#i have a lot of basil from my garden now and I'm trying to find ways to use it all

[grimmoire]

Before and after

[tomorrowsgardennc]

garden update // september 24th

phew! today was busy! rain is supposed to fly right on thru our area very quickly because of Helene so i have been busy shifting gears into prep mode for that.

the biggest deal was getting these basil seeds inside. i would rather have them sit on the plant for another 3 or 4 days... but i also would rather not have them drenched in downpours and end up rotted. so i cut a majority of the basil heads and will let them dry inside in a paper bag before processing. it's spicy globe basil - my absolute favorite basil variety ever - and since it's so tight and compact the bees love sleeping there at night, like this little guy. so i did leave some for them, especially the not-too-developed seed heads. hopefully it'll all be ok.

a lot of the no longer baby plants in the greenhouse are now in their semi-final home. transplanted like crazy the past two days! the cilantro doesn't have true leaves uet, but they were stretching like cray cray in the greenhouse since i have shade cloth on it, so i went ahead and put them in their pot. i say semi-final home because it's their final home in my garden before they are sold at the market. typically i transplant, let them grow in their new pot for 2 weeks, then consider them for market inventory. those 2 weeks allow for root growth and for them to get used to their new surroundings outside the greenhouse. kinda like hardening off, but not really.

went from 8 trays down to 4 in the greenhouse. the heating pads are NOT on, just don't have anywhere to store them so they just stay put. next week this will be back to full after i start more seeds. these were the only babies left without any true leaves. kohlrabi, cabbage, lettuce, collards, and celery.

so early this spring hubs and i pruned a pomegranate tree that's at the farmers market. not the best time to prune tbh but that's ok. i took 50ish cuttings and tried to root them. only these two did so. admittedly i'm a novice at rooting cuttings so honestly surprised i got these two. now i need to find a final home for them by next fall... for this winter they'll go in the greenhouse.

pro tip (like, the only tip i know about cuttings): the best way to tell if your cutting is still alive or transformed into a stick is to take your thumbnail and scrape a tiny dent into the bark. if the layer underneath is green, it's still alive and would prefer to not be knicked again plz thank you. if brown, then it's now a stick and you can toss it in the compost pile or to your dog. they are still babies so they don't like to be knicked so do this test as tiny as possible. its like checking to see if the chicken is raw after cooking... if you have to squint and hold it up to your face to try and tell, then its cooked dont worry. if you have to hold the cutting up and squint at it to find the green layer then its cooked, too.

peas are happy. the daikon totally wasabi *wink wonk* radishes have transplanted well. the cantalope from the compost pile is photobombing the peas and daikons.

last but not least, cascading over the raised bed edge appreciation photos. although deer have been coming by to eat the sweet potato leaves. but that's ok. and the creeping rosemary is absolutely loving its spot under the blueberry bush. i have had horrible luck trying to grow normal rosemary, but this creeping variety is more visually fun.

hopefully next week we will get a break from freak pop up tropical systems and i can finally get my two new metal raised beds in place! yippee!!

[koffing-time]

I will gladly interact with you! Send an ask! @ me! I would love to RP with you. I will do an (IC) promo if you ask (assuming i'm popular enough for that lmao)!

Hello Hello ~

My name is Tix (they/them, occasionally it/its), and welcome to my rotomblr blog! I'm 23, I'm from Unova and i have a small café on Route 3 right outside Striaton City. If you don't find it, just look for the Daycare on the hill, walk up that hill and look for the building at the foot of the hill! And now come in and get a cupcake, you earned it!

Don't be alarmed by the poison types around here! Most of them are registered to me and are completely harmless unless you touch them. They are also friendly, so if you wanna pet them, ask me! I'll gladly provide handling advice.

I also have an employee, Olivia. I might occasionally mention him. Maybe she'll also make a few post here and there.

There is also Brandy, my Rotom. Let's hope they can behave!

As for my Pokémon, there are a few! [Complete list of Pokémon including retcons at the end in the ooc section]

My Koffing, Coffee! The shop's named after him! Look at his FABULOUS moustache!

Bienenstich the Scolipede, she's very good with kids. If you need someone to look after your toddler, she's the gal! (i am so not kidding)

Cream the Haunter. No, your drink isn't haunted, she just helps me out a bit.

Muffin the Roselia, he's the primary gardener. I would do more around there but he doesn't let me.

Poppy the Toxicroak, he's a cool guy. He also makes music with me.

Basil the Toxtricity. Best bassist i've ever met (sorry Roxie).

Carrot Cake the Clodsire. He doesn't do much, but that's okay.

Rhubarb the Ekans. Little rascal. Don't trip over him.

Eggplant the Skorupi. He's new, still getting to know him myself!

Soup the Grimer is also quite new. I hatched him from a strange egg.

Also here's three pics of me. (//i forgor what the picrew were. if anyone knows, let me know)

//Pelipper Mail is on

//I will draw your OCs badly

OOC below the cut:

// Hi, hello. I run this blog as a side blog, so I'll like and follow from my main @fire-water-grass-core. If you need to address me (the player/mun), I'm okay with any pronouns, and if you need a name you can call me Kama, Nox or Cheese. I also run:

@zekrom-sword where i explore some darker themes (ig?) regarding pokémon hunting. This blog is less focused on blogging though and goes more into headcanon/fanfic territory. I'm happy to RP with Felix (muse over there) though!

@fire-water-grass-core is the main, as mentioned. Originally it was planned for that one to be a personal blog for Olivia, Tix' employee, but i didn't really get into it. I mostly use it for OOC stuff regarding rotomblr ig?

@kamataros is my general, non-pkmn-irl blog. idk what you would want there? but feel free to check it out. I post a lot of shit and a lot of it is untagged.

NOW for the rules ig?

ZERO: don't be a dick. easy, right? right. This is the important part :)

First: blanket #unreality warning. I will tag posts usually as pokemon irl, #pkmn irl or #pokeblogging. The actual unreality tag is reserved that genuinely blends reality and fiction (such as talking about animals in the context of the pokemon world.)

