#folks I have eaten a lot of ice cream in the last hour but also I am very excited about this

[antimony-medusa]

[lunavadash-creates]

First of all, bro, you have Sims! You won a life! My laptop is too old and broken for such luxuries! Please make my sim and my harem too lol. Give me all the men I deserve.😂

I may or may not be thinking about buying a new one tho. And it may or may not be just because of the latest expanded pack to the game and possibility of having my own cow.🐮 But on the other hand, I would love to go somewhere for a few days in nearest gutter if covid lets me.. So having savings would be nice.

Speaking of travelling. Stories. I am not a storyteller buuut… you mentioned you travelled by metro in Prague and that in your country there is just one line in the capital. Seoul has so many lines! It’s so easy to get lost.. Korean metro is one of my clearest memories of my stay in Seoul. On the very first day of my stay I and my 3 friends had a “houston we have smol problem” situation, just because 2 of my companions hadnt bought a korean sim card (our cards didnt work at all) and we got separated in the metro train. I mean.. I and my good friend didnt get inside on time while other two friends made it. In our group just one person knew where our hostel was and how we could get there. And she was gone. There wasn’t any plan b, no one even thought about the possibility of getting separated. No one amongst us spoke korean, Koreans had problems with communicating in english.. WELL, SH*T. We didn’t know if we should take the next train and others would wait at the next station or if we should stay where we were. Luckily I and one of my friends that got into the train on time had our mobiles working so we were able to communicate, but we were this close to having HOME ALONE IN SEOUL.

The second one memory and one of things I miss the most are metro jingles! God, I loved them so much! If you see Seoul Metro Jingles on Xander Tiberius channel on youtube you will be able to hear my favourite one! It’s the first one in this short video! I am pretty sure you will love it.

We came right on korean thanksgiving festival called Chuseok and it was the best decision ever. People were wearing their traditional costumes, hanboks, all the time! They were so freaking beautiful! 💕 We went to Gyeonbokgung Palace and Changdeogung Palace and when I saw them covered in paintings with obangsaek scheme with my own eyes I almost cried. I love art, so Seoul was the perfect place for me. I love korean folk paintings (please, check them with my favorite tigers and magpie theme - tigers on them are so funny and wonderful - I bought like a million postcards with its images), but their modern art is great too. Especially all those murals - you can check Ihwa Mural Village. It was ASDFGHJKLLOVE.

Street food? Excellent, however I don’t like spicy food. I wanted to try silkworm stew but at the last moment I gave up on this. Too extreme for me. But I have eaten the best ice cream in my whole life and they tasted like earl grey tea.

But what was definitely the best part of my trip? Cafes! Dog cafe, raccoon cafe, Moomin cafe, sheep cafe, Hello Kitty cafe! I love dogs with all my heart so that one was definitely my favourite one and I would love to stay there forever! Raccoon one was also freakin good! For the very first time I had encountered a raccoon. Their paws are so delicate!

Travelling is such a magical experience.There are so many things to see and to try! What was your favourite place you travelled to and why? Do you have a place you would like to visit again? Where would you like to go the most? You said you were travelling with your family. Do you have some stories to share?

I am sorry for such long messages! But I can talk for hours about such things. And I like to chat with you. I am impressed with my ability to produce so many words at once. Usually I am the quiet one and very awkward too.

🔪

I have no idea how I missed this message. Like really, I was wondering if you will tell me your travel story and look! It's been here for who knows how long! I'm m so sorry ;;

So yeah, lemme show you my Sims because idk. I think I'm kind of proud of this Altair.

So first is the randomly generated Sims

And here is Altair I made:

I wonder what do you think about him. Don't mind hie clothes tho 😂

Back to you baby! I love your story and I envy you so much! Raccoon cafe? Good food? You won me, really. I always wanted to see/touch a raccoon but since they aren't here I simply can't. But those grabby lil pawsies! U realu envy you and I'm also so happy you had fun and now you have so much fun memories you can share. Thank you so much!

As for spicy food. I love it.

And really I really enjoy talking with you, you are so nice and passionate and never be sorry for writing a lot! I love having your messages and responding to every single one of them! Even if sometimes I'm a bit late (sorrtyyyyyyy)

As for my stories... I was attacked by a bear in Albania! 😂 I'm still terrified of them. A lady was walking a bear on a chain leash and I was passing by with peanuts. And the bear attacked me, trying to take them from me. It was so scary but I win the battle over peanuts. I was like 13. But really I don't like bears now.

I want to see literally all the world. I want to go to Greece again and Bulgaria. Bulgaria is my favourite country! Also I want to see Turkey and Egypt and Japan and China!

Hbu? Do you have more travel plans?

[jarofrebuke-transcripts]

Jar of Rebuke Episode 4 Unofficial Transcript

Season 1 Episode 4: Green Claw

INTRO

The following audio recording is classified documentation for Case [audio distortion] with the Enclosure. Unauthorized access to this information will lead to immediate intervention. Progress further if proper clearance has been given.

JARED

Today sucked. [eating ice cream] It didn't start bad, I mean it actually started pretty good. I have so much ice cream in my freezer, all from the Royal Cow. Anytime I die I eat a whole pint to soothe the stress. This one's butter pecan. I changed into my PJs. I haven't even showered yet. I'm freezing, even with this blanket around me I'm shivering. Ugh, but yeah no, um, it started well, really well. I spent the afternoon with Darius by the river. It's a bit too chilly to go swimming now, but it was nice for a walk and a little picnic. He brought some food that he'd learned to cook in his classes and some apple ale that his dads made, and plenty of water bottles of course. We sat and just talked for a while. He'd picked me up from my place in his truck and drove us out there. He'd seemed a bit nervous for the first portion of the relatively short drive, but he loosened up after we talked a bit more. First about the weather, then about how his folks had been, and then just conversation flowed from one topic to the next. [eats more ice cream] Once by the river we uh, we set up the picnic out on the grass near the water and then we cracked into the food. He made various finger foods for us to eat like pigs in a blanket and fried cheese curds. I have no idea how early he woke up to make all of it but it was all delicious. That and the apple ale was the most soul-pleasing lunch that I could ask for. We sat together and watched the river flow by, shared jokes and stories. It was actually nice to smile that much.

[shivers, eats more ice cream] It was great, you know? Then we packed up the blanket and the food containers and we took it all back to his truck. Then we went for a walk along the river. There's a nice little path through the grass and the trees. Lots of kids bike round there during the warmer months, but we pretty much had it to ourselves the whole walk. The thing about that part of the river though is that there's a creature rumored to lurk in the water that's been known to drag people down into the depths. Usually parents use it as a story to warn, you know, their kids to steer away from the waters and going swimming alone. I've personally never seen anything out there, but I know for a fact that we have files on something living in that water. Darius and I didn't talk about it though. We had a bunch of other things to talk about. [whispered] Oh god. [eats more ice cream] Yeah so we talked about how work’s been for both of us, and also what we've been up to outside of work. Which on my end wasn't exactly much. So he did a good portion of the talking on that front.

We walked pretty close together. He asked a few times if I was chilly and he even offered me his jacket at one point. I had my own jacket on, but it was nice just walking together. I declined his offer but thanked him. But gave him a little playful nudge about how he would also be cold if he gave me his jacket. And I'm so damn cold. But this ice cream is my ritual. So about after an hour of walking he asked if he could ask me something pretty serious. It was a big tone shift in conversation, and I told him sure. Before he could even ask, his phone started ringing in his pocket. It was one of his dads asking him to come home. Some incident on the farm, everything was fine, but they really needed all hands on deck. It sounded pretty urgent. Darius looked a bit annoyed, but I told him that it was okay. He offered to drive me home but his dad had sounded a bit frantic. I told him that I could call someone to come pick me up, I wanted to walk a bit more anyways. We stared at each other for a moment, he even took a step towards me, I wasn't sure what he had planned to do but then he just took off his jacket and wrapped it around me, then jogged back off towards his truck. “Tell to your folks I say hi!” was the last thing I said as I watched him drive off. His jacket smelled really nice.

To be honest I had no idea who I was going to call, but I did want to walk some more so I did. I zipped up his jacket that was a bit too big for me and continued on down the path. He's always worn jackets that are probably about two sizes too big for him. He always seems comfortable but it just made it quite big on me. As I walked along the river, something pulled my attention out over the water. I saw something that looked like hands struggling and some splashing, like someone was trying to get out. Like someone was drowning. So without thinking I ran and threw myself into the water. Like an idiot. I lost another pair of glasses. No one would be swimming this time of year and I knew that there's something out in that river that's inhuman, but I still dove in to save whoever was struggling! Ugh, I literally knew better! But no…

The water was pretty calm, but cold as hell already. It actually stung when I jumped in. It wasn't a hard swim to get out there, to where I'd seen the struggling happening, besides all the layers that I was wearing anyways. But when I got out there I didn't feel anything. I went above the water and looked around and there was nothing to see. I went underwater and felt around again, and nothing. At least for a few moments anyway. I went up above water to take in a breath and enough time had passed for me to realize that again, I'd been duped. Before I could even turn back towards land, I felt something grab my ankle and pull me under. Literally all I could say was “damn it!” before that thing snagged me. Not my first time being yanked into a lake or a river or whatever, but it's still hard to resist breathing in a bunch of water on my way down. The grip of my ankle was tight, like three strong fingers. It felt like it had plush, something almost furry, but definitely a clawed hand. Once fully under the really cold water, I tried to take in what was around me as I struggled, but all I could see in front of me was some green blur with a line of what I assume were sharp teeth smiling at me. That was when I heard a voice come out in a bubbly haze, but in my head I could understand every word that was said to me.

RIVER MONSTER

It's been a while since I've caught anything.

JARED

I.. I don't know how I knew that that's what it said, but I just wanted to get away. I always feel off for days if my body has to reform anything, so being eaten especially sucks. I tried kicking at the grip, but then the hands moved from my ankle to actually hold my arms so that they could... I don't know, so that the creature could look at my face? And then they asked-

RIVER MONSTER

You're not afraid? You don't fight the same way most do. No screams, not even trying to breathe anymore. [evil laugh]

JARED

And then they laughed at me. It was almost worse being laughed at than held under the water, though my lungs did start to hurt from not being able to breathe. I must have sneered or something, I don't know, but I just heard another laugh.

RIVER MONSTER

Do you even know fear?

JARED

That struck me as weird, but uh... it made me think. Like I'm not afraid of death. I'm more afraid of surprise parties and saying the wrong thing in conversation than I am of death. Death sucks, but I've gotten used to it. I struggled more. I got a few good kicks in. I reached up towards the surface, anything that I could do to get free. After my last run-in with the mud mermaids I didn't feel like drowning again. But no matter how much I struggled, I wasn't strong enough. My heart was pounding as I tried to fight the urge to breathe in water. The mocking became less in my focus but it was still there. I still remember how the voice sounded so clear!

RIVER MONSTER

So curious... such determination. Such desperation. Yet no attempted screaming. This isn't your first time, huh? But I've never seen you before.

JARED

I got pulled back down a bit further, as if the creature was trying to take a closer look at me. The closer I got, the blurrier the creature got, which wasn't hard considering you can't see very clearly underwater. At that point, everything was sore and I was feeling lightheaded. I let out the air that I had been holding in since it felt like that my head was gonna burst, and on reflex I almost inhaled a huge gulp of water. But I clamped my mouth shut just in time. But it got really difficult towards the end there. It was so cold, yet so much of me burned because I just wanted to breathe.

RIVER MONSTER

What if I just let go? Would you make it to the surface in time?

JARED

A different kind of teasing, and it sucked nonetheless. Like a cat toying with its prey, and just like a cat that's just how some of these creatures are. Humans have a propensity to know better, but for some of these creatures it's just in their nature. I can't really fault them for that. Besides I was food. I had just hoped that if I was gonna die, at least I'd go unconscious before I became supper. That was about the breaking point, though. My mouth involuntarily opened and my body tried gasping for air. But there was no air. If I thought my lungs had burned before, no. That water made them burn far, far worse. All I remember after that was thrashing and burning and it became impossible to fight anymore and then... nothing.

[eats more ice cream] I don't know if the creature ate anything, but my clothes were pretty much still intact. When I woke up and I didn't see any new scars, so I guess not. I have no idea why the creature didn't just commit. Asshole. I woke up on the riverbank, coughed up a bunch of water when I woke up, and gods! Everything still ached for a bit. It didn't last long, once I got the water out of my system, but it was still very unpleasant. I was freezing because my clothes were still soaking wet, but the most frustrating thing was that since I went downstream, I was even further from home. I must have only been out of commission for an hour or so, considering that no one had found my body and since it was well lit, I assumed that not much time had passed. I’m always scared that someone's gonna find my body before I wake up. Now that would be awkward for me and traumatizing for them. Anyways I got up and started walking along the river. Really just trying to find my phone. After a little while I did eventually find it, still on the edge of the path from where I jumped in. My fingers were so pruney from all that time in the water and I was shivering with all the soaked layers, but I picked up my phone and checked the time. No new messages, no missed calls, nothing besides a very low battery. It's kind of sad. What if I had died, died. When would people even notice? But it was like the universe wanted to give me something. Because then and there I got a text from Darius apologizing for having to leave so quickly. He asked if I'd gotten home but I told him half the truth. Still walking, heading home soon. And before I could call anyone, my phone died. I was trying to figure out who I could come to get me, I went to call Amir, and just then my phone shut off. I felt mocked.

