Cedar Waxwings Unmasked by Jane Yolen
Jun. 21st, 2026 01:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyWho are these masked birds?
Not Robin Hoods,
for they live in
the open woods.
They only deal
in stolen goods
like berry futures,
cedar cones,
and sweet, sweet, fruit
(but leave the stones).
Insects they catch
on the fly
when swarms of them
go buzzing by.
No need to worry,
moan. or fret.
Your valuables
they will
not
get.
********************
Link to the poem
The bird itself
Not Robin Hoods,
for they live in
the open woods.
They only deal
in stolen goods
like berry futures,
cedar cones,
and sweet, sweet, fruit
(but leave the stones).
Insects they catch
on the fly
when swarms of them
go buzzing by.
No need to worry,
moan. or fret.
Your valuables
they will
not
get.
Link to the poem
The bird itself
Quote...
Jun. 19th, 2026 12:21 amfairyniamhQuotes:
"You must learn day by day, year by year to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about, the more you have left when anything happens."
"The arts are not just instantaneous pleasure - if you don't like it, the artist is wrong. I belong to the generation which says if you don't like it, you don't understand and you ought to find out."
O~ Ethel Barrymore
"You must learn day by day, year by year to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about, the more you have left when anything happens."
"The arts are not just instantaneous pleasure - if you don't like it, the artist is wrong. I belong to the generation which says if you don't like it, you don't understand and you ought to find out."
O~ Ethel Barrymore
I have no idea what happened first
Jun. 18th, 2026 10:34 pmconulybut as I was at the corner store somebody poked his head in the store and said "So, I still can't get nothing?" and then, as the cashier picked up the phone "C'mon, you're calling the cops on me again? You already called them on me!"
Well, okay, if he already called them (20 minutes ago, as the phone conversation made clear) then there is no need to ask if you are welcome in the store, because almost anybody could tell you that the answer is no. Whether he was right to call or wrong to call, he's still not going to let you buy anything at this time.
***************************************
( Read more... )
Well, okay, if he already called them (20 minutes ago, as the phone conversation made clear) then there is no need to ask if you are welcome in the store, because almost anybody could tell you that the answer is no. Whether he was right to call or wrong to call, he's still not going to let you buy anything at this time.
( Read more... )
Keepsake. Neville/Charlie
Jun. 18th, 2026 07:02 pmdigthewriter posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
neville100Title: Keepsake
Author:digthewriter
Pairing: Neville
Word Count: 100 x 2
Rating: R/E
Challenge:
NEVILLE100 PROMPT: Souvenir.
A/N: Unbetaed.
(Keepsake)
Author:
digthewriterPairing: Neville
Word Count: 100 x 2
Rating: R/E
Challenge:
NEVILLE100 PROMPT: Souvenir.A/N: Unbetaed.
(Keepsake)
The Friday Five for 19 June 2026
Jun. 18th, 2026 06:07 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfive1. What is your biggest waste of time in your home?
2. When at work, what is the activity that you find wastes the most time?
3. When getting busy with a date or significant other, what ritual could you do without?
4. What is the biggest waste of time on the Internet?
5. What do you do at a restaurant to waste time when waiting for your meal?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
2. When at work, what is the activity that you find wastes the most time?
3. When getting busy with a date or significant other, what ritual could you do without?
4. What is the biggest waste of time on the Internet?
5. What do you do at a restaurant to waste time when waiting for your meal?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
Hav by Jan Morris (2006)
Jun. 18th, 2026 04:35 pmpauraqueJan Morris (1926-2020) was a Welsh writer known primarily for histories and travelogues published both before and after her gender transition in the late 1960s. In her time she traveled just about everywhere in the world; as a journalist she accompanied the Mount Everest expedition of 1953, waiting at a camp at 22,000 feet elevation to be the first to report that Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary had reached the summit.
Hav is one of her few published pieces of fiction, a travelogue of an imagined visit to an invented country. Morris placed her fictional land on a tiny peninsula jutting off Anatolia, and made it a crossroads where all the peoples and powers of the Mediterranean and beyond have come and left their mark through conquest and trade, and have continued to leverage its unique political position for their own gain. This omnibus edition includes the 1985 novel Last Letters from Hav and its sequel, 2006's Hav of the Myrmidons, which imagines a return visit to see how Hav has changed two decades on and where it sits in the post-9/11 world.
