Oak creek lake cabins for sale
The Subreddit for the Suburbs of Chicago
2011.08.25 00:16 emememaker73 The Subreddit for the Suburbs of Chicago
News, events and discussions from the suburbs of Chicago, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties in Illinois, LaPorte, Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, and Kenosha County, Wisconsin.
2012.12.05 08:40 notpornthistime backpackers from columbus, ohio
This is a place for backpackers to get together and share stories, area trail updates, and plan group backpacking trips.
2023.05.31 01:47 rolandofeld19 Half practical, half emotional, land thoughts abound
I tend towards the verbose so TL;DR right here:
I'm set to inherit ~120 rural acres in the US South. It has some good/bad points. It is quite far from where life has led me to put down roots. I don't know what I don't know and I wonder if y'all have faced similar situations in your life.
Geography: NW Alabama but tending towards Birmingham. The footiest of the foothills of the Appalachians. Not flat, not mountains. Property is bordered by a non-seasonal, 20 foot wide, creek on two sides and has a county blacktop road cutting it into basically 60 acres and 40 acre plots. The bordering river is navigable by small boat/personal watercraft but sees only incidental fisherman, no docks or ramps for a while up or downstream. It flows slowly, sometimes backwards when far downstream locks/dams stop flow. Zero flood risk.
Land Ecology: The property is about 70 percent woodland, unmanaged, and 30 percent hay field, casually managed by leasee that cuts it. Some older hardwoods but much of it is scrubby pine. Healthy deer, turkey, possum, rabbit populations.
History: The pasture was once the row crop field of my paternal grandfather and great grandfather, perhaps even further back. A ruined wall is where washing was done in the past. Long disused fish capture/raising ponds recount my great grandfather's side business selling bait for long gone fishing camps. A (now inactive, more on this below) is where my father and his siblings bathed growing up. The 40 acres across the street has been leased for mountain top strip mining 3 times in living memory, about 20 years apart, most recently 10 years ago. Reclaiming efforts that are mandated by law were performed haphazardly and amount to some grading of the land and some pine saplings strewn about. The spring is long dead. The river, once clear to the bottom when my father was young, is a permanent zero visibility clay orange from the mining operations of decades ago.
Economy: The land is a few miles outside of a town that has been dying for decades. They just closed the local school not too many years ago so even that vestige of strength is gone. The mines are slowly folding as well. The feneral population is best described as elderly or addicted. Sad/fading churches, potholes, and kudzu are the icons that I note from afar. The rest of folks, those who could, have left. Drug abuse and crime, petty and otherwise are not at all uncommon.
Fiscal burdens: There are no liens or other intangible issues with the property, I'm an only child and the property is mine by birthright if I want if. Yearly taxes are small due to no improvements on the property, though this may go up if inheriting it triggers an accessor visit. I think my parents are paying $1200 or so a year in taxes, but it could be half of that.
Personal thoughts/questions, aka the meat and potatoes of this post that I'd love to talk about:
I hate to see the family land that, including my kids, albeit briefly, have played on, at least 6 or 7 generations have owned simply be sold. But I am realistic and the complications, the ones I've considered listed below, are tough.
I don't live near there anymore, I'm 12 hours away by car and I've seen friends attempt to manage two homes, or a home and a cabin, and it's a heck of a job. Keeping up two places, even if one is rustic, is a stressor to even think about. Roads/trails need maintenance. This is further complicated by the fact that, due to the economic issues above, any improvements are subject to abuse or theft. Garbage will be dumped, unattended RVs would be noticed and vandalized/stolen/squatted in, cabins would see break-ins and even AC coils or well pumps or electric wires stolen for scrap metal sale.
There's a small interest from a group of my goodest friends in creating a group owned cabin there. That would help with the issue of not having a presence there by spreading responsibility across more people but, honestly, they don't know the local taboos and idiosyncrasies that this would entail dealing with. Plus 'good walls make good neighbors' or something like that and I'm not sure I want to rism complicating a friendship with the worlds smallest commune, offgrid, cabin homestead.
But, I have always wanted to build an off grid retreat of sorts... It's not impossible insofar as my wife's and my careers are doing well enough to keep it on the back burner, nor do we need the money that would come from a sale of the property.
Anyway... Thanks for your thoughts. Until the time comes, at least 10 or 15+ years for my kids to finish school, I continue to dream.
submitted by rolandofeld19 to homestead [link] [comments]
I'm set to inherit ~120 rural acres in the US South. It has some good/bad points. It is quite far from where life has led me to put down roots. I don't know what I don't know and I wonder if y'all have faced similar situations in your life.
Geography: NW Alabama but tending towards Birmingham. The footiest of the foothills of the Appalachians. Not flat, not mountains. Property is bordered by a non-seasonal, 20 foot wide, creek on two sides and has a county blacktop road cutting it into basically 60 acres and 40 acre plots. The bordering river is navigable by small boat/personal watercraft but sees only incidental fisherman, no docks or ramps for a while up or downstream. It flows slowly, sometimes backwards when far downstream locks/dams stop flow. Zero flood risk.
Land Ecology: The property is about 70 percent woodland, unmanaged, and 30 percent hay field, casually managed by leasee that cuts it. Some older hardwoods but much of it is scrubby pine. Healthy deer, turkey, possum, rabbit populations.
History: The pasture was once the row crop field of my paternal grandfather and great grandfather, perhaps even further back. A ruined wall is where washing was done in the past. Long disused fish capture/raising ponds recount my great grandfather's side business selling bait for long gone fishing camps. A (now inactive, more on this below) is where my father and his siblings bathed growing up. The 40 acres across the street has been leased for mountain top strip mining 3 times in living memory, about 20 years apart, most recently 10 years ago. Reclaiming efforts that are mandated by law were performed haphazardly and amount to some grading of the land and some pine saplings strewn about. The spring is long dead. The river, once clear to the bottom when my father was young, is a permanent zero visibility clay orange from the mining operations of decades ago.
Economy: The land is a few miles outside of a town that has been dying for decades. They just closed the local school not too many years ago so even that vestige of strength is gone. The mines are slowly folding as well. The feneral population is best described as elderly or addicted. Sad/fading churches, potholes, and kudzu are the icons that I note from afar. The rest of folks, those who could, have left. Drug abuse and crime, petty and otherwise are not at all uncommon.
Fiscal burdens: There are no liens or other intangible issues with the property, I'm an only child and the property is mine by birthright if I want if. Yearly taxes are small due to no improvements on the property, though this may go up if inheriting it triggers an accessor visit. I think my parents are paying $1200 or so a year in taxes, but it could be half of that.
Personal thoughts/questions, aka the meat and potatoes of this post that I'd love to talk about:
I hate to see the family land that, including my kids, albeit briefly, have played on, at least 6 or 7 generations have owned simply be sold. But I am realistic and the complications, the ones I've considered listed below, are tough.
I don't live near there anymore, I'm 12 hours away by car and I've seen friends attempt to manage two homes, or a home and a cabin, and it's a heck of a job. Keeping up two places, even if one is rustic, is a stressor to even think about. Roads/trails need maintenance. This is further complicated by the fact that, due to the economic issues above, any improvements are subject to abuse or theft. Garbage will be dumped, unattended RVs would be noticed and vandalized/stolen/squatted in, cabins would see break-ins and even AC coils or well pumps or electric wires stolen for scrap metal sale.
There's a small interest from a group of my goodest friends in creating a group owned cabin there. That would help with the issue of not having a presence there by spreading responsibility across more people but, honestly, they don't know the local taboos and idiosyncrasies that this would entail dealing with. Plus 'good walls make good neighbors' or something like that and I'm not sure I want to rism complicating a friendship with the worlds smallest commune, offgrid, cabin homestead.
But, I have always wanted to build an off grid retreat of sorts... It's not impossible insofar as my wife's and my careers are doing well enough to keep it on the back burner, nor do we need the money that would come from a sale of the property.
Anyway... Thanks for your thoughts. Until the time comes, at least 10 or 15+ years for my kids to finish school, I continue to dream.
2023.05.31 01:27 Magpiematerface Summer Camping
Hey everyone. I’ve been camping at several different locations here in Mississippi and I’m looking for a new place to go. I usually tent camp and yes, I am familiar with the summer heat. Preferably, I’d like to be near water, a creek, lake, or ocean… any recommendations?
submitted by Magpiematerface to mississippi [link] [comments]
2023.05.31 00:51 entexnewbie For sale only. Too many discs and not enough space. Force, D2, Kastaplast berg and grym, pro thunderbird, Buzzz SS Great Lakes Open
Trying to find a decent home for these. Make reasonable offers or I will come up with prices and add soon. Deals on multiples due to ease of shipping
submitted by entexnewbie to discexchange [link] [comments]
2023.05.31 00:04 JoshAsdvgi The Dawes Act of 1887
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887), Authorized the President of the United States to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. Those who accepted allotments and lived separately from the tribe would be granted United States citizenship. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891, in 1898 by the Curtis Act, and again in 1906 by the Burke Act. The Act was named for its creator, Senator Henry Laurens Dawes of Massachusetts. The objectives of the Dawes Act were to abolish tribal and communal land ownership of the tribes into individual land ownership rights in order to transfer lands under Indian control to white settlers and stimulate assimilation of them into mainstream American society, and thereby lift individual Native Americans out of poverty. Individual household ownership of land and subsistence farming on the European-American model was seen as an essential step. The act provided that the government would classify as "excess" those Indian reservation lands remaining after allotments, and sell those lands on the open market, allowing purchase and settlement by non-Native Americans. The Dawes Commission, set up under an Indian Office appropriation bill in 1893, was created to try to persuade the Five Civilized Tribes to agree to allotment plans. (They had been excluded from the Dawes Act by their treaties.) This commission registered the members of the Five Civilized Tribes on what became known as the Dawes Rolls. The Curtis Act of 1898 amended the Dawes Act to extend its provisions to the Five Civilized Tribes; it required abolition of their governments, allotment of communal lands to people registered as tribal members, and sale of lands declared surplus, as well as dissolving tribal courts. This completed the extinguishment of tribal land titles in Indian Territory, preparing it to be admitted to the Union as the state of Oklahoma. During the ensuing decades, the Five Civilized Tribes sold off 90 million acres of former communal lands to non-Natives. In addition, many individuals, unfamiliar with land ownership, became the target of speculators and criminals, were stuck with allotments that were too small for profitable farming, and lost their household lands. Tribe members also suffered from the breakdown of the social structure of the tribes. During the Great Depression, the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration supported passage on June 18, 1934 of the US Indian Reorganization Act (also known as the Wheeler-Howard Law). It ended land allotment and created a "New Deal" for Indians, renewing their rights to reorganize and form their self-governments. The new policy intended to concentrate Native Americans in areas away from encroaching settlers, but it caused considerable suffering and many deaths. During the nineteenth century, Native American tribes resisted the imposition of the reservation system and engaged with the United States Army in what were called the Indian Wars in the West for decades. Finally defeated by the US military force and continuing waves of encroaching settlers, the tribes negotiated agreements to resettle on reservations.[6] Native Americans ended up with a total of over 155 million acres (630,000 km2) of land, ranging from arid deserts to prime agricultural land.[7] The Reservation system, though forced upon Native Americans, was a system that allotted each tribe a claim to their new lands, protection over their territories, and the right to govern themselves. With the Senate supposedly being able to intervene only through the negotiation of treaties, they adjusted their ways of life and tried to continue their traditions.[8] The traditional tribal organization, a defining characteristic of Native Americans as a social unit, became apparent to the non-native communities of the United States and created a mixed stir of emotions. The tribe was viewed as a highly cohesive group, led by a hereditary, chosen chief, who exercised power and influence among the members of the tribe by aging traditions.[9] The tribes were seen as strong, tight-knit societies led by powerful men who were opposed to any change that weakened their positions. Many white Americans feared them and sought reformation. The Indians' failure to adopt the "Euroamerican" lifestyle, which was the social norm in the United States at the time, was seen as both unacceptable and uncivilized. By the end of the 1880s, a general consensus seem to have been reached among many US stakeholders that the assimilation of Native Americans into American culture was top priority; it was the time for them to leave behind their tribal landholding, reservations, traditions and ultimately their Indian identities.[10] On February 8, 1887, the Dawes Allotment Act was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. Responsible for enacting the division of the tribal reservations into plots of land for individual households, the Dawes Act was created by reformers to achieve six goals: breaking up of tribes as a social unit, encouraging individual initiatives, furthering the progress of native farmers, reducing the cost of native administration, securing parts of the reservations as Indian land, and opening the remainder of the land to white settlers for profit.[11] The Act facilitated assimilation; they would become more "Euro-Americanized" as the government allotted the reservations. Native Americans held specific ideologies pertaining to tribal land, to them the land and earth were things to be valued and cared for, it represented things that produced and sustained life, it embodied their existence and identity, and created an environment of belonging.[12] In opposition to their white counterparts, they did not see it from an economic standpoint. But, many natives began to believe they had to adapt to the majority culture in order to survive. They would have to embrace these beliefs and surrender to the forces of progress. They were to adopt the values of the dominant society and see land as real estate to be bought and developed; they learned how to use their land effectively in order to become prosperous farmers.[13] As they were inducted as citizens of the country, they would shed their uncivilized discourses and ideologies, and exchange them for ones that allowed them to become industrious self-supporting citizens, and finally rid themselves of their "need" for government supervision.[14] The important provisions of the Dawes Act[2] were: A head of family would receive a grant of 160 acres (65 ha), a single person or orphan over 18 years of age would receive a grant of 80 acres (32 ha), and persons under the age of 18 would receive 40 acres (16 ha) each; the allotments would be held in trust by the U.S. Government for 25 years; Eligible Indians had four years to select their land; afterward the selection would be made for them by the Secretary of the Interior.[15] Every member of the bands or tribes receiving a land allotment is subject to laws of the state or territory in which they reside. Every Indian who receives a land allotment "and has adopted the habits of civilized life" (lived separate and apart from the tribe) is bestowed with United States citizenship "without in any manner impairing or otherwise affecting the right of any such Indian to tribal or other property".[16] The Secretary of Interior could issue rules to assure equal distribution of water for irrigation among the tribes, and provided that "no other appropriation or grant of water by any riparian proprietor shall be authorized or permitted to the damage of any other riparian proprietor."[17] The Dawes Act did not apply to the territory of the:[18] Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Miami, and Peoria in Indian Territory Osage, Sac, and Fox, in the Oklahoma Territory any of the reservations of the Seneca Nation of New York, or a strip of territory in the State of Nebraska adjoining the Sioux Nation Provisions were later extended to the Wea, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankeshaw, and Western Miami tribes by act of 1889.[19] Allotment of the lands of these tribes was mandated by the Act of 1891, which amplified the provisions of the Dawes Act.