So then I walked all the way home in soaked clothes, and the fall air did not help. I didn't want to be out after dark so I made sure to keep a good pace, shivering and swearing under my breath most of the way home. It may not have been a long drive, but it took me hours to walk home. And now here I am. I still smell the river water, I still have some weird green handprints on my ankle from where the creature first grabbed me, but no new scars. At least none that I've noticed. I tossed the wet clothes into my washing machine and just started my post-death ritual before recording. Getting at the ice cream and wrapping myself in blankets. I don't care if I'm freezing. Ice cream is my ritual, I am sticking to it. My phone is finally charged enough to turn it back on, and um, oh shoot. A few missed messages, all from Darius. He'd asked if I'd found someone to come get me, and then another message of him offering to come get me if I couldn't find anyone, and then another message asking if I'd gotten home, each like an hour apart. Oh man, I worried him. I gotta text him back hold on. “I'm so sorry I'm home. Phone died. Had an amazing time with you today. Hope everything's settled down on your end.”

It would be so nice to be honest, but what would I say? “Hey sorry, I drowned and died and then had to walk home and soaking wet clothes in the cold after my phone also died!” Best case scenario, if he believed me, he'd probably feel so guilty. But more likely than not, he wouldn't believe me. I mean most people just don't, they... they don't just walk off death. It's starting to rain again, so at least I beat that home, I guess. Just a light drizzle but I'm already cold enough as it is. And I know that I should report this incident to the Enclosure. but honestly? I don't really feel like meddling further. That creature was minding their own business anyways, why should I just drive other scientists to the river? I mean if it was so obviously deadly, then Todd would just send me again. I'm not looking forward to a round two. Because of my abilities I actually get most of the orders directly from Todd himself instead of from the higher ups in the lab that I work in, like most of the other scientists do. A bit of a special case, I guess, one that I'm not particularly thrilled about, honestly. But, whatever. It's a stable job, and it's good money, so I don't complain all that much. I might not tell anyone about this. I don't want to deal with all the trouble that I'm gonna have to deal with if I do. Not like Todd would be the most empathetic about the matter, and Dr. Rahal would probably worry more than necessary. I don't think that he really emotionally processes that I come back when I die. Then, of course, I can't really talk to anyone outside of the Enclosure, I guess. I could reach out to Dr. Lomax? They were always a great listener and I don't really see them much anymore. I've been thinking about seeing if they want to meet up and, I don't know, grab a bite to eat, catch up? And I have no clue what their schedule is like anymore. I don't really have friends to spend time with, so maybe I should change that. I'm gonna go finish this ice cream before it melts and then I'm gonna go take a hot shower and get into some warmer clothes. I might call Darius later and see how he's doing, make sure that everything's all right on his end. Also I'm definitely requesting some time off, even a weekend would be nice. I know I've got some paid time off built up, so i'll look into using some of that here soon just to recoup. Not like I've ever really taken a vacation before or anything. I mean all I could really do is just lounge around my house but right now that doesn't sound all that bad. But first, ice cream, then shower. This has been Dr. Jared Hel, signing off.

OUTRO

Jar of Rebuke is written and produced by Casper Oliver, who is also the voice of Dr. Jared Hel. The River Monster was played by Jason Larock. The intro is read by Vanessa Rosengrant, and credits are read by Ashley Craft, who has created the podcast official graphics. Music was created by Luke Menniss, spelled m-e-n-n-i-s-s, who you can find and support on Bandcamp, Spotify and Twitch. Find us on Twitter, Instagram and anywhere else you get your podcast fix for more Jar of Rebuke and also to get updates on upcoming official merch for our show. Support projects by this crew on Patreon to further other queer-lead projects and get neat perks. All donations are appreciated and will grant further clearance to special Jar of Rebuke content. You can also make one-time donations on Ko-fi. And special thanks to our patreon supporters Becky Thompson, Perry Bruns, and Tristan Fraud.

[changelingvixen]

Part 4

She looked at the finished dishes, a few hours later. Yes – she was happy enough. She’d made the curd from scratch and although there wasn’t time to make real Knights’ Bread, which needed overnight rising, she’d used baking powder instead of yeast to get a quick rise and it looked good. She’d signed the sachertorte with lemon sugar icing and although there was plenty to worry about – was there enough curd under the chocolate? Too late to tell now. Would they dislike the yeastless bread? Would the quiche be too eggy? She’d layered the vegetables in a swirly pattern in the top so it looked good. She suspected Royse knew as well as she herself did that food really was a many-sense experience, and visuals were also part of it. For that reason she wasn’t going to cut the Sachtertorte either; she’d serve it with plates, a jug of lemon cream and knives for them to cut their own slices and not ruin the smooth, glossy chocolate.

For a mad moment she wondered if she should have dyed some of it blue, and bit down on the giggle rising in her throat. Breathe – calm down. What happens if they hate it? You’ve lost nothing expect some pride and you didn’t have much of that anyway. You can get Apple and pack up and go back to Gridania and never think of this again. To her surprise, she didn’t want to do that, though. She liked the friendly Latool Ja and his companion, Gaheel Ja, another beastman living in the heart of Ul’Dah. Getting a free room and board was a nice perk. Royse seemed like a decent boss. And there was a strange sense of…well – glamour, excitement – about the place. It was somewhere between a bar and a circus – well, a Carnivale - and she wanted to see the magic. She was curious, she’d admit it to herself. Her skin prickled with nerves when she remembered she was serving to her boss and the star of the show. What was he like, this showman mage? She’d probably never have to see him face to face again, anyway, which was a relief, but she’d like to watch the show, anyway. It felt, for the first time, like a contribution to something greater, something vivid and fun and enjoyable.

A consummate businesswoman like Royse would have laughed at that – that she wasn’t seeing beneath the surface, that she was acting, in essence, like a customer, all google eyes at the show, but she’d never been up close and personal with anything like this. The theatre. The colour. It felt…unique. She’d never really been to much organised entertainment, because going alone was so dismal, but even the passing street bards hadn’t felt like this. She could see why the place was popular.

By the time the doorman – Ocher Mountain – had put a head around the door to say Royse was ready for the starter, she was feeling panicky, her heart galloping. I shouldn’t care this much. But she did. She couldn’t turn it off. Think of Apple. Breathe, for heavens’ sakes. This won’t even have been the most humiliating thing that would have happened to you. She ground fresh black pepper over the bowls of soup and clenched her fists for a moment to stop them trembling, then picked up the tray, licked her lower lip and walked carefully behind Ocher to the dining room.

Royse was there, and another doorman she hadn’t met yet, who raised a scornful eyebrow at her small shaky figure. Ignore it. You’ve had worse. Royse gave her an expectant look. Expectation was fine. The last guest was the Blue Mage himself.

He gave her a big gamin grin. She nearly dropped the tray and, cheeks a hideous and humiliating red, turned her eyes back to Royse. Oh yes, that was definitely a showman. He was attractive, although he wasn’t exactly classically handsome – although he had lovely golden eyes – but he had charisma. It unsettled her instantly. She wasn’t used to having megawatt smiles pointed in her direction. Her eyes must have looked pleading or at least confused, as she stood there rooted to the spot like an idiot, because Royse smiled a little too, trying to be kind. It said a lot that she’d rather face her potential boss’ face than his. Even out of the nice suit, in normal clothes, her had something she couldn’t quite look too long at.

She wished she’d eaten something herself before this to stave off the dizzy feeling.

“The name’s Martyn,” he said, as if he didn’t notice her discomfiture or at least was politely ignoring it. “I’m the resident Blue Mage.” She felt, rather than saw him smiling again.

“Pleased to meet you,” she said on autopilot, because her parents had drilled manners into her. For a moment she thanked them because without the mental memory she would have just stood there, mouth flapping like a fish.

“My name is Sthalmhas,” said the Roe in the doorman’s suit. He neither looked not sounded impressed and that was somehow reassuring. It felt normal, it brought some semblance of realism to the moment. She inclined her head towards him in a half-bow, her limp hands clutching the tray harder.

“Let’s have the soup, then, darling,” trilled Royse – at least someone was excited. She chewed the insides of her cheeks hard to settle herself and, avoiding everyone’s eyes, placed the tray down and served the bowls.

“This smells great!” Royse enthused, and she flushed again. Perhaps she could beg Ocher to serve the other courses while she paced in the kitchen. But they hadn’t dismissed her, so she had to stand there and watch the floor and listen to them eat and chatter to each other between bites, wishing the sands under the building would somehow rise up and consume her.

“I’m surprised,” she heard the biting voice of Sthalmhas, low and mildly…well, not disgusted. “I wasn’t expecting much.”

“I was,” said Royse, smugly. “I thought you darlings would know better than to doubt my skill at finding talent by now. After all, I found you two, didn’t I?” The Roe snorted.

He was saying something now, something jokey and complimentary, and she forced herself to not focus on the words. She got the feeling he was still looking at her, but she kept her eyes trained determinedly on the floor.

Her mind filtered out the rest of the talk until Ocher touched her gently on the shoulder. She nearly leapt a malm.

“Let’s go get the main course, eh?” he suggested, and she nearly melted with relief.

“Do…are you able to serve it, please?” she asked, trying not to sound like she was begging, as they walked back to the kitchen. “While I tidy up the torte?”

He smiled gently and compassionately. “Of course,” he said. If she’d been a different person, and perhaps if they hadn’t just met, she would have hugged him. “Ms Royse can be a little overwhelming but she’s fair, and she’s kind. Don’t worry.”

She wanted to laugh. She wondered what he’d say if she told him Ms Royse was not the problem here. Her heart was still racing so hard she could physically feel it in her throat, smashing a miserable rhythm up and down her body. What was this? Did she really want this job any more? A wild urge to just run out of the Celestium, never to return, gripped her. She could grab Apple and escape. They’d almost definitely never find her. They would get the main course and the tarte for free and she’d never, ever think of those sparkling golden eyes ever again. You literally know nothing about this man – any of these people! You’re not stupid. Stop this at once. A little internal scorn and shouting calmed her down to the point where she could hand the quiche to the amazing, life saving Ocher Mountain, who smiled at her again – the one age group that had always had some time for her had been older people, who apparently thought of her as some sort of misbegotten grandchild – and took the food to be served.

“Is the chef alright?” Latool Ja peered around the kitchen door at her as she stood wringing her hands. “The chef looked unhappy. Latool Ja thinks the food looked excellent.”

She mustered a faint grin. She’d had more positive attention from the folk here than she had in Gridania for literal years. It was ridiculous.

“I’m fine,” she assured the Mamool Ja, willing it to be true. He smiled.

“People here are nice. Martyn is very silly sometimes but a good friend. Martyn taught us Blue Magic, too. He brought us to stay here and made Royse let us live here too and keep learning. Even grumpy Sthalmhas is good person.”

“Oh good,” she said faintly. She could have done without hearing that. Being told he was a nasty person, arrogant, rude, something, anything, would have gone a long way to squashing this inexplicable idiot – hormone feeling. Because that, obviously, was what it was. Her body was stupid and so was her heart.

She didn’t believe in love, let alone at first sight. Crushes on stablehands as a younger woman had left her disappointed and embarrassed, even though she didn’t act upon them. As if the men sensed her burgeoning affection, they went out of their way to mock her. The nicer ones her stupid heart had decided were pleasant had the kindness to simply ignore her. In Limsa she’d smugly decided she’d grown out of being attracted to anyone because it was pointless. Loneliness was a state to learn to live with, and keeping her foolish heart safe was the only way to not be hurt. She’d never felt this monstrous backhand of instant attraction before. She loathed it. Being told he was a decent person as well – who clearly didn’t discriminate against beastmen either – did not help in the slightest.

Maybe there’s still time to ruin the torte, she mused. Then I definitely won’t get hired and I can just leave. But the professional in her couldn’t do that.

Latool Ja was looking at her curiously. “I’m fine, really,” she assured the kind beastman.

“If the chef says so,” he said dubiously, but he left her alone.

Ocher Mountain was her next visitor, and he was delighted. “They loved it,” he told her. “Have to say, I’d be happy to try any leftover cake.” He grinned at the sachertorte. The food. If they have anything positive to think of you, it’s because of the food. Remember that.

That grounded her a bit. “You’re welcome to it!” she managed a weak smile for him, loading up the tray with the cream jugs and plates. “I thought - they could cut their own pieces so they can see the whole thing.”

“Good plan,” the Roe said, balancing the tray gracefully. “You sure you don’t want to serve?”

“If you…um. If you don’t mind…” she mumbled, but he nodded.

“Not a problem. Ms Royse wasn’t bothered, so it’s all good.” He tipped her a small salute with his free hand and disappeared with the sachertorte.

Latool Ja came back in to apparently keep her company, or perhaps just because Royse had him on call as the candidate minder.

“So, you know Blue Magic?” she managed, trying to make small talk. The Mamool Ja nodded.

“A little bit. Gaheel Ja and Latool Ja are learning, although also are sidekicks for show sometimes. Before working here,” he laughed. “Helped Martyn sell job crystals and demonstrate blue magic. Not entirely honest but needed money to help people and not starve.” He grinned. “Martyn mean well and is good salesman and showman but not always totally honest with adventurers.” He waved a hand. “Is also adventurers’ own faults. They not read Blue Magic Spellbook properly.”

“Oh?” she said, and he settled in, leaning against the wall to tell her the story of how they’d first come to Gridania, via near-arrest for slightly dodgy sales techniques.

She gave a small laugh. Well, at least he wasn’t perfect, then. That helped somehow, knowing there was a solid reason to not trust the man. With a smile like that, she instinctively knew not to, anyway. Nobody who smiled like that would be kind to her for its own sake. But she wasn’t naïve enough to buy a dream from him like the adventurers had. She knew when good looking men smiled at her, they were expecting to mess her over in some way, and she might be unattractive but she wasn’t stupid. It helped, to harden her heart a bit. His face had been so open back at the table, his eyes interested and kind. It was good to know that was a lie.

“Yellowjacket think it was for own greed, but that not true. Latool Ja and Gaheel Ja also think so at first until found out real reason. Martyn not tell us. Martyn think he can solve own problems,” the Mamool Ja continued. “Martyn want to help sick friends by buying expensive cure and learn more about Blue Magic. Let people think was greedy and conman, but that is not true. Not really.” He shook his head. “Latool Ja think Martyn very clever and very good mage, but also very stupid sometimes. Latool Ja and Gaheel Ja would help Martyn if Martyn had asked.”

