Soi

Life List #7: Black Billed Magpie

I take so many pictures of these guys every day its hard to settle on one, so I forced myself to pick a more recent one! Here is a pair in my bird cherry tree just as the leaves were coming in - I was really happy with the photos this was based on since I finally have a camera capable of capturing that split second blink!

Some facts from Alberta Birds - a couple of these require direct quotes:

"Most Albertans are jaded by the omnipresence of magpies, but eastern visitors to our province are often captivated by their beauty and approachability."

Construct elaborate domed nests out of sticks and mud to keep safe from harsh weather that are so well constructed that abandoned ones often become homes for birds that don't build nests, like owls

"Similar species: none"

Life List Sketch #14: Chipping Sparrow

I see a lot of sparrows but I only have a couple I got close enough to identify properly (still learning!) While I haven't been keeping up on the finished pieces due to a lack of my own photo references, these guys I definitely saw last week and got on camera so I'll get back to it.

Life List Sketch #14: Chipping Sparrow

I see a lot of sparrows but I only have a couple I got close enough to identify properly (still learning!) While I haven't been keeping up on the finished pieces due to a lack of my own photo references, these guys I definitely saw last week and got on camera so I'll get back to it.

also you are never going to be safe for people for whom english is their second language. if someone clarifies their meaning and apologises and you can't accept that over the original wording then don't bother pretending to be autism friendly.

and like part of my autism is that i become convinced that the way i interpret words is the way that they're meant. my autism is disabling to my communication abilities. i have poor emotional regulation, i jump to conclusions. a lot of my reactions are informed by prior negative experiences. i can and probably have been overly defensive in the past.

and i've been misinterpreted so much and had my words picked over and mocked for saying the wrong things and mocked for being unable to say anything at all and it always feels devastating. it's ironic that the same disability that has me treated poorly would have me react poorly to a similar situation, but that's just how it is.

please keep in mind that this was written before parrot’s upload! apologies if this is disorganized, hard to understand, or repetitive 🙇

i don’t think torchflower are toxic for each other. they have bettered one another in many different ways, whether it be lomedy teaching flame how to appreciate the simpler things in life or flame encouraging lomedy to finally stand up for himself. i do, however, agree that their relationship isn’t perfect.

firstly, lomedy doesn’t try to deter flame from pursuing his goals. he has no issues with him pursuing the title of “grand combat master” or “the strongest”, it’s when flame kept dragging him into trouble that he stood his ground. in fact, lomedy even encouraged flame to keep pursuing them (e.g. when flame was hunting down wemmbu). the argument they had in the first mist episode came from a place of worry, not because he disagreed with the other’s goals.

i’ve seen people say that he considers himself morally superior, but i don’t think he does. lomedy doesn’t expect people to follow the same morals he does (the only exception is when flame was residing at his base). his morals were originally brought up in their argument because despite his constant complaints and insistence to stay out of fights, flame kept bringing them to him, which endangered both of their lives.

secondly, lomedy didn’t take advantage of flame. during the farm war, he proposed a deal with flame, a maxed out horse in exchange for his support. there was mutual benefit here. lomedy kept his word, he gave flame the horse after their deal was done. flame wasn’t forced to help lomedy, he could’ve said no if he wanted to. he made flame follow the farmer code because his base, his rules. moreover, flame was the one who was egging on lomedy to get back at spongs and willision. in the end, they both enjoyed themselves.

thirdly, lomedy is not manipulative. like in the farm war, he didn’t force flame to join cindercrest, flame willingly joined them.

if anything, lomedy is the one who’s being manipulated here.

he’s not immune to propaganda, nobody is. flame manages to see cindercrest for what they are because he has had first-hand experience while lomedy only has second-hand experience. flame used to be in the mafia and, as far as we know, the most interaction lomedy has ever had with the mafia is through his old teammate.