Chit-Chat: Clubhouse Coffee Lounge

[Caite-chan]

I'm actually working on CSS for this club in my Scrapbox right now! :D Since I'm putting it together, are there any recommendations you guys have for the club? :)

EDIT: I'd be more than happy to incorporate entomology as well!

Could always do a photo of the week and as always can throw VPP in there.

 

[Hyzenthlay]

Could always do a photo of the week and as always can throw VPP in there.

Yup, I was going to add a little gallery in the opening post that showcases any photographs and artwork members share! In this club you also begin a garden by joining, choosing your favourite plant to grow, and your garden flourishes the more you contribute! I'm still working on that aspect! :)

As for VPP, would you like the club to offer Grass and Bug-types, or themed Pokemon in general, such as the Flabebe line? ^_^

 

[Caite-chan]

Yup, I was going to add a little gallery in the opening post that showcases any photographs and artwork members share! In this club you also begin a garden by joining, choosing your favourite plant to grow, and your garden flourishes the more you contribute! I'm still working on that aspect! :)

As for VPP, would you like the club to offer Grass and Bug-types, or themed Pokemon in general, such as the Flabebe line? ^_^

I could always toss in Grass and Bug types or even pick out theme Pokémon. I van go through and pick out all the outdoorsy Pokémon...lol.

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I'm actually working on CSS for this club in my Scrapbox right now! :D Since I'm putting it together, are there any recommendations you guys have for the club? :)

EDIT: I'd be more than happy to incorporate entomology as well!

I was just chatting with Icycatelf, told me they were down with that idea. A nature club where entomology is also welcome sounds like a good balance. I can't wait to see what you cook up. Welcome back to the forum!

 

[pkmin3033]

So I have actually been meaning to post in here for a while but you know when you have a thing you intend to do and you procrastinate on it then forget about it only to suddenly remember it later and quietly curse and feel too awkward to do it but then later on you just decide to do it anyway because you can always delete it later if it doesn't work out and this is a really long sentence woops

A nature club sounds like fun...I was kinda sad that the birdwatching club never picked up much traction, I used to birdwatch all the time as a kid and I've never had anyone to talk to about it. I also used to watch a lot of nature documentaries, my old house was right next to a river I probably depopulated of all fish at least once a week, and I sometimes take random (bad) pictures of wildlife on my phone when I'm out.

A long-held idle thought of mine has been to have a Video Game Music Club, with bi-weekly themed battles, monthly game highlights, and general sharing, but I doubt there's enough interest for it. xD

 

[Hyzenthlay]

I was just chatting with Icycatelf, told me they were down with that idea. A nature club where entomology is also welcome sounds like a good balance. I can't wait to see what you cook up. Welcome back to the forum!

I'm not sure if I'm owner material, but would anyone be interested in joining (or running) an insect/entomology club? One of my favorite hobbies is looking for and taking pics of insects, especially moths and caterpillars! Or maybe a general "outdoors exploration" club where we can share anything interesting we find outside (animals, plants, rocks/fossils, old items, etc).

I'm just revising the club to better incorporate the entomology theme (I'm a perfectionist so bear with me haha)!

Icy, would you like to help run the club? I've seen how passionate you are about entomology and I think you'd be great at creating discussions and events! I was thinking about starting the club with an easy task, like finding and documenting an insect/plant that interests you, or one that is simply in your area, then posting about what you found in the club? Maybe with a photo, some research, things like that? What do you think? :)

So I have actually been meaning to post in here for a while but you know when you have a thing you intend to do and you procrastinate on it then forget about it only to suddenly remember it later and quietly curse and feel too awkward to do it but then later on you just decide to do it anyway because you can always delete it later if it doesn't work out and this is a really long sentence woops

A nature club sounds like fun...I was kinda sad that the birdwatching club never picked up much traction, I used to birdwatch all the time as a kid and I've never had anyone to talk to about it. I also used to watch a lot of nature documentaries, my old house was right next to a river I probably depopulated of all fish at least once a week, and I sometimes take random (bad) pictures of wildlife on my phone when I'm out.

A long-held idle thought of mine has been to have a Video Game Music Club, with bi-weekly themed battles, monthly game highlights, and general sharing, but I doubt there's enough interest for it. xD

Ahaha, I know that feeling completely!

