This little fellow was hiding in under the window on the front porch. Roxie, our dog, was sniffing at it and I pulled her away before it ran away. The Geico blends into the stucco very well and is almost unnoticeable. I only saw it because our dog is curious. It eats the bugs so I am ok with that. It is harmless so I left it alone. I wish we could all live in harmony one day.…
@darmst in September 2021
Not many clouds in the sky tonight for the sunset so it was not very colorful as it has been on prior nights. But is it still peaceful and relaxing to observe. I always like to watch the setting sun and think about the good things that happen during the day and what good things I have to look forward tomorrow. #Sunset
Another season has ended and I am getting better in my matches. I received 6 potions, 1 Chain Spinner card and 22 DEC. I was hoping for better but I will take what I can get to grow my account. I reached Bronze I and was rewarded with 9 Reward chests at end of season. I was only able to reach Bronze I because of card delegations from three other players. I need lots more practice and lots more cards to reach the Silver level. I am hoping that if I play and win enough matches…
"I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that." The above is a quote by Gillian Anderson. If you are just coping, you have an opportunity to change that and have a really good day. https://www.ctptalk.com/ctp/@darmst5339/iaac-day-93-just-coping-but-there-is-an-opportunity-to-change-that #Iamalivechallenge
Today's daily quest was the Sneak quest. With so many new players, it is taking longer for me to win all of my matches to complete the daily quest. However I finally won all five. When I opened the chest, I received 5 DEC. I need to win a whole lot more of those if I want to buy some new cards. Wish me luck next time. #Splinterlands
The Pygmalion Effect - Expectations Unleashed. This is cycle between our actions, Others beliefs, Others actions, Our beliefs back to Our actions. Or in other words, the expectations of others influence our behavior which influence's their expectations. * High expectations tends to result in higher performance * Low expectations tends to produce average to low performance https://www.ctptalk.com/ctpcontent/@darmst5339/the-pygmalion-effect-expectations-unleashed #CtpTalk
This is my entry in the ProofofBrain word of the week contest. The Hive - Where did the Bees go? The bees are being needed for pollenating our flowers, fruit trees and plants. Without them where will we be? https://peakd.com/hive-150329/@darmst5339/pob-wotw-the-hive-where-did-the-bees-go #ProofOfBrain
Roxie, our dog, loves to go for rides in the car. We put the seats down in the back so we can watch her and so she can stretch out. We rescued her and she has been with us for a year now. Roxie was let go by her owner and was found pregnant. The shelter adopted out all of her babies but no one wanted that was all wore out. Roxie turned out to be a very good fit for our home and can not imagine not having her to take care of. So the question is who rescued whom?…
The Thursday night sunset did not have many clouds but there was a haze or dust in the air which made the sky redder when the sun was setting. It was a very peaceful sunset with a light wind blowing as the temperature dropping slightly as the sun set. #Sunset
I am on a roll. I have finished three daily quests in a row this season. Last season, sometimes it took me two days to complete a quest. However my rewards are still on the low side. I opened my chest and was rewarded 10 DEC. Maybe they will be higher next time. #Splinterlands
I am happy to be alive. With the price of Hive pumping like it is. I hope everyone is as happy as I am. https://www.ctptalk.com/ctp/@darmst5339/iaac-day-95-hive-over-usd1-00-at-usd1-04-and-hbd-at-usd1-31-amazing #Iamalivechallenge
Tonight's sunset has a few light clouds that added some color. They were wispy and reflected just enough of the sun to know they were there. It was calming. #Sunset
It took me longer to finish my daily quest but still way before a new one would become available. It was a water quest. My reward was better at 45 DEC but not great. This is at least something that will help with the SPS airdrop #Splinterlands
We went to a crafts sales and auction today to support the local volunteer fire department. There were many booths of various things for sale. Paintings, carvings, handmade jewelry and hand-sewed hand towels. If was fund and for a very good cause. In this area, it is very hot and dry during the summer. The volunteers that give their time to protect us against fire need all the assistance they can get since they are always keeping the fires put out.…
Have a Positive Attitude of Expectancy If you start your business and expect to lose money, you will. When you set your mind to something either positive or negative, you are more than likely going to get close to the results you expect. When you believe in yourself, you tend to focus more on getting the best results possible. You prepare, you practice, you plan and then you go and execute what you did over and over in your mind. What are you thinking? What are you expecting…
