#that’s a lotta pumice

[the-birth-of-art]

Spent my day visiting an active stratovolcano.

#mount st helens #lawetlat’la #loowit #stratovolcano my beloved #nature finds a way #johnston ridge observatory #mount st. helens national volcanic monument #that’s a lotta pumice

[thecryptidwizard]

Just got my 1st succulent. Any advice on how to care for it? (Im a noob)

*CRACKS KNUCKLES* it's my time to SHINE

Although i apologize in advance if this overwhelms you,,there's a lotta words😳

Okay, so succulents, weird little dudes. You've got yourself a Echeveria Runyonii (aka Topsy Turvy!). The best way to care for them, in my opinion, is to mimic their native environment! Most succulents live in dry, airy climates like deserts.

2 of the main issues people have with succulents, is lack of light, and overwatering. For lighting, this little dude will thrive in as much sun as you can give it, either full sun or partial shade will do nicely, to keep it's compact shape! If you don't have many windows that get at least 6 hours of sun a day minimum, then a grow light will do just fine! If you notice the succulent 'stretching' itself out, that means it needs more light!

WATERING; Succulents are very easy to overwater, so here's a little technique, Soak and Dry method!

When you feel the leaves on the succulent, you'll notice how thick they are! That's where they store the water that they receive :D! So the best way to tell when they need water, is to check the leaves. If the leaves are firm and plump, they don't need water. If they feel a bit soft and look wrinkly? Water the plant DEEPLY! Make sure you water the pot enough that excess water comes out the drainage holes! (Just be sure there's not a lot of water droplets on the leaves afterwards. They can't absorb water from their leaves, so it might increase the chances of a fungal infection, if anything!)

Whenever you water your succulent (and most plants, really) is entirely defendant on multiple factors, mainly whenever you place them. If your succulent is in a lower light area, the water you give it will take more time to evaporate, so less watering! If you have it in a area with brighter light, warmer temperatures, then you'll have to water them a bit more!

AS FOR SOIL! If you want to repot your succulent, I'd highly recommend a succulent/cacti soil mix! I personally use Hoffman, but any brand will do! If you can't find any cactus soil, regular potting mix will do, just add some perlite or pumice to the mix for faster drainage. Drainage is key!! :DD

When/if repotting; Succulent roots are mostly shallow and fragile, so chances are they won't need a humongous pot when repotting. Any pot that's 1 or 2 inches larger in diameter from the original pot will do just fine! They do like to grow snugly, so repotting isn't necessary unless the plant's life is at stake :)

I hope this helped!! 🥺💕❗❗

#If you wanna hear people talk about succulents i'd recommend Crazy Plant Guy on youtube #Planterina did a video on succulents as well! She's wonderful :) #asks #crazykatty #plant advice? should i tag this as that? idk!!

[vialism-old]

Hey could you pretty please recommend some stuff to get from lush? Like some of your favorite products maybe? I just got a job and want to treat myself a little, but I haven't been there in years. And you seem like you maybe might perhaps possibly like lush? Just a hunch though

oh bOY YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT ASK BOX HOLY MOLYYYYYY. I am going to give you a comprehensive and categorized list so that you have plenty to choose from. this is like the best ask i have ever received. 

note* sososo many of my favorite products are from the christmas line, but i’m leaving those out since you can’t get them right now :( 

another note** i have never tried their hair care products so i am not in a position to make recommendations, although jason and the argon oil smells fantastic. 

