#(creek that flows into the Bay)

[graveyardrabbit]

cryptid spotted

[reasonsforhope]

"Many people know about the Yellowstone wolf miracle. After wolves were reintroduced to the national park in the mid-1990s, streamside bushes that had been grazed to stubble by out-of-control elk populations started bouncing back. Streambank erosion decreased. Creatures such as songbirds that favor greenery along creeks returned. Nearby aspens flourished.

While there is debate about how much of this stemmed from the wolves shrinking the elk population and how much was a subtle shift in elk behavior, the overall change was dramatic. People were captivated by the idea that a single charismatic predator’s return could ripple through an entire ecosystem. The result was trumpeted in publications such as National Geographic.

But have you heard about the sea otters and the salt marshes? Probably not.

It turns out these sleek coastal mammals, hunted nearly to extinction for their plush pelts, can play a wolf-like role in rapidly disappearing salt marshes, according to new research. The findings highlight the transformative power of a top predator, and the potential ecosystem benefits from their return.

“It begs the question: In how many other ecosystems worldwide could the reintroduction of a former top predator yield similar benefits?” said Brian Silliman, a Duke University ecologist involved in the research.

The work focused on Elk Slough, a tidal estuary at the edge of California’s Monterey Bay. The salt marsh lining the slough’s banks has been shrinking for decades. Between 1956 and 2003, the area lost 50% of its salt marshes.

Such tidal marshes are critical to keeping shorelines from eroding into the sea, and they are in decline around the world. The damage is often blamed on a combination of human’s altering coastal water flows, rising seas and nutrient pollution that weakens the roots of marsh plants.

But in Elk Slough, a return of sea otters hinted that their earlier disappearance might have been a factor as well. As many as 300,000 sea otters once swam in the coastal waters of western North America, from Baja California north to the Aleutian Islands. But a fur trade begun by Europeans in the 1700s nearly wiped out the animals, reducing their numbers to just a few thousand by the early 1900s. Southern sea otters, which lived on the California coast, were thought to be extinct until a handful were found in the early 1900s.

In the late 1900s, conservation organizations and government agencies embarked on an effort to revive the southern sea otters, which remain protected under the Endangered Species Act. In Monterey Bay, the Monterey Bay Aquarium selected Elk Slough as a prime place to release orphaned young sea otters taken in by the aquarium.

As the otter numbers grew, the dynamics within the salt marsh changed. Between 2008 and 2018, erosion of tidal creeks in the estuary fell by around 70% as otter numbers recovered from just 11 animals to nearly 120 following a population crash tied to an intense El Niño climate cycle.

While suggestive, those results are hardly bulletproof evidence of a link between otters and erosion. Nor does it explain how that might work.

To get a more detailed picture, the researchers visited 5 small tidal creeks feeding into the main slough. At each one, they enclosed some of the marsh with fencing to keep out otters, while other spots were left open. Over three years, they monitored the diverging fates of the different patches.

The results showed that otter presence made a dramatic difference in the condition of the marsh. They also helped illuminate why this was happening. It comes down to the otters’ appetite for small burrowing crabs that live in the marsh.

Adult otters need to eat around 25% of their body weight every day to endure the cold Pacific Ocean waters, the equivalent of 20 to 25 pounds. And crabs are one of their favorite meals. After three years, crab densities were 68% higher in fenced areas beyond the reach of otters. The number of crab burrows was also higher. At the same time, marsh grasses inside the fences fared worse, with 48% less mass of leaves and stems and 15% less root mass, a critical feature for capturing sediment that could otherwise wash away, the scientists reported in late January in Nature.

The results point to the crabs as a culprit in the decline of the marshes, as they excavate their holes and feed on the plant roots. It also shows the returning otters’ potential as a marsh savior, even in the face of rising sea levels and continued pollution. In tidal creeks with high numbers of otters, creek erosion was just 5 centimeters per year, 69% lower than in creeks with fewer otters and a far cry from earlier erosion of as much as 30 centimeters per year.  

“The return of the sea otters didn’t reverse the losses, but it did slow them to a point that these systems could restabilize despite all the other pressures they are subject to,” said Brent Hughes, a biology professor at Sonoma State University and former postdoctoral researcher in Silliman’s Duke lab.

The findings raise the question of whether other coastal ecosystems might benefit from a return of top predators. The scientists note that a number of these places were once filled with such toothy creatures as bears, crocodiles, sharks, wolves, lions and dolphins. Sea otters are still largely absent along much of the West Coast.

As people wrestle to hold back the seas and revive their ailing coasts, a predator revival could offer relatively cheap and effective assistance. “It would cost millions of dollars for humans to rebuild these creek banks and restore these marshes,” Silliman said of Elk Slough. “The sea otters are stabilizing them for free in exchange for an all-you-can-eat crab feast.”"

-via Anthropocene Magazine, February 7, 2024

[vladdyissues]

Would Vlad and Danny be people of beaches, lakes or frozen rivers? I feel that it is clear that the beach is a very hot place, the lakes are usually large...And the frozen rivers I feel like you would be very Vlad-like along with a cup of coffee

What do you say?

Lakes are fine and rivers are lovely, but there's something almost spiritual about oceans (and my own personal love of them) that makes me want to say that both Vlad and Danny are ocean people. The open sky, the great expanse that can make a person feel so small and insignificant; the salt, the sand, the stars, billions and billions of them. The mixed themes of drowning depths and soaring space. How they mirror one another, the sky and the ocean. Blue to blue.

Oceans are powerful. They are the end of the journey; all things, rivers, streams, creeks, flow to them. They were here before the land. They are not locked in earth; they cannot be dammed or drained. They burn and seethe; they birth fire and cradle more mysteries than we can know. They they soothe and terrify; they carve down mountains and feed the world. They are life—and death. And I'm getting way too poetic. The ocean is a fantastic metaphor for many things, is what I'm trying to say.

And beaches don't always imply tropical weather, anon. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are in cold locations.

Here's Reynisfjara, Iceland:

And Diamond Beach, Iceland:

The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, also in Iceland:

Glass Beach, Ussuri Bay, Russia:

The Pacific Northwest, USA:

Nallikari Beach, Finland

I can't think of a more invigorating image than Vlad and Danny, standing on a shore of black volcanic sand and bundled in warm coats, their hair tossed by the cold, salty wind, watching the sun rise over a frosty ocean while enjoying mugs of steaming coffee.

[promptsforpoemproseandplay]

Bodies of Water

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of words for different bodies of water. Lakes, reefs, gulfs, all that jazz. Someone should clear up the differences! There’s a post on Paths similar to this.

So, here's a totally not comprehensive guide to

✨Bodies of Water✨!

Bodies of Water

backwater: water held or forced back, as by a dam, flood, or tide

bayou: any of various other often boggy, sluggish, stagnant, slow-moving or still bodies of water

bay: a body of water forming an indentation of the shoreline, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

brook: a small, natural stream of water

canal: a long narrow arm of the sea penetrating far inland

channel: a length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas of water

creek: a stream smaller than a river, sometimes in a marsh

cove: a small indentation in the shoreline of a sea

estuary: that part of the mouth or lower course of a river in which the river's current meets the sea's tide

fjord: a long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs: usually formed by glacial erosion

gorge: a chasm, especially one through which a stream runs

gulf: a portion of an ocean or sea partly enclosed by land

inlet: an indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow

lagoon: an area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes

lake: a body of fresh or saltwater of considerable size, surrounded by land

pond: a body of water smaller than a lake

ria: a long, narrow inlet of a river that gradually decreases in depth from mouth to head

rill: between a rivulet and brook

river: a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course

rivulet: between a river and a stream

run: located near a stream or other small body of water

runnel: a small brook

spring: a natural pool or stream of water coming up from the earth

sound: a narrow stretch of water forming connecting two wider areas of water that are not the same

strait: a narrow passage of water connecting two other large areas of water

stream: a body of water flowing in a channel or watercourse

sump: a pit, well, or the like in which water or other liquid is collected

torrent: a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence

whirlpool: water in swift, circular motion, as that produced by the meeting of opposing currents, often causing a downward spiralling action

As I said last time, I’m sure there’s a couple of words I missed here and there, but these are the majority of words you will need. Happy writing!

~Nyx

[baesimss]

My Hand-Drawn Map of Simmisota (my personal save file) 🖤

Updated: August 28, 2024

Clearly, I am no artist lol. But, as I continue to work on my save file, I thought it would be fun to share my map of the state of the Simmisota with you all. There have been different iterations of this map but this is my latest work and (currently) I'm very happy with it!

I love having a map handy to help me curate my perfect save file. It also helps me during gameplay because I like to make sure my sims aren't traveling all over the state on a frequent basis. I prefer to keep them regulated to their specific cities (or counties) during their normal day-to-day.

I see Simmisota as being on the southwest coast of it's respective country. To the east and north, are unknown states and to the west is the ocean (which also flows through certain cities of Simmisota such as San Myshuno).

