The Wordsmith's Forge

For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.

69. Stage a scene. The public pranks of Improv Everywhere might seem like frivolous fodder for viral videos. But there’s something about witnessing a spectacle that can bring people together like nothing else. Their "No Pants Subway Ride," which started in New York in 2002—and is exactly what it sounds like—has become an annual tradition in dozens of cities.

Almost any kind of performance art can be adapted to public venues.  Be creative.  

Also, look for places in your hometown that are near crowds but not in the way of foot traffic.  Put up some Busk Stop signs, or paint stencils on the ground.  

Today is gray and mild, occasionally spitting rain.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few house finches, a pair of brown thrashers, a dove, a lady cardinal, and a squirrel.

I have done two rounds of digging to transplant comfrey. 

EDIT 4/24/21 -- I went back for a third round of transplanting.  One more should finish the patch I've been working today.

EDIT 4/24/21 -- I finished transplanting the patch of comfrey, and also dug up a few more bits elsewhere.  \o/

Today is overcast and cool with a variable breeze.

I fed the birds.  I've seen sparrows, house finches, doves, a robin, a lady cardinal, and a pair of brown thrashers.  They're really hugging the feeders today.

We walked the south lot and picked up a few bigger sticks from the west end so that could be mowed.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow.

EDIT 4/23/21 -- I went back out and picked up sticks around the cherry thicket in the savanna.

I finally found a piece that lays out a very intelligent plan for fire risk management in California. Save this for emailing to people or using in town meetings.

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Today is mostly sunny and mild with a light breeze.

Before lunch, I took pictures.

After lunch, I fed the birds.  Today I've seen grackles, mourning doves, sparrows several house finch pairs, and a brown thrasher pair.

Then we cut a big pile of brush in the prairie garden and hauled it away.

EDIT 4/22/21 -- I cut weeds and brush.

... had dark skin and blue eyes.  They were succeeded by, and intermingled with, a population of light-skinned dark-eyed people.

Ireland's mythology tells about successive waves of immigration.  We also have the Black Irish, but in Irish that means someone with black hair, not black skin.  An interesting result of all this mixing, and the particular genetics involved, is that one family can produce extremely different children who look unrelated.  The gene for red hair controls melanin production, which means red hair tends to come with pale skin and often freckles.  So you can have one very white child with blue eyes and red hair (rr), two with medium colors (Rr), and one with very dark colors (RR), if the parents are both Rr.

Folks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. This is the current list of coping skills.

4. Garden

An excellent idea, as gardening boosts mental and physical health.

These are the content notes for "The Trail of Hope."  They contain some spoilers.

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These are the location notes for "The Trail of Hope."

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These are the character notes for "The Trail of Hope."  Note that there are some spoilers in here.

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