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#SwethaNaagu (2004) 🐍 🇮🇳
A dedicated scholar working on a thesis about snakes goes to find an ancient text hidden in the forest guarded by a snake. She encounters Swetha Naagu, a white snake that relentlessly tries to bite her.
#CreatureFeature #FilmsWithBite #FilmMastodon 📽️ 🎬 -
#SwethaNaagu (2004) 🐍 🇮🇳
A dedicated scholar working on a thesis about snakes goes to find an ancient text hidden in the forest guarded by a snake. She encounters Swetha Naagu, a white snake that relentlessly tries to bite her.
#CreatureFeature #FilmsWithBite #FilmMastodon 📽️ 🎬 -
#SwethaNaagu (2004) 🐍 🇮🇳
A dedicated scholar working on a thesis about snakes goes to find an ancient text hidden in the forest guarded by a snake. She encounters Swetha Naagu, a white snake that relentlessly tries to bite her.
#CreatureFeature #FilmsWithBite #FilmMastodon 📽️ 🎬 -
#SwethaNaagu (2004) 🐍 🇮🇳
A dedicated scholar working on a thesis about snakes goes to find an ancient text hidden in the forest guarded by a snake. She encounters Swetha Naagu, a white snake that relentlessly tries to bite her.
#CreatureFeature #FilmsWithBite #FilmMastodon 📽️ 🎬 -
#SwethaNaagu (2004) 🐍 🇮🇳
A dedicated scholar working on a thesis about snakes goes to find an ancient text hidden in the forest guarded by a snake. She encounters Swetha Naagu, a white snake that relentlessly tries to bite her.
#CreatureFeature #FilmsWithBite #FilmMastodon 📽️ 🎬 -
OLD THINGS BELONG TO SPERANZA
Winter melted into a bright, warm spring in the hills of Speranza. The green trees grew new leaves, and the village square was full of people enjoying the sun.
Inside La Pagina che Fa le Fusa, the air smelled like sweet orange tea and fresh baking. The shop bell rang with a happy sound, and Elio walked in.
He did not look like the stressed, rushed chef from the city anymore. He wore a simple white apron and carried a warm, covered plate. He walked to the heavy oak counter with a big, relaxed smile.
“Good morning, Moira,” Elio said. He set the plate down and lifted the cover. “I brought us lunch. I made traditional piadina bread, but I tried something new. I put fresh avocado directly into the dough while I was rolling it, instead of using it as a filling. It makes the bread perfectly soft, but the soul of the recipe is still the old way.”
Moira took a piece of the warm, pale-green bread. She tasted it and closed her eyes happily. “It is wonderful, Elio. You have finally learned how to mix the new with the old.”
They sat together in the comfortable velvet chairs, drinking hot tea and eating the piadina. They were no longer rivals. They were a team. Elio often came to the tea shop to ask Moira about wild herbs, and Moira often went to his kitchen to taste his slow-cooked soups.
Across the room, behind the heavy wooden counter, Moira had built a beautiful new glass display box on the wall.
Inside the glass box, resting safely on red velvet, were the two magic books. The dusty blue cover of The Days of the Dreams sat right next to the shining white leather of its twin. The silver sleeping cats on the covers looked completely at peace.
The people of Speranza did not know the scary truth about the shadows or the dark magic. Moira and Elio decided to keep that a secret to protect the village. Instead, Moira told everyone that the books were just very old, beautiful historical records of the town.
The village loved them. People felt a warm, safe energy coming from the glass box.
Later that afternoon, Marisa walked in from the chocolate shop, followed by Altea from the cigar house. Marisa walked right up to the glass box and gently touched the wood frame.
“I don’t know what it is about these old books,” Marisa said with a smile. “But ever since you put them up here, the village feels lighter. Even my chocolate is tasting sweeter.”
Altea blew a small puff of smoke and nodded. “They are good luck. Old things belong in Speranza.”
Moira looked at Elio, and they shared a quiet, secret smile.
Up on top of the glass box, Toe the black cat was fast asleep. Ashwaganda, the big ginger cat, sat next to him, watching the shop with bright, happy eyes. They were the true guards of the village, but today, they did not have to fight.
The magic was resting, the village was safe, and the tea sanctuary was filled with the perfect warmth of good friends.
#CozyMysterySperanzaGialloItalianoLaPaginaCheFaLeFusaGattiInvestigatoriMisteroHitchcockianoOmicidioAlTeatroSegretiSvelatiGirlPowerVeleno #art #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202415 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202424 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #castles #cocktail #cooking #CozyMysteryMysteryCrimeFictionShortStoryWritingCommunityFlashFictionSuspense #CozyMysterySperanzaLaPaginaCheFaLeFusaItalianHillsDaysOfTheDreamsAshwagandaToeTheCatHitchcockianSuspensePoirotStyleVillageSecretsSilverInkFelineDetectives #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1837 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1883 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1938 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2095 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2136 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2155 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #language #learning #life #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #photography #pictures #Pinterest #RECIPES #social #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #TOURISM #traditions #travel #WithASummersimoSmile -
A twin to The Days of the Dreams.
The black fog slid across the terracotta floor of the tea shop like a living river of ice. Every glass jar on Moira’s shelves began to frost over, the dried herbs inside freezing white. The warm, comforting smell of chamomile and old paper was completely swallowed by the bitter scent of deep winter and ancient dust.
Toe, the black cat, stood on the very edge of the oak counter. He hissed, a sharp, angry sound, while Ashwaganda stood tall beside him, his orange fur puffed out like a shield.
“Stay behind me, Elio,” Moira whispered. Her breath was a thick white cloud in the freezing air.
Elio walked slowly out of the back kitchen. He was holding the heavy wooden bowl with both hands. The ossobuco and the fresh, golden pasta were steaming perfectly, radiating a deep, rich heat. The smell of the roasted meat, the sweet tomatoes, and the old wine fought against the cold fog, creating a wall of warm air around the chef.
“Where do I put it?” Elio asked, his teeth chattering from the sudden, unnatural cold.
“On the counter. Right between the two books,” Moira ordered.
Elio stepped forward. The shadows on the walls seemed to reach for him, long black fingers stretching out to grab the bowl. But the heat of the traditional food pushed them back. Elio placed the wooden bowl carefully onto the heavy oak wood, right between the dusty blue cover of The Days of the Dreams and the pristine white cover of its newly found twin.
The moment the bowl touched the wood, the black fog stopped moving along the floor.
Slowly, the fog began to rise. It gathered in the center of the room, pulling itself up into a tall, towering pillar of pure darkness. It had no face and no eyes, but Moira and Elio could feel it looking at them. It felt like a bottomless, starving void—an emptiness that had not been warm in a thousand years.
Elio took a step back, terrified.
Moira did not move. She stood tall, placed one hand on her blue book, and looked directly into the dark shadow.
“We offer you the memory of the hearth,” Moira said in a loud, clear voice. She remembered the words of the riddle. “We bring you the marrow of the bone, slow-cooked in the tears of the hills. We bind it with the golden sheet, stretched only by human hands.”
The towering shadow let out a sound. It was not a voice, but a low, hollow wind that rattled the teacups on their shelves.
The dark shape leaned forward, hovering directly over the steaming wooden bowl.
Elio grabbed Moira’s arm, ready to pull her away. But Moira shook her head. “Watch,” she whispered.
The shadow did not eat the food like a person or an animal would. Instead, it opened wide and breathed in. The thick, rich steam rising from the hot pasta and the roasted marrow was pulled straight up into the darkness.
As the shadow swallowed the heat, the smell, and the soul of the carefully cooked meal, something amazing happened. The pure black fog began to turn gray. The terrible, freezing cold in the room began to soften.
The shadow breathed in again, drinking the human effort, the patience, and the tradition that Elio had rolled into the pasta dough. The darkness turned lighter and lighter, until it looked like ordinary morning mist.
With one final, quiet sigh that sounded almost peaceful, the mist evaporated completely into the air.
The desk lamp flickered and turned back on. The frost on the glass jars melted into tiny drops of water. The fire in the back room roared back to life, filling the tea shop with warmth once again.
Ashwaganda stopped puffing his fur and let out a long, happy purr. Toe jumped down from the counter and started to wash his paws.
Elio slowly walked up to the oak counter and looked into the wooden bowl.
The ossobuco and the pasta were still there. But they had completely changed. The rich red tomato sauce was totally gray. The golden yellow of the egg pasta was dull and white. The meat looked dry as dust. There was no steam, no smell, and no heat.
“It took the life out of it,” Elio whispered, staring at the bowl in shock. “It ate the essence of the food.”
“It ate the memory,” Moira corrected gently. She closed the covers of both the blue and white books. “It was starving for warmth. You gave it a meal made with care, patience, and human hands. A machine could never have made a meal that could defeat a shadow, Elio.”
Elio looked at his flour-covered hands. He had always cooked for awards, for speed, and for modern perfection. But tonight, he had cooked to save a village.
“I understand now,” the chef said softly. He looked at Moira with true respect. “Tradition is not just about the past. It is about keeping the warmth alive for the future.”
Moira smiled. She took the wooden bowl of gray, empty food and tossed it into the trash bin.
“Now,” Moira said, tying her apron back on. “Since the shadow ate your dinner, how about we go into the kitchen and make another batch of that hand-rolled pasta? Just for us this time.”
Elio smiled back, his fear finally gone. “Only if you let me show you how to chop the wild mallow for the salad.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1837 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1902 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1916 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1926 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1998 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2053 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2109 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2119 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2144 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #Dodecanese #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
A twin to The Days of the Dreams.