[20] Dawes Act 1891 Amendments In 1891 the Dawes Act was amended:[21] Allowed for pro-rata distribution when the reservation did not have enough land for each individual to receive allotments in original quantities, and provided that when land is only suitable for grazing purposes, such land be allotted in double quantities[22] Established criteria for inheritance[23] Does not apply to Cherokee Outlet[24] Provisions of the Curtis Act The Curtis Act of 1898 extended the provisions of the Dawes Act to the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. It did away with their self-government, including tribal courts. In addition to providing for allotment of lands to tribal members, it authorized the Dawes Commission to make determination of members when registering tribal members. Provisions of the Burke Act The Burke Act of 1906[25] amended the sections of the Dawes Act dealing with US Citizenship (Section 6) and the mechanism for issuing allotments. The Secretary of Interior could force the Indian Allottee to accept title for land. US Citizenship was granted unconditionally upon receipt of land allotment (the individual did not need to move off the reservation to receive citizenship). Land allotted to Indians was taken out of Trust and subject to taxation. The Burke Act did not apply to any Indians in Indian Territory. In 1922, the General Accounting Office (GAO) conducted an audit of 12 reservations to determine the severity of fractionation on those reservations. The GAO found that on the 12 reservations for which it compiled data, there were approximately 80,000 discrete owners but, because of fractionation, there were over a million ownership records associated with those owners. The GAO also found that if the land were physically divided by the fractional interests, many of these interests would represent less than one square foot of ground. In early 2002, the Department of the Interior attempted to replicate the audit methodology used by the GAO and to update the GAO report data to assess the continued growth of fractionation; it found that it increased by more than 40% between 1992 and 2002. As an example of continuing fractionation, consider a real tract identified in 1987 in Hodel v. Irving, 481 U.S. 704 (1987): Tract 1305 is 40 acres (160,000 m2) and produces $1,080 in income annually. It is valued at $8,000. It has 439 owners, one-third of whom receive less than $.05 in annual rent and two-thirds of whom receive less than $1. The largest interest holder receives $82.85 annually. The common denominator used to compute fractional interests in the property is 3,394,923,840,000. The smallest heir receives $.01 every 177 years. If the tract were sold (assuming the 439 owners could agree) for its estimated $8,000 value, he would be entitled to $.000418. The administrative costs of handling this tract are estimated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs at $17,560 annually. Today, this tract produces $2,000 in income annually and is valued at $22,000. It now has 505 owners but the common denominator used to compute fractional interests has grown to 220,670,049,600,000. If the tract were sold (assuming the 505 owners could agree) for its estimated $22,000 value, the smallest heir would now be entitled to $.00001824. The administrative costs of handling this tract in 2003 are estimated by the BIA at $42,800. Fractionation has become significantly worse. As noted above, in some cases the land is so highly fractionated that it can never be made productive. With such small ownership interests, it is nearly impossible to obtain the level of consent necessary to lease the land. In addition, to manage highly fractionated parcels of land, the government spends more money probating estates, maintaining title records, leasing the land, and attempting to manage and distribute tiny amounts of income to individual owners than is received in income from the land. In many cases, the costs associated with managing these lands can be significantly more than the value of the underlying asset. |
2023.05.30 23:56 Then_Marionberry_259 MAY 30, 2023 CCW.V CANADA SILVER COBALT PROVIDES BI-WEEKLY STATUS REPORT
 | https://preview.redd.it/qc2rt5mk033b1.png?width=3500&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4c7d48d21b19e6f8e74b3a9f0e7b87afb6fb2d8 submitted by Then_Marionberry_259 to Treaty_Creek [link] [comments] (TheNewswire) https://preview.redd.it/jbw88dpk033b1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5d7435e8830381445b68067aa2aaf3b35c7e6e9 Coquitlam, BC - TheNewswireMay 30, 2023 - Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the “ Company ” or “ Canada Silver Cobalt ”) is providing this bi-weekly default status report in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders (“NP 12-203”). In its May 3, 2023 news release (the “Notice”), the Company announced a delay in the filing ofits audited financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 (collectively, the "Annual Documents"). The Company announced that it would not file the Annual Documents by the prescribed legal deadline of May 1, 2023 due to the fact that the Company had to make the necessary arrangements with its auditors to complete the audit of its annual financial statements. The Company is working diligently with its auditors to complete the annual financial statements, with the goal of filing the Annual Documents on or before June 5, 2023. A management cease trade order was granted by the British Columbia Securities Commission (the “BCSC”) on May 2, 2023 (the “MCTO”). The MCTO prohibits the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company from trading in securities of the Company until the Company files the Annual Documents and the BCSC revokes the MCTO. The issuance of the MCTO does not affect the ability of persons other than the CEO and CFO to trade in the Company's securities. Pursuant to NP 12-203, the Company must file bi-weekly status reports in the form of further news releases during the period from the Notice until the MCTO is revoked. The Company reports that since the Notice: (i) there have been no material changes regarding the information contained in the Notice that have not been disclosed in a bi-weekly default status report or in a news release referenced therein; (ii) there have been no failures by the Company in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203; and (iii) there has not been any specified default subsequent to the defaults announced in the Notice. There is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. About Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. recently discovered a major high-grade silver vein system at Castle East located 1.5 km from its 100%-owned, past-producing Castle Mine near Gowganda in the prolific and world-class silver-cobalt mining district of Northern Ontario. The Company has completed a 60,000 m drill program aimed at expanding the size of the deposit with an update to the resource estimate underway. In May 2020, based on a small initial drill program, the Company published the region’s first 43-101 resource estimate that contained a total of 7.56 million ounces of silver in Inferred resources, comprising very high-grade silver (8,582 grams per tonne un-cut or 250.2 oz/ton) in 27,400 tonnes of material from two sections (1A and 1B) of the Castle East Robinson Zone, beginning at a vertical depth of approximately 400 meters. Note that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to Canada Silver Cobalt Works Press Release May 28, 2020, for the resource estimate. Report reference: Rachidi, M. 2020, NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East, Robinson Zone, Ontario, Canada, with an effective date of May 28, 2020, and a signature date of July 13, 2020. The Company also has: (1) 14 battery metals properties in Northern Quebec where it has recently completed an almost 15,000-metre drill program on the Graal property and an airborne VTEM geophysical survey is being conducted at its Lowney-Lac Edouard property; and (2) the prospective 1,000-hectare Eby-Otto gold property close to Agnico Eagle’s high-grade Macassa Mine near Kirkland Lake, Ontario where it is exploring in 2022. Canada Silver Cobalt’s flagship silver-cobalt Castle mine and 78 sq. km Castle Property feature strong exploration upside for silver, cobalt, nickel, gold, and copper. With underground access at the fully-owned Castle Mine, an exceptional high-grade silver discovery at Castle East, a pilot plant to produce cobalt-rich gravity concentrates, a processing facility (TTL Laboratories) in the town of Cobalt, and a proprietary hydrometallurgical process known as Re-2Ox (for the creation of technical-grade cobalt sulphate as well as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations), Canada Silver Cobalt is strategically positioned to become a Canadian leader in the silver-cobalt space. More information at www.canadasilvercobaltworks.com “Frank J. Basa” Frank J. Basa, P. Eng. Chief Executive Officer For further information, contact: Frank J. Basa, P.Eng. Chief Executive Officer 416-625-2342 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. https://preview.redd.it/qxwk9aqk033b1.png?width=4000&format=png&auto=webp&s=0afc980f8fc11e9283aa9a619266d370d96141ff
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2023.05.30 23:28 kasutori_Jack 2023 r/basbeall Power Rankings -- Week 9 : Tuesday Ranks Bring Rangers Threatening Top Spot, Mariners and San Francisco Ride Giant Seas, Cardinals Lose Altitude, If Rooting for Reds Voter They Get +1
Hey Sportsfans — it's time for Week 9 of baseball Power Rankings: It may be Tuesday, but still thought about how much we dislike your favorite team 8 Days a Week. Also pool side blackjack is now my favorite part of Las Vegas. John Fisher, please ignore.
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:
New Voter Chance: Are you a fan of the Dodgers? Why? We have a new voter oppening. Please check this comment for details.
If something is a little messed up, feel free to pester me let me know.
Total Votes: 28 of 29. So close.
submitted by kasutori_Jack to baseball [link] [comments]
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:
"To an extent determined individually, you must take into account how strong a team is right now and likely to be going forward. You must, to some degree, give weight to the events and games of the previous week."TRANSPARENCY: This link will show you who voted each team where and has added neat statistics!
Total Votes: 28 of 29. So close.
| # | Team | Δ | Comment | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rays | 0 | Everyone's favorite myliobatiformes played another good week of baseball with the return of Tyler Glasnow. The Rays took an exciting series against the Dodgers after recharging during a weird mid-series rest day against the Blue Jays. Wander Franco is making his case to be starting SS in the All-Star Game, just make sure you don't accidentally vote for one of his brothers. It's still super weird to watch the offense carry while the bullpen struggles, but with guys coming back it should be f--, wait, Fairbanks is hurt again. | 39-17 | |
| 2 | Rangers | +1 | Series wins against both the Pirates and Orioles the last week has the club holding the 3rd best overall record in the majors. Go Stars. We're still having fun. | 34-19 | |
| 3 | Braves | -1 | 3-4 last week and we started this week off with a loss against the Oakland "Triple A's" which is not good Bob. On the VERY brightside, we saw Soroka pitch from an MLB mound for the first time in almost 3 years. He pitched well and we need him to perform as we are absolutely depleted by injuries. Riley is starting to come to life. We hold a 4 game lead on the scond place MARLINS. Our division doesn't want to take advantage of our recent struggles, that's fine by me. | 32-22 | |
| 4 | Dodgers | +1 | 33-22 | ||
| 5 | Orioles | -1 | A few weeks ago, I said if the Orioles can go at least .500 in May then they are for real. They wrapped up a winning month yesterday and have three games to go. They continue to play well, even though they lost the series against the Rangers, and seem to play better away from Camden Yards. They did, however, send Grayson Rodriguez down this week to AAA. He just has some stuff to figure out. He was getting crushed in his past few starts, and it was the right move to make. This solidifies the fact they need a frontline starter if they are going to make a serious push to get to and make noise in the post-season. | 34-20 | |
| 6 | Astros | 0 | Jose Abreu finally hit a home run. All is right with the world. Unless the world's name is Lance McCullers Jr., who had another discomforting setback and we have no idea when we will see him this year. I still blame his hair. Anyway, our other Jose hit a grand slam at MMP this weekend. Where have we heard that before? | 31-22 | |
| 7 | Yankees | 0 | It certainly would’ve been nice to take 2/3 from Baltimore, but it’s very hard to be mad at the Yankees’ month of May. Since May 1, the Yankees are 18-9, a huge turnaround from a .500 April. As we enter the dog days of summer, the top of the AL East is tightening up, but the Yankees don’t face either of the teams ahead of them again until July. The Yankees have to keep playing at this pace, and a Stanton (and maybe Rodon??) return could seriously help that. | 33-23 | |
| 8 | D-Backs | +1 | The Diamondbacks had a decent week, barely missing out on a sweep of the Phillies before dropping a series to the Red Sox. The offense gets on base but has been allergic to driving in RISP, and the starting rotation continues to be a merry-go-round, as none of the rookie pitchers on the team seem to be able to string together several good starts in a row without getting blown up once or twice. | 31-23 | |
| 9 | Blue Jays | +1 | The Jays' first series win since May 14th pulled us out of a bad-vibes tailspin the likes of which this fanbase hasn't seen since, well, the last time everybody freaked out over a losing streak. The usual suspects' continued confounding slow starts (Manoah, Kirk, Varsho, etc) have dropped us 10 games back from TB, last place in the best division in baseball. And YET, hope springs. Berrios (3 or fewer ER in 8 of his last 9 starts) finally appears to be pitching to the level expected of him when he was signed, and is pumping out quality starts along with Gausman and Bassitt. Kikuchi has slipped as Kikuchi does but has been very solid for a #5. We don't have the depth to send Manoah down for some needed alone time, but he's pushing it. Vladdy has been scuffling, Springer is heating up, and Bichette is an MVP candidate. With a little bit of lucky regression to the mean with abysmal RISP numbers, this team is just a few turns away from being very good. As long as we don't have to play too many games vs AL East teams. That should be fine. | 28-26 | |
| 10 | Twins | -2 | 28-26 | ||
| 11 | Mariners | +4 | Just what the doctor ordered - 6-1 in the homestand so far. Some momentum is just what this team needs before two big series with teams they're chasing for playoff spots. If the M's can handle business over the next week, they'll be right back in the thick of it. Bryce Miller, do your thing. Up next: 3 vs. Damn Yankees, 3 @ Globe Life | 28-26 | |
| 12 | Red Sox | -1 | Scoring four runs total while getting swept by the Angels isn't a great look. This team is in many ways aggresively mediocre, always making sure that every win streak is followed up by an equally painful gut-punch. This is mainly due to the reliance on the offense to carry us to victory (2-17 when scoring <=3 runs), when the bats get cold, you're safe to turn off the game. Whitlock returning from injury and Bello/Sale both stepping up their game in May (2.74/2.42 ERA respectively) are good steps towards this team becoming Actually Good™ though. We'll see what June brings us... | 28-25 | |
| 13 | Brewers | -1 | Taking two of three from the Astros was nice. Barely avoiding a sweep from the Giants was not so sweet. Milwaukee has some issues with hitting in "close" situations. The Brewers either lose after having multiple opportunities to tie it up, or get absolutely blown out. | 28-25 | |
| 14 | Angels | 0 | Did I travel out of state and all the way to Anaheim just to watch the team get swept by the Marlins? Perhaps. Was that objectively worse than what the Reds voter is going through? It's impossible to say. | 29-26 | |
| 15 | Mets | -2 | The Mets, who I proclaimed to be "good at baseball" last week, ended up dropping 2 of 3 against the Cubs and doing the same against the Rockies. I just don't know what to believe anymore. The only thing I know for sure is that Francisco Alvarez has got that fucking dawg in him, he's GOATed, he's him, he's on fleek, he's poggers, he's a proper legend, he's got an .885 OPS, he's a top bloke, he's got swag, he's fresh, he's Gen Z Mike Piazza, he's lit, he's making me feel old because he was born after 9/11, he's Francisco Alvarez. | 27-27 | |
| 16 | Gigantes | +4 | The Giants won yesterday, but strictly talking about last week, they went 5- 2 on an extremely acceptable road trip without any off days. Defeating two competent teams like the Twins and Brewers should feel good. On both losses, they gave up 7 runs, on every win they gave up 3, 1, or 0 runs. So, they threw two games out of 7 – that’s allowed. In the bad news department, Joc, Joey, and Thairo all not expected back until June 6th. I think we’re okay with more Bailey Patrick and this also means another look at unpredictable slugger David Villar. Slater continues covering for Joc. Let’s look a the numbers: 13th in MLB in Run Diff (+6 spots), 12th in RS / G (+6), 15th in RA / G (+2), 23rd in Bullpen ERA (+5). All of that is good and especially the bullpen is promising recently. The Giants continue at home vs the Pirates and wrap the homestand with 3 against our orange and black brothers in Baltimore. | 28-26 | |
| 17 | Pirates | -1 | Would I have been happy to learn on Opening Day that the Pirates would be around .500 at the end of May? Yes. But if you told me they got there after starting 20-8 I would be pretty disappointed. Here's hoping the pendulum swings the other way in June. | 26-27 | |
| 18 | Marlins | +3 | Yet another appearance of sweepy, the meme that was promised. After a rough series against the rox, we sweep the angels to settle into the third NL wild card spot. Our starting pitching is coming along after a bumpy start to several of our starters. Eury perez is gonna be a stud, just wanna remind yall. Also, shout out to Jorge Soler, who has been crushing baseballs the last week and change. In other miami sports related news, boston is the first city ever to lose two game 7s at home in both the NHL and NBA playoffs in the same year. Go Heat and go Panthers! | 28-26 | |
| 19 | Phillies | -2 | After losing 2 to the Diamondbacks and going down 5-0 in the 3rd game, the Phillies season looked as bleak as it could in late May while only being 4 games under .500. However, the team rallied and Trea Turner tied it in the 9th before going onto win it in 10. Then, they went down to Atlanta and split a 4 game series. It could've gone far worse. The Phillies most pressing need is now seemingly a 5th starter who isn't a guaranteed loss, as this week they trotted out Dylan Covey, who hadn't started a game since 2019. He got 2 outs and gave up 7 runs. He took the spot of Bailey Falter who, after a surprisingly productive 2022, started the season 0-7. Falter is the far better option, but Dave Dombrowski will likely be looking to upgrade until Andrew Painter can finally return. This week, the NL East road trip continues with their first 3 games against the Mets and 3 in Washington. Here's hoping June Schwarber shows up again this year. | 25-28 | |
