Sidewalk Scenes June 2025

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*** First overview of the currently featured topic, “Reduce Waste” (June 2025–August 2025)*** The great showdown of the fourth story, ‘Plantlight District’, from the Salty & Cara adventures *** New Salty & Cara story starting at the end of July: ‘The Apple Paradigm’ *** Additional post at the end of June: Parsley-Lane Blog 101 x 2 *** Closing in on the second edition of 25: No post on Friday, July 4, next post on Friday, July 11 ***

Here’s the Outlook:

  1. At the end of June, I am giving you a short collection of the ideas that have been featured so far in the ‘Reduce Waste’ topic (see the tag cloud and the ‘Featured’ category).
    1. Use ingredients that you can use up completely, such as kohlrabi or Hokkaido pumpkin
      Ideas: [All in One], [Lickhob Rapraccio], [The Good Greens], [Pumpkin, My Love], and [Tella Peel Soup]
    2. Use ingredients where leftovers can easily be turned into other dishes.
      Ideas: [Candelaborous], [King of Spears].
    3. Give new use to cutting scraps from cleaning vegetables as ingredients for homemade broth.
      Ideas: [Any Broth], [Vegetable Broth]
    4. Keep track of your stored foods and expiration dates. Every once in a while, plan to experiment with whatever you have on hand.
      Ideas: [Seasonable], [Using Up the Flour], [Flying Lessons: ‘I’ll Just Wing It’]
    5. Reuse packaging that you cannot avoid and old everyday objects. Attend and participate in neighborhood swapping points.
      Ideas: [Another Angle], [Boxed Up for Good]

That’s just a brief overview. I will write a full post on the topic in August. By the way, all the ideas above will save you money. This is not just about reducing waste; it’s also about making better use of your food budget. You’ll lose less in waste and get more high-quality ingredients, and the idea will go full cycle.

  1. Below, you will find the new episode of Salty & Cara, the showdown of the fourth story, Plant Light District. Enjoy this juicy fable set in a world inhabited by fruits and vegetables. Love and crime, uncooked but served hot.
  2. At the end of July, you can read the beginning of a new Salty & Cara story in Sidewalk Scenes. This story delves into the high society of New Valley and introduces a new, very dangerous enemy. Look for mysteries and mayhem in “The Apple Paradigm.”
  3. Breaking the usual pattern, there will be an additional post after this month’s Sidewalk Scenes. This is because we have cause to celebrate: At the end of June, we will not only be closing the current edition, but after exactly two and a half years on the Parsley-Lane Blog, I will be providing another peek inside or ‘behind the bushes’, if you will. Parsley-Lane Blog 101 x 2 brings you an exclusive interview with the main author of this blog for the second time. The editor put in extra hours to conduct the interview.
  4. As this quarter comes to a close, we will take a short break. As usual. The next post will be on Friday, July 11. There will also be technical and design improvements to the site. Therefore, there may be a brief interruption at the beginning of July.

By Mag M. Schaper

Salty & Cara – Plant Light District 7

Fourth story, final episode: A mob is on the rise. Will it tear down Turnip Town?

Arrangements

They had cornered Smasher, who was holding a box in his arms. Cradling it like a baby.

“You all better get back! I’m not kidding. This is a ‘Smasher Special’. I will blow this whole place to rags!”

The crowd staggered for a moment, causing a slight ripple in the wave rolling toward the mercenary. Then, it started moving again, as determined as the grip of a flood on the shore during a storm. He was not getting away.

Seeing that the wall of faces was closing in on him, Smasher decided to change his strategy. Maybe mercy would prevent the inevitable. “This is all a setup! I didn’t do anything. I only said that about the bomb because you’re so many and I’m scared. I’m really just a simple guy, a delivery vegetable. This is a special order for Don T., who is waiting for it. You know the Don. He’s like: ‘I am one of you vegetables, and I love Turnip Town.’ But he really hates it when he doesn’t get what he wants. So you better let me make that delivery.”

The crowd was unimpressed. No matter whether he delivered for Don Tomatoni, the little freak was going to die. He had murdered their patron. The one leader who was going to make a difference for Turnip Town. Because he actually cared.

In a desperate leap, the simple-minded explosives expert of the Mincing Five made an attempt at the truth. “You can’t touch me! I am protected by the really high fruit. The heavy, big fruit, and if you even scratch my skin, you will all be sorry. Can’t do that, you can’t! Because I am actually an agent. Yes, a very important agent, and I work for…”

A distinct singing sound cut his rant short. A passing shower of small vegetable wedges occurred. Then silence. The crowd gasped and stopped. Some turned to see a hooded figure fleeing the scene.

“It looks like the Mincing Five are down to four,” Alpha dryly commented on the event.

“Or they have exchanged the face value of the fifth in line.” Joe suggested. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon. One way or another.”

“What’s going on?” Cara asked, as everyone around her burst into screams, laughter, and joyful dancing. They were all looking at her and smiling. She felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention.

Beta stared at the small portable information device in her hands. “Huh, that’s interesting. Unexpected, yet interesting.”

“Oh, just spill it, Beta! What’s going on?” her mate demanded.

The pear grinned and turned the screen toward Alpha.

He blinked, then muttered, “An organization called ‘Bromelia’s Trust’ from Big Valley just bought the whole place.”

“What?” Cara was still wrapped up in the excitement and danger that had controlled the scene a moment before, so she couldn’t grasp the meaning of the news. Joe repeated it: “A trust set up by the King and Queen of Big Valley bought Turnip Town.”

“She bought the place?”

“Yes,” Beta smiled and gave her friend a warm hug. “It looks like there’s a serious need for repairs anyway, and the maintenance costs are incredible. So, Don T and his family were actually quite happy to sell their property here.”

“They kept some buildings?”

“They kept their own quarters and some minor infrastructure,” Joe explained. “Also, it seems like the whole deal is really lucrative for Don T, because she offered him a special contract.”

“What kind of contract?”

“Nobody knows. It probably has something to do with inter-valley trade connections,” the old agent mused. “Knowing Bromelia a little though, I imagine it was a special offer. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One you just cannot refuse.”

“Aha,” Cara smiled. “I can imagine that.”

Alpha was reading more details from Beta’s device: “They are forming a temporary Board of Trustees as they transition to a shareholding company. If all goes well, 45% of the company will be owned by the citizens of Turnip Town, 25% by the trust, 25% by the royal family of Big Valley, and 5% by you, Cara. The trust also appointed you as Chair of the preliminary Board of Trustees. In the official statement authorized by the Queen of Big Valley, it states that you received that share and will head the board because you and your actions inspired the project. Not to mention that you came highly recommended by the King and Queen of Big Valley.”

“Time to get bonded!” was the young starfruit’s only reply. “And let’s see how you’re going to stop that from happening, Mother!”

Alpha and Beta looked at her in astonishment. Then they laughed, took her by the hands, and started dancing with the other fruits and vegetables.

” …I imagine it was a special offer. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One you just cannot refuse.”

“Aha,” Cara smiled. “I can imagine that.”

Side Notes:

  • Nope, it’s not the end. Don’t worry. There’s more about Salty and Cara on the last Friday in July. In a new story called ‘The Apple Paradigm’.

Needless to say, the stories about Salty and Cara are pure figments of my imagination. No resemblance to any person or place – present or past – is intended. But I am sure you have already figured that out 😉