BATH PRODUCTS

Bath Bombs are what most people associate with Lush. They are for sure super fun because they turn the water pretty colors and fizz and stuff. Personally I am less a fan of bath bombs than I am of bubble bars because it’s hard to get more than one use out of them so you don’t get as much for your money, so they can be a really nice treat. I will mention some of my favorites here, including current seasonal items

rocket science 

twilight 

(note: twilight is one of their scent lines. it is a lavender and tonka scent and it is EXTREMELY relaxing. they have a few more twilight products at christmas, but year round the scent of this bath bomb can also be found in a body spray and the “sleepy” lotion.)

rose bombshell (seasonal - valentines day)

love boat (seasonal - valentines day)

Bubble Bars are like the super cool cousin of bath bombs, and as I mentioned before, I actually prefer them because you can get more for your money. instead of just dropping them in the tub, you crumble them under the faucet and it produces scented bubbles and turns your water a pretty color. I have so many favorites but I’ll try to reign myself in. 

a french kiss

creamy candy

unicorn horn (seasonal - valentines).

 I am obsessed with this one!! It’s scent is very close to the twilight scent, but it has neroli oil instead of tonka. it also produces SO many bubbles!!

whole lotta love bubbleroon (seasonal - valentines).

note: a bubbleroon is a bubble macaroon - two bubble bars sandwiched with cocoa or shea butter :) 

Pro Tips: to get the most out of your bubble bar, slice it up with a kitchen knife into 2-3 pieces, and use for multiple baths! also, i have had a lot of luck using a small kitchen strainer to get more bubbles, as in this video.)

SKIN CARE

(have to reign myself in again….)

Face

coalface soap (cleanser)

I adore this cleanser and I just started using it. it sucks up all the excess oil on your face and dries out any spots so they go away faster. it smells strongly of licorice so if you hate licorice definitely don’t buy this. it’s deli style in the store, so have them cut you a small piece (prolly around $5) to try it out before you commit. the cleanser can also be a bit drying and harsh, so always moisturize after and prolly don’t use more than once a day

angels on bare skin (cleanser)

smells so good, exfoliating, and gentle on sensitive skin. i use this alternating with coalface

grease lightning (spot treatment)

WORKS!!! it’s a tea tree and aloe gel that is a very effective spot pimple treatment. again it’s drying so moisturize alongside. you only need a little!

skin drink (moisturizer)

Body

t’eo (solid deodorant bar)

first thing i ever bought from lush and i’m absolutely in love with the scent… probably my favorite scent of any lush product. tragically… this one does irritate my underarms so i only use it once in awhile. but god it smells so good

pumice power (foot soap)

MOST UNDERRATED LUSH PRODUCT. it’s only $5 and it will deodorize and soften your feet and last forever can i get a hallelujah

scrubee (exfoliating body butter for the shower)

each peach (massage bar)

shimmy shimmy (solid body tint)

TIPS

Lush has one sale a year, on boxing day, when the entire christmas line is buy one get one free. You have to get to the store early, but it’s also online (at least in the US). 

Get samples in-store. If you’re buying something pricey where you only need a little bit (like grease lightning) ask for a sample when you’re already in the store buying something else, so that you can try it out first. 

Get samples online. When you’re checking out, there’s a comment box where you can ask for samples of whatever you’d like :) 

I have a few other tips so message me if you wanna chat

in conclusion… if you’d like to treat yourself but don’t wanna break the bank, my suggestion would be to maybe get one bath thing that you can enjoy/relax with, and one skin care thing that will last and that you can enjoy for awhile :) maybe a valentines bath product since they all smell so hecking good and it’s that time of the year!!

#dear anon;;; thank you for sending me this ask i finally feel useful #plz dm me if you have any more questions #lush #Anonymous #at first i really thought this was just grace or damian trying to make me feel better but apparently not????? someone actually wants my opin

[thedesperatehousehusband]