I also love birds and I was thinking of starting up a wildlife club that discusses all kinds of animals, but is more separate from pets! And I love the idea of a music club and know that Astronaut and Meadow are also really eager! In fact, Astronaut and I talked about co-hosting the club but then things got busy, you know how it is. ^^;

If you're interested in creating this club, may I recommend broadening it out to a general soundtrack club? I think that would gain more of an audience!

 

[icycatelf]

I'm just revising the club to better incorporate the entomology theme (I'm a perfectionist so bear with me haha)!

Icy, would you like to help run the club? I've seen how passionate you are about entomology and I think you'd be great at creating discussions and events! I was thinking about starting the club with an easy task, like finding and documenting an insect/plant that interests you, or one that is simply in your area, then posting about what you found in the club? Maybe with a photo, some research, things like that? What do you think? :)

I'm not sure what I could contribute helping to run the club, but I'd definitely be an active poster since I'm going out almost daily to find insects (among other things). I do have an idea for a potential contest though (it ties in with Pokémon), and National Moth Week is coming up very soon.

 

[Dragon]

So, I know I just made a Cooking Club, but I secretly had another... Club in mind that I wanted to do...
Sooo...Would anyone be interested in an Eevee & Eeveelution Club?

As the name suggests, the club is for discussions related to Eevee and its evolutions. I'm a big fan of the Eevee family sooo, it'd be cool to meet more fans of these adorable pokemon. I could leave it as a simple discussion club, but...

... And now hear me out on this, maybe I can combine it into like a adoption thread(where you can raise your own member of the eevee family), with a given.. setting?


By setting, well, I'll need to explain that thoroughly. Before I had an idea for something called the Travelers' Club:

Spoiler:

I'm not sure how much my club idea will be popular but...

I'm thinking of a travellers club? Basically a club to talk about different cities, towns, countries.. and the love to travel in general. Would anyone be interested in that? Though here's where my idea for this might get a bit.. obscure? I figure, doing a club like this could be good as a premise, though I was also mulling ideas to add some "oomph" to it.

So my idea is, to call it a sort of "Traveller's Guild". The travellers guild is basically a means to introduce the travel club in general; it's coated in a world built setting.

The club members would be called a 'crew' and the setting has a sort of backstory; the guild members dream to sail around the world for treasure and adventures.

I can assign different roles for each crew member (if they are interested), for example, a "navigator" would be another name for event organizer(s), a "treasurer" would be another name for a role who can help supply prizes, a "astral magician" could with things like CSS, banners, etc. And so on like that. I can of course help to oversee everything. Of course this club will have things like events, prizes, and it can structure the crew members to ranks in accordance to how many places they travel to, or explain the places they want to see, or just talk about different countries or their desire to travel in general.

It's a work in progress, but all in all, this I think could be a fun way to help get members more involved, but.. what do you guys think? Would you like something like this?

And so... I was thinking of taking some lessons and experience on making a club from this, and maybe apply some concepts to the eeveelution club.

This would be like... the setting for the club:

Spoiler:

Backstory
背景故事

The young warrior had finally awaken. He hadn't been so far from the village before his long journey of enlightenment, but he found himself strolling through the farmlands, to crossing rivers, and even to scaling mountains. He had very little resources and worn out clothes, practically the only thing keeping him strong was his loyal partner, Eevee. Eevee had helped him kept his master awake from his weakness, as the duo pressed on. Soon the clear night sky got cloudy, and rain began to pour, followed up by lighting. If they weren't careful, the wind would cause rock avalanches, and ultimately tie into their own downfall. The rain wasn't letting up. But they had to keep going, for his road to enlightenment was ahead.

The only moment the young warrior could recall before being passed out: they soon sought their sight upon ancient scriptures in a peculiar rock formation. That was when they saw it -- the thunder and lighting were closer and louder, as he soon saw what it seemed like a gigantic rainbow winged bird. There was then a gigantic cry from the bird, as it then released its powerful sacred flame in the distance, almost making the duo lose their balance, as the rocks crumbled. He didn't know where the bird was aiming towards, but as soon as he knew it, the bird flapped its monstrous wings and flew off towards the distance. The warrior couldn't keep his eyes open as he went to a state of unconsciousness then, the only thing he remembered, the rainbow feathers from the bird glowing once again anew.


