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viningcreative.com
Jody Vining
@viningcreative.com
7K followers 4.1K following 460 posts
🎙️ Voice-over artist | 📸 Photographer | ⭕️ Phish
🌄 Capturing Colorado’s essence | 🐬 Fins up!
📍 Boulder, CO
📷 All photos by me unless noted
🔗 viningcreativephoto.com

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viningcreative.com
It’s beautiful until you think about what’s beneath it: a prehistoric struggle for survival and control.

This is what corruption looks like when it’s winning.

Open. Calm. Limitless.

That’s the trick. Keep the surface glossy and the secrets deep.

Politics, ocean, same rules.

#SurfaceTension
A black-and-white photograph of a wide ocean expanse under a sky filled with cumulus clouds. The water surface is textured with small, rhythmic waves extending from the foreground to the distant horizon, where the sea meets a thin, flat line of light. Sunlight reflects off the surface, creating a shimmering path of brightness across the midsection of the image. The clouds above are dense, varied in size, and heavily backlit, with their edges glowing softly against the sky. The photo is devoid of human presence—no ships, no shoreline, no wildlife—emphasizing the scale and isolation of the open sea. The monochrome treatment enhances the contrast between the light on the water and the darker wave troughs, giving the scene a stark, almost meditative tone. The composition draws attention to the horizontal layering of sea, light, and sky, capturing a moment of atmospheric stillness with an underlying sense of depth and distance.
May 24, 2025 at 1:35 PM
viningcreative.com
"Once in a while you get shown the light. In the strangest of places if you look at it right."

-Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia
May 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
viningcreative.com
You want to talk about resilience?
Look at this thing.
Still holding light. Still feeding fungi. Still in the shot.

Falling apart isn’t failure.

It’s participation.
A photograph of a downed log lying across a dirt trail in a dense, sun-dappled forest. The large tree trunk dominates the foreground, its bark weathered, split, and partially illuminated by a shaft of direct sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. The surrounding area is shaded, with tall trees casting long shadows and undergrowth filling the forest floor. A mix of grasses and low vegetation grows alongside the trail, while a few young saplings lean toward the filtered light. The log appears old and partially decayed, its exposed wood cracked and textured from years of weathering. The trail curves gently to the right, disappearing into deeper shadow. The scene is quiet, still, and layered with detail, capturing a moment of natural decomposition and regeneration typical of temperate deciduous forest ecosystems.
May 22, 2025 at 12:57 PM
viningcreative.com
Somehow 6,000 of you found this corner of the internet. That’s either a miracle or a clerical error.

Big thanks. If something here made you feel something, share it. That’s how good stuff spreads. Organically, like moss on the north side.

Algorithms are poison. People?

Sometimes they surprise you
A black and white close-up photograph of a single dandelion flower in full bloom, positioned slightly off-center in the foreground. Its slender stem rises vertically from a tangle of out-of-focus grasses, while another wilted dandelion stem bends nearby. The background is a soft blur of circular bokeh highlights, created by sunlight reflecting off water or wet foliage, giving a shimmering, abstract quality. The lighting emphasizes the fine texture of the petals and stem, with high contrast between the illuminated flower and the deep shadows surrounding it. The overall mood is quiet and contemplative, capturing a fleeting moment of natural beauty.
May 21, 2025 at 7:27 PM
viningcreative.com
They say Chief Niwot’s curse still clings to this place: once you fall in love with the beauty of the Boulder Valley, you’re doomed to see it destroyed by those who come after.

The statue is a reminder to try to live in paradise without destroying it.

Maybe less curse, more prophecy.

#boulder
A photograph of a weathered sandstone statue depicting Chief Niwot, set against a backdrop of dense, shadowed forest foliage along Boulder Creek. The statue is bathed in high-contrast sunlight, highlighting the deep grooves of its carved features, muscular arms, and draped garment. Cracks in the arm and surface erosion on the robe hint at years of exposure to the elements. Behind the figure, the out-of-focus greenery creates a tunnel of leaves and branches, drawing visual attention to the statue’s stern, contemplative expression as it leans slightly forward, hand extended toward the viewer.
May 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
viningcreative.com
Yesterday wasn’t a good day for photos. Everything felt off.