My Footing is Faulty

The indignities associated with aging are becoming very clear and apparent as I hurtle like a freight train further and deeper into my 40s. Thankfully I am not losing my eyesight and I have a very full head of hair. But goddamn if the little aches and pains aren’t creeping up. I hate to use the word chronic because it feels long term and depressing. Yet at the same time, my mobility has been compromised and impacted for 6-9 months. Which sucks a whole lotta donkey balls. Last fall I dealt with some sort of hot mess in my hip flexor. Ultimately requiring me to walk with a cane for a few weeks until physical therapy started and really kicked in. Thankfully, that has more or less gone away. But, mother fucker, sure as that begins to dramatically improve I notice a little twinge in my right foot. A sharp-ish pain as I step. Each step. Which is amazing in an entirely not amazing way. Are you kidding me? Just as I am able to move and get back to working out I start to feel different pain somewhere else? It’s probably the world getting back at me for my very vehement judgement of people with cursive necktoos. This has gone on for several months. To the point where I was sort of gimping again. Which is totally unacceptable. I invested in a Dr. Scholl’s insert which wasn’t unhelpful but didn’t seem like a permanent solution. I then read an article in Men’s Health about fancy inserts for foot pain. I bought one. $80 later I figure out that this Superfeet thing is no different than the Dr. Scholls which cost $5.99 at Target. Marketing. Bitches, it works. I continued to feel pain when I walk and after our trip to Italy, things were not amazing. So what I do? I do what every red-blooded American man does. I go to the podiatrist. Thankfully there’s an offshoot of podiatrists associated with the orthopedics office that I go to. So it was easy to find one. How do you pick a good podiatrist? I would rather see their feet as opposed to a headshot. Are their toenails well-groomed or do they look fungal? Is the sole of the foot a calloused mess or does this person know his/her way around a pumice stone? These are actually the questions and criteria I was thinking about when selecting a podiatrist. But, alas, I made the choice based on headshot because none of these asshats shows off their feet on IU Health’s website. At my first appointment, I arrived at the office early to fill out my paperwork. Which was an immeasurable stack of paper. It all seemed a little extreme for podiatry. But I follow the rules, if nothing else. The assistant at the desk actually complimented me for filling out the forms correctly the first time around. She seemed to notice my quizzical expression and said “Not many of our patients get it all correct on their first try.” Where the fuck am I? I’ll tell you where I am. Basically in the geriatric ward. I may be aging but I can assure you that there are a whole lot of people who are exponentially older than I. And they all see the podiatrist. I went back and had some x-rays. Then saw the doctor who looked at the x-rays and poked and prodded my foot. He quickly said that I have something called Morton’s Neuroma. Which is essentially one’s tarsals or metatarsals pushing themselves too close together and causing the sensation of a pinched nerve. That’s exactly the sensation that I feel. The doctor suggested a custom orthotic and I said “Let’s go bananas.” That’s what I said out loud but in my head I was thinking “So it’s come to this? Orthotics.” That’s where I am in the process today. I’ve been fitted for the orthotic and now I wait for it to arrive. I made it very clear that this thing was going to have to work in my current shoes. I would not be procuring any sort of orthopedic shoe or Skecher’s. I do not live that way. The doctor said that was fine and that I should bring my most narrow show for the fitting. That’ll be just fine. My Cole-Haans and my Ferragamo’s WILL NOT collect dust in the closet like long lost toys or equipment from forgotten hobbies. Nope. Not today, Satan. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sitting around lamenting my health and getting all “Woe is me” but what I do think about is not being able to run when the zombie apocalypse comes. This is truly what I fear. Bring on the aging. It’s not that bad. But leave the walking dead out of it.

[every2piness-blog]

  Three years ago Meg and I hiked to the summit of Mount Saint Helens. We were new to hiking, and it was our first major summit.  Despite avid research, I was not prepared to climb over pumice boulders and through ash in the extreme heat.  We summited and made it home in one piece, but it was a route that seriously tested me mentally and physically.  I spent fifteen minutes on the edge of the crater crying from both misery and joy, and falling in love with Washington volcanoes. Ever since that day, I have wanted to return to the monument with Meg to backpack in the blast zone.  I knew that Dome Camp, with its view right into the crater would be the perfect spot to spend the night and reflect on how far we have come.

