Journal of Dw

Today we went up to Arthur for the Third Saturday Bazaar at the Otto Center.

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Scientists build 'living reefs' that protect coasts and keep growing

This new approach centers on a hybrid reef system. It starts with engineered materials, then lets living organisms take over.

Over time, oysters and other marine life settle in, turning the structure into a living reef that keeps getting stronger.


It turns out that humans are actually quite good at inventing reef structures that turn into excellent habitat. Various models exist for different kinds of water conditions and target species. In general though, do watch for designs with negative space inside, because those hollows provide better protection for wildlife from predators and a larger volume of habitat.

The April crowdfunding Creative Jam is now open with a theme of "Progress." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written



From My Prompts

Today is mostly cloudy and hot. It's 83°F already. :/

We went out to Market on the Prairie at the fairgrounds. This was mostly flea market stuff and a few crafters. I picked up a couple of hand-painted bookmarks and three plant stands. \o/

We also stopped at Whiteside Gardens for the last day of their Spring Spectacular. They had a craft table and a bubble station out. :D I picked up a celandine poppy and Doug got a yellow-green hosta.

The first field is sprouting with corn, which is odd because corn is a warm-season crop that won't sprout well in cold weather. Soybeans are usually sown first. The only thing I can think of is that, if someone's planting by measuring soil temperature, things are really fucked up for the soil to be corn-warm in mid-April.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I planted the new hosta with others in the forest garden.

I also moved a couple of indoor flats outside to get some sun, and uncovered the mixed plants in the water jug greenhouses.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I planted the celandine poppy in the new shade garden at the east end of the savanna.

I've seen a male cardinal and a fox squirrel with nipples. I've seen a male cardinal and a fox squirrel with nipples. I heard a bluejay screaming but didn't see it.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I was going to do more planting, but the wind has picked up so much that I just brought in the flats of seedlings instead. :/

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- We picked up sticks from about the first third of the south lot, starting at the garden shed in the east and working down to the birdgift tree. So that will be ready to mow later.

EDIT 4/17/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

These are the content notes for "Walnut Park."

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This poem came out of the March 3, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from fuzzyred and a conversation with dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Small Spaces" square in my 3-1-26 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Broken Angels thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

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Today is mostly sunny and mild. Last night we finally got a good soaking rain. :D

I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.

I put out water for the birds.

4/16/26 -- We stopped by Whiteside Garden again. This time I picked up a holly.

Then we went to Rural King for an extension cord. I also got two pastel poppies, two 4-packs of pinks and one of dusty miller artemesia, a curly parsley, and a flat parsley.

4/16/26 -- I opened up some of the water jug greenhouses with big plants to let them get more sun. I also brought some of my indoor flats outside.

4/16/26 -- I planted the holly in the Midwinter grove on the south side.

4/16/26 -- I dug a hole for the Kiowa blackberry. In the process, I discovered that the marionberry from last year has survived and is putting out leaves! \o/

Also, both pawpaw seedlings from last year have survived to leaf out. This is the first time I've gotten any to do that. :D 3q3q3q!!!

I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.

4/16/26 -- I planted the Kiowa blackberry.

4/16/26 -- I planted the Flory Patio Peach at the north edge of the savanna.

4/16/26 -- I planted the two poppies by the barrel garden. One is sunshine yellow, the other a soft melon color.

4/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

4/16/26 -- I hauled the last 6 concrete blocks out of the car.

4/16/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Skills That Survived Every Economic Collapse in History

Every economic collapse in recorded history — from Weimar Germany to Argentina's default to Venezuela's currency crisis — followed the same brutal pattern: institutions failed, credentials evaporated, and the most "educated" people were often the first to starve. Doctors drove taxis. Engineers washed cars. PhDs traded cigarettes for potatoes.

So which skills actually survived? Not the ones you'd expect.

This video is an economic autopsy of seven major collapses across a century of data — drawing on NBER labor forensics, Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, World Bank research, and the real stories of Argentine mechanics, Cuban physicians, Russian dacha farmers, and Lebanese currency brokers — to identify the four structural categories of skills that have demonstrated resilience in every single collapse environment ever studied.


So let's take a look at what these are and how to use them...

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March heat in the U.S. was the largest temperature anomaly ever recorded

Heat usually doesn’t define March, a month that still carries a hint of winter’s last breath. This year, it felt more like a preview of late spring, and sometimes even early summer.

Across the United States, temperatures didn’t just creep up. They jumped far beyond what anyone would expect for that time of year.

The numbers tell a blunt story. The average temperature for March hit 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit. That is 9.35 degrees higher than the 20th-century average.

It is not just a record for March. It is the largest jump above normal for any month ever recorded in the Lower 48 states.

Daytime highs pushed even further, running 11.4 degrees above average, nearly matching what people usually feel in April.


Ya THINK? It hit 89 fucking degrees here in central Illinois. REPEATEDLY.  We're also in drought conditions.  I've had to water things already planted so they don't die, in what should be the wettest time of year. >_<  I really don't want this to be another year of eight months watering.