Exposure, timing, energy, flat light.

No awards coming from this set. But I did get to hang with a moose 20 feet away. Sometimes the photo is just an excuse to be there.

Which is your favorite?

#MooseSighting #photography
May 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM
viningcreative.com
Shot this at Barker Reservoir in Nederland.
The rocks were meditating.
The sky was unraveling.

And I was just standing there pretending to know what aperture means.

#Photography #NederlandCO
A black-and-white landscape photograph taken at Barker Reservoir in Nederland, Colorado. The foreground is dominated by large, rounded granite boulders resting partially submerged along the reservoir’s shoreline. Their coarse, weathered surfaces are highlighted by soft light, revealing layers of striation and erosion from years of exposure to water and wind. The reservoir’s water appears smooth and glasslike, likely due to a long exposure, creating a stark contrast with the textured rocks. In the distance, low tree-covered hills rise on either side of the frame, gradually tapering toward the center, where the reservoir continues beyond the visible horizon. Above, heavy storm clouds stretch across the sky in layered bands, casting dramatic shadows and creating a sense of atmospheric depth. The absence of color emphasizes the tonal variation in the rock, water, and sky, drawing attention to the physical and geological features of the landscape.
May 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
viningcreative.com
Out here, the sky and clouds loom larger than any guy with a badge could dream.

The road doesn’t ask where you’re going or for proof of citizenship.

That rusted tank hasn’t complied with orders in decades.

Authoritarians hate places like this.

Too much horizon.
Too few walls.

#BlueSkyMonday
A wide-angle landscape view taken at Dinner Ranch in the Florida Everglades, looking down a white gravel road that curves gently to the right. The road is flanked by open green pasture on both sides, with clusters of sabal palms and other native trees dotting the horizon. A rusted, cylindrical water tank stands elevated on wooden supports to the right of the road, weathered and streaked with age. Above, a dramatic sky dominates the frame—dense clouds edged with bright sunlight break apart to reveal radiant beams of crepuscular light streaming downward across the landscape. The sky shifts from deep blue at the top of the frame to glowing gold near the horizon, creating a high-contrast backdrop against the silhouetted palms. The lighting, color gradients, and expansive perspective all contribute to a sense of isolation, scale, and open atmospheric tension typical of subtropical ranchlands. A wide-angle landscape view taken at Dinner Ranch in the Florida Everglades, looking down a white gravel road that curves gently to the right. The road is flanked by open green pasture on both sides, with clusters of sabal palms and other native trees dotting the horizon. A rusted, cylindrical water tank stands elevated on wooden supports to the right of the road, weathered and streaked with age. Above, a dramatic sky dominates the frame—dense clouds edged with bright sunlight break apart to reveal radiant beams of crepuscular light streaming downward across the landscape. The sky shifts from deep blue at the top of the frame to glowing gold near the horizon, creating a high-contrast backdrop against the silhouetted palms. The lighting, color gradients, and expansive perspective all contribute to a sense of isolation, scale, and open atmospheric tension typical of subtropical ranchlands.
May 19, 2025 at 1:32 PM
viningcreative.com
This view is right at the entrance to my neighborhood.
No long drives. No remote trailheads.

Just step outside and let the sky do the heavy lifting.

You don’t have to go far for something real.

You just have to look up.

#Photography #ColoradoLife #LocalWilderness
A panoramic view of the Colorado Front Range, taken from the entrance of a suburban neighborhood. In the foreground, green fields and scattered trees roll gently toward a line of residential homes, with rooftops and small buildings visible. Beyond the development, the Flatirons rise sharply, their distinctive angled sandstone faces catching the late afternoon light. Above the mountains, dramatic storm clouds dominate the sky, with dark, dense formations layered against a backdrop of softer, diffuse clouds. Sunbeams, or crepuscular rays, pierce through breaks in the cloud cover, casting visible shafts of light onto the valley and ridgelines below. The contrast between the lush green foreground, rugged mountain backdrop, and dynamic cloudscape creates a vivid snapshot of Colorado’s transitional edge between wilderness and human settlement. The image captures the scale and immediacy of natural beauty found just steps from everyday life. A panoramic view of the Colorado Front Range, taken from the entrance of a suburban neighborhood. In the foreground, green fields and scattered trees roll gently toward a line of residential homes, with rooftops and small buildings visible. Beyond the development, the Flatirons rise sharply, their distinctive angled sandstone faces catching the late afternoon light. Above the mountains, dramatic storm clouds dominate the sky, with dark, dense formations layered against a backdrop of softer, diffuse clouds. Sunbeams, or crepuscular rays, pierce through breaks in the cloud cover, casting visible shafts of light onto the valley and ridgelines below. The contrast between the lush green foreground, rugged mountain backdrop, and dynamic cloudscape creates a vivid snapshot of Colorado’s transitional edge between wilderness and human settlement. The image captures the scale and immediacy of natural beauty found just steps from everyday life.
May 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
viningcreative.com
That’s not only an egret. That’s a subcontractor.

