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osanajimi · 7 years

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Untitled Review

My bias said since there’re only 2 years left until Arashi’s 20th, they have 2 years to test their limits and boundaries before being busy celebrating entering their 3rd decade, thus, that is what I choose to focus on in appreciating this album...

Green Light - Top batter. I wasn’t sucked into this immediately, but my impression of it has changed. The preview on the website which only featured the chorus made me think of their kouhais (HSJ, Kisumai), but the lower notes changed my mind. I find that I don’t dislike the tuning on the members’ voice, so that’s good. The transitions are niggling me though. Feels like it could have been done more smoothly. I find that the contrasts throw me off a little. Still one of my favourites from the album though.

Mikan - When I first heard it, I was blooming mad because of the mishmash of genres that didn’t feel like they mesh. But as I listened to it more, I became convinced that it is a daring attempt. It was what hinted me at what Arashi was trying to do with the album this round, before they dropped any other details about it. My condolences about the MV, but with Sho as bias, I don’t find myself complaining much when I’ve got that pair dance to flail over.

Sugar - Love the beat. I call these kinds of songs the ‘blast them out loud as you you go for a drive maybe at coastal roads ala what they do in MVs’ (or ‘Drive songs’ for short). Members singing in the back has got my attention rather than the member that’s doing the main, like when they’re going ‘sugaa~~rrr’ and ‘my loo~~vee’. Also, something about this reminds me of EXILE.

Ari no Mama de - Clap your hands to this, yeah~ Wave it side to side, yeah~ Channel your 1D fangirl heart, yeah~ (there, I’ve gone and said it). I want to be skipping around with my tween girlfriends while holding hands. Quite Western boyband-ish *cough* for our Japanese manband.

Fu’un - Kamen Rider or Super Sentai OSTs. Nothing really bad about it, but it’s never really been my kind of song.

Houyou - The first half felt a bit complicated. I couldn’t tell when the song was going to settle. And then I realized it wouldn’t. Then Sakurap actually caught me in this state which I’m thankful for. Bias he may be, it felt like a float to hold onto in the middle of a calm sea, but in the middle of the sea nonetheless. Edit: I found out the meaning. Suffice to say, no wonder I felt lost.. ahaha..

Pray - Shojo slice-of-life ending theme song. I’m seeing curious faces peeking out of umbrellas and up at the sky as the rain lets up but the air is still heavy with moisture (that’s probably just the ‘傘’ word getting in the way, though).

Hikari - Ninoooo~~~~~~ If I sounded this good opening a song, I’d call it out as my favorite, too. I can sort of see him as Disney princess singing to charm the tiny critters who’ll become his allies. Gospel-ish, just like they said in the jweb vid. Definitely a song that makes you stand up and sway left-right and clapping to beat. I like songs where there is obvious non-member backing, mostly because if it’s performed, then I like the backup singers in the con to have their time to shine. Or, they could have a choir, but they did that two years ago in Miyagi, so idk. The Sakurap isn’t my favourite kind, but appreciating the versatility. Would’ve liked to hear the 15-seconds after Ohno’s main following Sakurap as a cappella, but oh well.

Kanata e - I couldn’t make my mind up about the song until after the 1min mark. I’ll be honest and say only the chorus is sort of working for me. Sounds like uplifting anime OST. The rest... doesn’t really stick.

Song for you - This was great. This is great. Arashi did me in with this one. Ohno had gotten to me on Msute (I’m kinda weak for Ohno’s solo lines in group songs). But then they sang in unison the same lines/melody towards the end, and I can honestly say, the 5 of Arashi topped Ohno solo. That part was... beautiful. I don’t really have any other way to describe it. Whatever it was that Ohno found in Miles Away last year, they didn’t let it be a one-time thing and go to waste.

Kanpai Song - Either Kanjani or WEST. This was a Kansai song that thought it might want to do a little ‘上京’ing. From the title, I was expecting something like Energy Song. The theme was, the melody not so much. It’s not a song I would dislike, but clashes a bit with my image of current Arashi.

Unit Songs:

Curiosity Team - Bazuri Night: Initial D (?) Eurobeat stuff I should think. Fuzakeru song, as I thought it’ll be when I saw the unit (I might not show it, but I’m still a bit sore about Yama). I had this teeny hope for a slow song when the Machi ga Irodzuku koro video was going around, but Aiba on Rekomen explained that it wasn’t so. So the song is basically the old men having their night out unsupervised. I don’t mind doing some ParaPara to this.

Riida and his babies - Yoru no Kage: They sound like a a KPop group trying to promote themselves in Japan (in the sense that the group puts more effort since they’re trying to enter a foreign market). That, or Miura Daichi. I was pretty sure we’re going to get something classy from this unit though, so in that aspect I wasn’t disappointed. Nice high notes. Jun did great matching the other two, always have been a bit of his specialty, I should think. Looking forward to the performance.

Soubusen Nakama - UB: Unit bath. Of course. What were we thinking of getting when it’s these two. A straight ballad? Pfft. But the harmonizing is sweet. If I didn’t know better, I think I’m hearing open fields and clear endless blue skies with whispy clouds. There’s something Western (American outback? not country though) about it. It’s kinda cute if you don’t think about the meaning too much.

Sakumoto - Comeback: So, this is something like if MC Sakurai and DJ Matsumoto from Arafes ‘13 got together for real and decided to do something from 2 decades ago. I have no objections to this (kidding, I LOVE it). It is ‘Get Arrested Pt. II’ after all. The countdowns in the song works so much for me. Gets you all riled up and excited for them. I can already hear the dead whale noises I’ll be making as watching the DVD next year induces a cardiac arrest in me. Edit: I just remembered the Yakai episode where they have an ICU girl describe Sho as having ‘good vibes’. It’d tickle me if that’s where the phrase in the lyrics come from.

If I’m to rank the unit songs:

Yoru no Kage

Comeback

Bazuri Night

Why do I feel that this album is pretty polarizing? I’ve seen some people who aren’t into it (Japanese fans, though). I’m supposing it’s all the new sounds we’re hearing? However, despite that, I’ll repeat what I said in a post the other day, I hope they can continue doing something different without fear of backlash from fans. Personally, I’m really happy with it.

Edit: After getting a proper looks, I’m wondering how much the members were involved with the lyrics. Song For You, for example, would be really weird if it was written without the members having any say at all. I mean, it’s beautiful, it’s a story of the group’s journey, but if a complete stranger wrote it then... you know. Kinda weird. Idk.

P.S.: There’s always this one song in each con that makes me wish I was there whenever I watch the con DVD, eg, Hope in the Darkness for Digitalian, Ohno’s Akatsuki in Japonism, and Nino’s Mata Kyou in AYH. But Song For You makes me wish I could have attended the con just from the sound of it. Here’s to them giving the song the justice it deserves.

#arashi #album: ''untitled''#may contain spoilers #2017

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operationrainfall · 5 years

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I will fully admit I probably should have played Cuphead much, much sooner. Especially given that I bought it on a Steam sale a year or more ago. But there was a small part of me that was holding out hope, perhaps unreasonable at the time, that Cuphead might come to a console I own. Namely, the Nintendo Switch. Sure, that was seen as a pipe dream by many, until a breathtaking Nintendo Direct that totally took us all by surprise. Once they announced it was coming to Switch, I knew I had no more excuses, and I gladly agreed to review it on Nintendo’s latest console. The question is, was this challenging boss rush worth the wait?

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Though I won’t recap all the elements of the game, which were done already in our Steam review of the game, I will give a quick summary. The game takes place in a cartoon world full of mischief and whimsy. You get all the main story beats from cutscenes, both still and animated, that explain the basic plot. Things go wrong quickly after Cuphead and Mugman try to beat the Devil at his own game in his personal casino, and whether old hornhead cheated or not, the two brothers are quickly indebted to him. Specifically, they are forced to become his bag men and collect the soul contracts from others who tried to welch on deals with the devil. Thus begins our story, and though there isn’t much plot or characterization other than this, it’s still a wonderfully enjoyable adventure.

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Cuphead is split into 3 sections – Run & Gun levels, Mausoleum challenges and of course the boss fights. While the latter is where the meat of the game is experienced, the other two shouldn’t be ignored either. The Run & Gun levels are spread through each world except the last, and provide a meaty platforming challenge. Frankly these were harder for me than some of the boss fights, mostly cause I tried to get a great score every time. That involves parrying a certain amount of times, collecting all the coins, using your super meter and not taking any damage. As you might expect that last part is a challenge, especially since each of these stages is flooded with nasty critters trying to maim you. Though I liked these sections for the diversity they provided, I felt they paled in comparison to the others. Their one saving grace was that the coins you find in each can be used to buy important upgrades.