Apparently when Last Letters from Hav was first published, there was a bit of a "War of the Worlds" situation where many readers completely missed that it was fiction and ran right out to try to book a flight to Hav. I can understand how this happened, not just because Morris was known for nonfiction and before the internet people couldn't easily look these things up, but also because the book is so totally convincing as a depiction of a real place. Its episodic narrative gathers threads of all the real places Morris had been to and weaves them together elaborately but naturally into a multicultural knot—Turkish and Greek, British and Chinese, Christian and Muslim—that feels like it could have been, even though it never was.
The book doesn't make sweeping changes to real-world history to accommodate Hav's existence, but it makes tweaks and adjustments here and there to slip Hav in as an influence on all kinds of things. Morris creates connections everywhere (it's a common belief that Hav was the site of ancient Troy) and it seems that almost every interesting figure in history visited Hav at some point. Freud's stay in Hav as a young man inspired some of his later important works, and of course when Hemingway departed he took with him some of Hav's famous polydactyl cats. Sometimes Morris quotes passages about Hav from real writers' works, and in 1985, unless you had that exact book on the shelf, could you be sure that quote wasn't in there? I think some of them might even be real quotations that she has cleverly recontextualized to sound like they're about Hav, and with such forthright authoritativeness that you want to believe her.
( cut for length )
Hav is one of her few published pieces of fiction, a travelogue of an imagined visit to an invented country. Morris placed her fictional land on a tiny peninsula jutting off Anatolia, and made it a crossroads where all the peoples and powers of the Mediterranean and beyond have come and left their mark through conquest and trade, and have continued to leverage its unique political position for their own gain. This omnibus edition includes the 1985 novel Last Letters from Hav and its sequel, 2006's Hav of the Myrmidons, which imagines a return visit to see how Hav has changed two decades on and where it sits in the post-9/11 world.
Apparently when Last Letters from Hav was first published, there was a bit of a "War of the Worlds" situation where many readers completely missed that it was fiction and ran right out to try to book a flight to Hav. I can understand how this happened, not just because Morris was known for nonfiction and before the internet people couldn't easily look these things up, but also because the book is so totally convincing as a depiction of a real place. Its episodic narrative gathers threads of all the real places Morris had been to and weaves them together elaborately but naturally into a multicultural knot—Turkish and Greek, British and Chinese, Christian and Muslim—that feels like it could have been, even though it never was.
The book doesn't make sweeping changes to real-world history to accommodate Hav's existence, but it makes tweaks and adjustments here and there to slip Hav in as an influence on all kinds of things. Morris creates connections everywhere (it's a common belief that Hav was the site of ancient Troy) and it seems that almost every interesting figure in history visited Hav at some point. Freud's stay in Hav as a young man inspired some of his later important works, and of course when Hemingway departed he took with him some of Hav's famous polydactyl cats. Sometimes Morris quotes passages about Hav from real writers' works, and in 1985, unless you had that exact book on the shelf, could you be sure that quote wasn't in there? I think some of them might even be real quotations that she has cleverly recontextualized to sound like they're about Hav, and with such forthright authoritativeness that you want to believe her.
( cut for length )
Poet's Corner: [all the time I pray to Buddha] by Issa
Jun. 18th, 2026 03:43 pmstonepicnicking_okapi[all the time I pray to Buddha] by Kobayashi Issa (translated by Robert Hass)
All the time I pray to Buddha
I keep on
killing mosquitoes.
All the time I pray to Buddha
I keep on
killing mosquitoes.
Ysabet out of power today
Jun. 18th, 2026 12:15 pmysabetwordsmithGood afternoon. This is Janet, posting on Ysabet's behalf. She is without power today, as are large swaths of her community. Best estimate at this time for her return online is late afternoon / early evening.
Courses - May to June 2026
Jun. 18th, 2026 03:47 pmsmallhobbitFutureLearn
Plants to Products: An Introduction to Biorefining (Aberystwyth University)
Plants to Products: Biorefining Feedstocks (Aberystwyth University)
I knew very little about biorefining before I took these courses. I know something more now, although I struggle with the scientific side. It was, however, a really interesting course with presenters who didn't look at the subject from a purely theoretical standpoint.
Comparative Literatures & Cultures: An Interdisciplinary Introduction (University of Bristol)
The course begins by looking at literature and the dominance of the western viewpoint. It progresses into looking at soft power and the way it's used by different nations to promote themselves, ending with a look at visual culture. While both concepts are important I felt three weeks looking at literatures would have been far more relevant.
