#Grandpa Cypress

[goldiedraws]

Sarina, her grandpa, and her new bestie! Character concept art for a webcomic I'm working on

[ultimatefeldsparring]

i've been thinking hearthians should have an affectionate honorific for an elder they feel especially close to, like our "grandma" or "grandpa" but without familial relation. currently debating between "craton" and "sequoia" 🤔 absolutely ANY input, including terms you think are better, would be appreciated!!

craton reasoning: a geological term for a very old, stable part of earth's crust that has survived multiple cycles of continental merging and rifting. has a very fitting definition and a geological term matches nicely with hearthian naming conventions. BUT just doesn't sound very affectionate or "cute" at first glance?

sequoia reasoning: type of tree that gets real tall and can live to be very old. as a member of the cypress family, visually similar to the pines of timber hearth and could maybe feasibly exist there, and has a very pleasant mouthfeel. BUT, doesn't fit hearthian's rocky naming conventions as well and possibly encroaches on the nomai's turf (ha) of plant names.

either way, i imagine these would be placed in front of the hearthian's name in conversation, such as "Craton Tektite! How are you?" or "Well, Sequoia Gneiss told me otherwise."

[emojackolantern]

went to a fragrance store and while i didn't find a candidate for the (heavily debated) green phil fragrance, i did get to smell dan's gucci fragrance.

my first impression was that it's actually quite incense forward? spicy but in a very unique and complex way. like a lot more complex than i figure is reasonable for daily wear is what i was thinking (leave it to dan to be needlessly complicated lmao)

on later review it's tobacco and cypress which ends up reading as menthol-y in a way? which is fun and the tobacco explains what i was reading as incense. there's also a particular like? i believe white floral quality (violet iirc) that compliments the other scents well, even if im not personally overly fond of it.

im also getting a little bit of like citrus and powdery-ness? im not getting much from the base notes (leather, amber) but i blame that on the fact that im smelling it on a card lol

my overall impression is that it smells kinda dry. like. how there are some scents that smell like the ocean or they smell juicy or whatever. this is the opposite of that. this smells dusty. this smells dark academia. this smells like saltburn. this smells like your rich old grandpa who smokes a pipe in his study ykwim.

i should probably stop before this turns full buzzfeed what your fragrance says about you but anyway yeah

gucci by gucci: 6/10. not a daily wear for me, personally but it's a fascinating and incredibly nuanced piece.

[faggotryandtransjesterism]

i've been thinking about people who write hannibal fics, and how incorporating will's louisiana upbringing could be so hard if you didn't grow up there, and it just so happens that i did grow up there! so i'm making a little list of things about louisiana that people might not know. go forth and write cajun will graham!

food: first off, there's a lot of things that are very specific to poor people in louisiana. i didn't realize until relatively recently that these weren't things everyone ate. molasses and milk (poor man's chocolate milk. honey and milk also is a thing, but molasses is more common bc of all the cane fields.) actually, let me just get a whole category out of the way: put everything in milk. cornbread and milk (with honey or sugar dumped in to sweeten it, this is a whole meal, we used to eat this for dinner), oats and milk (raw oats. with sugar.), crackers and milk (saltines. i'm not joking.), literally put any carb in milk and that's a cajun dish. dinner foods you see a lot of are things like jambalaya, gumbo (pro tip, gumbo is always better on the second and third day, and you eat it with potato salad), etouffee (if you look this up, you'll see a lot of fancy shit, this is not fancy. it's the slimiest gravy pot full of meat and veggies.) everything has rice, you can't eat dinner without rice. sweet potatoes are big, a lot more common than regular ones. okra is also very very common.

environment: we all know louisiana has a lot of bayous, but a lot of people have never seen one i guess? and have no idea what that looks like. it's not like shrek swamp kind of deal. the water's not that filthy most of the time, at least not to look at. you've got a lot of foliage on top of the water mostly. cypress trees are the big thing that makes a bayou look like a bayou. cypress trees with spanish moss all over them. the line between a bayou and a lake isn't big, and a lot of them are connected. also. (about to tell you something that will blow your mind.) swamps are full of nutria rats. (but percy, what are nutria rats? (pronounced noo-tra rats)) they look like small capybaras with long thick tails, and by small i mean they gut up to 20 pounds. 3 feet. they're actually adorable though. alligators are common, they're not aggressive, you just have to keep an eye on them. there's usually saw palmettos around the edges of the water. outside of swamps, though, something you'll notice is there are sugar cane fields everywhere. there's also live oak trees, which if you've never seen, are beautiful. they do exist in other places, but they grow differently in louisiana bc of all the water. they have enormous, sweeping branches that dip down onto the ground sometimes, and they're (once again) full of spanish moss.