“Oh,” she said, wishing she had a way to say anything more than one neutral syllable. He sounded complicated. She could believe that, this man with the public face and the private, man behind a mask. It sounded like something she herself would have done, if she was honest with herself. Telling the truth left you open to hurt. Not that he would think like that – he wouldn’t need to, not someone like him – but presumably he had his reasons for things. Suddenly weary, she sat down on the kitchen stool, rubbing her eyes. Why did she care? She wished Apple was here, wishing she could breathe in the familiar, safe scent of the ‘bo’s feathers and hear his reassuring ‘kweh’.

“Royse kind to take us all on and help get medicine, though!” Latool Ja continued. “Everyone here nice. Chef will like working here.”

“I might not get hired,” she said dully. But her companion shook his head.

“Food best Latool Ja seen in Crystarium, including Royse’s delivered food!”

She gave a lopsided smile, shrugging a shoulder. “Ah. Well. Thank you. I like food. Cooking is fun. It’s…it makes sense.”

The Mamool Ja opened his mouth to reply, but Ocher Mountain knocked at the door.

“They’re all finished now,” he said. “And ready to see you!”

He waved her out, and she forced herself to stand and follow the Roe, not even managing to respond to Latool Ja’s goodbye wave.

Please just be Royse. Please send me away. Don’t hire me. Don’t look at me, don’t look in my eyes with those eyes, like I’m…like I’m valid. Like I’m worthy of your attention. Just…don’t ever be near me again. I’ve enough to think about and deal with.  

[naturecoaster]

The Insider's Guide to 2020 Kumquat Festival

Kumquats are fun to eat, and the word kumquat is fun to say, so it stands to reason that the Kumquat Festival January 25 in Dade City is going to be a fantastically fun event for all! Promoted as a family-friendly alternative to Tampa’s Gasparilla, the Annual Kumquat Festival has been a staple on the last Saturday of January in historic downtown Dade City for over 20 years. Today, NatureCoaster provides a behind the scenes guide to all things kumquat to help prepare you for the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival.

What is a Kumquat?

First, one must know what a kumquat is. Kumquats are a small round or oblong-shaped citrus fruit that is sweet on the inside and has a tart skin. Kumquats are supposed to be eaten whole, so one might consider them the original SweetTart®.

Roger Swain, television horticulturist, explains kumquats at the 2016 Kumquat Grower's Open House. Image by Richard Riley. Kumquats are native to China and were given as a traditional gift on New Year’s Day. The name translates to “golden coins,” and the kumquat represents prosperity, according to information from TV horticulturist Roger Swain.

Why a Kumquat Festival?

More than twenty years ago, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce began holding a festival to celebrate the golden kumquat and all it has contributed to the area. Today, this wholesome, fun, and delicious event features over 400 vendors and 30 sponsors coming together throughout the streets of an historic, charming Southern town to celebrate the little fruit that is both sweet and sour.

The Kumquat Growers are located in the Wells Fargo parking lot on Meridian. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. “Once again, Dade City and Eastern Pasco County are preparing to welcome thousands of residents and visitors to our area.  It is our pleasure to produce this quality event, and we invite everyone to enjoy the Festival and come back and visit us again,” says John Moors, Executive Director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.

What Happens at the Kumquat Festival?

There is some amazing shopping, eating, drinking, fun activities and community spirit that envelope visitors to the Annual Kumquat Festival. With over 400 vendors situated in beautiful downtown Dade City, no-one gets bored. Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.  Local entertainment folk dancers, cloggers, local church choirs, and wholesome local acts.

Kumquat pie is so good. Creamy, slightly sweet citrus and a tart kickoff on a delectable graham cracker crust and worth a trip to the Annual Kumquat Festival for an indulgence. Image courtesy of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. The vendor choices are off the charts! There are arts and crafts, fine art, farmers market, food and beverages, and sponsor booths. Because the weather is usually beautiful and sunny, it is a good idea to rest periodically. When you get a little tired, take a few minutes to enjoy a snack and find a place to rest. Chairs can be found at the Historic Courthouse for those who want to take a break while enjoying some live local entertainment. Several picnic tables can be found at various locations. Pace yourself, take a few minutes to relax, and don’t forget to stay hydrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLr7BieIKQ Information booths are located at the intersection of 7th Street & Meridian Avenue and 3rd Street & Meridian Avenue. They can also be found on our Live Event Map at www.KumquatFestival.org, along with food and restroom locations. Here is where you can purchase your Official T-Shirt, Hat or Visor, or ask questions. 

Kumquat Festival Car Show

Pops 54 by Mike Groseclose at the Kumquat Festival Car Show a few years back. This year's Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club, drawing great vehicles from around Florida and the southeast U.S. The Annual Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club this year and features an amazing variety of classic cars and trucks in the large parking lot of the downtown Judicial Courthouse. Trophies, dash plaques and a well-organized show attracts some of the nicest vehicles to be seen in the Southeast U.S. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsors Make the Kumquat Festival Happen

The Annual Kumquat Festival is sponsored by many large, medium, and small organizations in the Dade City area. Sponsors often have large vendor spaces and offer freebies and information to Annual Kumquat Festival guests. Advent Health Dade City is the headlining sponsor for 2020, joining Florida’s Sports Coast, VisitFlorida, and dozens of business and government partners who come together to make the day memorable.  

Stop in one of the Friendly Local Shops and Restaurants

Local storefronts are decorated for the festival in kumquat themes and it can be nice to duck into a shop or restaurant and rest during the festivities. The Brass Tap, at the corner of 7th Street and Pasco Avenue offers Kumquat beer for the connoisseur.

If you get lucky, you might find Fairy Cake when you visit Lunch on Limoges in Dade City. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. Dade City is a great town to visit any day and the unique shops and restaurants that make up this vibrant downtown are another great way to spend part of your day. Antiques, toys, books, jewelry, quilting, and pet supplies are some of the types of shops you will find. Restaurants vary from an authentic tea house to sandwich shops, coffee shops, Mexican, Italian, craft beer and fine dining. Although Dade City is a pet-friendly city, please allow your pets to stay at home during the festival.

Hundreds of Vendors provide Unique & Kumquat Items

Kumquat beer and wine are available through local shops, restaurants, and a retailer or two. Image courtesy of Tampa Bay Brewing and Kumquat Growers. Unique arts and crafts are fun to discover in many of the vendor booths lining the streets of this quaint city in eastern Pasco County. Many of these artisans return year after year to sell their wares. Delicious kumquat foods, as well as many ethnic offerings are available to festivalgoers. There is a myriad of opportunities to sample the tasty little fruit, whether it be as marmalade, cookies, salsa, ice cream, refrigerator pie, or a sip of kumquat beer.

There is a kids zone for playing and more at the Annual Kumquat Festival. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Kumquat Kids Corral and Health Fair Onsite

A Kumquat Kids Corral offers families the opportunity to let off some steam with bounce houses, pony rides, games, face painting, rock climbing wall, a euro-bungee and more. The health fair gives visitors a chance to talk with providers and glean valuable information.

This family-friendly festival celebrates wonderful creations from the delicious kumquat citrus fruit. The whole town gets involved. Image by Gary Hatrick

Make it an Overnight Visit: Kumquat Growers Open House

The 2020 Kumquat Growers Open House will be held at the Kumquat Growers packing house in St. Joseph from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the Thursday and Friday before the Annual Kumquat Festival (Jan. 23 and 24). Here you can immerse yourself in the agricultural side of kumquats. Learn about the origin and history of kumquats in the Dade City area during the 15-minute talks held several times each day. You will also learn about the different types of kumquats and how they are used.

Come a day or two before the Annual Kumquat Festival and enjoy learning about kumquats at the Kumquat Growers Open House. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. There are tours of the Kumquat Growers packing house where we learn how kumquats are picked, processed, packaged and shipped, and a visit to the Kumquat Gift Shop where you will find a little bit of “all things kumquat.” Lunch and live music, along with some historic demonstrations are provided. Half hour tram tours allow visitors to see an actual kumquat grove. This tour explains the planting, maintenance, and care of kumquat trees for commercial production.

Places to Stay

Travelers Rest Resort offers nice accommodations close to Dade Citys Annual Kumquat Festival. Image courtesy of Pixabay. There is a nice Hampton Inn just south of downtown Dade City, and several hotels in Wesley Chapel along the I-75 and SR 56-SR54 corridor. Camping and RV hookups can be had at the Travelers Rest Resort.

Free Admission and Shuttle Service

Bring your family to the Annual Kumquat Festival on January 25, 2020, and have a blast discovering Dade City's most renown event. Image courtesy of Pixabay. Free admission, family fun and free shuttle service from parking areas. Satellite parking lots are at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36733 State Road 53, Dade City, and along U.S. 301 across from Jarrett Ford. The Kumquat Festival has become an important part of Florida’s Nature Coast, and the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival January 25 in downtown Dade City promises to be one not to miss.

Where Did the Kumquat Festival Come From?

Frank Gude, president of Kumquat Growers. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. Nearly 100 years ago, Casper Joseph “J. C.” Nathe came to what is now known as St. Joseph, and worked several jobs to make ends meet, including at a nursery near Jessamine owned by J. W. Ellsworth. There, he became acquainted with the kumquat, an ornamental plant that was given to wish prosperity to the recipient. Nathe planted an acre of kumquat trees in 1912, as well as 50 acres of citrus, and bananas, avocados, guavas, pineapples, and vegetables to feed his family and trade for other goods and services.

Kumquat Preserves, a real treat, homemade by Robin Draper. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. The Nathe family used the fruit for preserves and they became popular among area residents. Orders started coming in, so they began growing more kumquats. In less than 15 years, Florida Grower magazine crowned J.C. Nathe “the world’s kumquat king.” Several local St. Joseph families began converting their acreage to the profitable little sweet and sour fruit. From the 1930s to 1962, when a bad freeze destroyed the fruit on most of the trees, the number of kumquats grown in this rural area of eastern Pasco County grew and grew. Kumquat Growers, Inc. was started in 1971 by owners/growers Charles Barthle, Frank Gude, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken. The descendants of the original St. Joseph families have been growing, packing and selling kumquats for close to 100 years. For more information about the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival, click here. Read the full article

[andromedahawking]

NaNoWriMo Day 3

5000 words!! 1/10th of the way! (Italics mark yesterday’s work)

“All the more incentive to do well in school, so you never have to deal with that,” Maria said, pouring her glass. “Heck, you could be the young boss surrounded by older people.”

“Okay, I can get behind that. I would enjoy asserting my power over the elder masses.”

“You would, wouldn’t you.”

“What, like you wouldn’t?”

“I would,” Maria admitted. She downed her shot. “But then again, once you’re in your 30s, age stops mattering so much, so you wouldn’t really have as much of a power play.”

“Really?”

“Think about it, Thalia. What’s the difference between 41 and 45, compared to 18 and 22?”

“…Oh. Okay, that makes sense.”

“Yeah. The longer you live, the less a year is to you.”

“Age is weird, man.”

“You’re telling me, sis. Bean-counting paradise.”

They turned on the TV briefly, but nothing good was on. There was only the usual sitcoms, crime procedurals, and, unfortunately, the news.

“Yeah, no, I don’t need to hear any more about election day.”

“Me neither.”

Thalia ended up going to bed, and Maria stayed on the couch, letting the alcohol kick in. After a few minutes of staring at the wall, feeling her body get warmer from the inside out, she stood, and walked into the kitchen and opened her computer back up.

Group Chat with: Adrien, Hannah, Tatie, Graham

Maria: Okay, full disclosure folks, I’m texting under the influence. But. We need to get this project staarted ASAP.

Adrien: You are drunk if you’re saying things like that However, you probably have a point.

Maria: *started I do have a point.

Hannah: We should get together during free tomorrow if we don’t have anything else planned then.

Tatie: I can work that in.

Graham: Yeah, free is free for me too.

Maria: Sweet. That’s 4 for 4. Adrien?

Adrien: I can make it.

Maria: 5 for 5.

Hannah: Excellent. We’ll hash out details of what we’ll be doing when we meet then?

Tatie: Sounds good to me.

Maria: Where will we meet?

Hannah: Library?

Adrien: No go. Library doesn’t mix well with me.

Maria: Outside somewhere? By the dorms?

Graham: Yeah that could work

Adrien: Better

Hannah: Okay, let’s meet up outside the dorms at noon.

Maria: Not to jinx it or anything But the fact that it was this easy to set this up might mean the project won’t be too hard

Adrien: Oh boy I hope so I was always the one doing the work in groups

Graham: Same

Maria: Same

Hannah: Same

Tatie: S a m e

Adrien: …

Maria: Well how about that

Tatie: If that means we’re all good at pulling our weight this should be okay

Graham: Agreed. Let’s all do our part.

Maria: If not we will probably kill each other for it

Adrien: Tbh, tbh

Hannah: I’m going to bed. I’ll see y’all at noon outside the dorms tomorrow.

Graham: See you then.

Tatie: Good night.

Maria: Buh-bye.

Adrien: Sleep well.

—

That morning, Maria woke up to a very thick, oppressive fog outside the windows. She could hardly see the other side of the road from the living room. “Why does California have to be so foggy?…”

She knocked on Thalia’s door. “Hey, kiddo, it’s 8 now. I’m heading out. You gotta be out the door by 9:30, m’kay?”

“Mmmrrmph.”

“You better have set your alarm to go off in the next thirty minutes, otherwise you’re gonna have to make some sacrifices to make it on time,” she said. “See you later.”

She got to school just as the fog was starting to thin, and the ground started to catch some light through the gray that seemed to have eaten the city. “Cool, so now I have four hours to kill before free,” she muttered to herself. “What to do, what to do…?”

