. They're having a literary-themed picnic in early June and that will be mere weeks after I move out there, so I CANNOT try to make something, but at the same time I am so itching to do it. No!!! By now I don't think I have anything historical that fits ... Well, actually, I have a ca. 1908 blouse I made for everyday wear (except it looks way too frumpy as modern dress), and surely I could put together a walking skirt and be like "this is for The Secret Garden". And just be without a corset because the blouse is loose enough for it not to be too horrendously obvious.
Also having my usual "moving to a new place, is this when I finally get started with the SCA?" feelings. Thescorre has a lot going on.