Nature
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPrairie plants reveal a hidden defense against climate extremes
It looks peaceful – but these places are basically training grounds for weather whiplash.
A new study says prairies really do have a built-in advantage when the climate gets nasty: biodiversity helps. But it’s not as simple as the old slogan “more species = more resilience.”
The researchers found that different kinds of biodiversity matter depending on the kind of extreme – drought versus flood – and that nuance could matter a lot as heat, floods, and dry spells become more common.
( Read more... )
It looks peaceful – but these places are basically training grounds for weather whiplash.
A new study says prairies really do have a built-in advantage when the climate gets nasty: biodiversity helps. But it’s not as simple as the old slogan “more species = more resilience.”
The researchers found that different kinds of biodiversity matter depending on the kind of extreme – drought versus flood – and that nuance could matter a lot as heat, floods, and dry spells become more common.
( Read more... )
Poem: "The Grabber"
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:35 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from ravan. It also fills the "Exception" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Monster House.
( Read more... )
ravan. It also fills the "Exception" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Monster House.( Read more... )
Poem: "So DONE with It All"
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:18 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo.
( Read more... )
janetmiles. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. ( Read more... )
fic: The sort of beauty that's called human (Will/Bran, G for now, 5/?)
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:24 pmlotesseThe sort of beauty that's called human (5727 words) by lotesse
Chapters: 5/?
Fandom: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Bran Davies/Will Stanton
Characters: Bran Davies, Will Stanton (Dark is Rising), Owen Davies, Herne the Hunter (Dark is Rising)
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Loss of Parent(s), Immortality
Series: Part 4 of Wherein was bound a child
Summary:
Chapters: 5/?
Fandom: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Bran Davies/Will Stanton
Characters: Bran Davies, Will Stanton (Dark is Rising), Owen Davies, Herne the Hunter (Dark is Rising)
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Loss of Parent(s), Immortality
Series: Part 4 of Wherein was bound a child
Summary:
“We have to go,” Bran said, his voice coming out hoarser than he’d expected. “Rhys called. Trouble with my da. A stroke.”
No more needed to be said aloud. They were going back to Wales.
Poem: Their Hidden Source
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:15 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from siliconshaman. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. It directly follows "Someone Who Was Trying to Be Sober" so read that first or this won't make much sense.
( Read more... )
siliconshaman. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. It directly follows "Someone Who Was Trying to Be Sober" so read that first or this won't make much sense.( Read more... )
fic: Not time’s fool, Narnia, Caspian/Lucy, 8/?
Apr. 9th, 2026 09:51 pmlotesseNot time’s fool (13040 words) by lotesse
Chapters: 8/?
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Caspian/Lucy Pevensie
Characters: Lucy Pevensie, Caspian (Narnia), Ramandu's Daughter | Liliandil, Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Polly Plummer, Digory Kirke, Eustace Scrubb, Lord Rhoop (Narnia)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Romance, Sailing, Prophecy
Series: Part 3 of An ever-fixèd mark
Summary:
Chapters: 8/?
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Caspian/Lucy Pevensie
Characters: Lucy Pevensie, Caspian (Narnia), Ramandu's Daughter | Liliandil, Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Polly Plummer, Digory Kirke, Eustace Scrubb, Lord Rhoop (Narnia)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Romance, Sailing, Prophecy
Series: Part 3 of An ever-fixèd mark
Summary:
By remaining in Narnia, and not going home again, Lucy had purposefully thrown herself in the path of fate, making herself the obstacle to derail the terrible train of events from its determined track, which had the prophesied end of all Narnia at its end, and her own premature death in a ruined railway carriage. She wasn’t going to let that happen. She had made of herself a lodestone, pulling fate out of its accustomed course. Inevitably, she would leave change in her wake. She meant it to be so, for the preservation of all.
gearing up for 3W4DW
Apr. 9th, 2026 09:38 pmalthea_valaraWe're coming to the time of year when ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
3weeks4dreamwidth usually runs, and goodbyebird posted an interest check post in the community to see if folks were interested in doing it and what their plans might be for it.
I will be posting an updated list of my community recs post. The last time I posted it was in January forsnowflake_challenge, but I've stealth added a few more since then. I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for good communities, so if you know of any and want to see it added to the list, let me know!
I also am giving some thoughts to posting daily during the duration, but I'd need something to post about. I'm considering the following:
1. one creative thing I did today
2. one thing I'm proud of today
3. video game progress? I play video games daily, so that would be something easy I could do
It's the time of night when I turn into a sack of goo, so I have no brain for anything else at the moment. Guess I'd better brush my teeth and go to bed.
3weeks4dreamwidth usually runs, and goodbyebird posted an interest check post in the community to see if folks were interested in doing it and what their plans might be for it.I will be posting an updated list of my community recs post. The last time I posted it was in January for
snowflake_challenge, but I've stealth added a few more since then. I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for good communities, so if you know of any and want to see it added to the list, let me know! I also am giving some thoughts to posting daily during the duration, but I'd need something to post about. I'm considering the following:
1. one creative thing I did today
2. one thing I'm proud of today
3. video game progress? I play video games daily, so that would be something easy I could do
It's the time of night when I turn into a sack of goo, so I have no brain for anything else at the moment. Guess I'd better brush my teeth and go to bed.