culture: in louisiana, some people speak cajun french. this is not the same as parisian french, and it's not always mutually intelligible. also, there's really very few people left who speak it, and it's mostly older folks. for example, my grandpa learned french before he learned english, but he didn't pass it on to his kids, and now he has very few people to speak it with. cajun music is a pretty unique thing, you've usually got an accordion, a fiddle, a bass, that kind of thing. some songs off the top of my head are jolie blonde, opelousas sostan, the boscoe stomp; there's also a lot of instrumental music, because it's all actually dancing music! cajun dancing is a whole thing that, once again, is dying out and mostly older folks know how to do it (my grandparents took me dancing all the time, so that, at least, i know). you might be able to look it up, but keep in mind, if you see something that looks more like square dancing, that's not what i'm talking about. (if you want a demo send me an ask lol, i can explain. in the meantime, i used to dance at randol's in lafayette, and the best band was donny broussard, so look those up on youtube if you want to hear cajun music.) zydeco is a whole other genre, and honestly not one i know much about, but it is an integral part of cajun culture.

that's all i can think of for now, but if i think of anything else, i'll add on. if you have any questions, my ask box is open!

[underrated-lovers-of-apollo-poll]

Round 1: Poll 5

*Please Read*

I advise everyone to read each contestant's story to get a well-rounded understanding of each entry. I urge you to not just vote for the one "you know best". I have everyone's stories/reasons why they should win under the cut.

(Cyparissus art by @literallyjusttoa)

Propaganda:

Cyparissus

What's The Love Story?

Apollo gave him a stag as a gift <3 then Cyparrisus accidently killed it and was so distraught that he BEGGED Apollo to let him MOURN IT'S DEATH FOREVER so apollo turned him into the Cypress tree.

also sidenote: his grandpa is Heracles and his dad fought in the Trojan War.

Why Should They Win?

he sobbed over HIS PET DEER. the guy LOVES NATURE.

Manto

What's The Love Story?

She's Tiresias's daughter!

She was brought to Delphi as a slave initially, but Apollo made her a priestess of Delphi! They had a son named Mopsus, and when Apollo instructed her to establish a new oracle, told her to marry the first man she saw after leaving Delphi.

She did just that and her husband guided her to Claros where she founded the oracle of Apollo Clarios.

Additionally, she was present when Niobe insulted Leto & her kids, and advised her to ask for forgiveness.

Finally, a guy tried to assault Manto on her couch and Apollo appeared and straight-up murdered him for the transgression. Protective King >>>>

Why Should They Win?

Apollo wingmaning his girlfriends >>>> Iconic

Kids?

One - Mopsus. He was a seer & diviner, and officiated Apollo's temple at Claros.

[stevestonbike]

The Total is looking good.

I just booked my last rides on my spreadsheet. In 68 km I will pass April of 2024. I am far behind year to date, but lots of time to make it up.

I keep telling myself these are only numbers. It is more important that I feel good on rides. The weather has been nasty and it is not fun out in nasty weather. On warm sunny days it is glorious. I kid you not I have have euphoric experiences on a bike.

The classic one is going under the "magic power lines" on Cypress Mountain. That is suffer..suffer.. suffer, I AM HERE! That hill and I have a weird thing going. I have never failed to summit once I started the climb. Knowing that now I can't ever let that happen.

The Most recent one was my last Granfondo to Whistler. I was entering the town just before the last turn to the finish and heard my little granddaughter scream "GRANDPA!" It almost knocked me off my bike.

Euphoria is good.

Next Weekend is the Vancouver Sun Run. I do not run. My wife has done a few. She is skipping this year after some surgery, but next time! We are going to watch. Is that silly? Tens of Thousands of people of all ages and sizes and abilities. It was once the biggest 10k run in the world. It aint smaller, 10ks just got popular.

