Quests & Challenges

@Charliex8 - I updated # 13, 23 and 24 on mine here.

I also have a question about the growing one. I planted lettuce seeds and they are supposed to germinate in 7-10 days. I'm worried they might not sprout in time. I was already growing some bell peppers in the garden. Should I take photos of those as they progress as a back-up? Or will they not count since I planted them before this challenge?

@HSoup - Points are updated ^_^ Yes, you can record the growth of an existing plant if you want :)

@Charliex8 - Great! I'll photo the peppers as a back-up in case my lettuce doesn't sprout in time. Thank you. =D

Challenge: 1. Introduce Yourself
Hello There!
My Names MiniDrachin, or short Mini (and those who can't deal with a "ch" in a name :P )
I'm doing these partly to get myself to leaving the house, as my depression is kinda preventing that, and it sounds fun. So I'm using this fun thing to get me out of my house and stuff. (although allergies are trying their best to lock me up - not this time trees!)

2. Make your Name Card
- made from an old egg container (is that what they are called?)

3. Tree and 14. Lake, pond, river or stream
mostly leaves. it hangs so nice over the water <3

4. Flower
super duper common here, I still love them.

5. An Unusual Stick
it has like 7 branches comming of roughly the same spot? never saw a thing like that

6. Clouds

7. Three different types of Leaves
I placed one on the top middle (this thin, slightly lighter one) and there are some different leaves on the ground too

8. Biggest Rock you can find and 17. Bird

9. Something you think is beautiful
it's just so... white *.*

10. Sunrise/Sunset

11. Feather

12. Fruit or Berries

13. Fungus

14. Lake, pond, river or stream - see 1.

15. Animal tracks or traces
whatever it was... it had fur. a lot of it.

16. Mammal
I tried to get a photo of a squirrel... but nope...

17. Bird - see 8.

18. Reptile, Amphibian or Fish

19. Bee, Butterfly, Dragonfly or Moth

20. Creepy Crawly
so tiny! - I had other insects but I could just not fit my card in there and still get a sharp photo of the crawler wher you could tell that it's not just dirt on the... well earth and dirt

