(no subject)
Mar. 2nd, 2026 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahnTime to update on the kiddos! ( Screen time; E's classes; math competitions; A's school is not visibly a dumpster fire which is I guess progress; A is growing up )
cahn
Photos: House Yard
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:51 pmysabetwordsmithToday I set up a new label for the Sharpie Oil Paint Pen Extra Fine that I bought recently. I also took some other pictures around the yard.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
vid. iwtv/tvl | god loves you, but not enough to save you
Mar. 2nd, 2026 08:47 pmkaiyote posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
viddingtitle. god loves you, but not enough to save you
fandom. iwtv/tvl
character. lestat de lioncourt
song. "sun bleached flies" by ethel cain
what i wouldn't give to be in church this sunday; listening to the choir, so heartfelt, all singing: "god loves you, but not enough to save you." lestat character study vidlet. (spoilers for s3 trailers/promos.)
dw | youtube
fandom. iwtv/tvl
character. lestat de lioncourt
song. "sun bleached flies" by ethel cain
what i wouldn't give to be in church this sunday; listening to the choir, so heartfelt, all singing: "god loves you, but not enough to save you." lestat character study vidlet. (spoilers for s3 trailers/promos.)
dw | youtube
Lily watches: "Land of the Lustrous"
Mar. 2nd, 2026 11:05 pmatamascolilyThis was a gorgeous 3-D animated series from 2017 that I am just now catching up on... evocative of Steven Universe (sentient gems with the properties of their namesake) and the Ship of Theseus (all kind of fascinating philosophical questions about identity and personhood). Overall, the vibes are tragic and existential, which is not a bad thing, but it can be depressing at times.
The aesthetic and the fight animation were my favorite parts, hands down. I knew I was going to like this show the moment the antagonists - "Lunarians" who are hunting the gems - turned up with their ghostly Buddhist-themed floating pavilions, like a cross between Madoka Magica and the Lotus Sutra, and it did not disappoint me. Chiwa Saito does a fantastic job voicing a pink snail, and there are some fun character moments amid the tragedy and heartbreak - and literal breakage, as gems shatter and are pieced back together in every episode.
Special shout-out to episode 10, which had me on the edge of my seat for two-thirds of its run; rarely have I been so invested in an extended action sequence. And then episode 11 has the most unexpected resolution possible! Incredible. I'm going to be thinking about that for a long time.
One thing I didn't like is that there are so many gem characters, it's hard to keep track of them all, and most are in the background unless it's their turn to hang out with the protagonist. Sometimes it feels like gems literally show up as they're needed instead of being there from the beginning. The protagonist starts out as the typical klutz with a good heart, which can be annoying at first, but they quickly got put through the wringer and transformed to the point where I ended up missing their old personality - an excellent example of "be careful what you wish for"! Also, there's one relationship that is heavily teased in the opening credits, but while those characters are important to each other and the plot/themes, they don't get a ton of screen time, so the opening is not as representative of the show's contents as I expected.
Unfortunately, the anime is only 12 episodes and it ends on a cliffhanger, and season 2 is non-existent after almost a decade and may not ever happen. The manga is complete, and I read a summary of some of the key plot points and... I only got a small fraction of it, but what the fuck. What the actual fuck.
I'm torn between reading the manga in full to see if it's as wild as the summaries claim, or if I'm better off pretending the anime is all there is and coming up with my own ideas. Either way, I'm glad I watched this and would recommend this series to others who are interested in animation and/or philosophy and who are up for characters suffering beautifully and being repeatedly traumatized by The Horrors.
The aesthetic and the fight animation were my favorite parts, hands down. I knew I was going to like this show the moment the antagonists - "Lunarians" who are hunting the gems - turned up with their ghostly Buddhist-themed floating pavilions, like a cross between Madoka Magica and the Lotus Sutra, and it did not disappoint me. Chiwa Saito does a fantastic job voicing a pink snail, and there are some fun character moments amid the tragedy and heartbreak - and literal breakage, as gems shatter and are pieced back together in every episode.
Special shout-out to episode 10, which had me on the edge of my seat for two-thirds of its run; rarely have I been so invested in an extended action sequence. And then episode 11 has the most unexpected resolution possible! Incredible. I'm going to be thinking about that for a long time.
One thing I didn't like is that there are so many gem characters, it's hard to keep track of them all, and most are in the background unless it's their turn to hang out with the protagonist. Sometimes it feels like gems literally show up as they're needed instead of being there from the beginning. The protagonist starts out as the typical klutz with a good heart, which can be annoying at first, but they quickly got put through the wringer and transformed to the point where I ended up missing their old personality - an excellent example of "be careful what you wish for"! Also, there's one relationship that is heavily teased in the opening credits, but while those characters are important to each other and the plot/themes, they don't get a ton of screen time, so the opening is not as representative of the show's contents as I expected.