The magic is the energy. All those people feeling positive and good and it is magic. It is how I feel about the Fondo. It is how my wife feels about the Sun Run. Even if you are less than an athlete it is good to try such an event. These are celebrations of being alive. I assure you being alive is good.

[dusty-quack07]

Owl House incorrect quotes w/ a self insert cause I'm. Lonely

-----

Hunter: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I’ll wait.

Cypress: You and me!

Hunter: *tearing up* Ok.

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

Luz: But what about Hunter?

Cypress: Don't worry about him.

Cypress: I once watched him fall down 5 flights of stairs, stand up, and keep eating his hotdog like nothing happened.

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

Cypress: Hey, Willow you're smart, tell me what would happen if I chugged 3 gallons of chloroform.

Willow: Have you ever been to a mortuary?

Cypress: Yea, my grandpa lives there.

Amity: That is the worst response to that question.

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

Camila: Well, aren’t you all a rag-tag group of adventurers with unclear goals and good hearts! Oh, let me guess: you’re out to save the world!

Amity: Well, actually, that sounds like a pretty fair assessment.

Gus: More or less, I guess...

Cypress: That sounds awesome! Let’s do that!

Hunter: I’m new here, but I am open to the concept.

Luz: I thought that’s what we were doing, guys, come on!

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

Hunter: That’s illegal, right?

Cypress: Why do you care? Are you a fucking cop?

Hunter: No-

Cypress: Then shut the fuck up.

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

Hunter: Hey, Cypress. What kind of flowers do you prefer?

Cypress: I like sunflowers.

Hunter, pulling out a bouquet of Venus Flytraps: Well, shit-

[fr3akinthecorner]

lesarafim pop up concert! just don't bring drugs or sunglasses phones! why is this girl so mad? bc she was in a mental ward for 8 days and forgot how to use a cell phone ok ok! so minhee Jang is coming and myoko okino but it's not really imperative that u bring meth just don't play Manga with your suicidal ideation lovers they know how to use cell phones hey keeho! is this thing on? devil baby will get high tonight is lesarafim down? they play a different game the Manga wifi is slower after treatment centers but the Russian mafia is down to how your suicidal meth party as long as Denmark is in this shit makes no sense my fingers are going to break again no daddy wants u to keep playing! it's called suicidal fire and you're the suicidal grandpa not the grandma sorry we lied but the grandma reads the letters grandpa writes them fuck this typing shit hurts! daddy said south korea is down to win dear God I'm gonna die Andy sorry I got distracted who the fuck is Andy my life is over and I'm lava magma Honolulu I'm gonna cry lord save my suicidal furniture ok I'm back in thank u cypress and surf! the furniture needs to be set up I will be waiting

[strawberriesnpopmusic]

Calla Lily and Cypress went to a friends house for a school project after school and haven’t been dropped off yet, so it’s just Cora, Kyle, Clover and Cedar home for dinner tonight

Clover: So… Grandma and grandpa are moving to Strangerville?

Kyle: Well they are moving back to Shady Acres… When your Aunt Leigh and I were born they moved to San Saquoa to be… in a better neighborhood

Clover: I think I want to go there and visit them. I know grandpa is probably going through a lot right now, I’d be so sad if I lost you…

Cora: Baby they didn’t have the same family dynamic as you and your dad do and I don’t think it’s safe for you to go to Strangerville right now.

Kyle: We… Your mother and i just think it’s better if you stay here… For now. They’ll come visit eventually.

Clover: I am a young adult now, I am going to see them and honestly there isn’t anything you guys can do. You’ve always told me I can do anything I put my mind too. I don’t know how many times i’ve heard “Clove you’re going to be the next super sim” but yet… Right now I want to go see my grandma and grandpa and you’re telling me I cant? What’s the big deal…

Cedar: Uh…. Can I be excused?

[goldiedraws]

Here's Grandpa Cypress's friend group! I love them very much

Irene James: An exceptionally kind woman who loves crochet and cooking and is teaching these to her foster son, Peter.

Charles Parker: A grouch slow to accept new things, very confident.

Margaret Davis: A kind lady who used to help Cypress on his farm.

Jean Turner: A loud and opinionated seamstress.

