Brand New Day . . .

Year: Two
Season: Spring
Day: One

Today’s the big day! Celia and I am getting married today but first, I have some other business to attend to. Today marks the one year anniversary of me starting my life here at Hyde Farm. It’s been an amazing journey, I’ve learned a lot and have found that I can survive anything (even a typhoon) if I put my mind to it. Hiei and Miel are both celebrating their first birthday here on the farm. Even on special occasions like today, the farm never lets you take a day off so I hurriedly finished watering the crops, feeding the animals, and making sure everything was in order before I headed towards Vesta’s farm to meet Celia. Before our small ceremony, Vesta had some words for me and took me aside to speak with me. After a good tongue lashing about what would happen if I didn’t take care of Celia, she and I walked back towards the ceremony only to overhear Marlin begging Celia to try and change her mind. His plea seemed to fall on deaf ears and he dashed away towards the beach, not before giving me a glaring look. Vesta gave us some encouraging words, saying that Marlin has always been the moody type. Hopefully, after he cools off, we can still remain friends.

At the reception, everyone from town came to congratulate us and I mean everyone. Tim and Ruby came up and hugged us, expressing how happy they were for our happiness. Griffin brought drinks from the Blue Bar to help us celebrate and Muffy told Celia how lucky she was. Even Romana, Sebastian, and Lumina were there. Romana only had kind words and good advice for us. Sebastian offered to help us if we ever needed it and I thanked him for his generous offer. Lumina seemed to get very upset and ended up running away . . . that’s the second person to do that, I wonder what’s going on. Even Cody, the metal artist, and Daryl, the town’s resident crazy scientist, were there to congratulate us in their own ways. It was great to see all of Forget-Me-Not Valley giving us so much support. After talking with everyone and saying our goodbyes, Celia and I headed back to the farm to get settled in. Takakura met us at the Barn with congratulations of his own. He had attended the ceremony but didn’t attend the reception due to all the work on the farm. He handed us a letter that had been delivered to the farm and we found that it was Van expressing his apologies for not being able to attend and happy wishes for our future. And a happy future is all I can wish for in this coming year.

Time seemed to have moved forward by leaps and bounds. We have a new add-on to the house, making the bedroom big enough for three people because now Celia and I have a daughter named Yuko. She looks so much like Celia with the same color of brown for her hair and eyes. Yuko’s a toddler now and very active, enjoying walking around the farm and exploring the area. Hiei’s seemed to take a very strong liking to her and always keeps a watchful eye on her. A lot of other things have changed in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Nina passed away leaving Galen all alone. It is too sad; she was such a lovely lady. Galen ended up moving down to the open field across from Vesta’s Farm. A bunch of the men from town helped to build him a small house next to Nina’s grave that lay next to the large oak tree there.

A bunch of new people have moved into town as well. Dr. Hardy from the city, who used to come to visit every month, moved into Galen and Nina’s old house. He said that the city’s bustling pace was just too much more him now. A new house was built right next to Chris and Wally’s house and a new family has moved in. I was only able to meet Samantha, her husband and daughter were down by the beach exploring the rest of the town. You could definitely Samantha was from the city, stylishly dressed with her red hair wrapped up in a bun. I gave her a Toy Flower to welcome her to town and she accepted it with a wide smile. I ran into Hugh, Chris and Wally’s son, on my way back towards the farm and my, has he grown. He has gotten quite tall and can now outrun Wally in a race. Before starting the work for the day, I visited Nik, Nak, and Flak up by the North Pond and wish them a happy new year and to thank them for everything. Once I got back to the farm, it was already late in the morning and I had a lot of work to do. Because of the poor financial state of the farm, I had a lot of extra work to do. I quickly planted the Watermelon Seeds I had bought a few days and made sure to water them well.

I let Takakura have the day off; he deserved it after caring for the farm all on his own during the wedding reception. I took Yuko to help me feed the animals; she likes the Chickens but was scared of Miel and the others. I think she just needs to get used to their large size. After everyone was fed and taken care of, I headed up to wish Carter and Flora a happy new year. Once inside the Dig Site, I found that they had cleared a lot of space and it was almost double the size as last year. They had me promise to help them again this year with their excavation. I promised and told them that I would be back once I had the time to help them out. I stopped by Vesta’s as well to visit everyone there. Vesta asked how Celia was doing and I said that she was happy and enjoying life on the farm. I bought some Fertilizer and asked Vesta how Marlin was. She told me that he was still upset and that I probably should avoid him for a little while until he cools off. I took her advice, thanked her for the Fertilizer, and headed back towards the farm. After spreading the Fertilizer over the grass, I took some time to play with Yuko in the kitchen as Celia made dinner. I ended up staying up much later than usual which only means I’m going to have more work to do tomorrow with less time to do them in. Life on the farm never slows down, does it? But with a bright new year ahead of us, I’m glad that it doesn’t.