Mt. St. Helens and I have a rough history.  I cried up her flanks to the summit in 2014.  In 2015, I bought permits to climb to the summit again but had to cancel due to a lightning storm.  I backpacked near Spirit Lake, only to take a wrong turn at the first junction and find myself on a washout 600′ above Spirit Lake.  We bailed once it started getting too dark to make it to our campsite, the only time I have had to truly give up while backpacking.  We returned the following week and I was surprise sick; the entire first day was a blur.  I was determined to not give up again, so I pushed through and admittedly had a good second day.  This year, I hoped to break my curse, enjoy Mt. St. Helens and relished returning to the volcano with Meg. When an opportunity to snag a mid-week permit on Wednesday and Thursday to Dome Camp, with a view straight into the crater emerged, I jumped at the chance.  We were going back to Helens!

  Day 1

Boundary Trail no. 1

We arrived at Johnston Ridge Observatory at 11 am and checked in with a ranger about conditions on the trail.  The rangers didn’t know if Dome Camp still had water, so we each decided to carry 5L and bring a water filter, just in case. Given the lack of shade for the majority of the trail, we knew we would need more water than usual, and didn’t want to take risks in an unforgiving environment.

We strapped on our large packs, covered ourselves with sunscreen and walked through the parking lot to the paved trail. It felt a little ridiculous surrounded by tourists, walking on a paved trail with all of our overnight gear, but after about a quarter-mile, the trail transitioned to pumice and ash.  The trail initially traverses the ridge, then turns north, so this section of the trail was our closest view of Mt. St. Helens.  She loomed impressively large, and the landscape is desolate and hot. This area includes the direct blast zone where virtually everything was obliterated.  Unlike later in the hike, where downed or stripped trees are the norm, this section of the trail is almost all ash, pumice and a few shrubs. We alternated between hurrying to get out of the area with no shade or water, and wanting to stop and enjoy the unworldly environment.

Starting out on the Boundary Trail

Pumice, ash and shrubs

Whole lotta brown.

After walking along the ridge for a few miles, we dropped lower through mounds of pumice and ash that looked like mini volcanoes, then across another ridge, where things started to get a bit more green. A heavy, rusted bridge covered a washed out section and the trail climbed to a broad saddle.  To the right is Harry’s lookout, where the majority of the people on the trail were heading, but we turned to the left, and we began to climb up long switchbacks.

The trail was lined with strawberries and the sweetness in the air was almost overpowering. Switchback after switchback we rose above the shallow saddle until, at last, St. Helen’s Lake came into view.  We stopped for a little lunch then continued on along the backside of the foothill.  After a few more switchbacks, the trail narrowed significantly with a steep drop-off.

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Cool bridge

Strawberries!

One of many switchbacks

Foxglove lined the trail

As we rounded the corner, the trail led to a spectacular rock arch.  It dramatically framed Mt. Adams and was pretty neat to walk under.  We crossed over the ridge via the rock arch and continued traversing across the basin.  Views of Mt. St. Helens, St. Helens Lake, and Spirit Lake continued to get better and better.  The trail traversed under Coldwater Peak, and we decided to wait until for the following day to climb when we had reliable water.  The strawberries and mountain huckleberries lining the trail slowed our progress as we ate our way across the basin.

The trail continued traversing above St. Helen’s lake.  Unlike the earlier section of Boundary Trail, this region has many skeletal white trees.  Most lay flat (or floating in a lake), though others remained as truncated stumps, a mere reflection of their original massive size. We crossed many saddles that seemed like they surely must be the campsite, until we finally arrived at Dome Camp. The first tent site was on a ridge, with phenomenal views of the volcano and Spirit Lake. It was the exact spot I have been dreaming to stay since our first summit. However, there was also a cozy tent site tucked behind the ridge, in a field of wildflowers, that was even more appealing than the ridge site.