She ended up going to the library and got a head start on doing research for the project. The material was enough to give her a headache, but it was somewhat interesting:

2056. Presidential election of. Took place on November 7, 2056, with four major candidates running. The Republican candidate, Silvia Mazer, won in a landslide in Round 3 of voting, 297 to 240. It was the first election won by a Republican since 2028, and the first election when the Electoral College’s proportional voting went into effect. If the winner-take-all system were still in place, one source said, Mazer would have won Round 3 with 405 electoral votes to Darius Scott’s 132, only 7 votes short of her predecessor’s first victory of 412 votes.

Silvia Mazer had apparently spent most of her life in politics up to that point. She was born in Oakland, California (Hey, that’s just down the other side of the tunnel from here, Maria thought, ain’t that something special), and served one term as the representative for District 13 before being tapped by President Gabbard in 2040 to serve as the Secretary of Energy, and then tapped by President Plenard in 2049 to be the Secretary of Defense.

This was where things got a bit interesting: Mazer was a member of the Progressive Party up until 2043, and then became a Republican. Suddenly this made a lot more sense for Maria. They always drilled into them in high school that Mazer shifted the Republican platform in a big way, but they barely mentioned that she had ever been anything other than a Republican. They’d made it sound like she’d been a member of the party, but had different values all on her own; this made more sense, that she defected from the Progressive Party and kept some of their principles and campaign planks to incorporate into the Republican platform. Basically, she was an outsider, and she turned out to be one of the best candidates they’d put forth in an election in the 21st century, much like Plenard had been for the Democrats.

So, did that mean a basic formula for victory was “Party + Outsider = Win”? Probably not, but hey, it worked twice in a row in the 50s.

Everybody also talked about how Mazer was nearly unprecedented in that she was one of a very small group of former presidents who served in Congress following their presidency. She had been elected to the Senate in 2076, and re-elected in 2082. Maria had actually voted in the 2082 midterm, she’d just turned eighteen the month before. She hadn’t really thought much of it at the time, but now that she was looking at it, it was a little bit strange to think that a former President was still actively influencing politics on the national level. Most Presidents sort of went off the map when they finished up in the White House, right?

Then, before she knew it, it was nearly noon. She packed her stuff up, and ran out to the dorms.

Adrien and Hannah were already there, computers and notebooks out, pens and pencils at the ready. “Hey there, Maria,” Adrien said. “How’s it going?”

“I just spent four hours reading up on anything and everything Mazer-related,” she said. “Got sort of… lost in it for a while there.”

“That’s dedication,” he said. “I wouldn’t be ale to sit still for 4 hours, let alone spend all that time reading.”

“If it makes you feel better, Maria, I spent last night doing a lot of research on the primaries,” Hannah said. “There’s gobs and gobs of stuff on the 'net about this election.”

“No kidding,” Maria said. “They’re still talking about it, even today.”

“Good for us, I guess?” Adrien said. “Means we have contemporary stuff.”

“I think a lot of these people could stand to get outside a bit more,” Hannah said. “Or get better jobs than analysing one election to death.”

“Same here,” Maria said. “Like, points for being thorough, but seriously, see the sun, stretch your legs. Eat some ice cream once in a while.”

“Oh no, don’t make me hungry, I haven’t had lunch yet…” Adrien groaned.

“What?!” Hannah gaped at him in shock. “Adrien! Go to the cafeteria! Get some food! You can’t work on an empty stomach!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go!” he said, laughing weakly. “Back in ten minutes.”

By the time he got back, Graham and Tatie had shown up as well. “Okay. So,” Hannah began, “how many of us think we found something we can each concentrate on for this project?”

Maria, Tatie, and Hannah raised their hands. “Okay, what are those things?” she asked. “Mine is the primaries.”

“I can focus on Mazer’s campaign,” Maria said.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea on how to cover the Progressive campaign,” Tatie said.

“Okay, cool, cool,” Hannah nodded. “Graham, Adrien, what do you guys think?”

“Um… I mean, to be honest, I have sort of a vague idea on how to cover the whole thing,” Adrien said, “but I don’t really have a handle on one specific aspect of it.”

“I have ideas on how to cover some of the campaigns in the general,” Graham said, “but I don’t really have a full picture for it yet.”

“Alright. Well, we can work with that,” Hannah said. “So, even without you guys knowing qute what you wanna do, it sounds like we have a few things already sort of hashed out. I can do the primaries, Maria can cover Mazer, Tatie can cover Hanover, so you guys could probably take Birch and Scott for yourselves.”

“Okay, I think I can do that,” Graham said. “Adrien, do you have a preference between either of them?”

“Not really,” Adrien shook his head, biting on the end of his pen. “I guess if push came to shove, I’d wanna take Birch over Scott.”

“Cool. I’ll take Scott, then.”

“Nice!” Maria said. “That didn’t take too long to get figured out.”

“If we can keep up a similar pace through this whole thing, I would absolutely love that,” Hannah said. “Okay. I set up a shared doc for us all, so you should have the link in your e-mail now. Do y’all wanna start by just adding your stuff in and then editing, or go one by one and we’ll all edit together?”

“Let’s edit together,” Tatie said. “Coordination is underrated in these sorts of things.”

“What an incredible irony,” Adrien muttered behind his hand.

—

It made Maria feel a lot better seeing how smoothly this meeting went. Nothing like the previous group projects she’d been a part of. Everybody contributed, everybody had something to say.

[adamandbrittanyinhawaii]

Philly - A Step Back In Time

A strange truth about business travel is you go to a lot of places but you never really see them.  On the flip side, our ballpark tour should take us to a lot of places but also give us a chance to explore them.  Philly is the latest example.

We got up at 3am on Friday and took the 5am train north to DC.  It was going to be 6.5 hours to get home so we figured taking the first train out made the most sense.  With wifi, the train ride actually makes for a rather productive trip and helped me not feel so bad about sitting in one place for so long.

First on the itinerary was visiting City Hall which is an iconic building in the middle of town.  However, I failed to book a tour to the top ahead of time so we were boxed out from going up there.  On the upside there was a festival in the center that PM giving away hot dogs, philly pretzels, snow cones and drinks.  A decent consolation prize in my opinion.

But you don’t come to Philly for City Hall, you come for the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  The former is easy to go see and there is a small museum with history about the bell.  It’s sort of boring though, not going to lie, but it makes for cool photos.  Much better was the fact that Independence Hall was right there, but getting tickets or doing walk on tours can be tough.  We were able to get in and to have stood in such a historical place was pretty amazing.  Think about it, not only was the Declaration drafted there, but so was the Constitution a decade later!  The fact that it’s still standing despite British occupation is also fairly remarkable.  They even had the original chair Washington sat in.  

For those of you that aren’t history buffs, you may not know Philly was the 1st US Capital.  It wasn’t until ~1800 that it moved to DC.  This meant the SCOTUS actually had its first meetings in Philly for a decade and the highest court in the land consequently had to share a courtroom with the local courts, hence the jury box seen here:

We actually have a number of friends that used to live in Philly so we had no shortage of food recommendations.  For dinner we went to Zahav’s which is a MUST VISIT place.  I’m not going to go all foodie here, but just take our advice and go!  Afterwards we walked to Penn’s Landing, the waterfront park at the Delaware River.  It was super hip with food trucks, a roller rink, hammocks, boats that you can go do happy hour on and so much more.  Of course it only got more enjoyable as the night wore on and the lights reflected off the water.  Needless to say, we were glad we went.

Saturday we were off to the other iconic part of town that stretches from City Hall to the Museum of Art (Rocky steps).  In between is a gorgeous road cutting diagonal between the spots with wide bike lanes (yes!), the Love statue and a few other tourist photo opps.  It was a beautiful and sunny day so we did them all....

To remind you again though, we had a lot of friends that lived here so we had WAY too many food recommendations that we even knew what to do.  Consequently we just tried to do them all.  We went to Reading Terminal which promised to check off a number of them with Amish pastries like Apple Dumplings, Dinic’s brisket sandwiches and homemade puddings.  Somehow we weren’t stuffed to the gills and still made room for authentic boba milk tea in Chinatown!  We went toe the Constitution Museum near Independence Hall which was nice, but nothing to write home about.  Probably more fun was afterwards when we made our way to Elfreth’s Alley, the longest inhabited street in America.  It is SUPER cool and during the summer they even have tours available of the old houses.  Remember, people live there so it is pretty cool that they open their doors to folks.  We went through the designated museum and had some fun getting all dressed up.

We also made time to do one of their “story times” in Elfreth’s Alley which is a fun scavenger hunt of sorts if you go to Philly with kids because it has 12 locations around old town and they give kids stickers as they go to each one.

Since it had been at least 30 minutes since our last food intake, we biked down to Jim’s to have their world famous Philly Cheese Steak and it was fantastic.  Much different than the imitation philly cheese steaks elsewhere and very sloppy.  Somehow we still were hungry enough to go for some ice cream nearby at one of the oldest ice cream shops in America.  In the heat that day I would’ve eaten anything that cold though, regardless of taste.

We made our way down to the ballpark finally for the game.  There’s a lot that can be said about the experience.  First is that they make a “bell ringing” noise everytime a homer is hit.  That was cool.  They also have a giant electric lit bell both inside and outside the stadium.  They also have famous lobster fries that are 1,500 calories per container!!!!! Yowza!  There was a fun party deck in center field but I couldn’t help feeling like this stadium had an odd similarity to the Mets and Nats stadiums.  Kid’s whiffle ball park in centerfield, Shake Shack with a huge stand in center, party deck for adults above that, new/modern stadiums and just generally same feel.  The Nats has a great central location, Mets/Phillies, not so much.  However out of all the ballparks this year, Mets was my favorite without a doubt.  Such awesome food options inside, seemingly a new vendor everywhere you looked, a very intimate feel to the stadium, and while you aren’t in the city like the Nats, the rail line is a stone’s throw from the main exit so it is super convenient.  Excluding CLE, I’d say the Mets, and Orioles have my 2 favorite stadiums, followed closely by Cincinnati.

Sunday we closed the loop on all the final things we wanted to do.  I ran the Rocky steps, we went to go enjoy donuts and coffee, went to giant park behind the Philly Museum of Art and then meandered on back to the train station.  A very fun and successful trip.  Already are looking forward to our next one!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #87

“i wanted more than life could ever grant me.”