Specializing in pest removal. Paid in bugs.

The cow knows the deal. So does the egret.

No invoices. No meetings. Just work..... and cud chewin'

#cows #Photography
A light gray Brahman cow stands in the middle of an open pasture in the Florida Everglades, near the Seminole Indian Reservation. The cow’s large, drooping ears frame its face, while a numbered ear tag marked “702” identifies it as part of a managed herd. A white cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is perched comfortably on the cow’s left ear, standing upright with its yellow beak slightly open. The egret’s presence is a classic example of mutualism, where the bird feeds on insects and parasites disturbed by the cow’s movement. The surrounding landscape is dominated by low, scrubby vegetation and patches of dry grass, typical of subtropical pastureland. The background fades into a hazy horizon of distant tree lines under an overcast sky. The lighting is soft, highlighting the textures of the cow’s loose skin and the egret’s smooth plumage. This image captures a moment of interspecies interaction commonly seen in cattle-grazing areas of South Florida.
May 16, 2025 at 7:06 PM
viningcreative.com
Today’s backyard plant check:

Salvia looking pretty royal, bees making payroll, a scrappy blanketflower on its last leg, and blue spruce cones looking like strawberries.

This is the Colorado front yard ecosystem in full weirdness.

#Photography #bloomscrolling
Tall spikes of purple-blue flowers rise from dense green foliage, likely meadow sage (Salvia nemorosa). Each spike is crowded with tiny, tubular blossoms, their color shifting from deep violet at the base to bright magenta at the tips. The stems stand upright, giving the plant an air of stiff formality, like it’s trying too hard to be regal. In the background, soft-focus greens blur into each other, making the flower spikes pop against the wash of summer growth. The lighting is bright but natural, highlighting the velvety texture of the flowers. This is the kind of plant you see everywhere in Colorado landscaping—drought-tolerant, bee-friendly, and quietly smug about it. A close-up image of a honeybee perched on a pale purple sage flower, mid-forage. The bee’s body is coated with fine yellow pollen, especially on its hind legs, where dense pollen baskets bulge with collected grains. Its wings are translucent, catching soft sunlight that filters through the surrounding foliage. The sage flower has a delicate, tubular shape, with lavender petals curling slightly outward. The background is a dreamy blur of greens, keeping all focus on the bee’s meticulous work. This is pollination in action—no hashtags, no filters, just an ancient transaction of nectar for service, playing out quietly in a suburban garden. A fading blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) holds the frame, its yellow petals curling and browning at the edges, surrendering gracefully to late summer. The vibrant red-orange center remains dense and textured, a fiery focal point that refuses to fade quietly. Surrounding foliage melts into a soft green blur, giving the bloom a sense of isolation and defiant prominence. The lighting is warm, accentuating the flower’s wear and tear with the same honesty nature gives to all things past peak. It’s a charismatic mess of color and decay—scrappy, resilient, and somehow more interesting in decline than it was in full bloom. A Colorado blue spruce branch stretches into the frame, its signature silvery-blue needles radiating outward in sharp, orderly clusters. Nestled among them are several young female cones, their scales flushed with reddish-pink hues that stand out boldly against the cool-toned needles. These immature cones resemble tiny pine strawberries or botanical ornaments, a fleeting stage before they harden into the familiar brown cones. The background is a vivid, cloudless blue sky, giving the entire scene a crisp, high-altitude clarity. It’s a striking display of textures—soft, colorful new growth defended by an arsenal of pointed needles, the botanical equivalent of beauty with built-in consequences.
May 16, 2025 at 4:57 PM
viningcreative.com
If you’ve got a problem with Canada Goose, you’ve got a problem with me and I suggest ya let that marinate.

