Wednesday, 24th of Summer

"You'll want plenty of butter and maple syrup to slather over these warm stacks," the queen of sauce said. Alma took note as she sat cross-legged on her bed. "Mmm … delicious! And there you go - pancakes!" Alma closed her journal and turned off the TV. Gus's pancakes yesterday were so delicious, so now she was happy to know she could make her own - once she got a mill and could grind her own flour. She made her bed, changed into her overalls, and went outside for another day of work.

Wheat, tomatoes, and peppers were ready to harvest, in addition to the normal hops. Alma did her usual routine, and as she came back to put things in her chests, she made sure to grab wood and stone for the big barn upgrade. She dropped crops to sell in her shipping bin since it was Wednesday, then she went up through the mountain trail to Robin's shop and got there just as it was opening at nine o'clock. "Good morning, Robin!"

"Morning! What can I do for you this morning?"

"I am ready for a barn upgrade!" she said, pulling out the necessary wood and stone. Robin examined the wood and smiled. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, yes!" she said, as if waking from a daydream. "Wood is a wonderful substance, don't you think? It's versatile, cheap, strong, and each piece has its own unique character!"

Alma chuckled a bit, not sure how to respond. "I guess so. I never thought of it that way. I guess I don't have much of a carpenter's eye. Anyway," she said, handing over the money, "I think this should cover it."

"Okay," Robin answered with a smile, "I'll start working on your barn upgrade first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Great, thank you so much, Robin. See you then!" Alma went south toward town and passed by the fountain park. Harvey wasn't there yet; it must have been too early. She continued and stopped in front of Pierre's shop. No Help Wanted ads, but according to the calendar, today was Willy's birthday! "Oh, I've got to get something for him! He's been so helpful to me." She started going south, looking for flowers or something she might be able to give him. Just before reaching the bridge to the beach, she saw a fresh sweet pea flower ready for picking. She plucked it and put it in her bag.

As she stepped onto the sand, Alma saw an artifact sticking out closer to the coastline. She pulled her hoe out of her bag and dug at the spot, revealing an old, dried starfish. "Oh, how beautiful!" She thought that would be a great gift for Willy - but then she thought maybe Gunther would appreciate it more as a specimen in the museum. It looked pretty old. She didn't want to risk that Willy might think of it as trash or something. The sweet pea flower was a better choice. She continued down the pier and entered Willy's shop.

"Ahoy there, lass!" he greeted. "A nice day for fishin', wouldn't ye say?"

"Yes, it is, but it's also a fine day for …" she pulled the flower out of her bag, "a birthday!"

He laughed a dry, bubbly laugh as he took the flower. "You remembered my birthday!" He looked the flower over and placed it in a jar on his counter. "Thank you. This is great."

"No problem. You've been so helpful to me; it's the least I could do!"

"Oh, lass, it's nothin'," he said. "Passing on fishin' tricks to people is one of my passions in life. I'm happy to do it, and I'm happy to see a young lass like yourself take so kindly to it! And, y'know," he said, leaning on his counter and speaking a little lower, "I think you're advanced enough that I can share with ye … There are rumors of some very rare fish in these parts … but only an experienced angler could stand a chance against them."

"Oh, I don't know if I could do that yet. I've been working really hard just to get a sturgeon!"

"Don't sell yourself short, lass," he said with a wagging finger. "Sturgeon are fish for a skilled angler, for sure. But you'll need the finest bait you can get if you want a rare fish to bite."

"Willy," she laughed, "is this all just an ad?"

He stood up and laughed with a shrug. "I'm just waggin' lips is all, lass. Take it or leave it."

"I think unfortunately, I'll have to leave it for now. I just spent quite a bit of money for a barn upgrade, so money is tight right now."

"Aye, I understand." He took out a tin and pulled out tobacco to put in his pipe. "Well, ye know where to find me."

"I do indeed. Have a great birthday!"

"Thank ye, lass," he said, lifting up his pipe.

Alma gave a wave and left his shop. She gathered shells to sell and then left the beach to go to the museum. "Well, good afternoon, Ms. Alma! What can I do for you today?"

"You can take a look at this cool thing!" She pulled the dried starfish out of her bag.

Gunther took out a brush and cleaned it off, taking a closer look at some of the details. "Hm, yes, it appears to be quite old. Thank you for this."