Currently Simmisota is split into 6 counties (including the isles) and they are color-coded accordingly.

Magnolia County: Newcrest Magnolia Promenade Willow Creek Brindleton Bay Tartosa

Starlight Shores County: Windenburg Henford Britebury (aka Britechester) Moonwood Mill Evergreen Harbor

Pleasantview County: Granite Falls Glimmerbrook Copperdale Hollowview (aka Forgotten Hollow) Mt. Komorebi

Oasis County: Oasis Springs Chestnut Ridge Del Sol Valley Echo Valley (aka Strangerville)

Las Simona County: San Myshuno San Sequoia Ciudad Enamorada

Blossom Isles: Tomarang Sulani Selvadorada

I've done an overview of San Myshuno on my blog already and, eventually, I plan to do overviews of the rest of the cities as I make progress on my save file.

Let me know if my map is similar to where you imagined certain worlds or not 😊🖤

Twitter | TikTok | Patreon 🖤

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 8 (Wait. Who Owns Her New Vet Clinic?!)

Heather’s first day in her new town was rainy and grey, but her one-story, one-bedroom home was decorated with a bright interior that felt warm despite the muted weather. She’d purchased a home in Brindleton's Sable Square neighbourhood for its proximity to the clinic. But the picturesque Brindleton Foot Bridge to the north over Dachshund's Creek, which flowed south toward the bay, gave the area a hint of small-town charm that reminded Heather of life in Henford. Right away, she felt at home.

She bought the place fully furnished to avoid being weighed down on the Simmerloop Superhighway. Once she’d checked over the place and made sure her cats were happy in their new surroundings, she stopped by her new clinic to pick up the keys from Sorrel Jackson.

Old Sorrel was itching to leave for her one-way retirement flight to Sulani, but she showed Heather around and gave her insight on some of their regulars when Heather noted the supply closet was full of Landgraab Industries Pet Food. Heather’s dad had always refused to buy it for their pets back home, believing the heavily synthetic brand was responsible for making his childhood dog sick and swearing it off from then on. Sorrel admitted it wasn’t the best, but since Brindleton Pawspital was franchised by Petcare Inc., they had an obligation to purchase supply from other Landgraab-owned companies.

Heather froze.

How had she not known Petcare was a subsidiary of Landgraab Corp? She was so tech-savvy, but even after she raced home to look it up, the connections between Landgraab Corp and Petcare’s ownership and supply chains were scarcely stated online. But it was true.

She’d purchased the lease to a pet hospital owned by a company owned Landgraab Corp., which meant, in a way, Malcolm’s family owned her, too. She hated the thought of it, but she couldn’t turn back now.

Heather had a responsibility to all the animals she would be helping to see this through, so she went to bed that rainy night planning to throw herself into work and setting up her new home. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[farihahqaisari]

names that means ‘air’:

Aero: latin for ‘of the air’

Zephyr: greek for ‘west wind’

Skylar: english, a modern name meaning ‘scholar’ or ‘eternal life’, but it brings the image of sky and air

Gale: english for ‘a strong wind’

Aura: greek for ‘breeze’ or ‘air’

Breeze: english, straightforwardly meaning ‘a gentle wind’

Sora: japanese for ‘sky’

Kailani: hawaiian for ‘sea and sky’

Arden: english meaning ‘eagle valley’, but it can evoke a sense of airiness and openness

Phoenix: greek mythological bird associated with rebirth and element of fire, but it also represents the cycle of air currents in its rising from the ashes

names that means “fire”:

Ember: glowing fragments from a fire

Blaze: a strong, bright flame

Phoenix: greek mythology bird associated with rebirth and element of fire, but it also represents the cycle of air currents in its rising from the ashes

Vulcan: roman god of fire and volcanoes

Ignis: latin for ‘fire’

Enya: derived from the irish word for ‘fire’

Seraph: a type of angel associated with fiery passion

Flare: a sudden burst of bright flame

Tejas: sanskrit for ‘fire’

Alinta: aboriginal australian for ‘flame’

names that means “water”:

Kai: hawaiian for ‘sea’

Marin: latin for ‘of the sea’

River: a flowing body of water

Bay: a body of water partially enclosed by land

Cove: a small sheltered bay or inlet

Nile: named after the famous river in africa

Morgan: welsh for ‘sea born’

Dylan: welsh for ‘son of the sea’

Brook: a small stream or creek

names that means “earth”:

Terra: latin for ‘earth’

Tlaloc: aztec god of rain, water and earth

Gaia: greek mythology, the personification of earth

Adamina: a feminine form of ‘adam’, meaning ‘earth’

