Cardineve

Who else is enjoying the heat warning, haze, and light pollution on this fine evening? It's absolute hell outside, and I can barely see any stars :(. Sad because I've been looking forward to stargazing all week. Anyways! Here's some pictures! This first one has Venus right above the tree line! It's the brightest "star" in the sky! (To the greeks every dot in the sky was a star, though the planets were "wanderers" or planetai, because they moved irregularly)

P.S. if anyone cares to know about the history of planets and how they were differentiated from stars please ask I'd love to tell!

Shoutout ursa major for photo bombing this one! Gotta be in like the top 88 constellations or something. Top 2 asterisms shaped like a spoon.

Helloooooo Vega (big blue one in the top left)! You can almost see Lyra too, though Delta and Zeta Lyrae are very faint.

Some characters for a comic series I've been working on. From first to last, these characters are Owl Mask, Jester, Kross, and Turnabout Jr.

The story is about racing, following Kross as the main character. It takes heavy inspiration from luchador wrestling! These are all first drafts of these characters and will likely change before I go any further.

CW: Loneliness and sadness

Hello Grant,

I’m sorry for how long it’s been since I’ve written. I hope you can forgive me for the delay. Business at the store hasn’t particularly been booming, but I managed to get enough for a new car. I’m sure you’ve already felt this yourself, but when you hit 60 it feels like I’m getting swept into a tornado. Sometimes I have to crank the windows up just to breathe. 

How are the kids? Last time you came up Anna told me Wilbur was teaching her woodcarving. How has she been coming along? She reminds me of your mother. And what about Wilbur? Are you still planning on sending him to college? If he ever becomes a lawyer, tell him to get his butt down here and help me with some of this paperwork. I swear the folks at Town Hall must get a kick out of watching me try to figure this stuff out. They ought to write a book on how to fill out all those forms. If I could sell that, I think I’d be rich! Is Ruth still sick? Make sure she gets lots of rest. She doesn’t need to be working herself half to death like your old man. With her in bed and you at work, it must be hard to take care of the kids. If you need someone to watch them, send them up here for a day or two. The trains are getting faster everyday! 

Last night I had the strangest dream. I was sitting in the backyard of our home back in the city, and just to my side, a bed was sitting on the grass! A full king-sized bed! It was plain black, but the dirt got some green and brown on the side. Your mother was sleeping there, the covers pulled past her nose, and your brother was by her side, the blankets nestled just under his soft chin. His cheeks were red, like when I caught him trying to save that fish I caught earlier that morning with a water bowl. Do you remember how he cried when I told him it was dead? I was working through a bottle of beer when I heard her start to talk. First I couldn’t tell what she was saying, like when she used to sleeptalk. Do you remember how she would sleeptalk? It hasn’t been easy to sleep without it. I looked to check on her. Her eyes were closed. Then your brother began to join in. Then they got louder, and louder, and louder, until I couldn’t hear anything else. Just when I was about to wake them, your mother told me it was getting late. When I looked up at the sky, the moon was out. I could swear it was daytime just a second earlier. Her hand grabbed mine but when I looked back, her eyes were still closed . They were cold. It stung. I couldn’t say no. I pulled the covers up, and scooted her towards your brother. Just as I was about to lay down, I reached out to your brother. I caressed his curly boy locks in my hand, layers of mud caked on mud hardened the strands against my skin. He was just like I last saw him. Then just as I was about to feel his cheeks, you were there. You stood above the bed in a full black suit. It almost got a laugh out of me, and I said, “Grant, why’re you wearing such a silly thing to bed”. You didn’t smile. Then I woke up. Wiggles was running around her cage, like usual. 

Come down to Bridgewater for a weekend, Wiggles misses you. Here’s some money. The first 5 is for Anna, get her a nice knife, and see if you can find any good wood. My friend told me basswood is what the professionals use. The next 5 is for Wilbur. See if you can find any books (or come buy some here! 50% off for family!) for him. The next 20 is for you. I know things have gotten expensive, so get yourself a gift. I would have loved to include one for you, but I’m not sure what you need! So get something nice!

Here for you always,