no but that’s a different way of reaching blue than the normal way. rather than being pigmented, the physical material structure of the feathers is made up of effectively a keratin sponge full of small air pockets, and when white light strikes those pockets, most wavelengths of visual light cancel each other out, while blue is able to reflect and escape the structure.
so if you really fucked up a Bluejays feather what colour would it be
The natural pigmentation of blue jay feathers is brown, though I suppose it depends on how you fucked it up. I suspect that, being made of keratin, it would be an off-white if you were to grind it into a fine enough powder (speculation because I don’t want to do research it’s like midnight).
cool as hell! The link there is to the Yosemite park page on this.
The biggest lie in fanfiction is that everyone has a first aid kit in their house. I have never owned one in my life
Wait do y’all not have like…first aid boxes in your hall closets? Like just a plastic box that has your basic first aid shit?
…no? Wait, you mean some people actually have first aid kits lying around their homes?
I… personally don’t have a first aid kit at home and never had, neither my parents had, but… I’ve always had a “medicine cabinet”, that always have… things like bandages, peroxide, alcohol, chlorhexidine, anti-burn cream… I don’t know, the kind of things you are supposed to find in a first aid kit.
Realizing our household may be more accident-prone than most because we have a fire extinguisher on both levels and a full-on first aid kit, and we’ve needed them.
This is terrifying. Please get some of this shit for your home.
If you are renting, your landlord is supposed to provide a fire extinguisher (check local rental laws and your lease, and if you don’t know where it is in your home, find out). You should keep it in the kitchen and/or near the fireplace if you have one. You can get these on amazon for $20. Check dates and make sure your extinguisher is not in need of replacement (again, if renting, replacement/reimbursement should be your landlord’s responsibility).
They will save your ass and they are not “for rich people”, oh my god, holy shit.
For first aid:
First, you should definitely invest in a first aid/CPR course (infant and adult classes cost the same and are more comprehensive, it’s worth it). Red cross offers them regularly and all over, and they cost around $100 and take about 4 hours your first time. You renew every two years, and renewing takes less time and costs less because you can take them online at that point, but even taking it once is helpful (but attempting serious FA/CPR if your cert is out of date is a bad idea; you will forget shit and might do more harm than good). You can also put this on your resume! It’s especially useful (and required) in childcare/education.
Some basic tips for pretty run-of-the-mill stuff:
Mild cuts/scrapes/etc.: Hold a non-adhesive gauze pad (paper towels work in a pinch, or paper towels behind a gauze pad) to the wound with firm pressure and hold above heart level until bleeding stops. Wash with warm water and mild (preferably unscented) hand soap. Apply antibiotic and bandaid. Remove the band-aid after a day-ish, or at night, and let a scab form.
If you don’t have a bandaid: Use a non-adhesive gauze pad and medical tape. (Non-adhesive gauze prevents the gauze from sticking to the wound and re-opening it on removal).
If it might need stitches: Go through the steps above, but don’t wait for the bleeding to stop before getting to urgent care unless urgent care is closed. Don’t wait over 24 hrs to get to urgent care (they can’t help you after it’s been too long).
If it’s very deep/severe: Go through the steps above, but don’t wait for the bleeding to stop. Go to the ER.
Do not wash a wound with hydrogen peroxide. You can wash around the wound with it, but never the wound itself. Use warm water and mild soap instead.
Do not attempt a tourniquet unless you have been trained and have been practicing regularly since then. You can do serious harm if you do one even a little bit wrong.
Burns: Hold burned area under cool, running water for 15 minutes, uninterrupted. Assess severity afterwards; if it blisters, go to the ER. Otherwise you can try burn cream and time.
Bee/wasp stings: Mix baking soda with a bit of water to make a paste; apply to sting and let sit until long after the pain stops. This removes the venom and prevents any further spreading.
Allergic reactions: For anything related to histamines (bee allergies, peanuts, anything involving immediate swelling usually) figure out if they have an epipen first, and let them administer it, help them if they need it, or follow the instructions on the label closely. If not, give them a dose of benadryl. Have someone call emergency services (911 in the US) while you do this, or call immediately after, in both cases. (Epipens buy time, they do not solve the problem entirely).