The black fog slid across the terracotta floor of the tea shop like a living river of ice. Every glass jar on Moira’s shelves began to frost over, the dried herbs inside freezing white. The warm, comforting smell of chamomile and old paper was completely swallowed by the bitter scent of deep winter and ancient dust.
Toe, the black cat, stood on the very edge of the oak counter. He hissed, a sharp, angry sound, while Ashwaganda stood tall beside him, his orange fur puffed out like a shield.
“Stay behind me, Elio,” Moira whispered. Her breath was a thick white cloud in the freezing air.
Elio walked slowly out of the back kitchen. He was holding the heavy wooden bowl with both hands. The ossobuco and the fresh, golden pasta were steaming perfectly, radiating a deep, rich heat. The smell of the roasted meat, the sweet tomatoes, and the old wine fought against the cold fog, creating a wall of warm air around the chef.
“Where do I put it?” Elio asked, his teeth chattering from the sudden, unnatural cold.
“On the counter. Right between the two books,” Moira ordered.
Elio stepped forward. The shadows on the walls seemed to reach for him, long black fingers stretching out to grab the bowl. But the heat of the traditional food pushed them back. Elio placed the wooden bowl carefully onto the heavy oak wood, right between the dusty blue cover of The Days of the Dreams and the pristine white cover of its newly found twin.
The moment the bowl touched the wood, the black fog stopped moving along the floor.
Slowly, the fog began to rise. It gathered in the center of the room, pulling itself up into a tall, towering pillar of pure darkness. It had no face and no eyes, but Moira and Elio could feel it looking at them. It felt like a bottomless, starving void—an emptiness that had not been warm in a thousand years.
Elio took a step back, terrified.
Moira did not move. She stood tall, placed one hand on her blue book, and looked directly into the dark shadow.
“We offer you the memory of the hearth,” Moira said in a loud, clear voice. She remembered the words of the riddle. “We bring you the marrow of the bone, slow-cooked in the tears of the hills. We bind it with the golden sheet, stretched only by human hands.”
The towering shadow let out a sound. It was not a voice, but a low, hollow wind that rattled the teacups on their shelves.
The dark shape leaned forward, hovering directly over the steaming wooden bowl.
Elio grabbed Moira’s arm, ready to pull her away. But Moira shook her head. “Watch,” she whispered.
The shadow did not eat the food like a person or an animal would. Instead, it opened wide and breathed in. The thick, rich steam rising from the hot pasta and the roasted marrow was pulled straight up into the darkness.
As the shadow swallowed the heat, the smell, and the soul of the carefully cooked meal, something amazing happened. The pure black fog began to turn gray. The terrible, freezing cold in the room began to soften.
The shadow breathed in again, drinking the human effort, the patience, and the tradition that Elio had rolled into the pasta dough. The darkness turned lighter and lighter, until it looked like ordinary morning mist.
With one final, quiet sigh that sounded almost peaceful, the mist evaporated completely into the air.
The desk lamp flickered and turned back on. The frost on the glass jars melted into tiny drops of water. The fire in the back room roared back to life, filling the tea shop with warmth once again.
Ashwaganda stopped puffing his fur and let out a long, happy purr. Toe jumped down from the counter and started to wash his paws.
Elio slowly walked up to the oak counter and looked into the wooden bowl.
The ossobuco and the pasta were still there. But they had completely changed. The rich red tomato sauce was totally gray. The golden yellow of the egg pasta was dull and white. The meat looked dry as dust. There was no steam, no smell, and no heat.
“It took the life out of it,” Elio whispered, staring at the bowl in shock. “It ate the essence of the food.”
“It ate the memory,” Moira corrected gently. She closed the covers of both the blue and white books. “It was starving for warmth. You gave it a meal made with care, patience, and human hands. A machine could never have made a meal that could defeat a shadow, Elio.”
Elio looked at his flour-covered hands. He had always cooked for awards, for speed, and for modern perfection. But tonight, he had cooked to save a village.
“I understand now,” the chef said softly. He looked at Moira with true respect. “Tradition is not just about the past. It is about keeping the warmth alive for the future.”
Moira smiled. She took the wooden bowl of gray, empty food and tossed it into the trash bin.
“Now,” Moira said, tying her apron back on. “Since the shadow ate your dinner, how about we go into the kitchen and make another batch of that hand-rolled pasta? Just for us this time.”
Elio smiled back, his fear finally gone. “Only if you let me show you how to chop the wild mallow for the salad.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1837 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1902 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1916 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1926 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1998 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2053 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2109 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2119 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2144 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #Dodecanese #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
A twin to The Days of the Dreams.
The black fog slid across the terracotta floor of the tea shop like a living river of ice. Every glass jar on Moira’s shelves began to frost over, the dried herbs inside freezing white. The warm, comforting smell of chamomile and old paper was completely swallowed by the bitter scent of deep winter and ancient dust.
Toe, the black cat, stood on the very edge of the oak counter. He hissed, a sharp, angry sound, while Ashwaganda stood tall beside him, his orange fur puffed out like a shield.
“Stay behind me, Elio,” Moira whispered. Her breath was a thick white cloud in the freezing air.
Elio walked slowly out of the back kitchen. He was holding the heavy wooden bowl with both hands. The ossobuco and the fresh, golden pasta were steaming perfectly, radiating a deep, rich heat. The smell of the roasted meat, the sweet tomatoes, and the old wine fought against the cold fog, creating a wall of warm air around the chef.
“Where do I put it?” Elio asked, his teeth chattering from the sudden, unnatural cold.
“On the counter. Right between the two books,” Moira ordered.
Elio stepped forward. The shadows on the walls seemed to reach for him, long black fingers stretching out to grab the bowl. But the heat of the traditional food pushed them back. Elio placed the wooden bowl carefully onto the heavy oak wood, right between the dusty blue cover of The Days of the Dreams and the pristine white cover of its newly found twin.
The moment the bowl touched the wood, the black fog stopped moving along the floor.
Slowly, the fog began to rise. It gathered in the center of the room, pulling itself up into a tall, towering pillar of pure darkness. It had no face and no eyes, but Moira and Elio could feel it looking at them. It felt like a bottomless, starving void—an emptiness that had not been warm in a thousand years.
Elio took a step back, terrified.
Moira did not move. She stood tall, placed one hand on her blue book, and looked directly into the dark shadow.
“We offer you the memory of the hearth,” Moira said in a loud, clear voice. She remembered the words of the riddle. “We bring you the marrow of the bone, slow-cooked in the tears of the hills. We bind it with the golden sheet, stretched only by human hands.”
The towering shadow let out a sound. It was not a voice, but a low, hollow wind that rattled the teacups on their shelves.
The dark shape leaned forward, hovering directly over the steaming wooden bowl.
Elio grabbed Moira’s arm, ready to pull her away. But Moira shook her head. “Watch,” she whispered.
The shadow did not eat the food like a person or an animal would. Instead, it opened wide and breathed in. The thick, rich steam rising from the hot pasta and the roasted marrow was pulled straight up into the darkness.
As the shadow swallowed the heat, the smell, and the soul of the carefully cooked meal, something amazing happened. The pure black fog began to turn gray. The terrible, freezing cold in the room began to soften.
The shadow breathed in again, drinking the human effort, the patience, and the tradition that Elio had rolled into the pasta dough. The darkness turned lighter and lighter, until it looked like ordinary morning mist.
With one final, quiet sigh that sounded almost peaceful, the mist evaporated completely into the air.
The desk lamp flickered and turned back on. The frost on the glass jars melted into tiny drops of water. The fire in the back room roared back to life, filling the tea shop with warmth once again.
Ashwaganda stopped puffing his fur and let out a long, happy purr. Toe jumped down from the counter and started to wash his paws.
Elio slowly walked up to the oak counter and looked into the wooden bowl.
The ossobuco and the pasta were still there. But they had completely changed. The rich red tomato sauce was totally gray. The golden yellow of the egg pasta was dull and white. The meat looked dry as dust. There was no steam, no smell, and no heat.
“It took the life out of it,” Elio whispered, staring at the bowl in shock. “It ate the essence of the food.”
“It ate the memory,” Moira corrected gently. She closed the covers of both the blue and white books. “It was starving for warmth. You gave it a meal made with care, patience, and human hands. A machine could never have made a meal that could defeat a shadow, Elio.”
Elio looked at his flour-covered hands. He had always cooked for awards, for speed, and for modern perfection. But tonight, he had cooked to save a village.
“I understand now,” the chef said softly. He looked at Moira with true respect. “Tradition is not just about the past. It is about keeping the warmth alive for the future.”
Moira smiled. She took the wooden bowl of gray, empty food and tossed it into the trash bin.
“Now,” Moira said, tying her apron back on. “Since the shadow ate your dinner, how about we go into the kitchen and make another batch of that hand-rolled pasta? Just for us this time.”
Elio smiled back, his fear finally gone. “Only if you let me show you how to chop the wild mallow for the salad.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1837 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1902 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1916 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1926 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1998 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2053 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2109 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2119 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2144 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #Dodecanese #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
And Queen's Bicycle Race is my next entry for Fortnight Friday's theme of Duality...
(You say black) I say white
(You say bark) I say bite ..." -
“It is peaceful, Just like good cooking should be.”
Elio jumped back in fear. His flour-covered hands hit the wooden shelves behind him, knocking over a small jar of dried apple slices. The jar hit the floor, but neither of them looked at it.
The icy blue light from the white leather book grew brighter. It filled the dark tea shop, making the shadows on the walls look long and strange.
“Moira,” Elio whispered, his voice shaking. “What is happening? Books do not glow.”