if you could would you take back your last kiss?  i sure would. is the last person you kissed, going to be the next person you kiss? definitely not. how long was your longest make out?  like... hours. if you told someone how far have you have gone with the opposite sex, how would others view you? honestly? i'd be called a prude by most. do you think love lasts forever? not always where will you go for your next holiday? mom wants to go to tennessee to see my brother. where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?  i don't recall. how many colleges did you attend?  two what are your thoughts on gas prices?   i've seen worse. it's been over $4 once. does your shirt have buttons? no. what was the name of your first boyfriend? aaron do you ever get carsick?  i never have. do you ever read things you wrote as a kid? what were you like? oh my god... i haven't in a long, long time because i was so cringey. would you be content to turn out just like your mom?  no, honestly. if humans could have their eyes be any color in the world, which color would you want? hmmm... purple, maybe? red? pink? do you think it’s possible for an 18 year old to be ready to get married? honestly? no. you need to mature more before you make that dedication. ever been kissed by a legal adult when you were a minor or vise-versa? yes, actually. ever been kissed by someone you didn’t want to kiss?  see above. have you ever given or received an obvious hickey? not too obvious. but that doesn't mean it wasn't seen lol o o p s where did you lose your virginity, if you have? i haven't. does it snow where you live? like once every other year. what flavor was the last ice cream you ate? chocolate would you rather vacation by a beach or a lake? beach, i guess. do you like folk rock? no. do you hate it when people post statuses on facebook like “today was amazing” “i’m off to bed”? "i'm off to bed" particularly annoys me. because no one cares. do you like the show "drake and josh"? SO MUCH who’s your favorite disney princess and why? i'm not really certain, but i'd say jasmine. it was ariel when i was a kid. do you like celery and peanut butter? i hate celery. do you like pulp-y orange juice? i can't drink orange juice with pulp in it. i gag. do you still have your tonsils? yes. do you prefer the old or new willy wonka film? i prefer the new one. do you think cow tipping is funny or cruel? very, very cruel did your high school principal know you by name? i highly doubt it. what’re your greatest weaknesses? i'm not confident at all. what about your greatest strengths? i guess that i'm dedicated? are you in love and if so, are you in a relationship with them? sadly i am not dating mark fischbach lmao if you had to choose, what would you say your favorite thing to do is? write or play games. what’s your biggest passion? meerkats and mark are pretty much tied. i am a sad human being. what or who is the most important thing or person in your life? probably my mom. when was the last time you felt particularly depressed? when i had a ptsd breakdown like a month ago. who’s your favorite person? i have said his name too many times in this survey lol what’s your biggest ambition? go to the kalahari desert and photograph meerkats. assuming you ever liked pokemon, which one is your favorite? ninetales! have you ever collected cards of any kind? pokemon cards as a kid. do you honestly have any feelings at ALL for anyone? i'll always have "feelings" for him. but that doesn't mean i love him anymore. if you could go back to 3 years ago and live it over would you? no. because i doubt i could survive my breakup twice. do you plan to moving out within the next year? no. do you think you’ll be married in 5 years? doubt it. when is your birthday? february 5th. who are your best friends? the closest thing i have to a best friend is sara. what do you think about people who cheat? they're pretty low to do such a thing. when angry, do you get loud or quiet? i can do one or the other. have you ever been in a secret relationship? kinda. ever been in a car accident? yes. are you afraid of the dark? no. are you a good driver? no. i'm too anxious to be a good driver. who do you wish you would never see again? why? rachel, and because i'm sure she's still a motherfucking bitch. have you ever experimented with drugs? which type and what happened? no, and i don't plan to. what’s your greatest insecurity? my weight. now that i'm off abilify though, i'm losing quite a bit. have you ever been hospitalized? what for? yes, for suicide attempts and being suicidal. how long does it take for you to take a shower? not even 15 minutes. i don't understand how people can take such long showers?? like do your shit and get out. do you like the smell of gasoline? fuck no. gives me a headache. how many kids do you want to have? i only ever want furry and scaly babies. have you eaten an apple today? no. i doubt i'm ever gonna be able to eat one again comfortably, though, now that my lip's re-pierced in the middle. i can't even drink from soda cans. who was your 3rd grade teacher? mrs. britt would you ever tattoo the name of a bf/gf or spouse on yourself? nope, never. how awkward are you? to the fucking max. favorite fast food joint? bojangle's. ya'll outside nc don't know what you're missing. what would you do if your ex contacted you? jason? answer him. tyler? ignore him. last time you had anal sex? never have, NEVER want to. vodka, whiskey, or rum? i wouldn't know. i'm not sure i've ever had any of them? do you know cpr? no. but i really should learn. what age would you like to have a child?  preferably never. are your parents wealthy?  hell no. your nickname? most people online call me ozz, or just my real name. pick one state you’d love to live in? utah. how many pets do you want? and of what?  more than anything, i want a ball python morph. i also want another lizard, but i'm not sure what kind. i'd love an akita inu or papillon, or maybe a saint bernard (i'd need a bigger house or yard for that, though). i also want a sphinx soooo badly. a ferret would be nice, but idk if i could handle something with so much energy. i want a lop-earred rabbit, but i know i'd best not, because their cages require sooo much maintenance. i also would like a cockatiel, but i doubt i'll ever actually get a bird. what if you stopped orgasming for the rest of your life? i honestly wouldn't care. i never have before, so i mean i could live the rest of my life without it. your favorite breakfast food? pancakes. but they have to be well-made pancakes. is the last person you kissed a virgin?  probably not. have you ever let someone be your everything?  yeah. don't ever do that. do you believe that everyone deserves a second chance? nope. last person you kissed?  tyler. regrettably. what is the last song you heard? the acoustic version of "another song about the weekend" by ad2r are you nice to everyone?  i try to be, but i guess realistically i'm not. do you crack your knuckles a lot?  i never do. they don't crack. is the taste of beer good to you? never tried it, never want to. the smell is awful enough. do you think extensions look fake? sometimes. are you high? never been high. compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? WAAAAAY happier. is there a girl that knows everything about you? i don't think so, no. have you ever played slender?  the phone app, yes. never got into it. do you find it offensive when people use terms like retard?  honestly, yes. maybe it's stupid, but it's a personal trigger of mine. i just think it's very rude how often that term is misused. retardation is not a joke. do you have a weak stomach? nah. what age group do you find the most annoying?  like 12-15. do you believe in evolution? nope. do you prefer listening to music out loud or through headphones? headphones. do you think that you’re smart? i used to. i was an a student in school, only sometimes getting a b in high school. idk whatever happened. do you read creepy pasta? if not, you should. nope. "never say never," do you prefer the one by justin bieber or the fray? the fray, of course. have you ever vandalized? no. have you ever felt you were the “random face in the yearbook”?   of course. what is your religion?  creationist christian which do you remember more: insults? or compliments?  insults, definitely. do you like eating chocolate covered cherries or strawberries?  strawberries, yes.  well actually... i did try chocolate-covered cherries once, and they were fine.   but it's weird, because i hate cherries? ever had a really scary dream? tell me about it.   i'd rather not.  my two worst nightmares ever include my dad, and they happened after the divorce. would you rather have pasta or chicken?   pasta. what's your favorite flower?   not entirely sure of my all-time favorite flower anymore.  i adore tiger lilies, and roses with a peach-pink gradient are absolutely wonderful. do you like spaghetti?  i love spaghetti. pick one: apples or oranges?   apples.  i hate oranges.  too bitter. what do you like better: sour or sweet candy?   if i had to pick, sour. would you ever tell your mom about the things you’ve done sexually?  i mean totally honest, i don't have much to hide, but i still wouldn't. would you rather pierce your tongue or lip?  lip, which is pierced. do you have an attitude?   i can. would you kiss someone to make your ex bf/gf mad?   no.  i'm not that petty. do you wear a ring on your finger?  on my right ring finger. what’s the last kind of soup you ate?   don't know.  i don't really like soup. so, the last person you kissed just happens to arrive at your door at 3 am, do you let them in?  nope. does it bother you when people smoke around you?  very much. ever kissed a smoker?   no, and i refuse to. honestly - have you ever written something on a bathroom stall?   nope. are you the oldest, middle, youngest, or an only child?   middle do you like the ocean?  yes, but i'm also scared of it. what do/did you normally get detentions for?   i only ever got detention for too many tardies. are your ears gauged?   no.  i don't like ear gauges. are you moving soon?   no.  we just moved like two months ago. if you could move (and SERIOUSLY think about this) where would you move?  to the mountains of nc. have you ever cut your own hair?   nope. have you ever had a close friend/family member die?  a close family friend, rather.  i was a child and didn't fully "get" that she was totally gone. did you ever have a ‘security blanket’ when you were younger?   yep.  it was covered in baby animals. what is your all time favorite band?   if i had to pick only one and one alone, it's always going to be ozzy osbourne. what time does your dad usually wake up in the morning?   i don't live with my dad. how many prescription pills have you tried?   i don't like how this is worded.  like... i haven't "tried" anything in that sense.  i've been prescribed like around 20 in my whole life. do you know anyone who has died in battle?  no. when did/are you graduate high school?  2014 would you ever get an abortion?   NO. what is one word you can’t stand?  ugh.  "cunt."  i'm not even comfortable writing it. do you snore?   not to my knowledge. do you chew on straws?   no. can you blow a bubble?   yes. can you do a cart wheel?   no. can you wiggle your ears?  no. can you touch your tongue to your nose?   no. last baby you held?   ryder, my nephew. are you a flirty person?   no, generally. to you, is feeling a ‘connection’ important on the first date?  yes.  like i don't expect a massive connection, no, but you need something. do you kiss on the first date?   nope. m&ms or skittles?  usually skittles. are you the kind of person that takes pictures with a drink in your hand?   nope. is the thing you regret the most unspeakable?  i mean not really.  but i still don't talk about it. if you HAD to change your eye color what would it be to?  green. here’s $500, what do you spend it on?   a tattoo, probably. would you rather be librarian or a stripper?  librarian.  under no circumstance would i be a stripper. are you comfortable with your height?   sure. have you ever been stung by a bee?   no, actually. hottest teacher you ever had?   mr. sarina *swoons*  ... funny story, he got charged for having sexual relations with a minor some years later lmao do you have a house key?   yeah. does your house have a fireplace?   no. are there ever tornadoes where you live?   super rarely do you like watermelons more or cherries?   i honestly don't like either.  but if i had to pick, watermelon. do you think you are an argumentative person?   definitely not. was the last person you kissed physically attractive?   if you want honesty, no. can you listen to music and read at the same time?   only if it's instrumental. do you know anyone that owns horses?   yes. do any medical afflictions run in your family?   high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, and bipolarity, schizophrenia, and cancer are in question. what’s your favorite mexican dish?   i hate mexican food. have you ever been to a professional sports game?   hockey, yes. how far do you live from new york city?   at least 10-11 hours. do you prefer pads, tampons or something else?   tampons.  i can't do pads.  i don't want to wear a bloody diaper. how many boyfriends or girlfriends have you ever had?   only one that was serious.  one less-than-24-hours misunderstanding, one puppylove, and tyler... fuck dude idk what he was.  i'm not even comfortable calling him a boyfriend. what’s the name of your first real boyfriend or girlfriend?  jason. do you clean your ears daily?   not daily, no. what’s the best job you’ve ever had?   i've never had an evenly remotely good job. how about the worst?  dollar store cashier.  holy fuck no. have you ever visited someone in prison?   no.  and i wouldn't be able to, if they were justly convicted. do you own any animal print clothes?   no. do you like chick-flicks?   sometimes. favorite funny movie?   "white chicks" omgggg what is your favorite kind of berry?  strawberry do you have any tattoos? tell me about them.  my first is a semicolon butterfly that is tribute to both the semicolon and butterfly projects.  my second is "perfectly flawed," which is an otep song that tends to make me feel a bit better when i'm down.  my third is "ohana," but the "o" and a slanted semi-circle thing makes a heart.  my most recent is the quote "how rare and beautiful it is to even exist" with a crescent moon-ish shape behind it. have you ever had casual sex?   fuck no. do you drink diet or regular soda?   regular.  diet sodas give me a headache. have you ever been to europe?   no, but i would fucking love to. do you like fruit and vegetable combo juices?   you mean like, v8?  i like the fruit ones.  i can guarantee i'd hate the vegetable ones. have you ever blocked someone on facebook? why?  yep, and because she was verbally threatening me. were your grandparents present when you were born?  i don't know. have you ever played the game angry birds?   no. do you own any jewelry containing your birthstone?   yes. what condiments do you like on hamburgers?  a little bit of ketchup and mustard. are you claustrophobic?  in 90% of situations, yes as fuck. around what time do you usually eat dinner?  as early as 5:30 to like 8:00.  whenever mom makes something. do you like foods with coconut in it?   no. do you like carrots more if they’re raw, or cooked?   i hate carrots. did you play with legos as a kid?  no, but i did play with lincoln logs. is there a food that you love the taste of, but makes you feel sick?   bananas.  i get heartburn from hell itself almost immediately. have you ever visited your country’s capital city?  no, but we've driven very close to it while driving up to new york. what’s your favorite kind of mint? (peppermint/wintergreen/spearmint/etc.)   peppermint have you ever been to ohio?   yes.  dad's family is there. what is your last name’s heritage/country of origin? scotland. is the area in which you live flat, hilly, or mountainous?   flat. have you ever logged onto a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush’s social media account?   nope. have you ever had a eating disorder?   no, thankfully. how many proms have you been to in your life?   two. do you like polar bears?   yeah! do you know who your latest ex is dating?   i don't know and don't care who he's dating, if he is at all. have you ever had bronchitis?   no. are you afraid of snakes?   not at all.  i mean i'd obviously give a venomous snake its space because i don't want to die, but in general, snakes don't scare me. when’s the last time you saw a rat?   not since i had pet rats. what is your ringtone?   "telescope" by starset.  it's about time i changed it, but getting music onto my phone is such a bear. what’s your favorite symbol/character associated with halloween? (black cats, ghosts, bats, etc)   BATS! what’s your favorite gemstone?   dragon's breath opal. is that also your birthstone?   no.  my birthstone is amethyst.

[whitefeather79]

THE KISSING BOOTH PART 2: A KRISTANNA FANFIC

[bike42]

Eagle River Multi-Sport July 2020

July 26 – August 1, 2020

We had planned to do the Northwoods Wisconsin bike tour again this year, with my sister Sandra and her husband Matt.  The 2020 trip was cancelled due to the pandemic, and rescheduled to 2021.  That bummed us out, so we found a condo near Eagle River on VRBO and decided to do our own trip.  I contacted the organizer of the Northwoods ride to see if he’d share the bike routes with me, but he said he couldn’t due to liability issues. Understandable, so we thought we’d just figure it out.

Its about a 4-hour drive to Eagle River for me and Jeff; 8+ hours for Sandra and Matt from Moorhead, MN. Since our check-in wasn’t until 4PM, Jeff and I met my folks at their “Fish Camp” on the way up.  Fish Camp is a little cottage near Pelican Lake that my dad and brother have been building over the last 10 years.  Initially, it was going to be a camp during ice fishing season (my dad’s favorite time), but its morphed into a nice little retreat for my folks and they’re up there a lot – especially now with the pandemic going on.  All of their volunteer work is on hold, so they might as well be up there where they’re more unplugged from the world.  My dad fishes a bit, and my mom reads; they work on puzzles and play cribbage.  Lilly the cat sleeps on the screen porch – bigger than her “catio” at home.  We had a great visit, then headed another 30 miles north to our rented condo at the Chanticleer Resort.  San and Matt arrived just after 5PM and we had a nice dinner and great time catching up.

Monday morning, I was able to piece together one of the routes we’d ridden up here two years ago – ok, there were a few wrong turns, but most of it came back!  First stop was the historic Burnt Rollways Dam and Boat Hoist. Great information plaque about the history of logging in the area, and the boat hoist operator was just showing up for work, so it was fun to talk with him.  

From there, we rode the glorious County Highway X and went to a coffee shop in Three Lakes for a long break.  Mary and Geo (mom and dad) also met us there, and then they headed off for their own adventure which included looking at second-hand shops for a blender to make our smoothies.  The 4 of us rode to the boat launch at Franklin Lake and had lunch, and watched a small group (3 people, 3 kayaks and 3 dogs) launch with some considerable trouble due to the wind, and the dogs!  Never short of something to watch when you’re at a boat launch.  Then it was back to the condo, sort of making a big triangle for the day.  One of the roads I’d selected turned out to be gravel, so we rode further on Highway 70 instead.  Honestly, I was in agony.  Physically I was ready for the ride, but we’ve just not had much time on the saddle and my butt was so sore as by now it had been over 4 hours of riding.  Back for a shower and then mom and dad arrived with beer and the blender.  I tested it out with a batch of margaritas, we had dinner and then a walk down to the lake. San and Matt went for a quick swim, but then a rain storm whipped in out of nowhere!

Tuesday, we gave our butts a much-needed break and drove back to Franklin – Butternut National Forest to hike.  We choose the Hidden Lakes Trail, which our paper map without much detail said was “approximately” 15 miles.  Beautiful forest – up and down eskers.  Hardly anyone else out there.  We passed by several beautiful remote campsites and many beautiful lakes. About 7 miles in, we were walking along the edge of White Deer Lake, when I realized we were in a real campground – campers with generators, people with kayaks, people with dogs … we stopped in a beautiful empty campsite and had lunch, happy to have pit toilets and drinking water.  After lunch, we got into some swampy area around Four Ducks Lake.  Despite some valiant attempts to ford the swamp, we decided to turn back and hiked along the road back to our car – still a 14-mile day, so who know how long it would have been if we’d have been able to stick to the trail!! Exhausted, we headed out in search of beer and burgers – and found an awesome spot with an outside patio in Eagle River:  The Craftsman American Tavern.