Seizures:Do not attempt to restrain them. Remove anything from the area that they could potentially hit themselves on, and make sure others give them space as well. Place something soft under their head (like a folded-up jacket). Time the seizure. Call emergency services if: it lasts longer than 5 minutes, it’s their first seizure, they have a second one soon after, they get hurt, it happens in water, or they have another health condition (like diabetes, heart disease, or are pregnant).
And some basic supplies to keep around, in a first aid kit or medicine cabinet:
Disposable gloves (for handling any kind of bodily fluid/preventing infection) (latex-free)
Bandaids! Keep a variety; the ones made for fingertips are great for kitchen accidents.
If you know how to use others things, keep those other things around. Don’t try to keep stuff around that you don’t know how to use properly (like tourniquet kits), or if you do, make sure anyone using them does know what they’re doing.
This list is also tailored to cover a variety of needs; you may not need some of this stuff personally, but if you have a friend over who has migraines, menstrual cramps, a bee sting allergy, or a latex allergy, it’s a good idea to have some stuff on hand to help them out.
It’s also a good idea to stock this stuff in your car if you drive, and definitely have them with you if you go hiking or camping (especially in a low-or-no-service area). You should also add a warm blanket, granola bars, water (in case you get stuck somewhere), and cat litter (for getting out of snow/mud) to that list for your car.
You should definitely also keep jumper cables in your car at all times, and consider getting a battery charger so you don’t need to wait for someone else to show up and help you.
For the love of god, yall, please don’t brush this stuff off as “rich people shit”. I’m sorry you weren’t taught this stuff, I’m sorry it wasn’t normalized for you, but it’s never too late to learn and make sure you’re keeping yourself & those around you safe.
For those who look at the above list and realize it’s daunting to think about getting all of that at once, you do not have to get all of that at once!!
If you don’t have a medicine cabinet or a first aid supply container, you can start by getting yourself a little storage container. It doesn’t have to be a first-aid labeled one. Those are nice to let OTHER people know what’s inside, but not necessary.
Then just… add one thing at a time to your grocery list when you go. Get the stuff you’re most likely to need first, or the stuff that lasts longest. All of this stuff DOES “expire” in one way or another. Even the gloves and gauze. Gloves can eventually dry rot (latex dry rots especially fast actually, which is why you want latex free) and the gauze will not be sterile forever. If you don’t want to constantly check expiration dates on the items, stick a piece of masking tape to the storage container, write the item name on it small, and write the exp date next to it. When you replace, just replace the tape or cross off the exp date and add the new one. Then you can keep track on the outside of the bin.
Lastly, the above mentions medical tape, but there’s something in my own kit that I think is good to have on hand-
Cohesive bandage tape or Vetrap (personally I use vetrap for the colors). Unlike medical tape which is adhesive/sticky, this is cohesive bandage material that sticks to itself but not to you. If something happens over an area that would be difficult or hurtful to use a bandaid for (for example, a long cut or scrape, a small wound on a very hairy surface, a larger surface area than a normal bandaid would cover, etc) you can cover the wound with sterile gauze and wrap with cohesive bandage to keep it in place.
Never watched Supernatural but wondering what all the hype is about? Then this is the post for you. If you have been on tumblr for some time or just from November 5, 2020, you may have seen a gif set or two or a hundred with destiel aka Dean and Castiel from Supernatural. @fandom even made a Destiel Is Canon post with short overview of basic facts! Are you interested but have no idea where to start? We know, we know. Life is hectic, 2020 is taxing and Supernatural has too many episodes to watch. 15 seasons and 327 episodes to be precise but who’s counting? Say no more, we got your back, fam! You don’t need to have ever watched SPN to enjoy the fics on this rec post.