Unfortunately, the anime is only 12 episodes and it ends on a cliffhanger, and season 2 is non-existent after almost a decade and may not ever happen. The manga is complete, and I read a summary of some of the key plot points and... I only got a small fraction of it, but what the fuck. What the actual fuck.
I'm torn between reading the manga in full to see if it's as wild as the summaries claim, or if I'm better off pretending the anime is all there is and coming up with my own ideas. Either way, I'm glad I watched this and would recommend this series to others who are interested in animation and/or philosophy and who are up for characters suffering beautifully and being repeatedly traumatized by The Horrors.
AO3 Woes
Mar. 2nd, 2026 08:15 pmsettiaiPlease come back soon, AO3. I know it's not even been a full two days yet since the site started having issues, but I've missed you. Don't make me have to delve into the horrors that is FF.net in order to get my fanfiction fix.
(Honestly, I'm mostly amused that it's been working fine when I haven't been online but the moment that I had a free minute to try to pull up a fic, that's when it's gone down. There have been several times now where I've checked the status and it was just updated minutes earlier.)
(Honestly, I'm mostly amused that it's been working fine when I haven't been online but the moment that I had a free minute to try to pull up a fic, that's when it's gone down. There have been several times now where I've checked the status and it was just updated minutes earlier.)
Willow Cuttings
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:18 pmysabetwordsmithMy willow cuttings have arrived! :D I will need to unpack them and set them up. My plan is to put some in water, which makes willow water, which can be used to root other things. I shall take cuttings from some dogwoods and other things here to see if this works. I also intend to put some willow cuttings in soil to see how that works. Since willows are pretty much the easiest thing to propagate from cuttings, and I have 3 of each color, I figure at least one of each should survive.
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
( Read more... )
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
( Read more... )
Fannish February
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:05 pmtinnyTV finished
Nothing, sob.
Okay, maybe I could count the complete video of Wu Lei's birthday livestream (from his birthday in December) which I found on youtube? It's about an hour long, and I watched that a few times until I understood at least some very small parts of it. Yay? That took up a lot of time, too, lol. eowuli on twitter promised to sub it, but I haven't seen a subbed version of it yet. The raw is here on youtube.
TV new (ongoing)
I'll count Saint Pierre here. The second season has started, and I have now watched one episode. I had forgotten how much getting used to Arch's French accent takes. I had no trouble with it (loved it, in fact) by the end of season 1, and I'm surprised that I'm apparently starting from scratch again now. I don't know why I missed the show so much, but I did, and I'm happy to have it back. The first ep took me right back into the town and the characters. I'm looking forward to the season.
TV continued
The Company (16/30), the time-traveling cdrama. I watched eight episodes of that this month. Still enjoying the BL vibes, wondering if they really put them in there intentionally or if I'm just wearing slash goggles. Peak time travel shenanigans in ep 10, then they set logical boundaries, and then immediately broke them again, lol. :D They are adorable. I'm definitely enjoying the show more than I thought I would, even though I expected more time machine shenanigans in the latest plotline, but my guess as to what had happened was completely wrong, lol. :D Overall, now that I'm about halfway through: I find some of the show a bit preachy, but not overly so. It hasn't turned me off yet. Most of it is just fun, and I find it surprisingly engaging! It's on viki.
I watched four more episodes of The Cross-Dressed Union, now on 22/24. It really is a fun watch, and even the grasslands sidequest was kind of satisfyingly resolved and integrated into the rest of the plot. I was surprised. Sadly, I then lost track of it, I really should just finish it, there's not much left. I definitely rec it. It's on youtube.
Three eps of Bridgerton Season 4! Watchalonging this, and we're all caught up now for the second part of the season. I loved the Queen in ep2! I didn't expect them to make her this obvious. Her reaction to Agatha's announcement in ep1 was pretty obvious to me, but seeing it play out like that was *chef's kiss* and made me cry. For some reason, I'm not really invested in Violet's storyline anymore this season? I liked it better last season. But her line in ep4 was hilarious, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. :D My favorite character continues to be Penelope. <3 Sophie is starting to grow on me, too. The cliffhanger after ep4 is painful, but I thought it was quite logical. I have no complaints, really.
