Monday Update 11-18-24

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Murdering People with Heat
Today's Adventures
Permaculture Around the World
Spears
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Justice
Today's Smoothie
Genocide
Pollution
Strikes
Gaming
Birdfeeding
Jaguars
Creative Jam
What is science fiction?
Politics
Urban Design
Gaming
Dinosaurs
Birdfeeding
Poem: "Never Be Silent"
Follow Friday 11-15-24: Final Fantasy
Evolution
Hobbies: Stained Glass
Disability
Gaming
Rewilding
Birdfeeding
Braille Reader
Poem: "The Four Fruits of Heaven"
Poem: "The Root of Healthy Touch"
Good News

The Clone post has 276 comments.


There will be a half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics from November 18-24. Watch for that post to go up later today.


There are two open epics at present.

"The Simple Act of Caring" belongs to the Big One and has 28 new verses. A hot meal makes the Can a lot more welcoming for Bennett and company.

"Babes in the Pineywoods" belongs to the Big One and has 10 new verses. It belongs to the Big One thread of Polychrome Heroics. Bo-Art and Creamjeans are unsure what to make of this big black dog.


The weather has been cooler and wetter here. It's been raining off and on since last night. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, at least 20 goldfinches, several cardinals including at least one pair, a tufted titmouse, and a downy woodpecker. I saw at least 4 squirrels running around the trees in the savanna and ritual meadow; there might have been 5 of them. Currently blooming: blue lobelia, marigolds, petunias, million bells, snapdragons, red salvia, firecracker plant, pink salvia, blue salvia, ice plant, morning glory, zinnias, bachelor's button, and frost asters. Tomatoes are ripe. Harvest is done.

Artificial Intelligence

AI will be the death of the internet

The future of the internet is a lifeless wasteland. But what comes after that could be wild.

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Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet. It rained off and on last night, leaving puddles in the road. More rain is forecasted for today and tonight. I'm hoping to plant some of the things I gathered yesterday.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity today. I did see a squirrel running around above the savanna when I went outside.

EDIT 11/18/24 -- I planted all of the Egyptian walking onions that I gathered yesterday. I divided them among the cistern garden, under the contorta willow, in a pot on the old picnic table, and in the wildflower garden.

EDIT 11/18/24 -- I planted all of the hopniss groundnuts from yesterday. I divided them among a large pot on the old picnic table, a smaller partially buried in the septic garden, the wagonwheel garden, and the south end of the daffodil bed.

The potted ones should be fine. The wagonwheel is a terrible place for digging, but has the advantage of climbable structures already in place. The daffodil bed is a poor place for digging -- it's diggable, but has bulbs in it -- where we leaned the wood pallet from the chipper, which is climbable because the slats are spaced apart. This will allow me to test the climbing behavior of the vines.

Hopniss groundnut is a bean (and thus a nitrogen fixer) which produces edible tubers on long stringy roots, but also edible beans and edible flowers -- very pretty pink to purple flowers that will likely attract pollinators. My current plan is to see how well it grows anywhere in my yard, and whether we like the flavor of any of its parts. If it does well and we like it, then I can consider picking up more elaborate supports for it, such as a trellis with attached pots or an arbor. I like being able to start experimenting with little or no upfront cost: the tubers were free for the digging, and I already have pots and some sort of climbing framework because I like to save things. \o/

I heard a late cricket chirping slowly in the parking lot. In November. 0_o

EDIT 11/18/24 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/18/24 -- I planted all of the perennial leeks from yesterday.  I only had one small clump, so I split that in half, putting one in the cistern garden and one in a large pot on the old picnic table.

During the next year, I will largely focus on getting the leeks to settle in and grow.  I may try to pick out one or two for a taste test.  Right now they are about the size of young chives.  I suspect that the best way to produce large, edible roots will be to separate individual shoots and plant them some distance apart, but I can worry about that later.

I've heard a titmouse and a woodpecker, but haven't seen them.

The clouds at sunset were very pretty, some streaked with pale orange.  In places the sky was speckled gray and gold like the flanks of a trout.  High overhead there were still white clouds in a blue sky, so you could see the layers.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Firescaping

Earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania

Some of the first human beings to arrive in Tasmania, over 41,000 years ago, used fire to shape and manage the landscape, about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought.

A team of researchers from the UK and Australia analysed charcoal and pollen contained in ancient mud to determine how Aboriginal Tasmanians shaped their surroundings. This is the earliest record of humans using fire to shape the Tasmanian environment.


This is a really exciting piece of history. :D

Half-Price Sale in Polychrome Heroics

The half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics is now open.  Sponsors, start your engines!

Pool Open!

fuzzyred is hosting a pool for the half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics. Come on in, the water's fine! Build up $100+ and you'll get the quarter-price rate.

My two main targets are going to be "Renewed Shall Be Blade That Was Broken" sale price $505, and "Life Is a Crazy Ride" sale price $139. More targets can be added if more people join in. Anyone who contributes to the pool is also welcome to name their own target, if neither of these poems appeal.


EDIT 11/18/24 -- The pool fund currently has enough to finish off "The Simple Act of Caring," fully fund both "Renewed Shall be Blade That was Broken" and "Not a Destination But a Process," and start on "Some Still Go Wandering." \o/ If anyone else wants to join the fun, contact fuzzyred regarding the progress and your interests.

Cold Stratification

Some seeds need to winter in the ground before sprouting, while others do not. I looked up the seeds that I gathered yesterday.


Asparagus -- not required. Can be planted in spring.

Blanketflower (Gaillardia) -- Optional.
30 day cold, moist stratification. Seeds that have been dry stored for 3 months or more do not require a stratification to overcome dormancy. However, a brief stratification improves germination uniformity.

Garlic chives -- not required. Can be planted in spring.

Milkweed -- required. Can be planted in fall.

Zinnia -- not required.


This fits pretty well with what I had in mind.  I was expecting to plant the milkweed in fall, and maybe the blanketflowers.  I wasn't sure about asparagus and garlic chives; I may try both methods there.  I figured the zinnias were for spring.

Also, milkweed seeds do best when they land directly on bare dirt -- they're pioneer plants that like to colonize disturbed ground, which is why their little parachutes work the way they do.  I'll need to do some digging in the prairie garden.

Poem: "Earthlove"

This is the freebie for the November 2024 crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from fuzzyred. It also fills the "green / yellow" square in my 11-1-24 card for the Sleepytime Bear Bingo fest.

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