| 20 | Padres | -1 | My Dad tells me it’s ok that the Dad’s lost 2 / 3 to NY; the Dodgers lost 2 / 3 to the Rays! The Pads aren’t in the same stratosphere as the Dodgers right now, though. 5 games under .500, 10th in the NL standings, 3 games out of the last wildcard slot. Of course there’s quite a bit of time to change it, there’s plenty of time to go on a run, or a slow and steady good month to gain ground. With every day that passes however, that goal becomes a bit harder to reach; I don’t think Pads fans were hoping for a wildcard spot by the end of this season, but that’s the position the team has to get to before even thinking of catching LA. The Padres are 4th in the NL West, and only a half game out of last. | 24-29 | |
| 21 | Cardinals | -3 | 2-2 @ CIN; 1-2 @ CLE; 0-1 v KCR; another struggle week for the Cards. The fandom's been a bit kneejerk because of two good weeks before this. Their mistake. I'll say it a third time, the Cards playing at or beyond their expected level doesn't change the rotten FO. Yeah Marmol's pretty close to being fired, that's not a fix when the problem is John Mozeliak. | 24-32 | |
| 22 | Tigers | +2 | The most fun part of this past week has been watching the resurgence of Akil Baddoo. His energy is infectious and adds an exciting dimension to the lineup. As we head into the last few days of May, Baddoo has sported a .302/.405/.508 slash and a 155 wRC+ this month. Although he's still been hitting mostly in the 6 hole, if this keeps up he might find himself much higher in the order real soon. This week: 2 more vs. TEX and 3 at CWS. | 25-27 | |
| 23 | Guardians | 0 | The Guardians won a series this week. I would like to see them win some games by more than one run, but it's clear this season, we have to take what we get. | 24-29 | |
| 24 | Cubs | -2 | Another terrible week for the Cubs, as a promising series win against the Mets was followed up by an embarrassing sweep against the Reds. The starting rotation was terrible, and the bullpen was somehow worse. Fans have had enough of David Ross, and Jed Hoyer is starting to come under pressure. Barring a dramatic turnaround, the Cubs will be sellers for the 3rd trade deadline in a row | 23-30 | |
| 25 | Reds | +1 | Okay guys, I’m here to be calm this week. I have been told by my wife’s attorney, Tom, that they are “aware” of my online activity regarding our impending divorce, so today let’s have a nice, calm, relaxing, perfectly fine, good old fashioned talk about Reds baseball. The Reds are just sorta middling. They’re not great but they’re not horrible. Unlike my marriage. Our starting pitching has resgressed, just like my marriage, and it’s very unfortunate to see, because our bullpen has been quite reliable unlike my wife. We still can’t hit home runs for some reason, but overall unlike my marriage the Reds on the upturn. There, are you happy Tom? I didn’t mention all the crap that’s been going on lately. I didn’t mention how I had to leave the Motel 6 I was at because I found a used needle in the bathroom, and by the way Tom, I know that you’re trying to use that as evidence that I can’t take care of my kids. I don’t even know who’s needle it was, it was like wedged behind the toilet. Believe me, I only found it because I dropped my phone while using the toilet. It wasn’t even visible, I had to like get on my hands and knees and crawl behind the toilet to grab my phone. So it puts the image in my head of some heroin addict or whatever sitting behind a toilet at a Motel 6 trying to get high, which honestly that just seems like an even worse situation than the one i’m in. Do I think it’s a coincidence that the day after I left the Motel 6 because of this, you’re requesting a drug test from me before I can see my kids? Huh Tom? How did you know about this incident Tom? The only people that know are the Motel 6 staff I notified, I don’t think any police showed up, so either you questioned them like i’m some criminal, or you’re following me. I know you’re reading this Tom, you’ve made several references to my posts on the baseball power rankings insinuating it’s me writing them, and yeah Tom you’re right it is me, can everybody in the comments give praise to Tom for being a regular Sherlock Holmes? Yeah everybody come on, Congratulations Tom! You’re the man! I’m gonna let you go home and fuck my sister, oh wait Tom I forgot, YOU ALREADY ARE. When you get home tonight tell Caitlin her brother says hi. Alright, I think I got that out of my system. Anyway, I think once more of our prospects are called up, probably around June or July, we may get hot and finish more closely to .500 than initially thought, and if this division stays like it is, and those prospects can deliver on their promise, it's entirely possible we could be in contention for the division. But a lot of this is gonna depend on if our Starting Rotation can get things back under control. Also we swept the Cubs so lol. | 24-29 | |
| 26 | Nationals | -1 | Week after week, I expect this Nats team to take a nose dive. I expect them to crumble and slip into a double-digit losing streak but it just isn't happening. They lead the NL in batting average (.267), are third in OBP (.330) and have the lowest strikeout rate in MLB. They still have their own troubles, but this team is alive (4 games out of a WC spot) | 23-31 | |
| 27 | Rockies | +1 | I don't have time to write a real blurb this week so you don't have to print this. Actually, you probably don't read these, I'm not sure anyone really reads them anyways besides the Reds guy's life breaking down, and this will probably get printed regardless. | 24-31 | |
| 28 | White Sox | -1 | Liam is back. I can't overstate how great that is to hear. He is one of the best people in the game and it's nothing short of amazing for him to be pitching in May. If you missed it, it was recently revealed that he had stage 4 lymphoma, not an early stage. He started treatment just over 3 months ago! Nothing on the field matters for this team, but at least there's that silver lining. | 22-34 | |
| 29 | Royals | 0 | As of the time that this blurb is being written (Monday at 11:39 AM), only two teams in the majors have a record below .400. Yup, the Royals are there with the A's. I suppose the positive is that the team figured out that they can get rid of useless players in Hunter Dozier, but they still have a lot more work to do. | 17-38 | |
| 30 | Atléticos | 0 | The A's have given up 10+ runs in a game 7 more times than they've won. It's a mix of bad roster building (the bullpen), under-preforming vets (Ramon Laureano 74 wRC+, Tony Kemp 38 wRC+), injuries (Seth Brown and Paul Blackburn are just now returning), and no fans in the stands since 2019. It's soul crushing to watch and the national media's constant condecention toward this particular poor team and it is even more annoying this year. | 11-45 |
2023.05.30 23:26 SassTheFash Top Retconners continue to declare minor errors as momentous “glitches in the Matrix”
 | submitted by SassTheFash to TopMindsOfReddit [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 23:19 Peanuttttssss The Pure Order Program
I had a drug problem, and I lived a very chaotic live. I frequently went to bars just to do cocaine with friends and fight people in the bar.
One of my female friends was very concerned about my way of living. I said that it really wasn't that bad. But one day when I got very high on cocaine and I crashed my motorcycle in a farmfield somewhere and laid there until sunrise, I knew it was time to try to change my life. The female friend, named Emma, was very reliefed that I had the courage to ask her for help.
She immediately started to figure stuff out to help me, and after a while she told me she found a program somewhere in the mountains deep in the forest that helped people get rid of their addictions.
The name of the program was ''Pure Order''. I was a bit sketchy at first, but I love the mountains and nature so I thought I could always give it a try.
The only problem, was that I was from New Jersey, and the program was in Montana. But Emma was willing to pay along for the trip, and she'd even come with me to drop me off to make sure I arrived safely.
At the airport, a car, that was part of the Pure Order program, would take us there. The driver was a man in a suit, with combed black hair, a well kept goatee and mustache. He was wearing a dress shirt, suspenders and cowboy boots.
It was a peculiar look that I instantly noticed. It was a very hipster look, but also a very country look. It was a 5 hour, if not more, ride from the airport to the place where the Pure Order program was. It was very deep in the woods and mountains, and very far away from civilization.
When we arrived, I saw 10 feet high walls, made out of wooden beams, with barbed wire at the top. It kinda looked like a military camp to me, but also like a scouting camp. It was close to a very big lake, surrounded by a dense forest.
The big wooden doors opened, and a nice dressed gentleman was standing in the door opening. Also with suspenders, big beard, combed hair, tinted glasses, nice white dress shirt, a black Bolo tie, and a suit jacket.
I noticed some kind of dress code, but I thought that was to tell the staff members apart from the people. The man who greeted me was a very nice man, and super welcoming. Then we heard a gunshot in the distance, and I saw birds fly up from the treelines.
The man was obviously startled by the gunshot, and me and Emma looked at each other. The man said ''Its hunting season, we take the people outside hunting as one of the many outdoor activities we have around the camp'' in a laughing tone with a smile.
The man welcomed me in, and Emma was not allowed in since she wasn't part of the Pure Order program, so they politely asked her to leave. And the driver would take her back to the airport.
The man talked to me for a bit, while we walked to my bed where I could put my stuff and ''Make myself'' at home. I walked into one of those typical summer camp sleeping places, with two rows of bunk beds on each side of the walls, once again very military like.
The man noticed the look on my face and he told me not to worry, as we would only sleep here, and we would be doing activities all day.
Lastly he asked me if he could have my phone, so I'm not distracted by the outside world and we can focus on me getting better instead. I was hesitant at first, but the way he said it just made sense, and before I thought about it I handed over my phone.
Not that my phone had any signal anyway.
He asked that if I had any questions, I could always ask him. I was scared to ask questions but for some reason I just blurted out all the questions I had.
I asked about the barbed wire, why we are so far away from civilization, why I had to hand my phone over even though I didn't have any signal.
He politely told me that the barbed wire was because the wildlife would sometimes climb over the wooden walls. He told me we are so far away from civilization because they don't want anyone to get the urge to get distracted by day to day society, and fall back into our old habits.
I had to hand over my phone because I would be distracted by it, even though I didn't have any signal, they just wanted to be completely sure that I would get better.
That night we would gather around the campfire, the staff members were there, and the other people in the program. The staff introduced me, and I was kinda awkwardly sitting there, but the other people in the program were very inviting as well.
They told me about the program, they had big smiles on their faces and they looked genuinely happy. They showed interest in me, asking me where I came from, what my goal was, told me about their issues and how the program have really helped them so far.
I felt like I wasn't alone, and that I could actually be helped. Almost all my suspicion disappeared. The heat of the fire was getting a bit hot, so I took off my flannel, revealing some of my tattoos. People in the group were very interested in my tattoos.
I had a tribal tattoo that looked like waves, with a boat sailing on the waves. I said it was because one of my best friends was in the navy, and he sadly lost his life in was, and I had the tattoo out of respect for him.
One of the staff member showed me his tattoo. It was a tattoo on his forearm. It looked like a ''Phi'' symbol from the Greek alphabet, but instead of the circle, it was an eye. He said he got the tattoo when he ''Reached enlightenment''.
I didn't know what that meant, but you know, I don't judge, we all got our things, and I was just happy he ''reached his enlightenment''.
As I was getting ready for bed, one of the other people in the program came up to me and told me ''Welcome to the program, one piece of advice, make sure to smile.'' I thought he meant that we had to smile so we don't bring down the mood for the other people and we keep things positive.
So I brushed off what he said, and made sure to keep a positive mindset.
The next day we did all kinds of activities, we painted, we went fishing, we had a couple (Non alcoholic) drinks and it was a very good experience.
When I was getting another drink from the cooler, one of the staff members came up to me, saying that I had a very rough look, with the tattoos and I had a cut in my eyebrow from a bar fight when someone pulled out a knife and tried to cut my face.
I told him about the fight I've gotten in, and said that I could ''basically defend myself''. He said that if I'd like, I could sign up for a boxing match that would be happening that night. He said that they would have boxing matches, so the people could blow off some steam, and since I had a history of fighting he thought it would be something for me. I was actually very excited, so I decided to sign up.
That night I put on the boxing gloves and fought one of the other people in the program. It was a close match but I managed to win. He was laying on the ground, still consious. As I was celebrating they told me to ''End the fight''.
I had a very confused look on my face, the fight ended, he coulnd't fight anymore and I won. But every staff member kept chanting ''End the fight''. I realised I had to kill him. The man that welcomed me at the door, told everyone to be quiet and he told me ''End the fight, prove to yourself that you have what it takes to make a change. Otherwise you don't have what it takes, and we would be forced to take matters in our own hands.'' while putting one hand on a revolver. When I looked around, I saw the other people in the program just silently looking at me. Their eyes looked empty. All of them knew what had to be done, because they were once in my spot.
I realised that if I didn't kill the man in front of me, I would be the one that would not make it out of here. I looked at the mans face, he had this facial expression that begged me for mercy, but he also understood what had to be done. I shut off my mind, and my survival instinct just took over. I killed that man with my bare hands.
I came to the realisation that this wasn't a program to help people get better. This is a cult. And now that I killed that man, I had officially joined the cult.
I walked up to the man who greeted me at the gate the next day, as I got the impression that he was most likely the leader of the cult. I overheard some staff members drop the name ''Head of Order Edgar'', so as I walked towards him I said ''Edgar?'' and he looked up and asked what was wrong?
I tried to maintain calm but couldn't really contain myself and I asked ''What the fuck was that all about yesterday?'' in a very shaken voice. Edgar told me that I had to choose a new path in life, that I had to make a change in my life, and have the strength to make a life or death decision. As the was telling me these things, I noticed the ''Phi'' tattoo in Edgar's neck. The exact same one the other fella showed me before.
I looked at him with a scared but understanding face, while in my mind all I could think was ''These guys are absolutely nuts.'' I knew I had to escape somehow, even though it could be my death with all the wildlife out there, I had to at least try.
The next few days I went along with all their activities, while trying to figure out the patterns of the cult members. I managed to find an oppurtunity to escape. I noticed that every night, after all the program members would go to sleep, the cult members would gather around and they would have a few drinks.
I knew it was risky as it would be very easy to detect me if I were to sneak out, but I had to try.
So after a couple nights, I gathered the courage to sneak out. I slightly opened the door and I noticed the cult members gathered around the campfire. There were even more cult members then I thought, all dressed in the dress shirts, long beards, suspenders etcetera. I sneaked out of the cabin and the door cracked as I opened it.
The cult members heard the sound but brushed it off, but they did stay on their guard. I thought about sneaking back inside the cabin but I knew this had to be my moment, now I had the courage to make a move. I decided to keep going, and sneak towards a weaker spot in the wooden walls.
As I got closer to the wooden wall, a dog in a cage started barking at me. I panicked and kicked down the weak part of the wall and managed to get out of the walls. I felt so free, but I wasn't out there yet. I didn't have time to think and I heard the cult members scream and load weapons.
I didn't think about anything, I just started running, and I heard the screaming get further and further away. I just kept running, I had no idea what way I was running, where I was, it was pitch dark, I guess around 3 am. I heard bullets whizzing by my head, bullets hitting the trees, right next to me.
I zigzagged and all my legs could do was just run. I kept hearing the screaming in the distance, then it got closer and closer and I kept hearing bullet whizzing by. Then out of nowhere, I felt a sharp pain in my leg, I tried to get up but my leg felt heavy, I thought I was struck by as bullet, but my leg got caught in a bear trap. I tried to pry it open, I screamed from the pain, the screaming from the cult members got closer and closer. My heart was raising. And as I looked up I was looking directly into the face of a cult member, with his weapon leaning on his shoulder. He didn't look happy.
They dragged me through the woods, like I was some kind of animal. They said that they had a place for ''people like me''. They dragged me to a tiny shed deep into the woods. It had no windows, just some very small holes in the wood of the shed that let some light from the upcoming sun in.
They strapped me to a chair, and put tape over my mouth. I heard the sound of a shotgun getting cocked behind me. I felt a very cold metal rod getting pushed into the side of my head, the barrel of the shotgun. I was breathing very heavily, I couldn't scream. I felt one single tear roll down my face.
As I looked through one of the holes in the shed, I was looking at the sunrise. I heard a gunshot, and all my pain disappeared. All I could see was Edgar welcoming new people at the gate, as he smiled and said ''Aahhh, hunting season.''
submitted by Peanuttttssss to scarystories [link] [comments]
One of my female friends was very concerned about my way of living. I said that it really wasn't that bad. But one day when I got very high on cocaine and I crashed my motorcycle in a farmfield somewhere and laid there until sunrise, I knew it was time to try to change my life. The female friend, named Emma, was very reliefed that I had the courage to ask her for help.
She immediately started to figure stuff out to help me, and after a while she told me she found a program somewhere in the mountains deep in the forest that helped people get rid of their addictions.
The name of the program was ''Pure Order''. I was a bit sketchy at first, but I love the mountains and nature so I thought I could always give it a try.
The only problem, was that I was from New Jersey, and the program was in Montana. But Emma was willing to pay along for the trip, and she'd even come with me to drop me off to make sure I arrived safely.
At the airport, a car, that was part of the Pure Order program, would take us there. The driver was a man in a suit, with combed black hair, a well kept goatee and mustache. He was wearing a dress shirt, suspenders and cowboy boots.
It was a peculiar look that I instantly noticed. It was a very hipster look, but also a very country look. It was a 5 hour, if not more, ride from the airport to the place where the Pure Order program was. It was very deep in the woods and mountains, and very far away from civilization.
When we arrived, I saw 10 feet high walls, made out of wooden beams, with barbed wire at the top. It kinda looked like a military camp to me, but also like a scouting camp. It was close to a very big lake, surrounded by a dense forest.
The big wooden doors opened, and a nice dressed gentleman was standing in the door opening. Also with suspenders, big beard, combed hair, tinted glasses, nice white dress shirt, a black Bolo tie, and a suit jacket.
I noticed some kind of dress code, but I thought that was to tell the staff members apart from the people. The man who greeted me was a very nice man, and super welcoming. Then we heard a gunshot in the distance, and I saw birds fly up from the treelines.
The man was obviously startled by the gunshot, and me and Emma looked at each other. The man said ''Its hunting season, we take the people outside hunting as one of the many outdoor activities we have around the camp'' in a laughing tone with a smile.
The man welcomed me in, and Emma was not allowed in since she wasn't part of the Pure Order program, so they politely asked her to leave. And the driver would take her back to the airport.
The man talked to me for a bit, while we walked to my bed where I could put my stuff and ''Make myself'' at home. I walked into one of those typical summer camp sleeping places, with two rows of bunk beds on each side of the walls, once again very military like.
The man noticed the look on my face and he told me not to worry, as we would only sleep here, and we would be doing activities all day.
Lastly he asked me if he could have my phone, so I'm not distracted by the outside world and we can focus on me getting better instead. I was hesitant at first, but the way he said it just made sense, and before I thought about it I handed over my phone.
Not that my phone had any signal anyway.
He asked that if I had any questions, I could always ask him. I was scared to ask questions but for some reason I just blurted out all the questions I had.
I asked about the barbed wire, why we are so far away from civilization, why I had to hand my phone over even though I didn't have any signal.
He politely told me that the barbed wire was because the wildlife would sometimes climb over the wooden walls. He told me we are so far away from civilization because they don't want anyone to get the urge to get distracted by day to day society, and fall back into our old habits.
I had to hand over my phone because I would be distracted by it, even though I didn't have any signal, they just wanted to be completely sure that I would get better.
That night we would gather around the campfire, the staff members were there, and the other people in the program. The staff introduced me, and I was kinda awkwardly sitting there, but the other people in the program were very inviting as well.
They told me about the program, they had big smiles on their faces and they looked genuinely happy. They showed interest in me, asking me where I came from, what my goal was, told me about their issues and how the program have really helped them so far.
I felt like I wasn't alone, and that I could actually be helped. Almost all my suspicion disappeared. The heat of the fire was getting a bit hot, so I took off my flannel, revealing some of my tattoos. People in the group were very interested in my tattoos.
I had a tribal tattoo that looked like waves, with a boat sailing on the waves. I said it was because one of my best friends was in the navy, and he sadly lost his life in was, and I had the tattoo out of respect for him.
One of the staff member showed me his tattoo. It was a tattoo on his forearm. It looked like a ''Phi'' symbol from the Greek alphabet, but instead of the circle, it was an eye. He said he got the tattoo when he ''Reached enlightenment''.
I didn't know what that meant, but you know, I don't judge, we all got our things, and I was just happy he ''reached his enlightenment''.
As I was getting ready for bed, one of the other people in the program came up to me and told me ''Welcome to the program, one piece of advice, make sure to smile.'' I thought he meant that we had to smile so we don't bring down the mood for the other people and we keep things positive.
So I brushed off what he said, and made sure to keep a positive mindset.
The next day we did all kinds of activities, we painted, we went fishing, we had a couple (Non alcoholic) drinks and it was a very good experience.
When I was getting another drink from the cooler, one of the staff members came up to me, saying that I had a very rough look, with the tattoos and I had a cut in my eyebrow from a bar fight when someone pulled out a knife and tried to cut my face.
I told him about the fight I've gotten in, and said that I could ''basically defend myself''. He said that if I'd like, I could sign up for a boxing match that would be happening that night. He said that they would have boxing matches, so the people could blow off some steam, and since I had a history of fighting he thought it would be something for me. I was actually very excited, so I decided to sign up.
That night I put on the boxing gloves and fought one of the other people in the program. It was a close match but I managed to win. He was laying on the ground, still consious. As I was celebrating they told me to ''End the fight''.
I had a very confused look on my face, the fight ended, he coulnd't fight anymore and I won. But every staff member kept chanting ''End the fight''. I realised I had to kill him. The man that welcomed me at the door, told everyone to be quiet and he told me ''End the fight, prove to yourself that you have what it takes to make a change. Otherwise you don't have what it takes, and we would be forced to take matters in our own hands.'' while putting one hand on a revolver. When I looked around, I saw the other people in the program just silently looking at me. Their eyes looked empty. All of them knew what had to be done, because they were once in my spot.
I realised that if I didn't kill the man in front of me, I would be the one that would not make it out of here. I looked at the mans face, he had this facial expression that begged me for mercy, but he also understood what had to be done. I shut off my mind, and my survival instinct just took over. I killed that man with my bare hands.
I came to the realisation that this wasn't a program to help people get better. This is a cult. And now that I killed that man, I had officially joined the cult.
I walked up to the man who greeted me at the gate the next day, as I got the impression that he was most likely the leader of the cult. I overheard some staff members drop the name ''Head of Order Edgar'', so as I walked towards him I said ''Edgar?'' and he looked up and asked what was wrong?
I tried to maintain calm but couldn't really contain myself and I asked ''What the fuck was that all about yesterday?'' in a very shaken voice. Edgar told me that I had to choose a new path in life, that I had to make a change in my life, and have the strength to make a life or death decision. As the was telling me these things, I noticed the ''Phi'' tattoo in Edgar's neck. The exact same one the other fella showed me before.
I looked at him with a scared but understanding face, while in my mind all I could think was ''These guys are absolutely nuts.'' I knew I had to escape somehow, even though it could be my death with all the wildlife out there, I had to at least try.
The next few days I went along with all their activities, while trying to figure out the patterns of the cult members. I managed to find an oppurtunity to escape. I noticed that every night, after all the program members would go to sleep, the cult members would gather around and they would have a few drinks.
I knew it was risky as it would be very easy to detect me if I were to sneak out, but I had to try.
So after a couple nights, I gathered the courage to sneak out. I slightly opened the door and I noticed the cult members gathered around the campfire. There were even more cult members then I thought, all dressed in the dress shirts, long beards, suspenders etcetera. I sneaked out of the cabin and the door cracked as I opened it.
The cult members heard the sound but brushed it off, but they did stay on their guard. I thought about sneaking back inside the cabin but I knew this had to be my moment, now I had the courage to make a move. I decided to keep going, and sneak towards a weaker spot in the wooden walls.
As I got closer to the wooden wall, a dog in a cage started barking at me. I panicked and kicked down the weak part of the wall and managed to get out of the walls. I felt so free, but I wasn't out there yet. I didn't have time to think and I heard the cult members scream and load weapons.
I didn't think about anything, I just started running, and I heard the screaming get further and further away. I just kept running, I had no idea what way I was running, where I was, it was pitch dark, I guess around 3 am. I heard bullets whizzing by my head, bullets hitting the trees, right next to me.
I zigzagged and all my legs could do was just run. I kept hearing the screaming in the distance, then it got closer and closer and I kept hearing bullet whizzing by. Then out of nowhere, I felt a sharp pain in my leg, I tried to get up but my leg felt heavy, I thought I was struck by as bullet, but my leg got caught in a bear trap. I tried to pry it open, I screamed from the pain, the screaming from the cult members got closer and closer. My heart was raising. And as I looked up I was looking directly into the face of a cult member, with his weapon leaning on his shoulder. He didn't look happy.
They dragged me through the woods, like I was some kind of animal. They said that they had a place for ''people like me''. They dragged me to a tiny shed deep into the woods. It had no windows, just some very small holes in the wood of the shed that let some light from the upcoming sun in.
They strapped me to a chair, and put tape over my mouth. I heard the sound of a shotgun getting cocked behind me. I felt a very cold metal rod getting pushed into the side of my head, the barrel of the shotgun. I was breathing very heavily, I couldn't scream. I felt one single tear roll down my face.
As I looked through one of the holes in the shed, I was looking at the sunrise. I heard a gunshot, and all my pain disappeared. All I could see was Edgar welcoming new people at the gate, as he smiled and said ''Aahhh, hunting season.''
2023.05.30 23:12 throwkoalaaway Utah - OTC Bull Elk advice, muzzleloading
I’m a relatively new big game hunter, have a muzzle loading rifle I like, and I didn’t draw any muzzle loading tags in the states I applied for this coming season.
I saw Utah has 15,000 OTC bull elk tags available first come first serve starting July 13, and my google search indicates they will sell out that same day, with the any legal weapon early season being Oct 7-13, 2023, a “late weapon” season being Oct 14-20, and then the Muzzleloading-only season being Nov 1-9.
Here are my newbie questions:
-Why is the Muzzleloading season AFTER the two any legal weapons seasons? Is it during the rut when it’s easier to get closer, or for some other reason?
-would the “Spike-only” units be a more realistic option for a newbie to get a harvest than a “Any-bull unit”?
-is the diff between between a spike and a bull whether the antler has forks in it?
-would going for one of the more limited muzzy Buck deer tags be better if one was only going to try for one big game animal this fall? The muzzy Buck deer tags that will be coming up for sale are in Chalk Creek and Morgan-South Rich units, I currently have no idea about whether those places are much deer
submitted by throwkoalaaway to Hunting [link] [comments]
I saw Utah has 15,000 OTC bull elk tags available first come first serve starting July 13, and my google search indicates they will sell out that same day, with the any legal weapon early season being Oct 7-13, 2023, a “late weapon” season being Oct 14-20, and then the Muzzleloading-only season being Nov 1-9.
Here are my newbie questions:
-Why is the Muzzleloading season AFTER the two any legal weapons seasons? Is it during the rut when it’s easier to get closer, or for some other reason?
-would the “Spike-only” units be a more realistic option for a newbie to get a harvest than a “Any-bull unit”?
-is the diff between between a spike and a bull whether the antler has forks in it?
-would going for one of the more limited muzzy Buck deer tags be better if one was only going to try for one big game animal this fall? The muzzy Buck deer tags that will be coming up for sale are in Chalk Creek and Morgan-South Rich units, I currently have no idea about whether those places are much deer
2023.05.30 22:25 Shmutzifer Cabin/Cave/Symbol theory
So far, we’ve observed Nat indicate that all of the symbol trees mapped out make one big symbol on her map (biggest reveal of s2 imho)… and we know that Javi’s cave was below a symbol tree. Could it be possible that all of the symbol trees are connected by underground caves/tunnels? (This was alluded to on the Prestige TV podcast as well, no evidence yet)
Going further, the cabin also had a symbol carved into the floor… possibly an entrance below the cabin floor that the girls will discover after the fire? Again, no evidence… just a guess.
I still think the symbol itself is related to the old Heliotrope instruments used a century ago for land surveying… they employed mirrors to reflect the sun’s rays, and by triangulation, could determine location and distance (triangulation is a part of trigonometry, which we’ve had multiple references to in s1). When have we seen the sun’s rays reflected to great affect? Why, that’s what led the girls to the cabin in the first place… coincidence, or harbinger?
What if the location of the cabin is the Heliotrope itself, and when the sun is at a certain point… say, just at the peak of the largest mountain above the lake, like the circle atop the triangle in the symbol and Javi’s drawings… the other points of the symbol indicate something useful?
Where else have we heard the term Heliotrope? Lottie’s cult, which uses the purple flower petals to dye their clothing. Also, Heliotropes always face the sun, and the symbol is all over the cult, from necklaces to the overhead view of the property.
Could the girls survive in an underground tunnel system, and eventually use a Heliotrope-like device to find help?
submitted by Shmutzifer to Yellowjackets [link] [comments]
Going further, the cabin also had a symbol carved into the floor… possibly an entrance below the cabin floor that the girls will discover after the fire? Again, no evidence… just a guess.
I still think the symbol itself is related to the old Heliotrope instruments used a century ago for land surveying… they employed mirrors to reflect the sun’s rays, and by triangulation, could determine location and distance (triangulation is a part of trigonometry, which we’ve had multiple references to in s1). When have we seen the sun’s rays reflected to great affect? Why, that’s what led the girls to the cabin in the first place… coincidence, or harbinger?
What if the location of the cabin is the Heliotrope itself, and when the sun is at a certain point… say, just at the peak of the largest mountain above the lake, like the circle atop the triangle in the symbol and Javi’s drawings… the other points of the symbol indicate something useful?
Where else have we heard the term Heliotrope? Lottie’s cult, which uses the purple flower petals to dye their clothing. Also, Heliotropes always face the sun, and the symbol is all over the cult, from necklaces to the overhead view of the property.
Could the girls survive in an underground tunnel system, and eventually use a Heliotrope-like device to find help?
2023.05.30 22:13 futuremrssomething How to make a yearly trip more bachelor(ette)-y
Our group of friends usually rent a lake house/cabin for a long weekend in the summer. We’d like to use this as a way of celebrating with friends because the wedding will have lots of family and kids around. (though may have a small get together to go bar hopping or something - our friends have some plans). If we go ahead and book the cabin, how would you recommend we make it more of an event. We usually do cabin things (swimming, boating, drinks and fireside time) so how do we make this a little different? We’ll have about 12-16 of us.
Thanks!
submitted by futuremrssomething to wedding [link] [comments]
Thanks!
2023.05.30 22:08 SandraSandraSandra A Voyage - The Sage of Flower-Hill 3
Djamä Sonurupākä-Pēzjeceni stands, looking out over the labour before him. A series of four paddies are being built off of Dogwood-Point. Two of them dig earth from the point to make the paddy, the other two enclose rectangles of the lake with mounds of earth. To his rear, NāpäkoduThonu works on four paddies of their own.
The clans cooperated on the project, building the outer-walls together in the early-days of summer where the lake’s level gets low enough for it to be doable. Now they’re expanding their paddies in one of the biggest projects Konuthomu has ever known.
Sonurupākä’s main role is to direct. And he wears his resplendent cape of feathers to indicate such—even if he also wears the simple quarter-dome hat of a farmer. He sends the young men carrying baskets of earth to the eastern medial causeway. When needed, he steps in and offers aid. But in this moment, he puffs gently on his pipe. Enjoying the heady rush of fresh-air and warm smoke.
Someone calls him over, there’s a section of clay in one of the inner-paddies being excavated.
Screams fill the hall. Senisedjarha, his wife, is in labour. He was rushed away by the duNothudo as they take care of her. He was left mixing ashes for glaze and hearing his love’s cries from across the field.
This is their second child. Their first, a beautiful baby girl, is bouncing on her grandmother’s knee. It’s a good omen to have such a hardy first-born. But it doesn’t ease his anxiety at the second birth.
He mixes in the rotu ash—it should form a grassy green once fired—with the wet clay and stirs it vigorously.