Several of the plants are blooming. The temperature has been close to 100F each of the last four days. I was worried about our plants withering from lack of water. The humidity has also been high so it feels a lot hotter. We have been watering the Hibiscus on the back porch and it bloomed this morning. Also, out in the backyard there are a few Senna plants. These plants also were blooming with small yellow flowers. I guess some plants do better in the heat than others.…
It was extremely hot and sunny today. This evening a few clouds started moving in and I was able to get a few photos. I like the way the sun's rays are shinning around the clouds. #Sky
I rented my way to Silver III. Granted I had won enough matches to have the ranking first before I did so but I wanted to be at the next level before season end and before the rental rates hit the roof. So I rented 18 Gold Foil cards for a week. I hope I get enough rewards to pay for those rented cards. https://www.ctptalk.com/splinterlands/@darmst5339/rented-my-way-to-silver-iii #Splinterlands
I finally completed my daily quest. It took a few hours longer than normal but I finally did it. It was a Snipe quest and I got rewarded an Alchemy potion. Maybe my next one will have a better reward. #Splinterlands
On the back porch, we have a gauge to measure the temperature. The back porch is shaded. Well at 2:45pm it was 101F in the shade. The humidity was high as well so it felt more like 110F. We stayed inside during this hottest part of the day. I hope ya'll are staying cool where ever you are. https://www.ctptalk.com/ctp/@darmst5339/iaac-day-98-101f-on-backporch-in-the-shade #Iamalivechallenge
The only break in the clouds yesterday evening when the sun was setting was to the west. It had been hot today with high humidity so in the evening storms started to form. The rain was to the north, south and east. The only break in the clouds was in the direction of the setting sun. #Sunset
To be financially diverse, you need to have your net worth invested and spread across a variety of assets within your portfolio. Can you be Financially Diversified on the Hive Platform? I would like to say yes but it would depend on your own risk tolerance. Read the full article: https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@darmst5339/can-you-be-financially-diversified-on-the-hive-platform #CtpTalk
I was going through some old folders and found pictures from a trip to Mexico. This picture is from 40 years ago and I am still amazed at how the people of that time period were able to build this structure. It is the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan Mexico. This pyramid is the 3rd largest in the world. I wonder what happened to the people of this grand city some say a disease wiped them out. Is it happening again or could it happen again?…
This is a tale of the sunset that occurred this evening. I took the first photos and then went back in the house. About 15 minutes later I noticed the sky glowing red. I was amazed and ran back outside to get more photos. Either the clouds shifted or the sun reflected a certain way. It was beautiful and strange to see the sky change that much in so little amount of time. #Sunset
In this post, I go into various aspects of why I thought it was a good idea to level up my Dark Ferryman. One of the main reasons is the Cripple ability as a level 2 card. It can also be rented out if I do not need it for the next tier. https://www.ctptalk.com/splinterlands/@darmst5339/my-reasons-and-decision-to-level-up-my-dark-ferryman-card #Splinterlands
This is my first completion of a daily quest at the Silver level where I was rewarded with two chests. This is one of the reasons I wanted to be at the Silver level to get more chests. My favorite splinter water was the quest. It took me longer than it had at the Bronze level. Silver has harder matches. When I opened the two chest, I got 10 DEC and a Legendary potion. Less than I had hoped for but at least it was two chests..... #Splinterlands
I am celebrating being in the I am Alive Challenge for 100 days. I would have never thought it possible that I could write something for 100 days in a row. You see, I am a numbers guy. I started keeping the books for our family farm in high school and I have been doing Accounting and/or Finance ever since. I always hated writing essays or stories in school and never liked creating reports at work. Words have always been my biggest challenge. So I am very surprised that I…
I am getting quicker at completing the daily quest in Silver III. Today, I had another water quest which is my favorite. I lost a lot but finally won five with the Water Splinter. So did I get the rewards I was hoping for. Not at all. I received two Alchemy potions. Maybe next time. Looking at the bright side, I will have plenty of potions whenever there are packs to open. #Splinterlands
There were some huge dark clouds blocking most of the sunset tonight but the sun finds a way to share its last rays. Just to the south of where the sun sets the clouds were letting the suns rays be seen. #Sunset
Another day another daily quest. Today's quest was Life. It did not take too long to complete it. That is the good news, the bad news is some of my rentals have expired so I am no longer Silver. The rates are a whole lot higher than they were a few days ago so I have decided not to rent again until maybe next season. The reward today was 14 DEC. Not bad. I will take it. #Splinterlands
Normal feels low after a high. I normally take photos of the sunset and share on Noise.cash This evening started out as usual. I went out at the normal time however the Sunset to me seemed a little boring. There were a few wisps of clouds over the hills in the horizon with some color. I guess after the very colorful sunsets I have seen over the past week or two, a normal average sunset seems less impressive. Don't get me wrong, it is still a beautiful sunset.…
Today I shared my progress on my targets for this week. I set monthly targets to help keep me focused on the hive platform. There is so much here that it is very easy to get distracted but I am trying my best to stay on target. It is my 24th post in the CTP 30 day challenge. https://peakd.com/ctp/@darmst5339/stacking-to-reach-my-targets-before-the-crowd-arrives #CtpTalk
What is your True North? True North for some represents Life's Purpose. Making decisions would be easier if you knew your Life's Purpose. Have you ever thought about what your Life's Purpose is? Are you becoming what someone else wants you to become or do you have a Life's Purpose that you are pursuing? What is your True North that all of your decisions lead you toward? https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/iaac-day-102-what-is-your-true-north #Iamalivechallenge
If you have a Hive account, you have a Splinterlands account. By now everyone on Hive is probably playing, knows someone that is playing or has read a post of someone that has played the game. More than likely you have upvoted or commented on one of those post. If during your time on the Hive platform, you earned and did not sell your SPT tokens, you are receiving the SPS Airdrop. Go claim them. Here is the full article:…
Sept 11 Remembered. This has been an emotional day for me for 20 years now. Even though I was not in New York at the time of the event, I worked for one of the major Airlines in their Flight Service department at that time. I knew people on one of the planes. Today I remember my co-workers that were doing their job on this day of the terrible event that changed the world forever going forward. https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/iaac-day-103-sept-11-remembered #Iamalivechallenge
On days like today, I just like looking at the sunset and sky and wonder how we can have a better place to live and how to get along with everyone we meet along the way. Sunsets help me contemplate the seemingly impossible. #Sunset
It took me a longer time to finish this quest but I finally did. It was a Death Quest. I finally won another card as well. A Demented Shark. I will take it over potions any day. #Splinterlands
Hard work is very important but what you get out of it is equally as important if not more so. When I say "what you get out of it", I mean the things you take away, lessons learned or skill sets that are improved. I came across this quote that has been around for a long time that is just as relevant today. "The highest reward for man's toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it. - John Ruskin (1819-1900)" https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/what-are-you-becoming…
I completed another daily quest. My favorite the water quest but it still took me almost 24 hours to complete it. Granted I did not play continuously all that time. I was busy doing a lot of other things. My reward 14 DEC. I can't wait for the new rewards to be available and what I might be rewarded when they finally appear. #Splinterlands
We went out to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. We just needed to get out of the house and do something different. We were talking about how the week was going and several other topics. Carrying on conversation with the wait staff and just enjoying the relaxing meal. We were informed when asking for the check that it had been paid by the table behind us. An Act of Kindness from a Stranger can really raise your spirts and make you feel real good. We were thinking of doing…
A layer of high clouds had moved in by the time the sun set today. It made for a very colorful display. #Sunset
I just finished my daily quest, went and bought a quest potion to get more reward changes. I was rewarded with a rare card, 1 DEC and 4 potions. I was hoping for more but I will take the rare card and learn how to use it in matches. #Splinterlands
It is always said that you should show up every day and engage and do it on a consistent basis. I have been trying to do just that. I have been participating in the Hive Engagement League to motivate me to focus on my engagement. I enjoy seeing my stats by category so that I can improve week over week. Check out the full details in this article: https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/iaac-day-105-engagement-is-important-and-there-is-a-league-to-prove-it #Iamalivechallenge