“Stand back, Elio,” Moira said. Her voice was very steady, even though her heart was beating fast. She did not look away from the rusted iron box.
Toe, the black cat, let out a loud, angry yowl. He jumped down from the top shelf and stood on the counter next to Moira. Ashwaganda joined him. Both cats stared at the white book. Their fur was standing up, making them look twice as big.
Suddenly, the heavy cover of the white book flipped open all by itself.
Elio gasped and grabbed Moira’s arm. “Did you see that? There is no wind in here!”
Moira gently pulled her arm away. “I saw it. Do not be afraid. But do not touch it.”
She leaned over the counter to look at the open pages. The pages inside the white book were not yellow or creamy like her own book. They were completely black, like the night sky.
As they watched, glowing silver letters began to write themselves across the dark paper. The writing moved quickly, spelling out a message in the cold blue light.
Moira read the words out loud:
The twin wakes from the dark earth. The cook was called to the water. The old hunger returns to the hills.
Elio stepped closer, his eyes wide. He looked at the glowing words, then he looked at Moira. “The cook was called to the water? That means me. I went to the water to find the wild mallow. Are you telling me this… this magic book made me want to go there?”
Moira looked at him sadly. “Magic is like a magnet, Elio. It pulls things to it. It pulls people to it. You thought the wild mallow was your own idea for a new recipe. But the book was waiting to be found. It used you to wake up.”
Elio rubbed his face with his hands. He looked like he was trying to wake up from a very strange dream. “This is crazy. This is a quiet village in Italy. We make pasta and drink tea. Magic is not real.”
Moira knew it was time to share her biggest secret. If Elio was part of this now, he needed to know the truth.
She reached under the heavy oak counter. She pulled out her own book, The Days of the Dreams, with its dusty blue cover and the silver sleeping cat.
Elio stared at it. “There are two of them?”
“Yes,” Moira said quietly. “Mine is the blue book. I found it years ago. It helps protect Speranza. It warns me when danger is coming. But I did not know it had a twin.”
Moira placed her blue book on the counter, right next to the rusted metal box that held the white book.
As soon as the two books were close to each other, the air in the room felt heavy. A warm, golden light began to glow from Moira’s blue book. It mixed with the icy blue light of the white book.
The silver letters in the white book faded away. New words began to write themselves, but this time, the words flowed across both books at the same time. The writing started on the black pages of the white book and finished on the yellow pages of the blue book.
Light and shadow meet again. The gates of the old hunger are open. You must feed the shadow, or it will eat the village.
The light from both books flashed brightly, and then, suddenly, they both went totally dark. The glowing stopped. The shop was quiet again.
Elio was breathing heavily. He pointed at the black pages of the white book. “Feed the shadow? What does that mean, Moira? Feed it what?”
Moira looked down at her hands. They were shaking just a little bit. She thought about the warning. The old hunger returns.
“I don’t know yet,” Moira admitted, looking up at the worried chef. “But I think your cooking is going to be very important, Elio. And I think we are going to need more than just wild mallow to save Speranza this time.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #aperitivi #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202424 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1813 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1864 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1892 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2106 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2121 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #geography #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #hiking #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #life #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #NewMexico #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #STRANGETHINGSINTHEWORLD #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #SUMMSIMOSCOMPASS #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #THEGIRLITHTHEPINKSPARKLE #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #THESPERANZASSISTERS #theUnderwoldOfSummersimoSParadise #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRAVELWITHTASTEBUDS #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
“It is peaceful, Just like good cooking should be.”
Elio jumped back in fear. His flour-covered hands hit the wooden shelves behind him, knocking over a small jar of dried apple slices. The jar hit the floor, but neither of them looked at it.
The icy blue light from the white leather book grew brighter. It filled the dark tea shop, making the shadows on the walls look long and strange.
“Moira,” Elio whispered, his voice shaking. “What is happening? Books do not glow.”
“Stand back, Elio,” Moira said. Her voice was very steady, even though her heart was beating fast. She did not look away from the rusted iron box.
Toe, the black cat, let out a loud, angry yowl. He jumped down from the top shelf and stood on the counter next to Moira. Ashwaganda joined him. Both cats stared at the white book. Their fur was standing up, making them look twice as big.
Suddenly, the heavy cover of the white book flipped open all by itself.
Elio gasped and grabbed Moira’s arm. “Did you see that? There is no wind in here!”
Moira gently pulled her arm away. “I saw it. Do not be afraid. But do not touch it.”
She leaned over the counter to look at the open pages. The pages inside the white book were not yellow or creamy like her own book. They were completely black, like the night sky.
As they watched, glowing silver letters began to write themselves across the dark paper. The writing moved quickly, spelling out a message in the cold blue light.
Moira read the words out loud:
The twin wakes from the dark earth. The cook was called to the water. The old hunger returns to the hills.
Elio stepped closer, his eyes wide. He looked at the glowing words, then he looked at Moira. “The cook was called to the water? That means me. I went to the water to find the wild mallow. Are you telling me this… this magic book made me want to go there?”
Moira looked at him sadly. “Magic is like a magnet, Elio. It pulls things to it. It pulls people to it. You thought the wild mallow was your own idea for a new recipe. But the book was waiting to be found. It used you to wake up.”
Elio rubbed his face with his hands. He looked like he was trying to wake up from a very strange dream. “This is crazy. This is a quiet village in Italy. We make pasta and drink tea. Magic is not real.”
Moira knew it was time to share her biggest secret. If Elio was part of this now, he needed to know the truth.
She reached under the heavy oak counter. She pulled out her own book, The Days of the Dreams, with its dusty blue cover and the silver sleeping cat.
Elio stared at it. “There are two of them?”
“Yes,” Moira said quietly. “Mine is the blue book. I found it years ago. It helps protect Speranza. It warns me when danger is coming. But I did not know it had a twin.”
Moira placed her blue book on the counter, right next to the rusted metal box that held the white book.
As soon as the two books were close to each other, the air in the room felt heavy. A warm, golden light began to glow from Moira’s blue book. It mixed with the icy blue light of the white book.
The silver letters in the white book faded away. New words began to write themselves, but this time, the words flowed across both books at the same time. The writing started on the black pages of the white book and finished on the yellow pages of the blue book.
Light and shadow meet again. The gates of the old hunger are open. You must feed the shadow, or it will eat the village.
The light from both books flashed brightly, and then, suddenly, they both went totally dark. The glowing stopped. The shop was quiet again.
Elio was breathing heavily. He pointed at the black pages of the white book. “Feed the shadow? What does that mean, Moira? Feed it what?”
Moira looked down at her hands. They were shaking just a little bit. She thought about the warning. The old hunger returns.
“I don’t know yet,” Moira admitted, looking up at the worried chef. “But I think your cooking is going to be very important, Elio. And I think we are going to need more than just wild mallow to save Speranza this time.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #aperitivi #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202424 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1813 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1864 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1892 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2106 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2121 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #geography #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #hiking #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #life #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #NewMexico #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #STRANGETHINGSINTHEWORLD #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #SUMMSIMOSCOMPASS #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #THEGIRLITHTHEPINKSPARKLE #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #THESPERANZASSISTERS #theUnderwoldOfSummersimoSParadise #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRAVELWITHTASTEBUDS #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
A twin to The Days of the Dreams.
The black fog slid across the terracotta floor of the tea shop like a living river of ice. Every glass jar on Moira’s shelves began to frost over, the dried herbs inside freezing white. The warm, comforting smell of chamomile and old paper was completely swallowed by the bitter scent of deep winter and ancient dust.
Toe, the black cat, stood on the very edge of the oak counter. He hissed, a sharp, angry sound, while Ashwaganda stood tall beside him, his orange fur puffed out like a shield.
“Stay behind me, Elio,” Moira whispered. Her breath was a thick white cloud in the freezing air.
Elio walked slowly out of the back kitchen. He was holding the heavy wooden bowl with both hands. The ossobuco and the fresh, golden pasta were steaming perfectly, radiating a deep, rich heat. The smell of the roasted meat, the sweet tomatoes, and the old wine fought against the cold fog, creating a wall of warm air around the chef.
“Where do I put it?” Elio asked, his teeth chattering from the sudden, unnatural cold.
“On the counter. Right between the two books,” Moira ordered.
Elio stepped forward. The shadows on the walls seemed to reach for him, long black fingers stretching out to grab the bowl. But the heat of the traditional food pushed them back. Elio placed the wooden bowl carefully onto the heavy oak wood, right between the dusty blue cover of The Days of the Dreams and the pristine white cover of its newly found twin.
The moment the bowl touched the wood, the black fog stopped moving along the floor.
Slowly, the fog began to rise. It gathered in the center of the room, pulling itself up into a tall, towering pillar of pure darkness. It had no face and no eyes, but Moira and Elio could feel it looking at them. It felt like a bottomless, starving void—an emptiness that had not been warm in a thousand years.
Elio took a step back, terrified.
Moira did not move. She stood tall, placed one hand on her blue book, and looked directly into the dark shadow.
“We offer you the memory of the hearth,” Moira said in a loud, clear voice. She remembered the words of the riddle. “We bring you the marrow of the bone, slow-cooked in the tears of the hills. We bind it with the golden sheet, stretched only by human hands.”
The towering shadow let out a sound. It was not a voice, but a low, hollow wind that rattled the teacups on their shelves.
The dark shape leaned forward, hovering directly over the steaming wooden bowl.
Elio grabbed Moira’s arm, ready to pull her away. But Moira shook her head. “Watch,” she whispered.
The shadow did not eat the food like a person or an animal would. Instead, it opened wide and breathed in. The thick, rich steam rising from the hot pasta and the roasted marrow was pulled straight up into the darkness.
