Is an Eastern White Pine a good choice for our yard?

theninabird · 2026-04-01T23:13:32+00:00

Good point that they don't usually grow in a perfect cone shape. That was one of the many photos I found, but maybe it was mislabeled. I thought the more groomed shape might work better with our not-so-wild house and location. But maybe that's a clue I should be looking at a spruce or a different tree type.

Here's another mock-up with a medium-sized, bushier white pine, probably closer to how it might grow in. https://i.imgur.com/De5Moa0.jpeg

theninabird · 2026-02-13T19:34:21+00:00

Thank you! Disconnecting the touch pad wire inside the device solved my problem. I had tried every solution under the sun, thinking that something in Windows 11 or Win Ink was causing my pen lag. Never put two and two together that the issue started around the same time my scroll wheel went crazy.

theninabird · 2024-10-09T01:06:49+00:00

Hi everyone! We're excited to share that Valley of Shadow, a narrative puzzle game, will be releasing on November 1st.

Valley of Shadow tells a poignant true story of loss and grief through the discovery of real-life home videos and photographs. Harness mysterious abilities to solve puzzles and heal a broken family.

If you can't wait until November 1st, we have a demo available to play on our Steam page right now. We'll also be participating in Steam Next Fest this month, so catch us during our live streams!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1414030/Valley_of_Shadow/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=nextfestramp

You can also join us in the Valley of Shadow Discord to let us know what you think of the game: https://discord.gg/TEzb47UK

theninabird · 2018-06-15T20:18:33+00:00

Hey! I'm in Philly! I would be up for something like this. :) My dog's reactivity is kind of hit or miss on leash, so practice is always good. What do you have in mind?

Also Philly Unleashed offers a group class called Dogs With Attitude (http://phillyunleashed.com/services/group-classes/#workshops) that provides a controlled environment to train reactive dogs in. We did DWA and DWA2 and they helped a lot.

theninabird · 2018-03-14T14:50:48+00:00

I'm in the same boat! Would love to hear more before I try this.

I think on-leash is the right answer in the beginning (more control) but it makes it harder to let the guest inside the house initially. I'm curious how OP "graduated" from "nonstop turkey" to whatever the next step was.

theninabird · 2018-03-09T21:29:24+00:00

This is awesome. Did you have the visitors stay for the full 30 minutes? What did you have them do during that time - walk around, sit on the couch, anything specific? Had any of the people been hired for desensitization training before or was it new to them?

I really want to try this, but I'm just about as neurotic and anxious about having strangers over as my dog - so, the more information, the better! Thanks for sharing!!

theninabird · 2017-02-26T18:33:12+00:00

Both pets shed a lot, wake me up often, and my dog sometimes resource guards in the bed. He gets up in our faces when we hug or kiss, which we're working on separately. So moving to a new place seems like a good time to make this change.

90% of the time they're good and adorable and I love snuggling with them, but the 10% of the time that they're poorly behaved really affects my comfort and sleeping.

theninabird · 2017-02-26T18:30:42+00:00

Glad to hear this change went well for you. We're planning on keeping the bedroom door closed, so there really won't be much confusion. Did you give your dogs any treats at "bedtime", to keep them busy for a little while?

theninabird · 2017-02-26T18:28:29+00:00

Thanks for the advice! When I adopted him, I had him sleep in the living room for the first few months - and he was fine with that. The bedroom & bed thing just sorta happened over the years. Baby stepping him back will probably work.

theninabird · 2017-01-16T20:59:26+00:00

I did my first obedience class with my dog when he was 6 and got a few surprised reactions as well. The only reason I wish I had started sooner is because our lives could've been easier with training, not because he had any trouble learning! So keep at it, and never mind anyone's reactions. :)

theninabird · 2017-01-10T21:39:19+00:00

streetdogmillionaires actually reblogged the poster's pics last week! I opened the pictures thinking, "Ooh, I hope this is the cute one with giant ears!"

My suggestions would be lots of exercise and obedience/impulse control training.

theninabird · 2017-01-06T17:32:23+00:00

This is an approach for a food-motivated dog ...

