NYT Spelling Bee

[ab_grp]

Finally got to GN4L, 6 words to go, but not yet at Alpha.

Yay, cathwen! I'm glad you will get to go home soon! Congrats on your 2fer, too!

Still trying to crack the NW of the crossword! I'm getting a bit here and there, but geez.  At least I got the sudokus done.

[Langue_doc]

Hooray, cathwen!

ab_grp it was one of the words in the NW corner that reminded me of your vent.

Crack of dawn outing tomorrow, so I might not get to the puzzles or the fora until late afternoon. I have to take three subways in three boroughs to get to the meeting place. The transfers are all on the same platforms, so I won't be wasting time or energy going up and down multiple stairs and passages. I'm looking forward to the trip as I don't usually get to visit this area.

[ab_grp]

Langue_doc, thanks for pointing that out! I was so glad to have actually finished the crossword that I didn't even notice.  I hope your very early outing goes well tomorrow.  It is good to hear that you don't have to run hither and yon with so many subways involved.  Will keep an eye out for you more toward late afternoon.

Made it to QB-1 and am hoping for QBABM.  And I got a 2fer! It is a little weird, though, so I might keep looking.  I also have a call with a pal this afternoon, though.

[ciao_yall]

QBWATHICG. Probably could have done it ABM but I was brain-dead.

Now to drink wine and watch TV.

[Parasaurolophus]

The rental units are visiting for the first time in nearly three years, so I've not had much time to puzzle. But I got to genius and found what's probably half a 2fer.

[ciao_yall]

Morning!

QB yesterday. Last word was something dorky like comfort.

LB - bulwarks-softly.

Happy puzzling!

[cathwen]

Good afternoon!

I also got bulwarks-softly for LB.  No solution yet for today.

I got to QB yesterday WATHICG.  Today I am at genius with two pangrams. 

Langue_doc, enjoy your outing!  What luck that the subway transfers are easy ones.

Parasaurolophus, enjoy the visit!  This must be the first time they've seen the baby.  I predict a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing.

Happy puzzling!

[ab_grp]

Good morning/afternoon!

Got to GN4L but still 4 words to go, missing one pangram, not at Alpha.  It won't take some of my suggested pangrams.  Yesterday my final one was tortoni, which I thought I had tried and will have to remember with rotini.

For LB I got walkabouts-surfy.  I didn't think the latter was a great mate, but our schedules got shifted again yesterday, and I didn't get time to find another.  Never saw bulwarks!

Parasaurolophus, I hope you are having a fun visit with your parents, and I'm sure as cathwen said that they are enjoying visiting the hatchling! Especially if for the first time.

Happy solving!

[Langue_doc]

Afternoon!

Genius with a pangram. Are there more? Eeek!

My last word yesterday was toon. I thought I had found it much earlier, but no, apparently not, as I had to go through my list of 4-letter words and then the letters to get my last point.

The outing was in a location with old-growth forests, marshes, and hills so it's considered to be a good birding location. We saw assorted warblers, a couple of downy woodpeckers, waterfowl, and the usual bluejays, cardinals, and red-tailed hawks. The highlights were seeing six herons perched on treetops in a marshy area that was off-limits to people (we could see them from our side of the inlet) and a red-tailed hawk that took off from the branch he was sitting on overlooking the water. He soared quite low and quite slowly so we could see the plumage in all its glory. We also saw assorted plants and trees. One of the participants decided to measure the girth of a huge cottonwood tree, so we circled it (five of us, touching hands). We also saw porcelain berry bushes covered with jewel-like berries only to be told later that this was an invasive species.

A couple more outings next week, one on Saturday, and the other one on Sunday. I hope it doesn't rain.

I think getting to genius is going to be my accomplishment for today. Crosswords were done last night.

[ab_grp]

Great to hear that you had such a nice outing, Langue_doc! The hawk soaring in slow motion sounds like a treat to see, and how neat to measure the cottonwood tree's girth that way.  I hope the weather holds up for your outings next weekend as well!

I still have three words to go, so I have only found one more word in the past 5.5 hours.  I think when we take a break in a few minutes, we will probably consult Shunn.  Or I will, regardless of whether husband wants to give up yet or not (he made really good progress last break and got down to 4 words from about 11, so he might be on a roll).  Neither of us have found the second pangram.  I assume we have the same one at the moment but am not sure.  We have each found other possible pangrams, but none have been accepted so far.  I am only trusting in the existence of a second pangram as noted on the bee sites because our cathwen reported finding it.  Please send some pangram magic our way, cathwen!

I have a couple contenders for LB but haven't really gotten anywhere yet so will try later.

[ciao_yall]

QBWATHICG. New word.

And needed a big hint for LB but got it. Tricky one!

[Langue_doc]

Good morning!

Genius with a couple of pangrams. I'm not going to chase down the remaining words as I have too many things to do today.

I was surprised to see words such as plangent and galangal while rejecting the perfectly good gannet, which you can see in and above the city's shoreline.

Found chorizo, but didn't have the energy to look for a mate.

Happy solving, all!

[ciao_yall]

Morning!

QB - new word: plangent.

LB - got hints to find chorizo-outplay. I was very proud of pituitary but couldn't find a mate.

Going to follow in Langue_doc's footsteps today and take a hike on the coast. Nice crisp sunny day.

Happy solving!

[ab_grp]

Good morning/afternoon!

Finally got to GN4L with the two pangrams, still quite a few words left.  We were stumped by plangent, galangal, but husband knew galena.  I was hoping it would take pegleg, pantleg, galpal.

No luck on LB, though I did have chorizo.  Congrats on your 2fers, and pituitary is a good one, ciao_yall!

At least the crossword was pretty quick for a Sunday.  I feel as though Wednesday and Thursday were tougher than Friday and Saturday.  Maybe just my perception!

Have a good hike, ciao_yall!

And hope your transition to home goes well today, cathwen!

Happy solving!

[ab_grp]

We had to give up and get Shunn's help for our final few words.  More toughies in there again, in my opinion!