Wednesday found us back on the bikes – this time we planned to ride a network of connected trails “The Heart of Vilas County.”  Rather than ride up and back, we decided to shuttle a car to our end point at Manitowish Waters.  Consequently, we didn’t start riding until 11 am!  We started in St Germain, rode through Sayner, and took a break at a store with an ice cream shop out back somewhere along the way.  The trail went through a lot of National Forest areas – so amazing!  One stretch along the shore of Trout Lake was breathtaking!  As we got closer to Boulder Junction, there was more traffic on the trail and that’s often a little uncomfortable.  Mary and Geo were in Boulder Junction and had eaten lunch there, we met them at the library and visited for a while.  The next stretch to Manitowish Waters was perfect – smooth trail with no road crossings and very few people.  I’d never seen a trail with mowed grass along both sides – it was like riding a golf course path!

Thursday, we took another day off the bikes and ventured out into the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. We went to Matt’s “Deer Camp” land (not as improved as Fish Camp is), and walked around the trails (old logging roads) there.  Then to Iron River for lunch, where we had a pasty picnic.  Back at the condo, we took the paddle boards down to the beach on Dollar Lake and cooled our sore behinds in the water!  It’s a beautiful little lake, complete with a Loon family with two babies.  On the front side of our condo, we’re steps away from one of the Chain ‘O Lakes channels that connects Eagle Lake to Voyager Lake – interesting boat and people watching, but not good for swimming!

For Friday’s ride, we pieced together some of what I’d recalled and rode county roads to Star Lake. There we had a picnic lunch and watched a couple loading up their kayak (45 minutes and probably less time than that on the lake!), and several people and their dogs.  On our way back, my route turned into a gravel road again, so back to Cty K and we followed the old yellow arrows on the road and it brought us to an area we remembered – except with a brand-new paved road.  We had a cold drink stop at Bauer’s Dam Resort, and then an easy and beautiful ride back to the condo.  We saw more than 20 deer today, and beautiful scenery.  Can’t wait to be up here riding again next year.  We rode about 57 miles today and the nerve endings must be dying off, as the long rides are finally getting comfortable.

Saturday morning, we had a casual morning – San went for a run, Jeff and Matt when out on the paddleboards on the channel and I did yoga on the dock.  Then we had breakfast, and packed up and headed out.  A fast week, but a fabulous one.  The weather was perfect – 70s and sunny every day, and 50s at night. Being with San and Matt is easy – meals fall together, decisions happen with no bad options, and people are forgiving when things don’t go as planned!  Next year when we can do the tour, it’ll feel very different!

[erinelezabeth920]

Epilogue: Galapagos

Ha, thought you were done with me eh? In the spirit of epilogues, I’ll try to be brief, but hey it’s unlikely. This blog was really just an exercise in trying to document a crazy fast, once in a lifetime experience that could slip by in the blink of an eye. Tears in the rain, via Roy Batty via Blade Runner. The writing wasn’t stellar. There were typos and shitty internet. But hey. I did it. It’s there and that can never go away. And it really helped me to imagine (even if it was only imaginary) that there were people on the other side. So if you’ve made it this far, really. Really. Thank you.

***

I got picked up from Monica’s at 5:30 am. Chelsea, Mayra and I rode to the airport. After paying the Galapagos visa fee and some booking kerfuffles, I got on the flight first to Guayaquil, then Isla Baltra. Landing on the island was cool; windswept with cacti, surrounded by water. I had an issue paying the 100$ Parque entrance fee, as I didn’t know it couldn’t be card and the airport ATM was out of cash. The airport folks held on to my passport, saying to pick it up in the town when I had my money. Seemed questionable but what can you do.

I took a bus, boat and another bus from the airport to a crossing to another island, and down a windy road on that island to a town. We passed farms and mostly empty green space. Luckily the bus dropped me off right in front of my hostel. Cool.

The town was neat. A mix of locals and tourists with markets and ceviche places. I took a nap, found some ceviche, walked to the docks and watched a movie. I was dead tired. The next morning I rented a bike, went to the Darwin Research center, and tracked down my passport. I had dinner with my friend Jenna from the program who was also traveling.

The day after I slept late again, picked up my laundry and biked/ walked to a beach. I met Mayra and Chelsea there. We sat for a bit staring at the waves and discussing the program. We met later that night for dinner and ended up at the only bar in town chatting up locals. They reminded me of my friends from Orcas Island. When in Galapagos?

The next day I shelled out some of my dwindling money for a snorkeling trip. The seas were rough and it was cold, but we saw seals, sharks, fish, rays and the most beautiful sea turtles. The folks on the trip were funny too. Two german girls who were very sick convinced the recent college grad from UCLA to tell stories about his past 10 months in Ecuador the whole time as a distraction. Surprisingly it worked.

I grabbed dinner with Mayra and Chelsea again, but was too tired to stay out. I met them for lunch the next day, where they had talked up the waiter and were getting free drinks. #blondeprivelage

After that I caught a boat from the dock to another island, Isabella. I had left the majority of my stuff at the hostel as I’d be returning in three nights. The ride was bumpy, two hours long and terrible. I had to pay a 10$ “docking fee”, whatever that is.

I spent three nights on Isla Isabella. It was beautiful but kind of a tough time as I didn’t bring enough cash. As a result I was hungry a lot and kind of lonely, a little over traveling. Which is a crazy feeling to have in the Galapagos but travel is not all sexy photos and cool stuff, regardless where you are. I’d argue islands make you more lonely. Andy and Emily were off backpacking the Enchantments, one of the most beautiful places in Washington, and Andy was heading to a wedding on a lovely island outside of Seattle after. I was homesick and spent a lot of time waiting for instagram stories to load on the low quality internet.

There were highlights though. A hike to a volcanic crater where the guide (in Spanish) told us about growing up on the island, how the culture was changing with more tourism (white specifically) and less Spanish. I didn’t understand everything, but enough to figure out he conveniently left that part out to the English speaking Canadian contingency of the tour.

Another fun part was that my friends Jenna and Audrey from the program were around. We’d get dinner and talk about our days, other travels and all the things. I said bye to them Friday night. Mayra and Chelsea had left the day before from another island, so it was just me.

Another day I went kayaking and snorkeling. There was a beautiful German man paddling in a double with me who I was better than. My two German friends from the snorkeling trip were also there, looking much less sick. It was a blast. We saw penguins on the rocks, seals, a sharks and a turtle. I loved just sliding off the kayak right into the water. After that, I walked the length of the beach to the end, where a gravel road travelled up into some mangroves. At the end of the road was a cool rock wall waterfall thing but it was a ways and getting dark, so I climbed up a lookout instead. It was beautiful.

The next day I left Isabella at 3pm. I saw my German friends on the beach who were taking surf lessons and invited me, but I didn’t have the money. My phone charger and watch had also both died that day, and I kept having to ask strangers what time it was.

The ride back was 100x better, probably because of the sea sickness pill Jenna had given me. I checked back into the hostel, grabbed my things, and got some food. Seafood pasta which wasn’t that good. Should’ve gotten the ceviche and michelada, the always wise words of Erin forever in my head. Push that comfort zone.

The night was pretty. I said bye to the salt air and the ice cream and the seals sleeping on the bench, but I was tired and running out of money and pretty ready to go. The next morning I misunderstood the timing for the bus and had to take a 25$ taxi to the dock. It ended up being ok though because the driver was really nice, told me about living on a farm on the island and how he hates the rain (it was raining). Plus, on the side of the road, just munching on some leaves, I finally saw a tortoise in the wild.

So began my 24 hour journey from Galapagos to Boston with a taxi, boat, bus, plane, plane, plane, plane. There was another docking fee for the airport and I was so fed up with upcharges by that point, I only had 4$ cash and made them take it.

I saw my German friends at the airport again. Funny how traveling does that. Back in Quito I ate onion rings and a milkshake which made my stomach hurt, but my American self couldn’t resist. In Miami, I kept speaking Spanish because why not, until the baggage claim had issues and I thought I’d miss my flight to Boston through customs. I would’ve had an actual meltdown. I had very little left at that point. Luckily it was fixed and I got to the gate just in time, arriving in Boston at 10am. After confusing texts, because Boston is always confusing, I met Andy at the baggage claim. We went straight to Dunkin Donuts, as I’d barely eaten since Quito,and sat on a bench outside the airport in the hot muggy air, waiting for our Air Bnb to open up before we took the train into the city. I watched the Red Sox and Patriots hats go by, and held my iced coffee like a diamond. I talked and talked and talked, finally in person without the internet delay. And Andy smiled and listened and commented supportively. And occasionally hugged me to remember I was real, and we were happy.

We spent the next week with family and friends in Boston and Rockport Mass, and I was happy floating with comfort, family, good food, someone to sleep next to. I saw old friends in Boston, and a Seattle friend moving to Norway. My stomach didn’t hurt and my brother and his girlfriend came up from New York. We went sailing, drank wine with my aunts and uncles, did puzzles and played Euchre, ate lobster and it was maybe the happiest week of my life. Nothing like leaving to make you appreciate the things you love most.

Then, 5 days later we dropped off Colin, Lian and Andy at the airport and bus station in Boston in a rainstorm. My dad and dog and I drove back to Rochester. That’s where some of the post travel depression set in. In reverse culture shock phases there’s the honeymoon followed by the lull, the reaclimation. I didn’t sleep well, slept late in the mornings. I visited grandparents in nursing homes which is always hard when you never know which time is the last goodbye. Plus I think, regardless of travel or not, childhood homes as an adult are always hard, a strange mix of feelings.

On the plus side I had fresh peaches, good Italian food and cut all my hair off. I hung out with my parents, driving around looking at smaller houses they should move in to, knowing they’re happy where they are. The last night I went with my dad to race our sailboat on Lake Ontario. There was strong wind and I sat in the front, watching the sun set. We got first place, the same boat my grandparents raced 30 years before. I dove into the water and let it rock me, the original water as I spent the first two years of my life in a little house on Lake Ontario, carried in the waves in my mother’s arms before I could walk.

The sun set. The crescent moon rose. The crickets chirped. That heavy almost midwestern summer night. The men sat on the porch and talked about the race. I drank a Molson Canadian and flipped the sausages. I was flying out to Seattle in the morning. I took a breath and looked around, letting it seep in. This was home, deep and rooted as the heart on the sail of our boat. We can travel the world in wide circles, as far as we want but those strings, invisible strings will always ground us and root us to the earth, a small piece in the puzzle, branch of the tree of our family, ancestors and the bodily feel alignment, relaxing into your deepest, original self.

Until next time my friends.

Always in adventure,

Erin

[intendedtobeblank]

Welcome to Thailand

After wrapping up in Myanmar, feeling a little low after such a high with fun travel companions and also missing fresh, clean California nature goodness, my last night in rather polluted and frenetic Mandalay passed quickly and I arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand where I met a very special guest in this trip, my mum!

We are traveling together for the month of November in Thailand, Cambodia, and Taiwan and I wasn't sure what to expect but so far it has been a treat. She's a sweetheart and I'm learning she is more adventurous then I had realized! I'm grateful to spend time together as I think our shared time for this trip will probably equal to the total days I've seen her probably over the last maybe, 5 years, crazy. There are giggly moments when she has quite the sense of humor, which makes my day, like when we tried durian ice cream (FYI the ice cream concept didn't make the durian flavor more palatable).

So we started in Chiang Mai (which many travelers I met en route told me they adored- I now totally agree). It is a beautiful northern Thailand city; interesting, relaxed, beautiful, diverse, delicious. This is a city where there is something for everyone - outdoorsy mountain bike folks can ride some gnarly downhill from Doi Suthrep National Park, culture and history aficionados can explore the plethora of intricately decorated Buddhist temples, night markets with lots of crafts, clothes and snacks which come alive after dusk, amazing and cheap massages... and the food!! Don't get me started on the food; I have been practicing some serious self-control (not always successfully) so as to stop filling my belly with the tropical fruits- oh-so-sweet, buttery papaya, creamy fat king bananas, pink and white dragonfruit, tart passion fruit, crispy and juicy rose(/wax) apples... salads, rolls, noodles, rice dishes with layers of flavor using coconut, lemongrass, chilis, tamarind, curry - if there's a place to fall over in a food coma, I think it is here! One can sweat off 10 lbs easy from the humidity in Singapore, Indonesia and Myanmar but perhaps it'll all go straight to the hips in Thailand.

We planned to be here for a special yearly festival where lanterns are lit and released into the sky for this awe-inspiring (and if you happen to be with a special someone- quite romantic) evening. In fact, I learned there were two beloved Thai festivals back to back and here is a little more about these lovely traditions from www.chiangmaitraveller.com:

•Loy Krathong (Thursday, November 2)

Loosely translated, Loy Krathong means, “to float a basket”. “Loy” means to float and a “Krathong” is a small handmade boat traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. Modern-day versions often use styrofoam or bread which will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. It is believed that the krathongs take away sins and bad luck and carry the wishes that have been made for the new year to start.

Thais use the festival to thank the goddess of water for providing life to the fields and forests and asks for forgiveness for polluting ways of the human... as a self-described nature lover, I find this so beautiful.

•Yi Peng Festival (Friday/Saturday, Nov 3-4)

In this festival, lighted Khom Loi (Lanna style sky lanterns) are released into the air through the course of the night. The act of releasing the lantern symbolizes letting go of all ills and misfortunes in the previous year, and Buddhists also believe that if you make a wish when you set off the lantern, it will come true (but only if you do good deeds the following year).