You don’t survive suburbs, sidewalks, and city parks without a little fight.

Are they aggressive? Or are they just better at setting boundaries than most?
In the foreground, a Canada goose strides confidently across bright green grass, leading a line of fuzzy yellow-brown goslings along the edge of a rippling pond. The adult goose stands tall, its black neck stretched upward, white chinstrap marking visible, exuding a sense of authority and vigilance. The goslings follow close behind in single file, pecking at the grass as they waddle. In the background, more Canada geese float calmly on the pond’s surface, their reflections shimmering in the gentle water. Soft, natural light highlights the scene, giving the feathers and water a subtle glow. The image captures a moment of quiet determination, family instinct, and the no-nonsense attitude these birds are known for.
May 16, 2025 at 12:01 PM
viningcreative.com
Hey we ticked over 5k followers!

Here's a live update from the Switzerland Trail in Colorado where flurries, the scent of pine and wildflowers, and the gusty winds dominate the senses.
May 15, 2025 at 5:37 PM
viningcreative.com
Here in the alpine shrublands of Indian Peaks, the bull moose lurks like a giant botanical Roomba... devouring willows and pretending to not notice you while very much noticing you.

They weren’t native here. Colorado actually reintroduced them in the ’70s.

Apparently it worked.

#photography
A large bull moose stands alert among dense green underbrush in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Colorado. His coat is a mottled mix of dark brown and lighter patches, still shaggy from seasonal molting. Velvet-covered antlers extend from his head, wide and deeply lobed, indicating mid-summer growth. He gazes toward the camera with a calm but wary expression. Behind him, partially obscured by shrubs, is a second moose — likely a juvenile or female — its darker coat blending into the background. The scene is set in the soft, directional light of early morning or late afternoon, casting a golden hue on the moose’s fur and surrounding foliage. The background is a blur of alpine vegetation and shadowy forest, creating a natural vignette that draws attention to the moose in the foreground. The image captures a quiet, wild moment high in the Colorado Rockies, where these reintroduced giants now thrive.
May 14, 2025 at 8:12 PM
viningcreative.com
It’s not the spider that corrupts.

It’s the web. The thing that looks delicate, harmless, even beautiful.

That’s how a bribe works: a favor so fine, so opulent that they convince themselves it’s nothing.

Until it’s everything.

#CorruptionInSilk #photography
A nearly invisible spider web stretches between the green branches of a pine tree, backlit by warm sunlight that catches on the delicate strands, making the web shimmer like a fine net of glass. The intricate spiral pattern is precise and symmetrical, floating quietly in the foreground. Behind the web, soft bokeh blurs the outlines of sunlit rocks and forest, giving the scene a dreamlike quality. No spider is visible—just the structure it left behind. The image evokes a sense of quiet tension and hidden intention, as if the trap has been laid not just for prey, but for anyone careless enough to admire it too closely. It’s both beautiful and unsettling—an elegant construction that masks its purpose.
May 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM
viningcreative.com
I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for allowing me in to your timeline. I'm grateful for the space.

No performative nonsense here. No brand deals, no lies.

But I'm happy to trade you photos, stories, and the occasional cosmic elk for the rent.

Thanks for being here.
A cluster of delicate white wildflowers blooms in a sunlit patch of forest undergrowth. Each blossom features five soft, rounded petals surrounding a vivid ring of golden-yellow stamens. The flowers rise above a dense spray of rich green foliage, their stems slender but upright. Dappled morning or late-day sunlight illuminates the petals, casting a warm, golden glow that contrasts with the deep shadows of the forest floor behind them. In the background, hints of more greenery and dark rock fade softly into blur, creating a dreamy bokeh that draws the eye to the vibrant clarity of the flowers in the foreground. The scene feels calm, intimate, and quietly alive—like a secret the woods are momentarily willing to share.
May 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
viningcreative.com
The elk doesn’t scroll. Doesn’t post. Isn't concerned with brand strategy.

