Island Living: A Photo Journal

Island/Town Name
Littlestar
Hemisphere
North
The light at sunset made the trees look fantastic. Autumn is gorgeous. 🍂
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PS. A good thing happened!
 
It's exciting to be able to play the new update! I made a beeline for Resident Services and redeemed Nook Miles for the ABD, storage shed and new reactions. My favourites are "behold", "say cheese" and "jammin'". Paid a princely sum to Nook for expanded storage, then ordered some of the new Nook Miles items! For a start, I chose the round topiary, flowerbed, pergola, azumaya gazebo and windmill.
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Next stop was Nook's Cranny. Bought the Ladder Setup Kit DIY and the Basic Cooking Recipes DIY. Leif was at the plaza today watching my islanders zooming around. I bought 6 wheat starts from him. Then I experimented with the camera's new handheld and tripod modes. Discovered that I could tilt the camera!
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I didn't forget to go to the museum. Blathers was awake!
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He told me his plans to add a cafe and helpfully suggested I looked for Brewster by taking a boat ride with Kapp'n.
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Sure enough, I found Brewster, who gave me pointers on growing gyroids. I've planted two in the ground and watered them and I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Cute new gyroids? I hope so! Amid all the excitement, I didn't forget that it's Lucky's birthday today. Claude was there to celebrate already. 🥳🎉🎁
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The temptation to time-travel is there, but I'm going to take it one day at a day and savour the process of discovery. Good things and fun times are worth waiting for. Tomorrow, there's the DLC to look forward to as well. 😁
 
Another amazing day with the new update and DLC! Where to begin? Joey was my first home visitor! He even brought and gave me a cherry. Right after, I flew to Harv's. Reese and Cyrus were open for business today, so I gave them my lighthouse. AND IT WAS INSTANT. I thought the customization would take a few hours like it had been in New Leaf. I was even prepared to wait a day. But, nope, Cyrus was on fire! So I gave him the other things in my pocket, a pergola and a flowerbed. AND WOW, MY PERGOLA BECAME A WISTERIA TRELLIS. Have I ever mentioned that I loved the wisteria trellis in New Leaf? I did and still do, and it looks even better in New Horizons. I'm going to order a whole lot of pergolas so that Cyrus can turn all of them into gorgeous purple wisteria trellises for me. ♥
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Before I left, Harriet taught me a new hairstyle. It was a pretty violent experience. 😅
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I dug up the two gyroid fragments I buried and watered yesterday and now I have a petalloid and a xylophoid. SO CUTE. I'm going to collect many gyroids.
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The DLC is way more enjoyable than I'd expected. My first clients were Eloise, Flora and Monique. They all had very different themes so I had fun! I earned enough to buy some new furniture and souvenir chocolates. I didn't know that giving a box of chocolates to Raymond would result in his following me to work. He was so happy, he was literally skipping around and grinning the whole time like he was super high on catnip or something. 😆
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I ended up furnishing a vacation home for Raymond. In the process, I learned to polish. EVERYTHING SPARKLES NOW. It pleased Raymond to no end. ☺
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Last but not least, Soleil asked to move. This means I get to go mystery island hopping tomorrow! So excited. I've never had great luck with island hopping but I hope to meet one of the new animals. Fingers crossed!
 
Yesterday I was so heady with excitement that I'd failed to realize I have to wait one more day to go mystery island hopping. 😅 So I started the day with a visit to Harv's. Leif has set up shop. I bought 6 sugarcane starts. Harriet taught me another new hairstyle! I really like this one, so I'll keep it for a while. 😁
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The rain had stopped by the time I got back to Littlestar. We had a rainbow. I had Kapp'n take me to another island and I found another gyroid fragment. Yay!
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It's opening day for Brewster and his cafe! It's been so long since we had an opening ceremony for anything. I like opening ceremonies. I also had my first cup of coffee. YUM. Since I can't drink coffee as much as I like in real life (heartburn is a terrible curse) I will instead drink delicious coffee at Brewster's every day. ☕
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With caffeine in my veins, I was ready for my job. Yesterday, I furnished 4 vacation homes. Today, I managed 6. It was a lot of fun since the themes were all different. Today's clients were Sprocket, Gloria, Purrl, Tangy, Rolf and Dobie. Tangy, Rolf and Dobie were amiibo'ed in. The other two features I have managed to unlock today are the partition wall and room expansion.
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And I unlocked the first facility on the island which is the school! The super sexy smart Monique is our resident teacher. The things we will learn from her! 😉
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We had a little party to celebrate the fact that I'd done a grand total of 10 vacation homes. 🎉
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Tomorrow is mystery island hopping day! Keeping my fingers crossed for happy surprises!
 