Two eps of Our Times (05/38), the 90s retro "IT students go professional" cdrama with Wu Lei and Hou Minghao. I still just find Wu Lei and Hou Minghao in (ugly!) period dress and hairstyle very very adorable. The bromance vibes are through the roof. So far, all lead characters are being trodden on repeatedly, to really firmly establish their underdog status. I'm sure that'll change throughout the show, but for now, this is exactly my thing. The embarrassment squick is relatively strong so far, but I made it through and am confident I will continue to do so. (I now have an active icon for it. That escalated quickly. :D). It's on wetv and youtube.
TV (dropped)
Nothing, I hope?
Shows for which I have fewer than 5 eps left but haven't watched a single one all month: The Long Ballad (1) and Love on the Turquoise Land (4). /o\
Rewatches/Watchalongs
The Nothing But You watchalong is now on ep 20. \o/ Enjoying the hell out of this watchalong.
Bridgerton season 4 hasn't gripped me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not watching it on my own, or if it's the show itself. Who knows. We do both enjoy it, though.
The When A Snail Falls in Love watchalong is now done! \o/ The last episode was actually a little better than I'd feared. I don't regret watching it. We have now also started Nothing But You, I can never watch that too many times. <3
Two new poems!
Mar. 2nd, 2026 08:18 pmswan_towerI am belated in posting about one of these -- but it turns out that's fine, because another one dropped just a couple of days later!
First up is "The Virtues of the Throne," a piece inspired by the Sanskrit text Siṃhāsana Dvātriṃśikā (rendered in the translation I have as Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne of Vikramaditya). It leans hard into the kind of rhythmic musicality you might expect from a song -- which is why it's appearing in 4LPH4NUM3R1C, a magazine that makes a point of offering both audio and text versions of its material! (Yes, this is the same place that published "The Great Undoing" a few months ago.)
And second, for a complete contrast, is the free verse piece "Core Sample" in DreamForge Anvil. This one is inspired by a piece of art created by Mark Garlick, and it's sorta science fantasy-ish.
Thanks to poetry generally being quicker to write than even short fiction, and therefore me having manymany opportunities to sub and sell it, there's more on the way. But that's it for now!
(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/wW3ARE)
First up is "The Virtues of the Throne," a piece inspired by the Sanskrit text Siṃhāsana Dvātriṃśikā (rendered in the translation I have as Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne of Vikramaditya). It leans hard into the kind of rhythmic musicality you might expect from a song -- which is why it's appearing in 4LPH4NUM3R1C, a magazine that makes a point of offering both audio and text versions of its material! (Yes, this is the same place that published "The Great Undoing" a few months ago.)
And second, for a complete contrast, is the free verse piece "Core Sample" in DreamForge Anvil. This one is inspired by a piece of art created by Mark Garlick, and it's sorta science fantasy-ish.
Thanks to poetry generally being quicker to write than even short fiction, and therefore me having manymany opportunities to sub and sell it, there's more on the way. But that's it for now!
(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/wW3ARE)
Birdfeeding
Mar. 2nd, 2026 01:51 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, cold, and damp. Last night it snowed a bit, then sleeted, and seems to have rained later. Now most of the ice has melted off.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I transplanted snowdrops from the parking lot to the white garden.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I set up a label with the new Sharpie Oil Paint Pen (Extra Fine) and took pictures.
I saw a squirrel in the trees.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- My red curly willow cuttings arrived, as did my order from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have set up two of the willow cuttings in water, one in potting soil. I also took a cutting from the fishpond mulberry tree and one from a red dogwood, which I added to the water cups to see if the willows will help those root too.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal chasing a female, and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I transplanted snowdrops from the parking lot to the white garden.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I set up a label with the new Sharpie Oil Paint Pen (Extra Fine) and took pictures.
I saw a squirrel in the trees.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- My red curly willow cuttings arrived, as did my order from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have set up two of the willow cuttings in water, one in potting soil. I also took a cutting from the fishpond mulberry tree and one from a red dogwood, which I added to the water cups to see if the willows will help those root too.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal chasing a female, and a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
I am done for the night.
she won't catch me or break my fall
Mar. 2nd, 2026 02:48 pmmusesfoolI really enjoyed this season of Bridgerton despite being mostly indifferent to Benedict as a character. Yerin Ha as Sophie was everything - I really hope this launches her into a long, bright career. ( spoilers )
In other fannish news, I saw some folks on bsky discussing who the best lightsaber duelist is in Star Wars, and since I didn't really know the people being quoted, I took myself to tumblr to post about it. I also texted my eldest nephew, who is the biggest Anakin and Obi-Wan fan I know (which, given some of the fangirls I know, is saying something) and his knee-jerk response was Anakin*. Which is the wrong answer, so we argued back and forth a bit, and he came around to my way of thinking that it has to be Obi-Wan, even though we never see him go up against Palpatine or Mace Windu (who may have beaten Palpatine if not for Anakin).
