I don't think I could by now.
My forest... I turned it on, just for a moment, to listen to the trees and the music. I didn't see anyone this time, but that's alright. I know they were there.

It'll be lovely to hear the lowing of others again, even when I'm not sick.
Though it seems every time I don't feel well I slip into the forest in the hopes of it helping me to feel better.

I was sick for so long last year, with a flare up in March and another now...
I recently discovered I have an extra heartbeat that flares up when I get stressed, or exert myself too much. It was nice to have that confirmed by a doctor...
considering that I was told for the past several years my heart was "perfect" and nothing was wrong... except if it's been beating extra there might be a problem....

I adore my forest... I can't wait to frolic in it with you guys again. I'm so glad I was able to back it and support my home away from home - a home I've had for far longer than other communities online that I've watched rise and fall by the wayside again...

I never did manage to order my 3d print file... or my little badge for my Legend perk. I guess I'll have to contact someone about that....

I wander around the internet in the same way I wandered through our beloved forest. Usually aimlessly. This time I was meandering around on second life when I discovered deer avatars available to purchase. I laughed a little, knowing there were a lot of people who would scoff at the idea of playing in a multiplayer arena as a deer.

When I looked closer at it, there are small aspects of the deer avatar that are very familiar. Notably, an orca-like pattern, and the fact the deer avvies come with 'dances'.
A handful of horns are similar to a few from the forest, inspired by- not taken from.
And it made me smile, because, as with the community I found tucked away on tumblr, and deviantart... I know that within those deer flocks on secondlife are other deer from the endless forest, eagerly awaiting the return of our bountiful and beautiful forest.
And proving that the love of the forest is still with them, even on other platforms.

I'm thinking of getting the avatar, and wandering around the groups, looking for familiar faces and names.

I wonder who I'll find there...

I couldn't give much to my beloved forest. But I gave what I could. When I begin a new job, I will give more.
It thrills me to no end, seeing deer in the forest every time I log on. Even sleeping deer. It proves I'm not alone, there are others who thrive and remember the forest. The new version looks amazing, and I can't wait to frolick around it with others.
Thank you TEF for always being there. For never fading into obscurity. I keep seeing pieces of the fandom around. Still being surprised at the new, random bits I catch here and there and it always reminds me I have a home to come back to.

I got sick, and because I'm not feeling well I went to turn on EF, only to realize I didn't have it downloaded on the new computer.
Now that I've fixed that, I'm happily listening to the forest in my background, and looking forward to the remake. I'm so glad the project is still going. And I'm even happier I got to help out in a way before I lost my job and couldn't help one of the few things that still exists online from my childhood.
I love my forest, even when I forget to install it on my new computers.

I looked over the perks, I gave as much as I could. It isn't much. And you deserve so much more. I wanted to give back to my forest... but it was all I could do.
You guys deserve so much more, I keep sharing it hoping others will give and help too.

Don't mind me. Just you're average little mini deer... running around the forest and changing unsuspecting deer into new forms while they sleep.
Don't mind the strange dreams..

I was sleeping. One is wont to do that at two-three in the morning. I had finally defeated the insomniac monster and was dozing lightly when I hear the familiar sound of a spell being cast.
Like the alarm first in the morning, I ignored it and rolled over, determined to get a few hours' worth of sleep before morning light came through my window.
But the sound happened again. And again. Deciding I would get this deer back in the morning ( or when next I saw) I opened the map to see who was closest to me so I could mark their picto for later.)
They continued casting while I had the map open and I decided to see who would be casting spells so early in the morning. I see this.
https://gyazo.com/bcc174a1d017988ef100fac7bd6e5fde
A deer, who was apparently midway in transforming me to look like them.
I had a changeshape spell all ready for them, but decided to see exactly how far they were willing to go to get a mini me.
Turns out, fifteen minutes and getting the set completed.
I snapped a few pictures,
https://gyazo.com/7b4c9bcdb4462eab51819b5222b1c94b
https://gyazo.com/9b170886387c8ddbca4f897c42fe3e53
But lost out on the chance to unleash my vengeance upon them.
It was sweet, in a sort of creepy way.
Totally transforming them if I see the pictograph again.

I've been studying Japanese on and off for nearly 15 years. Largely self taught I had a tutor in my best friend in middle and high school, and managed to catch a year's worth of actual language and culture courses in university.
And it has taken me all of this time to realize what my own pictograph resembles.
I originally chose it because it looked interesting. It was the first picto that came up that wasn't a jumble of lines and a mess. But because it looked a little like a Japanese kanji.
I was amused by it, I liked it, and it was simple to remember what it looked like at the time.
A couple of years ago I switched my tally marks to using the Japanese system, not for any reason than because it's pretty, and because it's much easier to count the things I tally when my tally marks literally spell out 1-2-3-4-5.
And STILL I didn't realize what my pictogram resembled. Here it is, two in the bloody morning where I am. I can't sleep, and I'm watching the map while TEF plays in the background.
A soft lilting melody of frogs and water, wind and the stray lowing of another deer.
Through half closed eyes I look at the map and go...
"Huh... that's funny, that pictogram looks exactly like the number 5..."
TEN MINUTES LATER my stupid, fuzzy, sleep deprived brain goes..
"You idiot! THAT'S YOUR PICTOGRAM! You are literally the number 5!"
For anyone curious.
https://twototokyo.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/five-japanese-kanji-symbo...
That is the Japanese number 5.
http://www.endlessforest.org/community/rya
And there is my profile, with my own picto proudly on display.

Fifteen years of Japanese.
9 years of playing TEF
9 years of looking at my own Pictogram and thinking 'ha, it looks like a Kanji'
9 years of my brain not making the connection that I was wearing the number 5 on my head

Bloody hell am I an idiot.

The eternal spring of the forest twittered on. Every day as the last, with only the smallest changes. New fawns were brought into the world in the usual way, and older deer passed on from the world as they did from time to time.
Rya stood among the dandelions, leaning down to closely watch the blossoms. For her, the only passage of time was watching the dandelions turn puffy so she could blow them away, sowing new golden blossoms along the forest floor.

It says there's 43 people connected, but the forest is empty.