May 1 · 2:33am May 2nd, 2020
Hooray hooray the First of May
Just kidding.
The snow’s finally melted in my part of Michigan, spring birds have come back to my feeder, flowers are blooming and trees are treeing budding. Next week I’m gonna take the snow tires off my van (it should be safe by next week).
I think I’ve mentioned Way Out West Blow-in blog before; they just published their April update. Lambs are lambing and some of their horses and dogs still have winter coats but don’t need them any more, so Sandra brushed out as much of the winter coat as she could . . . and then left it on the ground, so nesting birds could use it for nest lining. That seems like a very pony thing to do, too.
I’d hoped to have the next chapter of OPP to my pre-readers by May 1, but that didn’t happen. I had some early out days at the shop, which was nice, and we’ve started to come in a half-hour late every day, and then we got busy again and wound up having a surprisingly good April. It was helped out at the end by a Mercedes that needed four 21” tires (expensive!) and a guy with a lifted truck who spent his cornoavirus stimulus check on new wheels and tires.
Besides OPP, I’ve also got another project I’m working on that’ll show up soon--a new story arc for Field Notes. It’s inspired by a link a reader sent me; unfortunately I can’t remember who, or what story the link in question was on. I looked in a couple likely places, and no luck. Maybe when I publish, the person in question will reveal him- or herself.
I could give y’all a teaser, but the document’s currently only saved locally on my other computer, and I’m too lazy to boot it up right now, so I’ll just give you the names of the three main ponies: Flash Lock, Swanky Brook, and Mersey. One free internet to anybody who figures out what the story’s about :P
I also decided to get a Unicomp Model M as a second keyboard . . . I’ve got a wireless that’s mechanical but has really mushy keys (to be fair, it was super cheap), and thought that would be a nice upgrade. I’ve had it for about a month, and it feels very different to what I’m used to (Das Keyboard). I’ll keep using it and see what I think as time goes on.
Happy May Biscuit!
I thought of you while reading this article. It's very close to how I imagine pony telegraphs and typewriters to work
Only thing I can think of is the Sanky Viaduct and the Mersy in Liverpool. Flash lock would be the one letting the Sanky Cut into the Mersy?
Ah, springtime! When the birds are swaying, the trees are chirping.
Second only to Fall as the best season.
Are you talking about canal boats? I did Note you a link to a video ages ago, I can dig it back up again if that's what you're talking about. :)
5254489
If a horse named Cracker rings a bell, then yes, it was you.
5254492
Yep, that was me. :) I remember I saw the video and noted it to you cause I felt like it was something you could have fun with. Digging around, the conversation in question might be in the comments of this blog post: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/835108/short-what-has-the-admiral-been-up-to-blog-post-without-pictures
Oh, and the link in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoyyqFrYASg
And, apparently, a human thing to do!
Arrgh, a video blog with cute lambs and other farm critters. Now I'll never get to bed on time.
(And giant fuzzy-footed horses, oh my)
I'll have to check out field notes again. That's one i never really got into a bunch.
Thanks for the blog post. :)
I misread that as "Unicorn Model M" at first and imagined Moondancer beaming text input into your computer for you. Sorry if I've made the new keyboard lose some luster.
5254571
And upon seeing your comment, I picture a Ford Model T with a unicorn horn. That immediately transitioned into seeing Twilight and Rarity as Cars characters. My brain latches onto weird things.
Awww lambs so cute
5254458
Thanks!
It’s funny you linked a Chinese typewriter, did you know that they were the first to invent movable type? Beating Gutenberg and his printing press by like 500 years?
It’s also cool that they sort of invented predictive text as a workaround.
5254468
You’re very much thinking the right things. You win an internet! Yay!
5254483
“If the branches are swinging, don’t come a’singing.”
I disagree; spring’s better. Fall’s nice, too, though.
5254502
Some humans are good humans.
5254514
Flora’s adorable, and there are a lot of videos of her doing things for the first time and those are great. They had a video where she was figuring out how to pull a plow, and another where she was figuring out how to stand to be hitched to a wagon, and another where Sandra was training her to jump.
5256271
Both are nice because you get a break from the weather Extremes.
Fall takes the biscuit though because the food & beer are better.
5254523
It’s not for everyone; it’s mostly heavy worldbuilding with minimal plot.
5254562
You’re welcome!
5254571
Beaming text would be nice, although I could just get off my lazy butt and learn to use talk to type.
Also, FWIW, derpibooru didn’t disappoint; the search string ‘model m’ gets results:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/3/24/584405.png
5254589
In place of the radiator cap?
5254618
They are, aren’t they?
5256276
Beer’s good any time of the year. The break from extremes is nice, though.
5256281
10000% and then some lol
5256269
Yep! I feel like the two-key typewriters are something similar to that Chinese one
5256282
Beer is Good Year Round. But you get all the fall seasonals in and then suddenly the Beer gets turned up to 11
5256280
Around that area, yes.
5256277
I like heavy worldbuilding, its the plot thing mostly. And I'm already not a huge one shot fan so not the best combination for me. Still, I'll probably give it another shot
5256284
Fluffy and . . . fluffy. Like clouds.
5256312
That’s actually not a bad bit of headcanon. I took the lazy route and assumed pony typewriters wrote in pony morse, and later on the text was typeset in actual words, but having it work like the typesetting version of an etch-a-sketch is also plausible, and based on that article, mechanically feasible.
5256316
I got my Bell’s Fish Beer and Summer Shandy when it’s warm and I’m not a terribly adventurous pony anymore, so eleven’s too far.
5256495
Well, why not? Caddies have got their steer horns, so it’s not unreasonable to imagine a unicorn-T.
5256599
That’s totally fair. The plot’s basically just a thin through-line and some justification, and all the rest’s worldbuilding episodes.
I will say, if you do read it and there’s an idea there you want to flesh out, go for it.
5257101
I'm a hop head at heart. And good, well balanced IPA's are available year round, thank Celestia's Shiney Hiney.
That said, Fall Beers (of the Oktoberfest variety, in particular) hold a soft spot in my heart.
That and Pumpkin Beers. Harvest Ales. Porters. Stout. All the beers that suddenly remind you that "Oh hey! It's enjoyable now to consume this in cold weather!"
5257099
now all i want to do is pet one
5257113
Rhize Up ginger apple cider if you can get it. Big if.
5257101
Summer Shandy is good but have you tried Shotgun Betty?
5257100
I'm surprised that people had 20 words a minute on those things.
5257180
Sounds like. We can get some decent ciders out here, but they're not plentiful.
Now, when I visit the in-laws in the UK... THATS a whole 'nother story. They have hard ciders you wouldn't believe out there.
5257260
I think it ships nationally? But it's made by a company in Durham here in North Carolina.
5257277
Well, I'm in Nevada, so the trick out here is like most of the rest of the states: Distributors have to pick it up for in store. Ive been tempted at times to order booze online, but I can find stuff that's nearly as good locally (say, Stella Cidre or some of the better Angry Orchards) .
5257296
The... cold snap(?) The autumn Angry Orchard is fuckin bangin. The beer scene here in NC is insane though, like everything is super good.
I can get Dragon's Milk here which is cool, unexpected to carry New Holland Brewery stuff here.
5257297
Dragon's Milk is awesome. Personally, I dig Arrogant Bastard or Lagunitas Maximus
5257421
Arrogant Bastard is good. For Lagunitas I prefer Undercover Shutdown
5257521
That stuff's pretty good.
My wife and I are polar opposites on beer. I prefer bold, strong flavors that you can take time to appreciate. She prefers
garbagelighter, milder tasting beers. Lawnmower beers, basically.Good compromises for us are things like Firestone 805, Great Basin Wild Horse (our local brewery and a damn fine one) or Dos Equis Amber