It's pretty difficult to stop playing now that the update and DLC are out. I'm having so much fun, I'm starting to feel guilty, if that makes any sense. In any case, the achievement of the day is encountering Marlo on my 6th mystery island! He's the one I'm most interested in meeting among the new animals. Can't believe my luck!
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Among the DIYs I've managed to learn are giant vine, glowing moss ruins wall and acorn rug. My new gyroid is a drummoid. Today, I created 8 new vacation homes. They're for Deli, Erik, Snooty, Jacques, Scoot, Wolfgang, Flurry and Cashmere. As a result, I've unlocked these features: different effects for polished furniture, custom room lighting, use of DIY crafted items, pairing up of animals as roommates and adding sounds to vacation homes. The DLC does make sure you're rewarded for your efforts pretty quickly. Another reason why it's hard to stop playing.
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We opened a cafe on the island! Deli and Erik work there.
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Stopping by the school, I found Rolf among the students. His opinion of Monique as the teacher is... succinct. 😅
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Snapped a quick one of Tangy on a float. She's so cute. 😁
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After work, I sat with Wardell for a little while before returning to Littlestar.
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Yesterday was a whirlwind of fun! Marlo moved in. My new gyroids are a thwopoid and a bubbloid. Harriet taught me another new hairstyle. I like it.
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I managed to furnish 6 vacation homes. They're for Claude, Whitney, Zucker, Wade, Chabwick and Pecan. I learned how to use pillars and island counters but I don't think I'll be using them much. Keeping things simple is my motto. I've also unlocked the option to make 2-storey vacation homes. To top it all off, another new facility, a restaurant this time, has opened on the island. I made cranky old Rolf the chef. 😁
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Having reached the milestone of finishing 20 vacation homes, we celebrated at the cafe. I love how Nico always jumps up for photos. He's such a cute little guy.
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Mornings are never the same again! I like how Isabelle is now announcing NPC visitors to the island. Definitely a step in the right direction for the game.
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New gyroids added to my collection are the spikenoid, babbloid and thwangoid. The last two were dug up whole from the ground. Apparently, this happens when it has rained the day before! I also learned how to craft frozen floor tiles. Kapp'n took me to a winter island for the first time. In HHP news, a medical centre is now open. Wade is the resident doctor and Whitney works as the receptionist.
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Today I furnished vacation homes for Humphrey, Joey, Faith, Mathilda, Marina, Kid Cat and Annalise. In the process, I've unlocked the options to apply soundscapes to my own home and to shop for HHP furniture on Nook Shopping!
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Before finishing work for the day, I went for a quick check-up at our new medical centre because my knee was bothering me. Dr Wade was patient and reassuring... in a slightly disturbing way. 🤪
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WE DID IT!!! WE DID IT!!! WE HIT THE BIG MILESTONE OF 30 COMPLETED VACATION HOMES!!! 🥳 🥳 🥳
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The celebration party was exciting and fun and a great reward for all the hard work. This DLC is so well put together. I definitely recommend it. Decorating is not my strong suit. I play AC first and foremost for the animals. I love that I can meet so many new animals in HHP. The cutscene that follows the completion of a vacation home is always very satisfying to watch. I can't invite them all to Littlestar but that's okay, because I can always visit them in HHP, in their vacation homes or in the cafe or on the beach, anytime I want! This is like a second island where there is no limit to the number of animals I can invite to stay. ♥😁
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The vacation homes I finished today that allowed me to reach the big milestone were for Bam, Ione, Maggie, Lily and Melba. (And now I can't wait to start redecorating some of my islanders' homes on Littlestar!)
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The apparel store was the last facility on the island to be unlocked. I chose to decorate it with gyroids. Why not? I love the gyroids! I love their whimsical design and thoroughly amusing animation. I don't think I'll ever tire of watching them. If only they were real. I'd collect them in real life too!
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On Littlestar today, I dug up a clatteroid. DIYs I learned: veggie basket, woven vines hat, spaghetti marinara and plain cupcakes. I visited Marlo and discovered that we have something in common. 😅
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Nook had happy news for me today! This means I can give Claude's home a makeover. He's one of my original 5 move-ins at the start of the game, so he still has a starter house. Claude has been through thick and thin with me. He deserves better. I want to give him a comfy home that reflects his personality and hobbies.
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Early in the morning, Joey visited me. This is his second time! We had fun together. I really like that, unlike New Leaf, we no longer have to set a time and then wait for the event to happen.
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In HHP news, I've unlocked the option to order items from Wardell's catalogue! I'm planning on creating a couple of new outdoor areas on my island because I've fallen madly in love with all the glowing moss related items. DIYs learned today: Roost sable cookie, gnocchi di carote, glowing-moss-jar shelves, orange pound cake. I dug up an arfoid and a crumploid. Nat visited the school with an important lesson for us. And I furnished vacation homes for Lolly and Nan. Lolly wanted a training-for-public-speaking theme. I was like, what!? For a vacation home!? I convinced her a cozy-cat-cafe theme was better. She loved it. 😁
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Snapped a shot of Ione soaking up the sea breeze on a float.
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Another busy, satisfying day! My newly dug up gyroid is a laseroid. DIYs learned: round glowing-moss rug, peach jelly, sauteed olive flounder, golden dharma, concrete island counter, concrete pillar. At HHP, I created vacation homes for Norma, Quinn, June, Wendy and Poppy. It was fun because everyone has different themes.
