Look! There is a thing!

 
Lazy day today. Slept late (which is what happens when you stay up till 3 A.M), made a batch of sloppy joes for lunch. After I eat, and the rest of it cools, I separate it into lunch-sized portions, wrap them, and put them in the freezer. Then TV and fanfic, and dusk was coming on, and I really needed to fill the water tubs and dump two more sacks of birdseed in the drive.

As I go to the truck, I see the neighbor's geese in front of the garage, next to the 30-gallon tub -- 3 adults and two goslings about 1/3rd-grown, one of which is in the tub. The water is about 1/4th down -- meaning about 6 inches of rim sticking up -- and I suspect it's trapped. I do have that slanting cement block for insects and small birds to use, but it's a very steep slant. Well, I'm not approaching 3 adult geese, especially when they have young ones -- those things can be vicious -- so I get in the truck, back it down the drive, and dump the seed. I figure I'll go tell the neighbors when that's done.

But when I get the truck back to the garage, the adults have left to eat birdseed. I think about lifting the gosling out... but I also think about it pecking me, and/or giving it a heart attack by a stranger grabbing it. So I grab the hose, stick the end in the tub, and turn on the water. Thankfully, as soon as the water level reaches the edge of the tub, the gosling is able to climb out and plop on the ground.

BUT! Poor baby seems injured -- staggering around, falling over as it tries to walk. I start toward the neighbor's house to tell them, and their dog goes crazy with barking. As far as he's concerned, I'm okay when I'm giving him dog biscuits, and if I stay in a limited area -- my porch, in front of my garage, dumping birdseed. Anything other than that is a bark-worthy threat. I'm looking for a stick to keep him at a distance -- he's put teeth on me twice, though not broken skin, but I don't intend to let him succeed -- when the youngest boy calls him off. The boy is in the chicken house (next to the drive), and I explain the problem. We go to the garage, he picks up the baby, says he thinks it's okay, and carries it off to leave it near the parents.

I think now it was probably just exhausted -- no telling how long it had been stuck in the tub, constantly swimming, unable to get out. But I'm sure glad I found it; I would have hated to have found it dead/drowned of exhaustion when I went out tomorrow. I guess I'll have to make sure I top it off every day for a while -- but I wish the adults would take the kids to the pond. There's much more swimming room, it's easier to get out of, and pond swimming means I don't have to dump & clean the 30-gallon tub. After how many hours of swimming and shitting, that water is yucky! Too close to dark to do it tonight, so I have that to look forward to tomorrow morning. Fun!




Fandom: The Old Guard
Fanwork Links: If Never Again, If Every Day
Creator Links: gallifreyburning and takiki16
Category: M/M
Rating: Explicit
Length: 178,600 words - 298 pages

Summary: Current-day Nicky wakes up one morning to find himself re-living the first day he met Yusuf in 1099, and Nicolò from 1099 finds himself with a stranger named Joe in 2021. Time-crossed and facing old and new challenges, the two lovers have to find their way back to each other.

Reccer's Notes: When 2021 Nicky exchanges places with 1099 Nicolò, it's confusing and difficult for all concerned. Yusuf in 1099 certainly isn't willing to accept friendship from an enemy who claims they've been together for almost a thousand years -- but at least Nicky has the benefit of experience and hindsight to help smooth their interactions. Nicolò is completely unprepared for the world of 2021, where nothing is familiar, the world seems riddled with unfathomable magic, and he can communicate with only one man, who was an enemy just yesterday. Worse, this 'Joe' insists that he's merely forgotten a thousand years of shared history, which he knows isn't true.
        Gradually, by fits and starts, each man from 1099 learns from the man of 2021 that a former enemy can be honorable and trustworthy, can be accepted as a friend, and possibly even more. After a suitable learning curve, each N gets back to his own time, where Yusuf and Nicolò are ready for a comfortable accommodation and forging a life together much sooner than happened originally, and Joe and Nicky are simply ecstatic to be together again while wondering how the hell it happened. They don't know, and neither do we... and there's a couple of other open-ended questions that don't get answered, which seems built-in to dealing with time-travel. But there's also seeds planted in 1099 for a better going forward, and in 2021 for an easier potential family healing.
        This is an epic tale in every sense of the word -- long, detailed, entrancing and engrossing, and not to be missed.