"Of course."

"And as a thank-you," he said, stepping into his back room. Again, Alma prayed it wasn't some huge statue. He came out with another large painting. "I have this beautiful rendition of Jade Hills, the mountains which themselves penetrate Pelican Town."

Alma took the painting and stood it up on the counter to look it over. "Gunther, it's beautiful!"

"Another addition to your home decor, yes?"

"Yes, thank you! It will look great in my living room, right above my dining room table." Alma was able to remarkably fit the painting in her bag. "May I take a look at the lost books? Have you been able to clean any up?"

"Yes, in fact, there's one I think you haven't seen yet."

"All right, I'll go check it out. Thanks!" Alma set her bag down by the counter and made her way to the back shelves. There was a new book on display in the Lost Books Collection, Journey of the Prairie King – The Smash Hit Video Game! Alma flipped it open and read an excerpt:

"Did you know? Anyone who beats 'Journey of the Prairie King' is automatically entered into a drawing for a special prize?

Did you know? The developer has stated that the protagonist is based on a real-life character… A true cowboy hero from the prairie-island in the Gem Sea!"

When Alma read this, she immediately thought of Abigail. There was no way Alma was going to beat the game, but maybe Abigail would someday. She closed the book and went back to get her bag, thanking Gunther and leaving the museum.

Alma knew that by this time, Harvey would be by the fountain. She went up through town and behind Pierre's and, sure enough, saw him standing there by the fountain, watching the water. "Good afternoon," he greeted with a smile as she approached.

She waved and stood next to him. "You look deep in thought. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, not - not a lot. Trying to clear my mind, actually." She looked at the fountain too, trying to put herself in his mindset. "You know, that's one thing I love about this place, actually."

"What's that?"

"Well," he said, "the nature of a physician's work is naturally stressful. Inside the walls of the clinic, it can be hard work - not so much physically but mentally and emotionally. But when you step outside, it's much easier to let those stresses fade away." Alma nodded, watching the water flow over the sides of the fountain. "I came here because I liked the small-town atmosphere and the potential for a holistic approach to patient care. But I've grown to really love it."

She smiled and nodded as he spoke. "I know you have. I've noticed that whenever you speak about Pelican Town or its people, you always have … a different air about you."

He scoffed with a smirk and shook his head. "It's because it's outside of myself." He threw his head back, closing his eyes as he looked to the sky. "I tend to … implode when I think about myself and what others might think of me - or what things might happen to me. But when it comes to the community around me - wherever that may be - yes, I have quite a sense of pride."

"Pride, yes. Now if only we can get you to take that pride that you derive from your surroundings and somehow bring it into yourself, that'd be great."

"Believe me," he said, "I've tried."

"What was it you told me - wasn't it at the library on the day the Tribune came out?" Alma asked, trying to remember. "'We can get you feeling better about yourself?'" He smiled and nodded. "Maybe you've tried, but maybe you need someone from the community you love so much to try next. Just like with a lot of things, sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is what you need to see things from a new perspective."

Harvey chuckled a bit. "With my poor vision, that makes total sense." He looked at her and saw the genuine look of care in her eyes. He felt his face flush, and he looked away. "So, uh, h-how did fishing go yesterday?"

"Oh! Yes! I got the tuna! Finally!"

"That was the - the really hard fish you've been trying to get?"

"Well," she sighed, "no. That's sturgeon. Even Willy told me today that one is pretty hard to get."

"Oh. But tuna is still a good thing?"

"Yes, the Junimo need it in the community center," she said, cocking her head that direction.

"Okay, good. But what, uh … what will you do if you can't get the other? The sturgeon?"

"Have you seen the traveling saleswoman who comes through the forest? The one with the pig who pulls her - "

"Oh, Alma, no! She sells useless things at highway robbery!"

"I know, her things are often overpriced. But every now and then, she has something that I can't get on my own! And if I have the money for it, why not get it and make my work a bit easier? I think that's worth it."

Harvey's face contorted. He didn't like the idea of someone taking advantage of Alma as she was just setting up a new life here in town. "Just … be careful. Don't let her talk you into anything."

"She never has. She's actually quite amicable! See," she laughed, "even the swindlers are friendly in Stardew Valley!"