Turning Over A New Leaf: Episode 5 – ‘I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’

 

At the top of the shopping district is a big blocked up area with spotlights illuminating a sign. If I cared enough, I’d find out what it’s all about, Alfie.

I’ve been busy fishing away, coining in the Bells and giving first refusal to Blather the owl. The aquariums at any rate should be starting to show something for themselves.

(Oh, and the puns after every catch are sometimes good)

Best catch so far has been the hammerhead shark, which looks real impressive when it turns as it swims around the big tank of the aquarium.

I have also discovered however that it is possible to catch rubbish like empty cans. Pink Lambchop will ‘kindly’ dispose of these for a fee that cuts into what money I make from selling to her.

I wouldn’t be half surprised if muttonhead’s dumping it all back in the sea late at night for everyone to catch again. Give me proof, and I’ll give her and quiffboy an appointment with the nearest oven and jar of mint sauce.

Why did the wording change?

There is a new torment around Dalby, but this time I have taken the war to them. Sometimes (in particular at bridges) you can get two, and you need to quickly net one before the other flies in to bite you while you are enjoying a well-earned gloat.

Once spotted they have next to no chance of escaping your net and sell for an easy 130 bells. Not much, but still more than most of the common shells (sand dollars, sea-snail shells and cowries) and  on the beach will get.

Is this the Dalby version of the Butterfly of Doom?

Bug hunting requires more stealth in comparison to fishing. Too often when moving from North to South the first you know there was a promising bug resting on a tree is when it flies away, unless it is one of the cicadas. They make a real racket, so you know to make a wide bearth around, down, and back up to make your catch.

The puns for the bugs are every bit as cringeworthy enjoyable.

Locusts hop around the place rather than resting on trees, and if you don’t get them first time, it can result in a helter-skelter chase.

If you’re not careful, all your efforts will result in nothing more than you demolishing what flowers you had (if you run through flowers or hit them with the net, there is a chance of destroying them) before the little bugger decides to swim for it or vanish into solid rock (this is Dalby, remember?).

Mystery to be solved: why is there a basket or lobster pot on a small pier, yet there are no fisherfolk in Dalby?

In fact, I have not saw one of the locals go anywhere near the beaches.

Made a point of going to say hello to the new arrival in town, Camofrog, only for he/she/it to tell me I’d already done so. Em, what?

Confused, I went back to the Town Hall (which is right next door to where Camofrog built his/her/its home), where I decided to find out a bit more about what changes I can make to the place. The town tune I didn’t alter other than removing the random second last note so it has a predictable downward progression on the last three notes.

For the curious, the Dalby tune goes like this on the QR Crossing Town Melody Generator:

Isabelle also gave me an option to complain about any of the locals’ behaviour, but it’s early days, so I declined.

Just as well, since she’s a bit of a blouse!

I’m looking so me today? Why, what did I look like yesterday instead?

On second thoughts, don’t ask. Maybe this town has turned me into a shape shifter and I’ve not noticed without access to a mirror. Another worry to keep me awake at night.

Yeah, yeah, Cookie, I get the hint – spend Dalby into prosperity by paying Tom Nook the money for the house and giving his obsequious little brother the rest of my shinies for his tat.

Hope it chokes you, you money grabbing little skeet!

The Nookings: the Illuminati of Dalby.

It’s a start.

Moments later, I ran into Kevin.

Allowance? What allowance! You skeets don’t pay me a single Bell to be mayor and I’m even having to scavenge to be able to buy my own house, you swine.

Why, are you expecting the big bad wolf to come to huff and puff and blow your house in?

Ow! Why do I keep falling over for no reason when I run? At least this time it was on the grass, not the cobblestones.

Call it sad, but I really love it when the level crossing works for a train to go by.

I want to see if I can time it so I am stopped on the other side of the barrier onetime as well. Don’t ask me why, but I always seem to get my best ideas when standing waiting at the level crossing.

Although Bones also helped me to come up with a good one. Remember Isabelle telling me everyone wanted more plants in the town? What about some more trees?

More orange trees could also get rid of the Pitfall infestation about the place, maybe. Dig a hole, drop an orange in, one more tree in a few days time, three more oranges a few more days later.

I also have a perfect orange I was given, which I will keep for now but plant later once I am sure I have the hang of it.

What it would certainly mean is more greenery, and a revenue generator if I can get enough of them planted. Much better than shaking trees hoping for coins and hoping even more there’s no beehives in them!

That however is for tomorrow.

Tonight I spend my last in a tent, hoping that the good weather lasts until the morn.