For fans who have never watched SPN, some basic facts - 1x01 starts with Dean Winchester (26 yo) professional monster hunter, picking up his brother Sam (22 yo), student at Stanford, and going on a one off monster hunt. For the next 3 seasons they travel around the country in their black Impala 67 hunting monsters, saving people. Castiel, Angel of the Lord and the multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent, arrives in 4x01.The rest is shipping history. Check this 36 min YT video, The Story of Dean and Castiel by deansbansee with all the best destiel scenes from S4-15. And now, fics!
All title links go to our fully tagged reviews.
1. If you want to read fics that are set in Supernatural universe but are not canon specific, your best bet is pre season 4 (our tag) and solo hunter Dean (our tag) fics where young Dean meets Castiel differently from the show, and fics that are very loosely tied to a specific season. And, if you’ll decide to watch the show later, you still won’t be spoiled!
A Distant Mirror by zatnikatel [NC-17, 14,700 word count, time travel, humor, smut, posted 2013]
Professional Couple Only by saltyfeathers [M, 37,000 word count, pretend boyfriends on a case, posted 2015]
The Requestby cloudyjenn [T, 36,000 word count, wing!fic, posted 2012]
Some Assembly Required by narrow_staircase [M, 47,000 word count, student Cas, posted 2016]
Unknown Quantities by xylodemon [NC-17, 8,600 word count, fluff, posted 2014]
2. If you don’t want to bother with Supernatural canon at all, then you are still in for a treat. With 92,500 fics (December 12, 2020) and counting, destiel is currently the biggest ship on AO3. Destiel fics cover a lot of popular tropes and kinks but some are more popular than others among destiel fans. Angst, miscommunication, exploration of Dean’s low self esteem, Cas’s rusty people skills and general otherness are a staple of AU fics. But also exploration of one’s sexuality - internalized homophobia, coming out, bisexuality and asexuality are common themes.
All the Way by cadignan [NC-17, 81,000 word count, college AU, posted 2013]
Cinderwings by bendingsignpost [M, 182,000 word count, wing!fic, masquerade ball, posted 2017]
Kiss the Baker by ltleflrt [NC-17, 111,000 word count, rom com, posted 2015]
Not Part of the Plan by Annie D (scaramouche) [NC-17, 338,000 word count, 8 works, arranged marriage, posted 2013-18]
Oh What A Beautiful Cityby moosefeels [M, 27,200, a/b/o, omega Cas, arranged marriage, posted 2014]
Passing Shipsby quiettewandering [M, 78,000 word count, not traditional soulmate AU, posted 2017]
The Return Policy by castielrisingabove [M, 32,500 word count, incubus!dean, ace witch!cas, posted 2018]
The Sawdust Men by linoresearch [NC-17, 123,000 word count, dystopian angst, posted 2014]
Scars by lemonsorbae [NC-17, 148,000 word count, young adults - punk!dean, nerd!cas, posted 2018]
Three Funerals and a Wedding by engaldnwouldfall [M, 25,300 word count, friends to lovers, LARPing, posted 2016]
True as It Can Be by whelvenwings [NC-17, 72,000 word count, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, posted 2016]
Unsolicited verse by dangerousnotbroken [NC-17, 68,700 word count, 5 works, posted 2016-18, smut smut smut]
Unwritten by porcupinegirl [NC-17, 75,800 word count, a/b/o, alpha/alpha pairing, posted 2015]
3. Lastly, for all fans who watched SPN finale and were left with a raging wtf was that? feeling, here’s 4 fics where Dean and Cas did a better job at restoring Heaven and 2 fics where living with disability was not the end of the world.