The baby is coming later than expected. The duNothudo assured them that it wouldn’t be a problem, that the best fruit simply take longer to grow. He was supposed to be gone on a trading mission by this point. The canoes are already prepared. But it would be a variation from the kacä to abandon his wife now.
Next he mixes the birch ash—this one forms a creamy white, tinged with yellow. It’s almost a buttery colour.
Senisedjarha is strong though. And while the pregnancy has exhausted her, especially the past moon of it—her belly even more gravid than with the first pregnancy, the stores have been full and the weather kind. She’s been able to rest, drinking broth on their bed of furs.
Now, he mixes red slip with willow ash. This one is far more slip-forward. The ash gives it its sheen and flow, the bursts of colour and shine which makes the glaze all the more vibrant.
He’s to visit the land of the Rhadämā, those strange feather-less folk. Their cargo is wine (mostly maple), jade tools, and the glazed pots his current labour allows.
Finally, he mixes oak ash with bright-red slip. The smooth, green-blue glaze which results is perfect for lining urns. Some things you want to breathe through the unglazed clay, but others you want to keep sealed. It’s a delicate balance.
He pauses, unsure of the change and caught up in his work. The screaming has stopped. He rushes back to the house.
Two rambunctious baby boys. He holds Seni’s hand while holding the first-born of the two. An auspicious sign.
It had been a painful labour, and his wife’s exhausted. Drained. But two healthy baby boys. He can’t believe their luck. Two marriages of equal prestige to bring additional clans onto their path? It’s more than he could have ever hoped.
Knee deep in water, he guides the boat out. Full of pots, the canoes sit low in the lake. Eight men for eight canoes, a sizable contingent. He’s been tasked to bring gifts and trade in hopes of establishing a more permanent relationship with the Rhadämā of Kamābarha.
The Cakäma of DjamäThamä, where his two new sons will be given names, remains three turns away. He prays he’ll be back in time.
Clambering out of the lake, he readies himself to go. Even this early in the morning, he knows the day will be hot and a gentle mist rises with the sun over the lake.
He clasps the hands of the duNothudo in turn, pledging that he will travel honest and true. Laughing at Redotsuko’s quip. He finally reaches his wife, the youngest of the duNothudo, and the one most dear to him.
As they hug, she whispers in his ear: “Return swift and safe, your family waits for you.”
Speeches and recitations and other such fanfare follow, as Sonurupākä climbs into his canoe, and sets off towards the rising sun. His eyes may be wet, but his path is clear. Duties to clan come before all else, even these first few months of his sons’ lives. The paddling becomes rhythmic. There is only one way, and that is forward. He simply hopes, and prays, it leads him back home.
It’s their third day of travel. The weather has remained clear, and bright. Their first two nights they stayed in houses of DjamäThanä. Lovely, low provincial halls—not dissimilar to the one in which Sonurupākä was born and raised. A life a world away now, even if, in factuality, merely feather and name separates that him from the him in the canoe now.
He sips a skin of crabapplecider, and grabs a mouthful of the pickle mix: bison and pawpaw and sumac and blackberry and brire. It’s sour, a little salty. The sweetness and tartness of the berries cut through the rich fat of the bison. He’s dressed in a loincloth, a farmer’s hat (a round, quarter-dome offering shade protection) and has a plain-hemp cape hanging from his shoulders, protecting his back from the sun. It’s a lovely day.
Rowing once more, he thinks about his mission. Kamābarha is not alien to the people of Konuthomu. They may have forgotten their feathers, but they’re skilled craftsmen and produce a lovely nut. Travel is frequent between the villages. And even without feathers, the people govern themselves well. They know of the wisdom of crone’s, and put the vitality of young men to service. Sure, their way of speech may be harsher, atonal in a way. But it’s not that far off from Menidān, and easy to learn. Compare the language of Rhadämā to that of the Jeli—infrequent visitors here, but known further west. Rhadämā is a poem in the wrong meter, Jeli is more similar to the barking of dogs. But what can you expect from people with neither lake nor feathers?
Voyages such as this gives one plenty of time to think. He hopes his aids back home are preparing the pottery well. They’ve expanded the workshop below the Themilanan. Three kilns, a lengthy pottery space, plenty of storage for the clay. Small-folk of DjamäThanä do most of the actual pot construction, but the glazes are kept in the Themilanan. So too is the knowledge of organizing the fire for the kiln to burn properly hot. The duNothudo should assure his Good-Brother does the firing properly. He hopes so, at least.
They practice Rhadämā over dinner, forming the words again and again. Sonurupākä insists: passable is insufficient, his accent must be perfect.
They have easy access to food, with the plentiful waterfowl and fish, but he missed the plentiful wine and pickles of home. Rhadämā wine is tasty from what he remembers though.
After eight days of travel, they approach Kamābarha.
submitted by SandraSandraSandra to DawnPowers [link] [comments]
The clans cooperated on the project, building the outer-walls together in the early-days of summer where the lake’s level gets low enough for it to be doable. Now they’re expanding their paddies in one of the biggest projects Konuthomu has ever known.
Sonurupākä’s main role is to direct. And he wears his resplendent cape of feathers to indicate such—even if he also wears the simple quarter-dome hat of a farmer. He sends the young men carrying baskets of earth to the eastern medial causeway. When needed, he steps in and offers aid. But in this moment, he puffs gently on his pipe. Enjoying the heady rush of fresh-air and warm smoke.
Someone calls him over, there’s a section of clay in one of the inner-paddies being excavated.
This is their second child. Their first, a beautiful baby girl, is bouncing on her grandmother’s knee. It’s a good omen to have such a hardy first-born. But it doesn’t ease his anxiety at the second birth.
He mixes in the rotu ash—it should form a grassy green once fired—with the wet clay and stirs it vigorously.
The baby is coming later than expected. The duNothudo assured them that it wouldn’t be a problem, that the best fruit simply take longer to grow. He was supposed to be gone on a trading mission by this point. The canoes are already prepared. But it would be a variation from the kacä to abandon his wife now.
Next he mixes the birch ash—this one forms a creamy white, tinged with yellow. It’s almost a buttery colour.
Senisedjarha is strong though. And while the pregnancy has exhausted her, especially the past moon of it—her belly even more gravid than with the first pregnancy, the stores have been full and the weather kind. She’s been able to rest, drinking broth on their bed of furs.
Now, he mixes red slip with willow ash. This one is far more slip-forward. The ash gives it its sheen and flow, the bursts of colour and shine which makes the glaze all the more vibrant.
He’s to visit the land of the Rhadämā, those strange feather-less folk. Their cargo is wine (mostly maple), jade tools, and the glazed pots his current labour allows.
Finally, he mixes oak ash with bright-red slip. The smooth, green-blue glaze which results is perfect for lining urns. Some things you want to breathe through the unglazed clay, but others you want to keep sealed. It’s a delicate balance.
He pauses, unsure of the change and caught up in his work. The screaming has stopped. He rushes back to the house.
It had been a painful labour, and his wife’s exhausted. Drained. But two healthy baby boys. He can’t believe their luck. Two marriages of equal prestige to bring additional clans onto their path? It’s more than he could have ever hoped.
The Cakäma of DjamäThamä, where his two new sons will be given names, remains three turns away. He prays he’ll be back in time.
Clambering out of the lake, he readies himself to go. Even this early in the morning, he knows the day will be hot and a gentle mist rises with the sun over the lake.
He clasps the hands of the duNothudo in turn, pledging that he will travel honest and true. Laughing at Redotsuko’s quip. He finally reaches his wife, the youngest of the duNothudo, and the one most dear to him.
As they hug, she whispers in his ear: “Return swift and safe, your family waits for you.”
Speeches and recitations and other such fanfare follow, as Sonurupākä climbs into his canoe, and sets off towards the rising sun. His eyes may be wet, but his path is clear. Duties to clan come before all else, even these first few months of his sons’ lives. The paddling becomes rhythmic. There is only one way, and that is forward. He simply hopes, and prays, it leads him back home.
He sips a skin of crabapplecider, and grabs a mouthful of the pickle mix: bison and pawpaw and sumac and blackberry and brire. It’s sour, a little salty. The sweetness and tartness of the berries cut through the rich fat of the bison. He’s dressed in a loincloth, a farmer’s hat (a round, quarter-dome offering shade protection) and has a plain-hemp cape hanging from his shoulders, protecting his back from the sun. It’s a lovely day.
Rowing once more, he thinks about his mission. Kamābarha is not alien to the people of Konuthomu. They may have forgotten their feathers, but they’re skilled craftsmen and produce a lovely nut. Travel is frequent between the villages. And even without feathers, the people govern themselves well. They know of the wisdom of crone’s, and put the vitality of young men to service. Sure, their way of speech may be harsher, atonal in a way. But it’s not that far off from Menidān, and easy to learn. Compare the language of Rhadämā to that of the Jeli—infrequent visitors here, but known further west. Rhadämā is a poem in the wrong meter, Jeli is more similar to the barking of dogs. But what can you expect from people with neither lake nor feathers?
Voyages such as this gives one plenty of time to think. He hopes his aids back home are preparing the pottery well. They’ve expanded the workshop below the Themilanan. Three kilns, a lengthy pottery space, plenty of storage for the clay. Small-folk of DjamäThanä do most of the actual pot construction, but the glazes are kept in the Themilanan. So too is the knowledge of organizing the fire for the kiln to burn properly hot. The duNothudo should assure his Good-Brother does the firing properly. He hopes so, at least.
They have easy access to food, with the plentiful waterfowl and fish, but he missed the plentiful wine and pickles of home. Rhadämā wine is tasty from what he remembers though.
2023.05.30 22:05 crispy48867 72 [M4F] #Michigan, Perry - Farm couple seeks lawn and garden girl, 18 to 40 and in decent shape. All ethnicity's considered
This is a 45 acre farm. I grew up on it, traveled the world, and came home again.
When both parents had passed, I bought out my sisters shares. I stopped all row crops in 2014 and began turning the place into a safe zone for nature.
It features a man made lake, spring fed and well stocked with fish. There are 22 acres of tillable land, some woods and rolling hills as well as several rock and flower gardens and roughly 6 or 7 acres of lawn.
In 2014, I began to plant trees and flowers in the fields in my attempt to give nature a safe place to be. We have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles, roughly 75 wild turkeys, about 30 head of white tail deer. We have more small animals than you could hope to count.
We currently have a mama turkey sitting on her 12 eggs on our lakeside patio.
The lake is well stocked with fish, large and small mouth bass, crappies, blue gills and sunfish as well as a decent supply of turtles. We have a raft and a paddle boat on the water for fun.
There are also two large aluminum pole barns, 60 x 40. In one, I built a large indoor grow with full temperature, light and humidity control and that was a marijuana rental grow from 2014 to this spring. It currently stands empty but I will put it to growing vegetables or mushrooms fairly soon. The other 60 x 40 is being built out as a machine shop.
I also have a holding pen and small building as a lock up for raising calves or pigs or goats if someone wanted to do that. It could also be fixed up for chickens.
I have a full range of farm equipment including a rototiller for the back of the tractor. If someone wanted to raise a garden for veggies to eat or for sale at the local farmers market. Such projects would be on your own time and any money raised, would be yours.
I will hire 9 workers for the mushroom growing business and 4 for the machine shop.
I would really love to find a yard and garden girl who enjoys age gap relationships or BDSM lifestyle relationships. You would answer directly to me, independently of the farm businesses. You would become my confidant, helper, assistant, and sexual muse. You would also help with planting trees or tree seeds in the fields.
I have been a dominant since birth. I married a submissive in 71 and we are still together. I became heavily involved in this lifestyle in 96. Now that I am living back on the farm again, I want my submissive or slave gal as my way of bringing my enjoyment of the lifestyle, to my farm. Limits become far more important in such a situation and you would find I am agreeable, reliable, and consistent. Limits set will be respected.
The work is easy enough, no punching a clock, just keep the lawns mowed and the flower gardens weeded. If you also wanted to work in one of the two businesses, that would in fact be a separate paying job you could easily do both.
Be in shape for outdoors work. Be 18 to about 40. Be open to lifestyle framed, living and working.
For this gal or gals, I will cover every living expense as well as some spending money, apartment, car, phone, lap top, utilities, and groceries.
Key words: DD/lg, age gap relationships, BDSM, Dominant/submissive, Owneslave
submitted by crispy48867 to AgeGapPersonals [link] [comments]
When both parents had passed, I bought out my sisters shares. I stopped all row crops in 2014 and began turning the place into a safe zone for nature.
It features a man made lake, spring fed and well stocked with fish. There are 22 acres of tillable land, some woods and rolling hills as well as several rock and flower gardens and roughly 6 or 7 acres of lawn.
In 2014, I began to plant trees and flowers in the fields in my attempt to give nature a safe place to be. We have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles, roughly 75 wild turkeys, about 30 head of white tail deer. We have more small animals than you could hope to count.
We currently have a mama turkey sitting on her 12 eggs on our lakeside patio.
The lake is well stocked with fish, large and small mouth bass, crappies, blue gills and sunfish as well as a decent supply of turtles. We have a raft and a paddle boat on the water for fun.
There are also two large aluminum pole barns, 60 x 40. In one, I built a large indoor grow with full temperature, light and humidity control and that was a marijuana rental grow from 2014 to this spring. It currently stands empty but I will put it to growing vegetables or mushrooms fairly soon. The other 60 x 40 is being built out as a machine shop.
I also have a holding pen and small building as a lock up for raising calves or pigs or goats if someone wanted to do that. It could also be fixed up for chickens.
I have a full range of farm equipment including a rototiller for the back of the tractor. If someone wanted to raise a garden for veggies to eat or for sale at the local farmers market. Such projects would be on your own time and any money raised, would be yours.
I will hire 9 workers for the mushroom growing business and 4 for the machine shop.
I would really love to find a yard and garden girl who enjoys age gap relationships or BDSM lifestyle relationships. You would answer directly to me, independently of the farm businesses. You would become my confidant, helper, assistant, and sexual muse. You would also help with planting trees or tree seeds in the fields.
I have been a dominant since birth. I married a submissive in 71 and we are still together. I became heavily involved in this lifestyle in 96. Now that I am living back on the farm again, I want my submissive or slave gal as my way of bringing my enjoyment of the lifestyle, to my farm. Limits become far more important in such a situation and you would find I am agreeable, reliable, and consistent. Limits set will be respected.
The work is easy enough, no punching a clock, just keep the lawns mowed and the flower gardens weeded. If you also wanted to work in one of the two businesses, that would in fact be a separate paying job you could easily do both.
Be in shape for outdoors work. Be 18 to about 40. Be open to lifestyle framed, living and working.
For this gal or gals, I will cover every living expense as well as some spending money, apartment, car, phone, lap top, utilities, and groceries.
Key words: DD/lg, age gap relationships, BDSM, Dominant/submissive, Owneslave
2023.05.30 21:02 the_cosmovisionist It's our one year anniversary! (OSMOFOLIA anniversary sale & summer release are here~)
We just couldn't wait another day or two—the new release & catalog update are here!
In addition to lots of small updates around the website, there's a lot going on with today's news.
First: the DREAMS AND ACTUALITY collection is now available! These eight scents are intended to evoke the sort of meandering imagination that can only run free in summer—both real and fantastical, floating somewhere between dreams and actuality.
They really embody OSMOFOLIA, I think—both philosophical and playful, complex but straightfoward, reflective of a distinct curiosity for the scents of the world around us.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do 🥰
~
With this release, OSMOFOLIA also celebrates the first anniversary of our perfume house!
Our perfumery officially opened in June of 2022, as nothing more than a table at a local market. Over the past year, OSMOFOLIA has grown more than I ever expected it to, and I'm so immensely grateful for that! The ability to share olfactory art with you is a joy and an honor ❤️
To celebrate our first year in business, we have a special anniversary scent!
Folks often ask what OSMOFOLIA's studio smells like—it'd be impossible to bottle the day-to-day aroma, but this scent is a snapshot of what the studio smelled like at a particular moment in time.