The Yōko Region
該地區洋子

Reminiscent of a feudal Chinese society, The Yōko Region had always admired tradition above all else. It's on a fairly large island separating it from the rest of the world's ideals and traditions, as the people in the region always stuck to their own beliefs. Lakes and small rivers greatly inhibit this region, with the towns and cities built around most of them. Their towns and cities are generally fairly big, housing loads of shops, and trading opportunities for tourists, and traders from other regions to enjoy. As such, The Yōko Region truly flourished into a society that is popular and well known worldwide, as it's sole purpose was to help others. This wouldn't be possible without their royal court, led by their benevolent Queen.

The Yōko Region was a custom region I made some years ago, where eevee was honored as a "pokemon of light" because of a trainer who saved the world with his partner Eevee.

Spoiler:

Yōko Tradition
傳統洋子

Dating from hundreds of years ago, the people in the Yōko region always admired the pokemon Eevee and the pokemon Eevee can evolve into. That's because long ago, the region of Yōko was barren. It was believed that a great hero used the power of Eevee and the members of the Eevee evolution family used their powers to summon a great, legendary rainbow bird pokemon in order to make the land flourish with vegetation, water, and thus, more pokemon were able to make Yōko their habitat. So, it's believed that owning and Eevee, or any branch family member would make a person very lucky in their life. not everyone believed this tale in Yōko, but Eevee was still beloved by all the same, as proven by their annual Eevee festivals, celebrating Eevee and its branch pokemon.

So, the main purpose of the club, combined with this setting, I can set up a system like...

You fist sign up, and you can choose of your first partner Pokémon:

And there can be... optional events and activities where you can interact and raise your adoptable eevee family pokemon., like helping out the club, participating actively in discussions, etc. In my custom region, there is a monthly 'champion' of the region, based on who contributed the most or who stood out, etc.

There can be cute events of the club are based from the custom region too... like, for example, an "Eevee New Year"(which is like, an eeveelution version of the Chinese New Year Zodiac).

This is a rough idea pulled from my head; maybe this might be a bit too complex, but either way, would anyone be interested in an Eeveelution Club of sorts?

 

[Hyzenthlay]

I'm not sure what I could contribute helping to run the club, but I'd definitely be an active poster since I'm going out almost daily to find insects (among other things). I do have an idea for a potential contest though (it ties in with Pokémon), and National Moth Week is coming up very soon.

No worries, whatever suits you best! This will be a pretty relaxed club, so whether or not you're co-host, there's no need to consult with me if you want dive right into creating events, especially when they have a set time period (like Moth Week, which I'm now looking forward to!). I really want to encourage everyone to contribute in this way, not just the hosts. ^^

So, I know I just made a Cooking Club, but I secretly had another... Club in mind that I wanted to do...
Sooo...Would anyone be interested in an Eevee & Eeveelution Club?

It sounds really creative and I enjoy the role-play like side to it! I'm a huge fan of the Eeveelutions so I'd happily join this club! :)

Which reminds me, I've got to sign up to the cooking club~!

 

[Caite-chan]

Anything Eeveelutions is FTW and needs to be made no matter what.

*Gimmie gimmie hands*

 

[VisionofMilotic]

A nature club sounds like fun...I was kinda sad that the birdwatching club never picked up much traction, I used to birdwatch all the time as a kid and I've never had anyone to talk to about it. I also used to watch a lot of nature documentaries, my old house was right next to a river I probably depopulated of all fish at least once a week, and I sometimes take random (bad) pictures of wildlife on my phone when I'm out.

A long-held idle thought of mine has been to have a Video Game Music Club, with bi-weekly themed battles, monthly game highlights, and general sharing, but I doubt there's enough interest for it. xD

Birdwatching is definitely an activity that could be celebrated in Hyzenthlay's new nature club along with lots of fun past times involving the great outdoors and our wildlife. I hope to see you gather with us in the woods!

And yes, I thought the Birding club was an interesting idea too, and is a nice little gem tucked away in The Clubhouse. While the nature club will be here, that doesn't mean you can't give the Birding club a revisit. They're related but still different enough that both could exist. Though the club has gone inactive, as long as there's not another club on the exact topic clubs can always be bumped, and new conversations can start at any time. We also allow for ownership transfer if a club owner no longer has plans to maintain a club, then you can potentially inherit the club from them if you would be interested in leading the club and past owner has no objection. Jo and I have an official deed we give out when clubs change hands.