Poem: "Beautiful, Tough, Shiny, Resilient"
Apr. 9th, 2026 08:21 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from alatefeline and a previous discussion with siliconshaman about the life aspects of geodes. It also fills the "Lilac" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to The Blueshift Troupers series.
( Read more... )
alatefeline and a previous discussion with siliconshaman about the life aspects of geodes. It also fills the "Lilac" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to The Blueshift Troupers series.( Read more... )
Food
Apr. 9th, 2026 02:15 pmysabetwordsmithScientists discover spice synergy that boosts anti-inflammation 100x
Mixing everyday plant compounds may unlock a powerful, hidden anti-inflammatory effect far greater than any single ingredient alone.
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from chili peppers—can team up inside immune cells to dramatically boost their anti-inflammatory power. While individual compounds showed modest effects, certain combinations amplified results hundreds of times over by activating different cellular pathways at once.
( Read more... )
Mixing everyday plant compounds may unlock a powerful, hidden anti-inflammatory effect far greater than any single ingredient alone.
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from chili peppers—can team up inside immune cells to dramatically boost their anti-inflammatory power. While individual compounds showed modest effects, certain combinations amplified results hundreds of times over by activating different cellular pathways at once.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Apr. 9th, 2026 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and warm with howling wind. :/ The wind really complicates my plans to plant anything today, so I'm trying to think of ways to compensate for that.
I fed the birds. I've seen a fox squirrel on the ground and at the hopper feeder.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I used salvaged string to fasten together 4 white single-pot plant stands, with the taller 2 in back and shorter 2 in front, forming a square. Due to the angled legs, it is not snug, but at least they are more stable than any one would be alone.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I put the pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups on one of the tall white plant stands. This is not necessarily its final location, but allows me to get it out of the house without exposing it to too much wind.
I sorted out the black single-pot stands. There is a tall one, a medium one, and two short ones. I started by fastening the tall one to a folding multipot stand.
I've seen a flock of house finches, a male goldfinch molting, and a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work securing the black one-pot planters. There's one left to attach. Progress.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I finished securing the last black planter. The resulting structure, while not perfectly tight, is still a great deal more stable overall due to more legs connected in some manner. It doesn't have to look fancy, just do better than last year's constantly tipping pots.
I've seen several sparrows in the forest garden.
It got up to 80°F today, but is cooling down now.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a fox squirrel on the ground and at the hopper feeder.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I used salvaged string to fasten together 4 white single-pot plant stands, with the taller 2 in back and shorter 2 in front, forming a square. Due to the angled legs, it is not snug, but at least they are more stable than any one would be alone.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I put the pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups on one of the tall white plant stands. This is not necessarily its final location, but allows me to get it out of the house without exposing it to too much wind.
I sorted out the black single-pot stands. There is a tall one, a medium one, and two short ones. I started by fastening the tall one to a folding multipot stand.
I've seen a flock of house finches, a male goldfinch molting, and a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work securing the black one-pot planters. There's one left to attach. Progress.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I finished securing the last black planter. The resulting structure, while not perfectly tight, is still a great deal more stable overall due to more legs connected in some manner. It doesn't have to look fancy, just do better than last year's constantly tipping pots.
I've seen several sparrows in the forest garden.
It got up to 80°F today, but is cooling down now.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Four things make a post
Apr. 9th, 2026 07:43 pmscaramoucheThe Merrily We Roll Along pro-shot with Jonathan Groff is up on Netflix US, and I managed to watch about 2/3rds of it using a VPN before I called it a night, but the next day when I wanted to resume watching, the platform recognized the VPN and refuse to let me access it. BOO! HISS!
+
At a family gathering, some cousins who are just a little younger than me got into gushing about Heated Rivalry together, and I admitted that I knew of the show but didn't watch it because it's not really my thing, but I knew enough to help keep the convo going. At one point I asked, "Is Hudson Williams biracial?" despite fully knowing that he is. Megafandom osmosis, what do.
+
I donated blood yesterday, which I've been kind of doing regularly for the past few years, and has gone well for me so far (though it did take one instance to figure out that it's better for me to have a heavy meal after donating, instead of before), yesterday was the first time that I got SO tired that when I got home I passed out as soon as I hit the bed. This is normal, as the interwebs says, but at the time I felt weirdly guilty-panicky, like I wasn't allowed to feel sleepy, but I now realize is because I was conflating it with the danger of going to sleep with a concussion.