The Keys to Financial Independence. Plan for the future, know where your starting from, keep expenses low, making savings a priority and find ways to raise your income. Most people never thing about where they want to be in 5 to 10 years or when they retire, they are too busy focusing on today. Putting food on the table, how am I going to pay off the bill for the new TV I just bought. To be successful, you need to have a dream and plan on how you will be achieving that…
After dusk, the evening star was brightly shining its light over the land. I know it is the planet Venus but ages ago it was looked up to in wonder. It appears to be close but yet is it so far away. Do you ever look up at the stars and think about what others see when they look up and see the same stars? We see the same sky but experience life in yet so different ways. Up there it is the same but down here we are all different.…
The sun had set when I went outside. All I saw was it's lingering glow in the evening sky. It was still quite nice to see the few clouds hanging in the sky just above the glow. #Sunset
The sun is trying to escape behind the hills in the distance but I was able to catch it in a photo just as it was disappearing. It put on a display as it was leaving. #Sunset
Wow so many cards, I can hardly believe it. Don't wake me up as I want to see cards every single time I open chests, if that would be possible. I opened nine chests and eight of them were cards of which one was Rare. I will certainly takes these. #Splinterlands
So you have set your goals. Now what, one of the first things is that you need to have confidence in yourself that you can achieve the goal that you have set. If you do not believe you can achieve your goal, you have already lost. You will give up quicker than if you would have believed. Self-trust is the first secret of success. - Ralph Waldo Emerson https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/to-achieve-goals-we-need-to-have-confidence-in-ourselves #CtpTalk
Stacking Hive and H-E tokens - Staying focused on my targets. It is interesting to watch everyone chasing after the next crypto that will be pumping. Some of them are picking right and some are picking wrong. For me, I will be staying on the hive platform and stacking as much Hive and H-E Tokens as possible. I am never good at guessing so I will just stay with the goals that I establish and go from there. Here is my progress report:…
This is the courthouse in the town just 20 miles from where I live. It is a small town and oversees the county governmental business. I enjoy going around the small towns and looking at the old buildings and court houses. They do not build them now days like they did back over 100 years ago. The Federal District court takes place at this courthouse as well. I received a jury summons so I drove over to make sure I knew how to get there prior to the morning I was asked to show…
It took me a day and half to finish my daily quest which was a snipe quest but I finally finished it. I received the Pelacor Deceiver card. I do not know much about that new card. but I am pleased to get a card. #Splinterlands
Sorry I have been away for the past few days. I am having computer issues with my firewall settings. Here are a few photos of the sunset #Sunset
I completed another daily quest. It was a water quest. Unfortunately I only received a potion as my reward. Well back to playing. I can start another quest in about 2 hours. Wish me luck. #Splinterlands
The setting sun has been shifting more and more to the left along the horizon. Since this is the fall equinox the days and nights are able equal. With shorter days comes cooler weather which I am looking forward to #Sunset
When watering the plants, I noticed a little frog hiding in the hole in the handle of the watering can. The hole was small so I could not get my finger in there to get the frog out and it gripped on when I tried to shake it out. Then later in the day, when we were taking the cover off the grill there were three little frogs on the cover. We shook them off of the cover and they went hopping away to hide somewhere else. I was able to get a picture of one that had gone behind a…
Like any asset, NFTs have their own inflation rate and there is a limited supply of them. I believe the prices will be going up for the new cards once everyone learns where to place them in their lineups. Due to this, I will be leveling up all of the new reward cards that I receive and placing any extras that I my have on the rental market. Everyone wants more cards close to the end of the season so are renting almost any cards that give them a greater power level. I am…
Today’s daily quest was the snipe quest. I managed to get thru it with about a 50% win rate. I think that is pretty good. However I wish a could have strung more wins in a row to take advantage of the win streak bonus. When all was said and done. My chest contained 10 DEC #Splinterlands
I made great progress on my monthly targets, exceeding two of them this week both Hive and LEO. I will be working real hard to make strides on the others in these last few days of the month. Hopefully I can pull it off and get there. Here is my post on the Hive platform with the full details: https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/stacking-hive-and-h-e-tokens-in-a-very-up-and-down-week #CtpTalk