Also I like the video games music clubs. I'm one of those people that searches YOUTUBE listening to theme songs fron favorite games. I'd join that club in a heartbeat.

So, I know I just made a Cooking Club, but I secretly had another... Club in mind that I wanted to do...
Sooo...Would anyone be interested in an Eevee & Eeveelution Club?

This a really creative undertaking. We have had some interest in an Eeveelutions club before. I know that Ninetales put that idea out there not too long ago, but I'm not sure if this is still something she's working on. Plans change sometimes. So before I approve this one let me make sure there isn't already one in the mix. But one way or another it looks like there's going to be a cool fangroup for this unique line of Pokémon on our forum.

 

[icycatelf]

(like Moth Week, which I'm now looking forward to!)

Did you do any moth-watching for National Moth Week? It ended at midnight last night. Here's a montage of some of the cooler species that showed up at my decklight, including a few new ones:

Spoiler:

 

[Hyzenthlay]

Did you do any moth-watching for National Moth Week? It ended at midnight last night. Here's a montage of some of the cooler species that showed up at my decklight, including a few new ones:

Spoiler:

I did indeed look out for moths! Unfortunately only a one or two ordinary brown moths showed up, nothing note-worthy, but then I don't often see them in the middle of winter. Still, we do get some interesting ones, including the beautiful (and adorable) Emperor Gum Moth! I have some pictures of two other kinds I don't know the name of, which were very pretty!

But wow, I am in awe of the number of exquisite moths in your area! The rosy maple is my all-time favourite! They area all so stunning! I'm sorry I don't have the club up yet, but I'd love to add your photos to the club gallery if that's okay. ^^

Here are my pictures:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

 

[icycatelf]

I did indeed look out for moths! Unfortunately only a one or two ordinary brown moths showed up, nothing note-worthy, but then I don't often see them in the middle of winter. Still, we do get some interesting ones, including the beautiful (and adorable) Emperor Gum Moth! I have some pictures of two other kinds I don't know the name of, which were very pretty!

But wow, I am in awe of the number of exquisite moths in your area! The rosy maple is my all-time favourite! They area all so stunning! I'm sorry I don't have the club up yet, but I'd love to add your photos to the club gallery if that's okay. ^^

Here are my pictures:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

The Rosy Maple is also my favorite (it's the species that got me into mothing) but—WOW—that Karri Moth is awesome! I love seeing green moths. I've looked through pics of some of Australia's moths before and I'm jealous of how many AMAZING species there are! (The purple-sheened Granny's Cloak Moth is one I remember sticking out to me.)

Yep, feel free to include any of my photos in the gallery. If you'd like, I could try putting together another montage featuring some of my favorite and flashiest moths, not just those I got this moth week.

EDIT: I went ahead and made the other montage

Spoiler:

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I was going out to my garden to pick some fresh basil. Seeing all these inspiring photos of nature makes me want to stay outdoors just a bit longer today.

While we are on the subject of insects, I wish to share something that was sent to me by a friend that just delighted me.

This is a top 10 list of beautiful butterflies of the world. Which one caught your eye the most?



I was fond of the green dragontail butterfly. They looked as though they had long pieces of silk fabric trailing behind them as they fluttered about. I liked the dead leaf butterfly the most of all though. I took a fancy to that one because their outer wings truly do look like fallen leaves in autumn. I could see easily how one might mistake this butterfly for a leaf, and would love to see a pokemon inspired by it. Then seeing the inner wing makes this insect that much more remarkable. It's such a surprise when those wings open and the colors it displays are indeed gorgeous. The one highlighted in the video looked like the inside of the wings were half blue morpho and the other half monarch butterfly. Truly a colorful one.

 

[icycatelf]

This is a top 10 list of beautiful butterflies of the world. Which one caught your eye the most?

Barring the Coffee Bee Hawkmoth (since I'm partial to moths), I'm leaning toward the Sylphina Angel. The Dead Leaf Butterfly is the most "interesting" one though and definitely deserves to have a Pokémon based on it! I could see it evolving from a Pokémon based on stick caterpillars (geometrid moth caterpillars that mimic twigs).