The Dance of Inanna by peppermintwind [NC-17, 106,000 word count, humor and adventures, posted 2012]
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by amarillogrande [M, 22,200 word count, Dean arrives in Heaven and meets his loved ones, posted 2014]
Holy!Dean Verse by bunnycaccool [NC-17, 120,300 word count, 5 works, very Dean centric, posted 2011-15]
These Are Not Real Problems by Annie D (scaramouche) [NC-17, 30,500 word count, post godstiel Cas arrives in Heaven, posted 2011]
The Breath Of All Things by kismetjeska [T, 65,400 word count, Dean in a wheelchair, posted 2013]
Kingdom Come by cheesewithmy [M/NC-17, 97,700 word count, Dean has a prosthetic arm, posted 2014]
4. Other fun things to check out. Destielfanfic has been a part of destiel community since 2012, and while we used to be much more active (see this post), we are still kicking around. Please visit our Tags Page and explore all the goodies there. We even have separate tags for every season so you can avoid spoilers when necessary. Some useful links:
Still can’t decide which destiel fic to read? Try this brand new random fic generator created by @deanwinchestergender (not affiliated with DFF) or try Random button on our blog - top right corner and the sidebar (see this post )
also, check out the latest destiel fanart at our sister blog @destielfanworks - Cas with rainbow wings can be found on #cas with wings tag and fanart that was created after 15x18 can be found on #destiel 2020 and #theysilencedyou tags, we also have a general #season 15 tag.
And last but not least. Thank you, Elena, @purgatory-jar, for letting us to use your beautiful art! Link to the original art post.
If you enjoyed the fic, please drop by the archive (AO3) and let the author know with your comments and/or kudos! Please support artists by Liking and Reblogging their art posts! And if you found our recs useful, let us know by Liking and/or Reblogging our posts!
To our new followers - our anon is switched off for good but we are happy to answer your fic related asks privately. Don’t be shy and tell us which destiel fic made you into a shipper. We may even make a rec post if we get enough fic suggestions!
A cat climber (tree, tower) is a form of indoor cat enrichment which satisfies a cat’s desire to climb, perch high, lounge high, and often combines with a cat’s desire to hide or scratch. They are typically free-standing or temporary fixtures, meaning that they can be relocated easily and won’t damage walls or floors in case you’re living someplace like an apartment.
Cat climbers range from the very small and simple:
To the average, medium and large sized ones:
To the very large and elaborate ones:
Most of these are pretty “traditional” climbers, the sort you might be able to walk into a pet store and find. The really big ones get very expensive, but I have seen plenty of large-sized ones priced around $100. It is a bit of an investment, but they last for a very long time and cats will use them constantly, so it’s well worth it. However, you’re not beholden to traditional! You can actually make a tower yourself fairly cheaply out of PVC and mesh or even PVC and wood!
Climbers also do not have to have carpet on them! Some can be made just from wood, or you can attach cushions later if you want to make it softer for them.
If you live someplace where you can acquire natural branches, you can also make your own climbers out of tree limbs and flat surfaces:
Even household items creatively connected and secured can serve as a tower, if you can’t build quite from scratch. A lot of folks don’t have access to saws and such to cut wood to the right sizes (although some hardware stores will do small cuts for you, so you can always ask and find out!). Another option is to use some sturdy cardboard; it’s perhaps not quite as long-lasting, and will eventually need replacing because you can’t clean it the way you can wood or plastic, but really that’s just an excuse to make a novel tower for even more enrichment.
There is another, temporary form of cat climber that I’ve seen more of recently, which can be hung on the back of a door. It ratchets into place securely so it won’t droop, and provides soft climbing space. These may even be a good DIY project, as it seems like they could be made mostly from straps and cloth, with a solid base on the perches:
And lastly, I debated about moving these to the shelves, but they’re vertical only so; these are more permanent-fixture climbers, anchored floor to ceiling rather than having a base that keeps them free-standing.
One of your best resources for finding more unique climbers than you could find at a normal pet store is Etsy. You can support local craftsfolk, and a lot of times they not only have unique designs already available, but they will take commissions to build something to your specifications.
You can also visit home and furniture stores and look at free-standing shelves not in terms of how you’d use it, but how it could be modified for your cat to use. Hardware stores may also have shelving units that could be used, and carpet stores may sell leftover bits of carpet for cheap if you are interested in DIY. There are a LOT of guides online if you search for DIY cat tower building guides, and if you are planning to build it yourself, you can buy the pieces more slowly if you need to spread the purchase out some.
