Lunar Leap Month 3rd

When I played on Wednesday, I found a goodbye letter from Puddles in the mail (unfortunately).

Guess what, Jeff! I realize this is a little cuckoo, but I've decided to move. Have I lost it? No!!! I've just got to try to get a fresh start. I don't even know where I'm going yet! See ya! -Puddles

On the bulletin board, I saw the notice that morning aerobics starts on July 25th, and it runs through the end of August. Moments later, Candi quizzed me on that exact fact. She asked which event starts on July 25th, so obviously I knew the answer. Candi teased a reward, but then laughingly told me there was no prize.

Candi: So, let's see what's behind curtain number one... Ah ha ha ha ha! There's no prize! Get serious!

A few minutes later, Belle asked me the same question! Since I wanted to see how she’d react (and since I knew there wasn’t a prize anyway), I chose to answer that the fireworks festival was the event that runs every day in summer. As you might expect, my stupidity angered her.

Belle: ...Hello!? Earth to Jeff! Get your head out of the clouds and think a little, cuddles!

Rocco asked if I’d rather play golf or watch golf, and I wasn’t really interested in either. But I told him I’d rather watch it, and he compared me to a lazy slug. Nice.

Rocco: You Seriously? You just like sitting on your behind like a lazy slug and watching?

Down on the beach, I found Gulliver passed out. I tried to release a cockroach onto him, but it flew away instead. After I woke up the sleeping gull, he gave me a Chinese lion.

When I met up with Baabara, she was talking about Wendell. She didn’t like the fact that he begs for food, and yet he’s picky about what he’ll eat.

Baabara: Just thinking about picky vagrants makes me so mad I want to scratch, daahling!

Sydney has a new neighbor, and I was happy to meet her: It’s Coco the coconut/gyroid rabbit!

Coco: Eeeeek!

Welcome to Forest, Coco! I hope you’ll stick around a while!

Puck complimented me on my nice clothes, and he said he was my number one fan. That was kinda funny, because I was wearing the No. 1 shirt.

Puck: If anyone gives you flack about your getup, lemme know. I'm your number one...um... fashion fan...

I returned to talk to Coco more, and she told me a friend gave her a bus stop that she can’t use. 🚌

Coco: A friend of mine gave me a bus stop the other day, but I can't really use it.

I thought she was going to give it to me for free, but she actually wanted 2,820 bells for it. I didn’t want it that bad, so I kept on walking.

I played again today, and Ursala told me about the lunar calendar. She said that today is “Leap Month 3rd.”

Ursala: Today's July 27th, but according to the lunar calendar, it's leap month 3rd.

I didn’t have an option to question that, but she assumed I had a problem with it and wanted to “start something.” 🙄

Ursala: What? What do you mean, that makes no sense?!
Ursala: Are you saying you've got a problem with the lunar calendar? Are you trying to start something!?
I never want to start anything with you. I just want to finish it…including this conversation. Bye.

Candi reminded me that if you borrow the Able Sisters’ sewing equipment (by linking a Game Boy Advance), you can design patterns for free.

Candi: Jeff! You didn't know? You don't have to pay for your design if you borrow their sewing equipment!

It’s been a while since I’ve designed patterns in this game, so I forgot what they charged for a pattern. So I headed over there and asked Mabel. She told me it costs 350 bells.

Mabel: Oh, you want to create your own design? Great! It'll cost 350 bells for materials, of course. That's OK, right?

Rainy Season

When I played on Monday (June 23rd), I received a goodbye letter from Lulu in the mail. So long, Lulu!

To Jeff, I'm leaving town, and I'm not telling anyone where I'm going, but don't you worry! I'm off on a grand adventure that's totally going to rule! Wish me luck in my new life. Don't forget me! -Lulu!

Puck suggested we play a game, and all I had to do was pick left or right. I agreed to play, and I picked “right.” But then he forced me to buy a kitschy clock from him for 2,170 bells!

Puck: Looks like you're buying a kitschy clock for 2,170 bells, brrrrrrrrr!
Now wait just one second!

He never even said the game would involve a purchase; that’s not a game to me! That ticked me off. I ought to clock him!

It was raining in town, but Maple was trying to convince herself that she only felt humid because it was all in her mind. She thought that if she remembered that it’s June, she’ll be nice and dry? I don’t follow her logic at all, but I didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.

Maple: I just need to remember that it's June, and I'll be nice and dry!

Belle told me that the sound of raindrops makes her sleepy…and then right on cue, she fell asleep standing up. Luckily for her, I didn’t tip her over. 😛

Belle: Listening to the sound of raindrops always makes me sleepy, cuddles.

I wasn’t holding an umbrella myself, and Kody thought that made me pretty stupid. Thanks, pal.

Kody: You may be brave, but you're also pretty stupid! It's not healthy, Jeff!

In the southwest corner of town, I met my newest villager, Puddles. Even though she’s a frog, she couldn’t wait for it to stop raining.

Puddles: Aw! I wish the rain would hurry up and stop, splish!

What’s up with that? She’s literally named after a byproduct of rain. 🌧️

Over by the wishing well, Baabara tried to convince me that it was the exact moment that spring changed into summer.

