Henry's totally right about the salt, but honestly the type matters too. Cheap table salt with anti-caking stuff can sometimes give you a cloudy brine and mess with the good bacteria. Next time try pure sea salt or pickling salt for a cleaner ferment. Also, smashing the carrots a bit before they go in helps the brine get inside better. A higher salt percentage and prepping them right makes a huge difference.

When you mentioned rethinking using real people in stories, that hit home. I used to believe borrowing traits from friends was harmless inspiration. But your neighbor story showed me how it can go wrong fast. Like, I once wrote a bossy coach based on my gym teacher, and he caught wind of it and gave me grief for weeks. Ngl, now I see how using real people just invites unwanted feedback and hassle. I'm totally with you on keeping fiction purely fictional.

Wow @jones.nancy, like sturdy shoes needing good insoles nobody notices.

Almost got lost once following a game trail that looked perfect on the map. Wound up in this little hidden bowl full of elk, completely invisible from the main path. Makes you realize how many good spots are just out of sight if you're willing to wander a bit.

Any bug problems from the dead limbs?