How about that! I've transformed from a Steemit Minnow into a Dolphin, a baby dolphin! So it's time for a party!

This art was generously created by @ddschteinn for this celebration.

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Welcome to My Baby Dolphin Party!

I may not be the most consistent at posting, but I'm so glad that I signed up for Steemit last year! It was on August 28. I have learned so much - about Markdown, blockchains, digital currency, and trading exchanges. I've met so many people offering original and authentic content and conversation.

This party is a way of saying thank you to everyone who has come into my posts to leave an upvote or a comment. I appreciate your attention and support here on Steemit! I couldn't have become a dolphin without your help, that's for sure! I'll be reflecting on my Steemit journey in another post, but now? It's time to party!

What's happening here at the party? Here's a list of what's going on. For the details of each part of the party, go to that section.

1. MUSIC - Contest 1 - Help me make a Dolphin Party Music Playlist!
2. PRIZES - Thank you prizes to specific Steemians!
3. COLD DRINKS - Non-alcoholic - Spruce-Spearmint-Lavender Sun Tea -- I'll serve it to you!
4. FOOD - Contest 2 - You bring some food to the party!
5. JOKES - Contest 3 - Tell me some dolphin jokes!
6. COCKTAILS - Wild Black Locust Gin and Tonic -- I'll serve it to you!
7. CARDS - Contest 4 - Design a greeting card from @ddschteinn's thumbnail image for this post!
8. POETRY - Contest 5 - Write poetry about dolphins!

When is the party over? Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

Let's Party!!!

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1. MUSIC - Contest 1 - We Need a Dolphin Party Music Playlist!

We've got to have music at a party! At this party, we need music about dolphins and the ocean. But I'm not a good DJ. So here's the contest. Go over to my other post, the Dolphin Party Music Playlist Contest. Put in a link to some music about dolphins or the ocean, like a YouTube video. I'll check in every day during the party and give $3 SBD to my favorite song, out of all of them that are posted at the time. Make sure you don't post a song that someone else has already added to the playlist! I'll be giving away at least $18 SBD over there as long as the party is going -- until Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

So you can bring up that post in another tab, and listen to some ice storm and icicle music while you are playing the contests and enjoying my party.

Winner for Day 1! @craig2911 for The Dolphin Song. You submitted that song almost immediately after my post got onto Steemit. You must have been listening to that song right then! It's a fun song -- "It's really great to be a Dolphin!"

Winner for Day 2! @matthewtiii for Flipper. Flipper is such a good dolphin, with a strong sense of community and helpfulness. There are so many people on Steemit with those positive attributes, too!

Winner for Day 3! @vegetarianbaker for "Thanks for All the Fish". Those synchronized dancing dolphins are something to watch! I'll think of all the Steemit dolphins working in synch to help more minnows become dolphins, too!

Winner for Day 4! @cryplectibles for a karaoke version of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine. Karaoke is a great way to keep a party fun! Here's to everyone having fun on Steemit, too!

Winner for Day 5! @brimax for a personal performance of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. As parties move on, it's nice when folks get out their instruments and serve up some live music. And to all the minnows, I do "wish you were here" swimming with the dolphins, really soon!

Winner for Day 6! *globocop for some meditative songs featuring live dolphin calls. This is a great way to end the party, with some mellow music and the sounds of dolphins calling out to all of us on Steemit. Oooouuuupp, oouupp!

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2. PRIZES - Thank You!

I appreciate everyone who has read my posts, upvoted them, or left comments. I especially appreciate that some people are consistent in commenting. However, I can't figure out who has commented on my posts most often. What i can tell, using https://steemvp.com, is that four people have upvoted every one of my posts this month: @tangmo, @ddschteinn, @carrinm, and @rileyechard. As a thank you, each of you should check your wallets!

I can also look back at my very first post and see two people who welcomed me right away: @papa-pepper and @the-bitcoin-dood. I appreciate that warm welcome. As a thank you, each of you should check your wallets!

Thanks once again, @nonameslefttouse, for making this custom art, Wild In The Wild, for me and letting me use it so much!

And I appreciate @nonameslefttouse creating a custom art for me and letting me use it - first for the The Very First Steemit Foraging Community Scavenger Hunt and then for anything related to the @foraging-trail. I really like what he created and I'm glad to show it here and promote the @foraging-trail! As a thank you, @nonameslefttouse, check your wallet!