@Charliex8 [quote=Introductions][b]Username:[/b] SparkyLurkdragon #90189 [b]Challenge:[/b] 1. Introduce Yourself 2. Make your Name Card [b]Entry:[/b] https://imgur.com/L7yTbE4 [b]Details:[/b] Hi there! I'm Sparky Lurkdragon! I live in an area of Oregon that's right at the boundary point between several biomes; we're high desert/steppe but are very close to mountain forests, and my hometown is built along and near several lakes. My favourite local birds are redwing blackbirds for their super cool call! We also have a lot of raptors, including one of the highest concentrations of bald eagles in the United States. I don't know about cryptids, but I like unicorns and (obviously) dragons. I think my favourite obscure mythological animal is the bonnacon, who perhaps I'll write more about during the 'write about a cryptid' challenge. The evil whales of Iceland are also really cool.[/quote] [quote=The Hunt!] 3. [url=https://imgur.com/OMD8MTy]Tree [/url] 4. [url=https://imgur.com/SxmoCNd]Flower[/url] Haha, I pass these poppies on the way to work every day. When Dad saw them he grumbled about how he apparently doesn't need to work as hard as he does to grow [i]his[/i] poppies if they're just growing wild! 5. [url=https://imgur.com/QGXSPwp]An Unusual Stick[/url] Look at those angles! 6. [url=https://imgur.com/zR3tRpm]Clouds [/url] 7. [url=https://imgur.com/RTnRSdU]Three different types of Leaves[/url] 8. [url=https://imgur.com/hrvx6hu]Biggest Rock you can find [/url] And someone painted it blue, at that! 9. [url=https://imgur.com/ek8xd7Y]Something you think is beautiful[/url] I'm not sure of the name, but these were little flower strings that were dropping off of [url=https://imgur.com/ULtfPmn]this tree[/url]. It was really neat to see them fall - like rain, almost. 10. [url=https://imgur.com/PH9f4Vq]Sunrise/Sunset [/url], [url=https://imgur.com/aRyrJiW]namecard proof[/url] 11. [url=https://imgur.com/4C16w9N]Feather[/url] 12. [url=https://imgur.com/vVlYryn]Fruit or Berries [/url] Well. Pinecones. And baby pinecones! 13.[url=https://imgur.com/2m5FQEY] Fungus [/url] Some lichen on a tree! 14. [url=https://imgur.com/X6RYVbu]Lake, pond, [b]river[/b] or stream [/url] I hope canals count! It provides a lot of habitat for local and transient waterfowl, including ducks (mallards, mostly), Canada geese, redwing blackbirds, and swifts. 15. [url=https://imgur.com/otT0XIR]Animal tracks or traces [/url] I am not good enough with scat to know what in the world this came out of, but it's definitely something's poop! 16. Mammal: [url=https://imgur.com/av9NGcW]Closeup[/url], [url=https://imgur.com/Mdu0kEu]distance shot with background[/url],[url=https://imgur.com/svkDqyA] namecard proof[/url] The mammals were by far the hardest for me to find. I mean, there are plenty of mammals around, but they're all domesticated. These are some little critters variously called marmots, rockchucks, woodchucks, or ground squirrels. Given everything finds them tasty they didn't like the idea of a large predator walking down their nature trail. 17. [url=https://imgur.com/smFk8Sr]Bird[/url] The local mourning doves let people get fairly close to them. 18. [url=https://imgur.com/mutYVSL][b]Reptile[/b], Amphibian or Fish [/url] I tried to get a picture of this very well-camouflaged tadpole I saw, but [i]this[/i]! This was a much better find! 19. [url=https://imgur.com/R6r16xj]Butterfly[/url] Flittery little white butterfly! And [url=https://imgur.com/NxVN5Ig]the proof this was me[/url]. It's not the same angle, but you can see the same fence and greens, and the pipe holding the fence up. 20. [url=https://imgur.com/DbstrEG]Creepy Crawly [/url] A little beetle friend I found near the canal! [/quote] [quote] 21.[url=https://imgur.com/436oQxq] Go Litter Picking[/url] Grody, dude! This was the first bit of trash I picked up. Some other finds included a lighter nearby, a bunch of unopened ketchup packets with matching empty fry boxes, some chip bags, and a styrofoam takeout box. 22. [url=https://imgur.com/aEtgLyc]Go on a Picnic [/url] While exploring for the hunt, I found a nice little bakery I didn't know about! So I got a muffin and had it in the park. 23. Research Invasive Species in your Country 24. [url=https://imgur.com/KZN55Jg]Grow Something! [/url] I've been meaning to get some cat grass started, so here we go! The instructions said to let them soak in a bowl of shallow water until the soil was damp, so here they are doing just so. The seeds are already [url=https://imgur.com/xnLhKfd]A Very Interesting Smell[/url], according to Urist! 25. [url=https://imgur.com/pQkSfrP]Feed or water your local wildlife [/url] Had some raisens that I tossed at the local ducks. I think I picked a location where they don't get fed as much, but a few dived down for the treats, and a little way down the lakeshore I hung out with some other folks passing out corn for a few minutes. (There was Not Enough Corn for one of the Canada geese, who hissed at us. Anyone who thinks the dinosaurs are extinct has never met a goose.) [/quote] [quote=Creative Challenges] 26. Write a Story [b]Heads up:[/b] Story contains hunting and copious amounts of toilet humour. [i][u]15 Flamecaller, outskirts of Clans Goldiron and Young Diamond[/u][/i] Well, now that it's clear no one's in real danger, time to log the hunt report for today. Hunt-Leader Rusty always has such a bad habit of striking before assessing the situation, and today she got burned pretty bad for it. She's going to be fine, and if she's never going to laugh about it, I already am, which is why this report is in the private journal and Red can do the public write up. Bless my mate for keeping us both in check, ha ha ha. So, there we were, following some weird sign along a recently cooled lava flow. It looked for all the world like a cowpat, but the edges were seared. I thought it was probably just because we're in the Flamecaller's lands, but the sisters weren't so sure. Still, we kept following. An aurochs or bison would feed us very well, after all. Red was the first one to spot it, and it was the goofiest-looking herbivore I have ever seen, and I have seen some [u]goofy[/u] herbivores. It looked more or less like an aurouchs, but had a long mane like an equine, and the horns! I couldn't begin to think what this thing might do with its horns. Certainly they weren't going to defend it very well: they grew in all these loops that meant that anyone could bump up against them harmlessly, the points growing inward and not coiled tightly enough to be very good at ramming. Red didn't want to take any chances with it, so Rusty and Runedmoon took distraction while Red and I circled around to the back of it. But when Runey and Rusty showed themselves to get it to move toward us, it did something really weird: it turned its big rump to them and started twirling its tail. Runey didn't like it and retreated, but you know Rusty. She yelled at it to try and get it to turn around so Red and I would have a clear shot at it, but nothing doing, it just twirled its tail harder. So Rusty- - I can't write down how hard this makes me laugh looking back - - so Rusty charges its backside since she figures maybe Red and I were too exposed and had its attention or something, and before she's halfway across the field...! Oh, good taste prevents me from writing it down even here, but [u]oh boy[/u] we found out it wasn't the [u]lava[/u] that scorched that sign we found earlier. Luckily Rusty always wears basic protective armour when she's hunting, but that set was completely ruined and she still had some burns to nurse afterwards. On the upside, the distraction let Red and I get close enough to dispatch the beast, and we'll be tanning the hide and getting the head mounted. Hopefully someone local knows what the heck this thing was! [right]-Tom of the Red-Snout Clan[/right] [u][i]17 Flamecaller, Den of Matriarch Ardorei of Clan Goldiron[/i][/u] We've got a name for our mystery beast! Apparently it's known as a bonnacon and even the locals tend to give them a berth: the... defences it uses are not only hot, but acidic as well. Apparently Fire dragons say of the bonnacon, "However much his fore end does not defend him, his belly end is amply sufficient." I am going to be laughing for weeks! [right]-Tom of the Red-Snout Clan[/right] ----- 27. Describe your Walk 28. Make something using Natural Materials 29. [url=https://imgur.com/WY2Qdio]Nature Rubbings [/url] All but the one in the lower left are from trees. The last one is from a rock with an interesting texture! 30. [url=https://imgur.com/jIaYYGy]Draw a plant or animal[/url] I drew a big ol' Canada goose who was completely unafraid of me. Here's [url=https://imgur.com/wsLGWIe]the photo I referenced[/url], which I took myself! [/quote] [quote=The Final Challenge] 31. Create a Cryptid 32. Photograph a Cryptid! Everyone knows that dragons live in Oregon (I live here, after all), but the exact ecology of the locals is disputed. It's thought that we're too far inland for pine longs, after all, but if you've been here long enough you've seen a few. Despite their great size, they're quite shy, and seeing one during the day is rare but does happen sometimes, especially on overcast spring days. Their wings are vestigial and mostly only used for displays, combined with a raised head crest: an agitated pine long will square up its shoulders, dip its head to show off its crest, and rustle its mane vigorously. They're mainly piscivores near the coast, but I've seen the ones around here snap birds out of the air, and small pets need to be kept away. There are no records of them eating humans, but all the same it's best to be respectful if you encounter them. Just because something won't eat you doesn't mean they won't mess you up if they have a problem with you. Oh? You want photographic proof? Well! I! Have! [url=https://imgur.com/dX5xql8]PHOTOGRAPHIC! PROOF![/url] Accusations that it's just [url=https://imgur.com/9EUuy1g]a weird tree[/url] in a nursery near me are of course lies and slander. [/quote]