His antlers catch whispers from before the internet. The static hum of old cosmic signals... AM radio from the edge of consciousness.

A frequency lost the moment we started monetizing mindfulness.

#Photography
A side-profile portrait of a bull elk standing motionless in Rocky Mountain National Park. Its thick, brown fur catches the cool mountain light, while tall, velvet-covered antlers stretch skyward like organic antennae. Behind the elk, the blurred backdrop of fiery orange rock glows with the warmth of sunset, creating a striking contrast to the animal’s calm, grounded presence. The elk stares ahead with a steady, unreadable expression—part regal, part ancient, as if tuned into a deeper signal that predates modern noise. A few dark green pines rise in the background, framing the elk in a mix of shadow and firelight. The scene evokes a sense of stillness, solitude, and something deeper—like the animal is listening to frequencies we’ve long forgotten in our rush toward distraction.
May 13, 2025 at 1:18 PM
viningcreative.com
Off-trail near Mirror Lake, a little creek breaks rules the forest forgot it had since last spring. No boundaries, no bias, no bloviating.

Just movement and seasonal rhythm.

Meanwhile, the loudest people are still arguing about maps.

#wildsystems #photogtaphy #naturevotesdaily
A vertical color photograph of a small alpine stream cascading through a forest clearing in the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Mirror Lake, Colorado. The water flows over smooth, mossy rocks in multiple miniature waterfalls, catching glints of light as it moves downhill. Bright green vegetation, including alpine wildflowers and leafy groundcover, flanks both sides of the stream, thriving in the moist environment. Larger granite boulders line the water’s path, some casting soft shadows across the mossy banks. Tall evergreen trees frame the background, their trunks dappled with sunlight filtering through the canopy. The setting is quiet and shaded, with no human presence visible—just water in motion, plants at peak summer growth, and the calm, untamed feel of backcountry wilderness. The image captures a moment of stillness and natural flow, highlighting the rugged yet delicate balance of life above treeline in Colorado’s high country.
May 12, 2025 at 9:30 PM
viningcreative.com
Nederland mornings: thin air, golden light, and elk that are probably wondering why so many people stop to stare.

He never looked up.

Like he knew exactly where he stood in the food chain, and it definitely wasn’t below me.

That’s the kind of confidence they don’t sell at REI.

#photography
A high-resolution color photograph of a bull elk grazing beside a mountain trail in the early morning light. The elk stands near the edge of a paved path, head lowered to nibble on low shrubs and grasses. Its large, muscular frame is covered in a thick, shaggy coat of brown and tan fur, with signs of shedding on the back and sides. The antlers are long and asymmetrical, with several distinct tines curving upward and outward. Evergreen trees fill the background, their dense green needles providing a natural backdrop, while the soft glow of sunrise adds a warm, golden hue to the scene—particularly in the blurred areas to the left. A red trail marker or road sign is partially visible in the background, hinting at the animal’s proximity to human infrastructure. The elk appears calm, undisturbed by the photographer’s presence, embodying the quiet authority of wildlife in its native mountain habitat along the Switzerland Trail near Nederland, Colorado.
May 12, 2025 at 7:55 PM
viningcreative.com
Caught the kind of sunrise that makes you seriously consider quitting your job, selling everything, and writing poems on trail signs for confused hikers.

Didn’t do it, but it’s wild how a little light on ridges can destabilize a whole life plan.

#hikelight #mountainmornings #photography
A high-resolution landscape photograph taken at sunrise from a ridgeline in Rocky Mountain National Park. The image captures a sweeping view of layered mountain silhouettes receding into the distance, each range fading from dark charcoal in the foreground to soft blues and pale grays near the horizon. The sky above glows with a warm gradient of colors—from deep gold and orange near the horizon to soft pinks and pale blue higher up—marking the first light of day. No sun is visible yet, but its presence is strongly implied in the golden edge lighting the peaks. The atmosphere is still and quiet, with no people or wildlife in frame, allowing the vastness of the scene to speak for itself. The photo conveys a sense of peace, solitude, and the kind of stark beauty that defines alpine mornings. It’s a moment suspended between night and day, where the natural world stretches out in layers of light and silence.
May 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
viningcreative.com
They say The Lizards do things smart people don't do. But these lizards aren't extinct. They're thriving.

