kirabug's idea files

Day 585:

Did some mining and worked on figuring out where I’ll plant trees.

It’s become a bit more of a strategic question now that I’ve seen yet another band of murderers on the horizon. They didn’t see me, but they were clearly dressed the same, and armed to the teeth.

I’d prefer they don’t see me, if nobody minds.

Anyway, planting trees now needs to become about providing myself cover and adequate site lines simultaneously — or about designating places as “no go, just trees”, so that the trees grow back but I don’t try to live there.

This whole “be kind to the place you live” thing gets harder when the place you live is consistently trying to kill you.

Day 584:

Well, there are definitely people of some sort here.

I walked out my front door this morning and got jumped by four people wearing masks and carrying axes. I managed to slip out of their grasp and get far enough away that I could pick them off with my bow. Apparently they’re no better at making armor than the zombies are.

I would have gladly given them some of the leather shoes I’ve found in the river and the bay if they’d asked. But no, they wanted to murder me.

They’re gone now, so I guess I’m the murderer?

Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve killed something human-shaped, since all the zombies and skeletons are human-shaped. But it is the first time I’ve killed anyone who seemed sentient or intelligent. And it’s got me a bit shaken up.

Day 583:

I’ve taken a lot of trees down in this area that I’m landscaping, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to replenish them. They throw plenty of seeds — they almost look like saplings themselves — but they don’t seem to grow unless buried.

I have no idea how any plant would survive evolution by being that stupid, unless there is some sapling-eating sapling-pooping megafauna around here I haven’t met yet, and if there is, I’d rather not meet it right now.

So I think I’ll be going on a planting spree soon.

The sheep are still growing out their wool and the duckens are still playing with the creek as if it’s a water slide. Pigs oink, cows moo, nothing new going on.

Day 582:

Stayed out too late and got myself caught in a cave when an exploding giraffe-corgi appeared out of seemingly nowhere. (I assume they’re coming from somewhere, I just haven’t figured out how.)

I ran to a crevice in between two chunks of rock… a few minutes before it had been filled with coal, and I really really hoped I hadn’t left enough coal in it to ignite on explosion.

BOOM went the  monster.

And… I was okay. A few scratches, but surprisingly unharmed.

Scared the heck out of me though.

I need to figure out how to make tea. A person needs tea after a thing like that.

Day 581:

With a big enough trough of food and a tight enough rope, it’s possible to get a sheep to stand still long enough to cut most of their wool off. And they seem happier for it when it’s done (though they definitely don’t like the process).

Now I have a huge smelly pile of dirty wool and I still haven’t invented soap. (Oh what I would do for a good old fashioned bar of soap! Praise to my ancestors for being smart enough to invent it because I definitely am not!)

So instead I’ve heated up a bucket of water to boiling and I’m boiling the wool to clean it. In the morning once it’s dried, I’ll try spinning it.

 

Addendum:

hey did you know wool melts in hot water? today I learned….

guess I’m waiting for the wool to grow back on the sheep again so i can shear them again before i start spinning…