Too bad most of the butterflies in the video don't occur here. My favorite local butterfly—in terms of visuals, at least—is probably the Common Buckeye Butterfly.

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I am fortunate to live in area that has the butterfly species that was crowned most beautiful on that top ten list, the Monarch butterfly. We saw a few earlier this summer during the migration. They are a vulnerable species, and we keep milkweed around here because they love it, and can't survive and lay their eggs without it. I have gone to butterfly exhibits and fed our monarchs, the taste of Gatorade will draw them to you.

While waiting for the nature club to launch I guess we can continue sipping tea on the veranda here, and discussing the outdoors. I posted here today because I have some questions that I would love input from any nature explorers out there to help me come to the right solution.

I saw something outside my window recently. At first I thought it was a bee. It was spending a lot of time hovering around my window. I took a closer look and saw half a dozen or more "bees" gathering around the overhanging of the roof just above my window. They covered what looked like a small honeycomb without any honey fused to the side of the house on the eaves. I realized that these weren't bees when I got near, they were larger, leaner, smooth-skinned didn't have the hair, just shiny black and yellow patterns. They were wasps, and I was looking at a nest they had build right under our very nose. The cells of the cone I can see are filled with eggs/larvae. I believe these are paper wasps.

Spoiler:

I'm pondering what the safest and most environmentally-friendly course of action is. I am not afraid of wasp or two flying by, but I don't want an infestation.

Currently they are just minding their own business, but I am worried about them coming indoors. From what I hear wasps can chew through many different types of surfaces, and I live in an old house in need of a truckload of repairs and renovations. The window they are outside of is not insulated properly. The screen was taken out at one point to install an air-conditioner, and never put back in, so there's just one barrier of wood and glass. There's also a cavity at the top of the window frame that is just barely sealed. If these insects were determined to get in then there's virtually nothing stopping them from doing so.

However, I have read that wasps would probably only do something like that in a situation where they were cornered/sealed in and there's no other way back outside, so they chew through a ceiling or wall in confusion in search of an exit. That isn't the case here. My whole backyard is at their disposal, so hopefully there is no reason for them to get confused or aggressive and fly into the house. They would rather be outside.

I would rather not try to remove the nest if I don't have to. For one wasps are pollinators and we have a garden with lots of flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits, as do our neighbors. So their presence does a service to the environment. And I would rather not harm living things in any case when it can be avoided.

Also removing the wasp nest is not something I see a simple and safe solution to right off the bat. They're near the second story roof. I'm not comfortable being up high, and I don't have protective gear for a job like this.

I'm reluctant to call a professional to handle this also because they will likely spray insecticides and my family doesn't want that in the environment indoor or outdoor. We're growing things we eat here, and we have pets who go outside and could be affected, so things are kept as natural in this household as possible.

Is the wasp nest likely to be a danger to me if I just leave it alone? Autumn is starting, and paper wasps fly away and die at the end of the season except for the queen I believe, who will hibernate. Maybe it would be best to just let nature take its course? My hope is that they will abandon the nest soon. Is that reasonable to expect, or will they keep reproducing and building the nest bigger and bigger until I have a situation that I can no longer control?

 

[icycatelf]

*snip*

Yar, we've also got Monarchs. Found several of their chrysalises in the backyard a couple summers ago.

Spoiler:

As for the wasps, I'd worry if it was right outside your door where going in/out could disturb the nest, but I imagine that you'll be fine with the nest on your window. I saw some colorful Guinea Paper Wasps working on their nest last year and they let me hover under them and take pics without getting aggressive. I've also got a few nests on my side overhang and have never had any wasps swoop down and attack while I walked by.

I'm under the impression that they will not build onto a pre-existing nest, else I'd imagine that we'd have some HUGE nests around here. I read on one site that abandoned nests may actually deter other wasps from building their nests there, but I'm not sure how many species that applies to.

 

[Ninetales]

Considering making an ice type or a psychic type club!! Perhaps both! ^-^

 

[VisionofMilotic]

Considering making an ice type or a psychic type club!! Perhaps both! ^-^

I would join both of these! A Pokemon club is virtually always a win. You are approved!!