If you listen close, you can almost hear the Multibeast breathing under the moss.

#thelizards #everglades #naturalorder #phish
A black and white photograph of a juvenile American alligator resting motionless on a weathered log in a swamp. The gator lies flat, body stretched out, with its head turned slightly toward the camera. Its left eye is visible—half-lidded and alert—while the intricate texture of its bumpy, armored scales is sharply detailed. The log beneath is rough with bark and moss, extending horizontally through the frame. A single leaf rests near the alligator’s snout, providing a sense of scale and softness in contrast to the reptile’s prehistoric form. The background fades into a smooth, dark blur, suggesting still, shadowy water behind. The lighting is soft, highlighting the ridges of the gator’s skin and the damp sheen of its body. The photo captures the calm intensity of a swamp predator in stillness, blending camouflage and caution in its native habitat. A black and white close-up photo of an American alligator floating just below the surface of dark swamp water, with its eyes, snout, and upper jaw visible above. The composition is tight and horizontal, focusing on the gator’s head as it glides silently through its environment. The reptile’s rough, textured skin and sharply defined scales reflect in the water below, creating a nearly perfect mirror image. Thin branches and grasses crisscross the surface, subtly breaking up the reflection and adding depth to the scene. Tiny specks and water droplets float in the background, giving a sense of suspended stillness. The gator’s eye is open and fixed, unblinking, exuding both watchfulness and calm dominance. The mood is quiet, eerie, and precise—a portrait of a predator at ease in its element, barely seen, but entirely present in the murk of the Everglades.
May 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
viningcreative.com
The Red Shouldered Hawk. He’s not fast for the thrill. He’s fast because out here... hesitation dies first.

When the swamp hiccups, he moves. And something squeals.

This is how the Everglades keeps its books balanced.

#redshoulderedreckoning #photography #widlifephotography #noappeal
A high-resolution color photograph of a red-shouldered hawk perched near the top of a bare, weathered tree in the early morning light of Everglades National Park. The hawk faces left in profile, its sharp beak slightly open, possibly mid-call. Its feathers are richly patterned in bands of rufous, white, and dark brown, with distinctive reddish coloration on the shoulders and chest. The bird’s talons grip the dry, silver-gray branch, which juts at a dramatic upward angle, stripped of leaves and bark by years of sun and wind. The background is a soft, clear gradient of blue sky, tinged with gold near the horizon from the rising sun. The hawk is alert, head slightly tilted, scanning the surrounding wetlands for movement. The overall composition feels quiet and intense, capturing the solitary authority of a top predator in its native ecosystem. This image highlights the hawk’s role as both sentinel and hunter in the vast, wild expanse of the Everglades.
May 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
viningcreative.com
They planted the orchard in bad soil, whispered to the roots in foreign toungues, and coaxed fruit from drought.

Now the town calls it native, forgets who planted, who harvested, and complains about the color of the hands picking apples.

#quiettruths #grownbyothers
A close-up of a single green-yellow pond apple hanging from a stem in filtered sunlight. The fruit’s speckled, uneven skin is dotted with small white insects and natural blemishes. Glossy highlights reflect the damp swamp light. The blurred background reveals lush, dark greenery typical of Fakahatchee Strand, a dense wetland in South Florida where this native tree thrives, feeding wildlife and stabilizing soil in flood-prone ecosystems.
May 10, 2025 at 2:04 AM
viningcreative.com
Elk were wiped out in much of Colorado by the early 1900s. Thanks to reintroduction and protected habitat like Rocky Mountain National Park, they’re now thriving... and occasionally blocking the road through Estes.
#wildliferecovery #rockymountainnationalpark #themoreyouknow #photography
May 10, 2025 at 1:30 AM
viningcreative.com
Perched high in a brittle, dying cypress, they squawk about purity while shitting on everything below.

They’ve mistaken elevation for power, and silence for consent. But the swamp doesn’t owe them anything.

#americanlandmarks #symboliclandscape #photography #unquietwatch
May 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM