#mason bee boxes

[gyllenhaalstories]

FORTUNE COOKIE — DETECTIVE LOKI 🥠

summary: you're in luck! the restaurant did not run out of fortune cookies this time.

warnings:food & eating, smut (hickeys, mirror sex, nipple play, thighjob, mention of edging). 18+ NO MINORS.

word count: 1785

gif credits: @/elliewilliums (cropped) / divider credits: @/saradika-graphics

notes: happy valentine's day! i'm sending you all so much love. 💝 thank you for reading & REMEMBER TO REBLOG!

You parked your car next to Loki's, although the parking lot was empty at this hour. This sounded like a cute metaphor about how you could have all the space in the world, yet you'd rather stay close to your man. Anyway. You parked your car and struggled with just about everything beyond that point. Your hands were too full to close and lock the door easily and to zip your coat and put its hood over your head. Once you figured it out, you waddled your way to the restaurant. You struggled with the push and pull mechanism, nothing special there, and you especially struggled to look normal while you bee-lined to his usual table.

You were lucky, his back faced the door so he did not catch even the smallest visual glimpse of your shenanigans. Although he could not see you, his face beamed with a smile at the squeaky sound of your shoes and at your clumsy apologies to the waitress for coming in so close to closing hours.

"Surprise." You laughed at how you ruined your own plans. You handed him the precious package you were holding close to your body this whole time.

"What are you doing here?" Loki's eyes glanced up at you, then down at the box you were handing him. Pink wrapping paper, pink ribbon, pink bow, pink everything.

"I just told you, I wanted to surprise you." He emptied your hand so you could pull your phone out of your pocket. "Look, it's after midnight."

He blinked, with an arched brow.

"That means it's Valentine's Day." You smiled from ear to ear.

"I thought we had plans for dinner not... for now."

"Surprise!" You repeated and hopped closer to him, leaning in for a quick kiss. "I know we said no gift. I also know that if I tried to hide the gift, you'd find it. So this is the best plan I came up with!"

He set the box down on the table and attempted to search through the pocket of his black coat, but he stopped to listen to you.

You told him you knew he'd be there to eat before coming back home, so you would not lovingly scold him about not prioritizing his needs. You told him it was no bother, to drive in the middle of the night to meet with him. You told him you planned this all out with love. You also told him how proud you were for surprising him for once, well, kind of.

"I'm proud of you." You smiled when you sat down in front of him. You caught him just in time, too, he had finished his food. He politely asked the waitress for a refill of coffee. He searched his coat again and pulled a gift out of it.

The box was not wrapped up all cutesy like yours, but you could not care less.

"I know we said no presents." The waitress reappeared and placed two fortune cookies between Loki and you. She walked back to the kitchen with the empty coffee pot.

After Loki sipped his coffee, you both agreed to open your presents at the same time.

Loki carefully pulled on the ribbon and peeled the heart patterned paper off the box. He gasped when he opened it and discovered a ring. It resembled the Masonic ring he wore, but it was different. Loki's ring was plain, it suited him. But the one you got for him showed intricate details and complex craftsmanship.

"I don't need to understand it to know it's important for you." You watched his reactions closely while he studied the ring. You explained how you saw an advertisement in the newspaper about people selling vintage knickknacks. It was not too far out of town, it was set up like a yard sale. You found the ring in an old jewellery box, had it cleaned up, and saved it for this special occasion.

"I love it." He closed the box and smiled widely. "Thank you." You could feel how much this gift mattered to him and you were happy with yourself. "It's your turn."

So, you opened your present too. You frowned, confused, when you pulled out a chain that looked exactly like his.

"You like mine so much, figured you wanted your own..." You spoke at the same time. "So we can match."

You insisted on putting it on right away, but Loki decided you should wait until you both got home. The waitress came back to clean your tables and, before you left, you opened your fortune cookies.

Loki was a little superstitious about his cookies, he liked to give them time to work their magic so you did not share what the strip or paper said right away. He paid and tipped the waitress generously and headed outside.

You waved goodbye at the waitress and wished her "Happy Valentine's day!"

*~*~*

Loki hung the towel to dry on the rack, his messy half dry hair looked so different from his usual slicked back look. He looked relaxed, at peace. He came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist while the steam from the shower slowly dissipated.

You handed him the small necklace and he groaned in response, not wanting to leave the embrace just yet. You had waited too long with the ride home in your respective cars and the long steamy shower. You wanted your present.

He obliged, though, and carefully put the chain around your neck. He watched your reflection in the mirror with a corner smile. "You look so beautiful, my love."

You looked at yourself through the mirror too and brought your hand to touch the cold metal of the chain. It was exactly like Loki's, you'd always have a piece of him with you that way.

Loki kissed your cheek and along the side of your neck, where he focused until your brain got too fuzzy to thank him again for the Valentine's day present. He lingered on one spot, sucking a light mark on it that he soothed with gentle licks. His hands caressed your exposed chest.

"I'm guessing you love it as much as I do?" You looked at the mirror again and caught a glimpse of your man smirking against your skin and marking you up some more while his hands were groping your tits.

He grunted, now teasing your nipples until they got hard. He loved to feel you squirm against his naked body, your ass grinding on his hardening cock.

You gasped when he pinched and pulled gently on your nipples.

He had no intention of hurting you, he simply wanted to tease you. His day was long, rough, as it always seemed to be but your surprise at the restaurant put him in a much better mood. Despite wanting to enjoy your body and to explore every inch of it by peppering kisses, his body forced him to pick up the pace.

"Please..." You whispered, begging him to keep touching you.

And he did, without needing you to explain any further. His hands abandoned your breasts and travelled down.

You lost sight of them in the mirror, but your entire body felt like it melted when his fingers touched your pussy.

"So fucking wet for me." He praised you in your ear, before he switched sides and started to mark the rest of your neck with hickeys. He dipped two fingers between your folds.

Instinctively, your legs opened up for him. You gave him enough space for his hand, but also for his cock.

He pushed his cock between your legs and moaned of pleasure when your pussy lips coated him with wetness. Loki helped you close your legs just a bit, so that he could fuck your thighs.

It was not as satisfying as having him buried inside of your pussy or feeling his fingers rub your tingly clit, but this felt so good still.

It felt especially good when Loki grabbed your hips to hold you in place. He fucked himself with your thighs, grunting louder and louder with each thrust. "Fuck," he mumbled, face still in your neck. "Been thinking of your pussy all day."

You reached a hand behind you and put it on the back of his head, holding him close. "Need you inside me, baby."

"Say that again." He demanded, his eyes rolled to the back of his head when you whined loudly as the tip of his cock hit your clit.

You took a deep breath, trying to speak coherently although this seemed next to impossible when Loki was fucking you. "I need your cock so bad. I need you inside me. Please. Please!"

"Good girl." Loki stopped moving, his cock lodged between your thighs and under your wet pussy.

"Why?" You complained, tears began to pool at the corner of your eyes. You needed him to keep going so bad.

His fingers started to rub your clit instead, but it was way too slow for your liking. "Wanna know what my fortune cookie said?"

You put your hand over his, trying to make him speed up and take you closer to your orgasm, but you failed.

His strong hand just kept rubbing small, lazy circles on your sensitive clit. "Answer me. Do you want to know?"

You rolled your eyes and surrendered. "What did it say?"

He wore a proud smile on his face. When you noticed it, you chuckled. "It said to Plan for many pleasures ahead." You rolled your eyes and he insisted. "No, no, no. I'm serious! You don't believe me? You wanna see it?" He gave your pussy a gentle slap to make you quit your attitude.

It succeeded in making your brain short circuit for a second.

"I can prove it to you that this was written on the paper. It's in my coat, I'm gonna go and get it." Loki pulled away from you, his hands, and his cock, leaving your body.

You whined so loud that he laughed.

He was surprised at your reaction, but he was more so aroused at how much you wanted to feel him.

"What is it? You don't want me to go?"

"Absolutely not." You turned around, finally looking at him directly in the eye. "But we're still gonna go somewhere." You erased the distance between your bodies again only to push him out of the bathroom and in direction of the bedroom.

He walked backwards, letting you guide him with a proud smirk.

"I'd rather make the fortune cookie's wish come true."

Loki turned you around and, when you finally got near the bed, he pushed you down on it. "That's my good fucking girl."

[janeway-lover]

*eyes wide with wonder* you!!! have the swords!!!! ohmygod, that's so awesome!! do you right with them?? or just cut fruit? your fruit looks so yummy by the way. I have a glowstick crown *points at head* I love it, glowsticks are so much fun I GLOW IN THE DARK NOW - @mason-the-bee-dude

Hi! Yes, I do have a lot of swords. I can fight with all of them, but right now I'm just using them for cutting the fruit. No reasons to fight have popped up. Yet.

Oh! Feel free to help yourself to the fruit, by the way. There's lots of it.

Wait, who was passing out glowsticks? @a-very-questionably-unstable-box Briz! I want a glow stick!

[thatliminal-wanderer]

Backrooms ID Pack

Names

Adam, Adym, Aguana, Aiden, Aiko, Alex, Alexia, Altair, Ambrosia, Amori, Andrew, Ant, Argos, Aries, Ashley, Aster, Avelon, Bartholomew, Belphegor, Berry, Bill, Blake, Blue, Bonx, Bram, Brock, Callum, Caspian, Castello, Chara, Cindy, Clement, Clementine, Colias, Corey, Corri, Crane, Creg, Crimson, Cyllene, Cypress, Daisy, Daze, Destiny, Doll, Dream, Dull, Dunk, Eden, Emily, Emme, Evangeline, Ezra, Ferren, Flannery, Frankie, Freeman, Fume, Gani, George, Gerald, Grey, Hen, Icarus, Jack, Janus, Jax, Jerry, Jess, Johnny, Kaii, Kain, Kami, Kane, Kat, Kimiko, King, Kitty, Koko, Kya, Leeon, Leo, Lilac, Limi, Llio, Lotka, Lucid, Malachi, March, Maria, Mason, Moley, Montie, Nightmare, Noir, Olive, Olivia, Ollie, Paisley, Pedro, Philia, Porter, Quinoa, Rae, Rasputin, Richard, River, Rook, Rosette, Rue, Ryan, Samantha, Sato, Saturn, Sienna, Sol, Terry, Theodore, Tom, Trance, Val, Vanta, Vee, Vesper, Vice, Violet, Will, Xavier, Xoa, Zero

Pronouns

!/!s, 0/0s, 1/1s, 2/2s, 3/3s, 4/4s, 5/5s, 6/6s, 7/7s, 8/8s, 9/9s, :(/:(s, :)/:)s, =(/=(s, =)/=)s, ?/?s, _/_s, almond/almonds, alone/alones, alpha/alphas, back/backs, bee/bees, bird/birds, black/blacks, blood/bloods, blue/blues, bone/bones, book/books, box/boxes, bug/bugs, buzz/buzzes, camp/camps, cave/caves, chalk/chalks, city/cities, clean/cleans, crimson/crimsons, crop/crops, danger/dangers, dark/darks, data/datas, dead/deads, decay/decays, desert/deserts, dirt/dirts, doll/dolls, door/doors, dream/dreams, echo/echos, end/ends, error/errors, eye/eyes, fate/fates, field/fields, fog/fogs, forest/forests, garden/gardens, glitch/glitchs, glow/glows, gold/golds, grime/grimes, hall/halls, haunt/haunts, hill/hills, hive/hives, home/homes, hot/hotel/hotels, house/houses, hub/hubs, ice/ices, icy/icys, jungle/jungles, lake/lakes, laser/lasers, level/levels, light/lights, love/loves, lucid/lucids, mall/malls, maze/mazes, mem/memory/memories, mirror/mirrors, moon/moons, moth/moths, mouth/mouths, musk/musks, neon/neons, noir/noirs, play/plays, pool/pools, rain/rains, rainbow/rainbows, red/reds, road/roads, room/rooms, rot/rots, run/runs, sand/sands, sea/seas, sewer/sewers, silent/silents, snack/snacks, space/spaces, sparkle/sparkles, spring/springs, tha/thalasso/thalassos, time/times, violet/violets, void/voids, wall/walls, warning/warnings, water/waters, wave/waves, well/wells, wheat/wheats, white/whites, yellow/yellows, •/•s, ∅/∅s, ⌛️/⌛️s, ☁️/☁️s, ⚠️/⚠️s, ⚰️/⚰️s, ⛓️/⛓️s, ⛓️‍💥/⛓️‍💥s, ✂️/✂️s, 🌀/🌀s, 🌈/🌈s, 🌓/🌓s, 🌗/🌗s, 🌪️/🌪️s, 🌫️/🌫️s, 🍄/🍄s, 🍄‍🟫/🍄‍🟫s, 🎞️/🎞️s, 🎟️/🎟️s, 🎤/🎤s, 🎥/🎥s, 🎪/🎪s, 🎭/🎭s, 🐁/🐁s, 🐇/🐇s, 🐌/🐌s, 🐛/🐛s, 🐜/🐜s, 🐥/🐥s, 👁️/👁️s, 📞/📞s, 📠/📠s, 📹/📹s, 📺/📺s, 📻/📻s, 📽️/📽️s, 🔑/🔑s, 🔗/🔗s, 🔮/🔮s, 🕊️/🕊️s, 🕯️/🕯️s, 🕰️/🕰️s, 🕳️/🕳️s, 🕷️/🕷️s, 🗝️/🗝️s, 🗺️/🗺️s, 😶‍🌫️/😶‍🌫️s, 🚪/🚪s, 🛎️/🛎️s, 🛠️/🛠️s, 🥀/🥀s, 🥣/🥣s, 🥩/🥩s, 🦂/🦂s, 🦜/🦜s, 🦟/🦟s, 🦠/🦠s, 🦴/🦴s, 🦷/🦷s, 🧠/🧠s, 🧫/🧫s, 🩸/🩸s, 🩹/🩹s, 🩻/🩻s, 🪐/🪐s, 🪜/🪜s, 🪞/🪞s, 🪟/🪟s, 🪦/🪦s, 🪰/🪰s, 🪱/🪱s, 🪳/🪳s, 🪶/🪶s, 🪹/🪹s, 🫀/🫀s, 🫁/🫁s, 🫗/🫗s, 🫥/🫥s

Titles

A Corrupted File, An Unapproachable (Beast/Entity/Unknown/Any Animal), Entity [number], Lucky (Beast/Entity/Any Animal), The (Bride/Husband/Spouse), The (Entity/Beast/Creature/Thing/God) of Level [number], The (King/Queen/Royal), The (Smiling/Frowning) One, The (Spokeslady/Spokesman/Spokesperson), The (Un)Lucky One, The Artist, The Behemoth, The Bellhopper, The Bone Thief, The Bronze Builder, The Catmaster, The Coder, The Comedian, The Concierge, The Crawlspace (Entity/Beast/Creature), The Endless Walls, The Entity, The Entity Which Doesn’t Exist, The Explorer, The First Entity, The Friend, The Game Master, The Headless (Hunter/Huntress/Entity/Beast/Creature), The Hermit, The Historian, The Homerunner, The Housekeeper, The Liminal Space, The Mail Carrier, The Maker, The Maze of Lost Ones, The Memory (Any Animal), The Memory Manager, The Mucked Smell, The Musician, The Neighborhood Watcher, The Numbed (Entity/Beast/Man/Woman/Person/Creature), The One Adorned In (Red/White/Black/Beige), The One Which Light Flicker For, The One Who Buzzes, The One Who Is Hiding in Level [number], The One Who Looks Too Familiar, The One Who Opened The Back Door to Reality, The One With No Data, The Party Host, The Puppeteer, The Scarecrow, The Scavenger, The Singer, The Smiling One, The Wanderer, [prn] That Lives Behind Reality, [prn] Who (Makes/Ruins) The Party, [prn] Who Can Not Be Explained, [prn] Who Endlessly Falls, [prn] Who Is Sick, [prn] Who Makes and Plays The Games, [prn] Who Resigns in Level [number], [prn] Who Wanders The Endless Levels

Genders

0beckəl, 1beckəl, 3beckəl, 4beckəl, 5beckəl, 6beckəl, 7beckəl, 8beckəl, 92levelic, 974kitic, 9beckəl, Backaneic, Backroomgender, Backroomic, Backroomsaesic, Backroomscattic, Backroomsdollic, Backroomsfluid, Backroomsflux, Backroomspinnic, Buzinbackroomic, Catbackroomic, Cliproomic, Deathmothgender, Eeriroomic, Endlessswimic, Entiromaric, Entity555gender, Entity666gender.exe, Entity99ic, Erokoric, Escapethebackroomsgameic, Flowliminpinkic, Hotelliminix, Kenolimighost, Lepidoipresence, Level!ix, Level0liminix, Level1liminix, Level336dia, Level370ix, Level389ic, Level7ix, Liminaldollic, Liminalmazeic, Liminalmushrooms, Liminalpoweric, Liminalsnowic, Liminalspacestalgic, Liminaquarpetic, Liminaquic, Limingender, Liminix, Liminlovecoric, Natatoliraifortic, Nostbackplushic, Panbackroomic, Parkgaraliminix, Partygoerscharic, Partykenous, Rubicunipresence, Sh4dygr3yl3v3l1c, Smilergender, Snowliminalic, Storeliminix, Unfatholiminal, Zeroaromic

Other mogai

Alderbackroentity, Alderitch, Alderliminal, Alderwhitevoid, Assigned Creature at Birth/ACreAB, Assigned Freak at Birth/AFrAB, Assigned Monster at Birth/AMonAB, Assigned Uncanny at Birth/AUnAB, Backroomsvesil, Darkwarmgreyvesil, Eldritch Omninoun, Eldritchvesil, Error Omninoun, Flesheatseaseque, Grey Omninoun, Hiliblayedernic, Kenovesi, Kittyhousehearthic, Mimicryvior, Nonhuvesil, Null Omninoun, Poolroomperspesque, Shard Omninoun, Sublimityhearthic, Terrorhotelhearthic, Thing Omninoun, Vesiliminal, ∅ Omninoun

[bananonbinary]

Bee person dropping in to divulge some of the Secret Lore - there's about 20000 bee species, most of which (~85%) are solitary, meaning they live their entire life on their own. Most of these species are far less aggressive and territorial since it doesn't pay off for them to die in defense of their nest if they can just make a new one instead and still have at least a couple offspring. They're also much more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, pesticides, and loss of floral resources and habitats than a lot of social bees because they don't have a bunch of siblings to do teamwork with, so if the going gets tough for them, they have to go it alone - so they're especially dependent on us getting our shit together.

On a less depressing note, for anyone who wants to see some cool pictures of non-honeybee-looking bees, look up orchid bees, blood bees, carpenter bees, mason bees, mining bees, leafcutter bees, fairy bees, masked bees, sweat bees, digger bees, ... Not all of these are solitary, but they're all rad as hell. (The males often have quite fancy facial hair/markings too!)

In terms of that bumblebee, it depends - bumblebee colonies are quite small compared to what people will expect given the usual reference of comparatively giant honeybee hives (most bumblebee colonies don't tend to go above ~300 members) and their life histories are also quite different, as bumblebee colonies aren't perennial - young queens emerge from their winter diapause (a type of hibernation) in early spring, found their nests and rear the first workers, who then take over many of the tasks in the colony (such as foraging and brood care) until late summer, when they switch from rearing workers to new queens and males, who then get out and mate. The males and workers eventually die in fall, while the newly mated young queens find a cozy spot to while away the winter (usually underground, but pretty close to the surface, so don't clean up your green spaces too much and be gentle) to start the cycle again the next year. While isolation can have some negative effects on social bees like bumblebees, the severity of these effects depends on a lot of factors. Bumblebees, in my experience, are pretty tough though - for example, they can cope very well with randomly being dropped into an entirely new colony, which I know I certainly couldn't (I can barely handle phone calls on a good day). So long as they're given ample access to sugar water, they can live pretty long lives (for bees, anyway). If you find a flightless one, taking care of it is definitely the better alternative though. Keep them in a clean box (you can put a tissue on the bottom for easy cleaning/changing) in the shade for most of the day, at consistent room temperatures, give them sugar water and occasionally some flowers and they'll be fine. Just be careful as they can (and will) still sting in self-defense.

However, there actually are also stingless bees (Meliponini - more then 500 species worldwide) - they're another really cool group to look up. Like bumblebees and honeybees they are also social bess, and (like bumblebees) they build crazy cool nests. They're also the only group of bees that can produce honey outside of the honeybess (genus Apis - only 9 species worldwide) and can be found all over the world (the Americas, Australia, Africa, ...). They've been used for traditional honey production for centuries in a lot of South American countries, for example (off the top of my head I know of Mexico and Brazil). Their honey is also quite different to Apis honey in terms of chemical composition (and, speaking as a completely objective third party observer with absolutely no personal interest in the matter, is much tastier).

I'll stop now because otherwise I never will, but if there's anyone I haven't scared off yet, feel free to drop by and send me a message and I'll happily answer any and all bee-related questions you may have! I also really recommend the nonhoneybees (.) com blog, which is run by a wild bee researcher - they have really cute bee cartoons and lots of interesting facts about bees (and don't post at an overwhelming rate).

:o

🐝

[nancypullen]

Monday

Ugh, Monday. I knew it was going to be an exceptionally busy day at work and I was right. Normally I enjoy being right, today...not so much. I got up and got myself ready, choosing comfortable and cool clothing. I fortified myself with caffeine, and headed in to do battle. We're in full blown summer programming at the library and my first task of the day was to teach 25 kids how to build a bee hotel. Most of them did a fabulous job (*cough*the girls*cough*) and left with a home for mason bees that was beautifully decorated and even named. My favorite was The Buzz On Inn.

There were a handful (*cough*theboys*cough) who had no intention of following any sort of directions and built everything from rockets to cowbells. I think their moms made them attend. Still, they were well-behaved and they all left happy. They learned a lot about mason bees whether they wanted to or not. I'm not sure why the library scheduled this program at the end of June when those particular bees are not looking for homes, but we've flooded the bee hotel market with properties and all are welcome. I was able to clean up pretty quickly after the program, and once I'd tucked some things back in their boxes up in the haunted attic, I realized I actually had some...*gasp* unscheduled time. That never happens. I grabbed my book list for July's displays and started pulling from the shelves. Once I had a full cart I slapped up the pitiful decor that I'd made and called it done. In honor of the 4th...

Not my best work, but an appropriate place to display books about Revolutionary War spies, pirates, and women -a little something more than the stuff we learned in history class. George agreed with me.

I designed those silly posters and then printed them at Walgreens. There's almost always a 50% coupon on their website so you can do it for just a couple bucks. Comes in handy if you ever need a poster or a protest sign- I've used it for both.

The second display is awful, so I need to jazz it up a bit. They've taken my bookcase to use for summer reading prize and t-shirt storage, so I'm stuck with this dumb rolling cart.

I think I should add snowflakes or icicles... or just leave it alone because I'm the only one who cares. Actually I'm caring less and less because I PUT IN MY NOTICE. Ohmygosh, I just said it out loud. I have mixed feelings, but it all comes back to the fact that I originally just wanted a volunteer gig, or at most a part-time job. I was not looking for a career or the many, many, many hours of programming, planning, and after-hours work just to keep the place afloat. I really, really didn't want to be a quitter. When people around me were resigning left and right I became more determined to stick it out. But honestly, at this stage of my life my time and my health are precious and this job was sapping both. They've been very kind and have asked what they might be able to change that would make me stay - my kneejerk reaction was, everything. I don't want to leave on a sour note, so I'm just thanking them for the opportunity. I may even propose to them that now that they know my work ethic and I've already been through the background checks and all that - perhaps they'd like me to volunteer now. I could pop in and do the never-ending shelving and even continue the monthly displays. I'd love to do that. Do I expect them to be smart and take advantage of capable and free help? No. I suppose it's time to just put it all in my rearview mirror and appreciate what I've learned. Besides, I just *might* have something even better on the horizon - something that would be on my own time, from my own house, and involve tapping away on this keyboard while my brain spills out ideas. I suppose I've cursed the whole thing by even mentioning it, so I'll stop there and just hope for the best. So that's it. My big news on a Monday is that I won't have to worry about Mondays much longer. This Friday we'll collect the grandgirl for a couple of days, then Matt will fly in on July 1st and we'll all gather to celebrate the 4th. Matt leaves on the 7th (our 40th wedding anniversary!) and Mickey leaves on the 8th for Atlanta to see his mother. She's having a little medical procedure and he's going to be stepping and fetching for her. As of the 8th I'll be home alone, enjoying the silence, and I'll start painting my desk and hutch. Just me, a can of paint, and a true crime podcast...sounds heavenly. I'm finding my groove again. I hope that you're all surviving this awful heat. There's just no reason for it. What good is it? I think the National Weather Service should issue a no brassiere advisory. It's torture. Anywho, things are changing for the better around here, maybe the weather will too. Ever the optimist. Take care of yourselves. Sending out love, take what you need and pass it on. Stay safe, stay well, keep cool. XOXO, Nancy

[singeratlarge]

MONDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO  “Turn Your Back On the Wind” by The Fourmyula  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuX_5thg3m0 Winding back to 1969-70, Chris Andrews was working with The Fourmyula, a band from New Zealand who’d been recording at Abbey Road next door to The Beatles—musically simpatico with The Fourmyula’s harmony-driven psychedelic pop that became heavier as the band progressed. In 1968 they’d had a string of hits unmatched by any other band from NZ. Back then, NZ bands relied on doing covers of overseas songs, but The Fourmyula insisted on recording their own material. Their song “Nature,” composed by pianist/guitarist Wayne Mason, became a #1 international hit, won several awards, and went on to be covered by numerous artists over the years. It can be said they set the stage for later NZ successes like Crowded House, Neil Finn, and Split Enz.  “Turn Your Back On the Wind” was the title song of a Fourmyula album produced by Chris. In 1971 the band broke up and went home (excepting drummer Chris Parry stayed in the UK, went into A&R and production, and later launched The Cure and The Jam). Meanwhile, as musical heroes in their homeland, The Fourmyula reformed with Mason in 2010 on the heels of a CD box set celebrating their excellent recordings. “Turn Your Back on the Wind” is still getting plays. On a cosmic jukebox it plays between early Bee Gees and Marmalade... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuX_5thg3m0

#fourmyula #newzealand #abbeyroad #beatles #chrisandrews #crowdedhouse #neilfinn #timfinn #splitenz #chrisparry #thecure #thejam #wind #singersongwriter #psychedelicpop #folkrock

[thelavendersys]

The Lavender system!

20 bodily, white

introject heavy, unknown origin

partner systems:

#ghost of chicago @ghostcollective (ghost town)

#a bed of flowers @blubellsys (bluebell)

#box turtle dance @bundleofnerium (nerium)

DNI: anti-endos; fakeclaimers; terfs, swerf, anyone who believes there's a "right way" to be queer; racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-mspec; if you believe that "queer" is a slur. We will block liberally.

ask us to tag things! we will Not tag food or swearing

system guide and tagging system below!

#lavender posting - unspecified posts, general navigation

#behind the curtain - posts about innerworld/headspace

frequent fronters !!

#juniper rambles - Juniper, ambassador, partial Lex Foster introject; she/they/bee/ender, any terms. @likethesword

#orion.txt - Orion/Tommy, host, protector and ADHD holder, c!/cc!Tommy introject; he/sun, masculine terms. @tommyprimepath

#mason musings - Sofia/Mason/Wilbur, depression manager and traumaholder, c!/cc!Wilbur introject; any pronouns, any terms. @lookuponmyworksanddespair

less frequent fronters !!

#dream journal - Hazen, persecutor/protector, c!/cc!Dream/heatwaves!Dream introject; he/it/they pronouns, masculine terms. @dreamsjournals

#hero scribbles - Hero/Ranboo, traumaholder and emotional regulator, Genloss!Ranboo introject; he/him pronouns, masculine terms. @incaseidontseeya

#phil journal pages - Polaris/Philza, ANP and conflict manager, bones in the ocean and the man who feeds strays philza introject, he/him pronouns, masculine terms.

#elizabeth scrapbook - Elizabeth, little, traumaholder? Elizabeth Afton introject, she/her pronouns, feminine terms.

#shift's scenes - Shift, persecutor and fragment absorber, sourcing depends on which fragment is in front, it/they/he pronouns, neutral and masculine terms.

#sunny beams - Sunny, little, anxiety manager, and resentment holder, qsmp!Sunny introject (source separated), she/her pronouns, feminine terms. @sunshine-and-stardom (note: her blog is monitored and managed by adult members of the system)

[gregorovitch-adler]

Retirement (part-2)

(Part -1)

--

Sherlock was staring out of the car window of his side. When he felt John's head resting on his shoulder, Sherlock turned to have a look him.

John was staring ahead, looking pensive. John's soft, grey-blond hair falling over his forehead made Sherlock's heart flutter.

Their flat at Baker Street was officially behind them. They had exchanged goodbyes with Mrs Hudson-- which had been a tough task on its own-- and they were now a few minutes away from their new cottage in Sussex. Their luggage had already been transported, and now one of Mycroft's people was driving them to their house.

Sherlock tore his gaze off John's face and was staring ahead too. It felt as though he was leaving a part of himself behind in Westminster. Mrs Hudson, his home, his memories with John Watson-- the one person because of whom that place felt like a home; everything was in the past. All of it.

Sherlock knew that technically, it was only a change of location; good for his health, now that he had decided to retire. More space and everything. But he would be lying to himself if he said that he was never going to miss any part of his life in the past.

At least, there was something to look forward to. Building a new life in the countryside, and that too, with John- the love of his life. Sherlock would not change anything, now. He looked out of the window again with a smile.

John then shifted a bit in his seat to sit straight. He turned to face Sherlock. "You 𝘢𝘳𝘦 going to miss our old flat. In fact you're missing it already. Admit it," said with what looked like an attempt at a teasing smile. The smile turned out to have some ruefulness to it, however.

"Not at all," said Sherlock, trying to keep a solemn face. "It's only a change in the residential area."

John snorted. "Keep telling that to yourself."

"John, are you happy with our decision?" Sherlock asked, taking John's hand in his own.

"Yeah, 'course I am. Still, it won't be easy for me to just forget that place. You're here, so I've got something to hold onto." John gave a squeeze to Sherlock's hand.

"More space. Redecoration of the contents from our boxes is going to be easier."

John huffed out a laugh. "Your bees. No need to worry about the neighbours, now."

Sherlock instinctively looked in the direction of the boot of the car, where his Mason jar was carefully placed. "Yes, you're right."

They were not just going to redecorate their things in the new house. Their whole life was going to be redecorated. A permanent change of place and lifestyle had marked the beginning of the same.

John wrapped his arm around Sherlock's waist and kissed him on his cheek. Sherlock pressed a kiss on John's head, as he awaited the arrival of their new home.

He was going to miss 221 B, Baker Street, undoubtedly so, but with John on his side, this new place was going to be worth it.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Prompt Redecorating by @calaisreno

Thanks for the tag, @calaisreno and @gaylilsherlock!

Tagging: @keirgreeneyes @topsyturvy-turtely @helloliriels , etc.

[rjalker]

It's so fucking funny and infuriating when people claim wasps are useless and serve no purpose like they legitimately believe that wasps spent the entire history of the universe evolving for the sole purpose of annoying them. It is so clear these people have never interacted with native plants.

Sarcasm: spongebob narrator voice: Ah yes. Ze wasp (of which there is definitely only one species called Evil Stinging Bastard). So useless. Does nothing except plot all day and night to scare people by existing. So evil. So useless. Definitely does not play any ecological role. End sarcasm.

Image description start period a square cropped photo of a black and red Mason wasp perched on an immature yellow passionflower fruit. It is a small wasp with a black body with thick red stripes, and purple and red iridescent wings timer with red antenna fading to black period on the wasps Thorax and wing joints and somr of its head is bright yellow pollen stuck to it. Image description end.]

These little cute red and black Mason wasps are probably the only reason we have any fruit on this yellow passionflower vine. Every time I see the flowers being pollinated it is a black and red mason wasp doing the pollinating.

This one here is a male, not that you can tell in this picture, but the males have weight spots on their faces which I just think is cute.

When I actually get around to uploading the video this is from YouTube I will edit this post and link it here. It's July 19th 2023, so if you're Reading this person like August 2023 refresh the original post and get the link because I should have uploaded it to YouTube by then. And then you'll get to see the carpenter bee pollinating the purple passion flower right next to this plant and also a cool spider and the winger ants (??) It caught and also baby...wheelbugs? I think they're wheelbugs... There's some kind of bug with a capital B. They as adults will stick their proposes into the ripe yellow passion flower and suck out all the juice like it's a juice box. Which I know because I saw one do it last year. And then we get to collect the seeds of the passionfruit lol.

This year though we will be putting some of the fruit in organza bags so that we can actually see what it tastes like.

Update: well. It's November 11th now, lol, here's the video link finally.

[rhysles]

☆ CHRISTMAS 2022 ― gifts from rhys.

☆ DYLAN DUNSMORE. ( @dylandunsmore )

for dylan, rhys seized the opportunity back in october when he’d spent a few nights over at her place to kidnap her favorite stuffed frog plush, taking it with him so he could send it away to have it very carefully and lovingly cleaned and refurbished. he’s returned to his rightful home in a gift bag, nestled between homemade beeswax candles in mason jars ( a side endeavor he’s been working on, she’s the first to receive them ) and an assortment of candies and snacks like he used to stuff her stocking with when she was growing up. under all of it is another small, wrapped gift ― a photo clearly taken on an old, disposable camera many years ago of the three dunsmore siblings out in the backyard of their old house in the middle of a blizzard as children, dylan up to her knees in snow. rhys made the frame the photo is in out of scrap wood he found in the same backyard where it was taken.

☆ ELLIOT DUNSMORE. ( @elliotxdunsmore​ )

for elliot, rhys spent several months at the beginning of the year collecting wood from finn’s junkyard to repurpose into a bookshelf he built by hand out in the back yard and kept locked away in the shed to hide from his brother for the few more months it took him to build it, working on it for an hour or two here and there when he could. it isn’t wrapped because rhys isn’t sure he wants to fight that battle, but the shelves already have a few books on them, old ones rhys found of elliot’s when he was digging through their childhood things at their pops’ house.

☆ CORA STANLEY. ( @corastanley​ )

for cora, actual days are spent trying to decide on the right gift. christ, he hasn’t had a girlfriend in how long? he’s rusty, and he doesn’t want to make too grand a gesture ( and he’s not sure how well his wallet could manage one ) but he doesn’t want to disappoint her either, because she deserves something she’ll love. he eventually settles on a necklace, something small and simple that she might be able to wear every day if she wanted to — a fourteen karat gold chain adorned with a tiny bee charm. it’s kept in a small box on his person christmas day until the right moment under the mistletoe arrives that evening and he can gift it to her along with a kiss.

☆ EMMA STANLEY.

for emma, a small stuffed bear with a baby blue cowboy hat to match the one he’d gifted her at the rodeo, and it holds an envelope containing a hand-written coupon good for either one afternoon spent playing games with rhys and her mom at snake eyes or one movie night at the drive in as soon as the weather’s warm enough. in light of the gift she gave him for christmas, it doesn’t feel like enough — he’s only a little bit embarrassed to admit that the drawing of the three of them standing on the lawn outside of cora and emma’s house, all holding hands, was enough to make him tear up in the moment when she gave it to him and actually break down and cry hours later in his truck, pulled into the driveway, after he’s left christmas dinner at the stanley house.

☆ ANGEL O’CONNOR. ( @angeloconnor​ )

for angel, a hand-bound leather journal embossed with an ornate celestial design and featuring an onyx stone set in the cover to match the lighter case he got her for her birthday and a set of pens to go with it. the journal is empty, save for a note written on the first page by rhys reminding her that he’s always there to listen whenever she wants someone to talk to, but now she’s got a couple hundred blank pages for when she doesn’t. ( or when she just gets tired of talking to an old man. ) the bottom of the page is filled with shoddy doodles of snowflakes and what were supposed to look like snow angels but turned out more looking like crime scene outlines, and of course, love your brother from another mother, rhys.

☆ FINN O’CONNOR. ( @finn-oconnor​ )

for finn, a bottle of redbreast twelve year and a set of four new whiskey glasses. they’re nothing fancy and didn’t set him back too much for the whole lot, but rhys did take one of them in to a very kind older woman who occasionally runs a stall at the rodeo in the winter who personalizes gifts — typically leather or metal, so it was a long shot that she’d even be able —  and found that she could etch a monogram into the glass for him, so it’s engraved with his initials and a shamrock, and he’ll always know which one’s his when any of the rest of the south side hooligans come to bother him.

☆ DANNY ANDERSON. ( @danny--anderson​ )

for danny, a crewneck that still remains wrapped in his living room, a gift he’d gotten danny before their fight. he hasn’t seen him since, and fuck if he doesn’t miss his best friend, and he’s honestly tempted to just show up on his doorstep with the poorly wrapped, vulgar sweatshirt as a way to start to try and mend things with him.

☆ DJ ANDERSON. ( @dougie-anderson​ )

for dougie, a copper japanese tamagoyaki omelette pan. it’s small and strange looking to rhys, who hasn’t the slightest clue about cooking, but he knows he did see a youtube video of a guy rolling an omelette with a very similar pan and talking it up, and it seems cool, so he goes with it anyway, pairing the gift with a six pack of a citrusy IPA and a note that he’s gotta break the pan out next time they do brunch or something... is brunch too fancy for the southside? rhys doesn’t know. it’s just an excuse to drink at his favorite meal of the day.

☆ DUSTY ANDERSON. ( @dusty-anderson )

for dusty, rhys didn’t actually have a gift planned and was probably going to offer him a six-pack of beer. until the drunk bastard stumbled into his yard and smashed his beehive one night not long before christmas, that is. in return, rhys decides to get him a small breathalyzer on a keychain so he can carry it around with him and make sure to stay the fuck out of rhys’ yard when he blows a little too high.

☆ SOFIA SILVA. ( @sofia-silva​ )

for sofia, a handmade wooden boot rack for her mud room that he built over the summer and has spent the past several months trying to convince himself not to give her early because he’s actually really awful for that. it’s hand-delivered to her house with a bottle of wine and a hug a few days before christmas, and a promise to come visit her even more in the new year.

☆ STRIKER CANNON. ( @strikercannon​ )

for striker, a carton of marlboro reds and a twenty-four pack of beer that he picked up on sale at the liquor store. it ain’t much, but rhys knows it’ll at least be enough to hold him over long enough to have a couple of good nights. or maybe one really good night, knowing striker.

[auberginesdonthavelimbs]

It’s somewhat questionable whether the non in nonplus is actually a prefix at all; the word came into English in the 16th century, and was taken from the Latin non plus, which means “no more.” When it first appeared in our language it was used as a noun, with the meaning of “quandary.”

This was then, and is now, the answere to that friuolous obiection, and this is the Nonplus that the Libeller vaunteth of. —Thomas Cooper, An Admonition to the People of England, 1589 I am brought to a nonplus, O Lorde what shall I saie? —Edward Hutchins, Davids Sling Against Great Goliath, 1593 So that now we are much beholding to M. Deacon, and M. Walker, that haue put all fooles and mad men to a perpetuall non plus, whose tongues would otherwise continually bee tampring. —John Darrel, The Replie of Iohn Darrel, 1602

By the early 17th century nonplus was being used as a verb, with the meaning of “to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do.” Then, as now, the word is often encountered in its participial form (nonplussed), with a meaning that is nearly synonymous with “perplexed.”

Here may the Non-plust wooer fetch a wile To breake all Remora's, plots to beguile All Fortune's crosses: and if language faile, Here may he learne to court, triumph, bewaile I'th eloquentest straines. —Achilles Tatius, The Loves of Clitophon and Leucippe, 1638

For the next three hundred and some years nonplus remained on the straight and narrow, avoiding the temptations of demon rum and semantic drift, and as a result of this managed to keep its meaning remarkably unchanged. And then in the early 20th century some people began to use nonplus to mean “unruffled, unconcerned,” and ever since then the word just hasn’t been the same.

I came just in time to see two policemen pushing the car to one side so that the firewagon could get near the plug. Of course anyone knows that under very embarrassing circumstances one is to appear non-plussed, as they say, and smoke a cigarette. —The Pittston Gazette (Pittston, PA), 15 Aug. 1930 The onlooker at the right appears nonplussed at the game the posters offer, but then—she’s only a mannequin. —The Mason City Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), 16 Apr. 1948 Twelve-year-old E. B. “Buzzie” Barker Jr. remained nonplussed yesterday despite the attention and congratulations that he was receiving for having won the Peninsula’s Soap Box Derby Sunday. ”I think we are more excited than he is,” his mother, Mrs. Barton Barker, commented. “He is just about as unconcerned about the whole thing,” she said, but didn’t finish. —Daily Press (Newport News, VA), 28 Jun. 1955

The “unruffled” sense of nonplussed increased as the 20th century went on, although when it was noticed this sense has been categorically rejected as a mistake. Mistake it may well be, but the fact remains that this sense of the word is in widespread use today, and may be found often enough in well regarded and highly edited, publications.

While senior officials in the Israeli Foreign Ministry fume over the diplomatic mess caused by the implications of the Dubai assassinations, those who know Mr Dagan say he is nonplussed by the row. —The Times (London, UK), 18 Feb. 2010 There is also the stumbling conversation of the other blind novitiates,but we are all really dependent on the voice of our guide, Romeo Edmead, a vigorous, charming man, completely nonplussed by the tumult we find around us. —Edward Rothstein, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2011

If there is a lesson here, it is that you should never trust prefixes (or anything that looks like one). It may leave you nonplussed.

If you are unsure, guess. I don't normally ask, but please share for a larger sample size.

[serenafisher]

Bee Garden Design Document

1. Game Overview:

Purpose/Goal: A relaxing game I would like to play. As a study to improve my game development skills. To render stylized honey and flowers in a painterly way. 

Genre: Idle simulation.

Target Audience: Casual gamers and VR enthusiasts interested in short play sessions.

2. Story & Setting:

Narrative: The player assumes the role of a new beekeeper who aims to unlock six special honeys. The journey involves planting, harvesting, and decoding riddles to determine the correct flowers.

Setting: A tranquil field featuring a beehive and four dedicated plots of land for planting.

3. Gameplay Mechanics:

Core Mechanics: Players plant seeds which grow into flowers. Bees then utilize these flowers to produce honey.

Objectives: Plant seeds, grow flowers, and decipher clues or riddles to produce six distinct honeys.

Challenges: Determine which flowers are necessary for each unique honey and the process for growing them. 

Progression: Unlocking pages in a journal with each new flower grown. Harvested flowers are stored in a vase for viewing.

4. Characters & Entities:

Main Characters/Entities:

Player (First-person perspective): The new beekeeper on a journey to complete their honey collection.

Swarm of Bees: The swarm moves between the hive and the flowers. When the garden is empty, or honey is ready the bees buzz around it. They interact with flowers when collecting pollen.(This is a stretch-goal, they might just be static around the hive)

5. User Interface (UI):

Main UI Elements: Physical notebook (for game menu and progress), alert boxes, indicators for clickable objects.

Controls: Click-based interactions for PC and VR.

6. Art & Design:

Art Style: Painterly styled 3D, inspired by Anna Mason's watercolor flowers. See moodboard for more info. 

Key Assets List:

Environment: Tree, ground, skybox

Props: Hive, notebook, table/shelf for honeys, vases, jars of honey, cursor.

Flowers: Fireweed, Sage, Tupelo, Blueberry, Pumpkin.

Honeys: Fireweed, Sage, Tupelo, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Wildflower.

7. Sound & Music:

Background Music: (Still requires definition - maybe serene nature-inspired music.)

Key Sound Effects:

Planting seeds: Earthy, digging sound.

Harvesting: Gentle plucking sound.

Page turning: Soft flipping sound.

Bees buzzing: Soft, non-intrusive buzzing.

8. Technical Details:

Platform: PC with potential expansion to VR.

Software & Tools: Unity, Photoshop, Substance 3D Painter.

9. Development Timeline:

Pre-production: Oct 22nd 2023 - Nov 31st 2023

Game concept finalization

Initial design sketches

Asset Creation: Nov 14th 2023 - Dec 16th 2023

3D modeling and texturing

Sound sourcing or creation

Core Development: Dec 1st 2023  - Jan 31st 2024

Core mechanic implementation

Playtesting

Finalization and Polishing: Feb 1st 2024 - Feb 12th 2024

Debugging and polishing

Final playtests

Deployment: Feb 12th 2024 - Feb 14th 2024

Finalizing the game build

Portfolio presentation

10. Additional Notes:

Possible Challenges:

Rendering Honey appealingly. Capturing how it reflects light.

Modeling and texturing appealingly stylized plants..

Ensuring VR compatibility if expanded upon.

[beekeepingsuppliesmelbourne]

Check Advantages of Cutting-Edge Beehive Kits & Beekeeping Supplies in Melbourne

Beekeeping supplies in Melbourne are highly necessary due to the growing apiculture practices around the cities and suburbs. Rearing Bees is one of the highly increasing businesses in the Melbourne market towards a sustainable ecosystem and promotion of uses of organic and eco-friendly honey, beeswax, propolis, bee venom, mead, and more. 

These bee-keeping tools assist businesses and hobbyists to set up and maintain bee house, as well as in promoting neighborhoods pollination and biodiversity in both rural and urban areas. Using cutting-edge beekeeping equipment promotes sustainability of bees and the safety of both bees and beekeepers.

Some reputable beekeeping tool suppliers deliver top-quality advanced beekeeping tools such as framed beehives, mason beehives, mini mating hives, beekeeping starter kits, bee box systems, hives with feeders, pollen straps, hive straps, queen accessories, and more to help businesses and beekeeping enthusiasts to a generate a worthy outcome.

Advantages of Cutting-Edge Beehive Kits & Beekeeping Supplies:

Modern apiarists can have a wide range of cutting-edge beehive kits and beekeeping gear with a plethora of benefits. Reputable suppliers of these ground-breaking kits in Melbourne, have a vast collection of cutting-edge ventilation systems that control hive temperature and moisture, to minimize the stress on bees, thus increasing overall productivity. 

These suppliers have advanced equipment that is designed for optimal bee health and related product output. 

Their high-tech materials increase resiliency and insulation to protect bee colonies from bad weather, reduce mite infestations and foster colony vitality without using chemicals. 

Their beekeeping kits are integrated with advanced pest control techniques to promote the entire colony's health. 

Businesses should buy bee feeders to ensure consistent nourishment during times of scarcity, supporting strong hive development and honey production. 

In contrast, they should apply frame holders and grips from trusted suppliers to simplify hive inspections and reduce the disturbance of bees and beekeepers to facilitate smoother beekeeping management. 

Finally, people who have an interest in beekeeping to promote a healthy ecosystem, or thinking of an apiculture business, should visit these reputable suppliers. They have prompt services for customer support to answer everything about their products and their advantages, as well as transparent payment to satisfy their customers.

Source

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY 2024 + MONDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO  “Turn Your Back On the Wind” by The Fourmyula  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuX_5thg3m0 Winding back to 1969-70, Chris Andrews was working with The Fourmyula, a band from New Zealand who’d been recording at Abbey Road next door to The Beatles—musically simpatico with The Fourmyula’s harmony-driven psychedelic pop that became heavier as the band progressed. In 1968 they’d had a string of hits unmatched by any other band from NZ. Back then, NZ bands relied on doing covers of overseas songs, but The Fourmyula insisted on recording their own material. Their song “Nature,” composed by pianist/guitarist Wayne Mason, became a #1 international hit, won several awards, and went on to be covered by numerous artists over the years. It can be said they set the stage for later NZ successes like Crowded House, Neil Finn, and Split Enz.  “Turn Your Back On the Wind” was the title song of a Fourmyula album produced by Chris. In 1971 the band broke up and went home (excepting drummer Chris Parry stayed in the UK, went into A&R and production, and later launched The Cure and The Jam). Meanwhile, as musical heroes in their homeland, The Fourmyula reformed with Mason in 2010 on the heels of a CD box set celebrating their excellent recordings. “Turn Your Back on the Wind” is still getting plays. On a cosmic jukebox it goes between early Bee Gees and Marmalade... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuX_5thg3m0

#fourmyula #newzealand #abbeyroad #beatles #chrisandrews #crowdedhouse #neilfinn #timfinn #splitenz #chrisparry #thecure #thejam #wind #singersongwriter #psychedelicpop #folkrock

[trigger-discipline]

Adding on: While well-meaning, bee houses can do more harm than good. They are tempting to bees but aren't as safe as a natural burrow and can accumulate harmful parasites.

Both articles have suggestions on which kinds of bee houses are okay, or how to properly use any less-than-stellar ones you already have (at the very least, discard it at the end of each season).

Your best option might just be to leave some dead plants/wood/bare earth around and let the bees (and other animals) have at, though. Laziness wins!

Things to Do that Aren't Related to Growing Plants

This is my second post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Some of us just don’t have much luck when it comes to growing plants. Some of us simply want to aim for other ways to help that don’t involve putting on gardening gloves. Maybe you've already got a garden, but you want to do more. No problem! There’s a couple of options you can look into that’ll help attract wildlife in your area without even having to bring out any shovels!

Provide a Water Source

Oftentimes when I see ‘add a water source’ in informational articles about improving your backyard for wildlife, it’s almost always followed by an image of a gorgeous backyard pond with a waterfall and rock lining that looks expensive to set up, difficult to maintain, and overall just… not feasible for me. Arguably, not feasible for a lot of people. And that’s okay! There’s still ways to add water in your garden for all kinds of creatures to enjoy!

There’s tons of ways to create watering stations for insects like bees and butterflies. A self refilling dog bowl can work wonders! Add some stones into the receiving tray for insects to land on or use to climb out, and you’ve got a wonderful drinking spot for all kinds of insects! You can also fill a saucer or other dish with small stones and fill it, though it’ll likely need refilling daily or even several times a day during hot times. 

I've seen people online use all kinds of things to make water features. Some go with terra-cotta pots, pebbles, and a cheap pump to get a small and simple fountain. Others use old tires, clay, and a hole in the ground to create an in-ground mini pond system. If all else fails, even a bucket or watertight box with a few plants in it can do the trick--though do be wary of mosquitoes if the water isn’t moving. In situations like these, a solar-powered fountain pump or bubbler are great for keeping the water moving while still making it a drinking option for wildlife (it not even more appealing for some)--and these items can be obtained fairly cheap online!

Bird baths are an option as well--a classic way to provide for birds in your area, they can be easy to find online or in a gardening store! The only downside is that a good, quality bird bath can be pricey up-front. However, a nice stone bird bath should last a long time, be easy to clean and refill, and be enjoyed by many birds! I’ve also seen tutorials on how to make your own with quickcrete! Bird baths will be a welcome sight to birds, as they provide a space for them to drink and bathe to regulate the oils in their feathers for flight and insulation. Putting a stone in the middle will also help insects to escape if they fall in, and provide a place to perch so they can get their own drink. You’ll want to change the water and clean the baths regularly--as often as once a week, if you can manage it.

If possible, it’s highly encouraged to fill and refill water features with rainwater instead of tap water. Tap water is often treated, so instead of using hoses or indoor kitchen water, collecting some rainwater is a great alternative. Collecting rainwater can be as simple as leaving cups, bins, or pots outside for awhile.

Butterflies and other creatures will also drink from mud puddles. If you can maintain an area of damp soil mixed with a small amount of salt or wood ash, this can be fantastic for them! Some plants also excel at storing water within their leaves and flowers (bromeliads come to mind), making them an excellent habitat for amphibians as well as a drinking spot for insects and birds.

Bird Feeders and Bird Houses

Some of the fancy, decorated bird feeders are expensive, but others can be pretty low-cost--I got my bird feeder from Lowe’s for around 10 dollars, and a big bag of birdseed was around another 10 dollars and has lasted several refills! If you don’t mind occasionally buying more birdseed, a single birdfeeder can do a lot to attract and support local birds! If you’re handy, have some spare wood, and have or can borrow some tools, you may even be able to find instructions online to make your own feeder. You may not even need wood to do so! Even hummingbird feeders, I’ve found, are quick to attract them, as long as you keep them stocked up on fresh sugar water in the spring and summer!

An important note with bird feeders is that you have to make sure you can clean them regularly. Otherwise, they may become a vector for disease, and we want to avoid causing harm whenever possible. Also keep an ear out and track if there’s known outbreaks of bird diseases in your area. If local birding societies and scientists are advising you take your birdfeeders down for awhile, by all means, do it!

Bird houses are naturally paired with bird feeders as biodiversity promoters for backyard spaces, and it makes sense. Having bird houses suited to birds in your area promotes them to breed, raise their young, disperse seeds, and generally engage in your surrounding environment. Setting them up takes careful selection or construction, preparation, and some patience, but sooner or later you might get some little homemakers! Keep in mind, you will need to clean your birdhouses at least once a year (if not once per brood) to make sure they’re ready and safe for birds year after year--you wouldn’t want to promote disease and parasites, after all. But they could be a valuable option for your landscape, whether you purchase one or construct your own! 

Again, do make sure you're putting up the right kind of boxes for the right kinds of birds. Bluebird boxes are some I see sold most commonly, but in my area I believe they're not even all that common--a nesting box for cardinals or chickadees would be far more likely to see success here! And some birds don't even nest in boxes--robins and some other birds are more likely to use a nesting shelf, instead! Research what birds live in your area, take note of any you see around already, and pick a few target species to make homes for!

Solitary Bee Houses

A bee house or bee hotel is a fantastic way to support the solitary bees in your area! For a few dollars and some annual cleaning, you can buy a solitary bee house from most big box nurseries. Alternatively, you can make one at home, with an array of materials you may already have lying around! You can even make them so that they’ll benefit all kinds of insects, and not necessarily just bees.

Though you don’t even necessarily have to break out the hammer and nails, buy a ton of bricks, or borrow a staple gun. Making homes for tunneling bees can be as simple as drilling holes in a log and erecting it, or drilling holes in stumps and dead trees on your property. You might even attract some woodpeckers by doing this!

Providing Nesting Area

There are tons of different kinds of bees, and they all make different kinds of homes for themselves. Not all of them make big cavity hives like honey bees, or will utilize a solitary bee house. Bumblebees live in social hives underground, particularly in abandoned holes made by rodents--some others nest in abandoned bird nests, or cavities like hollow logs, spaces between rocks, compost piles, or unoccupied birdhouses. Borer, Ground, and Miner bees dig into bare, dry soil to create their nests. Sparsely-vegetated patches of soil in well-drained areas are great places to find them making their nests, so providing a similar habitat somewhere in the garden can encourage them to come! I do talk later in this document about mulching bare soil in a garden--however, leaving soil in sunny areas and south-facing slopes bare provides optimal ground nesting habitat. Some species prefer to nest at the base of plants, or loose sandy soil, or smooth-packed and flat bare ground. They’ve also been known to take advantage of soil piles, knocked over tree roots, wheel ruts in farm roads, baseball diamonds and golf course sand traps. You can create nesting ground by digging ditches or creating nesting mounds in well-drained, open, sunny areas with sandy or silty soil. However, artificially constructed ground nests may only have limited success. 

Providing Alternative Pollinator Foods

Nectar and pollen aren’t the only foods sought out by some pollinators! Some species of butterflies are known to flock to overripe fruit or honey water, so setting these out can be an excellent way to provide food to wildlife. You may want to be cautious about how you set these out, otherwise it can help other wildlife, like ants or raccoons. Butterflies may also drop by to visit a sponge in a dish of lightly salted water. 

Bat Houses and Boxes

Big or small, whether they support five bats or five hundred, making bat boxes and supporting local bats is a great way to boost biodiversity! Not only will they eat mosquitoes and other pest species, but you may also be able to use the guano (bat droppings) as fertilizer! Do be careful if you choose to do that though--I’ve never had the opportunity to, so do some research into how strong it is and use it accordingly.

Provide Passageway Points

If you want your area to be more accessible for creatures that can’t fly or climb fences, allowing or creating access points can be an excellent way to give them a way in and out. Holes in the bottom of walls or fences can be sheltered with plants to allow animals through. 

In a somewhat similar manner, if you’re adding a water fixture, it’s important to provide animals a way to get into and out of the pond--no way in, and they can’t use the water. No way out, and they may drown. Creating a naturalistic ramp out of wood beams or sticks, or stepped platforms out of bricks, stones, or logs can do the trick. 

Get or Keep Logs and Brush Piles

I’ve already mentioned logs a good handful of times so far in this post. To be used as access ramps, or as nesting areas for solitary bees. But they have value as much more than that! Logs on the ground provide shelter for all kinds of animals, especially depending on size--anything from mice, reptiles, and amphibians to things like turkey vultures and bears will use fallen logs as shelter. Inside of a decaying log, there’s a lot of humidity, so amphibians are big fans of them--meanwhile, the upper sides of them can be used as sunning platforms by things like lizards. Other animals can also use the insides of logs as nest sites and hiding places from predators too big to fit inside. Fungi, spiders, beetles, termites, ants, grubs, worms, snails, slugs, and likely much more can be found inside rotting logs, using the rotting wood as food sources or nesting places. They can then provide food for mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. They can also be regarded as a landmark or territory marker as wildlife get more familiar with your space.

So how do you get logs for cheap? Try Chip Drop! I talk about them more in a future post, but you can mark saying that you’d like logs in your drop, so they’ll give you any they have! In fact, you may even get a drop faster if you're willing to accept some logs. You may also be able to approach arborists you see working in your area and ask for logs. There may also be local online listings for people selling logs for cheap, or just trying to get rid of them. If there’s land development going on near you, you may be able to snag logs from trees they cut down to make space. Do keep in mind, you don’t need to have huge gigantic logs laying around your property to make an impact--even small logs can help a lot.

If possible, creating and leaving brush piles on the edge of your property can be a great boost to biodiversity--even if you may not see the wildlife using it. They’ll provide shelter from weather and predators, and lower portions are cool and shady for creatures to avoid the hot sun. The upper layers can be used as perch sites and nest sites for song birds, while lower layers are resting sites for amphibians and reptiles, and escape sites for many mammals. As the material decays, they also attract insects, and as such they’ll attract insect-eating animals too. As more small animals find refuse in your brush pile, their predators will be attracted to them as well. Owls, hawks, foxes, and coyotes are known to visit brush piles to hunt. Making a brush pile can be as simple as piling branches and leaves into a mound, as big or as small as you want. You can even use tree stumps or old fence posts near the base, and keep stacking on plant trimmings and fallen branches. Do note that you don’t want to do this near anything like a fire pit.

Don't forget, with all of these, your mileage may vary for any variation of reasons, so don't worry if you can't take all of even any of these actions! Even just talking about them with other people may inspire someone else to put out a bat box, or leave a few logs out for wildlife!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to get seeds and plants as cheaply as possible. For now, I hope this advice helps! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

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Sign in An earlier version of this story incorrectly implied that home gardeners can purchase seeds for genetically modified organism (GMO) vegetable varieties. The story has been updated. Is your garden planning limited to browsing the seed packets on the rotating display by the checkout at the hardware store? Or simply flipping through a few big-box gardening catalogues to order whatever looks good for your growing zone? If that’s the case, you’re probably purchasing mostly hybrid varieties. It might be worth rethinking your approach to your plot and planting heirloom fruits and vegetables instead. Usually at least 50 years old, these long-loved varieties offer multiple benefits, and they don’t require special equipment or growing conditions to flourish. “Mainstream varieties are bred for durability, long shelf life or appearance,” says Mike Bollinger, executive director of the Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit organization based in Decorah, Iowa, that collects, catalogues and distributes heirloom seeds. “On the other hand, a lot of heirloom varieties were bred with canning, fresh eating and flavor in mind.” In other words: They can taste better. Another advantage to heirloom seeds is they are open-pollinated (naturally pollinated by the wind, bees, birds or other animals), meaning they grow “true to type” year after year. So, unlike with some hybrid varieties, if you harvest seeds from heirloom produce, you can grow the same crop in future seasons. Yes, that’s right: seasons, plural. Yes, it's January. But if you want a robust spring garden, start your seed-shopping now. “Seed-catalogue villains have convinced us that we have to buy seeds every year,” says Ellen Ecker Ogden, kitchen garden designer and author of “The New Heirloom Garden: Designs, Recipes, and Heirloom Plants for Cooks Who Love to Garden.” “But if you store them properly, they keep for years.” To properly preserve seeds, Ogden places each variety in a separate Mason jar with a desiccant pack to eradicate moisture. She stores them in a cool, dry place that doesn’t receive any sun. (A closet, a kitchen cupboard away from the stove or a basement with low humidity are all great options.) A seed’s lifespan depends on the variety, but some can survive five years or longer if properly stockpiled. Perhaps an even deeper value to heirloom varieties is their genetic diversity. “These are unusual times in terms of climate and rainfall,” says Ira Wallace, a worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in Mineral, Va., which distributes heirloom and organic seeds. “The genomes of heirloom varieties are more elastic, since they haven’t been bred so finely. So, when a new challenge comes along, there might be a resistance to it in an heirloom variety.” On top of all that, heirlooms can be eye-catching head-turners, defying expectations when it comes to coloration and hue. Tomatoes don’t need to be red, carrots aren’t always orange, and cucumbers can be more than basic green. Your spring planting schedule Here are 10 heirloom varieties that will transform your garden beds — and meals — into deliciously gorgeous riots of color. “They have always been fascinating,” Ogden says, “because they don’t look like tomatoes.” When ripe, the sweet yet tangy medium-size fruit (perfect for BLTs) takes on a chartreuse tone with streaks of light lime, mossy green and yolky orange running down the sides. With beautiful purple veins running through their fan-like leaves, these collards make an impression. Wallace also appreciates their compact build, making them well-suited to raised beds, and that the leaves cook quickly compared with other hearty greens. Although these regal-looking root vegetables have a reddish-purple exterior, their insides are classic orange. “They’re very sweet but almost spicy, too,” Bollinger says, making them great for snacking, steaming and roasting. Popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the spherical, sunny-hued cuke is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

“It’s a fun one, because kids love them,” says Ogden, who notes that they don’t taste like lemon but that they have a boldly sweet flavor that works well in salads and pickled preparations. Streaked with vibrant purple, these smaller teardrop-shaped eggplants with thin skin can be slipped into ratatouille, lasagna or moussaka. “They’re compact plants, so they do well in tighter spaces and in pots,” Bollinger says. “And they produce heavily, so you don’t need a lot of them.” Growing to more than three feet tall, this ornamental brassica features a tuft of purple leaves at the center with a ring of green ones on the outside. A favorite of Bollinger’s, it can be prepared similarly to kale or collards. The golden-orange chiles are not for the faint of heart, packing as much punch as habaneros. That makes them great for hot sauces. “Once you get past the heat, there’s a nice citrusy flavor underneath,” Bollinger says. “It looks like a hot pepper, but don’t worry: It’s actually sweet,” Ogden says. The Christmas-red curly Italian chiles are perfect for frying or for adding nice notes to a mild salsa. Pear-shaped with a blazing-orange skin, this winter squash shines in curries and soups. Bollinger appreciates its diminutive size, because it can be grown in smaller gardens. Ogden loves these Northern Italian beans with attractive red-brown mottling, nicknamed the “shrimp bean” thanks to their shape. Simply sauté them in olive oil with thinly sliced garlic to savor their fresh flavor. Nevin Martell is a writer based in Silver Spring, Md. His website is nevinmartell.com. Find him on Instagram: @nevinmartell. source