Second: i went on a BIG hiatus for like 6 months. I've retconned a few things, but i didn't want to actually go through the blog and delete stuff. Instead, i tagged all old posts as #Koffing-Time-1.0. Everything with this tag is not neccesarily canon anymore. case-to-case basis i guess.

Third: If anything comes up, I'll try to put a warning tag. I'll keep it to one format: #cw [trigger]. I will probably still use them sparingly, since i'm personally okay with most things. Please tell me if i should tag something.

Fourth: I won't participate in high stakes a lot and probably never in ultra stakes. Everything will be appropriately tagged #high stakes pokereality on the off chance that i do join. I don't think i will be getting into details like "low stakes" and "medium stakes" for tagging.

Fifth: Regarding sentient/sapient pokémon: they are allowed. I might ignore them if i ever do any story-arcs or so, but go ahead! (this was different for 1.0)

Sixth: Ask games will be tagged with #ask game. Once i reblog them, they are open indefinitely, including old ones from #Koffing-Time-1.0. The tag will be for the initial meme only, not the answers to make it possible to find them. Generally, please put the question for the meme into your ask, especially if it's an older ask game. (Feel free to ask Brandy or Olivia as well, but if not specified it will be Tix answering)

Seventh: DMs are an OOC zone :)

OTHER TAGS:

I'm trying to use a funny tagging system for blogs i "frequently" interact with (as in.. i am not chronically on tumblr so "frequently" is a bit much to say)

Out of Character posts will be tagged with #ooc . This goes only for posts where a significant portion is ooc.

Out of Character answers to asks will be tagged #cheesy answers

Out of Character notes will be marked as // or //ooc (including tags)

I might reblog art or even posts that tix isn't involved in. these will be tagged #//reblog

Posts involving details about certain headcanons will be tagged #headcanon

Image descriptions or Video description will be in [brackets] .

Also here is a (not complete) list of a few headcanons that i use.

I'll update and edit this post as well as reblog it if something changes.

Lastly

I, Cheese, Mun will use pink coloured text in addition to the //

Tix will be writing/talking in colourless text

Olivia will be writing/talking in blue text

Brandy will be writing/talking in red text

otherwise, i won't use much colours in posts. this intro blog stuff will be the exception to make it easier to read (i hope)

That being said: feel free to interact, feel free to send a DM, feel free to send asks, I'm happy to do offscreen posts and RP and whatnot, I won't bite and i won't poison you. Probably.

PS: little thing about reblog chains (i guess?)

Now, that was a long one. If you read it all, congratulations, have a cookie. Or a coffee. And most importantly: have fun!

PPS: Here's a list of Tix'Pokémon:

Coffee the Koffing

Muffin the Roselia

Bienenstich the Scolipede

Cream the Haunter

Poppy the Toxicroak

Basil the Toxtricity

Cracker the Murkrow (retconned) [it hurt me to do this but there are so many already] (never fucking mind i love them too much i can't delete them)

Cheese the (shiny) Crobat (retconned) [it hurt me to do this but there are so many already] (never fucking mind i love them too much i can't delete them)

Rhubarb the Ekans

Chocco the Salandit (retconned)

Carrot Cake the Clodsire

Pumpkin the Bellsprout (retconned)

Loaf the Trubbish (retconned)

Yoghurt the Yveltal (retconned)

Bun the (ultra domesticated) Trubbish (retconned)

Roll the (ultra domesticated) Tubbish (retconned)

Appleslice the (ultra domesticated) Mareanie (reconned)

Bacon the (ultra domesticated) Mareanie (retconned)

Lettuce the (ultra domesticated) Mareanie (retconned)

Tomato the (ultra domesticated) Mareanie (retconned)

Caramel the Beedrill (retconned)

Tofu the Sliggoo (retconned)

Annie Stonefruit the (albino) Cranidos (retconned)

Jack the Pumpkaboo (retconned)

Brandy the Rotom

Eggplant the Skorupi

Leonard the bed-sized Clodsire Plush

Soup the Baby-Grimer

If all of Tix team appear in a post (i doubt) it'll be tagged with #tix band

Also a list of Olivias Pokémon

Hans the Lotad

Grill the Darmanitan

Marbles the Alolan Exeggutor (tagged with just #marbles the exeggutor )

The Kalosian the Escavalier (tagged with just #kalosian the escavalier)

Beach Ball the Gible

Gregor the Gimmighoul

If all of Olivias Team appear in a post, it'll be tagged #olivias gang

[raccoongamejournal]

Pokémon X Chapter 8: Sidequests, Berry Farming, and Route 6

This entry is a long one, so I recommend getting a mug of tea or something. Tea's always a good idea.

Having recently arrived in Camphrier Town, I decide to explore.

People keep giving me healing items, and the music's nice, so I can say my first impressions are positive.

Wandering around this hotel, it looks like I can just...go into people's hotel rooms? One person gives Basil a Shock Ribbon (probably for the surprise I gave them walking in, whoops).

I find a Star Piece tucked away on a path, and sell it to the store in the Pokémon Center for...4900. nice! Assuming I don't spend all my money before then, I'll probably get a haircut next time I'm in Lumiose City since I'm not as worried about money at the moment.

...and now on to Shabboneau Castle!

I run into Shauna immediately, and we get a rundown on the castle from a tour guide, who doesn't know anything about Mega Evolution. But then we get interrupted, and our guide needs to go to Route 7 in a hurry. Hmm. I wander around the castle for a bit, since the guided tour isn't happening.

Shauna wants to go to Route 7 too. So I guess the Plot is in that direction. Let's go!

Route 7 splits into 7 and 6, but Shauna won't let me do Route 6 first so I guess I'll have to double back.

I then get roped into farming? Maybe I took a wrong turn...

The Sprinklotad is cute though, so that makes up for any inconvenience.

Back on Route 7, it seems that the Plot is...

...a sleeping Snorlax!

Ah, that explains the Route 6/7 split. Guess I'll be going to Route 6 next after all.

Route 6 looks like a fairly straight shot to the palace at the end, unless you go wandering through the tall grass. Which I proceed to do.

...or at least try to do. Maybe that's a on-the-way-back-only thing. [Note: this turns out to be the case.]

