Day 822: mining again, and coal

Day 822:

Spent the day down in the southern end mining to bring the mountain down. Most of the time it’s all stone, which I turn into rubble and haul away to use as fill. (I’ve discovered that it makes great fill when I hit bedrock because I can’t dig up bedrock and this way I’m not trying to walk around on a wildly uneven surface.)

(Hauling rock underground instead of out of the ground is a bit odd, I’ll say that much.)

Anyway, most of the time it’s stone but every once in a while I hit a coal seam and get to take something out of the ground that’s actually useful. I’ve been veery careful to try to keep my coal-burning activities limited to places with great ventilation (even if they’re underground) because I know ultimately the smoke from this stuff will kill me. Ultimately, not having a source of fire right now will kill me faster.

A two-block-wide cliff with six blocks of coal visible in the floor. Beyond the zigzagging cliff's edge, a view of the far-below river valley.

Day 821: killed the murderers

Day 821:

I had to go up to the northern end of the area I’m in to get some gravel that I’d stored up that way.

The murderers wouldn’t leave me alone.

They aren’t bothering anyone anymore, just like the last set, but this is definitely getting old.

The view down a hill to a tree line. Murderers armed with loaded crossbows approach from halfway up the hill, bows drawn and aimed at the viewer. A chicken lingers in the left of the scene.

Day 820: This neighborhood is getting too shooty

Day 820:

Still mining in the area of my eastern mountain base, and oh look, our friends the murderers have arrived again.

They stayed far away, down by the edge of the forest and the river today, which I appreciated. I didn’t sleep last night. I was mining for diamonds deep in the earth and didn’t find any. I’ll probably sleep tonight.

I’m thinking this area is becoming way too shooty though and that maybe it’s time for me to go underground for a while.

A view from above the easternmost entrance, looking down to where the trees meet the hills. At the edge of the trees, a band of murders can be seen far in the distance.

Day 819: A long day, and the stars

Day 819:

I worked on mining the surface from the north end all the way down to the center of the mountain range (or at least the part of the range I’m smoothing out). The weather was good for it, no rain, no snow.

At the end of the day I was close enough to my easternmost entrance that I decided to risk staying out just to see the sunset.

It was beautiful, but the stars after were better.

I miss the stars.

A view of the stars above the forest  in a dark clear night.

Day 818: A picture of my maps

Day 818:

It just occurred to me that I could take a picture of the maps I’ve drawn.

Six frames in two rows of three. From top left, empty, half-filled, empty. Second row, filled, filled, filled.

  • So in the top left is a frame for a map I haven’t drawn yet.
  • Top center is a partial map I started, but I decided to dig to the east instead.
  • Top right is another empty frame for a map I haven’t drawn yet. I’m pretty sure that’s where the village that I’ve spotted is.
  • Bottom right is where I’m building now. I don’t think you can see the dot for my easternmost entrance very well. But you can see that I’m smoothing the mountains and then to the east of the mountains is a swamp.
  • In the center is my main land, the area where I started. (Technically, the top left corner of the center square is where I started.) You can see the roads I’ve built and almost make out the ranch area.
  • Bottom left is the westernmost area, which is mostly forested, although there’s some swamp all the way in the top western corner.