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I always check the beach to see who's there. I like that different animals are always doing something, either by themselves or in little groups.
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At the other end of the beach, Humphrey and Chabwick, who are roomies, were building a sandcastle. I don't think Maggie was impressed. Not that the boys were trying to impress anyone at all. They were just having fun!
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Lily was chillin' on the water. I wonder if every animal has a unique float. So far, it seems that way. I plan on snapping every single one I see.
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Today's freshly unearthed gyroid is a stelloid! DIYs learned include the ruined broken pillar and salad-stuffed tomato. (Thank you, chef Rolf!) On the HHP front, I managed to work on the facilities. The restaurant now includes a private function room and the medical centre has been expanded for in-patient treatment. On the beach, cute villagers turned up, so I made vacation homes for Tasha, Daisy and Nate. Maple moved in with Poppy, Pierce moved in with Nan and Cephalobot moved in with Marina. Cephalobot is a funny little guy. 😅
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Had plenty of fun furnishing new vacation homes. Each day, I look out for vastly different requests and themes because I enjoy the challenge. I definitely believe in variety being the spice of vacation home design.
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Confession time: I'm addicted to snapping floating islanders. I check the beach at least twice a day to see who is out there riding the gentle ocean waves. If only my player character was able to join them!
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I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! It's just like New Leaf's wisteria trellis. 😊
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DIYs learned today include the pumpkin pound cake, pear jam, marble island counter and glowing-moss headband. I dug up a doofoid. On the HHP island, new vacation homes were furnished for Olive and Billy. I really enjoyed putting together Billy's place. He wanted a clay workshop.
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Cephalobot and Marina were building a sandcastle together. Too adorable!
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The only crop I'm missing right now is carrot. Might take a while to find it. DIYs learned include pizza magherita, jarred mushrooms, golden island counter and golden pillar. Today's gyroid find is a whirroid. I've yet to meet a gyroid I don't like. In HHP news, I visited Dr Wade and found him in a state of panic. 😆
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Vacation homes were furnished for Octavian, Boomer, Jay, Shino and Frett. Accepting Frett's request unlocked sloppy furniture for me. While I'm happy that my catalogue has expanded, I had a hard time giving Frett's man cave a sloppy theme. I prefer things clean and neat, not in sloppy disarray. 😅😣
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Before calling it a day, Lottie tells me we've reached another milestone: 50 vacation homes have been built! 🥳
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Last but not least, today's happy floaters are Maggie and Flurry. 😎
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Claude mentioned Marlo, who did visit me yesterday. But that's not something to brag about, is it!?
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The plaza was unusually crowded and noisy this morning. Marshal and Lolly were trying to have a conversation but the Terrible Trio of Raymond, Fuchsia and Gonzo were determined to zoom around like teenaged airplanes with too much energy to burn. 🤪
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DIYs learned today are for the yellow bamboo mat, orange tart and glowing-moss hood. Over on HHP island, I furnished vacation homes for Lucky, Bettina, Azalea, Sly and Vic. I have the greatest fun when I'm decorating with glowing moss items and gyroids because I love them! I'm hoping to find the glowing-moss balloon DIY soon, somehow, and then I'm going to craft a whole lot of them. 💚
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Caught Shino having some quiet time to herself on the waves. I think her character design is pretty awesome.
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Even though I find myself spending a lot of time decorating vacation homes these days, I haven't forgotten about the beautiful autumn foliage on Littlestar. I just love seeing the rich, earthy tones of autumn leaves! 🍂
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DIYs learned today are for the pear tart, pesce all'aqua pazza and glowing-moss statue. Added the drummoid to my collection. And on HHP island, I furnished vacation homes for Ruby, Tutu, Greta, Rex (who moved in with Rolf) and Hornsby. With Hornsby, I've unlocked some airline items. ✈
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Before calling it a day, I snapped a shot of Boomer floating and chillin' on the sea. 🏝
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Before going to work, I popped into The Roost for a cup of coffee and saw Don Resetti there.
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DIYs learned: Salad, woven-vine pochette, seafood pizza. I dug up an oinkoid on Littlestar and a squeezoid on the rainy island Kapp'n brought me to. In HHP news, Lottie gave me the Room Sketch app! Today, I only furnished 3 vacation homes but they were a lot of fun to put together. This is Apollo's. He wanted to travel off the beaten path, so I had him take a journey to the secret graveyard of gyroids. (The little ghosts are a custom polish effect I created.)
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Bree, on the other hand, had a more down-to-earth wish and asked for a vacation home full of toys. (The little flowers are another custom polish effect I've made.)
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The last job I had for the day was for Rodeo. I like Rodeo. I've yet to meet him on a mystery island but I'm very likely to invite him to Littlestar if I did. He wanted a wizard watchtower.
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I'm looking forward to tomorrow! Sometimes I wonder why I'm having so much fun designing vacation homes when I don't actually enjoy decorating. I think it really helps that the themes are so varied. And there are so many cool items you can unlock the more homes you build. I want to redo a part of my island with lots of glowing moss stuff. I'm particularly fond of the glowing moss balloon. I want to put a bazillion of them on Littlestar. But I have yet to find the DIY for it. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED!
 
