Month: February 2025

Perfection

On By CarynIn games

Ok, I’ve reached perfection in the Stardew Valley game, again. I think now I can dial it back to occasional play rather than the obsessed dives I have been doing. I should return to more of my regular programming soon.

Photo description: Stardew Valley screen shot filled with kegs producing ancient fruit wine

The hardest part for me was building the money to get the golden clock. I spent frivolously (looking at you, statue of endless fortune), and somehow turned off Junimo collection at one point, so was wasting time harvesting. (If this happens to you, and your Junimos are wandering your field but not actually picking produce, go to their hut and look in, there is a button on the top right that turns collection on and off, credit to my eldest for the assist.) I did have several massive banks of kegs producing wine, and two large fields producing ancient fruit (the beach hut and house fill up with kegs nicely.) Still, I made it in year 5, which is definitely not a speed record, but faster than I did last round. I did not go for completion, I’m missing the polyculture achievement because I should have planned on growing 15 sweet gem berries from the get go. Oh, and I really suck at the in-game video games.

Sorry to those that this post is complete gibberish. I’ll get back to my regular esoteric vocabulary soon.

Photo description: my character standing on the summit in Stardew Valley after reaching completion, of course I caught the pic mid-blink

Moss ball

On By CarynIn Flora

Wandering the yard I saw a bright green ball amongst the winter browns. Thinking it was trash or an errant tennis ball, I headed over to pick it up and toss it, but what I found was a nearly spherical ball of moss. Hm.

Photo description: bright green oval of moss sitting on dirt and twigs

Although my purchased mosses in my mossarium are doing OK, my native moss did not like the inside environment, so I left this lovely mossy specimen where it was flourishing.

Catio repair

On By CarynIn Cats

The wood I used for the top of the catio access, going from the house window to the enclosed space for the cats, rotted in the rain. I knew I had to address it, but when Thor the gray tabby ended up outside by his lonesome it became more urgent.

Photo description: corner of the catio corridor showing the rotted wood and planks partially removed

It is in my plan to get some clear material to go over the top to keep the rain out, but to make it secure in the meantime I replaced some of the wood then laid poultry wire over to keep the cats in. I had both the wood and wire, so didn’t have to make a trip to the hardware store.

Photo description: repaired corridor corner

The poultry wire is stapled to the wood, and wired to the hardware cloth, so the cats should be secure.

More from the trail cam

On By CarynIn Wildlife

I do like the new location for the trail cam. I’m getting regular allotment of critters.

Photo description: night vision image of a couple opossums crossing in front of the camera
Photo description: night vision image of an armadillo snuffling for snacks
Photo description: night vision image of a large buck with impressive rack

There were also the regular scattering of cats, birds, and squirrels, with one neighborhood dog going by. What I haven’t seen is any evidence of raccoons. I think our colony was really and truly wiped out by distemper about a year ago, which makes me remorseful. My animals are all vaccinated for distemper, but the feral cats are not. Raccoons are susceptible to both feline and canine distemper, so it could have been either a cat or neighborhood dog that infected them. Did you know that a group of raccoons is called a nursery or a gaze? There we go.

The importance of dandelions

On By CarynIn Flora

It is February in Texas and the only things blooming are dandelions.

Photo description: common dandelion with a yellow bloom and white seed head in a bed of fallen leaves
Photo description: bee visiting the dandelion flower

We had some warm weather interrupt winter, and the bees came out and sipped from the dandelions. While other yard owners are applying pre-emergents, the bees are feasting in our spring blooms. Dandelions are also edible. Although I have not gone down that path, it is nice to know I could.