So, we took part with everyone! Down along the river bank I set off a Krathong and the following evening mom and I lit up one of the lanterns and made some wishes.

Chiang Mai is a gem for a destination and we even took a short side-trip to Pai, a village nestled in a valley between mountain passes, where it is currently so green and lush! Apparently known to be a hippie backpacker destination, Pai is quite the "crunchy" granola type of place- almost too touristy with its albeit delicious vegan and western culinary offerings and mellow small-town (even a little Rasta/reggae) charm. The minibus we took here made 762 twists and turns through the winding hills over the course of 3 hours and if you forgot your Dramamine well you are in for a hurl! There were even vomit signs in Thai along the road. We made it, (phew!) no barf bags needed.

Pai is a sweet, walkable town that wakes up at night with street stalls, but the only way to really get around Pai's natural surroundings is to rent a scooter/motorbike to check out the waterfalls, land split/family farm, Pai canyon, bridge... (there were also hot springs and elephant sanctuaries but we skipped those) I didn't expect my mom to hop on board but I was stoked when she did, really without qualms! Off we went on this adventure, and it was a nice joyride through misty, on and off showers and farms and jungles.

We are heading to Cambodia this weekend! First to the ancient Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap and then southward to beaches of Koh Rong Sanloem and finally, Phnom Penh.

[naturecoaster]

The Insider's Guide to 2020 Kumquat Festival

Kumquats are fun to eat, and the word kumquat is fun to say, so it stands to reason that the Kumquat Festival January 25 in Dade City is going to be a fantastically fun event for all! Promoted as a family-friendly alternative to Tampa’s Gasparilla, the Annual Kumquat Festival has been a staple on the last Saturday of January in historic downtown Dade City for over 20 years. Today, NatureCoaster provides a behind the scenes guide to all things kumquat to help prepare you for the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival.

What is a Kumquat?

First, one must know what a kumquat is. Kumquats are a small round or oblong-shaped citrus fruit that is sweet on the inside and has a tart skin. Kumquats are supposed to be eaten whole, so one might consider them the original SweetTart®.

Roger Swain, television horticulturist, explains kumquats at the 2016 Kumquat Grower's Open House. Image by Richard Riley. Kumquats are native to China and were given as a traditional gift on New Year’s Day. The name translates to “golden coins,” and the kumquat represents prosperity, according to information from TV horticulturist Roger Swain.

Why a Kumquat Festival?

More than twenty years ago, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce began holding a festival to celebrate the golden kumquat and all it has contributed to the area. Today, this wholesome, fun, and delicious event features over 400 vendors and 30 sponsors coming together throughout the streets of an historic, charming Southern town to celebrate the little fruit that is both sweet and sour.

The Kumquat Growers are located in the Wells Fargo parking lot on Meridian. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. “Once again, Dade City and Eastern Pasco County are preparing to welcome thousands of residents and visitors to our area.  It is our pleasure to produce this quality event, and we invite everyone to enjoy the Festival and come back and visit us again,” says John Moors, Executive Director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.

What Happens at the Kumquat Festival?

There is some amazing shopping, eating, drinking, fun activities and community spirit that envelope visitors to the Annual Kumquat Festival. With over 400 vendors situated in beautiful downtown Dade City, no-one gets bored. Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.  Local entertainment folk dancers, cloggers, local church choirs, and wholesome local acts.

Kumquat pie is so good. Creamy, slightly sweet citrus and a tart kickoff on a delectable graham cracker crust and worth a trip to the Annual Kumquat Festival for an indulgence. Image courtesy of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. The vendor choices are off the charts! There are arts and crafts, fine art, farmers market, food and beverages, and sponsor booths. Because the weather is usually beautiful and sunny, it is a good idea to rest periodically. When you get a little tired, take a few minutes to enjoy a snack and find a place to rest. Chairs can be found at the Historic Courthouse for those who want to take a break while enjoying some live local entertainment. Several picnic tables can be found at various locations. Pace yourself, take a few minutes to relax, and don’t forget to stay hydrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLr7BieIKQ Information booths are located at the intersection of 7th Street & Meridian Avenue and 3rd Street & Meridian Avenue. They can also be found on our Live Event Map at www.KumquatFestival.org, along with food and restroom locations. Here is where you can purchase your Official T-Shirt, Hat or Visor, or ask questions. 

Kumquat Festival Car Show

Pops 54 by Mike Groseclose at the Kumquat Festival Car Show a few years back. This year's Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club, drawing great vehicles from around Florida and the southeast U.S. The Annual Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club this year and features an amazing variety of classic cars and trucks in the large parking lot of the downtown Judicial Courthouse. Trophies, dash plaques and a well-organized show attracts some of the nicest vehicles to be seen in the Southeast U.S. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsors Make the Kumquat Festival Happen

The Annual Kumquat Festival is sponsored by many large, medium, and small organizations in the Dade City area. Sponsors often have large vendor spaces and offer freebies and information to Annual Kumquat Festival guests. Advent Health Dade City is the headlining sponsor for 2020, joining Florida’s Sports Coast, VisitFlorida, and dozens of business and government partners who come together to make the day memorable.  

Stop in one of the Friendly Local Shops and Restaurants

Local storefronts are decorated for the festival in kumquat themes and it can be nice to duck into a shop or restaurant and rest during the festivities. The Brass Tap, at the corner of 7th Street and Pasco Avenue offers Kumquat beer for the connoisseur.

If you get lucky, you might find Fairy Cake when you visit Lunch on Limoges in Dade City. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. Dade City is a great town to visit any day and the unique shops and restaurants that make up this vibrant downtown are another great way to spend part of your day. Antiques, toys, books, jewelry, quilting, and pet supplies are some of the types of shops you will find. Restaurants vary from an authentic tea house to sandwich shops, coffee shops, Mexican, Italian, craft beer and fine dining. Although Dade City is a pet-friendly city, please allow your pets to stay at home during the festival.

Hundreds of Vendors provide Unique & Kumquat Items

Kumquat beer and wine are available through local shops, restaurants, and a retailer or two. Image courtesy of Tampa Bay Brewing and Kumquat Growers. Unique arts and crafts are fun to discover in many of the vendor booths lining the streets of this quaint city in eastern Pasco County. Many of these artisans return year after year to sell their wares. Delicious kumquat foods, as well as many ethnic offerings are available to festivalgoers. There is a myriad of opportunities to sample the tasty little fruit, whether it be as marmalade, cookies, salsa, ice cream, refrigerator pie, or a sip of kumquat beer.

There is a kids zone for playing and more at the Annual Kumquat Festival.

Kumquat Kids Corral and Health Fair Onsite

A Kumquat Kids Corral offers families the opportunity to let off some steam with bounce houses, pony rides, games, face painting, rock climbing wall, a euro-bungee and more. The health fair gives visitors a chance to talk with providers and glean valuable information.

This family-friendly festival celebrates wonderful creations from the delicious kumquat citrus fruit. The whole town gets involved. Image by Gary Hatrick

Make it an Overnight Visit: Kumquat Growers Open House

The 2020 Kumquat Growers Open House will be held at the Kumquat Growers packing house in St. Joseph from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the two days before the Kumquat Festival (Jan. 23 and 24). Here you can immerse yourself in the agricultural side of kumquats. Learn about the origin and history of kumquats in the Dade City area during the 15-minute talks held several times each day. You will also learn about the different types of kumquats and how they are used.

Come a day or two before the Annual Kumquat Festival and enjoy learning about kumquats at the Kumquat Growers Open House. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. There are tours of the Kumquat Growers packing house where we learn how kumquats are picked, processed, packaged and shipped, and a visit to the Kumquat Gift Shop where you will find a little bit of “all things kumquat.” Lunch and live music, along with some historic demonstrations are provided. Half hour tram tours allow visitors to see an actual kumquat grove. This tour explains the planting, maintenance, and care of kumquat trees for commercial production.

Travelers Rest Resort offers nice accommodations close to Dade Citys Annual Kumquat Festival. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Places to Stay

There is a nice Hampton Inn just south of downtown Dade City, and several hotels in Wesley Chapel along the I-75 and SR 56-SR54 corridor. Camping and RV hookups can be had at the Travelers Rest Resort.

Bring your family to the Annual Kumquat Festival on January 25, 2020, and have a blast discovering Dade City's most renown event. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Free Admission and Shuttle Service

Free admission, family fun and free shuttle service from parking areas. Satellite parking lots are at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36733 State Road 53, Dade City, and along U.S. 301 across from Jarrett Ford. The Kumquat Festival has become an important part of Florida’s Nature Coast, and the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival January 25 in downtown Dade City promises to be one not to miss.

Frank Gude, president of Kumquat Growers. Image courtesy of Robin Draper.

Where Did the Kumquat Festival Come From?

Nearly 100 years ago, Casper Joseph “J. C.” Nathe came to what is now known as St. Joseph, and worked several jobs to make ends meet, including at a nursery near Jessamine owned by J. W. Ellsworth. There, he became acquainted with the kumquat, an ornamental plant that was given to wish prosperity to the recipient. Nathe planted an acre of kumquat trees in 1912, as well as 50 acres of citrus, and bananas, avocados, guavas, pineapples and vegetables to feed his family and trade for other goods and services.

Kumquat Preserves, a real treat, homemade by Robin Draper. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. The Nathe family used the fruit for preserves and they became popular among area residents. Orders started coming in, so they began growing more kumquats. In less than 15 years, Florida Grower magazine crowned J.C. Nathe “the world’s kumquat king.” Several local St. Joseph families began converting their acreage to the profitable little sweet and sour fruit. From the 1930s to 1962, when a bad freeze destroyed the fruit on most of the trees, the quantity of kumquats grown in this rural area of eastern Pasco County grew and grew. Kumquat Growers, Inc. was started in 1971 by owners/growers Charles Barthle, Frank Gude, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken. Today, Frank and Rosemarie Gude and Joseph and Margie Neuhofer own the nation's largest producer and shipper of kumquats and kumquat products. They are descendants of the original St. Joseph families that have been growing, packing and selling kumquats for close to 100 years. For more information about the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival, click here. Read the full article

[naturecoaster]

The Insider's Guide to 2020 Kumquat Festival

Kumquats are fun to eat, and the word kumquat is fun to say, so it stands to reason that the Kumquat Festival January 25 in Dade City is going to be a fantastically fun event for all! Promoted as a family-friendly alternative to Tampa’s Gasparilla, the Annual Kumquat Festival has been a staple on the last Saturday of January in historic downtown Dade City for over 20 years. Today, NatureCoaster provides a behind the scenes guide to all things kumquat to help prepare you for the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival.

What is a Kumquat?

First, one must know what a kumquat is. Kumquats are a small round or oblong-shaped citrus fruit that is sweet on the inside and has a tart skin. Kumquats are supposed to be eaten whole, so one might consider them the original SweetTart®.

Roger Swain, television horticulturist, explains kumquats at the 2016 Kumquat Grower's Open House. Image by Richard Riley. Kumquats are native to China and were given as a traditional gift on New Year’s Day. The name translates to “golden coins,” and the kumquat represents prosperity, according to information from TV horticulturist Roger Swain.

Why a Kumquat Festival?

More than twenty years ago, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce began holding a festival to celebrate the golden kumquat and all it has contributed to the area. Today, this wholesome, fun, and delicious event features over 400 vendors and 30 sponsors coming together throughout the streets of an historic, charming Southern town to celebrate the little fruit that is both sweet and sour.

The Kumquat Growers are located in the Wells Fargo parking lot on Meridian. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. “Once again, Dade City and Eastern Pasco County are preparing to welcome thousands of residents and visitors to our area.  It is our pleasure to produce this quality event, and we invite everyone to enjoy the Festival and come back and visit us again,” says John Moors, Executive Director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.

What Happens at the Kumquat Festival?

There is some amazing shopping, eating, drinking, fun activities and community spirit that envelope visitors to the Annual Kumquat Festival. With over 400 vendors situated in beautiful downtown Dade City, no-one gets bored. Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.  Local entertainment folk dancers, cloggers, local church choirs, and wholesome local acts.

Kumquat pie is so good. Creamy, slightly sweet citrus and a tart kickoff on a delectable graham cracker crust and worth a trip to the Annual Kumquat Festival for an indulgence. Image courtesy of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. The vendor choices are off the charts! There are arts and crafts, fine art, farmers market, food and beverages, and sponsor booths. Because the weather is usually beautiful and sunny, it is a good idea to rest periodically. When you get a little tired, take a few minutes to enjoy a snack and find a place to rest. Chairs can be found at the Historic Courthouse for those who want to take a break while enjoying some live local entertainment. Several picnic tables can be found at various locations. Pace yourself, take a few minutes to relax, and don’t forget to stay hydrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLr7BieIKQ Information booths are located at the intersection of 7th Street & Meridian Avenue and 3rd Street & Meridian Avenue. They can also be found on our Live Event Map at www.KumquatFestival.org, along with food and restroom locations. Here is where you can purchase your Official T-Shirt, Hat or Visor, or ask questions. 

Kumquat Festival Car Show

Pops 54 by Mike Groseclose at the Kumquat Festival Car Show a few years back. This year's Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club, drawing great vehicles from around Florida and the southeast U.S. The Annual Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club this year and features an amazing variety of classic cars and trucks in the large parking lot of the downtown Judicial Courthouse. Trophies, dash plaques and a well-organized show attracts some of the nicest vehicles to be seen in the Southeast U.S. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsor Make the Kumquat Festival Happen

The Annual Kumquat Festival is sponsored by many large, medium, and small organizations in the Dade City area. Sponsors often have large vendor spaces and offer freebies and information to Annual Kumquat Festival guests. Advent Health Dade City is the headlining sponsor for 2020, joining Florida’s Sports Coast, VisitFlorida, and dozens of business and government partners who come together to make the day memorable.  

Stop in one of the Friendly Local Shops and Restaurants

Local storefronts are decorated for the festival in kumquat themes and it can be nice to duck into a shop or restaurant and rest during the festivities. The Brass Tap, at the corner of 7th Street and Pasco Avenue offers Kumquat beer for the connoisseur.

If you get lucky, you might find Fairy Cake when you visit Lunch on Limoges in Dade City. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. Dade City is a great town to visit any day and the unique shops and restaurants that make up this vibrant downtown are another great way to spend part of your day. Antiques, toys, books, jewelry, quilting, and pet supplies are some of the types of shops you will find. Restaurants vary from an authentic tea house to sandwich shops, coffee shops, Mexican, Italian, craft beer and fine dining. Although Dade City is a pet-friendly city, please allow your pets to stay at home during the festival.

Hundreds of Vendors provide Unique & Kumquat Items

Kumquat beer and wine are available through local shops, restaurants, and a retailer or two. Image courtesy of Tampa Bay Brewing and Kumquat Growers. Unique arts and crafts are fun to discover in many of the vendor booths lining the streets of this quaint city in eastern Pasco County. Many of these artisans return year after year to sell their wares. Delicious kumquat foods, as well as many ethnic offerings are available to festivalgoers. There is a myriad of opportunities to sample the tasty little fruit, whether it be as marmalade, cookies, salsa, ice cream, refrigerator pie, or a sip of kumquat beer.

There is a kids zone for playing and more at the Annual Kumquat Festival.

Kumquat Kids Corral and Health Fair Onsite

A Kumquat Kids Corral offers families the opportunity to let off some steam with bounce houses, pony rides, games, face painting, rock climbing wall, a euro-bungee and more. The health fair gives visitors a chance to talk with providers and glean valuable information.

This family-friendly festival celebrates wonderful creations from the delicious kumquat citrus fruit. The whole town gets involved. Image by Gary Hatrick

Make it an Overnight Visit: Kumquat Growers Open House

The 2020 Kumquat Growers Open House will be held at the Kumquat Growers packing house in St. Joseph from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the two days before the Kumquat Festival (Jan. 23 and 24). Here you can immerse yourself in the agricultural side of kumquats. Learn about the origin and history of kumquats in the Dade City area during the 15-minute talks held several times each day. You will also learn about the different types of kumquats and how they are used.

Come a day or two before the Annual Kumquat Festival and enjoy learning about kumquats at the Kumquat Growers Open House. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. There are tours of the Kumquat Growers packing house where we learn how kumquats are picked, processed, packaged and shipped, and a visit to the Kumquat Gift Shop where you will find a little bit of “all things kumquat.” Lunch and live music, along with some historic demonstrations are provided. Half hour tram tours allow visitors to see an actual kumquat grove. This tour explains the planting, maintenance, and care of kumquat trees for commercial production.

Travelers Rest Resort offers nice accommodations close to Dade Citys Annual Kumquat Festival. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Places to Stay

There is a nice Hampton Inn just south of downtown Dade City, and several hotels in Wesley Chapel along the I-75 and SR 56-SR54 corridor. Camping and RV hookups can be had at the Travelers Rest Resort.

Bring your family to the Annual Kumquat Festival on January 25, 2020, and have a blast discovering Dade City's most renown event. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Free Admission and Shuttle Service

Free admission, family fun and free shuttle service from parking areas. Satellite parking lots are at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36733 State Road 53, Dade City, and along U.S. 301 across from Jarrett Ford. The Kumquat Festival has become an important part of Florida’s Nature Coast, and the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival January 25 in downtown Dade City promises to be one not to miss.

Frank Gude, president of Kumquat Growers. Image courtesy of Robin Draper.

Where Did the Kumquat Festival Come From?

Nearly 100 years ago, Casper Joseph “J. C.” Nathe came to what is now known as St. Joseph, and worked several jobs to make ends meet, including at a nursery near Jessamine owned by J. W. Ellsworth. There, he became acquainted with the kumquat, an ornamental plant that was given to wish prosperity to the recipient. Nathe planted an acre of kumquat trees in 1912, as well as 50 acres of citrus, and bananas, avocados, guavas, pineapples and vegetables to feed his family and trade for other goods and services.

Kumquat Preserves, a real treat, homemade by Robin Draper. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. The Nathe family used the fruit for preserves and they became popular among area residents. Orders started coming in, so they began growing more kumquats. In less than 15 years, Florida Grower magazine crowned J.C. Nathe “the world’s kumquat king.” Several local St. Joseph families began converting their acreage to the profitable little sweet and sour fruit. From the 1930s to 1962, when a bad freeze destroyed the fruit on most of the trees, the quantity of kumquats grown in this rural area of eastern Pasco County grew and grew. Kumquat Growers, Inc. was started in 1971 by owners/growers Charles Barthle, Frank Gude, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken. Today, Frank and Rosemarie Gude and Joseph and Margie Neuhofer own the nation's largest producer and shipper of kumquats and kumquat products. They are descendants of the original St. Joseph families that have been growing, packing and selling kumquats for close to 100 years. For more information about the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival, click here. Read the full article

[naturecoaster]

The Insider's Guide to 2020 Kumquat Festival

Kumquats are fun to eat, and the word kumquat is fun to say, so it stands to reason that the Kumquat Festival January 25 in Dade City is going to be a fantastically fun event for all! Promoted as a family-friendly alternative to Tampa’s Gasparilla, the Annual Kumquat Festival has been a staple on the last Saturday of January in historic downtown Dade City for over 20 years. Today, NatureCoaster provides a behind the scenes guide to all things kumquat to help prepare you for the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival.

What is a Kumquat?

First, one must know what a kumquat is. Kumquats are a small round or oblong-shaped citrus fruit that is sweet on the inside and has a tart skin. Kumquats are supposed to be eaten whole, so one might consider them the original SweetTart®.

Roger Swain, television horticulturist, explains kumquats at the 2016 Kumquat Grower's Open House. Image by Richard Riley. Kumquats are native to China and were given as a traditional gift on New Year’s Day. The name translates to “golden coins,” and the kumquat represents prosperity, according to information from TV horticulturist Roger Swain.

Why a Kumquat Festival?

More than twenty years ago, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce began holding a festival to celebrate the golden kumquat and all it has contributed to the area. Today, this wholesome, fun, and delicious event features over 400 vendors and 30 sponsors coming together throughout the streets of an historic, charming Southern town to celebrate the little fruit that is both sweet and sour.

The Kumquat Growers are located in the Wells Fargo parking lot on Meridian. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. “Once again, Dade City and Eastern Pasco County are preparing to welcome thousands of residents and visitors to our area.  It is our pleasure to produce this quality event, and we invite everyone to enjoy the Festival and come back and visit us again,” says John Moors, Executive Director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.

What Happens at the Kumquat Festival?

There is some amazing shopping, eating, drinking, fun activities and community spirit that envelope visitors to the Annual Kumquat Festival. With over 400 vendors situated in beautiful downtown Dade City, no-one gets bored. Music is held on the 1909 Classical Revival style historic courthouse steps throughout the day, where visitors are encouraged to stop and refresh themselves.  Local entertainment folk dancers, cloggers, local church choirs, and wholesome local acts.

Kumquat pie is so good. Creamy, slightly sweet citrus and a tart kickoff on a delectable graham cracker crust and worth a trip to the Annual Kumquat Festival for an indulgence. Image courtesy of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. The vendor choices are off the charts! There are arts and crafts, fine art, farmers market, food and beverages, and sponsor booths. Because the weather is usually beautiful and sunny, it is a good idea to rest periodically. When you get a little tired, take a few minutes to enjoy a snack and find a place to rest. Chairs can be found at the Historic Courthouse for those who want to take a break while enjoying some live local entertainment. Several picnic tables can be found at various locations. Pace yourself, take a few minutes to relax, and don’t forget to stay hydrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLr7BieIKQ Information booths are located at the intersection of 7th Street & Meridian Avenue and 3rd Street & Meridian Avenue. They can also be found on our Live Event Map at www.KumquatFestival.org, along with food and restroom locations. Here is where you can purchase your Official T-Shirt, Hat or Visor, or ask questions. 

Kumquat Festival Car Show

Pops 54 by Mike Groseclose at the Kumquat Festival Car Show a few years back. This year's Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club, drawing great vehicles from around Florida and the southeast U.S. The Annual Kumquat Festival Car Show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Classic Chevy Club this year and features an amazing variety of classic cars and trucks in the large parking lot of the downtown Judicial Courthouse. Trophies, dash plaques and a well-organized show attracts some of the nicest vehicles to be seen in the Southeast U.S. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Annual Kumquat Festival is sponsored by many large, medium, and small organizations in the Dade City area. Sponsors often have large vendor spaces and offer freebies and information to Annual Kumquat Festival guests.

Sponsor Make the Kumquat Festival Happen

Advent Health Dade City is the headlining sponsor for 2020, joining Florida’s Sports Coast, VisitFlorida, and dozens of business and government partners who come together to make the day memorable.  

If you get lucky, you might find Fairy Cake when you visit Dade City.

Stop in one of the Friendly Local Shops and Restaurants

Local storefronts are decorated for the festival in kumquat themes and it can be nice to duck into a shop or restaurant and rest during the festivities. The Brass Tap, at the corner of 7th Street and Pasco Avenue offers Kumquat beer for the connoisseur. Dade City is a great town to visit any day and the unique shops and restaurants that make up this vibrant downtown are another great way to spend part of your day. Antiques, toys, books, jewelry, quilting, and pet supplies are some of the types of shops you will find. Restaurants vary from an authentic tea house to sandwich shops, coffee shops, Mexican, Italian, craft beer and fine dining. Although Dade City is a pet-friendly city, please allow your pets to stay at home during the festival.

Hundreds of Vendors provide Unique & Kumquat Items

Kumquat beer and wine are available through local shops, restaurants, and a retailer or two. Image courtesy of Tampa Bay Brewing and Kumquat Growers. Unique arts and crafts are fun to discover in many of the vendor booths lining the streets of this quaint city in eastern Pasco County. Many of these artisans return year after year to sell their wares. Delicious kumquat foods, as well as many ethnic offerings are available to festivalgoers. There is a myriad of opportunities to sample the tasty little fruit, whether it be as marmalade, cookies, salsa, ice cream, refrigerator pie, or a sip of kumquat beer.

There is a kids zone for playing and more at the Annual Kumquat Festival.

Kumquat Kids Corral and Health Fair Onsite

A Kumquat Kids Corral offers families the opportunity to let off some steam with bounce houses, pony rides, games, face painting, rock climbing wall, a euro-bungee and more. The health fair gives visitors a chance to talk with providers and glean valuable information.

This family-friendly festival celebrates wonderful creations from the delicious kumquat citrus fruit. The whole town gets involved. Image by Gary Hatrick

Make it an Overnight Visit: Kumquat Growers Open House

The 2020 Kumquat Growers Open House will be held at the Kumquat Growers packing house in St. Joseph from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the two days before the Kumquat Festival (Jan. 23 and 24). Here you can immerse yourself in the agricultural side of kumquats. Learn about the origin and history of kumquats in the Dade City area during the 15-minute talks held several times each day. You will also learn about the different types of kumquats and how they are used.

Come a day or two before the Annual Kumquat Festival and enjoy learning about kumquats at the Kumquat Growers Open House. Image courtesy of Kumquat Growers. There are tours of the Kumquat Growers packing house where we learn how kumquats are picked, processed, packaged and shipped, and a visit to the Kumquat Gift Shop where you will find a little bit of “all things kumquat.” Lunch and live music, along with some historic demonstrations are provided. Half hour tram tours allow visitors to see an actual kumquat grove. This tour explains the planting, maintenance, and care of kumquat trees for commercial production.

Travelers Rest Resort offers nice accommodations close to Dade Citys Annual Kumquat Festival. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Places to Stay

There is a nice Hampton Inn just south of downtown Dade City, and several hotels in Wesley Chapel along the I-75 and SR 56-SR54 corridor. Camping and RV hookups can be had at the Travelers Rest Resort.

Bring your family to the Annual Kumquat Festival on January 25, 2020, and have a blast discovering Dade City's most renown event. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Free Admission and Shuttle Service

Free admission, family fun and free shuttle service from parking areas. Satellite parking lots are at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36733 State Road 53, Dade City, and along U.S. 301 across from Jarrett Ford. The Kumquat Festival has become an important part of Florida’s Nature Coast, and the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival January 25 in downtown Dade City promises to be one not to miss.

Frank Gude, president of Kumquat Growers. Image courtesy of Robin Draper.

Where Did the Kumquat Festival Come From?

Nearly 100 years ago, Casper Joseph “J. C.” Nathe came to what is now known as St. Joseph, and worked several jobs to make ends meet, including at a nursery near Jessamine owned by J. W. Ellsworth. There, he became acquainted with the kumquat, an ornamental plant that was given to wish prosperity to the recipient. Nathe planted an acre of kumquat trees in 1912, as well as 50 acres of citrus, and bananas, avocados, guavas, pineapples and vegetables to feed his family and trade for other goods and services.

Kumquat Preserves, a real treat, homemade by Robin Draper. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. The Nathe family used the fruit for preserves and they became popular among area residents. Orders started coming in, so they began growing more kumquats. In less than 15 years, Florida Grower magazine crowned J.C. Nathe “the world’s kumquat king.” Several local St. Joseph families began converting their acreage to the profitable little sweet and sour fruit. From the 1930s to 1962, when a bad freeze destroyed the fruit on most of the trees, the quantity of kumquats grown in this rural area of eastern Pasco County grew and grew. Kumquat Growers, Inc. was started in 1971 by owners/growers Charles Barthle, Frank Gude, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken. Today, Frank and Rosemarie Gude and Joseph and Margie Neuhofer own the nation's largest producer and shipper of kumquats and kumquat products. They are descendants of the original St. Joseph families that have been growing, packing and selling kumquats for close to 100 years. For more information about the 23rd Annual Kumquat Festival, click here. Read the full article