A Growing Family . . .

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Eight

I couldn’t have gotten up in a happier mood. Celia had said yes to my proposal, even though it wasn’t much of a proposal. My field has been turning green with the newly emerging grass and the weather was beautiful. It was like Spring had come early and it was just what I needed. Celia and I agreed to have our wedding on the first day of Spring which gave me a few days to not only make some money and get the farm back on its feet, but also to figure out my plans for the coming Spring. So the day was filled with a fury of activity - farm chores, buying Tomato and Watermelon seeds from Vesta, and selling goods to Van. Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much as I thought I would to sell to Van and ended up having to sell a few of my belongings to make ends meet. The grass was still a couple days away from being able to cut and I needed to buy just a few more Good Fodder from town to be able to keep everyone fed. And to top off a great day of work and fun, the Fertilized Egg I had placed in the Incubator hatched! It was a baby chick that I named Relena and she seems to be fitting in well with all the others. Seems like the farm is growing in leaps and bounds.

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Ten

This is the day I have been waiting for all Winter! The grass is green and tall enough for me to cut into Fodder! I have survived Winter and my Fodder shortage crisis! Though I did lose my entire 4000g savings and I am deeply in debt, I was able to make it out without any of the animals becoming sick . . . something that I could not have afforded to happen. It was good news all around as I found that the Miracle Potion worked on Miel, she is now pregnant and should be expecting a calf in the Summer. I was so happy; I gave everyone a nice bath outside since the weather was so clear. I also was able to do a little bit of fishing and came out pretty lucky, catching an Arna and a bunch of other fish. Everything seemed to come together today as the Potatoes were ready to harvest and looked great considering all the snow they had to survive. Tomorrow is the big day and if it was like today, everything is going to work out well.

Today's The Day . . .

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Five

It’s been snowing for two days straight! The Money I earned from my sales to Van is almost completely gone and I don’t have enough Fodder to last through the season. I’ve been trying to clear the snow from the fields to try and save what little grass is still alive but to no avail. Luckily, my crops have fared much better and I was able to harvest all of the Strawberries that I had planted earlier. My income has been drastically cut once again because now Miel no longer produces any milk and I have to survive on the few eggs that I get daily. I only have five more days to survive until the Spring comes but I’m not sure if I’m going to make it. It’s become a waiting game, if the weather would just cooperate; I’d be able to get more Fodder once a few rows of grass grow in. I’m really starting to hate snow.

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Seven

The snow has finally stopped and the weather seems to be clearing. I’m hoping that this means we’ll have an early Spring and the grass will start growing in the field soon. My Fodder levels are still dangerously low but with Van coming tomorrow, I hope I’ll be able to make enough money off of my sales to give me enough money to order more Good Fodder from the city. Thus, I focused a lot of my efforts on fishing, unfortunately I was very unlucky coming back empty handed. My luck has been rotten for all of Winter and it’s making me nervous, I’m supposed to propose tonight at the Winter Festival!

There was some good news though, when I came back from fishing, Takakura had just arrived from the city and it was time to give Miel the Miracle Potion I had ordered the day before. I saved money by using my Brown Bull Ryutaro, which is exactly what I need to be doing with all the financial problems I’ve been having lately. Takakura took Miel to the Barn and gave her the Miracle Potion, he said that now all we have to do is wait and see if she becomes pregnant or not.

After finishing up all my chores around the farm, I put on my Sunday best, put the Blue Feather the Harvest Sprites gave me in my pocket, and headed out to the Winter Festival. A light snow started to fall as I walked down the path that leads towards town. I turned back to look at the farm as I tried to decide how I was going to propose, when I noticed that there was a small patch of green in the field. I hurriedly ran over and swept off the light layer of snow to find that what lay underneath was fresh green grass. Knowing that the farm was saved, I couldn’t help but burst out into a wide grin. Seeing this loving green grass that was barely a couple inches high gave me the confidence to continue on and pop the question.

Once at the Winter Festival, I waited anxiously for her to show up. I paced, I fidgeted, and I ran through a hundred different ways to ask with none of them sounding like how I wanted it to. Then, she finally arrived looking stunning as usual with her sweet smile greeting everyone at the Winter Festival. It took me some time to finally get to greet her as everyone else in town seemed to want to talk to her as well. After finally catching her alone, I asked her if she wanted to take a walk with me up to the North Pond. She agreed and as we walked we talked about the weather, the farm, and about the various crops that I was thinking of planting for the Spring. I couldn’t help thinking, “I don’t want to talk about this! I want to just ask now!” But I knew that I should wait until we got to the North Pond, which seemed to be miles away.