+
As someone who mainly remembered Ryan Gosling via The Nice Guys and Young Hercules, and was otherwise not that interested in him as an actor, Project Hail Mary has been a boon and a bane, and what do you MEAN he's known for his roles of stoic men who don't speak much but bleed emotional and/or physical pain through every pore. He's a funny little guy! Always has been to me! Then I watched Drive and Blade Runner 2049 and was like, oh okay I get it. I also forgot that was him in First Man. It also makes his scenes opposite Chris Evans in The Gray Man, uh... a little unfair. (ILU Chris, sorry.)
+
At a family gathering, some cousins who are just a little younger than me got into gushing about Heated Rivalry together, and I admitted that I knew of the show but didn't watch it because it's not really my thing, but I knew enough to help keep the convo going. At one point I asked, "Is Hudson Williams biracial?" despite fully knowing that he is. Megafandom osmosis, what do.
+
I donated blood yesterday, which I've been kind of doing regularly for the past few years, and has gone well for me so far (though it did take one instance to figure out that it's better for me to have a heavy meal after donating, instead of before), yesterday was the first time that I got SO tired that when I got home I passed out as soon as I hit the bed. This is normal, as the interwebs says, but at the time I felt weirdly guilty-panicky, like I wasn't allowed to feel sleepy, but I now realize is because I was conflating it with the danger of going to sleep with a concussion.
+
As someone who mainly remembered Ryan Gosling via The Nice Guys and Young Hercules, and was otherwise not that interested in him as an actor, Project Hail Mary has been a boon and a bane, and what do you MEAN he's known for his roles of stoic men who don't speak much but bleed emotional and/or physical pain through every pore. He's a funny little guy! Always has been to me! Then I watched Drive and Blade Runner 2049 and was like, oh okay I get it. I also forgot that was him in First Man. It also makes his scenes opposite Chris Evans in The Gray Man, uh... a little unfair. (ILU Chris, sorry.)
Community Thursdays
Apr. 9th, 2026 12:15 amysabetwordsmithThis year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...
* Posted "Draw a Bird Day" ingreen_joy.
* Posted "Crafts" ingreen_living.
* Posted "Poem: Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan 1-10-26" tohaiku_gallery.
* Posted "Birdfeeding" inbirdfeeding.
* Commented on "Just One Thing (09 April 2026)" inawesomeers.
* Posted "Draw a Bird Day" in
green_joy.* Posted "Crafts" in
green_living.* Posted "Poem: Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan 1-10-26" to
haiku_gallery.* Posted "Birdfeeding" in
birdfeeding.* Commented on "Just One Thing (09 April 2026)" in
awesomeers.Draw a Bird Day
Apr. 8th, 2026 07:30 pmysabetwordsmithToday is Draw a Bird Day. You don't need to be "an artist" for this. Your drawing (or painting, or whatever) does not have to be fancy. Just squiggle out a bird!
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Say my name, say my name.
Apr. 8th, 2026 05:39 pmfayanoraIt absolutely boggles my mind how so many people manage to misspell my first name when it literally only has three letters in it. I am F-A-Y, not F-A-Y-E or F-A-E, it's F A Y. REACH still has me on file as Faye, even though I keep correcting them and trying to get them to fix it. Even my own best friend misspelled it when sending me something from Amazon! Yeesh. My deadname at least made sense, it was1 an unusual name, and was seven letters long.
Now the rest of the name I would understand, my full name being Fay Anne Aura Arts.
1 = And still is; even with the increase of its popularity over the years, it's still weird hearing someone or something else being called by it, because it doesn't come up very often.
Now the rest of the name I would understand, my full name being Fay Anne Aura Arts.
1 = And still is; even with the increase of its popularity over the years, it's still weird hearing someone or something else being called by it, because it doesn't come up very often.
Early Humans
Apr. 8th, 2026 06:12 pmysabetwordsmithStone Age humans used these mysterious signs and symbols to store and share information, almost 40,000 years before writing was invented
The research team studied 260 mobile artifacts that contain more than 3,000 signs. The team focused only on intentional and non-practical surface marks. That means the signs were not accidental scratches or marks made for tool making.
( Read more... )
The research team studied 260 mobile artifacts that contain more than 3,000 signs. The team focused only on intentional and non-practical surface marks. That means the signs were not accidental scratches or marks made for tool making.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Apr. 8th, 2026 02:21 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny, breezy, and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a male goldfinch.
I put out water for the birds.
I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- We went out to run errands. I picked up a flat of mostly pansies and violas in assorted colors plus a couple 4-packs of white alyssum, a pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups that are actually fragrant, and a purple-and-white columbine. :D
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I planted the purple-and-white columbine in the rain garden. The bleeding heart there is starting to bloom! \o/
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work on the new picnic table garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a male goldfinch.
I put out water for the birds.
I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- We went out to run errands. I picked up a flat of mostly pansies and violas in assorted colors plus a couple 4-packs of white alyssum, a pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups that are actually fragrant, and a purple-and-white columbine. :D
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I planted the purple-and-white columbine in the rain garden. The bleeding heart there is starting to bloom! \o/
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work on the new picnic table garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Cuddle Party
Apr. 8th, 2026 01:51 pmysabetwordsmithEveryone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!