@MiniDrachin - Hi there ^_^ I'm so glad to see you got outside to enjoy some time with nature. I have depression too so I know how hard it can be...I love your egg carton name card! Great find finding that big pile of fur! Looks like something had a good meal to me!

@SparkyLurkdragon - OMG! I love your dragon mask! It's so cool! Sounds like you live in just the right spot for a scavenger hunt! Good luck!

@Charliex8 Added number 8, 13, 17, 19 & 20!
here

@Charliex8

Finished 5, 6, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27, and 30!
Quick question, would a short video of a bird flying work? I can't get a good picture, although if the vultures will cooperate I may be able to get a picture of them. Also, instead of fruits or berries would a nut do? Like an acorn?

@Charliex8

What mask? ;) Thank you! I don't get out as much as I would like, so this is a nice excuse to go on some nature hikes.

I've added 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 22 to my original post.

Also, do pine cones count as fruit? They serve about the same purpose and most of the trees around here are conifers.

@Charliex8 First set of entries and two questions - one is probably a silly question.
Question 1: Our neighbors have a chicken coop that borders on our fence. Do those count for the Bird entry, or are they too close to being pets?
Question 2 (the silly one): For the Leaf entry, can the leaves be on the plant, and should the three types be in the vicinity of each other?

Username: Leopardmask
Challenge: 4. Flower
Entry: (Link to entry goes here)
Details: We have lots of flowers blooming in our yard and neighborhood, but fuchsia is one of the more unusual ones! This one grows under a tree near our driveway and has bloomed every year as long as I can remember.

Challenge: 6. Clouds
Entry: (Link to entry goes here)
Details: Evening lighting is cool :)

Challenge: 12. Fruits/Berries
Entry: (Link to entry goes here)
Details: Still-green apricots on a tree in our front yard. They usually ripen around August.