Food Science & Nutrition: From Farm to Fork (University of Leeds)
Very little of the farm, and a much greater emphasis on new developments and the marketing of new products by different companies. It included the possibility of using a 3-D printer to create foods, which seems a particularly wasteful use of resources.
Multilingual practices: Tackling Challenges & Creating Opportunities (University of Groningen)
Quite interesting, it included looking at multilingual families and schools. It's unlikely to have any personal relevance for me, but I do think it's a good idea where appropriate.
Critical Language Awareness in Action (University of Groningen)
This started well, by looking at the varied uses of personal pronouns and then the active and passive voice. However, it then started what to me felt like using the methods that the first week had warned against, and became very critical of animal farming in any form. This wasn't improved by the misunderstanding of some information.
OpenLearn
How Places Affect Well-Being
Nothing wrong with the course, but I don't think I learnt anything new.
Plants to Products: An Introduction to Biorefining (Aberystwyth University)
Plants to Products: Biorefining Feedstocks (Aberystwyth University)
I knew very little about biorefining before I took these courses. I know something more now, although I struggle with the scientific side. It was, however, a really interesting course with presenters who didn't look at the subject from a purely theoretical standpoint.
Comparative Literatures & Cultures: An Interdisciplinary Introduction (University of Bristol)
The course begins by looking at literature and the dominance of the western viewpoint. It progresses into looking at soft power and the way it's used by different nations to promote themselves, ending with a look at visual culture. While both concepts are important I felt three weeks looking at literatures would have been far more relevant.
Food Science & Nutrition: From Farm to Fork (University of Leeds)
Very little of the farm, and a much greater emphasis on new developments and the marketing of new products by different companies. It included the possibility of using a 3-D printer to create foods, which seems a particularly wasteful use of resources.
Multilingual practices: Tackling Challenges & Creating Opportunities (University of Groningen)
Quite interesting, it included looking at multilingual families and schools. It's unlikely to have any personal relevance for me, but I do think it's a good idea where appropriate.
Critical Language Awareness in Action (University of Groningen)
This started well, by looking at the varied uses of personal pronouns and then the active and passive voice. However, it then started what to me felt like using the methods that the first week had warned against, and became very critical of animal farming in any form. This wasn't improved by the misunderstanding of some information.
OpenLearn
How Places Affect Well-Being
Nothing wrong with the course, but I don't think I learnt anything new.
Summer days
Jun. 18th, 2026 10:28 ammelaganI love these long summer days. I do wish I could stay awake a little later at night. My body could keep moving but my head crashes. And, there's only so much coffee even I can drink.
I have missed the last twenty minutes of a movie that started at nine p.m. more times than I can count* and those times I made myself stay awake, I had no memory of how it ended. Blank. Input not taken.
But I do love these long summer days.
*back in the old days when broadcast tv as it aired was the only option
I have missed the last twenty minutes of a movie that started at nine p.m. more times than I can count* and those times I made myself stay awake, I had no memory of how it ended. Blank. Input not taken.
But I do love these long summer days.
*back in the old days when broadcast tv as it aired was the only option
Quote...
Jun. 18th, 2026 12:12 amfairyniamhQuotes:
"Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough."
"Keep your dream in front of you. Never let it go regardless of how farfetched it might seem."
~ Hal Higdon
"Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough."
"Keep your dream in front of you. Never let it go regardless of how farfetched it might seem."
~ Hal Higdon
R.I.P.
Jun. 17th, 2026 03:14 pmfairyniamhR.I.P. Daveigh Elizabeth Chase (née Chase-Schwallier; July 24, 1990 – June 16, 2026)
Quotes:
"I want to do things that will change someone's life, not something they'll forget about tomorrow."
"I like dark, dramatic roles; they're just really powerful and real."
~ Daveigh Chase
Quotes:
"I want to do things that will change someone's life, not something they'll forget about tomorrow."
"I like dark, dramatic roles; they're just really powerful and real."
~ Daveigh Chase
Birdfeeding
Jun. 17th, 2026 01:56 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, mild, and wet. It's been raining most of the morning.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any though.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
The purple-and-white columbine is reblooming in the rain garden. :D
EDIT 6/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
We've had a few hours of gap in the rain, but it's supposed to start again soon with possible violent weather. There's a tornado watch until 10PM.
