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Travelling The Yak Felt Trail
Jul. 20th, 2016 11:55 pmWe got back from the Yak capitol in time to catch the afternoon train in the Crystal Empire. Rarity had us all saddled with bolt after bolt of the finest yak felt cloth in bright, dazzling patterns. We were probably quite the sight, trudging through the Crystal Empire outskirts on our way home. The bolts were amazingly light, but very bulky to carry. From afar, we probably looked like giant, luridly colored tortoises with tiny legs. The cloth rode in the baggage car; loaded like we were, we wouldn't have fit through the door. Rarity made arrangements for three times more cloth to get carted to Ponyville.
I'd bought a ton of books and a bunch that I've borrowed from the Crystal castle library were waiting for me at the station. Applejack and Pinkie didn't leave empty hoofed either. They are excited about some sticky, chewy Yak pastries they'd found there. Pinkie also came back with fermented yak milk. That stuff stinks! Applejack carried her gift rocks and her pouch of wind-borne glacial till for her, so that they would retain that delicate alpine smell and not smell like sour milk. We double triple wax canvas sealed the jugs of milk so they wouldn't get on Rarity's cloth. The yak wax vendor assured us that the yak wax seal would be perfect and no yak milk would escape to harm the yak felt. Yaks are very particular about quality, although perfect sour milk is a difficult concept to grasp. Applejack also picked up some "winter wheat" seeds that she want's to try.
Moondancer is back in Canterlot by now, also saddled with books. I think she was happy that I got her out of her cramped basement office in the Department of Equinology for a fun day trip out on the ice fields of Yakyakistan. The downside was that it just wasn't the right season for snowflake collecting. We did spot a few fresh snowflakes in the higher elevations, but it's a dry period right now and most of what we found in the glacial crevasses had sublimed and fused. But the views were gorgeous. On the sunny side of the mountains there were terraced yak paddies tucked out of the wind and irrigated with glacial melt. On the frozen north-facing slopes, bobsled runs (Pinkie just had to try that). Everywhere, bright fuzzy, ground hugging flowers and organic shapes carved out of the rocks by the action of wind, water and ice. Eerie and beautiful.
Starlight Glimmer got back before we did and I found her bursting with the news that she and Sunburst think they have come up with a working solution. I've read their proposal and it has all the hallmarks of Sunburst's methodology -- it takes two ponies to cast the spell and all six of us have to be there. Starlight is so keen to cast the spell that I bet if she could have done so on her own, she'd have already cast it. The spell looks complex, but doable. I asked Spike to invite everypony over tomorrow so we can give it a try.
I'd bought a ton of books and a bunch that I've borrowed from the Crystal castle library were waiting for me at the station. Applejack and Pinkie didn't leave empty hoofed either. They are excited about some sticky, chewy Yak pastries they'd found there. Pinkie also came back with fermented yak milk. That stuff stinks! Applejack carried her gift rocks and her pouch of wind-borne glacial till for her, so that they would retain that delicate alpine smell and not smell like sour milk. We double triple wax canvas sealed the jugs of milk so they wouldn't get on Rarity's cloth. The yak wax vendor assured us that the yak wax seal would be perfect and no yak milk would escape to harm the yak felt. Yaks are very particular about quality, although perfect sour milk is a difficult concept to grasp. Applejack also picked up some "winter wheat" seeds that she want's to try.
Moondancer is back in Canterlot by now, also saddled with books. I think she was happy that I got her out of her cramped basement office in the Department of Equinology for a fun day trip out on the ice fields of Yakyakistan. The downside was that it just wasn't the right season for snowflake collecting. We did spot a few fresh snowflakes in the higher elevations, but it's a dry period right now and most of what we found in the glacial crevasses had sublimed and fused. But the views were gorgeous. On the sunny side of the mountains there were terraced yak paddies tucked out of the wind and irrigated with glacial melt. On the frozen north-facing slopes, bobsled runs (Pinkie just had to try that). Everywhere, bright fuzzy, ground hugging flowers and organic shapes carved out of the rocks by the action of wind, water and ice. Eerie and beautiful.
Starlight Glimmer got back before we did and I found her bursting with the news that she and Sunburst think they have come up with a working solution. I've read their proposal and it has all the hallmarks of Sunburst's methodology -- it takes two ponies to cast the spell and all six of us have to be there. Starlight is so keen to cast the spell that I bet if she could have done so on her own, she'd have already cast it. The spell looks complex, but doable. I asked Spike to invite everypony over tomorrow so we can give it a try.