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By contrast, the Mausoleum challenges are fun and tricky platforming sections that never wore out their welcome. That could be cause there’s half as many of them as there are Run & Gun, only a mere three, and it might also be because they each take place in a small room as opposed to a long stretch of areas. Your goal is to keep hordes of nasty ghosts away from the chalice in the center of the screen until the clock runs out. I liked this since you can’t kill the ghosts, you instead have to parry them into oblivion. The parry mechanic is well used here, since the whole point is to bounce off each ghost to send them back to the afterlife. Best of all, by beating each Mausoleum you’re rewarded with a powerful super attack you can use during battle. There’s a standard mega laser beam, temporary invincibility and the ability to control two Cupheads simultaneously. I admit I only used the first 2 super arts, and found they did the job. But in case that wasn’t enough, you are also able to customize your loadout with different bullet shots and charms.

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At the beginning you’re stuck with a basic linear shot, the Peashooter, but you eventually will have 6 different shots to choose from. You are able to equip 2 shots for each boss fight or Run & Gun section, and can switch between them with the L button. My personal favorites were the powerful Spread shot and the homing Chaser, but they all work well. There are also 6 Charms, and they serve very distinct purposes. There are some that increase your starting health, others passively charge your super meter and more. I found the most useful was the Smoke Bomb charm, which turned Cuphead and Mugman’s basic dash into one with temporary invincibility. Much like the shots, the charms all have their place, and each also has a slight negative condition to balance them out. The extra health makes your bullets weaker and the dash makes you invisible for a second. Put together with the Super Arts, these help make the game feel balanced and diverse, allowing different playstyles to win. And that’s a good thing, since the game has some challenging boss fights.

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Now, I’m gonna assert right now that while Cuphead is a challenging game, it’s nowhere near as challenging as people were saying it was. That could be because I grew up playing games like Contra, or it could be because I’m stubborn as hell, but either way I found the game very well balanced. Sure, there are some fights that are incredibly difficult or tricky to get through unscathed, but there’s also several that were downright easy. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say any boss is a pushover, there are some that definitely feel more like a mini-boss. These would only take a handful of tries to beat as opposed to dozens. That’s not a bad thing though, since they serve as welcome breaks from the more hectic battles. And given that each boss fight has different phases and dramatic transformations to mix things up, that’s probably for the best. I’d say the hardest fights for me were the following – Grim Matchstick, Baroness Von Bon Bon, Rumor Honeybottom and King Dice. Compared to these, the other bosses are much easier to deal with. And yes, that includes the final fight against the Devil himself.

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Besides the standard boss fights, which involve running and gunning, there are also aerial battles. These are essentially the same, except that you’re forced to only use 2 specific shots and are locked into a specific Super Art. The other change is that in place of your dash move, you instead hold X to shrink to teeny tiny size. This makes it very easy to avoid bullets, but it also dramatically reduces the range of your attacks. I actually really enjoyed these fights, and found some of my favorite bosses there, including Cala Maria, a mix between Betty Boop and the Little Mermaid; Wally Warbler, an insane Coo Coo Clock brought to life; and Dr. Kahl, the twisted love child or Robotnik and Wily nobody wanted.

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It goes without saying that the art in Cuphead is fantastic, but I didn’t realize how fantastic until I played it. The screenshots I took while playing don’t do the art justice, as part of the beauty is how fluid and detailed the animation looks in motion. Best of all, the game ran really smooth portably on the Switch, and only had occasional minor bouts of slowdown. The only real downside to the art is that sometimes stages were so detailed that my character could get hidden behind a piece of foreground, which could be problematic in especially dire fights. The music and sound effects are also transcendent, featuring larger than life big band jazz tunes that really liven things up. I loved how all the sound effects were bold and served a strategic purpose, usually indicating an incoming attack or new battle phase.