And what better theme is there than the inspiration and humdrum of perfumery itself?
I wanted to showcase these ingredients individually rather than hiding them in a notes list that feels more familiar, because my favorite part of perfumery is developing familiarity with individual materials and learning how to visualize them in larger scents.
I know that might make the scent a bit harder to imagine—but luckily, we've got a way to make it easier to smell. For June, Olfactorium will be the freebie scent in every order! (unless a different scent is explicitly requested)
As another way to pay homage to OSMOFOLIA's beginnings, there is a small anniversary sale—since marshmallow was the note that kicked off my interested in learning to make perfume, all scents with a marshmallow note are 20% off from May 30th to June 14th, with code ANNIVERSARY. :)
~
A few quick catalog updates:
On our shift to new bottles/vials & pricing updates:
All of the individual scent pages have been updated to reflect the new product information. Prices for 5ml bottles have risen to $21.00, and we've changed the style of the bottle (now, it's square!), the caps (they're copper, and they look awesome!), and the labels (no more slippy labels is the goal... plus, updated label art!).
We finished up the last of our case of previous bottles, and the remaining ones were pre-bottled for May. The last call for leftovers is here!
Samples are now offered in 2ml vials, rather than 1ml. 2ml samples now cost $8.00 individually, but sample sets are priced so that each sample is $7.00 (ie, 6 samples x $7 = $42 for a sample set of 6). The vials come with reducer caps to help prevent spillage, too.
Solid fragrances also have updated pricing. Previous batches of solid fragrance were filled with 15g of balm for $15, but newer batches of solid fragrance contain 21g and now cost $20.
Certain solid fragrance scents were restocked more than a month ago, so a 15g/$15 option for those scents will remain on the website until we run out. When they're restocked, they'll switch over to the 21g/$20 offering :)
~
Finally, an update on alcohol format offerings!
Unfortunately, we ran into an issue with the case of bottles, so the release of our alcohol format scents will be delayed until July 1st or so. So sorry to extend the wait!
But I don't want to leave you hanging, so here's some brief info about what's coming:
First, certain scents have to be reformulated for an alcohol format. Some ingredients play well with oil but not with alcohol and vice-versa, and we don't want anything to separate out from the rest of the perfume. Reformulating to keep the scents consistent can take time. :)
Second, we have to grow incrementally—we're looking into a larger space to store products, but for now, we can't fit tons of big bottles in the studio.
Third, we don't have the ingredients yet! A larger size and different diluent mean that we need more of each ingredient to make the scent smell just as strong. Increasing the volume of our ingredients will also be an incremental process.
But if you'd like to suggest particular scents (even out-of-season) that you'd love to see in an alcohol format, you can let us know here!
~
Thank you for putting up with this giant update! As always, we're excited to grow with you, and we are very thankful for your patience with all the tinkering :)
Have a warm, relax-under-the-sky kind of day 💕
~Sab
submitted by the_cosmovisionist to Indiemakeupandmore [link] [comments]
In addition to lots of small updates around the website, there's a lot going on with today's news.
First: the DREAMS AND ACTUALITY collection is now available! These eight scents are intended to evoke the sort of meandering imagination that can only run free in summer—both real and fantastical, floating somewhere between dreams and actuality.
24 HOUR DRIVE: Warm tonka bean, a suede jacket slung over the headrest, a half-rolled spliff spilled all over the backseat, a melted cone of cinnamon vanilla ice cream, and fleeting landscapes illuminated by the sun.There are also four new single notes joining the spring/summer catalog:
CICADA KID: The relentless, infinite buzz of summer: windswept grass, dandelions pushing through cracks in asphalt, strongly brewed black tea, handfuls of thyme stuffed into raggedy pockets, and a half-eaten bag of marshmallows.
FARM BOY: Rugged terrain dotted by hay bales drying in the sunlight, stacks of chopped cedar, artichokes and lettuce carried by gentle hands, well-worn denim sticky with pine sap, and dreamy, hopeful bergamot.
LOVERS LEAVING HELL: Woodsmoke from a dying bonfire, a pair of lit cigarettes under a starry sky, two warm bowls of vanilla rice pudding, and sweet, yearning kisses of cardamom.
NIETZSCHE'S LYCHEES: A second, dangerous innocence in joy. Sour lychees broken open by hand, sinful black musk, bittersweet chocolate, bone-dry sweetgrass, mushrooms growing amongst tangled roots, and a whisper of sweet osmanthus in the darkness.
REVERIE: Moments spent frolicking in the consciousness of another life. Steamed rice speckled with clove, words swirling off the pages of a book, the lingering haze of imagination, and a marshmallow-soft tumble back down to earth.
SHOTGUN: Dollops of whipped cream speckled with vanilla bean paste, velvety pink peonies, blissfully tart wild strawberries, glowing white amber, and the hiss of a cold metal canister.
TÚ Y YO: Together, and in love: hand-plucked frangipani, featherlight musk, rich dark vanilla bean, powdered sugar, overripe figs simmered in panela, and a slice of fresh angel food cake.
BLACKTOP: Shimmering summer rain evaporating off of hot, sticky asphalt.These 12 scents are some of my favorites ever released—many of them were a technical challenge to formulate (long-lasting grass! smoky top notes! rich fruity base notes!) while others pushed me out of my usual style (gourmands are so hard, for real).
LAWN: A sunlit nap on the lawn: a body sinking into cool green turf and fingers tangled with fresh cut grass.
LAZY RIVER: Towels soaked with pool water, and wet, glistening skin drying in the heat.
ORYZA: Fluffy basmatti rice in a warm bowl.
They really embody OSMOFOLIA, I think—both philosophical and playful, complex but straightfoward, reflective of a distinct curiosity for the scents of the world around us.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do 🥰
~
With this release, OSMOFOLIA also celebrates the first anniversary of our perfume house!
Our perfumery officially opened in June of 2022, as nothing more than a table at a local market. Over the past year, OSMOFOLIA has grown more than I ever expected it to, and I'm so immensely grateful for that! The ability to share olfactory art with you is a joy and an honor ❤️
To celebrate our first year in business, we have a special anniversary scent!
Folks often ask what OSMOFOLIA's studio smells like—it'd be impossible to bottle the day-to-day aroma, but this scent is a snapshot of what the studio smelled like at a particular moment in time.
And what better theme is there than the inspiration and humdrum of perfumery itself?
OLFACTORIUM: The scented ephemera of a perfume studio, and the clutter of a perfumer at work: an open vial of pink pepper, a fifth cup of coffee, papers of formulae smeared with iso e super, droplets of milk lactone on the bench, a heaping scoop of coumarin, scent strips rich with sandalwood aroma chemicals, and the sweet marshmallowy joy of inspiration brought to life.The scent's concept is also a balance between fantasy notes (coffee, formulas, paper, marshmallow, scent strips) and individual ingredients (pink pepper, iso e super, milk lactone, coumarin, sandalwood aroma chemicals).
I wanted to showcase these ingredients individually rather than hiding them in a notes list that feels more familiar, because my favorite part of perfumery is developing familiarity with individual materials and learning how to visualize them in larger scents.
I know that might make the scent a bit harder to imagine—but luckily, we've got a way to make it easier to smell. For June, Olfactorium will be the freebie scent in every order! (unless a different scent is explicitly requested)
As another way to pay homage to OSMOFOLIA's beginnings, there is a small anniversary sale—since marshmallow was the note that kicked off my interested in learning to make perfume, all scents with a marshmallow note are 20% off from May 30th to June 14th, with code ANNIVERSARY. :)
~
A few quick catalog updates:
- Cabin has joined the general catalog, while Good Morning, Disaster is being changed to the fall/winter catalog.
- Black Walnut, Gingerbread, and Sweet Potato Casserole are also being moved to the fall/winter catalog.
- The remaining Duets are pre-bottled, so they won't be restocked, but they will hang around for a few days until June 1st at 11:59PM.
On our shift to new bottles/vials & pricing updates:
All of the individual scent pages have been updated to reflect the new product information. Prices for 5ml bottles have risen to $21.00, and we've changed the style of the bottle (now, it's square!), the caps (they're copper, and they look awesome!), and the labels (no more slippy labels is the goal... plus, updated label art!).
We finished up the last of our case of previous bottles, and the remaining ones were pre-bottled for May. The last call for leftovers is here!
Samples are now offered in 2ml vials, rather than 1ml. 2ml samples now cost $8.00 individually, but sample sets are priced so that each sample is $7.00 (ie, 6 samples x $7 = $42 for a sample set of 6). The vials come with reducer caps to help prevent spillage, too.
Solid fragrances also have updated pricing. Previous batches of solid fragrance were filled with 15g of balm for $15, but newer batches of solid fragrance contain 21g and now cost $20.
Certain solid fragrance scents were restocked more than a month ago, so a 15g/$15 option for those scents will remain on the website until we run out. When they're restocked, they'll switch over to the 21g/$20 offering :)
~
Finally, an update on alcohol format offerings!
Unfortunately, we ran into an issue with the case of bottles, so the release of our alcohol format scents will be delayed until July 1st or so. So sorry to extend the wait!
But I don't want to leave you hanging, so here's some brief info about what's coming:
- There will be two sizes available: a 30ml bottle for $65, and a 10ml travel size for $30. Both are sprays!
- Spray samples may be available in the future, but we haven't loved any of the sample sprayers that we've tried, so we're holding off until we find ones that work like a dream.
- And Life And The Fields
- Cumulus
- Dream Bean
- Geosmin
- I And Thou
- Iso E Super
- Marshmallow
- Ode To Aphrodite
- Santal
- Solario
- Stratus
- Lawn
- Lazy River
- Lovers Leaving Hell
- Olfactorium (anniversary!)
- Farm Boy
- Nietzsche's Lychees
- Oryza
- Tú Y Yo
First, certain scents have to be reformulated for an alcohol format. Some ingredients play well with oil but not with alcohol and vice-versa, and we don't want anything to separate out from the rest of the perfume. Reformulating to keep the scents consistent can take time. :)
Second, we have to grow incrementally—we're looking into a larger space to store products, but for now, we can't fit tons of big bottles in the studio.
Third, we don't have the ingredients yet! A larger size and different diluent mean that we need more of each ingredient to make the scent smell just as strong. Increasing the volume of our ingredients will also be an incremental process.
But if you'd like to suggest particular scents (even out-of-season) that you'd love to see in an alcohol format, you can let us know here!
~
Thank you for putting up with this giant update! As always, we're excited to grow with you, and we are very thankful for your patience with all the tinkering :)
Have a warm, relax-under-the-sky kind of day 💕
~Sab
2023.05.30 20:52 Eercury [WTT/WTS] OEM Glock 9mm and .40 Magazines, Magpul MBUS Sights. Looking for 9mm Glock Mags, IFAK supplies, QD End Plate
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/LM2aySL
Hello everyone! First post here but I’m experienced trading on /PMsForSale and a few other subs in my post history. Let me know if any prices are out of line. I’d mainly like to trade but I’ll take cash.
Primarily looking to trade
submitted by Eercury to GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]
Hello everyone! First post here but I’m experienced trading on /PMsForSale and a few other subs in my post history. Let me know if any prices are out of line. I’d mainly like to trade but I’ll take cash.
The Goods
| Items | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2x 10 round 9mm Glock 26 OEM Mag | $40 | |
| 12 round 9mm Glock 26 OEM Mag | $23 | Brand new, never fired. From a LGS sale |
| 2x 10 round .40 Glock 23/27 OEM Mag | $21 | One of these had scuffs on feed lips. Works fine |
| 10 round .40 Glock 22 OEM Mag | $11 | Fits Glock 22. The above mags don’t fit the G22 |
| 15 round .40 Glock 22 OEM Mag | $13 | |
| Magpul MBUS Set, Gen 2, I believe | $55 | Includes adjustment tool. |
- North American Rescue COMBAT APPLICATION TOURNIQUET (C-A-T).
- Any of the following OEM Glock mags: 15 round (1), 17/19/24 round (2 or 3), 33 round (1).
- Hemostatic dressings, chest seal, nasopharyngeal airway, etc. Shoot me a message and let's talk!
- Also looking for a QD AR endplate. Like this: https://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Timber-Creek-Outdoors-QD-End-Plate-p/timber-qd-ep.htm
2023.05.30 20:35 readit16 Advertisements inside the clinic room... Yay
 | submitted by readit16 to mildlyinfuriating [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 20:25 No_Competition4897 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in WA Hiring Now!
2023.05.30 20:12 hoosier5 What Garmin chart do I need to by for SeaDoo Switch?
My father in law just got a Switch 19 and it came with a Garmin (I think the model is ECHOMAP™ UHD 72sv). What Garmin chart do I need if we're on lakes in Michigan?
The sales rep at the place he got the Switch also mentioned Garmin might give it to us for free since the Switch/Garmin was just purchased. However, he didn't have any additional information on how to do that. Is this the case?
submitted by hoosier5 to seadoo [link] [comments]
The sales rep at the place he got the Switch also mentioned Garmin might give it to us for free since the Switch/Garmin was just purchased. However, he didn't have any additional information on how to do that. Is this the case?
2023.05.30 20:02 Centumviri Welcome to Green Valley: 4 Bumpkin Quest Adventures
Welcome to Green Valley
Four Merry Jaunts Through in the Bumpkin Quest Campaign
It’s a big world filled with far off folks who have far off problems. In the quaint farming town of Hills Furrow that has certainly not been the case. Here life is simple, local, and paced by the seasons. There ain’t been a need for “Venturers” and their ilk since your Papaw was just a sprout. However, the winds of change are blowin, and things are about to git just a bit more exciting round these parts.Welcome to Green Valley, The down-home home of Rural Fantasy Misadventures and Grass-Roots Shenanigans. The Valley is Filled with Colorful Characters, Brimming with Odd Ball Neighbors, and has more than a few Local Yokels. Welcome to Bumpkin Quest. These adventures are intended to be a series of silly adventures that all go awry in some way or another and stir up trouble throughout a peaceful little village that has in many ways been overlooked by the troubles of the world “outside”.
CHAPTER 1: Green Tide CHAPTER 2: A Cartload of Chickens CHAPTER 3: Marvin the Magnificent CHAPTER 4: High Society
ADVENTURE MECHANICS - Target Character Level: Commoners - Level 1 - Target Party Size: Four Players - Average Adventure Playtime: 1-2 Hours - Tone: Rural Misadventures
I’ve also put these adventures into a PDF that includes our Bumpkin Quest: Campaign Guide which fills in the details of Green Valley pretty thoroughly. The quests are simple enough to be run in any setting you choose, but if you're interested in more the Guide as over a dozen Custom Maps, 70+ NPCs, Location Descriptions, 20+ Local Legends, and Scores of Adventure and Event Ideas. You can grab the PDF Free at the link above.
Hills Furrow
At the center of the Valley sits a patch of small grassy hills, through which the Slow Water meanders through. Built into these hills is the Village of Hills Furrow. Celebrated by everyone living in The Valley and boasting a whopping population of almost 150, Hills Furrow is the center of commerce and social importance. Well, at least as far as the locals are concerned. Realistically it would be less than a blip on the grand scale of things, a mere kernel of wheat in the silo of civilization, but to those who live here, there is nothing quite like living in the “city”.The Village itself, like the Valley, is predominantly Halfling, and their fancy dwellings are burrowed into the hillsides as often as possible. These dwellings have been family owned for generations only becomeing available if there are no heirs to pass them along to. Other folk live in well kept two story shingled buildings, most of which house a business on the lower floor and house the Shopkeepers and their families above their workplaces, though a few live in nearby homes. There aren’t many “rental” spaces in town, as property is usually bought up quickly by the Halfling Families, but there are long term options at either of the Inns in town.
