BWS Puzzle 10: Midi Themeless #5 - harder clues

This post has the "harder clues" version of today's 10x10 themeless puzzle, both in the embedded applet and the download links below.

If this proves too challenging, click this link here for the "easier clues" version of the very same puzzle.

I want to briefly comment on this puzzle's grid, too, because I've been trying to experiment with and learn more about grid designs lately. I've seen a lot of really cool and innovative grid symmetries and designs (some of which I mentioned in a recent post) and I've been trying to apply some of those ideas to my own puzzles.

This particular grid (shown above, top-left) uses one basic shape: that wide L thing with 5 blocks along and then 1 block around the bend, so to speak. That basic shape recurs four times and, overall, the grid does have standard rotational symmetry, but it almost doesn't look like it should.

I'm particularly intrigued by how this grid turned out because of the word lengths it creates: this puzzle ends up having only words of length 3, 5, 9, or 10. That's it! There are 12 length 3s, 12 length 5s, 4 length 9s, and 2 length 10s. Overall, there are quite a few more black squares than I would typically allow myself: with 24 out of 100 total squares, that's 24%, which equates to 54 (!) black squares in a standard 15x15 grid. However, there are only 30 words, which is a lower count than all the other 10x10 themeless puzzles I have posted with many, many fewer black squares (usually only 12 or 14 black squares , instead of 24, with a word count of 32 or 34). So, make of that what you will. For comparison, check out the images above to see all the grids I've used on the midi themeless puzzles I've posted so far. I think this one is a pleasing grid, both visually and entry-wise, but let me know what you think!

Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.

Download links:   [puz]   [pdf]   [solution]