As the shadow swallowed the heat, the smell, and the soul of the carefully cooked meal, something amazing happened. The pure black fog began to turn gray. The terrible, freezing cold in the room began to soften.
The shadow breathed in again, drinking the human effort, the patience, and the tradition that Elio had rolled into the pasta dough. The darkness turned lighter and lighter, until it looked like ordinary morning mist.
With one final, quiet sigh that sounded almost peaceful, the mist evaporated completely into the air.
The desk lamp flickered and turned back on. The frost on the glass jars melted into tiny drops of water. The fire in the back room roared back to life, filling the tea shop with warmth once again.
Ashwaganda stopped puffing his fur and let out a long, happy purr. Toe jumped down from the counter and started to wash his paws.
Elio slowly walked up to the oak counter and looked into the wooden bowl.
The ossobuco and the pasta were still there. But they had completely changed. The rich red tomato sauce was totally gray. The golden yellow of the egg pasta was dull and white. The meat looked dry as dust. There was no steam, no smell, and no heat.
“It took the life out of it,” Elio whispered, staring at the bowl in shock. “It ate the essence of the food.”
“It ate the memory,” Moira corrected gently. She closed the covers of both the blue and white books. “It was starving for warmth. You gave it a meal made with care, patience, and human hands. A machine could never have made a meal that could defeat a shadow, Elio.”
Elio looked at his flour-covered hands. He had always cooked for awards, for speed, and for modern perfection. But tonight, he had cooked to save a village.
“I understand now,” the chef said softly. He looked at Moira with true respect. “Tradition is not just about the past. It is about keeping the warmth alive for the future.”
Moira smiled. She took the wooden bowl of gray, empty food and tossed it into the trash bin.
“Now,” Moira said, tying her apron back on. “Since the shadow ate your dinner, how about we go into the kitchen and make another batch of that hand-rolled pasta? Just for us this time.”
Elio smiled back, his fear finally gone. “Only if you let me show you how to chop the wild mallow for the salad.”
#AlteaSCigarsHouse #art #Ashwaganda #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #cooking #cousine #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1837 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1875 #dailyprompt1880 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1902 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1916 #dailyprompt1925 #dailyprompt1926 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1998 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2035 #dailyprompt2036 #dailyprompt2037 #dailyprompt2038 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2053 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2109 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2119 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2144 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DaysOfYourDreams #dinner #Dodecanese #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #LAPAGINACHEFALEFUSA #language #learning #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LINKEDLN #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #Mediterranean #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #mystery #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #pedagogy #photography #pictures #Pinterest #reading #RECIPES #Scotland #sicily #social #sociology #SPERANZA #STORMS #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #TheSoundOfSmile #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #tuscany #wine #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
The Rabbit Paradox: How Fixing Australian History Handed Power to the Emus
If you could erase one event from history, what would it be?
If humanity had a single, golden lever to undo one moment in time, the gut instinct is always the catastrophic: wars, plagues, assassinations, or the burning of ancient libraries. Yet, history has a cruel way of teaching us that removing a monster often leaves a vacuum for a worse one, and curing a plague early might shift the balance of populations into brutal famines.
If I could erase one single, deceptively small event from the tapestry of time, it would be the 1859 introduction of twenty-four wild European rabbits into Victoria, Australia, by a well-meaning English settler named Thomas Austin.
Austin famously remarked that the introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting. That single afternoon of nostalgic homesickness unleashed what became the fastest mammal invasion in biological history. Within decades, billions of rabbits had swept across the entire continent, stripping away root systems, turning fertile valleys into desolate red dust bowls, starving native marsupials to extinction, and warping an entire nation’s ecology forever. Erasing Austin’s little wooden crate of bunnies would save tens of millions of native lives, protect the fragile topsoil, and spare generations of farmers endless grief.
Yet, tampering with time never goes cleanly.
When the temporal distortion device hummed to life in our subterranean laboratory, the logic felt airtight. We targeted the Victorian docks in October 1859. The mission was surgically simple: intercept the shipping manifest, quietly drop the crate of twenty-four rabbits overboard into the English Channel before departure, and allow the timeline to settle into an era of green, unbroken Australian flora.
The machine whined, a sound like tearing silk, and reality collapsed inward.
The immediate side effect was not silence, but an aggressive, screeching shift across the digital fabric of the universe. In an instant, the timeline tried to stitch its threads back together. Whole economies that had been built around rabbit-proof fencing, Australian agriculture, and outback ecology collapsed and rearranged themselves into new digital systems.
Across modern offices, computer terminals flickered violently. Systems crashed as the cascade of historical variables forced every piece of modern infrastructure to rewrite itself on the fly.
Deep inside a nondescript government office in Melbourne, an overworked web developer named Liam sat frozen in front of his monitor. His screen was screaming in crimson errors. The sudden temporal divergence had corrupted every major public service network. The national infrastructure portal was offline, throwing chaotic status codes across every browser window.
Liam’s heart slammed against his ribs. The server room in the hallway began to wail with warning sirens. The internal logs read that if the central administrative interface was not rebuilt and validated against web accessibility standards within ninety seconds, the entire national emergency communication grid would lock out every operator in the country.
His breath caught in his throat. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, slick with cold sweat.
He had to remember the core principles of building an accessible, unbreakable system before the failure cascade went critical.
Every single page needed an informative, unique title that placed the most important details first. He slammed into the code, hammering out structural markup to convey pure meaning, ensuring screen readers and automated engines would never get lost in a flat wall of visual chaos.
Thirty seconds left.
The screen blinked with an ominous warning: Input Validation Failure.
He had to ensure the forms were forgiving of human error, clearly showing where problems occurred and suggesting corrections instead of locking panicked users behind technical jargon. He added meaningful text alternatives to every operational graphic, ensuring that critical interactive buttons possessed distinct visible states for mouse hover, touch, and keyboard focus.
Ten seconds. The room went pitch black, illuminated only by the frantic white glow of his monitor.
Liam hit the tab key, verifying that every single control could be reached and executed by a keyboard alone, bypassing every broken mouse driver and failing touch panel across the continent. He mapped the high-contrast palettes, ensuring foreground text stood boldly apart from the background.
Three seconds.
He held his breath. The entire room went dead silent. He pressed the final compile key.
The sirens stopped. The screen settled into a crisp, clean, perfectly accessible white interface. The red warnings vanished. The emergency broadcast system was alive and stable.
Liam collapsed backward into his chair, letting out the breath he felt he had held for an eternity. The world was intact. The ecosystem was saved.
Then, the first digital notification of the new, altered reality pinged on his dashboard:
Notice: Due to the total historical absence of European rabbits across the continent since 1859, the wild emu population has grown unchecked and now legally commands seventy percent of the Australian Senate.
#AI #AlteaSCigarsHouse #art #Ashwaganda #AustralianSlang #australianExpressions #beauty #BITESTOGO #bloganuary #bloganuary202401 #bloganuary202402 #bloganuary202403 #bloganuary202404 #bloganuary202405 #bloganuary202408 #bloganuary202409 #bloganuary202411 #bloganuary202416 #bloganuary202428 #bloganuary202429 #bloganuary202430 #books #camping #castles #chineseCuisine #cocktail #COCKTAILRECIPES #culture #curiosity #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1805 #dailyprompt1806 #dailyprompt1807 #dailyprompt1808 #dailyprompt1809 #dailyprompt1811 #dailyprompt1812 #dailyprompt1814 #dailyprompt1819 #dailyprompt1831 #dailyprompt1832 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1840 #dailyprompt1850 #dailyprompt1851 #dailyprompt1859 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1891 #dailyprompt1896 #dailyprompt1904 #dailyprompt1975 #dailyprompt1976 #dailyprompt1978 #dailyprompt1980 #dailyprompt1981 #dailyprompt1982 #dailyprompt1983 #dailyprompt1984 #dailyprompt1985 #dailyprompt1986 #dailyprompt1987 #dailyprompt1988 #dailyprompt1989 #dailyprompt1990 #dailyprompt1991 #dailyprompt1992 #dailyprompt1993 #dailyprompt1994 #dailyprompt1995 #dailyprompt1996 #dailyprompt1997 #dailyprompt1998 #dailyprompt1999 #dailyprompt2000 #dailyprompt2001 #dailyprompt2002 #dailyprompt2007 #dailyprompt2008 #dailyprompt2009 #dailyprompt2010 #dailyprompt2011 #dailyprompt2012 #dailyprompt2013 #dailyprompt2014 #dailyprompt2015 #dailyprompt2016 #dailyprompt2017 #dailyprompt2020 #dailyprompt2022 #dailyprompt2039 #dailyprompt2048 #dailyprompt2054 #dailyprompt2055 #dailyprompt2089 #dailyprompt2099 #dailyprompt2112 #dailyprompt2113 #dailyprompt2115 #dailyprompt2121 #dailyprompt2124 #dailyprompt2125 #dailyprompt2126 #dailyprompt2127 #dailyprompt2129 #dailyprompt2132 #dailyprompt2133 #dailyprompt2134 #dailyprompt2137 #dailyprompt2138 #dailyprompt2145 #dailyprompt2146 #dailyprompt2152 #dailyprompt2153 #dailyprompt2159 #dailyprompt2167 #dailyprompt2858 #DANCESPIRITCOLOROFPEACE #DOLOMITES #drinks #EmotionsFeelingsSundayPowerOfASmileMyLifeWithYouSOULCHEERFULNESSFEELINGSHOPETearsSometimesAKissIsAllYouNeedTheSilenceLifeSelfWords #Evernote #everyday #Facebook #facts #food #Greece #HAPPYHOUR #hiking #HISTORY #IFTTT #Instagram #Ireland #Irish #Island #Italy #kastellorizo #kitchen #language #learning #life #LifeAndAGIRLINTERRUPTEDFriendshipAndPoisonBULLIEDKLDONNOneDayAtOfficeESSENTIALFORSURVIVINGTheBreathOfASoulMePastPresentFutureYesUAreIGotItSome #LifeLessons #LoveAndAdventureAreIntricatelyConnectedInASummersimoSymphony #MoiraHopes #mountains #MYCOCKTAILWORLD #noMatterHow #noMatterHowBadIsTogetherWeCanWin #photography #pictures #Pinterest #RECIPES #social #sociology #SPERANZA #SUMMER #SUMMERBOMB #summersimoBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #SUMMERSIMOTHEUNDERWORLD #SUMMERSIMOCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSCOCKTAILS #SUMMERSIMOSCOMPASS #SUMMERSIMOSGLITTERWAR #SUMMERSIMOSRECIPES #tapas #technology #TheBestTouristGuidesAreYourTasteBuds #TheCaseOfTheSilentNightingaleAndTheEtruscanDeception #ThePurringPage #theRabbitParadox #TheSoundOfSmile #TOE #TOURISM #tradition #traditions #travel #TRENTINOALTOADIGE #WithASummersimoSmile #writing #YOURBESTTOURISTGUIDESAREYOURTASTEBUDS -
Goniobranchus rufomaculatus: Nudibranch of Lembeh Strait
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Sh3GGkFUDbk
Want to encounter these marine creatures in person? Find trusted dive centers worldwide.
Browse Reviews →Goniobranchus rufomaculatus: Nudibranch of Lembeh Strait
Marine BiologyOut on the open sand in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, this nudibranch immediately stood out—not for its color, but for how fast it was moving. While nudibranchs are famous for being slow, this individual was covering the seabed at a noticeably brisk clip. It is Goniobranchus rufomaculatus: a small white nudibranch scattered with yellow dots, rimmed along its scalloped mantle edge with blue-violet spots.
Species Identification
Scientific Name Goniobranchus rufomaculatus (Pease, 1871) [1] Classification Dorid nudibranch; family Chromodorididae [1] Synonyms Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871 (basionym); Chromodoris histrio Bergh, 1877; Glossodoris rufomaculata (Pease, 1871) [1] Appearance Smooth white-to-cream mantle stippled with small yellow-orange dots; scalloped mantle margin ringed with discrete oblong blue-violet spots (not a continuous band); rhinophores and gill plume pale translucent white [2] Size Reported up to ~2.8 cm (1.1″) [6] Diet Sponges — a feeding pattern well documented across the wider Chromodorididae family [3]; direct dietary records specific to this species are limited Range Documented from the Society Islands (type locality), the Marshall Islands, Queensland (Australia), and the Philippines [1]. This post’s Lembeh Strait, Indonesia sighting is a firsthand field observation, not a formal range record. Conservation Status Not evaluated by the IUCN — typical for nudibranchs generallyBiology & Ecological Role
Across the wider Chromodorididae family, sponges are the primary food source, and several species are highly specific about which sponge they’ll eat.[3] Direct feeding records for G. rufomaculatus specifically weren’t found in the sources checked for this post, but the pattern is well established at the family level.
Many chromodorid species turn that sponge diet into a defense: they absorb chemical compounds from their prey and store them, largely unchanged, in their own tissue. In studies of related white-bodied Goniobranchus species, these defensive compounds tend to concentrate most heavily along the mantle rim.[4] Whether G. rufomaculatus follows this exact pattern hasn’t been directly tested — but if it does, the placement lines up neatly with the blue-violet-spotted edge that makes this species so recognizable, a predator’s first bite landing right where a toxin might be waiting.
Like other nudibranchs, this species is expected to be a simultaneous hermaphrodite — carrying both male and female reproductive organs. In mating nudibranchs generally, two individuals line up right side to right side and exchange sperm, so both partners go on to lay eggs, typically as a spiral ribbon of gel attached to the reef.
Field Notes & Observations
Watch the margin, not the body. The blue-violet spotting described in the original 1871 species description[2] runs along the scalloped mantle edge — the body itself is white with yellow dots, not blue.
Similar species exist, and they’re hard to separate from a single photo. White-spotted Goniobranchus is a genuinely unresolved group taxonomically — a 2024 molecular study found that G. rufomaculatus is not closely related to the similarly colored G. aureopurpureus despite the resemblance, and identified open questions about where G. rufomaculatus ends and G. albopustulosus begins.[5] If you’re trying to confirm an ID on a similar-looking animal, the full margin pattern, mantle texture, size, and location all matter — and a comparison photo or a second opinion goes a long way.
References
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase — Goniobranchus rufomaculatus (Pease, 1871). marinespecies.org ↩
- Pease, W.H. (1871). Original species description. American Journal of Conchology 7(1): 11–19. Biodiversity Heritage Library ↩
- Rudman, W.B. & Bergquist, P.R. (2007). Feeding specificity in the sponge-feeding Chromodorididae. Molluscan Research 27(2): 60–88. ↩
- Distribution of Defensive Metabolites in Nudibranch Molluscs. Journal of Chemical Ecology. link.springer.com ↩
- Testing the Species Status of the Chromodorid Nudibranch Goniobranchus aureopurpureus (Mollusca: Gastropoda). researchgate.net ↩
- Reeflex.net — hobbyist/aquarium reference, used for the size measurement only (not peer-reviewed). reeflex.net ↩
-
"Thick cloud, steam rising
Hissing stone on sweat lodge fire
Around me, buffalo roam
Sage in bundle, rub on skinOutside, cold air
Stand, and wait for rising sun
Red paint, eagle feathers
Coyote calling, it has begunSomething moving in, I taste it in my mouth
And in my heart
It feels like dying, slow
Letting go of life(Hyena wakan tanka)
(Hyena wakan tanka)
(Hyena wakan tanka)
(Hyena wakan tanka)Medicine man lead me up though town
Indian ground, so far down
Cut up land, each house, a pool
Kids wearing water wings, drink in coolFollow dry river bed, watch Scout and Guides
Make pow-wow signs
Past Geronimo's disco
Sittin' Bull steakhouse, white men dreamA rattle in the old man's sack, see
Look at mountain top, keep climbing up
Way above us the desert snow
White wind blowI hold the line
The line of strength that pulls me through the fear
San Jacinto
I hold the line
San Jacinto
The poison bite and darkness take my sight
I hold the line
And the tears roll down my swollen cheek
Think I'm losing it, getting weakerI hold the line!
I hold the line!
San Jacinto
Yellow eagle flies down from the sun
From the sunWe will walk, on the land
We will breathe, of the air
We will drink, from the stream
We will live, hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line"
- #PeterGabriel, #SanJacinto, 1982From Songfacts:
"The song explores the culture clash between #NativeAmericans and modern America, and features a Lakotan chant and a synthesized theme by Steve Reich."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad-8oCBu9QU
#NativeAmericanActivists #NeverGiveUp #LoveYourMotherEarth #WaterIsLife #LandBack #ProtectTheSacred
-
This is my little guy Ivan! I'll post the sheet and bio I made for him one day but in the meantime have this lol.
#eli's-art #art #digital-art #procreate #drawing #illustration #original-art #anthro #anthro-art #anthro-cat #furry #furry-friday #furry-art #own-characters #oc #oc:-ivan #cats #cat #russian-blue #russian-blue-cat #white-day #meme-redraw #id-in-alt-text -
Whatnot Wednesday: Where, What, When We LISTEN #CFFC
Wednesday, August 9, 2026
Welcome, all. September is finally here, but it still feels like August… and July… and June… and half of May. Here, that’s how long it’s been since we had a break from the ultra-hot days.
DaphneDaphne: Yummy Human, are you complaining about the hot weather again? Cut it out. I’m not going to listen to it. You’re interrupting my bath.
Ahem… As I was about to say, the Scoobies are helping with another installment of Dan Antion‘s “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge” (CFFC). Dan asked the multi-part question, Where, What, and When do you LISTEN? For our response, the Scoobies and I are going to limit this listening to audiobooks.
Where?
Daphne: Yummy Human listens to audiobooks at the kitchen table when takes her lunch break. She likes to listen while she eats. With audiobooks, she doesn’t have to juggle food and turn pages like with a regular book.
Velma: I like to have a bite while Yummy’s listening too. CHOMP!
But she re-listens to books at night when she’s trying to go to sleep, or back to sleep, or back-back-back to sleep. I know she’s almost finished with book-5 “Gator Bait.” But sometimes during the night she plays book-1, “Louisiana Longshot.”
Ouch, Velma! But you’re right, Scoobies. My C-PTSD makes it difficult for me to watch, read, or listen to new stories, because I have so many triggers. I get a lot of anxiety just trying to start a new story. So I re-enjoy things that are the watching/listening equivalent of comfort food. A couple of my go-to listens during the night are Nathan Lowell’s “The Wizard’s Butler,” and “Stop Panic Attacks” (sleep hypnosis) by Joel Thielke.
What
Most of the audiobooks I’ve finished and re-finished from January 2026 to September, via Audible or YouTube. Most are re-listens.Daphne: Yummy Human says she likes “cozy” books, but I think some cozies are fantasy and other kinds, not just mysteries. I wish she’d re-listen to book-2 of Nathan Lowell’s fantasy series. I really liked “The Wizard’s Cat.” Or any of “The Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Daphne 2026All of those are worth a re-listen, Scoobies. A lot of experts are saying that having stories read to you builds a stronger vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and reduces stress. It also helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
Mental and Cognitive Growth
- Boosts active listening skills and focus.
