Spherical Cows
Remote
Steve DeGroof 📚🛸
@degroof@mastodon.social
mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Approximately 60% water and 40% organic molecules, arranged in a configuration that is, among other things, capable of describing itself in this manner. (he/him)
Expect a lot of 3D printing, SFF writing, science, general weirdness. Also, my laptop has an em-dash key, because em-dash.
468 Followers
145 Following
50 Posts
Joined November 16, 2017
Website:
ko-fi shop:
Webcomic:
#ScribesAndMakers Jun 29: Share the last line of dialogue you wrote.
“Yes. I have a similar lineage, as it happens,” Sinclair agreed. “However, Prince Malcolm does not.”
#WritersCoffeeClub Jun 29: Is writing a lonely endeavor for you?
What, you mean aside from all the characters in my head jockeying for more screentime?
#Connections
Puzzle #1115
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🟦🟦🟪🟦
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🟪🟦🟦🟪
#Obscurdle 1269: 4/6
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 864 words left.
⬛🟩⬛🟨⬛ 13 words left.
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛ 1 word left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
https://www.stevedegroof.com/obscurdle.html
#ScribesAndMakers Apr 8: Victuals?
Victuals!
#Connections
Puzzle #1116
🟨🟨🟨🟨
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🟩🟦🟦🟦
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🟦🟦🟦🟦
Wordle 1,837 6/6*
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 858 words left.
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ 64 words left.
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩 21 words left.
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩 8 words left.
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩 3 words left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 6.
#Wordle 1,754 3/6*
⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 245 words left.
⬛🟨⬛🟩🟩 8 words left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 3.
I'm guessing some readers are switching e-readers due to the recent #Kindle #enshitification. If you bought one of my #books on Kindle and need a DRM-free copy in another format, DM me.
If you *haven't* bought one of my books yet, you can get DRM-free copies here:
https://ko-fi.com/treelobsters/shop
#WordWeavers Apr 6: Can you create a character/place/storyhook/device on the spot, if you need to? If so, share an example.
There exists a vast hyperspace transit network created by a long-extinct alien species. Over the millennia, various interstellar civilizations have used it to travel the galaxy. Many nodes in the network are in dire need of maintenance, but no one knows how to repair them.
1/2
If You Give A Mouse Control Of The Means Of Production
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Coup Fish
Wordle 1,838 4/6*
⬛⬛⬛🟨🟨 443 words left.
⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛ 59 words left.
🟨⬛⬛🟨🟩 3 words left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
#Obscurdle 1270: 4/6
⬛🟨⬛⬛🟩 89 words left.
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 32 words left.
🟨⬛🟩⬛🟩 1 word left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
https://www.stevedegroof.com/obscurdle.html
#Wordle 1,755 4/6*
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 289 words left.
⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛ 119 words left.
🟩🟩⬛🟩⬛ 9 words left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
#FiveByFive - Game #43
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩⬛🟩⬛🟩
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🟩⬛🟩⬛🟩
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Words Found: 6
Moves: 24
Hints: 2
Time: 00:04:37
https://degroof.github.io/fivebyfive.html
#Wordle 1,752 4/6*
🟩⬛⬛🟩⬛ 29 words left.
🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 2 words left.
🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 1 word left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
#Connections
Puzzle #1032
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#Connections
Puzzle #1030
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#Obscurdle 1187: 4/6
⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛ 839 words left.
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 20 words left.
⬛🟨⬛🟩⬛ 1 word left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
https://www.stevedegroof.com/obscurdle.html
#Obscurdle 1186: 5/6
⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 80 words left.
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛ 15 words left.
🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛ 4 words left.
🟩🟨🟩🟨🟨 1 word left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 5.
https://www.stevedegroof.com/obscurdle.html
#Obscurdle 1184: 4/6
⬛🟨🟩⬛🟩 16 words left.
⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩 7 words left.
🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 2 words left.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 4.
https://www.stevedegroof.com/obscurdle.html
Weather's getting warmer, so we broke out the cocktail glass chillers.
#3dPrinting
#BracketCity
April 6, 2026 🟡 (Medium)
https://www.theatlantic.com/games/bracket-city/
☠️ hard mode!
Rank: 🔮 (Puppet Master)
🎹 Total Keystrokes: 56
🎯 Minimum Required: 56
Total Score: 100.0
🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪
#Parseword #70
⏱️ 1m29s
💎 Perfect
What? The copyright-infringing, environment-ruining word prediction machine has no concept of elapsed time? I'm shocked, I tell you. Just shocked!
#BracketCity
April 8, 2026 🟢 (Easy)
https://www.theatlantic.com/games/bracket-city/
☠️ hard mode!
Rank: 🔮 (Puppet Master)
🎹 Total Keystrokes: 42
🎯 Minimum Required: 42
Total Score: 100.0
🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪
#Parseword #153
⚡️ 38s
💎 Perfect
🇹🇷 Secret Found
#Parseword #68
⏱️ 5m51s
💎 Perfect
#Ablatonyms 290
✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ 🎉
Moves: 7
Elapsed Time: 00:00:08
Time Bonus: +10
Score: 110
https://degroof.github.io/ablatonyms.html
#BracketCity
April 9, 2026 🟢 (Easy)
https://www.theatlantic.com/games/bracket-city/
☠️ hard mode!
Rank: 🔮 (Puppet Master)
🎹 Total Keystrokes: 51
🎯 Minimum Required: 51
Total Score: 100.0
🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪
Fair. A lot of the words are just low-frequency. I should probably edit some more upcoming words to remove the more common ones.
Parseword #71
⏱️ 2m7s
💎 Perfect
#Ablatonyms 289
✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ 🎉
Moves: 7
Elapsed Time: 00:00:12
Time Bonus: +10
Score: 110
https://degroof.github.io/ablatonyms.html
#Ablatonyms 206
✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ 🎉
Moves: 7
Elapsed Time: 00:00:10
Time Bonus: +10
Score: 110
https://degroof.github.io/ablatonyms.html
I just pushed my latest book to ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/s/29a3443684
For the next 3 days, it's only $1 on ko-fi.
#Ablatonyms 204
✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ 💯
Moves: 8
Elapsed Time: 00:00:22
Score: 100
https://degroof.github.io/ablatonyms.html
#fourbythree
July 1, 2026
132 points • No mistakes
🌟🟦🟦
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https://www.hankgreen.com/fourbythree
#SillyLittleCodes
Puzzle #376
0️⃣0️⃣:0️⃣0️⃣:1️⃣5️⃣
www.playsillylittlegames.com/codes
#Parseword #154
⏱️ 6m5s
💎 Perfect
https://www.hankgreen.com/fourbythree
June 30, 2026
126 points • No mistakes
🟩🌟🟩
🟨🌟🟨
🟦🌟🟦
🟪🌟🟪
#fourbythree
#FiveByFive - Game #44
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩⬛🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩⬛🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words Found: 6
Moves: 21
Hints: 2
Time: 00:03:16
https://degroof.github.io/fivebyfive.html
#Ablatonyms 207
✅✅✅❌❌❌❌❌↩️✅✅✅✅✅ 🙂
Moves: 13
Incorrect Moves: 5
UNDOs: 1
Elapsed Time: 00:00:32
Score: 54
https://degroof.github.io/ablatonyms.html
#SillyLittleCodes
Puzzle #378
0️⃣0️⃣:0️⃣0️⃣:2️⃣7️⃣
www.playsillylittlegames.com/codes