.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen any though.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
The purple-and-white columbine is reblooming in the rain garden. :D
EDIT 6/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
We've had a few hours of gap in the rain, but it's supposed to start again soon with possible violent weather. There's a tornado watch until 10PM.
.
Food
Jun. 17th, 2026 01:14 pmysabetwordsmithColorado’s ‘Tamales Act’ Restores Citizens’ Freedom to Buy and Sell Homecooked Food
Colorado’s government has restored the freedom of its people to prepare and sell homecooked food to one another.
Provided they take a food safety course, the “Tamale Act” is expected to be a boost to the informal economy by unlocking the commercial power of mama’s and grandma’s home-cooking.
This is a huge improvement for everyone.
( Read more... )
Colorado’s government has restored the freedom of its people to prepare and sell homecooked food to one another.
Provided they take a food safety course, the “Tamale Act” is expected to be a boost to the informal economy by unlocking the commercial power of mama’s and grandma’s home-cooking.
This is a huge improvement for everyone.
( Read more... )
Some days...
Jun. 17th, 2026 03:25 pmumadoshi...you make a post entirely to say hello to a whole bunch of people from an event you've never been to (but would love to go to someday, circumstances willing) and its associated Discord in which you mostly lurk, all of whom you're in the process of adding because so many lovely folks are talking about and, in some cases, newly joining DW.
Right? Or maybe just me? ^^; Things that happen when you spend time in many online places but mostly only lurk in all of them but this one?
I just realized I didn't do any kind of recent-readings etc. post on the weekend. My brain is very tired, between the heap of manga deadlines and some garden-related stress. At this point I'll probably put it off until this weekend again, even though doing it sooner would be a good reason to post a bit more.
Right? Or maybe just me? ^^; Things that happen when you spend time in many online places but mostly only lurk in all of them but this one?
I just realized I didn't do any kind of recent-readings etc. post on the weekend. My brain is very tired, between the heap of manga deadlines and some garden-related stress. At this point I'll probably put it off until this weekend again, even though doing it sooner would be a good reason to post a bit more.
ABC meme
Jun. 17th, 2026 12:42 pmsmallhobbitUsing a meme alexcat posted last month
A. Age: Over 65
B. Bed Size: King
C. Chore You Really Dislike: Dusting
D. Dogs: I only like a few
E. Essential Start to Your Day: A mug of tea
F. Favourite Color: Blue
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5’6"
I. Instruments You Play: Played the clarinet and recorder years ago
J. Job: Retired
K. Kids: Two - The Son - dairy farmer 38, The Daughter - paramedic 35
L. Live: West of England
M. Mum’s Name: Mother
N. Nicknames: Hobbit
O. Overnight Hospital Stays: Both times to have the kids
P. Pet Peeve: Incompetence - not being able to do the job you should be able to do
Q. Quote From A Movie: ‘I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship' - Casablanca. My favourite quote from anywhere is 'What can possibly go wrong?'
R. Right or Left Handed: Right.
S. Siblings: No
T. Time You Wake Up: About 8 am in winter, 7-7.30 in summer
U. Uniform: I have a hoodie and polo shirt for Gloucestershire Bundles which I wear to the unit and if I'm helping at sales or doing a talk
VCR - do you still own one and dies it work? No, don't have a television either
W. What Makes You Run Late: Family - I'm the one waiting for them
X. X-Rays You’ve Had: Teeth every two years
Y. Yummy Food You Make: I can make cakes, but generally don't. I do decorate the Christmas and Easter cakes though
Z. Zoo - Tiger
If you decide to have a go, feel free to change the categories to something you prefer.
alexcat posted last monthA. Age: Over 65
B. Bed Size: King
C. Chore You Really Dislike: Dusting
D. Dogs: I only like a few
E. Essential Start to Your Day: A mug of tea
F. Favourite Color: Blue
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5’6"
I. Instruments You Play: Played the clarinet and recorder years ago
J. Job: Retired
K. Kids: Two - The Son - dairy farmer 38, The Daughter - paramedic 35
L. Live: West of England
M. Mum’s Name: Mother
N. Nicknames: Hobbit
O. Overnight Hospital Stays: Both times to have the kids
P. Pet Peeve: Incompetence - not being able to do the job you should be able to do
Q. Quote From A Movie: ‘I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship' - Casablanca. My favourite quote from anywhere is 'What can possibly go wrong?'
R. Right or Left Handed: Right.
S. Siblings: No
T. Time You Wake Up: About 8 am in winter, 7-7.30 in summer
U. Uniform: I have a hoodie and polo shirt for Gloucestershire Bundles which I wear to the unit and if I'm helping at sales or doing a talk
VCR - do you still own one and dies it work? No, don't have a television either
W. What Makes You Run Late: Family - I'm the one waiting for them
X. X-Rays You’ve Had: Teeth every two years
Y. Yummy Food You Make: I can make cakes, but generally don't. I do decorate the Christmas and Easter cakes though
Z. Zoo - Tiger
If you decide to have a go, feel free to change the categories to something you prefer.
Word: auroch
Jun. 17th, 2026 06:59 amstonepicnicking_okapiWednesday's word is...
...auroch.
a large, black European wild ox, Bos primigenius: extinct since 1627.
And comes from DK: art annotated, your expert guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art, specifically the chapter on the Hall of Bulls found in Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France.
...auroch.
a large, black European wild ox, Bos primigenius: extinct since 1627.
And comes from DK: art annotated, your expert guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art, specifically the chapter on the Hall of Bulls found in Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France.
Read
Jun. 17th, 2026 03:04 amysabetwordsmithmozaikmage is posting a new webcomic called "Fragmentation."It's about being a lesbian teenager in a closed Soviet city on the verge of the collapse of the Soviet Union... on the site of the Tunguska event, which causes Strange Things to happen in town and gives the teenage lesbian protagonist glimpses of her terrifying future.
I'm just amused by a lesbian comic set in the Soviet Union. Poke a bigot in the eye!
Good News
Jun. 17th, 2026 12:41 amysabetwordsmithGood news includes all the things which make us happy or otherwise feel good. It can be personal or public. We never know when something wonderful will happen, and when it does, most people want to share it with someone. It's disappointing when nobody is there to appreciate it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our joys and pat each other on the back.
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
Urban Design
Jun. 17th, 2026 12:30 amysabetwordsmithCity parks cool neighborhoods beyond their borders
The cooling did not stop at the park edge. For every 100 meters (330 feet) into the built-up streets, temperatures climbed by more than 0.5°C (0.9°F), a trend that held up to 300 meters (980 feet) from the boundary. Inside the park, the air shifted the other way, cooling by about 0.2°C (0.4°F) for every 100 meters toward the center.
Soheila Khalili is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE). “This is proof that the benefits of parks extend far beyond their boundaries. Shaded areas with trees particularly improved thermal comfort during hotter periods of the day,” said Khalili.
This is the first case I've seen where people measured park benefits very closely, especially the temperature gradient. It's very useful if you want to make your city cooler and otherwise healthier...
( Read more... )
The cooling did not stop at the park edge. For every 100 meters (330 feet) into the built-up streets, temperatures climbed by more than 0.5°C (0.9°F), a trend that held up to 300 meters (980 feet) from the boundary. Inside the park, the air shifted the other way, cooling by about 0.2°C (0.4°F) for every 100 meters toward the center.
Soheila Khalili is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE). “This is proof that the benefits of parks extend far beyond their boundaries. Shaded areas with trees particularly improved thermal comfort during hotter periods of the day,” said Khalili.
This is the first case I've seen where people measured park benefits very closely, especially the temperature gradient. It's very useful if you want to make your city cooler and otherwise healthier...
( Read more... )
Quote...
Jun. 17th, 2026 12:15 amfairyniamhQuotes:
"Those who would attain to any marked degree of excellence in a chosen pursuit must work, and work hard for it, prince or peasant."
"Sometimes an hour of Fate's serenest weather Strikes through our changeful sky its coming beams; Somewhere above us, in elusive ether, Waits the fulfilment of our dearest dreams."
~ Bayard Taylor
"Those who would attain to any marked degree of excellence in a chosen pursuit must work, and work hard for it, prince or peasant."
"Sometimes an hour of Fate's serenest weather Strikes through our changeful sky its coming beams; Somewhere above us, in elusive ether, Waits the fulfilment of our dearest dreams."
~ Bayard Taylor
Climate Change
Jun. 16th, 2026 10:25 pmysabetwordsmithThousands Donate to Help Nebraska Ranchers Who Couldn’t Feed Their Herds After Wildfires Burn Every Acre
A few months ago the largest wildfire in Nebraska history burned a thousand square-miles of ranch land. It burned every foot of grass on Mike and Kayla Wintz’s 11,000-acre ranch.