Baabara: I'll have you know, this is the exact moment when spring changes into summer.

I asked why, and she said it was because Sydney caught a beetle already. That’s not how seasons work, and even if it was, that would have been the exact moment. Not the moment that Baabara tells me about the beetle. 😛

I played again today, and it was raining once again. Static was his usual cheery self, threatening to release the hounds on me. 😛

Static: No! I'm not interested! Go away, bzzzt! Don't make me release the hounds on you!
Chill out, Mr. Burns.

Belle was sick of all the rain lately, as was I. I’m ready for the rainy season to end already!

Belle: It feels like it's been raining all the time lately. I hate getting wet!

After a brief chat about muscle cramps, my best buddy Hank gave me a No. 1 shirt as a token of our friendship. Aww. 🙂

Hank: How about I give you this No. 1 shirt for free, okey-dokey! Enjoy it! It's a token of friendship!

Of course, I put the shirt on right away.

Down by the ocean, I found Gulliver washed up on the beach. He told me his story of how he ended up in the sea.

Gulliver: I jumped over the railing and into the ocean! The thing is, I don't know how to swim. I had forgotten that...

To reward me for helping him, he gave me a tiger bobblehead. I guess that’s claws for celebration. 🐅 Having earned my stripes, I headed home and wrapped up my game for the day.

I hope to see you all next time! Never Stop Crossing!

Weathering the Storm

On Monday, I received a goodbye letter in the mail from Admiral. He has set sail for a new adventure somewhere else.

Dear Jeff, Well, my streak continues... I just can't seem to settle down in any town for long. This is kind of odd, because I've said so many goodbyes, but this one actually hurts... Goodbye... Admiral

Over in Acre B-5, I found a new house just north of Puck’s house. Rocco the hippo (the overgrown construction sign himself) has moved in. I’ve seen a lot of Rocco throughout the series in multiple towns, although he hasn’t lived in GameCube Forest since 2013.

Rocco: So I'm Rocco! Got a problem with that?!? 'Cause I'm real good at fixing problems, you get me?
He’s as cheery as ever.

His arrival also means that both of my temporary villagers are hippos, with Lulu being the other one. I can confidently say that a hippo will be moving out next month, although I don’t know which one it will be.

Genji reminded me that there will a fishing tournament every Sunday in June, and there will be a prize for the winner. But he doesn’t care about the prize itself, he just cares about winning.

Genji: All I really want...is to win! That's all that matters to me! Win! Win! Win! Win! Win!

Over at the dump, I was surprised to find an asteroid! Wow, even space junk is ending up in the dump! It must have really cratered in value.

Finding an asteroid in the dump.
It once lit up the skies,
now it attracts only flies.

Today, there was a treasure hunt underway! I saw on the bulletin board that someone buried an ivory piano in one of the “C” acres!

Free ivory piano for whoever finds it! It's buried somewhere in the C acres. Hurry up! It may already be gone!

A piano is a big prize! But I know I’ll be able to find it if I just calm down and compose myself. 🎼

Anyway, it was raining pretty hard in Forest today. Candi thought the rain was miserable, but she admitted it must be great for snails. 🐌

Candi: Y'know, I was just thinking... For snails, this miserable rain must be like, the best thing ever, sweetie!

She even said she was a bit jealous of the snails! That’s a weird thing to say.

Candi: ...I think maybe I'm a little jealous of those snails...

Puck wasn’t a fan of the rain, either. He said he usually just goes straight to bed when it rains like this!

Puck: You can usually count me out once it starts raining. I go straight home and go to bed, brrrrrrrrr.

I would have thought penguins would enjoy the rain, but Puck is the polar opposite.

Baabara was down in the dumps too, but not because of the rain. It looked like she must’ve had an argument with Candi. Yeah, speaking to Candi can do that sometimes. 😛

Baabara: ...It's all so overwhelming.
Baabara: I can't deal with talking to anyone right now. Just leave me alone...
I can relate to this feeling. 😛

Surprisingly, Belle seemed to be the happiest villager in town! She even said she enjoyed seeing me!

Belle: Y'know, even if it's raining, seeing your face totally mellow me out. I'm not even kidding, cuddles!

It’s rare to see Belle in such a good moo‘d! You know it feels like a weird day when Belle is happy, and I could actually relate to Baabara! What’s going on today? 😛

But then a few minutes later, I ran into Lulu, and she insulted my clothes.

Lulu: Do you really feel like yourself in that outfit? I mean, not to be a snoot, but it doesn't really wow me.

And with that, order was restored in Forest. 😛

But to be fair, Lulu actually gave me a free outfit (a stormy shirt). It seemed to fit the situation, so I decided to keep it and I later put it on.

Over near the police station (behind the town map to be exact), I found the buried treasure of an ivory piano!

Check it out! I dug up an ivory piano!

Score! I won the grand prize!

Sometimes you have to just weather the storm and tune out the noise to make it through. Hang in there, fellow Animal Crossers!

See you next month!

Update: I recently posted my latest GameCube Moments video, so I hope you’ll check it out: