Gigantic.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's dandelion season.  These are alpine dandelions here, the only ones that are indigenous; they're a bit larger, and they stand a bit higher, than ordinary dandelions. These, though? These are gigantic. I noticed this last year, too; with all the climatic changes this land is undergoing, one thing that's absolutely thriving are these. They're here a month early, already exploding in size and number, and they've been lasting well into the winter months, too.

Someone should study them, figure out what it is about them that's managing to handle this drought and climate collapse so well.

But colonial populations consider them "just a weed," and thus unworthy of bothering.

First ladybugs yesterday; first bullsnake today, although I didn't see him, Wings did. He's welcome, too, especially given that his primary diet [deer mice] is a major vector here for deadly diseases. Unfortunately, in the news is word that flies, common house flies, are apparently a vector for avian flu; I also know of two separate incidents of a cat and a dog locally showing up with what could be symptoms of it. Given that no one here can be bothered to mitigate COVID in the slightest, I guarantee you nobody's going to test them for that. Even though it's been in this state for at least a month already, and they've had to cull every bird at a hatchery down by Portales already. Fatal in 100% of cases of cats and dogs; in 50% of humans. And still y'all's president hasn't said so much as a word about it, so maybe you best get on that.

Meanwhile, we're just trying to survive. We're not quite four full months into this year, and it's already killing us. That's not an exaggeration; it's already become a health issue.  Speaking of things that are gigantic, I knew the leachfield would be destructively expensive, and it was; same for the taxes, and they are, and there are a majority of payments still ahead of us, and no means to pay them, since as of yesterday, we hadn't had a single sale in over a month [today, we've had one sale and one commission, so that particular drought, while nowhere near broken, has been alleviated momentarily]. Normally, that wouldn't bother me so much, since everyone else is dealing with tax nonsense in April, but this year? When we have had so many other demands on us for money and for help, enough to wipe us out completely? If things don't pick up very, very soon, we won't make it through this year. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end.

My Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. It's not going to be enough even fo that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I posted four new pairs of earrings a few nights ago, here, all at lower price points than his usual, and three new all-silver cuffs, here. Presumably the naja in process I showed here the other day will be available soon, too. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here ( we'll always need the dog treats for the monsters, and Amazon and Lowe's cards [the Lowe's cards are probably going to have to go on a new fridge, so I'm hoarding them]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse, we really need to get 2024 moving onto a better footing, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2024; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.