I did think you were a tourist, in fact. My bad.

Hiroko leads with a level 11 pikachu, which Basil oneshots with a Mud Shot. Tacos grows to level 20 and learns Razor Leaf. Hiroko's next pokémon is a pidgey, so I swap to Volta, who also oneshots her opponent, this time with an Electro Ball. I then swap to Tacos to deal with Hiroko's last pokémon, a psyduck. The first Razor Leaf misses, but the second one lands...and then the battle's over.

Tourist Eriko is next, leading with a zigzgzoon. Since Basil's still in the lead, she wins with a Mud Shot and Double Slap before I switch to Browser to deal with Eriko's ralts. The ralts uses Double Team when I decide to Howl instead of attacking, but I win as soon as I land a Flame Charge. I then keep Browser in to deal with Eriko's gulpin, winning with one Psybeam.

And then I've made it to Parfum Palace. It looks a lot like Versailles, which isn't surprising since we are in Pokémon France (the bit might be getting a bit old, but I haven't used it in a few chapters so...)

We have to pay 1000 per person to get in. :(

I was not expecting anticapitalism in a Pokémon game, but I am very here for it.

That's a cool milotic statue.

I look for the furfrou, and find someone with good bad puns:

Heck the rules. If they are in fact rules and not just some guy making a joke. Oh wait, this actually heals my party lol.

The palace library drops some further hints on Mega Evolutions, indicating that a mysterious stone of some kind is involved. The librarian also mentions a book on necromancy, but says that they don't have it. :(

Yep, this is based on Versailles.

Cool dratini statues. I love dratini.

More puns

A minstrel sings at me about a war in Kalos 3000 years ago. I think this is the lore that Legends ZA is going to get into (I'm excited).

My search for the furfrou leads me outside, into the gardens. Shauna helps.

Oh hello.

Looks like I'm getting closer.

A gardener (?) tells me that the HM for Cut is somewhere in the garden. Yay! I find it fairly quickly.

And I found the furfrou!

Sort of. It ran away again. Shauna has a plan to corner it, though, so it's time for a puzzle minigame.

This should be called the Punfum Palace. Okay, that one was bad.

The rich guy wants to put on a fireworks show, so we head back towards the palace. I decide to explore the gardens a little bit first though.

I like the Unova legendaries, and I'm glad they get cool statues here.

Back inside, I return to the second-floor balcony to watch the fireworks show with Shauna.

We then talk to the guy about the Poké Flute.

He does give it to us, though. Or at least lets us borrow it. The butler also gives us the TM for Protect, and repeats the information from the library.

Back outside, I head back down Route 6...and immediately get ambushed by a whole family and their two furfrou for a double battle.

This is a tougher fight, since both furfrou are level 14. I lead with Basil and Tacos, but swap Basil out for Volta after one round. The furfrou's Headbutts do a lot more damage than I'd like, but Electro Ball and Razor leaf do some damage back. I knock one furfrou out, and Volta reaches level 20 and Tacos reaches level 21, but Jan and Erin use a Super Potion on the second furfrou. So now it's 1v2, and the remaining furfrou is poisoned and Leech Seeded, so things are looking ok. Volta's low on health, so I swap back to Basil while Tacos keeps throwing Razor Leafs. The fight is shortly over, and Basil reaches level 20, learning Double Kick. Tacos and Browser also level up, reaching levels 21 and 22 respectively. Browser then learns Fire Spin, which looks like it'll be fun.

Basil then evolves into a diggersby:

I then heal up Volta and Tacos, swap Thesaurus into the lead spot, and go into the tall grass. It's encounter time!

My first Route 6 encounter is a nincada, who I name "Pepper". I then catch a sentret who I name "Sqwarp". This is just what I do. I then catch a honedge, which I am very excited about (look, I like the cool sword, ok) and name "Glamdring". Thesaurus reaches level 20 with the exp from that encounter.

Ghost sword ghost sword ghost sword ghost sword

I have now hit the image limit for a post, which I was unaware was a thing until now. Good to keep in mind going forward.

I'm going to add Glamdring to my party later, replacing Thesaurus, since honedge can learn both False Swipe and Cut. For now, however, the encounters continue with my current party, and I catch an espurr (another pokémon I quite like), who I name "Duchess" (after the character from The Aristocats). I then catch an oddish who I name "Plont". I will not be taking criticism on my pokémon names (although I do take suggestions). I catch another honedge and name it "Orcrist", followed shortly by another which I name "Sting". There's a theme here. Sting does knock out Thesaurus while I catch it, though, so I swap Volta into the lead spot and continue.

Volta reaches level 21 after fighting a few oddish, declining to learn Double Team. And then someone ambushes me in the tall grass.

It's Beauty Brigitte. She leads with a level 12 espurr, which Volta paralyzes with a Thunder Wave before knocking out with an Electro Ball. I then swap to Batman to handle Brigitte's butterfree. One Peck later and the fight is over, and Batman reaches level 22, along with Tacos. Basil also grows to level 21. Since Volta's low on health, I swap Basil into the lead position, right before I fight Youngster Tyler.

Tyler leads with a level 12 venipede. Basil hits it with a Mud Shot and...that's it. I then swap Batman in to deal with Tyler's Scraggy, which is another quick victory. Tyler's a Unova fan I guess (I am too). Browser reaches level 23 from the fight's shared exp.

I then meet and battle Backpacker Roderick and his level 14 Bunnelby. Basil's Double Kick comes in handy, and the fight is over quickly.

Reaching the end of Route 6, I then head back up and go down the other side. I've decided that I don't like the noise that diggersby makes. Why is it like that.

I then fight Backpacker Jerome (I like that there are trainers lurking in the tall grass, it's silly). I swap to Volta to deal with Jerome's fletchling, which doesn't take long but leaves Volta on 1hp after a Quick Attack crits.

Later down the path, I fight Tourist Takemi and his volbeat. I swap to Browser and win with Fire Spin after it keeps using Double Team. Volta, Basil, and Batman all level up after this fight, and I swap Tacos into the lead spot. Right afterwards, I fight Tourist Mari and her illumise, swapping to Browser immediately because I led with a grass type against a bug type. Another Fire Spin does the job here too, and Tacos levels up to 23 and decides not to learn Sweet Scent.

