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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 8h

Not all that long ago she was smaller than a loaf of bread, and she hasn’t really internalized that that’s no longer true.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 9h

Giant Dog & I went to the forest preserve off leash dog area Saturday & walked about a 2 mile loop. She enjoyed it except for the parts that were just a trail though tall grass, when another dog and their person came from the other direction it made her nervous and she had to press up against me.

A view of a small lake next to an Interstate Highway. There is a grassy area surrounding the lake, and a blue Great Dane is trotting along toward the viewer. There is a sign advising that no fishing, swimming, or wading is allowed in the lake.

A blue Great Dane is trotting along a path between fields of tall grass and prairie plants with cottony seed pods. The Great Dane is wearing a black harness that looks tactical and causes passersby to call her a good boy.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 2d

Spider bread, spider bread
Does water a spider bread does

A loaf of store baked bread in the shape of a spider, in a transparent plastic bag at a grocery store.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 2d

That’s @datahawk.bsky.social, my partner. :)

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 2d

Once when i was a kid we went to an Arby’s, and they had shakes in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and “jamocha” which sounded exciting and mysterious, and it turned out to mean coffee flavored and I still haven’t recovered from the betrayal.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 2d

Me: “So in case we run out of the full size candy bars we’ve got that box of Clif Bars in the pantry, that’ll take care of another 15 kids…”

Data: “So those are the kids who’ll be egging our house then?”

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 2d

In the end we got a little over 30 trick or treaters. I’m posting this so I can check back next year and maybe not overbuy candy like I have every year we’ve been here.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 3d

We only had one kid in a K-Pop Demon Hunter themed costume visit the house (Rumi), but one neighbor had a lovely Derpy Tiger Jack-o-lantern. Extra points for the knocked over flower pot next to it.

A pumpkin carved with the face of Derpy, the demonic but adorably hapless tiger from the popular Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.

The Derpy pumpkin on a house’s front step next to a knocked over plant pot, which references a running gag from the movie.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 3d

Today is that special day I set aside time to dress up in an opossum kigurumi and wander around the neighborhood going from house to house: Friday.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 3d

An Amazon deep discount site had sales offering screen protectors for cybertrucks, a gold plastic dollar sign pendant, and a bunch of Punisher skull decals, all for a penny each. Somewhere I guess there’s someone I probably wouldn’t have a lot to talk about with who got their shopping done for 3¢.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 4d

I particularly love the co-creators’ characters, Helen and Principal Secretary.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 4d

Bluey, a cartoon blue heeler from the Australian cartoon of the same name. She is in fact bright blue.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

Yadda yadda yadda, I went to the Affy Tapple factory store.

The foyer of the Affy Tapple Factory Store in Niles IL. Theres a stand-up you can stick your face into to pose for photos with the Affy Tapple mascot Guy, and a model of the Niles Leaning Tower (a Niles landmark that is a one half scale model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa). It is painted in rainbow colors.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

I drive by it frequently. Apparently they have a factory store, which I may need to check out sometime.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

I only recently learned Affy Tapples, a brand of packaged apples dipped in caramel and rolled in peanuts, are historically a Chicago thing. If you haven’t had one: they’re okay. Love the aggressively mid-century box art with the cartoon dude wearing an apron and bow tie. Are you familiar with these?

A box label with a cartoon of a heavy set Caucasian guy in a paper hat, red and white striped apron and black bow tie, a photo of an apple enrobed in caramel and peanuts, and the words:
AFFY TAPPLE
Since 1948
THE ORIGINAL CARAMEL APPLE!
PERISHABLE
Handle With Care

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Reposted by Linnaeus

mr potato @tweetpotato314.bsky.social · 5d

[putting up halloween decorations]

spider who lives is my hallway: THIS IS GENTRIFICATION

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

Wise of you not to put the cap directly on the donkey, risking a Kangaroo Jack situation.

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Reposted by Linnaeus

Jason Adams @jamnpp.bsky.social · 23d

Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world,... I feel like I can't take it. And my heart is just going to cave in.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

Im going to guess the one in the Keweenaw is a lot darker than anything in the lower peninsula, but I might give the one in the southwest LP a try, it’s only a couple of hours or so from me.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

There’s another one just outside Mackinaw City and one a little north of Elkhart IN as well, in case those are closer to you. www.michigan.org/darksky

Experience the Dark Skies of Michigan

When night falls and Michigan’s breathtaking views fade into the darkness, the skyscape opens to one of the greatest star shows in the continental United States.

www.michigan.org

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

Points to Lillian Hoban for drawing Frances as an American badger (Taxidea taxus) as opposed to a European badger (Meles meles) like most badger characters tend to be portrayed. Unlike Badger from Wind in the Willows, Frances looks like if she doesn’t get her bread and jam she could mess you up.

Frances, an adorable new world badger drawn in charcoal pencil, dancing happily while munching on a slice of bread with jam.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 5d

TIL that Russell Hoban, writer and co-creator with his wife Lillian of the Frances children’s books and Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, wrote a well-regarded post apocalyptic novel called Riddley Walker. I guess he went darker as time went by as in between he wrote The Mouse and His Child.

Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 6d

I hope so, I don’t want to be the one to call his spouse after he’s done jamming a screwdriver into that outlet.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 6d

Yeah, For starts I hate the whole “This popular flavor can’t be sold by Coca Cola anymore— click to find out which one!” genre of headline and the writing does seem weird.

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Linnaeus @linnaeus.bsky.social · 6d

Yeah, I’ve seen those in stores around here. Charging that kind of premium and positioning them as some sort of “nutraceutical” keeps me from taking it seriously, and the fact they don’t include Apple Slice in the line of flavors makes it even more pointless.

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