When I got to Steemit, I couldn't figure out what I should post about. But I found two challenges that gave me a focus to get started -- the SteemitPhotoChallenge and the FoodChallenge, which became the SteemitCulinaryChallenge. In appreciation of how those challenges help new people get started, I am sponsoring a $10 SBD prize in a future round for each of them. If you are new to Steemit, there will be a prize category just for you! Look for the photo challenge prize in mid-July and the culinary challenge near the end of June.

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3. COLD DRINKS - Non-alcoholic Spruce-Spearmint-Lavender Sun Tea!

For anyone abstaining, I've got you covered here at the Dolphin Party! I saved some of the spring growth from my Colorado Blue Spruce tree in a jar in the refrigerator. I picked sprigs of spearmint leaves and lavender blossoms. Then I put that spring growth from my spruces trees, spearmint, and lavender into a jar of water and let it sit in the sun, like sun tea.

I used up all my foraged icicles from the big winter storm, so we'll make do with cracked ice. Although I usually drink straight from the jar, for the party, I'll strain the tea, so you don't drink any of the needles or other plant parts.

Drink up! This is like drinking the forest, with overtones of spearmint and lavender! Delicious!

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4. FOOD - Contest 2 - Bring Some Food to the Party!

Every party is better with some food and snacks. I'm making this party a potluck. I've put a comment down below, called "PUT YOUR PARTY FOOD HERE". Put a link to any food post that you have ever made on Steemit, that you think would be perfect for being out on boat, watching dolphins. You can put up to three links in this contest. I'll give three prizes of $3 SBD each, to the ones I like best at the end of the party. When is that? Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

Winner 1! @amy-goodrich for those great tapas! They are a complete party kit!
Winner 2! @the-bitcoin-dood for the super crab dip, made right on our boat! We will toss the scraps overboard for the fish!
Winner 3! @ewkaw for the swirl cookies. A great finish to all the food at the party!

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5. JOKES - Contest 3 - Tell a Dolphin Joke!

We need some fun and laughter at our party. Tell me a good dolphin joke! I've put a comment down below, called "PUT YOUR JOKES HERE". Put your jokes as a reply to that comment. I'll give a prize of $5 SBD to the one I like best at the end of the party. When is that? Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

Winner! @improv -- He's in the right line of work, alright!

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6. COCKTAILS - Wild Black Locust Gin and Tonic!

At my Icicle Party, I served a wild black locust gin and tonic to warm our toes, if you know what I mean. But that drink is good for the summertime, too! I'm glad I make a lot of it!

In the early summer, I use flowers from the Wild Black Locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) to flavor any old gin. I'll write a post about that sometime, but the important thing here is I don't have those winter icicles. I do have some frozen homegrown Methley plums, though. I'll put a couple in a glass, add some fresh spearmint, pour the black locust gin, pour the tonic water, swizzle, and it's ready to drink up!

It tastes like summer, alright! To your health! And be sure to eat those plums!

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7. CARDS - Contest 4 - Make a Dolphin Greeting Card!

I've really enjoyed the artistic creativity I've seen here on Steemit. Let's see what wonders you can work with your graphics skills! I've made a comment down below, called "PUT YOUR GREETING CARDS HERE". Take the dolphin cartoon that @ddschteinn made for this party and make a postcard-style greeting card from it! It can be serious or funny. If you want to think of your card as a MEME, that's perfectly fine. You can do anything with that image, but I should be able to tell that it did come from @ddschteinn's cartoon. I'll give a prize of $10 SBD to the one I like best at the end of the party. When is that? Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

Winner! @carrinm -- I checked with @ddschteinn and it is a pond! Better for the dolphin! ;D

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8. POETRY - Contest 5 - Write a Poem about Dolphins!

Now this Dolphin Party has been going for awhile, and everyone should be loosened up! I've made a comment down below, called "PUT YOUR POEMS HERE". Write a poem about dolphins. I'll accept three kinds of poems: a rhyming poem of 8 lines or more, a haiku, or a limerick. I'll give three prizes of $5 SBD each, to the poem I like best in each category, at the end of the party. When is that? Friday, June 30, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time (midnight, UTC).

WInner! @ddschteinn for your fun limerick! It's perfect for a Dolphin party!

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The End of the Party

All good things must come to an end. I hope you enjoyed my Dolphin Party! I appreciate each one of you who look at, upvote, or comment on my Steemit posts! I have enjoyed getting to know many of you through your comments on my posts! I feel so fortunate to be part of the early days of Steemit. And I'm glad that you are here, too! I hope to see every Minnow become a Dolphin, too!

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** Haphazard Homestead **

*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***

Except for the custom original art created by @ddschteinn and @nonameslefttouse, all content is 100% Haphazard Homestead!