I invited Sherb to The Roost today and he remembers that he lived on Littlestar! ♥
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Today, I dug up a boomoid. Only a single new DIY was learned. It's for the dark bamboo bath mat. In HHP news, we built 3 new vacation homes. Marshal wanted a retro cafe theme. So I went for warm tones everywhere. Brick, wood and even a low-key gyroid in low-key brown.
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Molly was looking to start a small publishing business. I made sure to include a coffee making machine. I remember when I was working in advertising. To keep up with the deadlines, you needed to be addicted to either smoking or coffee or both. (I was doing 5-6 cups of coffee a day. Good thing I love coffee anyway. ☕🤪 )
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Teddy said he was always on the move and had so much stuff left to pack up! I said I'd give him a hand. Building his vacation home unlocked the truck. Which is awesome. 🚛
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Before I forget. Marlo visited me again today. His remark about my rotary phone made me laugh. Marlo, I grew up using the rotary phone! I would spend hours on it. When push-button phones became a thing, I was like, WHAT! BUTTONS! THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY! 😱 And now we have cellphones. I don't like it though. Surely it's frying what little of my brain every time I use it. Sorcery, I tell you, sorcery! 😝
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Today's gyroid discovery was a jingloid. And the new DIY I learned was for the vine lamp. I built 4 vacation homes for Dom, Kidd, Phoebe and Tipper. I really enjoyed working on Tipper's home because I love warm tones.
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At the beach, Jacques was chillin'. He lived on Littlestar for a while. Bird villagers are unpopular with a lot of players but I like Jacques. Someday, I may see him again on a mystery island and I may invite him back. That's the only problem with this game. Too many animals that I like! I'm glad for HHP. If they can't all be at my island, at least they can have vacation homes on the HHP island and I still get to see and interact with them.
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Today I learned how to make kabu ankake, veggie cupcakes and frosted cookies. Dug up a twangoid. I took it easy on HHP island and built just two vacation homes. One for Fang...
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...and one for Pippy.
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Did a spot of terraforming on Littlestar, replanted trees and flowers. I cleared an area for what will be a mossy forest filled with a bazillion glowing moss balloons. Now I just need to get lucky and actually find the DIY for the glowing moss balloon. 🥺 (It's probably going to take an eternity. The last time I craved a specific DIY-it was for the bonsai shelf-it took me over a year to get the recipe. 😭😬🤪)
 
New DIY recipes were found today. They were for the glowing moss rug, ruined arch and peach pie. I dug up a bwongoid. Why is every gyroid so adorable! In HHP news, I built one vacation home. It was for Hopkins.
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The island's medical centre has a new doctor. And he's... adjusting to the job very well. 😆
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The rumors didn't stop there.
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Cephalobot and Marina were enjoying each other's company on the waves. Aren't they cute? I'm very glad I made them roommates. 😊
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