- Expands word knowledge beyond everyday speech.
- Strengthens brain areas linked to visual imagery and memory.
- Makes complex plots and ideas easier to understand.
Emotional and Social Well-Being
- Lowers stress and promotes relaxation.
- Builds empathy by showing how characters feel and react.
- Creates a safe space to explore difficult feelings.
- Deepens personal connections and trust between the listener and the reader.
Velma: Okay, Yummy. I’m snuggled down and ready to listen to a story. But you’d better hurry up and start playing it, because I have a yen to chomp your toe.
Thanks for visiting. Friendly comments are welcome. Hugs.
♣ ♣ ♣
Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.
Brother Love – a Crossroad
Strange things abound in a small 1950s town. It’s a cozy, magic realism story, filled with mystery and music.
New, updated book coverUniversal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B07V25SXFR
Paperback: relinks.me/107952309X
♣ ♣ ♣
This blog is entirely human-written. Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text. No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.
Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
#Audiobooks #BrotherLoveACrossroad #cats #CFFC #Listening #Photography #TeaganRiordainGeneviene #TheScoobies -
Whatnot Wednesday: Where, What, When We LISTEN #CFFC
Wednesday, August 9, 2026
Welcome, all. September is finally here, but it still feels like August… and July… and June… and half of May. Here, that’s how long it’s been since we had a break from the ultra-hot days.
DaphneDaphne: Yummy Human, are you complaining about the hot weather again? Cut it out. I’m not going to listen to it. You’re interrupting my bath.
Ahem… As I was about to say, the Scoobies are helping with another installment of Dan Antion‘s “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge” (CFFC). Dan asked the multi-part question, Where, What, and When do you LISTEN? For our response, the Scoobies and I are going to limit this listening to audiobooks.
Where?
Daphne: Yummy Human listens to audiobooks at the kitchen table when takes her lunch break. She likes to listen while she eats. With audiobooks, she doesn’t have to juggle food and turn pages like with a regular book.
Velma: I like to have a bite while Yummy’s listening too. CHOMP!
But she re-listens to books at night when she’s trying to go to sleep, or back to sleep, or back-back-back to sleep. I know she’s almost finished with book-5 “Gator Bait.” But sometimes during the night she plays book-1, “Louisiana Longshot.”
Ouch, Velma! But you’re right, Scoobies. My C-PTSD makes it difficult for me to watch, read, or listen to new stories, because I have so many triggers. I get a lot of anxiety just trying to start a new story. So I re-enjoy things that are the watching/listening equivalent of comfort food. A couple of my go-to listens during the night are Nathan Lowell’s “The Wizard’s Butler,” and “Stop Panic Attacks” (sleep hypnosis) by Joel Thielke.
What
Most of the audiobooks I’ve finished and re-finished from January 2026 to September, via Audible or YouTube. Most are re-listens.Daphne: Yummy Human says she likes “cozy” books, but I think some cozies are fantasy and other kinds, not just mysteries. I wish she’d re-listen to book-2 of Nathan Lowell’s fantasy series. I really liked “The Wizard’s Cat.” Or any of “The Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Daphne 2026All of those are worth a re-listen, Scoobies. A lot of experts are saying that having stories read to you builds a stronger vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and reduces stress. It also helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
Mental and Cognitive Growth
- Boosts active listening skills and focus.
- Expands word knowledge beyond everyday speech.
- Strengthens brain areas linked to visual imagery and memory.
- Makes complex plots and ideas easier to understand.
Emotional and Social Well-Being
- Lowers stress and promotes relaxation.
- Builds empathy by showing how characters feel and react.
- Creates a safe space to explore difficult feelings.
- Deepens personal connections and trust between the listener and the reader.
Velma: Okay, Yummy. I’m snuggled down and ready to listen to a story. But you’d better hurry up and start playing it, because I have a yen to chomp your toe.
Thanks for visiting. Friendly comments are welcome. Hugs.
♣ ♣ ♣
Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.
Brother Love – a Crossroad
Strange things abound in a small 1950s town. It’s a cozy, magic realism story, filled with mystery and music.
New, updated book coverUniversal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B07V25SXFR
Paperback: relinks.me/107952309X
♣ ♣ ♣
This blog is entirely human-written. Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text. No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.
Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
#Audiobooks #BrotherLoveACrossroad #cats #CFFC #Listening #Photography #TeaganRiordainGeneviene #TheScoobies -
Whatnot Wednesday: Where, What, When We LISTEN #CFFC
Wednesday, August 9, 2026
Welcome, all. September is finally here, but it still feels like August… and July… and June… and half of May. Here, that’s how long it’s been since we had a break from the ultra-hot days.
DaphneDaphne: Yummy Human, are you complaining about the hot weather again? Cut it out. I’m not going to listen to it. You’re interrupting my bath.
Ahem… As I was about to say, the Scoobies are helping with another installment of Dan Antion‘s “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge” (CFFC). Dan asked the multi-part question, Where, What, and When do you LISTEN? For our response, the Scoobies and I are going to limit this listening to audiobooks.
Where?
Daphne: Yummy Human listens to audiobooks at the kitchen table when takes her lunch break. She likes to listen while she eats. With audiobooks, she doesn’t have to juggle food and turn pages like with a regular book.
Velma: I like to have a bite while Yummy’s listening too. CHOMP!
But she re-listens to books at night when she’s trying to go to sleep, or back to sleep, or back-back-back to sleep. I know she’s almost finished with book-5 “Gator Bait.” But sometimes during the night she plays book-1, “Louisiana Longshot.”
Ouch, Velma! But you’re right, Scoobies. My C-PTSD makes it difficult for me to watch, read, or listen to new stories, because I have so many triggers. I get a lot of anxiety just trying to start a new story. So I re-enjoy things that are the watching/listening equivalent of comfort food. A couple of my go-to listens during the night are Nathan Lowell’s “The Wizard’s Butler,” and “Stop Panic Attacks” (sleep hypnosis) by Joel Thielke.
What
Most of the audiobooks I’ve finished and re-finished from January 2026 to September, via Audible or YouTube. Most are re-listens.Daphne: Yummy Human says she likes “cozy” books, but I think some cozies are fantasy and other kinds, not just mysteries. I wish she’d re-listen to book-2 of Nathan Lowell’s fantasy series. I really liked “The Wizard’s Cat.” Or any of “The Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Daphne 2026All of those are worth a re-listen, Scoobies. A lot of experts are saying that having stories read to you builds a stronger vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and reduces stress. It also helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
Mental and Cognitive Growth
- Boosts active listening skills and focus.
- Expands word knowledge beyond everyday speech.
- Strengthens brain areas linked to visual imagery and memory.
- Makes complex plots and ideas easier to understand.
Emotional and Social Well-Being
- Lowers stress and promotes relaxation.
- Builds empathy by showing how characters feel and react.
- Creates a safe space to explore difficult feelings.
- Deepens personal connections and trust between the listener and the reader.
Velma: Okay, Yummy. I’m snuggled down and ready to listen to a story. But you’d better hurry up and start playing it, because I have a yen to chomp your toe.
Thanks for visiting. Friendly comments are welcome. Hugs.
♣ ♣ ♣
Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.
Brother Love – a Crossroad
Strange things abound in a small 1950s town. It’s a cozy, magic realism story, filled with mystery and music.
New, updated book coverUniversal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B07V25SXFR
Paperback: relinks.me/107952309X
♣ ♣ ♣
This blog is entirely human-written. Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text. No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.
Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
#Audiobooks #BrotherLoveACrossroad #cats #CFFC #Listening #Photography #TeaganRiordainGeneviene #TheScoobies -
Whatnot Wednesday: Where, What, When We LISTEN #CFFC
Wednesday, August 9, 2026
Welcome, all. September is finally here, but it still feels like August… and July… and June… and half of May. Here, that’s how long it’s been since we had a break from the ultra-hot days.
DaphneDaphne: Yummy Human, are you complaining about the hot weather again? Cut it out. I’m not going to listen to it. You’re interrupting my bath.
Ahem… As I was about to say, the Scoobies are helping with another installment of Dan Antion‘s “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge” (CFFC). Dan asked the multi-part question, Where, What, and When do you LISTEN? For our response, the Scoobies and I are going to limit this listening to audiobooks.
Where?
Daphne: Yummy Human listens to audiobooks at the kitchen table when takes her lunch break. She likes to listen while she eats. With audiobooks, she doesn’t have to juggle food and turn pages like with a regular book.
Velma: I like to have a bite while Yummy’s listening too. CHOMP!
But she re-listens to books at night when she’s trying to go to sleep, or back to sleep, or back-back-back to sleep. I know she’s almost finished with book-5 “Gator Bait.” But sometimes during the night she plays book-1, “Louisiana Longshot.”
Ouch, Velma! But you’re right, Scoobies. My C-PTSD makes it difficult for me to watch, read, or listen to new stories, because I have so many triggers. I get a lot of anxiety just trying to start a new story. So I re-enjoy things that are the watching/listening equivalent of comfort food. A couple of my go-to listens during the night are Nathan Lowell’s “The Wizard’s Butler,” and “Stop Panic Attacks” (sleep hypnosis) by Joel Thielke.