Characters: Joe, Nicky, Yusuf, Nicolò, Nile, Andy, Andromache, Quynh, Booker, Copley, OCs.
Relationships: Joe/Nicky, Joe/Nicolò, Yusuf/Nicky, Andromache/Quynh
Themes: Time Travel, Team Dynamics, Canon LGBTQ Character, Enemies to Friends, Post-Canon, Epic, Novel
Content Notes: Canon-like temporary deaths, internalized homophobia, mentions of the after-effects of siege of Jerusalem
Warnings: None
Status: Complete

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Fandom: Iron Man, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Fanwork Links: the Engineer [fanvid]   or watch on YouTube
Creator Links: seekingferret
Category: Gen
Rating: Gen
Length: 1 min 40 sec

Summary: Tony Stark and the power of creativity.

Reccer's Notes: This is absolutely delightful! I know Tony Stark only from fanfic crossovers with other fandoms/characters I follow; with a few Googled pics to put a face to the name; that was enough. But now I feel like I know him better as a person/character, and I'm totally charmed. I loved the scene selection, and the song is really ear-catching -- although it's in Gaelic (?) and I doubt I'll ever be able to learn it (phonetically), much as I'd like to; can't wrap my tongue around some of those consonants. Well worth a watch/listen.

Characters: Tony Stark, Iron Man suit, a couple of side characters (?) I don't know.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Iron Man armor
Themes: Fanvids, Character Development, Feels, Canon Backstory, Competency
Content Notes: None
Warnings: None
Status: Complete

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Fandom: NCIS and Criminal Minds
Fanwork Links: De Novo
Creator Links: Jilly James on her site
Category: M/M
Rating: Explicit
Length: 61,400 words - 102 pages

Summary: Two months into Tony’s run as team leader after Gibbs’ departure for Mexico, Jenny Shepard realizes things are not going well for the MCRT and decides to intervene. She forces Tony to make a choice, and he finds that sometimes, the best thing is to just start again.

Reccer's Notes: When Tony becomes Team Lead of the Family and Sexual Violence Unit in NCIS, his new team gives him the respect that the MCRT didn't. After settling into his new position and dealing with several current cases, he discovers that a rape case going cold is one of a string that stretches back many years. He will need the help of his new team, as well as many other NCIS agents and the assistance of the BAU to solve the case -- and in the middle of that, an old friend becomes a new love. This story grabs us from the beginning as we see improvements in NCIS and personal strength and growth from Tony that the series didn't give us.

Characters: Tony, McGee, Ziva, Abby, Ducky, Jenny Sheppard, Dwayne "King" Pride, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, Spencer Reid, Jason Gideon, OCs.
Relationships: Tony DiNozzo/Ian Edgerton
Themes: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Competency, Case Fic, AU - Canon Divergence, Novel
Content Notes: Canon-level violence, case work involving rape, child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, etc. There isn’t much “on-screen” violence in this story, but there are discussions about difficult cases and sensitive topics, including the frustration of not being able to get convictions or do anything about certain crimes, particularly crimes that occur primarily against women.
Warnings: In content notes.
Status: Complete

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Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Fanwork Links: Solitary Man [vid]
Creator Links: istia
Category: M/M
Rating: Gen
Length: 2 min 30 seconds

Summary: A music vid paean to Rodney McKay - Dr. Oblivious - and his devoted girlpal, John Sheppard.

Reccer's Notes: Delightful John/Rodney friendship, interrupted by the various women they never quite 'clicked' with. Great scene selection, and it's notable that every time we hear "solitary man", John and Rodney are actually with each other. (<g> and "Get a clue, guys!") Just a lot of fun.

Characters: John, Rodney, Ronon, Katie Brown, Jennifer Keller, Allina.
Relationships: John/Rodney
Themes: Friendship/Love, Male Friendship, Domestic, Canon Hi-jinks.
Content Notes: None
Warnings: None
Status: Complete