Dome Camp

While the ridge campsite had incredible views right into the crater, the wind had picked up and was gusting at about 25 mph.  We decided to pitch the tent in the sheltered area and enjoy sitting on the ridge.  This decision was validated when clouds rolled over and obscured Mt. St. Helens.  With the views quickly becoming white mist, we set out to make dinner.  We finished the Underwood can of sparkling wine–way better than the Pinot Noir–and cooked up some ravioli with dehydrated pasta sauce.  I also packed in some flourless chocolate cake for dessert, which proved to be delicious and totally worth the weight.

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Rounding the corner to Dome Camp

Our water source, small but effective

Jumping for joy-the curse is lifted!

View from the ridge

Wildflowers above the tent site.

Tent site is on the left, toilet on the left.

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Storm rolling in

Tent in its cozy home

The field right before we fell asleep

Yummy bubbles!

Day 2

Dome Camp

As the fog continued to encroach on our campsite, we crawled into bed for a solid night’s sleep.  When we woke at 6:00 the next morning, the skies were blue and Mt. St. Helens was glowing in the sunrise. I left the tent at a run, grabbing my camera and scrambling up the trail, to the viewpoint where St. Helens lake was visible. We sat enjoying the mist covering the valley below Mt. St. Helens for about an hour.  A herd of elk galloped through the meadow below us, crunching branches as they rushed past. Despite having my camera in my hands, they ran so quickly I was not able to grab a picture. In all honesty, it was my first time seeing elk in the backcountry and I simply wanted to soak it all in.  We have gone some incredible places backpacking, and seen some jaw-dropping things, but this moment at sunrise with the elk and the mist has a spot in the top five.

Eventually, the desire for coffee was stronger than the desire to sit in the warm sunshine, watching the light crawl across the valley. We returned to camp, made breakfast and packed up.  We retraced our steps above St. Helens Lake until we reached the junction to Coldwater Peak.

Coldwater Peak

With packs full of water, we were ready to climb Coldwater Peak.  The side-trail to the summit is 0.7 miles with gentle, though exposed, switchbacks.  The grade starts off very mild but gets increasingly more difficult as you get higher.  It was completely worth the quad burn it for the views, however.  In all honesty, we doubted the views would be that much better than what we could see from the normal trail, but halfway up Mt. Rainier appeared over the ridge. The craggy rocks lining the trail seemed wild and spectacular and being able to point to Coldwater Peak for the rest of the walk back and tell tourists we climbed that made it totally worth the side-trip.

With Rainier, Adams, Hood, Shasta, and of course, Mt. St. Helens all visible, it was one of the most incredible panoramas I have witnessed.  The clouds still filled the valley and we appeared to be floating above the cloudline.  We shared the summit with scientific equipment and could see our return trip stretched before us. The parking lot was both tantalizingly close and impossibly far.

Boundary Trail no. 1

We headed back down the Coldwater Peak trail and onto the Boundary Trail. We soon reached the arch again, stopped for more pictures and a rest on the cool rocks.  Pushing on, we made it back to the saddle and into the hot, treeless blast zone. We continued despite our fatigue and sun-tiredness until stopping about half a mile before the car to eat lunch.  Our lunch spot ended up being perfect; it looked directly on  a herd of elk relaxing in the sun.  They appeared to be the same group we saw that morning and they looked miserably hot on a mound of pumice. Whereas our morning group ran so rapidly we couldn’t take a picture, these elk were so still that I pulled out binoculars to make sure they were not dead.

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Fingers stained blue from huckleberries

Approaching the arch

A hillside filled with ferns

Looking at the parking lot, our final destination.

Are we there yet?

I swear there are elk in this picture.

We reached the observatory, changed into real clothes and popped into the ranger station to give them an update on the water source.  After seeing so few people over the previous two days, it was quite the culture shock to be in the busy observatory.  We attempted reading about the trail and eruption but were simply too tired.  Three hours later, we returned home, I ate a burrito and slept for a long time.

Dome Camp- Mt. St. Helens Three years ago Meg and I hiked to the summit of Mount Saint Helens. We were new to hiking, and it was our first major summit.