After finding TM09 Venoshock, I'm at the end/beginning of Route 6 again, so I decide to head back to the Camphrier Town Pokémon Center to heal up and do some organizing.

I add Glamdring to my party, swapping out Thesaurus, and teach it Cut and False Swipe. I then stock up a bit on pokéballs and potions before swapping Glamdring into the lead position on my team, ready to level up. I'm going to need to do a bit of level grinding to get Glamdring on-level with the rest of my team, but it shouldn't take long. And I have two spots to revisit now that I have Cut, but I'm calling this entry here for now.

Stay safe everyone, and thanks for reading. See you next time.

[farfrompleasant]

Wellll happy Freyja Friday ❤️

How have y'all been? No more heat wave right, is the baby girl more energetic now that it's a little bit cooler? Any more shedding?

How's school going? Are you both getting more used to your fall schedule? Miss Freyja have any complaints? 😉

Does Freyja play? Does she have toys? Can she have toys or will she just destroy them or does she even care lol Lizzie has been trying to give Nova a toy every now and then except she immediately regrets it and wants it back 🙄 the utter drama queen

What're we liking to eat lately? Did you get basil from your partner's dad's garden? I love the communal garden idea it's why I'm part of so many seed exchanges 😆

Nova has really come out of her shell and she LOVES to bark 😭 she seems just very vocal in general she's made a lot of different noises I don't typically hear dogs make lol

Sometimes when I'm down I go look at the gifs of Freyja shaking her little booty in her bath 🥰

HAPPY FREYJA FRIDAY ❤️ c:

We’ve been relatively good, and Freyja is just being Freyja. Heatwave or not, she’s unscathed and as unbothered as always lol c: you know… aside from mealtime, and snacking Freyja’s never energetic. I’d like to think she preserves energy and depletes it when it counts 🤭 another surprising thing is that she hasn’t had any shedding this far 😆 it makes me so happy for her since it brings on (an unknowing) discomfort for her 🥰

School is a tad stressful but I miss it? I do in a weird way… I guess I like the stimulation it brings sans anxiety shrug🤷🏾‍♀️ and I think that Freyja and I are adjusting forsure. Now that I’m home more often, I find time to spend with her while working on assignments. That’s the beauty in being a reptile mom, they’re simple and don’t require more than closeness c: I appreciate that about her… 💓 I guess the only complaint she would have is to offer her more worms and to serve them elsewhere lol

Look here! She was struggling this morning to get the past worm 🤣

(I can’t help but to think she’s a little too stubborn… and she gets that from my partner lmao)

Freyja doesn’t have any toys now that I’ve considered it… but I’m super down with trying to see if she would be into that. I know a hammock isn’t a toy, but it’s the only object that I know she would love in her enclosure. There’s times where she will pancake on the couch rest and it always reminds me to get her one… maybe I’ll get her a toy while I’m at it c:

So I didn’t get the basil the last time I was there but I did get parsley! Annnd she didn’t even blink at. She gave it a sniff and that was it 😗 quite literally her food (🦗) was more into the parsley… If I don’t get her basil the next time, it’ll be because I’ve finally decided to try out butternut squash; I’ve heard it’s pretty popular among beardies so I’ve been meaning to incorporate it into her diet a while back 😅

NOVA and LIZZIE are getting along?! That warms my heart 🥹❤️ especially after all that you’ve told me about that possessive gal… she’s very sweet for trying and for just being somewhat selfless… I think it’s very comforting and thoughtful of Lizzie to (attempt) gift Nova something that is so significant to her like that c,: and what?! Miss Nova carries a tune or more?! Wowowow this is so exciting!😆 you HAVE to show me or gift me audio of her antics! She sounds so fun and lovely 🥰

I am glad that Freyja impacts you in that way. I’d have to say that she picks me up too c: I can definitely say she has this spunk that makes it all okay even though I know none of what she does is all too intentional… is it ironic that a cold blooded creature like her is such a heart warmer? I feel like it is even if she legit siphons heat from me whenever we cuddle 🥰 thank you for sharing that with me ❤️

[thelostgarden-blog]

First summer in the "garden"

My little terrace have given me a chance to do some gardening again and I'm a little rust and limited, and with gardening you learn all the time.

A little review of the annual flowers of 2022

Plox drummondii "Creme Brulee": Even though I didn't plant them right away they have grown really well and in a neat compact way. I'll grow these next year as well and I'll see if I can find some other colors as well. I have deadheaded a little but not a lot, still a lot of flowers and no ugly old flowers.

Scabiosa purpurea: A bit floppy and will benefit from growing next to something sturdy. Favorite color was "Black Knight", a dark deep red. I will grow these next year, they are still going strong and flowering. Some deadheading needed but the seed heads are pretty nice too.

Cosmos: Don't know if it's because it's been hot and dry and they are in a bed with a lot of thirsty plants but they have not been as nice lately and the planting is not as thick as the other bed. Not a must for next season. Deadheading needed.

Helianthus "Ms Mars": Grown in one of the beds and maybe it would be better in a taller pot?

Calendula: I did throw a few away as I never got around to plant them all out and I had sown so many of these. "Orange Flash" which I swear smells of rhubarb when you deadhead it, cute and some soft pink peach colors in it. "Ivory Princess", best in the evening just as it's about open or is new. Deadheading needed. Aphids likes it, funny how they are only of the calendula despite being in a box packed with different plants. Some calendula will be grown next year, maybe a new one?

Salvia viridis "Blue Monday": Starting to get a little boring, maybe it's due to the dryness of that bed? I do prefer plants that last a long time but I liked this one

Rudbeckia hirta "Sahara": First one is about to bloom now so a slow one for the later parts of the season. Not sure I have the space for that. I would love to have a few big pots of this ready to take out when other things begins to get boring but I don't.

Cobaea scandens: Very easy to grow and despite being in small pots it grows. I was a little mean to it in the beginning so maybe it would have done better if I was nicer. As far as I recall it's hard to get it too bloom as our summers are often not warm enough but I don't mind the vines as they are, often dark foliage. A little of a hassle to sow as they grow pretty quickly and grabs a hold on things. Maybe be a little too much trouble. You only need to help it on to things and then it climbs on it's own.

Ipomoea "Grandpa Ott": Easy to sow and can be sown cold so it's a space saver. It tends to grow together, the vines wrap themselves around each other and create a thicker vine which is not a super nice look in my opinion, maybe the solution is more? More plants and make a thicker area of vines? I will grow this next season and possibly look for some other color as well. Some deadheading is needed.

Tagetes "Burning Embers": This variety makes a pretty compact bush, lots of bumblebees around it. I never like tagetes before I had this and yes, easy and a filler. Deadheading needed. Might try tagetes tenuifolia as well next year but this one will be back.

Antirrhinum "Black Prince": Abused and not given a fair chance, will be given one next year. Will cold sow it. Despite not been well cared for it bloomed with lovely dark red flowers, they didn't last long but I love the dark foliage and flowers.

Ammi "Green Mist": Hasn't flowered yet, they are about too. I like the dill looking foliage. If I lack space than I guess this might be one that I won't grow but yeah, I just want to grow everything. The foliage is nice as a filler.

Erigeron karvinskianus: Grew pretty slow for me, not a very common plant here as far as I know and some claim this is a tender perennial. It's pretty low and I have it squeezed in between the two raised beds and some basil. I like them in a lot of pictures but it has not been great here. Maybe it's the wrong spot? Probably not a must for next season but I will try and collect some seeds as it was very expensive and not available in my country so I could share some online.

Verbena bonariensis: A little slow growing and have just begun to bloom. They take a lot of space and I don't have much to begin with. They are also tall and it can get windy here so maybe they are not the best choice? I would love to have a big one in an old oak barrel, keep it in a greenhouse over winter and take it out each spring. Probably not a must for next season. But I will try and keep a few cuttings of it over the winter just to try, I did it with basil and tomatoes.

[nicolinocolino]

ciao sarah! i'm about to move to rome for some months and i'm a bit anxious. the city is so big and full of history and people i don't know if i'll be able to make it feel "mine" because i only know it as a tourist. so i was wondering if you could rec places/museums/churches that are a bit less known and experiences/things to do/places to eat. you can make it as long as detailed as you want, go off really! thank you in advance

Ciao!! 😍gosh, lucky you!! I won’t lie, I’m so jealous! I could ramble about Rome forever, I’m so honored you want my advice 💛 I’ll put this under a cut because surprise surprise, it got long haha.

(I’m going to apologize in advance that a lot of these things are located in Trastevere — that’s where I lived and spent the majority of my time.)

I tried to keep this list low-key. There are tons of things I love about Rome that are definitely “must sees” on my list that are, ya know, still touristy. Like Piazza Navona and the Pantheon and Piazza di Spagna blah blah blah. So! I kept those off, but if you’re till curious to know my favorites just ask :)

I’ll start with the food, because duh.

Restaurants/bars/bakeries/gelato/etc.:

Carlo Mente — super cheap restaurant in Trastevere that’s also very good. I happened to go here a lot because of how cheap it was… I think like, 3 euro pizzas and 5 euro plates of pasta. That’s very good for a sit down place you can spend all night at in Rome unless you wander far on the outskirts hahaha. They have a nice outside sitting area too, and they heat it up in the fall/winter so you can even sit outside then!!

La Botticella — another restaurant in Trastevere if you want something intimate and casual. It’s soooo small, it only has like 10 or less tables and the woman who runs the place was our waitress and our chef and I think she only had one other person helping her. But GOD it was good. I had one of the best dinners of my life there.

Il Portico — located in the Jewish ghetto (just north of Tiber Island) has some damn good carbonara. Also the best greek salad I’ve ever had. AND the ravioli con zucchine crema is to dieeeeee for. (I like pasta, lol.)

Kosher Cakes — same area, right by Il Portico. Suuuuuuper good Jewish bakery.

Chakra — my favorite nighttime bar. (Also in Trastevere lol.) It has a great selection of craft beers, the music is awesome and the interior is soooooooo cozy!! It’s a very chill atmosphere. I couldn’t recommend this place highly enough, I love it so much and it’s where my friends and I always ended our nights out.

8 Millimetri — another good place to go at night (in Trastevere, sorry!). It’s kind of expensive but their aperitivo is a steal for 5/6 euros. (So I’d only go then if I were you) AND they have tons of vegetarian options. The atmosphere is really cool, too.

Bar del Cappuccino — okay so I only tried a few places to get coffee before I found this place and made it my regular but DAMN. SO GOOD. Please do yourself a favor and have the best cappuccino freddo of your life here. They also make delicious pastrami sandwiches… I would seriously cut off my thumb for one right now they are so good.

Corono — Gelato!! Along Via Arenula, very small and tucked away amongst the shops, you’ll blink and miss it but SO GOOD. All homemade (which can be so hit or miss in Rome because half of the places are just trying to make some tourist money, I don’t blame them) and they have super unique flavors I didn’t see anywhere else like lemon basil and orange chili.

Frigidarium — more gelato. They dip your whole cone in chocolate and it’s so good. Next to Piazza Navona.

Quieter/maybe less known/less touristy things to do/see?:

The Porta Portese market — happens on Sunday and is an excellent thing to do if you can restrain yourself from spending any money. Idk where you will be located but the #8 tram headed south should drop you off right in front of it. It’s HUGE and you can literally walk up and down the streets of it for hours and hours just looking at all the junk.

Janiculum hill — I feel like I never shut up about this place but it is magical. And I still stand by it being the best free view of Rome you can get. It’s rarely ever crowded and I think most tourists don’t know about it or don’t want to hike up it (because it is kind of a trek). Get to the piazza on top and treat yourself with something from the little snack cart up there, and on your way up visit the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola which was actually the muse/inspiration for the Trevi Fountain! Enjoy the view!! It took my breath away the first time I saw it, and it a great place to just chill.

Torre Argentina — If you’re an animal lover like I am and am missing some furry friends, you can visit Torre Argentina, aka the cat sanctuary. Fun fact: you can actually go down the stairs into the ruins and go inside the sanctuary building they’ve built into the side to see more cats and pet them and love them free of charge 💛💛💛💛💛

Testaccio market — lots of good, cheap, and local food!!!

Museums/churches/art:

*Just a note that I 10000% didn’t make it into every church in Rome. There are....... so many. You can stand in one and spit into another istg. But honestly every one I did go in was breathtaking. If you are an architecture/art nerd like I am church wandering is such a nice, free thing to do. (Free!!!! Literally you can walk into San Luigi dei Francesi and see some beautiful Caravaggios for FREE!!!)

Chiesa del Gesù — the most beautiful ceiling I ever did see. It uses the trompe l'oeil technique and is impossible to describe. You just have to see it in person. I still don’t know how it works lol.

Villa Borghese Gallery — this isn’t an unknown place, obviously, but is hands down the best museum (subjective, but whatever) in Rome. The palace is gorgeous, the art is phenomenal and it’s located in a beautiful park with a beautiful garden outside. Love love love love love this place with all my heart. I want to live in here. The history is really neat, too.

One of the best things to do, honestly, is just explore. It’s such a great city and you will just bump into everything. The first time I saw the Pantheon I wasn’t even looking for it. I just turned a corner and it was there. I think that’s one of my favorite things about Rome — masterpieces are just tucked into everyday life. It’s also such a low city, you won’t find skyscrapers or tons of modern buildings. And it’s hilly, so you can always find a nice view. I think that’s how I made Rome feel “mine” when I was living there. Just explore! I hope you have the best time ever 💛

[queennicoleinboots]

Bears with Questions, Bears with Answers

A/N: Sequel to Bears In The Forest

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing was driving my van as though it were a racecar through the forest. We even flew through the air at some points of the drive. He was a mechanic, so he could fix whatever damage he was causing to the suspension.

"Father, I had no idea you were an Eff-Bee-Eye Agent. That's incredible!" Abigail Ace shouted.

"FEDERATION OF BEAR INVESTIGATORS! REMEMBER THAT, ABIGAIL ACE!," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing shouted as he pounded on the horn of my steering wheel and swerved through the trees. He stared straight ahead with green eyes that had fire for pupils.

"Will do, Father. How did you learn to drive like this?" Abigail Ace asked with sparkles in her eyes.

"A loooooot of practice," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he flew over a tree stump.

"When did you start learning to drive?" Abigail Ace asked.

"When I was 8," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he slammed the brakes and made the van swerve to the right as he barely missed the tree that he almost hit head on with my van.

"When you were 8!? Father, you didn't teach me to drive until I was 15," Abigail Ace said.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing turned off the van and then looked at her. "Is that a problem?" He stared her down.

"No, sir. I was making a statement," Abigail Ace said.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing continued to stare at her. "I don't WANT you to live the life that I have. I want something safer for you. I want you to live a life of peace, prosperity, and happiness. I have sacrificed my youth, my safety, and my ambitions for this family! I am NOT going to allow you to live the life that I have lived to COMPLETELY NULLIFY WHAT I HAVE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" He made sure to stare deep into her soul.

"Yessir," Abigail Ace said.

"You think my life is glorious because I have led the Secret American Society of Sexually-Frustrated Bears, the Extraordinary Youth League of Young Bears, and the Secret American Society of Sexually-Frustrated Goats and had been in the Federation of Bear Investigators? Well, I have news for you, Abigail Ace, IT'S NOT! It is too much stress even for ME! You have no understanding of what I have to go through on a daily basis to keep you and the rest of this family safe! I hope you never will. Yes, I want you to be a leader of society, but not in a way where you risk your life. That is truly something I will never bear. No father can STAND the thought of anything happening to his daughters. THAT IS WHY WE LEFT EARTH. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU OR ANYONE TO LIVE." Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he continued to stare into Abigail Ace's soul.

Abigail Ace blinked twice and wasn't sure how to respond.

"Come on, family. We've had a big day. Let's get some rest," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he handed me my keys and got out of the van. The other bears and I left the van after Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing had spoken again.

Of course, going home and resting wasn't going to happen.

"Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay?" Count Macula, Jr. asked as he rushed over to us with his soft brown eyes bursting through his glasses.

"Yes, we're okay, Count Macula, Jr.," I said.

"Yes, Count Maculoni and cheese, we're okay," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said.

"Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking?" Count Macula, Jr. asked.

"I will cook dinner tonight. I will make a feast to celebrate our escape from Earth and our safe arrival to the Green Planet!" Megara Ace announced.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing growled in pride and put an arm around her shoulders. "But of course because we are American bears, we must make an American dish," he said.

"Macaroni and cheese pizzas?" I asked.

"Absolutely!" Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said.

"Pizza is my favorite!" Abigail Ace shouted.

"Macaroni and cheese is my favorite!" Bruce Bananas shouted in excitement before he stopped himself, looked around, and grinned. "Sorry. I broke character there. Would anyone volunteer to beat my ass?"

"After dinner," Megara Ace said as she stared at him for a moment before she went to prepare the meal. Naturally, I went to assist her.

___________________________________________

"Macaroni and cheese pizza? Hmmmm... sounds delicious!" Joebear said as he was standing in the kitchen near me.

"Yes, Baewhuhh. I preheated the oven and started the water for the macaroni," I said as I began to make the crust using whole wheat flour (I wasn't in the mood to deal with brown rice flour and its finicky characteristics), water, eggs, butter, and yeast. I omitted salt and sugar because my bear couldn't have a large quantity of either one.

"I'm hungry again, and the other bears that arrived here must be famished," Joebear said.

"Yes they are," I said as I was making the pizza sauce. I used organic tomato sauce, organic tomato paste, organic basil, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, and red peppers from our garden, and a dash of honey for the pizza sauce.

I was letting the ingredients simmer as I perused the fridge to find toppings that would go with macaroni and cheese. I knew that ground meat from grass-fed cows would be great for the macaroni and cheese pizza, so I decided that I would fry all of it for tonight's feast.

"May some of the pizzas have fish as well?" Joebear asked.

"Yessir. We can cook the fish together," I said.

Miss Oreo and Kissy walked in the kitchen door and meowed.

"Yes babies. The pizza crust, macaroni and cheese, and fish will be for you, too," I said as I began to fry the ground meat.

Miss Oreo meowed in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes. You can have some ground meat, too," I said as I was cooking.

Oreo was singing opera as I cooked. Joebear joined in and helped me cook the fish.

Once the sauce ingredients were blended, I made several pizzas with cheese and waited for the meat to be finished cooking and the water to boil for the macaroni.

A frog's croak emanated in our kitchen. That was Kiel the Frog, Kermit's long lost brother, who decided that our window ledge was a great place to live.

"Yes KIEL we hear you. I'll give you a whole pizza if you shut up!" Joebear shouted as he flipped the salmon over. "It's going to be glorious when we're done here. This is just too much. And it's hot!"

Joebear wasn't the happiest that our new freeloading guest was staying here. But Kiel the Frog hadn't been here long enough to file an eviction against him.

Kiel the Frog croaked a thank-you croak. Miss Oreo was staring at him through the window.

Kissy laid in the middle of the kitchen.

When the fish was done, we placed it on the pizzas. One pizza had half fish and the other half ground meat on it. That one was going to be for the cats.

The water began boiling when Kiel the Frog spoke again.

"KIEL! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Joebear shouted as he poured the macaroni in the water.

Kiel the Frog croaked in a special language.

"He wants insects on his pizza," Miss Oreo translated.

"Well, fuck, there's plenty of them around here," Joebear said as he stirred the macaroni.

I went to check our bug zapper unit outside and sure enough, there were plenty of insects to put on his pizza. But I had to make an extra crust for Kiel the Frog. I didn't add sauce or cheese to his pizza.

Joebear was putting the ground beef on the remaining pizzas while I was making the extra pizza crust.

Kissy walked over and ate whatever we dropped on the floor.

"Make his pizza by itself after these are done," Joebear said.

"Will do, bae," I said as I was making the cheese sauce for the macaroni.

Joebear was putting cheese on the pizzas.

"BaeWhuhh. Cook and eat while I deliver the pizzas to the bears outside," I said as I stirred the cheese sauce. I was trying to place these pizzas in the oven.

"What are you doing, Bae?! The macaroni and cheese goes on the pizza before you put it in the oven!" Joebear said as he drained the macaroni.

"Oh shit you're right," I said as I put the pizzas back on our counters and tried to retrieve my brain from left field. "My brain went into left field." I put out a big bowl for him to put the macaroni in. He poured the macaroni in the bowl, and I combined it with my cheese sauce. When the macaroni and cheese was stirred, we placed it on the pizzas and put them in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Joebear and I watched Twitch.TV streamers lag while the pizzas were cooking. Kissy went to her litter box and took a shit before she returned. Miss Oreo sat on my feet.

When the pizzas were finished, I gave the cats their pizza. They rushed over and ate the pizza crust. I gave my husband a pizza. I put the remaining pizzas on a wide stainless steel cart with three racks that Chipotle Mexican Restaurant gave to me as a reward for being a frequent customer.

Joebear came in and ate some pizza while he was preparing Kiel the Frog's pizza.

"Love you BAE!!!!" I shouted as I rolled my cart of pizzas out of the house.

"Love you, bae!" Joebear shouted from the kitchen.

I rolled the cart outside and saw that a lot of bears were coming for pizza. They were hungry again. I rolled the cart back home when the bears were finished taking the pizzas and running. My bear can use it when he delivers the other pizzas.

"You should eat, little bae," Joebear said.

"I should," I said before I hiccupped.

"You got excited,"Joebear said as he put two pieces of pizza on a plate and handed it to me. He also grabbed a glass of water for me.

"Yes, Bae-hiccup-whuhh!" I shouted. I hiccupped and tried to drink water upside down. I drank a bit before I heard scratching at the door.

"What the?" Joebear asked as he headed to the door. I followed him.

The scratching continued. We looked out the front window and saw a black and white applehead chihuahua scratching at the door.

"Awwawwwww!!!" I shouted with a hiccup.

"Why?" Joebear asked the dog outside. "What is it? Who are you?"

"I am Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas. Bruce Balalalalalalalalalas sends his thanks and regards for helping him... us... find a new tribe of bears to commune with," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

I laughed so hard at his last name that my hiccups went away. "You're welcome, Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas... haha. You're a beautiful boy," I said.

"Thank you," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said. "My last name is hilarious, I know. I struggle to say it without barking quickly in amusement." He laughed like a dog.

"Yeah? What nationality is it?" I asked.

"No idea. You'd have to ask Bruce," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"You do realize that I know two Bruces now," I said. The timer for the pizzas went off. Joebear tended to the oven. He took out Kiel the Frog's pizza and delivered it to him.

"Yes. Bruce Ace drove us here," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said. "Are you cooking pizzas in there?"

"Yes. Joebear is putting more of them in the oven," I said.

"Good. I ate one, but I have a bear's appetite. I'd like another," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said with an affirmative bark.

Just as I was ready to let him eat again, I heard the United Kingdom national anthem playing loudly outside.

"Are you serious? I thought we left the United Kingdom on Earth," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"Nope. The United Kingdom got the hell off Earth," I said as I opened the door and saw a United Kingdom spacecraft in the air. I blinked. Some wild shit was going to happen soon.

"What the hell?" Joebear shouted before he joined us outside. "Well, the elite from the United Kingdom wasted no time getting here."

Kiel the Frog croaked loudly.

"Yes, Kiel, it is crazy," Joebear said.

I heard a loud sigh coming from the right side of me. Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas bolted toward the sighing Bruce Bananas and his quieter mate, Abigail Ace.

Bruce Bananas turned toward the United Kingdom spaceship and sighed.

Miss Oreo meowed loudly.

"What, Oreo, whaddya want?" I asked.

Miss Oreo rubbed up against my leg.

"Whaddya want?" I asked as I pet her.

"More imperialist bullshit. I guess we couldn't have enough on Earth, huh? SIGH!!!!!" Bruce Bananas said with a sigh and growl.

Miss Oreo meowed loudly.

Bruce Bananas turned to Miss Oreo. "If this keeps up, our stay on this planet is temporary. We never learn, do we?" he asked.

Miss Oreo laid down and stared at him thoughtfully. Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas sat next to her and nodded to Bruce Bananas.

"You have made yet another wise observation, Father. I am honored to be your dog," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"Thank you," Bruce Bananas said as he leaned down to pet Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas.

Miss Oreo stared at Bruce Bananas before she went to see Kissy who was drinking from the stream.

Abigail Ace saw that the ship was coming closer to landing. "Xara, I must bathe at once. Royalty is coming. Please allow me to use your shower," she said quickly. Her blue eyes were wide.

"Sure thing, Abigail Ace," I said as I led her to the shower.

Kissy growled lowly at Miss Oreo who was staring her down.

"Girls!" I shouted as I approached Kissy and Miss Oreo. The cats scattered. Miss Oreo kept meowing. "Oreo, quit. Oreo. Oreo."

"Thank you," Abigail Ace said as we entered the house.

Miss Oreo was following me and meowing. She stared intently at me.

"Oreo, quuuuuiiiiittttt!" I sang as I was showing Abigail Ace where the master bathroom was.

"She must need you," Abigail Ace said as she was heading in the shower.

"Yep," I said as Miss Oreo was rubbing up against my leg. I saw her and realized that she needed cat business and an ass beating.

[bigashfarm]

Bring On the Cold, January - I'm Garden Planning!

The excitement and hubbub of the holidays may be behind us, but there is still something to look forward to in the cold of January, folks - Seed catalogs and garden planning!  WAHOO!!!  Don't get me wrong - I do like the cold weather and snow.  All seasons have their beauty.  But I do look forward to the days I can be outside working in the garden until 930 at night with my flip flops on!

While my garden is nowhere near the size of some it is plenty large enough to keep me busy!  I do my best to take into account companion planting and crop rotation recommendations when planning but sometimes I find something really is just handy growing in a particular spot and I just run with it.

I'm generally not dead set on specific varieties of veg' - trying new types is fun and as long as they grow well and taste great I'm good.   One exception to that rule is tomatoes - we must have Brandywine and Supersweet 100s - the former for me and the latter for my daughter.  They're our favorites.

Here was last year's plan - well watered from when I had it with me during planting last spring.  I did shake it up a teeny bit on the fly so it wasn't planted exactly to the plan but for the most part it is representative of the layout.

The garden is broken up into two sides of a path that runs through east to west.  The path is actually large enough to get the tractor through a wide gate into the grassy fenced area around the house.  We keep the path clear so we can bring the riding lawn mower through and the occasional camper when we have guests in town.

The turkey coop is over by the Blackberries.  It was the first year I planted zucchini next to the turkey run and it worked quite well  - shading the area a bit and of course providing lots of yummy pickings very close by.

Looking back at the garden last year the tomatoes did not do well at all.  We had a very late start to the garden due to the cool and moist spring.  The garlic I had planted the fall prior did wonderfully - though i will say it would have been better if I had kept up on my weeding better.  In my defense we were working on ~3k linear feet of fencing all summer so time was short and with animals waiting for more roaming space the garden definitely took second fiddle.

Looking back at the plan it looks a bit random with some raspberries intermingled amoungst the veg'.  I did that as I had planted a variety of raspberries there that I was hoping would thrive but in the end the did not.  So veg' it will remain in that northeast section of the garden.

The south side of the garden is there most of the veg' is....  in the Southeast corner I have my wee little greenhouse that grew a wonderful batch of grass and weeds last year courtesy of the fencing project :)  

I got the little greenhouse at Murdocs last year during their fall clearance sale - a pretty good deal!  It's not a uber fancy one but it is strong enough to withstand our 70+ mph winds here so I can't complain.  Oh, wait - except for more space.  Which I WILL have one day - more on that another day ;)  To secure the greenhouse I attached it to a frame of 6x6 posts that are chained on to the big ground anchors used to keep hay tarps from flying away.  Solid man.

This is the year I'm going to focus on using the greenhouse for to start my seedlings - just need to get a heater to adjust for the cold nights we can get.

On this side of the garden last year the squash went wild!  Great production.  And it was the first year I let them wander along the ground versus growing them vertically.  While they did great growing free for all I am going to return to growing vertically as I think it saves space and keeps things more healthy and easier to pick.

In years past I had the corn, beans and pumpkins on the south side of the sheep barn.  With that location now fenced and the sheep enjoying the space I need to find a new spot for the corn and pumpkins!  (beans will be in the garden proper this year)  I'm tempted to take up part of the grass around the house for it - the corn would help dampen the noise from the road a bit too.  Double duty.

This year, my plan is on one page :)  The northeast corner of the garden is in the upper left hand corner.  Nothing earth shatteringly different really.  I think the biggest change is that the beans are back in the main garden and I'm planning on planting a significant amount of basil and placing it right where I tend to walk into the garden.  Oh, and finally a dedicated herb garden over by the chicken run - I'm not waiting any longer to decide where the right place is.  Hopefully once the perennial herbs establish themselves (I'll fence it off while they get started) the chickens will have little effect on them.  I'm thinking the usuals - sage, oregano, marjoram, chives, thyme (of a couple varieties), fennel, dill, summer savory, borage, mint (in pots of course to avoid the spread).... 

Why so much basil?  Because I simply adore the stuff and love walking through the garden smelling it in the air.  (I'm thinking of making a super stock pile of pesto for us to enjoy all winter long).  And I know others love it too - I wanna spread the love!

My approach on gardening is to plant enough for friends, family, bugs, critters and our family. 

I am considering growing the beans and squash over tunnels I make from livestock panels this year, if I can swing the expense of the panels.  I think it would look neat, provide additional shade and overhead protection for the poultry and make it a cinch to harvest when the time comes.  We'll see!  Only a few more months to go!