Prithvi: sanskrit for ‘earth’

Jory: english for ‘earthworker’ or ‘farmer’

Edan: irish for ‘like a twig’, but it can also mean ‘from the earth’

Hara: japanese for ‘field’ or ‘meadow’

Topaz: a gemstone, but it's name is derived from the greek word ‘topazios’, meaning ‘to seek’ which symbolizes the earth's treasures

Maia: greek mythology, mother of hermes and associated with earth and growth

[wildernessjournals]

Following these small lakes, the source of Pinnacles Creek which feeds into Piute Creek, which feeds into the San Joaquin River, which flows to the San Francisco Bay. John Muir Wilderness, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA. Photo by Van Miller

[rjzimmerman]

Atmospheric River and Hurricane-Strength Storm Drenches the West. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

A historically strong storm system with the strength of a hurricane whipped damaging winds through the Pacific Northwest overnight leading to power outages across the region. It was creating large ocean waves and ushering in a drenching atmospheric river that is expected to continue soaking Northern California.

Heavy rain and strong winds began moving through the Bay Area on Tuesday night as the season’s first major atmospheric river — a band of moisture that flows from the Pacific Ocean — begins a deluge extending into the weekend, forecasters said. The bulk of this week’s rainfall is expected to fall north of San Francisco, where more than a month’s worth of precipitation could fall over the next three to four days.

Washington State felt the initial brunt of the system as strong winds downed trees and power lines in and around the Seattle area on Tuesday night. Hundreds of thousands of electricity customers in the state had no power as of early Wednesday morning. A woman in her 50s was killed after a large tree fell on a homeless encampment in Lynnwood, Wash., the local fire department said.

Marty Ralph, the director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego, said the storm was predicted to produce as much as 20 percent of the rainfall the region would expect in a year. He said this one storm would help get the wet season in Northern California off to a strong start.

For the Bay Area, Wednesday will be the most intense day, forecasters said, with a brief reprieve on Thursday, but only in comparison with Wednesday. The heaviest rain will fall in the North Bay, with lighter showers across the city and to the south. Rain will continue on Friday.

Forecasters have issued a rare “high risk” of excessive rainfall on Thursday for parts of northwest California, where more than 16 inches of rain could fall. Over the past decade, some of the deadliest and most destructive floods have occurred in areas that forecasters said were at this level of risk.

For areas south of San Francisco, Friday will bring the heaviest rainfall. By the end of the week, nearly everyone in the Bay Area can expect at least an inch or two of rain.

It’s early enough in the wet season that the risk of flooding is mitigated by the fact that the ground is still dry and the rivers aren’t high, Dr. Ralph said. Typically, concerns about more considerable flooding rise when atmospheric rivers come back to back. This storm could set the stage for events coming down the line, but could still cause some flooding along smaller creeks and streams throughout the North Bay.

[cleanwaterchronicles]

EGLE announces seven grants to control or prevent nonpoint source pollution

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced today about $3.5 million in Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program grants. These funds will support seven projects that will prevent, reduce, or eliminate polluted runoff and other nonpoint sources of pollution.

The purpose of these grants is to implement priority recommendations in approved watershed management plans developed to restore impaired waters and protect high-quality waters by reducing NPS loads of sediment, nutrients, bacteria, and other contaminants. These Nonpoint Pollution Control grants are funded through the Renew Michigan Fund and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act. The projects recommended for funding will:

Address high levels of bacteria from human sources in the Middle Chippewa River watershed with an educational campaign for homeowners centered on the importance of septic system inspection and maintenance. The project will also implement a septic inspection program on tribal lands with cost share for repair or replacement.

Replace a misaligned and undersized road-stream crossing in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed, restoring natural flow and sediment transport protecting fish and wildlife in this high-quality watershed.

Implement agricultural best management practices and replace failing septic systems in the Mid-Shiawassee River, Sand Creek, and Crockery Creek watersheds to address sources of sediment, nutrient, and coli impairments.

Implement outreach and education efforts that will lead to installation of agricultural best management practices in the Paw Paw River watershed to address sources of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus as well as reducing pathogens.

Protect approximately 130 acres in the Upper River Raisin watershed and 163 acres in the Augusta Creek watershed with water quality-based permanent conservation easements. Combined, these easements will protect over a mile of shoreline and over 100 acres of wetlands.