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There’s a tremendous amount of things I loved in the game, but even here I found some nitpicks. While I liked the idea of parrying pink objects, they often felt forced and didn’t really fit the flow of battles. Sure there were some fights that were the exception, such as facing the slot machine frog and parrying his lever, or bouncing off Werner Werman’s blocks to avoid his soup tank, but there were plenty more that were just irritating. Especially since you often have to jump into incoming objects to parry them, which goes against every instinct I’ve learned over 30 years of gaming. I almost wish parrying inflicted damage to foes or something more intuitive, and it wouldn’t be a problem except that getting a good score requires parrying at least 3 attacks. And though I loved the music in the game, there were a few rare occasions it was so loud I didn’t hear a sound cue to avoid an incoming attack. Lastly, though I loved all the bosses in the game, I don’t feel the final boss was epic enough. In many ways the second to last boss fight against King Dice felt like it should have been the final battle. Other than that, I really loved every other aspect of the game.

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I managed to beat Cuphead in about 3 days, though I spent several more getting all its achievements. Which is something I rarely do, unless I truly love a game. So if that doesn’t tell you everything, I don’t know what will. It’s a wonderful indie gem, and the only thing it lacks is a art gallery and music select. Studio MDHR has shown tremendous talent in this first outing, and I can’t wait to see more from this creative and dynamic universe.

It’s even worth getting the bad ending…

IMPRESSIONS: Cuphead on Switch I will fully admit I probably should have played Cuphead much, much sooner. Especially given that I bought it on a Steam sale a year or more ago.

#challenging #Cuphead #Impressions #oprainfall #platformer #run and gun #Studio MDHR #Switch

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bikechatter · 7 years

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Meet the BikeCrafters: Sketchy Trails, Bicycle Kitty, and Helmet Helper

In case you haven’t heard, Portland’s bike-centric holiday gift fair is back! BikeCraft 2017 is December 15-17 at the Bike Farm (1810 NE 1st Ave.) and it’s powered by Microcosm Publishing.

Here’s the latest in our series of vendor intros written up by Microcosm Co-owner and Marketing Director Elly Blue (see the previous ones here and here)…

Sketchy Trails – Kristina Wayte (website)

The artist and her creations.

The first thing that struck me, looking at Kristina Wayte’s work, is her dynamic lines that really capture the thrill and focus of a headlong ride in a gorgeous setting. The second thing that caught my eye is how prolific she is—she has cards and prints, pint glasses and trucker hats, and even cowbells emblazoned with her art. She’s coming down from Seattle as a first time BikeCraft vendor, and I have a feeling we’ll be sending her home with a much lighter load.

How did you get started doing what you do?

I have been drawing since I was a child and then majored in Illustration during University. I began working at a games studio then changed gears when I developed Sketchy Trails. It all started from a mountain bike ride with my twin sister after her summer riding in Whistler. I was so impressed by her that I had to draw her riding. I had never drawn bikes before, but that drawing came so naturally that I continued to draw more. I love riding, but still thought I would run out of ideas after only a few. Now many many drawings later, I have too many ideas to put on paper.

What brings you to BikeCraft?

I met Brian of Velo Gioielli at Gigantic Bike Festival in Snoqualmie, WA. He told me about BikeCraft, and I am excited to be a part of it!

What is your favorite thing about what you do, and what’s your biggest challenge?

My favorite thing is creating a drawing that showcases an iconic trail feature and people responding with their experiences on that specific trail. My biggest challenge is the technical side of the drawing, wheels are hard to draw!

What is most meaningful to you about bicycling?

Nothing is better than conquering a new feature you have been eyeing for months. Or at the end of a brand new trail and you are just blown away with how incredible the ride was. The cherry on top is having your ride buddies with you during your successes and even failures.

Bicycle Kitty – Maria Schur (website)

Bicycle Kitty booth at BikeCraft 2016.

Maria demonstrating proper use of her “Bum-ease” pillow.

A few BikeCrafts ago, I stopped by Maria Schur’s booth to catch up about her long-distance riding exploits, when something shiny caught my eye: she’d painted a bunch of valve caps with nail polish. I’ve long resented valve caps and wondered what the point is, but these answered all my questions. I bought a handful and my rides since then have been infused with extra sparkly unicorn power. That’s only a small portion of what she offers, of course, and her main product completely escaped my attention: the Bum-ease butt pillow.

Here’s Maria in her own words:

When I was working as a bike messenger, I “invented” the butt pillow. It all started when I was told to “stand by” and the only place to sit was a cold stone wall. I was also getting annoyed feeling the outline of my tool kit and lunch on my back through my Zo bag.

And, thus, the Bum-ease butt pillow was born. These hand-made cushions are vinyl on one side and fabric on the other, creating the perfect warm dry place to sit wherever your bike may take you. I’ve carried mine on the Oregon Outback, on The Steens Mazama 1000, on the Thursday Night Ride, and more. It’s saved many a nice lycra short from getting ground-worn.

I’ll have three sizes for sale at the upcoming BikeCraft 2017: – “Bony” for small butts or long trips – “Badonkadonk” for big butts or very cold/wet days – “Goldilocks” for everything in between

(In the photo of me sitting, I’m actually sitting on a “bony” sized bum-ease during a tour of the San Juan islands this September!)

You’ll also find my buddy flap fender extenders, complete with reflective accents, and embellished valve caps for sale.

Come by the Bicycle Kitty booth and say hi!

Helmet Helper – Patrick Leyshock (website)

Put it in and it’ll refresh your helmet.

Every BikeCraft, someone turns up with a new invention devised to solve a problem I never quite realized was a problem until I saw it. When Patrick Leyshock first emailed about his helmet de-stinkers, my reaction was “I wonder who needs something like that?” Then I headed out the door for work, and as I did I caught a truly foul whiff of my helmet, which has been repeatedly getting wet and not quite drying off since the smoke stopped and the rain started. I kind of knew that it smelled but it hadn’t really sunk in. And now that’s all I notice. Patrick, I think you’re on to something.

Here’s Patrick in his own words:

Our helmets get funky: from rain in the winter, and sweat year-round. I make “Helmet Helpers” that fight the funk. Helmet Helpers are tubes of Pendleton wool stuffed with Idaho cedar chips. They absorb moisture and odors, keeping your helmet good as new. Just fold the Helmet Helper in half and place inside your helmet when you’re not using it. Wool is naturally antimicrobial and resists staining. Cedar chips absorb moisture plus keeps bugs and critters away.

Helmet Helpers are a great holiday gift idea for “The Cyclist Who Has Everything”, and a good way to protect your helmet investment (especially if you have helmets that sit on the shelf most days of the year).

Similar products exist for other types of helmets, but either don’t work well for bicycle helmets, or use synthetic materials and chemicals. I realized there was room for improvement so began building Helmet Helpers in my workshop. We’ve got all the right things — wool and cedar — here in the Pacific Northwest.

At work I spend a lot of time in meetings or in front of a computer. After work, I enjoy working with my hands building Helmet Helpers. The challenges I tackle building Helmet Helpers — what color wool to use? how can I fill them faster? what stitch should I use to best seal them? — are refreshing.

I’ve been cycling in Portland for over 20 years, and cycle-commuting daily from the Cully neighborhood to OHSU for the last 3+ years. Zero carbon emissions, exercise, plus the sights, sounds, and smells of the streets … what’s not to like?

Give a Helmet Helper to a friend this holiday season! They’re available at a few local bicycle and motorcycle shops (Crank Bicycles http://www.crankpdx.com, Vicious Cycle http://ift.tt/2kDXgYh, and See See Motor Coffee http://ift.tt/2k49vRz, at the upcoming BikeCraft fair, and directly online at helmethelper.com.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and [email protected]

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BikePortland needs your support.

The post Meet the BikeCrafters: Sketchy Trails, Bicycle Kitty, and Helmet Helper appeared first on BikePortland.org.

via bikechatter http://ift.tt/2Beeh3V

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thomasreedtn · 7 years

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Shamanic Gardening

I’m making up for very sparse blogging the past month in otherwise unusable time chunks set aside for various repairs and upgrades. Today it was five new, matching locks on three doors. Because we bought an older house, the locksmith wasn’t sure how long it would take, but now I have some extra time before I get busy again with sessions.

As the locksmith left, I felt called to plant some of the potted up strawberries into the existing groundcover in front of our porch. After watering them in, I second guessed myself, wondering if that would encourage mice too close to the house. I had in my Amazon queue another 100 gallon Big Bag Bed and some fake snakes that supposedly help to repel mice and possibly groundhogs. I put some veggie burgers in our air fryer, went outside to harvest a little lettuce, and what suddenly appeared at our threshold?!

A garter snake: “Reporting for duty.” This was similar to when a praying mantis appeared out of nowhere right after I put out a mental call for one in Goshen. One early evening, I got a telepathic and insistent message: “Go out on the porch.” I did, then heard, “Turn on the light.” I did and heard two taps on the porch window. Sure enough, a praying mantis was tapping on the window, and I heard clearly in my mind, “Reporting for duty, ma’am!” Then, he was off to chase mosquitoes. Similarly, today, this snake appeared out of nowhere, but synchronously right before I planned to order the fake snakes. I didn’t even know we had snakes here.

After my heart slowed down, I realized this snake was on its own schedule. This little guy was not leaving the threshold. At first I thought it would block my entrance, perhaps indefinitely, but then I realized something else was going on. The locksmith had inquired about two flower orgone pucks located on either side of our front door, inside. I explained that a friend had made them and they “shift the energy.”

The locksmith said, “Oh, I just asked, because I see people from all walks of life. Sometimes people put things by the door to protect the threshhold.”

I said, “Yeah, that’s why they’re there. I have foo dogs, too, but they’re in the hall closet. My husband thought they looked funny outside here.” He laughed and I added, “I guess I’m a little superstitious, but it’s worked well for me.”

He then proceeded to ask if I was the resident artist: “I love your painted doors. I’m a lock guy!” He was the coolest locksmith I’ve ever met.

Anyway, right after he left, I planted the strawberries, had a concern flash across my mind about mice, put in the veggie burgers, got out my laptop to order my garden supplies, and went back outside to harvest lettuce, at which point, the snake appeared. It slithered at the base of each external door we’d just had re-keyed, and then shimmied up the side of each door towards the new doorknobs. The movements were deliberate, and I got the sense it was blessing our thresholds, telling me not to worry about the garden, the foundation of the house, or these entry points.

“I’m the real deal, reporting for duty. You don’t need a fake snake. I’m the real deal.” Once I acknowledged that message, the snake immediately slithered away.

Just prior to all of this, a friend had sent me an email, “How are you doing with the state of your yard, worked out a deal with the critters to let you garden in peace?” When I had answered him, I was still trying to work out the balance of not attracting the wrong sort of attention to our front yard, while finding balance with the known groundhog situation out back. Groundhogs who so far, have done nothing but eat clover and make a mess of our shed before we got here. I want not to be their favorite backyard, but also not to make things so inhospitable that they dig new tunnels, especially not along our foundation to my front yard garden beds.

I had come up with a new plan, but I wasn’t certain it would work. The snake seemed to affirm that we are all in harmony here. I can plant as I feel led, and despite all the complex considerations, I can rest easier that I do have both seen and unseen support here.

I thought of all the other times animals have appeared right after I’ve called them — wasps, bees, hawks, owls, pelicans, praying mantis, eagles, osprey, ladybugs, possums, and more. I thought of the plants that have appeared overnight right after I thought, “I’d really love to have ___ in our yard,” and of having needed to learn in Goshen how to cloak my thoughts if I ever considered moving or removing a plant or tree, lest I walk out the next morning to find it dead. I thought of when the Elementals helped me bring much needed and miraculous rain during the 2012 drought in Madison.

I thought of my 2013 walk in the Goshen woods, in which I told the faeries, “OK, I’ll create a huge garden for you, but if you want that garden, then I need mulch and lots of it. For free.” Not even two minutes later, I left the woods, and what was barreling down the street towards me? A tree service truck, filled to the brim with mulch.

“Do you ever make home deliveries?” I asked.

“Hmmm, I suppose I could do that depending on where you live. You’ll save me from having to pay to dump it.”

“About a half mile from here.”

“Race you there,” he said.

Thus began the first of about 16 full mulch loads over the years, plus the contagious front yard wood mulch “Back to Eden” gardening that increased to 13 delivery addresses in Goshen by the time we left town four years later.

It’s a strange life, but it’s the life I live. Of course, we never have any total guarantees, but it would seem I’m covered for the new plan I’ve envisioned for our yard.

I can walk to all the amenities I need here, or walk 11 minutes to catch a bus downtown. We’re pretty urban. But last evening, I walked the other way. It’s wild here! As dusk approached, it was loud! Not with cars or trucks, but with bird song, squirrels, crows cawing, critters large and small rustling in the deep woods adjacent some people’s yards. As I turned back towards home, another woman walked the opposite way, carrying home bags of groceries, and we just smiled at each other. Big, exhuberant grins amidst the noisy calls of Nature.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I sure enjoy this present!

from Thomas Reed https://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2017/07/11/shamanic-gardening/

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