Here are three photos of the sunset that I just took. It is really amazing the colors in the three different pictures #Sunset
During the week there are not very many boats on the lake since Labor day has passed and the weather has started to cool down. However, today there were several boats going back and forth. I guess it is because of the weekend and everyone does not want to be cooped up in their homes. No clue but it was nice seeing all the boats out and about. I even noticed a sailboat at one point during the day. https://ctptalk.com/@darmst5339/iaac-day-116-weekend-fun-for-some-on-the-lake…
I was able to finish today daily quest. It was a life quest It took me longer than normal so I will need to worked harder to finish the next one quicker. When I opened the chest I received 10 DEC. not bad better than a potion #Splinterlands
This evening the colors of the sunset are reddish compared to yesterday when it was golden. The clouds are high and thin making it more beautiful to behold. #Sunset
Back in the earlier '90s, I would pick up a pack or two of trading cards. I found the box in my closet in which they are stored. Most of them are Hockey cards from 1990-1992. Each pack has from 8 to 15 cards each so for the 16 packs that would be around 150 trading cards. The contents of the packs are unknown except that I can see what year and which sport they are from. I have never opened any of them.…
Finally I finished yesterday’s daily quest. I have had the snipe quest before and had no problems finishing it in about an hour. This weekend it seemed like it took forever. After finishing the quest I received 10 DEC in rewards #Splinterlands
So another daily quest and it turned out to be a snipe I was dreading it since the last one took most of the weekend. I was surprised when this one only took me a little over an hour. I opened the chest and I got a potion. I think I prefer slow with DEC instead of fast for a potion #Splinterlands
When we were walking today, we met this couple that had just purchased on of the lots in our subdivision. They were trying to see where would be the best place to build their house on the lot. The problem was they could not tell where the property lines were. Since I have walked most of the empty lots in this area, I helped them by walking with them and pointed out the marks that were placed on the corners of their lot. They had been looking way over on the lot next to…
This is why I like sitting and watching sunsets so much. They are never the same. They make me feel very relaxed and calm. #Sunset
My daily quest was quick today and the splinter was one of my favorites. It was a water quest and I received the Pelacor Mercenary card as my reward. I am happy with it. #Splinterlands
The weather shows that we will be getting some storms with heavy rains, high winds and possible hail. The clouds are starting to get very thick and appear to be full of water. It started sprinkling a little after I took this photo. We are supposed to get about 2 to 3 inches of rain with small hail that could bust out windows. We really need the rain as it has not rained for over a month. I am just hoping it comes down over a period of time than all at once so that it does…
Today’s daily quest was the sneak which for some reason I always get it mixed up with the Snipe when creating my lineup. However once I got that straightened out in my mind, I did well. It took me less than an hour to complete. I was awarded the legendary potion. Why is it when you finish quick it is always a potion or have the new rules already gone into effect for Bronze? #Splinterlands
I am an avid reader and I started collecting books when I was in college. The reading and hunting for older books would give my mind a break from all the studying. After graduating, I stopped collecting but still bought books for reading. As the years went by, I found that most books are online and there is no more need for a physical book. However the workmanship in some of the older books can never be know from reading a book in a digital format. The first picture is just…
The big cloud on the right hand side of the photos looks like a big wave that is going to crash over the sunset and completely consume it. #Sunset
Finally Season end. I was able to finish at Bronze I. I need more cards to get to the Silver level but I will work on that. In my 9 reward chest, I received 38 DEC, 4 cards (one of which was the rare Venari Wavesmith) and 1 potion. I was very lucky not to get more potions. I am pleased with what I received. #Splinterlands
Completed my daily quest. It was a sneak quest. I received the Gargoya Lion. I am find with a card vs a potion any day. #Splinterlands
Three days ago, there were over 20,000 dCrops Alpha packs left for sale. Now there are none left in the dCrops game. Due to the growth in Play2Earn players on the Hive Blockchain, most of the games are seeing an increase in new players. I was lucky enough to buy one more the night before they sold out. If needed, you can still get land and seed on the dCrops in-game market however the prices have went up a lot.…