But when they and their neighbors faced the threat of losing their livelihoods, something remarkable happened. Thousands of anonymous donors stepped up from across the U.S. The Wintz ranch alone was gifted $80,000 worth of hay—from mostly anonymous donors.
This is a generous response to the disaster, but there's more to the backstory and the developments in upcoming months.
( Read more... )
A few months ago the largest wildfire in Nebraska history burned a thousand square-miles of ranch land. It burned every foot of grass on Mike and Kayla Wintz’s 11,000-acre ranch.
But when they and their neighbors faced the threat of losing their livelihoods, something remarkable happened. Thousands of anonymous donors stepped up from across the U.S. The Wintz ranch alone was gifted $80,000 worth of hay—from mostly anonymous donors.
This is a generous response to the disaster, but there's more to the backstory and the developments in upcoming months.
( Read more... )
Poem: "The God Box"
Jun. 16th, 2026 09:25 pmysabetwordsmith"The God Box"
Clouds,
in a thousand shades of gray and blue,
purple and cream and palest peach,
some rolled long like bats of wool,
others thrusting like tufts of fur plucked upwards,
some clumped like great fistfuls of cottonballs,
others feathered into mare’s-tails combed thin by the wind,
some spun into smooth sheets of satin,
others still in little rills like waves coming in,
or scalloped like seashells and fishes’ scales,
all seen in a single sky,
as if God had gotten to the bottom of Her craft-box
and decided to use up all the loose ends at once.
* * *
Notes:
This poem was originally published in PanGaia Summer 2003. Today seemed like a good time to post it here, because it was that kind of sky again.
Clouds,
in a thousand shades of gray and blue,
purple and cream and palest peach,
some rolled long like bats of wool,
others thrusting like tufts of fur plucked upwards,
some clumped like great fistfuls of cottonballs,
others feathered into mare’s-tails combed thin by the wind,
some spun into smooth sheets of satin,
others still in little rills like waves coming in,
or scalloped like seashells and fishes’ scales,
all seen in a single sky,
as if God had gotten to the bottom of Her craft-box
and decided to use up all the loose ends at once.
* * *
Notes:
This poem was originally published in PanGaia Summer 2003. Today seemed like a good time to post it here, because it was that kind of sky again.
Views & News
Jun. 16th, 2026 06:44 pmstonepicnicking_okapi1. Butterflies. One of my clients planted milkweed in his front yard, and today we saw the first monarch alight. He was so excited. It was great.
In similar news, on Saturday, I will be attending a free butterfly identification lecture & nature walk at the local conservancy. I am looking forward to it.
2. This is the last week of school for the boys. Yesterday was the last full day and they have half days and Thursday is the last day. Friday is Juneteenth, a holiday.
3. I finished June's cleaning campaign. The boys' father is enjoying the World Cup. I got a nice care package from my new ARMY friend in the UK.
Have Frog on his cleaning day.
In similar news, on Saturday, I will be attending a free butterfly identification lecture & nature walk at the local conservancy. I am looking forward to it.
2. This is the last week of school for the boys. Yesterday was the last full day and they have half days and Thursday is the last day. Friday is Juneteenth, a holiday.
3. I finished June's cleaning campaign. The boys' father is enjoying the World Cup. I got a nice care package from my new ARMY friend in the UK.
Have Frog on his cleaning day.
Drabble: Thirsty Work (James Sirius/Dominique)
Jun. 16th, 2026 10:08 pmlightofdayeTitle: Thirsty Work
Word Count: 1 x 100
Rating: R/NC-17
Characters & Pairing: James Sirius Potter/Dominique Weasley
Content: PWP, Incest (first cousins), vaginal sex, proper hydration.
Disclaimer: The characters, settings and HP Franchise as a whole are owned by JKR and not by me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
Summary: James makes sure sure he and Dominique remain hydrated.
A/n: Unbeta'd. Written forhp_nextgen100's Prompt #354: "Lemonade"
( Thirsty Work )
Word Count: 1 x 100
Rating: R/NC-17
Characters & Pairing: James Sirius Potter/Dominique Weasley
Content: PWP, Incest (first cousins), vaginal sex, proper hydration.
Disclaimer: The characters, settings and HP Franchise as a whole are owned by JKR and not by me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
Summary: James makes sure sure he and Dominique remain hydrated.