The following Michigan based organizations have been awarded funding:

Legacy Land Conservancy, Ann Arbor: $363,341

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, Galesburg: $424,645

Ottawa Conservation District, Grand Haven: $568,928

Isabella Conservation District, Mt. Pleasant: $335,000

Shiawassee Conservation District, Owosso: $594,083

Van Buren Conservation District, Paw Paw: $568,618

The Watershed Center, Traverse City: $591,047

A total of 27 applications requesting about $11 million were received in response to the request for proposals.

The grants are issued by EGLE's NPS Program, which helps local stakeholders reduce pollution and excess runoff by supporting efforts to develop and launch watershed management plans. The NPS Program typically issues three requests for proposals each year with the next available opportunities released over the next few months. They will be posted at Michigan.gov/NPS.

Source: EGLE Newsroom

[transgenderer]

The Casiquiare river is a distributary of the upper Orinoco flowing southward into the Rio Negro, in Venezuela, South America. As such, it forms a unique natural canal between the Orinoco and Amazon river systems. It is the world's largest river of the kind that links two major river systems, a so-called bifurcation. The area forms a water divide, more dramatically at regional flood stage.

Lake Okeechobee in Florida is a particularly rare example of a trifurcation lake. Via the artificial Okeechobee Waterway, it flows east to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lucie River and west to the Gulf of Mexico through the Caloosahatchee River. Meanwhile, part of the lake's water naturally flows south through the Everglades into the Florida Bay

The Inland Waterway of Michigan, a chain of rivers and lakes flowing into Lake Huron come within half of a mile of Lake Michigan

Semuc Champey – in Guatemala. That Cahabón River flows under a natural bridge supporting limestone-rimmed pools.

The Danube Sinkhole near Möhringen, where the waters of the upper Danube river, which flows into the Black Sea, can sink into the Danube riverbed, through a system of caverns, that outflow towards the Radolfzeller Aach, a creek that flows into Rhine River, which flows into the North Sea.

cannot figure out what the "natural bridge" at semuc champey is supposed to be. it seem like its just a cave?

[loveisafire-warriors]

SUFFIXES

A suffix is a Title, and must be used to show respect. Each Suffix represents the cat who earned it based on their leaders view, and it is important to instill loyalty early.

belly, chuckle, laugh - cat with a big sense of humour

berry, blossom, cloud, moss, most flowers - a sweet, soft and kindhearted cat

chime, song, whistle - a cat with a soft, approachable voice and demeanour

branch, wood, any type of tree - a supportive and nurturing cat

dream/er, hope, wish : a cat with many dreams

bloom, leaf, sprout, seed : a cat who has just begun to grow and shows great promise

beam, bright, day, glimmer, glow, light, shine, sky, spirit, summer : a cat with a bright personality

ripple, skip, slip, splash, spring : a very upbeat and active cat

dawn, dew, morning, twilight : a cat who is often first to rise

charm : a charming cat

evening, log , noon, yawn : a calm laid back cat

breeze, brook, creek, drift, gust, stream, water : a cat who goes with the flow

bay, cove, pool, lake : a calm, serene and intelligent cat

pond, puddle : a sweet sometimes shy or silly cat who is reflective and intelligent

field, forest, marsh, meadow: a calm and serene cat; an intelligent cat “vast/deep”

web : a cunning, intelligent cat

mew, mumble, whisper : a quiet cat

abyss, cave, echo, fog, ghost, haze, mist, murk, pit, riddle, smoke, trench : a mysterious, strange, and often quiet cat

dusk, gloom, midnight, night, shade : a cat with a somber “gloomy” personality

chill, frost, ice, shiver, snow, winter, freeze, icicle : a cat with a particularly cold or serious personality

bark, pelt, scale, shell : a tough cat, often emotionally tough

boulder, rock, stone, stump : a stubborn immovable cat

crest, hill, peak, pinnacle, ridge, spire : a cat who is noble and proud

cliff, mountain : a stubborn immovable cat AND a cat who is noble and proud

heart : a cat who is full of love and care and a cat who is noble, proud and brave

wolf : a cat who finds family to be very important, and cares deeply about their Clan; a large, strong cat

avalanche, crash, flood, gale, rubble, wave : who is an immovable force who will keep going no matter who in in the way

call, cry, hoot, howl, throat, thunder, yowl : a particularly loud cat who is not afraid to call out others

blaze, burn, char, cinder, ember, fire, flame, flicker, flint, lightning, scorch, singe, spark : a cat with a strong fiery personality; this cat often has a lot of energy; often a great fighter

claw, scratch, strike, swipe, talon : a cat who is very skilled in battle; they fight ferociously with their claws; may have distinctive claws, most likely extra large or sharp

blood : an especially vicious cat; alternatively: a cat who is especially devoted to their kin

bone : an especially vicious cat and an especially strong cat “has strong bones”; a dark and mysterious cat

bite, fang, jaw, teeth/tooth, snap : a cat who is very skilled in battle; they have powerful teeth and jaws and have a biting centric fighting style; this cat is out spoken and have a bite to their words; may have distinctive teeth, most likely extra large or sharp

bristle, growl, hackle, snarl : a particularly grumpy and/ or aggressive cat

snake : a quick, cunning cat who is good at fighting

briar, burr, needle, quill, shard, spike, thistle, thorn, hornet, wasp, sting : a cat who has a bite to their words

dog, hound : a loud, vicious cat who is especially good at tracking. Alternatively in Shadowclan, a kind and loving cat who is ferocious to defend what they love

blizzard, hail, rain : a cat who is powerful in battle; strong and fights like a storm; this cat has a cold personality

storm, whorl : a cat who is powerful in battle; strong and fights like a storm

dance/r : a cat who’s fighting style looks akin to dancing; a cat who is upbeat and always on their feet

chaser, comet, flash, leg, runner, rush, streak, wind : an especially fast cat; a cat who can run long distances; a cat who can keep up with fast prey and their opponent

bird, flight, swoop, wing, hare, rabbit : this is an especially fast cat and/or a cat especially good at jumping; this cat is often upbeat and/or always has energy

bat : this is an especially fast cat and/or a cat especially good at jumping; this cat is also especially good at traversing the night and dark places

jump, leap, pounce : a cat who is especially good at jumping and leaping

fall, tail : a cat with great balance and who always lands on their feet; often a jack of all trades as balance is used in almost every skill

catch/er, hunt/er: a cat who is very skilled at catching prey

crawl, crouch, snare, stalk/er, trap : a cat who is especially good at stalking prey or their opponent without being seen or heard

dive, fin, swim/mer : a cat who is very skilled at swimming Fisher : a cat who is a very skilled fisher

frog : a cat who is especially good at jumping and swimming; a cat who has tough skin

ear : a cat with especially good hearing; also possibly very perceptive

eye, gaze, seeker, sight, watcher : a cat with especially good eyesight; this cat can spot things that others cannot

nose, snout : a cat with a great sense of smell and tracking abilities

whisker : a cat with especially good senses and spatial awareness: this cat is especially good at sensing things with their whiskers

foot, pad, path, step, stride/r, toe : a cat who is light on their feet; a cat who carefully thinks out their steps and actions; a cat who is sure of themselves, and is confident in their actions

rat : a small and/or quiet cat; a nimble cat who is able to walk quietly; this cat is also aggressive and puts up a fight

feather, mouse: a small and/or quiet cat; a cat who is light on their feet; a nimble cat who is able to walk quietly

burrow, dig/ger, tunnel/er, mole : a cat who is especially good at digging and traversing tunnels and burrows

fox : a cunning and quick cat; a cat who is good at traversing tunnels and burrows

dust, muck, mud, soot : a cat who is not afraid to get their paws dirty; a cat who is hard working; a cat who often helps with building

brush, burrow(repeat), bush, hollow, shrub, thicket, twig, builder, den : a cat is especially good at building; a cat who spends much of their time helping around camp and fixing dens

beaver : a cat who is always busy; a cat who is especially good at building

bee : a cat who is always busy and hard working; a cat who is calm unless provoked, and will always protect their home

bug : a small and hard working cat; a cat who is always up to something

[dan-the-dreamer]

To help clear up some confusion:

A rivulet or streamlet is the smallest form of naturally moving water.

The other forms, in order of size, are brooks, streams, creeks, and rivers, which are the biggest.

The streams which lead into a river are called tributaries.

A canal is a man-made waterway. A defensive canal around a structure is a moat.

A phytotelma (lit. "plant pond") is the smallest form of naturally occurring still water. They form inside of the cavities of some plants.

A puddle is larger than that, followed by a pool.

A pond is larger than both of them, and a lake is the largest. In the UK, they are sometimes called lochs.

An oxbow lake or billabong is a body of water cut off from the river it was formally part of.

A spring is usually where a waterway starts, bubbling up from underground.

A delta is where many streams flow into an estuary before they reach an ocean or sea. They are usually triangle shaped.

However, that's only freshwater.

Larger than a lake is a sea, and many seas make up an ocean, but are often largely enclosed by land.

A channel connects two bodies of water between two landmasses. When one is narrow, it is often called a strait.

