Rad, saved for tomorrow’s festivities. Many thanks!

Death Star

Rebel propaganda, probably started by those no good Tooks when they weren’t allowed on the Freedom Moon

That’s a great resource too!

No judgement for suggesting something that’s worked for you, friend! I know a few folks who swear by them too.

I love the dancing idea, but don’t think our guy would go for it. Luckily tug is life

I set myself a calendar reminder for the middle of June so I can remind folks who need to order any scripts for their furballs in advance. Sorry for the oversight this year.

We’ve been counter conditioning for fireworks since our first July in our home - our cats had not grown up being very close to fireworks, but when we moved into a more rural area every neighbor and their cousin set off fireworks for a week. The basic premise of counter conditioning is simple: pair something good with something scary. Think lollipops at the doctor for getting a shot. We’d play clips of fireworks from yt on very low volumes and hand out treats whenever one of them paid attention to the bang, raising the volume every so often to move closer to recreating the actual sound they’d hear. When we got our pup, we started off doing the same with him and now it’s just another day, albeit a somewhat noisy one.

Some other things that help us manage their stress: closing windows and doors, playing music or movies at slightly above normal volume levels, and occasionally playing small quick games during the noisiest parts to distract their brains.

It’s one of my favorite events of the year, seeing all the tiny new frogs and toads everywhere. I’m glad that trail let you share in that joy - sounds like that spot is hopping

My dude

Take my updoot and stay ┬⁠─⁠─⁠┬⁠ ⁠¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)

Harmful? Probably not but I wouldn’t eat them. What they are is an indicator of the mix being wetter than peppers generally appreciate, in my experience. I’ve spread winecap mushrooms throughout our space and they’ll come up around some of the veg, but not around the peppers, which (ime) are happiest with damp-ish but not wet soil

Fungus gnats are extra annoying but something you can do in addition to watering a little less is to have some clean sand as a mulch over your potting mix paired with bottom watering your plants. I check my pots by feel on the bottom regularly to help inform when I water. For our inside plants and seeds I’m starting, I have a tray with ridges into which I can place the pots and some water. Seedling trays are widely available and a local greenhouse or nursery may have some headed for recycling rather than having to buy new plastic. If that same place does claim and mulches in bulk they may have sand that’s suitable for short money since you only need a little bit.

By watering from the bottom, your potting mix will wick the water upwards through capillary action but the water will have difficulty moving into the sand because of the difference in texture and porosity and this will deprive the fungus gnats of the habitat they need to reproduce and continue to annoy you.

That looks delicious, and well plated to boot - great job!

Moths are just way more bitchin’ than butterflies.

Ehh, they serve customers in the suburbs and city dwellers hoping to recapture a sense of not-being-in-the-city too. Us rural folks have dozens of places to go and pick up hay and shave and feed instead, so just like every other time some corp has done the right thing and then backtracked, they’ve lost the group that got all hurt about being included in a bigger tent, they’ve lost the group that was newly included, and they’re left holding a presumably smaller portion of the market than before they failed to hold to their convictions. Make stupid moves, win stupid prizes.

I’d had a few conversations with them before they came to blahaj, and I agree that I feel bad seeing how it’s gone since then. I miss their attitude from earlier, in that sort of “I hope my friend is okay but I’m worried we no longer have a relationship where I can help” kind of vibe

We get asked by one of our nearby tractor supplies to participate in their market days during the summer, along with several other small businesses around us. I can think of several, besides us, that will tell them to pound sand and won’t lend our credibility to their outreach programs - especially if that outreach is only for the benefit of some of our neighbors.

Eff that ish

Certainly not the U.S. citizens

Hey great job! I know some folks who struggle to get roses half as beautiful as what you’ve grown! I’m sure those others will catch up in their own time

This was me all day in the heat, but far less adorable

Best of luck! My beans tend to run roughshod over their companions.

You’re crushing it! Hearing how happy this garden is making you just fills my heart, and these photos make my mouth water