What
Most of the audiobooks I’ve finished and re-finished from January 2026 to September, via Audible or YouTube. Most are re-listens.Daphne: Yummy Human says she likes “cozy” books, but I think some cozies are fantasy and other kinds, not just mysteries. I wish she’d re-listen to book-2 of Nathan Lowell’s fantasy series. I really liked “The Wizard’s Cat.” Or any of “The Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Daphne 2026All of those are worth a re-listen, Scoobies. A lot of experts are saying that having stories read to you builds a stronger vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and reduces stress. It also helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
Mental and Cognitive Growth
- Boosts active listening skills and focus.
- Expands word knowledge beyond everyday speech.
- Strengthens brain areas linked to visual imagery and memory.
- Makes complex plots and ideas easier to understand.
Emotional and Social Well-Being
- Lowers stress and promotes relaxation.
- Builds empathy by showing how characters feel and react.
- Creates a safe space to explore difficult feelings.
- Deepens personal connections and trust between the listener and the reader.
Velma: Okay, Yummy. I’m snuggled down and ready to listen to a story. But you’d better hurry up and start playing it, because I have a yen to chomp your toe.
Thanks for visiting. Friendly comments are welcome. Hugs.
♣ ♣ ♣
Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.
Brother Love – a Crossroad
Strange things abound in a small 1950s town. It’s a cozy, magic realism story, filled with mystery and music.
New, updated book coverUniversal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B07V25SXFR
Paperback: relinks.me/107952309X
♣ ♣ ♣
This blog is entirely human-written. Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text. No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.
Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
#Audiobooks #BrotherLoveACrossroad #cats #CFFC #Listening #Photography #TeaganRiordainGeneviene #TheScoobies -
Whatnot Wednesday: Where, What, When We LISTEN #CFFC
Wednesday, August 9, 2026
Welcome, all. September is finally here, but it still feels like August… and July… and June… and half of May. Here, that’s how long it’s been since we had a break from the ultra-hot days.
DaphneDaphne: Yummy Human, are you complaining about the hot weather again? Cut it out. I’m not going to listen to it. You’re interrupting my bath.
Ahem… As I was about to say, the Scoobies are helping with another installment of Dan Antion‘s “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge” (CFFC). Dan asked the multi-part question, Where, What, and When do you LISTEN? For our response, the Scoobies and I are going to limit this listening to audiobooks.
Where?
Daphne: Yummy Human listens to audiobooks at the kitchen table when takes her lunch break. She likes to listen while she eats. With audiobooks, she doesn’t have to juggle food and turn pages like with a regular book.
Velma: I like to have a bite while Yummy’s listening too. CHOMP!
But she re-listens to books at night when she’s trying to go to sleep, or back to sleep, or back-back-back to sleep. I know she’s almost finished with book-5 “Gator Bait.” But sometimes during the night she plays book-1, “Louisiana Longshot.”
Ouch, Velma! But you’re right, Scoobies. My C-PTSD makes it difficult for me to watch, read, or listen to new stories, because I have so many triggers. I get a lot of anxiety just trying to start a new story. So I re-enjoy things that are the watching/listening equivalent of comfort food. A couple of my go-to listens during the night are Nathan Lowell’s “The Wizard’s Butler,” and “Stop Panic Attacks” (sleep hypnosis) by Joel Thielke.
What
Most of the audiobooks I’ve finished and re-finished from January 2026 to September, via Audible or YouTube. Most are re-listens.Daphne: Yummy Human says she likes “cozy” books, but I think some cozies are fantasy and other kinds, not just mysteries. I wish she’d re-listen to book-2 of Nathan Lowell’s fantasy series. I really liked “The Wizard’s Cat.” Or any of “The Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Daphne 2026All of those are worth a re-listen, Scoobies. A lot of experts are saying that having stories read to you builds a stronger vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and reduces stress. It also helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
Mental and Cognitive Growth
- Boosts active listening skills and focus.
- Expands word knowledge beyond everyday speech.
- Strengthens brain areas linked to visual imagery and memory.
- Makes complex plots and ideas easier to understand.
Emotional and Social Well-Being
- Lowers stress and promotes relaxation.
- Builds empathy by showing how characters feel and react.
- Creates a safe space to explore difficult feelings.
- Deepens personal connections and trust between the listener and the reader.
Velma: Okay, Yummy. I’m snuggled down and ready to listen to a story. But you’d better hurry up and start playing it, because I have a yen to chomp your toe.
Thanks for visiting. Friendly comments are welcome. Hugs.
♣ ♣ ♣
Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.
Brother Love – a Crossroad
Strange things abound in a small 1950s town. It’s a cozy, magic realism story, filled with mystery and music.
New, updated book coverUniversal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B07V25SXFR
Paperback: relinks.me/107952309X
♣ ♣ ♣
This blog is entirely human-written. Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text. No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.
Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
All rights reserved.
#Audiobooks #BrotherLoveACrossroad #cats #CFFC #Listening #Photography #TeaganRiordainGeneviene #TheScoobies -
RE: https://mastodon.social/@fllics/117241526570879044
This is such trite dog bites man journalism
Stock markets are *always vulnerable to shocks
that is what you write in teh dog days of August when you don't have a real story for your newspaper
-
FYI: Meta profit falls 8 percent as legal costs bite into ad gains: Meta profit fell 8 percent to 15.8 billion dollars as legal charges hit margins, while Microsoft earnings and an IAB Australia crawler guide reshaped ad tech. https://ppc.land/meta-profit-falls-8-percent-as-legal-costs-bite-into-ad-gains/ #Meta #Advertising #LegalCosts #EarningsReports #AdTech
-
Use this #DuctTape trick to protect yourself from #tick bites
By Sam Schipani, Bangor Daily News Staff
June 16, 2021"With ticks on the rise in Maine this year, intrepid outdoorsy folks are getting creative with methods for keeping ticks at bay. Among the methods circulating via popular social media sites is to wrap duct tape with the sticky side out around pants ankles to catch ticks while they try to crawl up legs.
"It looks silly, sure. But does it work?
"Griffin Dill, who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, said that it’s not a terrible idea, as long as the tape is snug enough that the ticks can’t get underneath it.
" 'I have seen this trick circulating online, particularly through social media,' Dill said. 'A primary focus of tick bite prevention is creating a barrier that will prevent the tick from accessing bare skin. Wrapping a layer of sticky tape around your ankles will not completely prevent tick bites, but any added barrier can help.'
"The placement of the duct tape is key because it targets a place where ticks often climb onto bodies.
"Chuck Lubelczyk, vector ecologist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said most tick encounters happen below the knee.
" 'Especially on hot days like the last couple of days, ticks are really close to the ground,' Lubelczyk said. 'A lot of moisture is trapped around the ground level, which makes the ticks very happy. They tend to really get on people at the ankle height and crawl up pant legs. Anything you can do to close your pant legs will help.'
"Dill explained that if you have found ticks on your back, neck or head, they likely climbed up from your ankles, so the extra ankle protection is even helpful to keep ticks away from your upper body.
" 'Ticks have a natural inclination to climb up on a host, so if they don’t immediately encounter exposed skin they will generally travel up until they do,' he said. 'Dog ticks in particular are known to climb up and become attached high on the body, especially around the neck and head. Ultimately, the concern isn’t necessarily keeping the ticks from falling down your shirt, but keeping them from accessing exposed skin on their way up the body.'
"That said, the method isn’t perfect. Durability of the tape, for instance, can be an issue.
" 'I wouldn’t probably do that if I were doing any kind of real hiking or bushwhacking, or people that are going out for extensive hikes and stuff,' Lubelczyk said. 'I would see that stuff coming apart if you’re out walking in the brush heavily. If it’s raining it might get wet and may not be effective. I think people should be aware.'
"If you’re looking for a more effective way to keep ticks away, try #gaiters for your ankles and legs, Lubelczyk said."
#SolarPunkSunday #UMaineCoopExtension #UMaineCooperativeExtension #TicksInMaine #TickControl #DuckTape #StopTickWraps
-
Use this #DuctTape trick to protect yourself from #tick bites
By Sam Schipani, Bangor Daily News Staff
June 16, 2021"With ticks on the rise in Maine this year, intrepid outdoorsy folks are getting creative with methods for keeping ticks at bay. Among the methods circulating via popular social media sites is to wrap duct tape with the sticky side out around pants ankles to catch ticks while they try to crawl up legs.
"It looks silly, sure. But does it work?
"Griffin Dill, who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, said that it’s not a terrible idea, as long as the tape is snug enough that the ticks can’t get underneath it.
" 'I have seen this trick circulating online, particularly through social media,' Dill said. 'A primary focus of tick bite prevention is creating a barrier that will prevent the tick from accessing bare skin. Wrapping a layer of sticky tape around your ankles will not completely prevent tick bites, but any added barrier can help.'
"The placement of the duct tape is key because it targets a place where ticks often climb onto bodies.
"Chuck Lubelczyk, vector ecologist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said most tick encounters happen below the knee.
" 'Especially on hot days like the last couple of days, ticks are really close to the ground,' Lubelczyk said. 'A lot of moisture is trapped around the ground level, which makes the ticks very happy. They tend to really get on people at the ankle height and crawl up pant legs. Anything you can do to close your pant legs will help.'
"Dill explained that if you have found ticks on your back, neck or head, they likely climbed up from your ankles, so the extra ankle protection is even helpful to keep ticks away from your upper body.
" 'Ticks have a natural inclination to climb up on a host, so if they don’t immediately encounter exposed skin they will generally travel up until they do,' he said. 'Dog ticks in particular are known to climb up and become attached high on the body, especially around the neck and head. Ultimately, the concern isn’t necessarily keeping the ticks from falling down your shirt, but keeping them from accessing exposed skin on their way up the body.'
"That said, the method isn’t perfect. Durability of the tape, for instance, can be an issue.