Hills Furrow: Locations 1) The Crocked Crow (Inn and Tavern) 2) The Dancing Lamb (Inn and Tavern) 3) The Moaning Toad (Tavern) 4) Granny's Groceries (General Market) 5) Get Nailed (Hardware and Distilery) 6) Gimdurh's Hammer (Smithy) 7) Brenra's Mechanicals (Tinker) 8) Hjoldren's Home Goods (Carpenter) 9) Standard Industries (Office) 10) Fit to be Dyed (Tailor) 11) The Last Loaf (Baker) 12) The Cloudy Cleaver (Butcher) 13) Nature's Medecine (Apothecary) 14) Sheriff's Office 15) Green Valley School House 16) The Waterwheel 17) The Windmill 18) The Undercloak Estate 19) Truefoot Burrow 20) The Meadows Family Hill
The people themselves are hospitable and friendly enough, but they do not really trust outsiders. Folks from foreign places are good for trade, news, and little else. Those that come through are treated well enough as long as they don’t wear out their welcome. Locals, well, that’s a bit of a different story. The city and area doesn’t operate under a written caste system or social structure, but there is clearly a pecking order, and family heritage matters a great deal to folks in Hills Furrow. Most locals, whether they’ve gotten an education or not, can easily be classified as simple. It isn’t that they are slow of mind or unintelligent, but more that they are unconcerned with matters the outside world considers important. This sentiment has created a general, but friendly, dislike between those that consider themselves Highfalutin and those that clearly are not.
Well now that I've given you the fifty cent tour. Shall we get on to adventure?
CHAPTER 1: Green Tide
We will open our journeys in the Green Valley at Green Tide, the annual celebration of Winter’s End. This adventure is designed to give a tour of Hills Furrow and introduce them to the locals. It will begin with some chores around their house to prepare for the festival and end with a battle involving an enchanted broom. If you did not do Session Zero, this chapter may take a bit longer as we get to know everyone and their characters.ACT 1: Pre-Festival
The locals spend the week cleaning out their houses and farms. They gather old junk and unused items to be used later in the festival. They also begin preparing what food is left from winter to be used in a celebration and feasts.Things to do! - Have the Players clean up junk around the house - Have them Find something strange (Perhaps used for a later mystery?) - Have them Decorate their Broom - Have them run a Household Errand (Meet an NPC)
ACT 2: Sweeping Day
A merry festival celebrating Spring cleaning and putting the past behind them. They form a parade, with one member from each house carrying a brightly decorated broom and using it to symbolically “Sweep Away Winter”. The rest of the family marches their winter’s trash and unused goods down to the Fairgrounds. The goods are often traded, while the trash is piled in the fire pit to await burning later. The entire day is filled with fun outdoor activities. Households also symbolically bring their problems to the bonfires to burn them later.Things to do! - March in the Parade - Carry Junk to the Bonfire - Meet more of the Locals
EVENT: I Love a Parade
The parade will march North from near the Cross Roads in the South up around the hill and back again to the South where it will head for the Fairgrounds. There isn’t anything particularly challenging about this event, but it would be a wonderful place to start leaning into or building local rivalries.
EVENT: Never Seen a Broom Do That… As they come into the home stretch of the Parade one of the local’s Brooms will animate and take off. It will chase folks around the parade. The players can attempt to stop it, but the broom will flee soon after being attacked. It will fly up into the air, attack a flock of geese, and chase them off until it can’t be seen anymore. They can go and collect a fallen goose if they wish. I highly recommend giving it a motorcycle type sound as it flies around hitting folks. Maybe even going as far as giving it a rough gravel angry voice and letting it insult people.
ACT 3: Winter’s End
Winter’s End is a Combination of Groundhog’s Day and Fasnacht, this day gets a little wild. The Festival kicks off at dawn with the Great Gopher Hunt. Gophers are well known spies for The Voice of Winter and thus need to be hunted before they can tell The Voice to delay Spring. Gophers themselves are quite tasty, and are notoriously bad for crops, so this works out economically all around. Throughout the rest of the day families continue to contribute to the Bonfire Pile which often gets quite large. At dusk a large effigy of The Voice of Winter is placed on top of the pile. Once the sun has fully set they light the fire and burn the Effigy. Folk usually dress darkly during the day and brightly at night. After the burning they feast on sweets and treats that were made from goods saved up from winter storage.Things to do! - The Great Gopher Hunt - Carry Junk to the Bonfire - Meet more of the Locals - The Fairground’s Activities
EVENT: The Great Gopher Hunt The Hunt begins at dawn and takes place all over the Valley. Locals race to collect as many Gophers as possible. It is easiest to kill the Gopher, but there are some that find that distasteful. Instead they live trap the critters. It is a bit tougher to do so, but an option should your players wish. This is most easily played out as a series of appropriate Skill Checks, in which the higher they score the more gophers they obtain.
EVENT: Trash Removal They may find some locals willing to pay them to help cart junk down to the bonfire pile. Not a lot of skill involved in this, but it is a great opportunity to meet locals, and you could throw a runaway cart at them.
Fair Activities They will probably want to take part in Fairground Activities. Players love these types of challenges. Here are a few ideas you can build on. - Axe Throwin: Basic attack rolls on a Round Target. Higher scores equal Higher points. - Bow Shootin: Basic attack rolls on Moving Targets. Higher scores equal Higher points. - Pig Chasin: Catch the greased Pig! Medium DC Challenge requiring three success before three Failures. - Mud Wrastlin: Nothing says bumpkin like a good Mud Wrastlin Pit. Contested Skill Challenges. - Sausage Eating Contest: Increasingly difficult DC Challenge. Eat till you puke! Can also be Pies or Ribs or Little Fish… you know whatever someone wants to stuff dozens of in their gullet. - Tug O’War: Team Strength Challenge. Three to Five Contested Rolls with opposing teams. - Gopher BBQ Cook Off: A Hard Culinary Challenge to see who can BBQ the best Gopher! - Races: Foot and Mount Races based on Three to Five Contested Rolls. I usually include a few odd mounts like a Giant Chicken or some such nonsense.
ACT 4: Day of Ashes
The Day of Ashes is a day of rest, recovery, and reflection. Locals take the ashes from the bonfires and rub their hands in them to symbolize the end of a hard year’s work and hardships of the past. The day ends with a large family feast, typically Pork. Activities this day are light, but many folks head to the Temple for the Calling of Spring Blessings. They put on their fancies and head down to ask forgiveness for over-indulging in the festival and for worship. Well sort of…Unfortunately, a lot of folks take this as an opportunity to peacock about and practice their one-upmanship over other locals. If you’re looking for inspiration for their outfits look to older photos of the Kentucky Derby. Over the years this troubling practice has caused more than one fight to break out after the service.
*Things to do! * - Go to Temple and Meet More Locals - Pick a Local Patron!
EVENT: Temple Services
The majority of the town comes to Temple on this day. The service is usually longer, and a bit more “Where have most of you been all year?” But otherwise it is a call for the Divine Blessings to touch their crops and protect their lives. It ends with a ceremony in which the locals put their hands into the ashes from yesterday’s bonfire. Once services end they will head outside, where the trouble will begin. Two of the wealthier families will get into it with each other. Starting with a couple of veiled insults, probably before service and continuing afterward. If one of your players is from a local Rich Folk family then they can be right in the middle of it all, otherwise they will have to pick a side. This choice will determine their house Patron moving forward. Tension will increase until folks start drawing up sides, and then someone will throw a rotten tomato at one of the House Matrons. That will blow the lid off the incident and a yokel brawl will break out. For comedy purposes I recommend the instant appearance of several food carts filled with expired products, and maybe a six year old hustler selling big sticks for wacking folks with. As the locals brawl call for perception checks. Who ever rolls highest begins to hear… The Broom returning!
ENCOUNTER: Stick In The Eye
The broom returns ready to whoop some ash. It will be absolutely bent on cleaning anyone and everyone who is even the slightest bit dirty! If it successfully attacks a character they will have to make a Strength Saving throw or be knocked to the ground and swept clean by the broom. As this would be an awful omen for the year folks are terrified and will be running around screaming. Absolute mass hysteria. If the players were lucky enough to hear it coming they can avoid being surprised by the broom. Otherwise the broom will get a full round to attack before they have a chance to do anything. They’ll have to beat the broom into submission any way they can before it sweeps the whole town into chaos!
CLOSING
After defeating the broom things will settle back down again. Bumpkins are quick to return to normal when things go awry. However, they will have gotten the attention of one of the Wealthy Families in the area and be offered jobs. Which family is really, based on what will work best for them and you as the DM. For gags you might be tempted to have the Yokels pick them up, but that is a hard bit to sustain, and you may be better served keeping them on the side as a comic foil rather than up front. Completely up to you. The session should end with them being invited to meet their new patron tomorrow someplace important.CHAPTER 2: A Cartload of Chickens
After successfully defeating the Enchanted Broom, our Bumpkins have gained the attention of a possible local Patron. This individual has summoned them to a nearby farm to discuss future work. That work includes proving themselves capable and not just lucky.ACT 1: Meet the Boss
In this Act the players will meet with their new patron, one of the Family Heads, who that is entirely depends on their choices from the last game. This entire side branch is designed to flavor the background of the campaign, but if you’d rather just have them stay freelancing and independent that’s fine as well. There is also the possibility of “competing” offers should they have second thoughts for any reason. Once they arrive at the meeting spot their Patron will ask them some questions about their ambitions (Class Goals), they will then hand them off to their new “boss” who will assign them their task. They will take them to a nearby barn.NEW NPC: “Boss”
Needs a fitting name for the Family they work for...
Character wise, what we got here is a standard “Ranch Foreman” character. They’re tough, A little mean, and completely loyal to their employer. They almost certainly chew tobacco (by the handful), have a tattoo of the Ranch’s Brand, and know where all the bodies are buried. They also have a huge and obvious scar on the side of their head where a Giant Chicken pecked a hole in their skull, so they’re not as bright as they used to be, not at all truthfully. Nor are they actually the Foreman anymore, but no one has a heart to tell them. They’ve been quietly downgraded to Chicken Handler, which is something they seem to remember quite well, but the brain damage keeps them from realizing all that. They can be found wandering the Farm giving strange orders to other Hands. These Hands nod politely and then go back to what they are doing.
Things To Do! - Meet Their Patron - Discuss Their Future - Meet Their New “Boss”
ACT 2: Chicken Dance
Boss will lead them into the odd looking barn. This building is filled with Giant Chickens. These two-three foot fouls have extremely exaggerated features, spiky looking beaks with sharp tooth like edges, big darting eyes, bumpy cracked skin, long gnarled talons, and dirty mottled feathers. They’re more beast than bird. But, they’re good for eatin! These creatures should have a stat block similar to an Axe Beak. When the players enter into the Barn the Chickens will go nuts, obviously deeply bothered by the intrusion. Boss will throw in some deer haunches and the birds will tear them apart in a feeding frenzy. They will then put on a Chicken Suit and begin a flapping dance. (Google Magnificent Riflebird) It should be absolutely captivating and the chickens will become mesmerized, watching every move. Boss will then load two dozen chickens onto a large wagon and lock it. They will have the players push the wagon out while he keeps the Chickens calm. Once outside they’ll hang heavy tarps on the sides of the wagon, and remove the suit. He will then explain to them that they need to keep the tarps on the wagon, and keep the birds well fed, or the chickens will get restless and become violent. When they do need to interact with them someone will have to wear the suit and dance to keep them calm. The bigger the person in the suit the better. Boss will then give them a Map of Green Valley and instruct them to drop off two chickens at each of the outer settlements. They have two days to get this done.Things To Do! - Head into the barn - Witness The Dance of The Chicken - Push the Wagon out - Get the Costume and Delivery Instructions
ACT 3: Bumpy Roads
They will be off to deliver the Chickens to various locations. There is no specific order to this delivery, they just need to pick a route and go. If they’re short on time they can take the country roads that lead between the outer settlements, but these aren’t as well kept as the main roads are. Whatever road they take and wherever they decide to stop for the night there are problems they will encounter along the way. You can make them random or pick the ones that best suit your players. Most of these should at some point require someone putting on the suit and dancing for the chickens to keep them calm. I would also increase the difficulty of each event. If they fail a dance the Chickens will become restless and start attacking the cart until they are calmed down. Too many failures and the wagon’s cage will break and the remaining chickens escape. They will then have to be rounded up and the cage repaired.Things to Do - Decide the delivery route - Deliver the chickens - Keep the Chickens calm
Possible Road Events 1) Rough roads cause problems 2) Yokels attempt to see what’s in the cart 3) Bad Weather swamps the road or scares the chickens 4) Pack of Coyotes causes trouble. 5) Chicken Rustlers! Protect the Flock! 6) Wagon breaks and needs repair 7) Cows in the road, someone’s herd is out. 8) Broken Bridge, not gone, just broken
ACT 4: Final Delivery
They’re now closing in on the final delivery. Something needs to happen here to cause them to put the suit on. Or maybe they never took it off! I love that idea, that one of your players just loves the suit and wants to be a chicken… lol… Anyway I’m a fan of having them need to get out of the suit for some reason, maybe a bathroom break, or they stand on a fire ant hill, or a snake slithers up their leg. You know something silly and fun. BUT the zipper is stuck! So they’ll have to try and unstick it and fast! Whatever happens they’re going to get shot at by some hunters looking for a big score who have mistaken the flailing caused by the stuck zipper to be the chicken attacking. After dealing with the Hunters they can go ahead and make the final drop. And head home.Things to Do! - Head for the final delivery - Get shot at! - Deliver the last chickens
ENCOUNTER: That’s a BIG Chicken!
Having two hunters in the field is more than enough to cause a problem for the players. The hunters will almost certainly surprise the players, but you can allow them a perception check, if they succeed they’ll see the hunters just before the muskets go off. It would be OK to down the Chicken Player here if the hunters successfully hit it. They’ll have healer’s kits on hand because, well, this seems to happen to them a lot out here. After the initial attack the players can decide to attack back or try and talk the hunters down. A basic Bandit or Scout stat block should do will for the hunters. If you’re looking for a bit more mayhem, if the hunters miss the players you could have them hit the cage, and you know, bust it open. This may be especially tempting if they
POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER: Big Ol' Frog
So there is a giant frog hiding in the mud down in the creek. If a player takes cover behind the banks there is a good chance that the frog will attempt to nab the player as a snack. If it is successful in grabbing a player with its tongue it will immediately head down river, and they'll have to chase it to get their friend back.
CLOSE
When they return, Boss will reward them. How much will depend on how successful they were delivering the birds. If they did a descent job, they will be paid two day’s wages each. If they were completely successful they can have a bonus. However, if the wagon is in bad shape they might have some money deducted. After they’re paid out, they will be dismissed, and told to expect a new assignment next week.CHAPTER 3: Marvin the Magnificent
After successfully delivering chickens Boss is going to trust them with a more important task. Their employer has requested an item to be created by Marvin the Magnificent. This is a farming community so having enchanted Farming Equipment is extremely desirable. Marvin has done a lot of basic enchantments over the years, but this new one, an The Stone Skipper, a plough whose blade goes ethereal while in contact with stones too large to push away, has really put him to the test. He needs some help with the final enchantments. The players will have to travel to the Ethereal Plane and hit the Blade of the plow with large rocks. But there’s a problem, they’re going to have mischievous Ethereal Sprites attempting to stop them! If they’re successful, which they should be, they get to take the plough for a test drive, and deal with the strange side effects of the enchantment. Angry goats that blink in and out of existence.ACT 1: To the Tower
They’ll be summoned out to the Ranch where they’ll meet with Boss again. Once there they will notice a large pile of bent and dinged up plows. Boss will explain to them that a recent land acquisition has become problematic. The Fields are filled with large stones just under the topsoil and they’ve damaged a lot of Plow Blades. The Smithing costs are getting out of hand and so their Patron is looking for an alternate solution to the problem. He is sending them to help Marvin the Magnificent, who has taken the job, but run into some complications and needs some help. They may ask about Marvin. Or perhaps the fields that were purchased, so be ready to answer these types of questions. Once they’re done here they can head to Marvin’s Tower, which is just north of town.Things to Do! - Meet Boss again - Ask some Informational Questions - Head for the Tower
NPC: Marvin the Magnificent
ACT 2: Marvin the Magnificent
As they approach the tower they should see an explosion at the peak of the structure. It should look similar to a fireworks mishap. When it clears there will be no visible damage to the tower, But Marvin will plummet to the earth just off to the side of them, landing in a small pond. He will then come charging out of the pond, laughing hysterically, and riding on a large turtle. Once he gets a few feet away from the pond the turtle will disappear and he will tumble to the ground right in front of the players. He will leap up quickly and turn toward the players. “Behold Travelers, You stand in the presence of Marvin the Magnificent! And everything you have witness was mostly intended!” He will then strike a cool pose with his wand pointed to the sky! “Now why do you approach my tower!?”Once Marvin finds out they’ve been sent about the plow he will become more nervous looking. “I see, well follow me. We have work to do.” He will then start walking toward the tower… his boots squishing out water. This should give them a little time to ask a few questions. Marvin will be a little subversive about what they need to do. He will attempt to frame it very mysteriously, saying things like “All will be revealed soon.” and “Save your questions! All Answers await us… in the future!” If they ask him about what they witnessed outside, he will tell them he was working on a mount summoning spell designed for lakes and rivers.