A/n: Unbeta'd. Written for
hp_nextgen100's Prompt #354: "Lemonade"( Thirsty Work )
Wildlife
Jun. 16th, 2026 11:37 amysabetwordsmithWoman Who Rescued Injured Crow Keeps Getting ‘Thank-you Gifts’ from Other Birds
In a story that will make your beak drop, a Canadian woman has received a series of ‘thank you’ presents from a whole murder of crows after she took the time to rescue one from a gutter.
As Leah Wilson walks down the street, the superstitious among the neighbors might draw their blinds. Her steps herald the beating of black wings, as the carrion birds follow her every move.
I was instantly reminded of the various legends about the Crow Husband.
In a story that will make your beak drop, a Canadian woman has received a series of ‘thank you’ presents from a whole murder of crows after she took the time to rescue one from a gutter.
As Leah Wilson walks down the street, the superstitious among the neighbors might draw their blinds. Her steps herald the beating of black wings, as the carrion birds follow her every move.
I was instantly reminded of the various legends about the Crow Husband.
Birdfeeding
Jun. 16th, 2026 11:31 amysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, mild, and wet. It just started raining.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
It barely rained at all, just enough to make things inconveniently damp. >_<
EDIT 6/16/26 -- We went out to the Charleston Food Forest and Grissom Family Orchard and Farm Market, along with other errands. :D
There are a couple thunderstorms visible from here, but one is too far north. The other to the west may or may not give us any rain.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- We've gotten light rain for about half an hour, then suddenly "the air is water" and "the sky is throwing rocks" briefly. The hail was only pea-sized, lasted a couple minutes, and melted almost instantly so I doubt it did any real damage.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I walked along the road taking pictures of the sunset. You can still see a little of the cloud diversity today. It was definitely the kind of sky that made me think God had gotten to the bottom of her craft box and decided it was time for a stashbuster project. At one point, I looked at a forming thunderhead and mused, "I wonder if God has enough to finish that one, or if She is just playing yarn chicken." :D Then I realized that "The God Box" poem wasn't on Dreamwidth because it was published elsewhere a couple decades back, so I definitely need to fix that.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
It barely rained at all, just enough to make things inconveniently damp. >_<
EDIT 6/16/26 -- We went out to the Charleston Food Forest and Grissom Family Orchard and Farm Market, along with other errands. :D
There are a couple thunderstorms visible from here, but one is too far north. The other to the west may or may not give us any rain.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- We've gotten light rain for about half an hour, then suddenly "the air is water" and "the sky is throwing rocks" briefly. The hail was only pea-sized, lasted a couple minutes, and melted almost instantly so I doubt it did any real damage.
EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I walked along the road taking pictures of the sunset. You can still see a little of the cloud diversity today. It was definitely the kind of sky that made me think God had gotten to the bottom of her craft box and decided it was time for a stashbuster project. At one point, I looked at a forming thunderhead and mused, "I wonder if God has enough to finish that one, or if She is just playing yarn chicken." :D Then I realized that "The God Box" poem wasn't on Dreamwidth because it was published elsewhere a couple decades back, so I definitely need to fix that.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
even more of that backstory fic
Jun. 16th, 2026 07:45 amnilchanceif you recall how I said I have no chill, that lack of chill continues. I wrote a third part of that backstory fic about my paladin Dalton and the prince-turned-thief that he fell in love with, this time set in the first few months after Dalton crash-lands in Kristoff's life. it's also up on AO3 if that's easier.
( in which Dalton kills an assassin and makes an offer )
( in which Dalton kills an assassin and makes an offer )
Quote...
Jun. 16th, 2026 12:35 amfairyniamhQuotes:
"Giving others the freedom to be stupid is one of the most important and hardest steps to take in spiritual progress. Conveniently the opportunity to take that step is all around us every day."
"Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it." ~
"Inside yourself or outside, you never have to change what you see, only the way you see it."
~ Thaddeus Golas
"Giving others the freedom to be stupid is one of the most important and hardest steps to take in spiritual progress. Conveniently the opportunity to take that step is all around us every day."
"Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it." ~
"Inside yourself or outside, you never have to change what you see, only the way you see it."
~ Thaddeus Golas
Communities
Jun. 15th, 2026 11:59 pmysabetwordsmithFansites and encouraging interaction
rigelatin in makeashrine
I'd like to hear some opinions, experiences, and ideas on the topic of encouraging interaction with our fansites and collectives.