Once we arrived, I was a bundle of nerves as everything from “I think we should get married” to “do you like this Blue Feather?” went through my head. I realized I hadn’t decided how I was going to ask . . . I didn’t have a plan on what to do next. As she stared into the North Pond, I stood behind her a bit, fumbling with the Blue Feather in my pocket when I pulled it out unconsciously to look at it. She turned around and gasped. I was at a complete loss of words when she asked that if the Blue Feather was for her. I could only nod and handed it to her. She told me as she held the Blue Feather that her father proposed to her mother just the same way and she never would have imagined that she would ever get a Blue Feather of her own. She hugged me and said yes then told me that she had to go tell the others. As she ran down the path towards town, I couldn’t help but think “I didn’t even get to kiss her” as I stood in shock until I realized . . . she said yes . . . Celia said yes.

It Just Keeps Falling . . .

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: One

All hopes seem lost! The first snow fell on the Ninth Day of Fall, killing what little grass I had that survived the typhoon . . . and it’s been raining and snowing since! I can’t believe it; we haven’t had a clear day since Summer! I only have five bales of Fodder left and I have had to take drastic measures including rationing the Fodder. I have also spent my entire 2000g savings as well as the 3000g I earned from my sales to Van.

I managed to plant some Potatoes though I’m afraid that all this snow and rain is going to kill them before they get the chance to even sprout out of the ground. My income has been severely cut as well now that Miel is only giving me 1 Normal Milk a day, that means I’m only making around 200g a day. A poor amount considering I was making around 1000g when I first started the farm. At least all the eggs from the Chickens are helping to make up some of the loss. What’s more, I have to propose to someone soon, I’m not sure if I can even keep the farm going through the Winter let alone provide for a family. I know that if I can just survive for nine more days, once Spring comes I’ll be saved. I just have to survive for nine more days . . . hopefully I will be able to do it.

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Two

Some good news for once! Though it’s still raining and snowing constantly, there have been a few things on the farm to be happy about. Mitsuki is an adult now, what a cute Chicken she turned out to be. Everyone is doing well, especially Nanao, who gave me a Golden Egg! A few more of these and I might be able to buy enough Good Fodder for the rest of the Winter! My Potatoes also have seemed to survive all the rain and snow; it looks like I’ll have a Winter harvest after all. I’ve also decided on who I’m going to propose to and plan on doing it on the Seventh Day of Winter. With Van coming tomorrow, I think I’m going to manage to survive my first Winter on the farm!

Year: One
Season: Winter
Day: Three

I woke up this morning to a strange “mufu” sound. I knew it wasn’t Miel or any of the others and was puzzled by this occurrence. As I did my daily routine, I could swear that I still heard that sound and it seemed to come from the North Pond. When I went to sell some goods to Van, I asked him if he knew what it was. He laughed at my worried expression when I spoke of the strange sound and told me that there wasn’t anything to worry about. That the sound I heard came from a creature called Mukumoku who came to the valley during the Winter and left in the Spring. He told me that I should introduce myself to the creature and when I did, to make sure I gave it a flower . . . apparently Mukumoku was very fond of the many flowers in Forget-Me-Not Valley but because he came in the Winter, he didn’t get to see many.

After I returned to Hyde Farm and put all of the goods I bought from Van away, I searched the Storage Room for my stash of Happy Lamps I picked last Summer. After some time, I finally found them and headed to the North Pond. I slowly approached and tried to be as quiet as I could until I stepped on a twig and broke it. Immediately, I heard a loud “MUFUMUFU” which startled me and I quickly turned to head back down the road only to find a giant white fuzzy thing standing in front of me. There is no animal I know of that even resembles this creature. He was tall and stood on two legs with his arms hanging so low that they brushed the ground. His fur was a mixture of whites and grays, and the hair on top of his head stood straight up like a stock of wheat. His face was pink and his eyes were bigger than Miel’s, it felt as if he was going to stare a hole in me. I held out the flowers and he quickly grabbed them with his four-fingered hand. He let out a soft “Mu” sound as he smelled the flowers. Then to my surprise, he quickly shoved the bouquet into his mouth and started to chomp away. He let out another sound which I took to be a “mmm, this is good, thanks” and slowly lumbered back towards the pond. I couldn’t help but wonder as I lay in bed, what that Mukumoku was. I’m just glad he like the flowers I gave him or it could have been me that he ate.

Disaster Strikes . . .