A sound is an area of sea usually surrounded by mountains or hills.

A gulf is a part of the ocean which has overtaken part of the land. It is usually almost completely enclosed by land. One with a wider mouth may be called a bay. A smaller bay or gulf is called a cove.

An inlet is a recess along the coast. A deep inlet with steep sides is known as a fjord.

An oasis is a body of water located in a dry or desert land.

A lagoon is a body of water cut off from a larger body of water. Sometimes a coral reef encircles it, creating an atoll.

An archipelago is a group of islands. If an archipelago encloses a reef or lagoon, it is called an atoll.

------------------------------------------------

(Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these are just general descriptions that give an idea of how different geographic features are differentiated. These terms are often used for locations which do not fit the above definitions.)

[thepaintedsable]

Depositional Time Traveler (Art + Writing)

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【 Warning 】 »Mentions of Death, »Magical Mishap, »Illustrated BONES!!!!! (Fossils)

Reader/Viewer digression is advised.

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Wind slipped off of the cliff with the force of a torrent; the long, spindled blades of grass creating the effect of a soft river just on the verge of spilling over. It was unfathomably lucky that shrubbery grew unheeded a few steps away, not only for it blocking the ferocious wind, but the roots likely being the only feeble support keeping a rockslide at bay. Even with grass underfoot, it grew so sparse that one could tell the hardened clay was corse and dry. So grainy that even a gentle gust might cause it to erode and crumble.

With the howling tune of the gale, any creature with eyes could tell such events had already taken a toll on this land. Where once must have lain a mighty hillside was now a deep crevice, wind blasting away at the sides to reveal deep cave-holes and ancient secrets. One could wager that there had been a mighty cave that had simply collapsed in on itself, though it would be hard to guess what sort of mighty force would be able to do such damage to a natural structure. Even more puzzling, none of the revealed caves on the opposite cliff seemed to be logical, and if they were still underground, most would simply be pockets of stale air and old dust.

The deepest harbored great waterfalls, coming from some forgotten spring and falling may feet down into the creek that lay below. Foliage and plants, clearly thriving considering their massive size, overtook most of the other holes. Life making its best attempt to reclaim soil that must have not been touched for the last millennium.

Yet… that couldn’t be true.

Within the soil, tarnished in colorful layers that unintentionally noted their age, lay great beasts. All old, all large, and all having succumbed to the pressure of time. One of the current era might be hard pressed to even recognize these as ancestors of the current world, the bones disarticulated and their forms foreign to the current day. Most blended in with the earth, a deep brown one might even mistake for a common rock — save for the clear points of where eyes, teeth, or horns once kept.

Yet one stood out among the rest.

A beast of beasts, the creature must have made even the largest of raptors feel small. The birds that rested on its skull looked like ants, and it should be noted that no small bird could fair the airs that forced along the gap between the shrubbed cliff and the layered wall. This creature was no raptor nor dragon, holding no recent form. It’s spines were broken in areas where no support could be found, though that seemed to be the only fallacy in the pristine preservation of this animal.

Only one side of its mandible was opened in a perpetual scream, where the other was tightly jointed to the skull. Few bones were out of place, with those that were only being but paces off of where they should have been. It was almost as if someone had taken the skeleton and carefully placed it right in that spot, for the plants and birds to make use out of it as rootholds and roosts.

What made this fossil particularly strange, though, was its placement through several depositional layers. It could be believed that a fossil might be lighter than others for one reason or another, but these bones reached straight through eight of the carefully lain blankets of soil. One could likely fathom a few bones to be displaced in such a way due to the earth shifting, water flowing, or outside circumstances such as a burial, yet these bones were together, articulated, and upright. As if the creature were standing, but was suddenly engulfed by the rock.

Teasel had seen many cliff faces and many old bones, but none as unsettling as this.

The large raptor was an explorer of sorts, a trader and curious soul. It was simply his nature to find things he could possibly take, mend, or sell only to fund his travels. Although this location had nothing he could sell, it certainly held a story, and therefore held the greatest value of all — to him, at the least. — it was unlikely that this sight would stand for much longer, considering the water and winds gorging on the history, with the lookout not fairing so well either. It’s a wonder the hefty fossil hadn’t fallen yet, nor having been taken out by the initial collapse considering its precarious standing.

He could only imagine what had happened to the creature. Lending it the benefit of personally and knowledge in his mind, he could only believe that this was a sign that magic was much older than he had first believed. Of course he knew it was ancient, but he’d thought it had… evolved. He could barely imagine what the poor creature must have been thinking when it attempted to travel into the future, only to be greeted by the unforgiving, ever shifting sands of time.

This is very much copy-pasted from a post I made on the Official Mochi Raptors Amino (I moderate over there), of one of my Raptors: Teasel! This was one of my bigger pieces, just to produce a little something fun for the community. :) Which normally means a more story-driven artwork with a little writing on the side.

I do love my fair share of magical mishap, which prompted the artwork. I was actually trying to draw the Minecraft Farlands originally, though, but I think my 5-year-old brain took over and said “b-but dinosaurs” so… yeah, fossils haha.

This is kinda set up so I can play with Tumblr’s layout and settings a bit more. So I apologize if this is a bit… messy? Either way, I hope you enjoyed!

[thelostbaystudio]

The Lost Bay is a suburban horror RPG set in the 90s

Play report diary by Gorkhan (who plays Hakim) - Characters and classes: Hakim (Asphalt Kitten), Tim (Splinter), Creek (Screamer), Facilitator: IKO

photo credit chiaralily on flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

A Saturday night, like any other in the end of summer. Hakim and his pals: Tim and Creek, stop by a 24/24 shop to buy some beers before going to Creek's concert. This is the shop where Alex is working, a girl friend and fellow punk musician of Creek.

In the shop, the floor is soaked with water. Alex is nowhere in sight. With all the electric stuff running in there, Hakim does not want to get inside. Tim jumps on the cashier's desk to avoid the water, and starts exploring. The three guys are calling for Alex... when Tim sees someone laying on the floor, their legs blocking the door of a closet, the upper body hidden inside. Forgetting safety, the young men rush in to help. Creek and Hakim arrive first and discover Alex, laying in a pool of brackish water, chocking as a fountain of the stinky liquid pours out of her mouth. Hakim is chocked and can't move. Creek tries to help Alex out of the closet, and Tim calls for an ambulance. Finally, Hakim get back his sens and helps Creek to move Alex on the parking lot. The poor woman is drowning, and the stream of water does not stop. Tim tries to call for Saint Abraham The Young to stop the flow, but the holy patron is deaf to the prayer. Tim start's expelling water as well, but after a cough, his own fountain dries out. In the mean time, Alex is dead. And the ambulance arrives...

The next afternoon, the three friends, still chocked by the events of the night, meet at the skate park. Tim remembers that the emergency agent on the phone let think that this was not the first time someone died this way. Hakim tries to collect information from two kids playing around, but they know nothing. Creek has a punk friend who is also a cop (!), and might have a clue. He calls him, but his friend does not want to talk about it on the phone. He proposes to meet at the pizza truck this evening.

To kill time, they decide to go to Alex's flat. The door is closed, but Jimmy, her cat, is meowing from inside. Tim can't stand the sad voice of the lonely cat and breaks in. While he takes care of Jimmy, Creek and Hakim visit the place. In the fridge, Creek finds a bag filled with disgusting dead... snakes ? fishes ? Anyway, not the usual food Alex his cooking. In the bathroom, Hakim finds some of Alex's clothes, soaking wet and still stained with mud from the marshes. Then, Hank enters the flat, calling for Alex. Hank is one of Alex's neighbours. He didn't know about Alex's death and is devastated. He tells the guys that they went to a great place in the marshes just the day before. He is fuzzy about the place itself, talking about a long trip by boat to get there, about a cool guy cooking eels (Alex loved it and got some in her fridge), about a cabin in the wood, and happy mushrooms they took before going there. Hakim asks Creek of his cop friend would be interested talking to Hank, but Creek thinks it is better not to involve Hank for the moment.

Leaving the flat, the three friends take Jimmy to Tim's place. At a moment, Tim feels sick and spits brackish water again. Luckily, the flow stops quickly, but Hakim and Creek wonder if the "fountain syndrome" might be contagious. When Tim seems ok, they decide to go to the Pizza Truck to have dinner.

A woman is there, talking to everyone, asking questions around. When she spots the young men, she gets to them and presents herself: Linda, born in the Lost Bay, and back after a long stay in the big city. She is looking for strange stories for her novels. She is a wannabe horror novelist. She tells them that the drowning events happened at least 14 times in the past two weeks, and affect only young adults. When Creek's friend arrive in a cop car, Linda leaves quickly on her motorbike...

[bala5]

Scott Hess

Route 1 crossing Walker Creek- Keys Creek confluence - Tomales. Keys Creek is the tiny (now largely silted in) creek running parallel to the road at the bottom. The combined creeks then flow to Tomales Bay