" 'I wouldn’t probably do that if I were doing any kind of real hiking or bushwhacking, or people that are going out for extensive hikes and stuff,' Lubelczyk said. 'I would see that stuff coming apart if you’re out walking in the brush heavily. If it’s raining it might get wet and may not be effective. I think people should be aware.'
"If you’re looking for a more effective way to keep ticks away, try #gaiters for your ankles and legs, Lubelczyk said."
#SolarPunkSunday #UMaineCoopExtension #UMaineCooperativeExtension #TicksInMaine #TickControl #DuckTape #StopTickWraps
-
Use this #DuctTape trick to protect yourself from #tick bites
By Sam Schipani, Bangor Daily News Staff
June 16, 2021"With ticks on the rise in Maine this year, intrepid outdoorsy folks are getting creative with methods for keeping ticks at bay. Among the methods circulating via popular social media sites is to wrap duct tape with the sticky side out around pants ankles to catch ticks while they try to crawl up legs.
"It looks silly, sure. But does it work?
"Griffin Dill, who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, said that it’s not a terrible idea, as long as the tape is snug enough that the ticks can’t get underneath it.
" 'I have seen this trick circulating online, particularly through social media,' Dill said. 'A primary focus of tick bite prevention is creating a barrier that will prevent the tick from accessing bare skin. Wrapping a layer of sticky tape around your ankles will not completely prevent tick bites, but any added barrier can help.'
"The placement of the duct tape is key because it targets a place where ticks often climb onto bodies.
"Chuck Lubelczyk, vector ecologist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said most tick encounters happen below the knee.
" 'Especially on hot days like the last couple of days, ticks are really close to the ground,' Lubelczyk said. 'A lot of moisture is trapped around the ground level, which makes the ticks very happy. They tend to really get on people at the ankle height and crawl up pant legs. Anything you can do to close your pant legs will help.'
"Dill explained that if you have found ticks on your back, neck or head, they likely climbed up from your ankles, so the extra ankle protection is even helpful to keep ticks away from your upper body.
" 'Ticks have a natural inclination to climb up on a host, so if they don’t immediately encounter exposed skin they will generally travel up until they do,' he said. 'Dog ticks in particular are known to climb up and become attached high on the body, especially around the neck and head. Ultimately, the concern isn’t necessarily keeping the ticks from falling down your shirt, but keeping them from accessing exposed skin on their way up the body.'
"That said, the method isn’t perfect. Durability of the tape, for instance, can be an issue.
" 'I wouldn’t probably do that if I were doing any kind of real hiking or bushwhacking, or people that are going out for extensive hikes and stuff,' Lubelczyk said. 'I would see that stuff coming apart if you’re out walking in the brush heavily. If it’s raining it might get wet and may not be effective. I think people should be aware.'
"If you’re looking for a more effective way to keep ticks away, try #gaiters for your ankles and legs, Lubelczyk said."
#SolarPunkSunday #UMaineCoopExtension #UMaineCooperativeExtension #TicksInMaine #TickControl #DuckTape #StopTickWraps
-
Use this #DuctTape trick to protect yourself from #tick bites
By Sam Schipani, Bangor Daily News Staff
June 16, 2021"With ticks on the rise in Maine this year, intrepid outdoorsy folks are getting creative with methods for keeping ticks at bay. Among the methods circulating via popular social media sites is to wrap duct tape with the sticky side out around pants ankles to catch ticks while they try to crawl up legs.
"It looks silly, sure. But does it work?
"Griffin Dill, who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, said that it’s not a terrible idea, as long as the tape is snug enough that the ticks can’t get underneath it.
" 'I have seen this trick circulating online, particularly through social media,' Dill said. 'A primary focus of tick bite prevention is creating a barrier that will prevent the tick from accessing bare skin. Wrapping a layer of sticky tape around your ankles will not completely prevent tick bites, but any added barrier can help.'
"The placement of the duct tape is key because it targets a place where ticks often climb onto bodies.
"Chuck Lubelczyk, vector ecologist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said most tick encounters happen below the knee.
" 'Especially on hot days like the last couple of days, ticks are really close to the ground,' Lubelczyk said. 'A lot of moisture is trapped around the ground level, which makes the ticks very happy. They tend to really get on people at the ankle height and crawl up pant legs. Anything you can do to close your pant legs will help.'
"Dill explained that if you have found ticks on your back, neck or head, they likely climbed up from your ankles, so the extra ankle protection is even helpful to keep ticks away from your upper body.
" 'Ticks have a natural inclination to climb up on a host, so if they don’t immediately encounter exposed skin they will generally travel up until they do,' he said. 'Dog ticks in particular are known to climb up and become attached high on the body, especially around the neck and head. Ultimately, the concern isn’t necessarily keeping the ticks from falling down your shirt, but keeping them from accessing exposed skin on their way up the body.'
"That said, the method isn’t perfect. Durability of the tape, for instance, can be an issue.
" 'I wouldn’t probably do that if I were doing any kind of real hiking or bushwhacking, or people that are going out for extensive hikes and stuff,' Lubelczyk said. 'I would see that stuff coming apart if you’re out walking in the brush heavily. If it’s raining it might get wet and may not be effective. I think people should be aware.'
"If you’re looking for a more effective way to keep ticks away, try #gaiters for your ankles and legs, Lubelczyk said."
#SolarPunkSunday #UMaineCoopExtension #UMaineCooperativeExtension #TicksInMaine #TickControl #DuckTape #StopTickWraps
-
Use this #DuctTape trick to protect yourself from #tick bites
By Sam Schipani, Bangor Daily News Staff
June 16, 2021"With ticks on the rise in Maine this year, intrepid outdoorsy folks are getting creative with methods for keeping ticks at bay. Among the methods circulating via popular social media sites is to wrap duct tape with the sticky side out around pants ankles to catch ticks while they try to crawl up legs.
"It looks silly, sure. But does it work?
"Griffin Dill, who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, said that it’s not a terrible idea, as long as the tape is snug enough that the ticks can’t get underneath it.
" 'I have seen this trick circulating online, particularly through social media,' Dill said. 'A primary focus of tick bite prevention is creating a barrier that will prevent the tick from accessing bare skin. Wrapping a layer of sticky tape around your ankles will not completely prevent tick bites, but any added barrier can help.'
"The placement of the duct tape is key because it targets a place where ticks often climb onto bodies.
"Chuck Lubelczyk, vector ecologist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said most tick encounters happen below the knee.
" 'Especially on hot days like the last couple of days, ticks are really close to the ground,' Lubelczyk said. 'A lot of moisture is trapped around the ground level, which makes the ticks very happy. They tend to really get on people at the ankle height and crawl up pant legs. Anything you can do to close your pant legs will help.'
"Dill explained that if you have found ticks on your back, neck or head, they likely climbed up from your ankles, so the extra ankle protection is even helpful to keep ticks away from your upper body.
" 'Ticks have a natural inclination to climb up on a host, so if they don’t immediately encounter exposed skin they will generally travel up until they do,' he said. 'Dog ticks in particular are known to climb up and become attached high on the body, especially around the neck and head. Ultimately, the concern isn’t necessarily keeping the ticks from falling down your shirt, but keeping them from accessing exposed skin on their way up the body.'
"That said, the method isn’t perfect. Durability of the tape, for instance, can be an issue.
" 'I wouldn’t probably do that if I were doing any kind of real hiking or bushwhacking, or people that are going out for extensive hikes and stuff,' Lubelczyk said. 'I would see that stuff coming apart if you’re out walking in the brush heavily. If it’s raining it might get wet and may not be effective. I think people should be aware.'
"If you’re looking for a more effective way to keep ticks away, try #gaiters for your ankles and legs, Lubelczyk said."
#SolarPunkSunday #UMaineCoopExtension #UMaineCooperativeExtension #TicksInMaine #TickControl #DuckTape #StopTickWraps
-
🚨🚨🚨🚨Post title: Urgent appeal to save a child's leg from amputation! 💔😭🚨🚨🚨
🆘The plea reads:"O people of kindness and compassion, I write to you with tears in my eyes and the anguish of a grieving mother. This is my little angel, a piece of my soul, living with me in the harshness of a tent and the difficult conditions of displacement.
One dark night, he was bitten by an unknown, poisonous insect, and we didn't realize the extent of the disaster until it was too late. The poison spread through his small leg, and the simple bite turned into a deep, inflamed wound that threatens his life completely (as you can see in the first picture). 😢
The doctors told me with harsh honesty: 'The condition is very critical, the infection is severe, and there is no alternative to urgent surgery to try to save what remains of his leg before gangrene spreads.'I am a helpless mother, living in a tent that offers no protection from the summer heat or the winter cold, and I cannot afford medicine, let alone the exorbitant costs of surgery, which I cannot afford in these trying times.
My greatest fear is losing my beloved child, and that the doctors will be forced to amputate his little leg to save him." His life! Imagine a child this young living the rest of his life with an amputated leg because of an insect bite in a tent! 😭
I implore you, generous people, those who have the means to help, please don't leave me alone in this nightmare. Please, donate any amount, no matter how small, for it could work a miracle and save my son's leg and his future.
Your donation isn't just money; it's hope, it's life, it's a prayer answered for the healing of a sick person.
O God, I entrust my son to You, so protect him with Your watchful eye that never sleeps.🤲🤲🤲
https://chuffed.org/project/161617
#Gaza #Humanity #mutualaid #MutualAidRequest #MutualAidBoost #MutualAidThread #FediforGaza #FediHelp #MutualAidRequest #Fediverse #Rent #HelpingHand #mutualaidspace #support #boostwelcome #givingtuesday
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