April Moore

Adventurer, dilettante, and reluctant web analytics heroine. I tweet about costumes, art, gardening, sci-fi/fantasy & music. Sometimes about data and analytics.

[April Moore @AprilDMoore]

Meanwhile, in the garden...

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We have several species of native American Asters growing in the #distillery's picnic area, about half of which were growing there originally. This year, we're collecting seeds from many of them, so we can sow them in the area that was damaged by utility work earlier this year.

[Samurai Shiba @SamuraiShibaJP]

There's a saying on American social media:

"Be the American that Japanese people think you are."

I'm Japanese. I've lived in Tokyo my whole life.

So let me tell you what we actually say about you, when you're not in the room.

"When someone falls down on the street, we pretend not to see. We're protecting their pride. Americans run straight at them. They don't care about the pride. They care about the knee." (Office worker, 38)

"An American will stop four lanes of traffic for a family of ducks. And then everyone in the cars claps for the ducks." (Taxi driver, 61)

"If you lend an American a pen, you will never see it again. If you need a kidney, they'll ask your blood type." (Nurse, 45)

"At kids' soccer games, they cheer when the other team's kid scores. The other team's parents look confused. Then they cheer too." (Youth soccer coach, 52, lived one year in Ohio)

"A man sneezed on a bus in Chicago. Eleven strangers said 'Bless you.' He said 'thank you' eleven times. Nobody on that bus thought this was strange." (University student, 21)

"At an airport in Texas, I watched a soldier try to pay for his lunch. The cashier said someone already had. He asked who. She said, 'Somebody who didn't want you to know.'" (Retired teacher, 70)

"American fathers cannot braid hair. But they will watch a video at midnight for an hour so their daughter's hair looks right on picture day." (Hair stylist, 33)

"I ran the Chicago Marathon once. Strangers stood in the cold for hours holding signs for people they will never meet. At mile 20, a man I'd never seen read the name off my bib and screamed it like he'd raised me." (Runner, 48)

"When Americans get lost, they ask a stranger. If the stranger is also lost, they become a team." (Tour guide, 39)

"They ask the waitress her name. And then they remember it." (Restaurant owner, 66)

And one more. From my father. He's 76. He doesn't say much about anything. This is the longest thing I have ever heard him say about another country.

"Every time something terrible happens in America, I watch the news, and I look for one thing.

The people running toward it.

There are always so many."

So, America.

You don't have to become the Americans we think you are.

We're not imagining you.

We're remembering you.

[April Moore @AprilDMoore]

@GWmag A complete redesign! 😅

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We won't compost these Hardy Orange seeds; this is one plant we don't need to spread around unintentionally! But sometimes we do harvest the peels as well. It just depends on which ingredient we need for our next experiment.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

One of the reasons we dislike Hardy Orange is because each tiny orange has hundreds of seeds and only a tiny amount of juice. But a great way to reduce the amount of seeds that hit the ground is to harvest them!

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We collected a few hardy oranges #downonthefarm to replenish our stock of highly acidic orange juice from these exotic invaders. We use the juice and peels of these as a substitute for orange juice, bitter orange, and orange peel in our recipes.

[April Moore @AprilDMoore]

@GWmag "Precious Little Pink" bearded iris

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We talk a lot about the different fruits and botanicals we use, but the one we've spent the most time on is undoubtedly the Jimmy Red corn we use to make our whiskey. We think it's incredibly special, not just because of its heritage, but also because we grow it #downonthefarm.

[Donnie K "Trucken Marine" @TruckenUSMC]

If wrestling is fake then explain this...

[Jokes UK 🔞 @jokesuk]

This wins Halloween 😂

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

Do you know what's in your whiskey? Well, we know exactly what goes into ours. The farm's corn, the farm's springwater and Middle Tennessee-grown wheat and barley. And, in just over three more years, you'll be able to taste that difference too!

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

There's wild beauty to appreciate everywhere #downonthefarm so, when we need a break from our work, we just step a few feet away to enjoy it. This patch of native Goldenrod and Helenium is just below the orchard and right beside our springhouse.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We've let the pectin do its work on our persimmon fruit and juice, what winemakers refer to as "must", for the last 24 hours. Now, we're ready to see how much alcohol potential it has before we add our yeast.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

A few years ago, we harvested native elderflowers and elderberries #downonthefarm. After those first experiments, we were eager to use them again, but we need to plant a whole lot more if we're going to harvest enough for wine! We'll grow these on for a year before planting them.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

Our highest priority has always been to use the farm's limestone spring water as the main ingredient for our products. We've been waiting for weeks and, finally, we've received the latest water test results. But we still haven’t heard if the State will let us use it or not!

[David Austin Roses @DAustinRoses]

Roses can turn an archway into a beautiful entrance, framing the path with colour and fragrance.
Find out how to choose and grow the right roses for your arch: https://t.co/58W9oiIzkY
#RoseWednesday #DavidAustinRoses

[BBC Gardeners' World Mag @GWmag]

October is the time to get new plants in before winter – here are some of our top tips for autumn planting success: https://t.co/aSjQ9kVNMH

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

This statuesque #wildflower is native Helianthus maximiliani, Maximilian's Sunflower, which loves full sun and thrives in prairies with infertile soils. This clump will expand in time, filling the limestone outcrops beside the distillery with golden flowers each October.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

Pectin has proven to be extremely useful when making wine from these fibrous persimmons. We want to get as much sugar out of them as possible to make the best quality wine. Then, after we've left it for 24 hours to work its magic, we'll add our yeast.

[Engineered Spirits @EngineerdSpirit]

We've found that using pectin helps us make better wine, in the same way it helps you make better jams or jellies. But we have to use it at just the right temperature if we want it to be effective.