[peacedtogether]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: 𝅺Cypress Club Light Blue Thick High Quality Collared Golf Polo Shirt.

[toastiest-mittens]

For floods, if you live in the swamp proper, you can use trees as the foundations (Cypress trees have some deep roots) but this has a chance of killing the trees if you’re not careful (not to mention it is illegal but people do it anyways for hunting blinds, tree forts, and permanent residences of a few hermits, although these days drones can find these structures pretty quickly). Generally speaking more permanent residences will usually be outside of the swamp at higher elevations, but pier and beam/piling foundations work a treat, you just have to elevate the actual residence about fifteen or so feet above the waterline. Not to mention building up higher prevents most wild life from strolling in through your front door. This is a disadvantage of floating/permanently moored residences. I have had turtle! Made me cry like crazy because my grandpa cooked the poor thing in it's shell and I like turtles. The boa constrictors sort of tasted like pork while having the texture of chicken, but pleasantly gamier. Alligator tail tastes like chicken but more flavorful and has a softer texture, weirdly enough. Sort of chewy at the tail, ribs were a bit tougher, legs and body were the strongest taste. Salt, coconut oil, lime juice, garlic and onion were really all you needed to really elevate it. Best enjoyed with a side of rice or frites. We only ever occasionally deepfried anything but it was HEAVEN. Lotus and seaweed were also on the menu when we could forage for them. To people who claim it can't harm your muscus membranes or whatever, yes, poison ivy most definitely can. Apparently the cows weren't letting anyone near me because they knew I was in a bad way and were trying to protect me, but my throat was closing up and I got a rash terrible rash on my face. My grandma was a nurse for something like forty years and she insisted on treating me at home. It was nothing but very mild soups, broths, and water for awhile, but I was back on my feet in a few weeks. The cows wouldn't let me out of their sight for months after that, herding me instead. They're extremely smart and empathetic creatures, so if you ever get the chance to work with or even just cuddle one I recommend jumping at the chance. I still have all my original teeth, so anecdotally, yeah! Chewing the husk mighta helped some. I also brushed with baking soda and salt for most of my childhood. For D&D I almost always go moon druid, twilight/nature cleric, or totem barbarian because I have always felt close to nature. The pets that "never like anyone" curl up in my lap pretty immediately, and I do really well with livestock. If I was chilling in my swamp and heard about swamp gator men, I'd probably see what was up, and so long as they kept to themselves I'd leave them be, maybe even trade with them if they were open to it. If someone came to me with intent to exterminate them I'd lead them in the wrong direction and then warn the gator men. If it came down to it I would probably side with them too. On the other hand, if the gator men were somehow out of alignment with the natural order I would team up with the adventurers a little begrugingly, knowing they're probably just in it for the money and not out of any actual concern for the well-being of the swamp. Feel free to DM me if you have any more questions! Writing all this swamped me with a lovely wave of nostalgia, and I would love to get cypress knee deep in the tropic anytime! ;D

[rextyles]

Space Grandpa. v____v

As always, In Your Shoes belongs to the fantastic @stagenvy and @vasilisk-vd!

[tuscanwalker]

Sept 27, 2022: Campagnano di Roma to La Storta - 25.4 km; CUS - 1,800 ft

403.2 km to date

Memories of India

The British tour group tracked in about an hour and a half after us, but still game after a very long, wet day. On our way out to explore and whine/wine about 5 pm we encountered the guides and the last two ladies to come in, including one who had been sidelined with really bad blisters but came back today and made the whole distance. My admiration for them continues. I have been fortunate not to have any blisters this trip, a first on these long treks with Kim (he never seems to get them). Less fortunately, I stepped in a puddle on the street today that turned out to be a couple of missing cobble stones. I badly reinjured my calf and right hip and i am walking with a pronounced limp while trying to avoid walking at all. I was still able to finish today and tomorrow should be a cakewalk to St Peters.

Dinner last night was fabulous. Kim and I both had the bruschetta fantasia (1 artichoke, 1 pomodoro and one capicollo plus a pot of hot beans and crostini. Then Kim had the gnocchi with an arugula pesto and cherry tomatoes while I had the bucatini amatriciana. Both were perfect, as was the house red. Filled with locals, eccentrically decorated and run by three generations of family, I just thought it was something my brother would have loved. Throughout we were entertained by the owners 16ish month old grandson running around the tables chasing and being chased by grandpa. Made me homesick for the grandkids. Normally the food is included in our half board but we pay for wine and mineral water. Nonetheless, the owner refused payment of any kind. So saying, I gave him 10€ and told him in broken Italian to buy something for the little guy. In response, I was gifted with a huge smile and a grazie mille.

Today basically a long, tough, boring trudge. The hi-lite of the day was running into a number of cows on the loose and a older woman in her little Fiat Panda desperately looking for them. We found two at a roadside and one immediately started meandering toward me with a determined look on its face (do cows have looks or just vacant stares?) It reminded me of walking down a road in India (where cows are as ubiquitous as boulevard trees) and encountering several cows, one of which seemed determined to make Luanne her friend and followed her for a considerable distance.

Other than that, the most interesting thing today was a sign explaining that we had just walked over a subterranean aqueduct about 100 sq feet in cross section. It was apparently 78 km long with a consistent 1.2-2% slope. It was built by the Etruscans to bring water from mountains to the city of Veio. Needless to say I have no pictures to share. Instead, I offer pictures of an old mill (below are the millstones) and 60-80 foot waterfall we passed. I regret to say that after about 20 km walking there was no way I was scrambling down a cliff and back up to get a better picture from the bottom.

We arrived about 3:30, had a glass of wine and showered and are still awaiting the arrival of our British friends.

Random Thoughts

Umbrella Pines

As we were walking yesterday, I got to thinking about how, for many people, rows of cypress trees lining a road through a hillside vineyard is symbolic of the Tuscan countryside. Kim, on the other hand, is absolutely enamoured with the Plane Trees, many of which are centuries old. My favourite is the umbrella pines, tall with the characteristic crown and all the dead lower limbs removed, this is Tuscany to me.

Italian Clocks

Time seems unimportant when you are walking through the Italian countryside. This is reinforced by the fact that every little town has a clock tower, sometimes on the city gate, sometime on a church bell tower and sometimes on city hall. Why does this support the idea that time is unimportant? It is because none of them tell the correct time. We even found one where the wrong time is different on different sides of the clock tower, all different, but all wrong.

[game-weaver]

Yun might be in the Underworld with Hades, but they still send gifts for his birthday. One of them is a carving from the cypress tree of Yugi himself, done by Hades. There was even a note that said, 'Happy Birthday to the one who has brought my son a little bit of starlight once more into his life. Thank you, Young Yugi. -Hades' Now Yun's gift was actually from his hoard and one of the sacred treasures that he loves to collect.

A music box.

The melody was soft and sweet, and when opened, there was instead of a ballerina or a couple dancing, what looked like a dragon inside a lotus flower.

Dear Yugi Though I cannot be here to celebrate your birthday, I do wish you a happy one. This music box was an offering from my youth and as I no longer listen to it, I felt it was best that you should have it. There is a secret hiding place within the music box, thus another surprise awaits within for your garden. Papa Hades and the rest of the Underworld, wish you a wonderful and happy birthday. I know the same can be said of Dad, Mom, Anu, and Horus, even Grandpa Ra. Happy Birthday My Amethyst, and may there be many more. Also, be a little extra sassy for us, okay?

Your dragon, Yun Mesbah

Finding the gifts in general were a surprise but as he held the carving he marveled at the craftmanship, turning it over gently in his hands. The note made him smile, he was always glad to bring light to anyone.

But then as he opened the box and listened to the melody, he relaxed, his smile gentle as he read Yun's message. A hidden place hm? He'd have to find it, but for now, he would curl up on the couch and just enjoy the soft music. He hoped sometime soon he'd be able to see Yun again for a visit.

[strongbrew-hamstery]

I noticed a few days ago that some of the #ConiferousCuties seemed a bit... Fuzzier than normal. While I'm still not totally convinced it does appear we have three long hair pups - Montezuma #Cypress, Foxtail Pine and Forrest Hemlock. I didn't at all expect long hair. I know grandpa Advo did not carry it but wasn't sure on Piddles. Clearly she did carry it though, and so does AJ! Genetics are fun. https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4Ns6tAEuG/?utm_medium=tumblr