This seems like an interesting discussion.
rigelatin in makeashrine I'd like to hear some opinions, experiences, and ideas on the topic of encouraging interaction with our fansites and collectives.
This seems like an interesting discussion.
Wildlife
Jun. 15th, 2026 10:00 pmysabetwordsmithGlowworms turn cave ceilings into underground starscapes
In places sunlight never reaches, life still finds ways to produce light. Inside caves, beneath forests and across humid, hidden landscapes, tiny organisms emit an otherworldly glow that seems almost impossible. These creatures are known as glowworms. But this simple name hides a surprising level of biological diversity.
The term “glowworm” does not refer to a single species. It is a common name applied to several unrelated organisms that independently evolved bioluminescence. What connects them is not their ancestry, but the visual effect they create. These scattered points of living light make dark spaces appear stunningly celestial.
In places sunlight never reaches, life still finds ways to produce light. Inside caves, beneath forests and across humid, hidden landscapes, tiny organisms emit an otherworldly glow that seems almost impossible. These creatures are known as glowworms. But this simple name hides a surprising level of biological diversity.
The term “glowworm” does not refer to a single species. It is a common name applied to several unrelated organisms that independently evolved bioluminescence. What connects them is not their ancestry, but the visual effect they create. These scattered points of living light make dark spaces appear stunningly celestial.
Peach by D. H. Lawrence
Jun. 17th, 2026 10:19 pmconulyWould you like to throw a stone at me?
Here, take all that’s left of my peach.
Blood-red, deep:
Heaven knows how it came to pass.
Somebody’s pound of flesh rendered up.
Wrinkled with secrets
And hard with the intention to keep them.
Why, from silvery peach-bloom,
From that shallow-silvery wine-glass on a short stem
This rolling, dropping, heavy globule?
I am thinking, of course, of the peach before I ate it.
Why so velvety, why so voluptuous heavy?
Why hanging with such inordinate weight?
Why so indented?
Why the groove?
Why the lovely, bivalve roundnesses?
Why the ripple down the sphere?
Why the suggestion of incision?
Why was not my peach round and finished like a billiard ball?
It would have been if man had made it.
Though I’ve eaten it now.
But it wasn’t round and finished like a billiard ball;
And because I say so, you would like to throw something at me.
Here, you can have my peach stone.
- San Gervasio
**************
Link
Here, take all that’s left of my peach.
Blood-red, deep:
Heaven knows how it came to pass.
Somebody’s pound of flesh rendered up.
Wrinkled with secrets
And hard with the intention to keep them.
Why, from silvery peach-bloom,
From that shallow-silvery wine-glass on a short stem
This rolling, dropping, heavy globule?
I am thinking, of course, of the peach before I ate it.
Why so velvety, why so voluptuous heavy?
Why hanging with such inordinate weight?
Why so indented?
Why the groove?
Why the lovely, bivalve roundnesses?
Why the ripple down the sphere?
Why the suggestion of incision?
Why was not my peach round and finished like a billiard ball?
It would have been if man had made it.
Though I’ve eaten it now.
But it wasn’t round and finished like a billiard ball;
And because I say so, you would like to throw something at me.
Here, you can have my peach stone.
- San Gervasio
Link
Conservation
Jun. 15th, 2026 09:18 pmysabetwordsmithFrench Polynesia Protects Biodiverse Ocean Area Twice the Size of Arizona Teeming with Life
The French Polynesian government recently announced it will fully protect 200,000 square miles of ocean, an area about twice as large as Arizona that’s teeming with ocean life.
Located near the Austral, Marquesas, and Western Society islands, this new marine preserve, called the Te Tai Nui a Hau Marine Protected Area, will take the total of the nation’s conserved ocean territory to around 540,500 square miles—twice the size of Texas.
Last year, French Polynesia fully protected a total of approximately 350,000 square miles around the Gambier and Society islands, while also designating several thousand miles of artisanal fishing zones.
Yay, progress! :D
The French Polynesian government recently announced it will fully protect 200,000 square miles of ocean, an area about twice as large as Arizona that’s teeming with ocean life.
Located near the Austral, Marquesas, and Western Society islands, this new marine preserve, called the Te Tai Nui a Hau Marine Protected Area, will take the total of the nation’s conserved ocean territory to around 540,500 square miles—twice the size of Texas.
Last year, French Polynesia fully protected a total of approximately 350,000 square miles around the Gambier and Society islands, while also designating several thousand miles of artisanal fishing zones.
Yay, progress! :D