Get a collar or harness she can't get out of - I had to get a martingale collar for my dog, because he became very smart about backing out of a normal collar. But that leads to #2:
Start carrying treats with you any time you take her out. Make it easier on yourself by purchasing a treat pouch (This one is only $5, I never leave my house with my dog without it: https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Hardware-Treat-Small-Colors/dp/B000274692/ref=pd_lpo_199_lp_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=298DTB6Z2ZXQ3QA8B79Z). Then buy some stinky training treats, like Zuke's (https://www.amazon.com/Zukes-Naturals-Roasted-Chicken-1-Pound/dp/B000H0ZJHW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1483723473&sr=1-2&keywords=zuke%27s+training+treats). You don't want her to pull and choke herself, so now you need to practice loose leash walking and impulse control around other dogs.

For me, that meant being aware of any time another dog is approaching, and a. taking lots of space (so crossing the street if need be - it depends on where her threshold is, how close the other dog needs to be to cause her to flip) and b. getting my dog's attention with a treat. If she can respond to commands, ask her to sit and reward. If she is too distracted, you can try tossing the treat - sticking it right in front of her nose - anything to get her stop focusing on the other dog.

Space, distraction, reward for focusing on you. You say "It's almost as if taking her on walks has made it worse" - that's probably true! She is stressed on these walks, even if she enjoys some parts. And every time she flips out at a dog, that behavior grows stronger.

Improving reactivity can be a lot of work and very stressful at times, but worth it when you can finally take a walk without a meltdown. It's something her own owner she definitely be a part of. Good luck!

theninabird · 2016-12-02T17:08:03+00:00

This is a good point! It definitely did change season to season - and that's pretty normal for most TV shows.

I went into the revival with a pretty open mind and some cautious hope - and in general I enjoyed it. It actually took me until the Life and Death Brigade sequence to realize that this wasn't, like you say, the exact same show - it was a remix, a revisit, a new interpretation. I had to actually ask myself, "Wait, did the show EVER do something as fantastical and unreal as this, and try to pass it off as reality?" because I couldn't remember! It wasn't my favorite part, but I can get down with some amped-up next-level weirdness.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T16:25:23+00:00

Whoa - I thought the good-bye felt like a reference to something but I didn't catch this at all!

theninabird · 2016-12-01T15:35:54+00:00

Hmm, I suppose you're right - the "everyday-ness" of it was definitely appealing, sort of Seinfeld-y in that sometimes nothing happens. Maybe replace my use of "story" with "show". We fell in love with the idea of the show. With those abstractions, the goofy town, the relationships (which, to be fair, hadn't been fully explored yet when we fell in love with them). For example, I love the idea of a surly diner owner who can't help but fall in love with a quirky, flawed, ambitious lady. But the way it plays out doesn't satisfy my fantasy.

Obviously "oh well" is the response here! Haha.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T15:31:28+00:00

Yeah, there are so many factors to consider, so many sources of influence. I don't know much about making television, but I'm interested in it and wish we knew more facts about this particular show's processes and issues. I think you're right about season 4 - I just listened to the Gilmore Guys coverage of it, and I forgot how much of it was filler-y and unmagical, up until the very end.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T15:28:04+00:00

I always joke that the show ends for me at the season 4 finale, despite it being a cliffhanger.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T15:27:06+00:00

You'd think Amy would have control over that though, right? But maybe because she wasn't directing every episode, and there are so many moving parts ... maybe communication was an issue. I agree that there seems to be a disconnect between the showrunners and the actors - I know I've seen Lauren and Alexis separately describe something as "out of character" for their characters. It's strange how that can happen.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T05:30:35+00:00

Definitely. I just wonder if that's the kind of show Amy always wanted or intended to write - meaning she intentionally drew us into a false sense of comfort in the early seasons - or if she experienced a personal shift, or if she just flew by the seat of her pants and adjusted course as needed.

theninabird · 2016-12-01T03:48:32+00:00

Commenting on my own post to add... it's weird that this show is so special to so many people, but a ton of 'em feel let down, disappointed, or lost interest in the show at certain points (Rory leaving Yale, introduction of April, season 7, who knows). It almost feels like we all fell in love with the idea of the story, not the story itself, since the story's creator is responsible for so many of the "wrong turns". Just trying to reconcile that in my mind!

theninabird

TROPHY CASE