I did see people saying Ahsoka, because she survives Maul, Vader, and very briefly, Palpatine, but as much as I love her, she survives and escapes. She doesn't win. The list of Obi-Wan's duels is extensive and no one ever even lays a blade on him that I recall (though he doesn't beat Dooku, which was an argument my nephew made, and Anakin eventually does) until he puts up his saber and lets Vader kill him. Like, is Obi-Wan destroyed emotionally and psychologically by dueling with Anakin? One hundred percent! But he still wins until not winning is the best way to win in the long-term.
*I think you can make a case for him when he's Vader, but even then, Obi-Wan beats him on Mustafar and he only wins on the Death Star because Obi-Wan lets him. In the OWK show, he maybe sets Obi-Wan on fire a little but Obi-Wan takes no real damage in any of their fights until the Death Star.
*
In other fannish news, I saw some folks on bsky discussing who the best lightsaber duelist is in Star Wars, and since I didn't really know the people being quoted, I took myself to tumblr to post about it. I also texted my eldest nephew, who is the biggest Anakin and Obi-Wan fan I know (which, given some of the fangirls I know, is saying something) and his knee-jerk response was Anakin*. Which is the wrong answer, so we argued back and forth a bit, and he came around to my way of thinking that it has to be Obi-Wan, even though we never see him go up against Palpatine or Mace Windu (who may have beaten Palpatine if not for Anakin).
I did see people saying Ahsoka, because she survives Maul, Vader, and very briefly, Palpatine, but as much as I love her, she survives and escapes. She doesn't win. The list of Obi-Wan's duels is extensive and no one ever even lays a blade on him that I recall (though he doesn't beat Dooku, which was an argument my nephew made, and Anakin eventually does) until he puts up his saber and lets Vader kill him. Like, is Obi-Wan destroyed emotionally and psychologically by dueling with Anakin? One hundred percent! But he still wins until not winning is the best way to win in the long-term.
*I think you can make a case for him when he's Vader, but even then, Obi-Wan beats him on Mustafar and he only wins on the Death Star because Obi-Wan lets him. In the OWK show, he maybe sets Obi-Wan on fire a little but Obi-Wan takes no real damage in any of their fights until the Death Star.
*
Sheet music sorting
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:49 pmvivdunstanSorting a teetering pile of accordion sheet music books, as well as more elsewhere in the house. Still more to go through, but have identified those I won't be playing again and would like to pass on. Also have a bunch of piano sheet music books (but keeping loads of others). To go to charity soon.
I am too prone to buying more and not playing what I've already got. And some things just don't work well for me. I even found duplicate copies of Irish and Russian accordion music books! The sitting room music area is looking more trim now and manageable. And the other music will go to new homes.
Now just checking if our local Oxfams will take the sheet music books, or if they'd prefer us to take them to the city centre shop, which does specialise in music of all kinds, including sheet music.
I am too prone to buying more and not playing what I've already got. And some things just don't work well for me. I even found duplicate copies of Irish and Russian accordion music books! The sitting room music area is looking more trim now and manageable. And the other music will go to new homes.
Now just checking if our local Oxfams will take the sheet music books, or if they'd prefer us to take them to the city centre shop, which does specialise in music of all kinds, including sheet music.
Signups Extended 2 Days
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:26 amlettersmod posting in unsent_letters_exchangeDue to the AO3 downtime, I'm extending signups two more days to Mar 9, 11:59PM UTC.
Now some hockey talk that isn't me debunking idea so dumb they don't need debunking
Mar. 2nd, 2026 12:39 amolivermoss* A lot of hockey players have similar names. But the Kraken just signed a Ryder Evers, but we already have a Ryker Evans. Most fans thought the signing was a typo and we'd just resigned Evans.
* It's now happened twice in one season that a Kraken player appeared to have a hat trick, only for it to be overturned. This time it was a very delayed change in goal credit. The worst part? Both times, the same player was a factor in the overturning: Matty Beniers. Poor Matty. I hope the Matty No Hatty nickname doesn't become a thing. But man, that is some insane lore.
Making it even worse is that McCann gave up a scoring opportunity to feed the puck to Ebs to give him a chance at a hat trick. Ebs scored! And then the earlier goal got overturned.