Year: One

Season: Fall

Day: One

It’s still raining, but not as heavily as before. I was able to get all of my crops planted quickly, just in time to see the incubated egg hatch! It was a bright yellow Chick that I named Kanade. She’s so cute and fluffy! It will take a week or so before she is fully grown and begins laying eggs. I think I have found a great way to create some revenue with these chickens, something that I definitely need right now.

Year: One

Season: Fall

Day: Six

It’s been raining non-stop since the Eighth Day of Summer. The last few days have been the worse with a major storm moving in on the valley. All this rain has completely stunted the growth of all the grass in the field and now I truly have a Fodder crisis. With Miel, Ryutaro, and Koharu – they all eat around five bales of Fodder a day and right now I only have enough Fodder to last me until the end of the season. If this rain doesn’t stop soon, I’m going to be in big trouble. Luckily, there was a little bit of good news, Kanade is now a beautiful, fully grown Chicken and I incubated another Fertilized Egg a few days ago, which should be hatching any day now.

Year: One

Season: Fall

Day: Seven

The egg hatched and it was another female! I named her Mitsuki and she seems to get along with well with Nanao, Jing, and Kanade. I also harvested my first Yams of the season as well as planted Strawberry Seeds for the first time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news today; I had to tap into my savings to buy some Good Fodder because the rain has still not stopped. 250g each! Considering I only make around 800g a day, it’s going to be difficult to keep up with the Fodder demand.

Year: One

Season: Fall

Day: Eight

A huge typhoon has just hit the valley and has caused the river to rise considerably. I’m worried about flooding but Vesta has reassured me by saying that the river usually only breaks its banks farther towards the beach. Still, I can’t help but worry about this storm. Van was brave enough to make the trek from town to Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was surprised to see his shop set up in the middle of all this rain, wind, and lightning. He simply laughed and told me confidently that he has never once not made the trip over the mountain. I admire his courage and hope to draw upon it as we move towards Winter. I did have a productive day at Van’s Shop. I was able to sell a lot of the fish I had been catching, including a Huge Colombo and Huge Nyameme. All in all, I earned 3000g from my sales to Van. I’m hoping this money will go a long way towards keeping Miel and the others fed.

It Can't Last Forever . . .

Year: One
Season: Summer
Day: Three

There was nothing special today except for one piece of important news . . . a Fertilized Egg! I placed it in the Incubator and hope to have a baby Chick within a week or so. I’m so glad that I saved some money to buy Nanao and Jing, hopefully the eggs I receive will help me stay in the “black”.

Year: One
Season: Summer
Day: Seven

Life on the farm has been going well. I harvested my first Turnips two days ago and was able to make a good amount of money from them. The Melons and Tomatoes are doing well also and I hope to harvest them in a couple of days. I ordered a Brown Bull from the city and Takakura went to pick him up. I named him Ryutaro and placed him next to Koharu in the barn. Ryutaro and Koharu seem to get along fine but Miel wasn’t happy about the new addition. Maybe she feels outnumbered; hopefully I’ll be able to buy another Cow soon so she won’t feel so alone.

Celia stopped by for a visit. She likes Miel and I think Koharu has fallen in love with her. I have to remind him that he’s my horse to keep him from following her home. Celia and I walked up to the North Pond, there she told me that Vesta wanted her to have an arranged marriage. I was surprised by the news and could tell that it troubled Celia. I tried to console her and she thanked me for the effort. As we said our goodbyes and I walked back down to the farm, I couldn’t help but think about what Celia had said. I could understand that Vesta wanted her to be taken care of but an arranged marriage seems like a tradition from the last century.

Year: One
Season: Summer
Day: Ten

I harvested the last of the Tomatoes a couple days ago and have been preparing for the Fall season. It looks like it’s going to be a rough one considering all the bad weather we have had lately. It’s been raining non-stop for that last few days and I feel bad about having to coop Miel and the others in the barn for so long. I’m worried about the new crops I’m going to be planting as well. Yams and Carrots are the crops I chose and I’m hoping the rain won’t drown them. The rain has also affected the grass in the fields and I have become low on Fodder for all the animals. I’m sure, once the rain stops for a few days, the grass will start growing again and I’ll be able to cut it soon.

Making Progress . . .

Year: One
Season Spring
Day: Ten

The last day of spring has arrived! There wasn’t much to do on the farm since I decided to wait and plant summer crops instead of trying to push a last minute round of spring crops. Because of all the free time, I headed up to Carter’s Dig to excavate the ruins there. To my surprise, as I was working with Carter and Flora, I found a stone tablet with an odd language on it. Carter and Flora were ecstatic and thanked me for helping them find it. We were all sure that there was more to this stone tablet and continued to work for a while longer but with no success.

I headed back towards the farm and saw Takakura in the pastures. He waved me over and showed me the pond that he just finished installing. It gave Miel a lot more water and allowed for me to get some more animals as well. Takakura even mentioned that I might attract some wild ducks with the new pond. I thanked him for his hard work and all his help. I finished up my daily routine, wrote about my day in my journal, and quickly went to sleep looking forward to the first day of summer.

Year: One
Season: Summer
Day: One

It’s the first day of summer and the weather is great! I was able to plant my entire lot of summer crops in one go. A final round of Tomato Seeds, some first time Melon Seeds, and a handful of Turnip Seeds filled the field. With a new season comes new crops and I’m excited to see how they grow. With such nice weather, I went fishing after I finished the rest of my morning chores. There, at the river bank, I caught a Huge Smelt! I hope to make a pretty penny from it when I sell it to Van.

I headed back to the farm at the same time Takakura arrived from the city. He waved me over to the Chicken Coop and introduced me the Rooster I had ordered. Jing was big and looked healthy, and Nanao seemed to like him. After I made sure Jing was settled in, I left the Coop to finish the rest of my work, only to find Nik, Nak, and Flak standing outside the door. They were so excited that they talked over each other; the only thing I could understand was that they had something to give me. They dragged me to their house which was located inside the giant tree by the Pond to the north of the farm. Once inside, they settled down and showed me what they had found . . . a Blue Feather! It’s a very rare item, selling for huge sums in the city, and they were giving it to me. Come to find out, giving a Blue Feather to the person you love is a traditional way of proposing marriage in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I thanked them for the gift and headed back to the farm. I couldn’t help but think that everyone in the Valley wants me to find a bride . . . what to do?

Year: One
Season: Summer
Day: Two

Today was such a busy day! Watering the fields, feeding the Chickens, brushing Miel, and tending to the farm kept me on my feet for most of the day. I was starting to get a bit discouraged with all the hard work and it didn’t help that I wasn’t making enough money to support the farm. I found myself barely staying in the “black” and I had to watch my finances carefully. Takakura saw this and tried to cheer me up. As a way to say that I was doing a great job, he brought a Horse from the city for me. He was a handsome animal with a dark brown coat and a thick, black mane. Takakura told me that he was a gift and to use him well. I named him Koharu and placed his Feed Box across from Miel’s in the Barn.

After letting Koharu get settled, I took him for a ride around the valley. I rode him to every corner of the valley, his strong legs easily took us everywhere with great speed. As I was heading back to the farm, I ran into Celia who was running some errands for Vesta. We talked for a while until I realized the time and had to excuse myself. Koharu and I quickly headed back to the farm so I could finish the rest of my work. I have to really thank Takakura, his thoughtfulness helped to re-energize me and re-excite me about working Hyde Farm.

Just Getting Started . . .

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: Three

Every third and eighth day, Van the traveling merchant, stops at Forget-Me-Not Valley to buy and sell various odds and ends. I was excited to meet such a person and to do some business with him. I quickly finished my morning routine of watering the crops and tending to all the animals. I headed into town a little before noon in hopes of meeting Van before he set up his shop. As I waited near the Inner Inn, Ruby and Rock came out to say hello. Ruby is Tim’s wife and Rock is their son. Rock’s party animal personality doesn’t seem to fit with Tim’s laid-back attitude and Ruby’s reserved behavior. Rock’s blonde hair doesn’t seem to fit with Tim’s and Ruby’s black hair either. Kind of makes me wonder . . .

I didn’t have long to dwell at the Inner Inn family as Van came strolling up the road. He gave a wave to Ruby and Rock and as he passed by gave me a nod. I approached this short and portly man and introduced myself. His long black hair was tied back in a neat ponytail and his prominent nose was well framed by his large mustache. He welcomed me to the valley and said that he looked forward to the goods I would sell him. He added with a laugh that he looked forward to the products I bought as well. After letting him open his shop, I browsed all the items that Van offered. I finally decided to buy a Brush and a Fishing Rod. It was a bit of a stretch on my budget, but well worth it. I also sold a few of the Toy Flowers and Goddess Drops I had picked earlier.

After leaving Van’s Shop, I ran into Carter and Flora as I headed towards Vesta’s Farm. They both work at the Dig Site just across the river from Hyde Farm. They both look like archaeologists with their light khaki clothing. Carter’s dark hair and glasses gave him an aura that showed how much he has traveled. Behind Flora’s glasses and her dirty blonde hair, you could see in her eyes the enthusiasm she has for the job. After a quick introduction, I bid them farewell as they headed towards Van’s Shop and I walked over the bridge to Vesta’s. Once there, I bought those Orange Seeds that I couldn’t afford on my first day and hurried back to plant them in the field. After finishing the rest of the chores, I ate a hasty meal and turned in for the night.

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: Six

A few days have passed since Van’s arrival. I’ve made great use of both the Brush and Fishing Rod that I bought from him. My hope is to be able to make a bit of side money by fishing in my spare time that might help me afford to repair and expand the farm. I’ve already been out fishing quite a bit since I bought the rod. There’s a river that’s just next to my farm, the waterfall that feeds the river by Carter’s Dig, a pond north of the farm, and a pond south of the Inner Inn. I’ve already caught a few species of fish including Smelt, Huchap, Rainbob, and Colombo all in varying sizes.

I ordered some better farming equipment including a Light Hoe to help conserve my energy. I’ve noticed that my trees that I planted have already sprouted and that there are flowers on my Tomato Plants. I think I’ll be able to harvest my first crop in a few more days. I’m excited to see how my hard work will pay off.

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: Seven

I’ve been busy almost all day completing chores around the farm, helping Carter at his dig site, fishing, and harvesting some local plants. All this was in preparation of Van’s return tomorrow. While I was in town I ran into Muffy and had a quick chat with her. I also met Daryl, the local mad scientist. His dark hair was strewn about wildly, his sharp nose barely held his glasses upon his face, and his eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep. I tried to introduce myself but he shooed me aside, muttering to himself the whole time.

When I returned to Hyde Farm, I found that the Hen I ordered came in! I named her Nanao and immediately put her in the chicken coop that was already on the farm when I came. I also found, as I was inspecting the fields, that I had a pest problem in the first field that I planted all my trees in. Unfortunately, all of my Peach Trees were affected and I had to cut them down. What a waste! Luckily, the other trees were not harmed. Hopefully, this will not set me back later in the year.

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: Eight

Success! I harvested my first Tomatoes! Though they weren’t of the same quality of Vesta’s crops, I was proud that I grew them with my own hands. I finished up my usual routine and waited for Van’s Arrival. He usually puts his shop up around noon but this day was different. I waited for almost an hour and he didn’t show. There were a few people gathered around waiting for him, so I thought that I would try my hand at selling a few of my goods and opened a shop near where Van runs his. Tim bought some Normal Milk A from me. Since he and his family have been so nice, I gave him a discount. Gustafa came and looked at my goods as well. It was the first time I had met him. He lives in a hut near the beach to the south of the Inner Inn. You can’t miss Gustafa, his large, green hat is easy to spot and he is usually playing his guitar among the trees. He wanted some of the Toy Flowers I had picked earlier; I told him that he could have them for free.

After they left, I closed my shop and headed back to the farm to finish up the daily work. I decided to try one more time before I turned in for the night and headed back down towards the Inner Inn around 5:00pm. To my surprise, Van was there and his shop was open. He apologized for being late, explaining that the city traffic had been hectic. I sold all the goods I had been collecting from the last time he visited and made a hefty amount. I happily headed home to enjoy a relaxing night.

So Many Choices . . .

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: Two

Because I went to bed so early, I found myself wide awake at 3:00am in the morning! I ventured outside, the moon was still high in the sky and the air was still. I watered my five Tomato Seeds and decided to hike a bit north of my property. I heard there was a pond there and was curious to investigate the area. Once there, I found that there were many wild flowers growing around the area. I picked a few Goddess Drops and some Toy Flowers. I also found a local herb called Mugwort. Not being able to afford to consume any of my products produced on my farm, I was reduced to scavenging the area for more of these herbs. Though they tasted quite bitter, they gave me enough sustenance to continue my work. I also found a curious Mushroom near a tree that lay across from the pond. I was hungry and it so big that I thought the mushroom would be able to sate my appetite for I had only found one Mugwort at the time. As I consumed it, I began to feel faint and must have slipped into unconsciousness because the next thing I remember was waking up inside a tree and finding Nik, Nak, and Flak before me. They were surprised to see I had found my way into their domain and commented that I must be a very large Harvest Sprite. They greeted me kindly and welcomed me into their home. They had so many odd things in their house; one especially peculiar item was a pot that held some kind of liquid in it. As I stared into the pot it began to move . . . and then speak! After quite sometime of watching the pot, it became exasperated and yelled that I had won. Inquiring what the pot meant, Flak said that Mr. Pots would grant me a wish. He then asked if I wished for a son or a daughter and which point I said on a whim that I wanted a daughter. Flak said that Mr. Pots would surely grant my wish. Finding that I had spent some time with them, I said my farewells and headed back towards my farm.

Once outside, I found that it was raining and I had watered all of my crops for nothing. I quickly hurried back down the hill and into the barn. There, Miel was waiting to be milked and fed. After seeing to her I decided to explore the town a bit more since there was nothing for me to attend to at the farm. While on my walk I met a nice elderly couple, Galen and Nina. Galen seemed like a mean old man at first, with his sharply pointed nose and white hair. But once I spoke with him, I found that he was very nice and friendly. His wife Nina was wonderful as well. Her face was very rosy and her grey hair hung in wide curls. They told me that they often walk in the morning around town. I visited the mansion at the end of town and met Romana, a very smart elderly woman. Her granddaughter, Lumina, was practicing the piano much to the joy of Romana. Lumina’s reddish-brown hair was cut short and she wore a sweater around her neck, she looked as if she were going to play tennis. Lumina happened to be another one of the eligible women in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. Their butler, Sebastian, was a very polite elderly man who seemed to be completely devoted to Romana and Lumina. After my visit to the mansion, I walked down towards the southern end of town and met Cody, a metalwork artist. His dark skin, blonde Mohawk, and tattoos only added to his hulking frame. He looked like a pro-wrestler but was actually very quiet and reserved. I ran into Tim, who runs the local inn. He is very easy to recognize in a crowd because of his distinct Chinese clothing. I also talked to Nami, the unsociable redhead that lives at the inn. She is yet another one of the eligible women that Takakura had mentioned earlier. Lastly I talked to Griffin who runs the Blue Bar. He looks like your classic cowboy with his long brown hair and big mustache. I also met the waitress, Muffy, as well. Her hair is blonde and the style reminds me of the south. She happens to be the fourth of the eligible women in the valley.

By the time I finished talking with everyone, it was already around 4:00pm. It was still raining as I rushed back to the farm to attend to Miel. I put the milk in the shipping bins and picked up the money Takakura had left from yesterday’s sales. I petted Hiei who was taking shelter from the rain in his house. I double-checked the fields before I turned in for the night. I wrote a few notes in my journal and went to sleep. As I listened to the rain falling on the roof, I couldn’t help but wonder which girl I would pick if I had to. Hoping that I wouldn’t wake up tomorrow as early as I did today, I slowly drifted off.

And So It Begins . . .

Year: One
Season: Spring
Day: One

Takakura led me into a small valley green with the touch of spring. A soft wind blew across the valley floor and the sun shone brightly overhead. I didn’t know the reason why Takakura brought me to this peaceful place. As we walked towards an unknown destination, we passed a farm with three rows of greenhouses and turning windmills in the background. We crossed a small wooden bridge that led us over a bubbling stream so clear and blue that it sparkled like a gem in the sunlight. We turned up a dirt road and at its end, revealed a farm with green pastures, unplowed fields, and a few old buildings. Takakura saw the surprised look on my face and laughed. He asked me what I thought of the place. I gave a slight nod, it was a beautiful land filled with life and joy. He asked me if I would work the farm and live here in this valley. I could only stare at Takakura as I tried to process his request. Seeing how my mind was whirling, he began to explain himself. When he and my father were young they had stumbled upon this serene place called Forget-Me-Not Valley. They dreamed of moving here and working the land with their own hands. After my father passed on, Takakura had hoped that I would keep both his and my father’s dream alive by taking up the task of working the farm.

I gazed upon the old farm; it needed a lot of dedication and work to get it functioning again. I wasn’t raised a farmer and didn’t know where to even begin. But the forlorn look in Takakura’s eyes and the responsibility I felt in keeping my father’s wishes helped me to find the courage I needed to attempt this monumental task. I nodded my head in confidence and joy spread across Takakura’s face. He was ecstatic with my decision and promised to assist me in any way that he could. His suntanned skin showed that he had spent many years outdoors and his black hair was trimmed short to deal with the summer heat. I had faith that he could help me very much with the farm. The first order of business was to name my new farm. After much deliberation, I finally made my choice – Hyde Farm. Takakura then took me around the valley and introduced me to the locals. I won’t get into too much detail about these folks yet, but safe to say, they are all friendly and a great group of people.

After we returned from our tour of the valley, Takakura introduced me to the cow he bought for me. A Normal Cow, black and white in color, Miel is very friendly and eats a lot. She likes to have a set schedule and hates it when I’m late. He showed me how to milk Miel and where to put the items I wished to sell. As Takakura finished explaining a few of the particulars of running a farm, two stray dogs approached us. One was blonde in color with pointy ears and a blue bandana around its neck. The other looked orange, had floppy ears, and wore a red bandana. Takakura stated that he wasn’t too fond of dogs so I could only have one. I picked the one with the red bandana because I loved his floppy ears. I named him Hiei and Takakura said he would build him a dog house later that afternoon. The first day of spring wasn’t even over and I already had two animals in my care. I had a feeling that I would get many more as the seasons passed by. Takakura took his leave to build the dog house and I was officially left on my own to run Hyde Farm.

The first thing I did was pick up my tools in the shed that stood next to the barn. There were two Tomato Seeds on the shelf as well as a Heavy Hoe and Heavy Sickle hanging on the wall. I put them into my Rucksack and entered the barn. Because of the nice weather, I called Miel outside to the pastures to graze. After making sure that she and Hiei were alright on their own, I hurried down the road and back over the bridge. It was late afternoon and most of the day was gone, I had no time to lose. I approached the farm with the greenhouses and windmills and knocked on the door of the main house. The people welcomed me warmly and invited me in. Takakura had introduced us earlier when he took me on a tour of the valley. The farm is owned by Vesta who grows many crops to sell in town and to ship to the city. She is a large woman who was built to work in the fields. Her reddish-orange hair fits her boisterous personality. Her brother, Marlin, helps with the farm work. His curly black hair doesn’t seem to fit the look of a farmer and you can never tell when he’s joking or being sarcastic, the former is usually true. Celia, a family friend, recently moved in to help them. She holds her light brown hair back with a handkerchief to keep it from getting in the way of her work. Her quiet and kind personality seems to be the total opposite of Vesta who is always outgoing. Takakura had clearly pointed out that Celia was one of four eligible women in Forget-Me-Not Valley and that I should try to find a bride before the year was out. I ignored the comment knowing very well that I had little time on my hands for such things. The one important piece of information Takakura did offer was that I could buy seeds from Vesta . . . and that was the very reason for the visit.

When I walked inside, Vesta was nowhere to be found. Marlin and Celia explained that she was in the storage house that sat near the greenhouses. Celia told me that she would be happy to fulfill my seed orders. I had a very serious choice in my hands. Should I buy seeds for only the spring season and hope to turn a quick profit or should I plan ahead and prepare for the winter and next spring? After much careful thought, I decided to go with the latter, knowing that Miel wouldn’t provide milk forever. So I spent my 3000g startup money on a variety of fruit trees that would take roughly a full year to mature. I had two unplowed fields on the farm. The closest to my house had relatively unfertile soil and it would be unwise to use it to produce the normal seasonal crops. Fruit trees however, are much sturdier and should survive just fine in that field. The field itself was seven squares long and five squares high. Because of the size of fruit trees, I couldn’t plant them too close together. I devised a pattern that would maximize field yet allow for the necessary space for the trees to grow.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
5 x o x o x o x
4 o x o x o x o
3 x o x o x o x
2 o x o x o x o
1 x o x o x o x

I bought six Peach Seeds which I planted in rows two, four, and six. I also bought three Apple Seeds which I planted in row one, three Grape Seeds which I planted in row three, and three Banana Seeds which I planted in row seven. I couldn’t afford to pick up everything that I wanted so I decided to put off planting Orange Seeds for a few days. In addition to everything mentioned, I also bought three more Tomato Seeds as well as two bags of Fertilizer. Once I had made all of my purchases, I bid Marlin and Celia adieu and hurried back home. I plowed the first field and planted all of my fruit seeds. I was surprised at how heavy the hoe was and I found myself exhausted after every row. But I couldn’t rest and quickly moved onto the next field. The second field is much more fertile and is five squares across and seven squares long. To save on time and to save my body, I only plowed the first five squares and planted my Tomato Seeds.

It was only 5:30pm but I was beat. I watered the Tomato Seeds (fruit trees do not need to be individually watered), fertilized the pastures, and went to see how Miel was doing. I called her inside, milked her again, and fed her. I left the barn and entered the storage house where I put the milk for Takakura to take to the city and sell. I’m grateful that he’s willing to leave every morning at 5:30am and take the long hike to the city to sell all the goods that the farm produces. I could sell my products in town but it saves me so much time to have Takakura take care of the business side of things. After preparing the milk for shipping, I exited the storage house and slowly walked towards my house. Hiei came bounding up to me and I gave him a pat on the head. I saw that Takakura finished his dog house and reminded myself to thank him in the morning. Before I could enter my house, I was approached by three curious looking creatures. “Sprite” is the only word that comes to mind to describe them. They announced themselves as Nik, Nak, and Flak and welcomed me to Forget-Me-Not Valley. They said that they were Harvest Sprites and would watch over my progress with much interest. After they left, I entered my house and recorded my progress of the day in my journal. I was so profoundly exhausted that once I laid my head on my pillow, I fell soundly asleep.