* I've started reading The Russian Five. The walk I took earlier was me going to used book stores trying to find a physical copy, a scuffed one if possible. I need a paper version to mark up. I usually hate making marks in books, but this is going to be an exception. There are lots of things talked about that I am going to want to look up later. What do you mean most of the defections happened at exhibition games in Portland? Why do we keep being a setting? Lane Lambert mention? Our Lane Lambert? Wait, the dad of my favorite player is a talent scout for the Red Wings... is he going to pop up next?
I'm listening on audiobook, which makes to hard to deal with names like Vyacheslav Kozlov. Also, that one thing the Habs pulled at a draft? I need to write down when / who / etc.
There is a certain fictional character who is an avid reader, but only reads hockey books. People tease him for it, but I get it. This stuff is amazing.
I can't believe I put off starting this to read Beartown. Nice to be reading an actual true story.
* It's now happened twice in one season that a Kraken player appeared to have a hat trick, only for it to be overturned. This time it was a very delayed change in goal credit. The worst part? Both times, the same player was a factor in the overturning: Matty Beniers. Poor Matty. I hope the Matty No Hatty nickname doesn't become a thing. But man, that is some insane lore.
Making it even worse is that McCann gave up a scoring opportunity to feed the puck to Ebs to give him a chance at a hat trick. Ebs scored! And then the earlier goal got overturned.
* I've started reading The Russian Five. The walk I took earlier was me going to used book stores trying to find a physical copy, a scuffed one if possible. I need a paper version to mark up. I usually hate making marks in books, but this is going to be an exception. There are lots of things talked about that I am going to want to look up later. What do you mean most of the defections happened at exhibition games in Portland? Why do we keep being a setting? Lane Lambert mention? Our Lane Lambert? Wait, the dad of my favorite player is a talent scout for the Red Wings... is he going to pop up next?
I'm listening on audiobook, which makes to hard to deal with names like Vyacheslav Kozlov. Also, that one thing the Habs pulled at a draft? I need to write down when / who / etc.
There is a certain fictional character who is an avid reader, but only reads hockey books. People tease him for it, but I get it. This stuff is amazing.
I can't believe I put off starting this to read Beartown. Nice to be reading an actual true story.
(no subject)
Mar. 2nd, 2026 12:03 amolivermossThis is just a disorganized ramble on some of the hockey discourse going on. I keep seeing people talk like hockey players aren't responsible for their actions because they all come from 'the same system' and 'have no education'. And that's just bullshit. All this 'they are all the same' stuff is weirdly doomer, but also not true.
I also hate all the 'that's just what hockey is' shit.
( Read more... )
I also hate all the 'that's just what hockey is' shit.
( Read more... )
Monday Update 3-2-26
Mar. 2nd, 2026 12:04 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Clothes
National Crafting Month Bingo Card 3-1-26
Birdfeeding
Emotional Neglect
Today's Adventures
Bingo
Books
Food
Birdfeeding
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Philosophical Questions: Government
Books
Space Exploration
Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z
Birdfeeding
Recipe: African Spice Cookies
Photos: Water Garden
Photos: Worm Bin
Photos: House Yard
Crafts
Vocabulary: Proforestation
Birdfeeding
Willow Cuttings
Community Thursdays
Vocabulary: Bossage
Linguistics
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Safety has 50 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 40 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 147 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, March 3 with a theme of "World Cuisine." I hope to see you then!
marchmetamatterschallenge is running this month. See my tracking post and the first check-in post.
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been warmish here, though it got colder today. Yesterday it rained a bit. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male, two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I saw a downy woodpecker in the trees. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Honeybees are out, and finally found the flowers. Currently blooming: crocuses, snowdrops.
Clothes
National Crafting Month Bingo Card 3-1-26
Birdfeeding
Emotional Neglect
Today's Adventures
Bingo
Books
Food
Birdfeeding
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Philosophical Questions: Government
Books
Space Exploration
Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z
Birdfeeding
Recipe: African Spice Cookies
Photos: Water Garden
Photos: Worm Bin
Photos: House Yard
Crafts
Vocabulary: Proforestation
Birdfeeding
Willow Cuttings
Community Thursdays
Vocabulary: Bossage
Linguistics
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Safety has 50 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 40 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 147 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, March 3 with a theme of "World Cuisine." I hope to see you then!
marchmetamatterschallenge is running this month. See my tracking post and the first check-in post."The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been warmish here, though it got colder today. Yesterday it rained a bit. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, a pair of house finches courting plus an extra male, two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I saw a downy woodpecker in the trees. Red-winged blackbirds have been singing overhead. Honeybees are out, and finally found the flowers. Currently blooming: crocuses, snowdrops.