Things to Do! - Head toward the Tower - Meet Marvin - Ask Questions
ACT 3: The Cabinet of Mysteries
The inside of the Wizard’s Tower will be far more mundane than they likely expect. At least on the first floor. It will have a sitting room, dining room, and kitchen, as well as a few odds and ends about. Nothing special at all. The second floor, are Marvin’s personal quarters and some room for study, but it is the third floor, where Marvin will lead them, and it will be more of what one would expect in a Wizard’s tower. There will be books shelves, arcane equipment, and storage for components. In the middle of the room will be a tall cabinet.:
Marvin will explain to them that the Cabinet is a transportation device, and that he will need them to enter into it with a plow that he has recently enchanted. They will be taken to the Ethereal Plane, and once there they’ll need to take the plow outside and begin hitting it with large field stones. There is a large pile of stones just on the north edge of the tower. They’ll have to do this quickly, before the “others” show up. Who are the others? Hard to say, but there are things that live in the Ethereal Plane that don’t like intruders. The idea is to imbue the Plow with Ethereal Powers so it can pass through large stones while plowing fields. Once they return with the Enchanted Plow, Marvin will have them load it on a cart, pulled by a very smart Donkey, and send them on their way.
Skill Challenge: Enchant the Plow This skill challenge will require five successes before they’re incapacitated by the others. However they decide to do it, they’ll have to successfully hit the plow with five large stones. Failures will result in strange indiscernible entities attacking them. They do minimal damage but could knock people out if there are enough failures.
Things to Do! - Move Through Marvin’s Tower - Enter the Cabinet - Enchant the Plow
ACT 4: Blinking Goats
Upon returning to Boss with the Plow they will be happily greet and paid. Their Patron will be there and will be very pleased with their success. He will ask them to demonstrate the plow’s abilities. Once they get set up out in the field and begin plowing something weird will happen. Every time they hit a stone and the plow’s power activates an Ethereal Goat will manifest and kick or ram the plow, and then disappear. It will feel very similar to what they encountered in the Ethereal Plane. They’ll have to find a way to deal with the manifestations.ENCOUNTER: Ethereal Goats These goats should function very similarly to Blink Dogs, but I would trim the HP and AC a little to put them in line with the party’s. They will be intent on breaking the Plow not the party, although they will attack the party if they can’t get to the Plow.
Things to Do! - Deliver the Plow - Drive the Plow - Defeat the Ethereal Goats
CLOSE
Once defeated the Boss will come over to yell at them, but the Patron will find the entire thing amusing and more importantly, another impressive demonstration of the player’s skills. He will invite them to the “House” for an important party next week.Chapter 4: High Society
They've definitely been noticed now and have impressed with their ability, unconventional as it may be. They are invited to their patron's home, but not as guests. Though, they might think they were actually invited as guests! They have been brought in to help work the event held out at the Party Field. They will have to gather party supplies, help put up the tent, and then serve the actual guests. During the evening’s entertainment a hypnotist “The Great Dr Hypnotika” will mesmerize the crowd and attempt to rob them all. Hopefully the players don’t fall victim to her schemes. And if they do oh well, they’ll be entertained all the same.ACT 1: Special Delivery
The players arrive at the Patron’s very nice property. They will be greeted by a properly dressed servant with a clipboard, the Party Planner. The Planner will be rigid and direct. They will immediately begin tasking them about. If they mention that they were invited to the party the servant will laugh “You didn’t think you were a guest? Oh dear, how embarrassing. You’re the help! It is still a great honor to be tasked to help at the Party, but you’re not guests. Now as for your current task. Head into town and gather these supplies. Bring them to the field by noon.” After the instructions are given the servant will go back to their tasks and expect the players to do the same. They will have three stops; The Crocked Crow for Food and Beer, Get Nailed for the Tent and Spirits, and Shalana Proud-Breed’s Tailor Shop to pick up the Dry Cleaning. Feel free to make any and all of these go sideways! Its a good place to toss in some shenanigans as well! They should also be introduced to Dr Hypnotika and her associates.Things To do! - Go to their Patron’s Home - Meet the Party Planner and Dr Hypnotika - Run their Errands
NPC: Dr Hypnotika
Dr Hypnotika and her group will perform for the party. Hypnotica is a Tiefling Mezmerist and illusionist. She has an obnoxiously high charisma and some pretty serious skills to back up her claims. However, she uses those skills to beguile her guests, robbing them blind while they are under her spells. She wears a fine robe with a bedazzled headwrap. She has dark upward spiraling horns, light purple skin, and matching eyes. She wears a monocle and walks with a ceremonially carved staff depicting the "Struggles of the Universe". She is extremely persuasive and even more deceptive. Even if someone were to grow suspicious she can easily talk her way out of trouble.
NPCs: Clapper and Bob Hypnotika brings with her two assistants. Clapper the suit wearing Kenku who will perform wondrous displays of mimicry and slight of hand, and her strongman Bob the Kobold. Bob wears a leopard print strongman's outfit and is amazingly swole, particularly for a kobold, and capable of lifting upwards of 400lbs. Bob doesn't do much else other than get hit with things. in the act.
ACT 2: Put up the Tent
After they finish running their errands they will be tasked with putting up a large party tent. This Act is an ongoing Skill Challenge and should have a constantly distracted feel to it. First they have to unpack the tent. Then they have to realize some pieces are missing, they’ll have to form a solution to that problem. After that wind should cause some problems as the tent is at least being pulled up. This is a great moment for some wondrous tom-foolery.Things To do! - Unpack the tent - Deal with missing parts - Secure the tent during the wind gusts
ACT 3: Put These On
After they finish putting up the tent they’ll be sent to the Servant’s Quarters to bathe and change. They’ll get a little time to explore and snoop if they wish. Afterward they’ll be tasked with helping in the kitchen, but unfortunately the cooks are going to have been playing a drinking game all afternoon and are no longer fully capable of doing their jobs. This would make a great moment for some sort of mini-game where the players have to determine whether or not the cooks are doing the right things. Once the dinner has been completed they will have to serve the guests. This is a good place to insert gossip and help them meet a few other folks.Things To do! - Get changed for the party - Deal with the drunk cooks - Serve the guests drinks and food
ACT 4: An Evening to Remember
At some point in the evening things are going to start sliding downhill. Some of the locals will have become extremely inebriated and will need to be encouraged to leave, or just moved off to the side as they’ve already passed out, before the show begins. Once the show begins the locals will become fixated on the goings on. “The Great Dr Hypnotika” will have put an additive in the drinks for the that will make everyone more susceptible to her powers of persuasion. Once the show starts she will have them all doing silly things, those who drank have disadvantage on saves against her powers. She will end the show asking the guests to display their most valuable treasure, a with a hypnotic pattern and then send her assistants out to collect those treasures. The players will have to “do something” about the thieves.Things To do! - Deal with Drunks - Watch the Show - Stop the Criminals
ENCOUNTER: Hypnotika's Gang This encounter doesn't have to be a fight. If Hypnotika is caught she may claim it was all part of the act and simple return the valuables with a "no harm, no foul" type attitude. This will be he go to in an attempt to avoid a fight, but if the character persist in some kind of retribution or punishment the situation will devolve into a combat. Hypnotica herself is an Illusionist Wizard but is low on spells after the show. Clapper is a low level rogue and Bob a Barbarian, and should play out as such. Even with Skills they are combat adverse and will be looking for an opportunity to flee rather than fight. They do have a getaway wagon out front that they'll be headed for if things go south.
CLOSING
We’re assuming the Bumpkins at least attempted to stop the robbery. This will draw a lot of attention to them. Their Patron will be well pleased with them, and let them know they will be getting much more important jobs in the future. The guests will also take note and will begin treating them all a bit better. They’re all essentially Folk Heroes at this point for secondary backgrounds. Their Patron should reward them with something very nice as the party kicks back in. They will need to finish out the nights work of course.Quest-line Closing
Congratulations! Your Players have completed their first Quest-line! Hopefully it was a delightful experience. But now that they've finished what comes next? Well, here are some ideas.*Reward Them! * They've been doing some rather Adventurous things lately, and therefore should now have a Class Level under their belt, so the real D&D world now opens to them! Maybe it is time for some real adventuring gear. No more sticks, stones, and burlap sack armor.
Folk Heroes? There's a good chance that the Valley is Speaking the News about them and their exploits while drinking in the taverns. They may have even earned the actual Folk Hero Feat! Maybe someone would be interested in giving them a task!
Simply Go Exploring! There are a lot of places in Green Valley that we only dipped our toes into. You could have them head down to Stinkmarsh, or maybe climb up the cliffs of Longridge. The world (Well, the Valley) is wholly open to them.
Explore Local Legends There are lots of local legends they can look into! Hopefully they search out something that isn't too far over their heads!
Continue Working for their Patron It would be an easy DM go to simply to have them continue working for their current Patron. They've probably been impressive enough fo a family to be interested in keeping them on.
Establish Themselves as Adventurers! Maybe they want to set up a Adventurers for Hire business? This "Heroes Guild" approach is really appealing to a lot of players and absolutely plays into Bumpkin Quest. Just remember, this is a place of low key problems that locals make really big deals out of. So the idea of slaying dragons shouldn't really be on the table... that is until an actual dragon shows up! Which one day absolutely should.
2023.05.30 19:29 _cdlc_ The proposals
Only listed the ones that were accepted. 😅 they’re on chronological order.
Denny and Izzie In the midst of the chaotic LVAD cutted event, Denny woke up and says “you should marry me!” Before he began coding again.
George and Callie George suddenly get on one knee after his father death. “Calliope Esfiginea Torres would you marry me?”
Burke and Cristina Burke after a silence fight proposed to Cristina while eating dinner at home. “Marry me”
Alex and Izzie After the las scan and with a bad prognosis, Miranda suggest Derek to gift her the wedding and Alex get to the room and sets “Mer is right, the dress isn’t for her”
Mer and Derek Elevator love letter. The best proposal in the history of GA imo. “I would not get on one knee I won’t ask a question. Meredith Grey I love you and I want to expense the rest of my life with you”
Owen and Cristina Cristina with PTSD, scared to death to be alone or to sleep alone, crying her eyes out and Hunt goes and tells her “you don’t have to be alone never again if you let me [and shows her the ring]”
Teddy and Henry He says “I have a great insurance, I can marry you!” And do a quickie wedding at the courthouse (I include this one bc of the aftermath)
Arizona and Callie While having a fight about Mark in a road trip to an cabin, Arizona casually says “Marry me” and then their car crash.
Miranda and Ben “my question to you” a really romantic proposal with the crosswords on the Sunday paper.
April and Mathew Flashmob proposals in the ambulance bay.
Jackson and April Jackson stands before the altar and objects to April’s marriage, finally confessing his love for her. She runs away with him and he says “let’s go get marry”, and they elope in Lake Tahoe.
Catherine and Richard Catherine summoned Richard to the other end of the hospital. She confessed that this was something she never thought she'd do, But she did. and ask him “if he wanted to marry her”
Amelia and Owen In the spur of the moment I’m what started as a conversation stablishing they knew what the were doing Amelia says “I want a real life and I want it with you” he replies “are you asking me to marry you?” and the she drops the question “will you marry me?”
Jo and Alex After many failing Artemis of Alex proposing Jo. Jo got down on one knee and proposed to Alex (wearing the ring he already brought for her) while declaring, “You are my home and you are my heart and I don’t want to go anywhere unless it was with him.”
Hunt and Teddy Owen set up fake snow outside Mer’s house on Christmas Day and took one knee and asked her “Will you marry me?”
Winston and Maggie He ask her to listen one last song together before he leaving to Boston, and the ring was on the earbud case
Tell me if I’m forgetting some?
My favorite is Derek’s elevator proposal. WHATS YOURS?
submitted by _cdlc_ to greysanatomy [link] [comments]
Denny and Izzie In the midst of the chaotic LVAD cutted event, Denny woke up and says “you should marry me!” Before he began coding again.
George and Callie George suddenly get on one knee after his father death. “Calliope Esfiginea Torres would you marry me?”
Burke and Cristina Burke after a silence fight proposed to Cristina while eating dinner at home. “Marry me”
Alex and Izzie After the las scan and with a bad prognosis, Miranda suggest Derek to gift her the wedding and Alex get to the room and sets “Mer is right, the dress isn’t for her”
Mer and Derek Elevator love letter. The best proposal in the history of GA imo. “I would not get on one knee I won’t ask a question. Meredith Grey I love you and I want to expense the rest of my life with you”
Owen and Cristina Cristina with PTSD, scared to death to be alone or to sleep alone, crying her eyes out and Hunt goes and tells her “you don’t have to be alone never again if you let me [and shows her the ring]”
Teddy and Henry He says “I have a great insurance, I can marry you!” And do a quickie wedding at the courthouse (I include this one bc of the aftermath)
Arizona and Callie While having a fight about Mark in a road trip to an cabin, Arizona casually says “Marry me” and then their car crash.
Miranda and Ben “my question to you” a really romantic proposal with the crosswords on the Sunday paper.
April and Mathew Flashmob proposals in the ambulance bay.
Jackson and April Jackson stands before the altar and objects to April’s marriage, finally confessing his love for her. She runs away with him and he says “let’s go get marry”, and they elope in Lake Tahoe.
Catherine and Richard Catherine summoned Richard to the other end of the hospital. She confessed that this was something she never thought she'd do, But she did. and ask him “if he wanted to marry her”
Amelia and Owen In the spur of the moment I’m what started as a conversation stablishing they knew what the were doing Amelia says “I want a real life and I want it with you” he replies “are you asking me to marry you?” and the she drops the question “will you marry me?”
Jo and Alex After many failing Artemis of Alex proposing Jo. Jo got down on one knee and proposed to Alex (wearing the ring he already brought for her) while declaring, “You are my home and you are my heart and I don’t want to go anywhere unless it was with him.”
Hunt and Teddy Owen set up fake snow outside Mer’s house on Christmas Day and took one knee and asked her “Will you marry me?”
Winston and Maggie He ask her to listen one last song together before he leaving to Boston, and the ring was on the earbud case
Tell me if I’m forgetting some?
My favorite is Derek’s elevator proposal. WHATS YOURS?
2023.05.30 19:19 BasicSith2 [RO] Journey to the Treetop
CABIN ROAD is the gateway to paradise. But why does this feel like a path to hell? I smash into a tall pine tree that stands in the middle of the otherwise straight gravel road. I've gone around it hundreds of times before. But now, my fingers are firmly gripped on the steering wheel, disregarding all my commands. Have I become paralyzed? A potato is wobbling on the dashboard, having obviously leaped out of the potato crates in the back seat. Jack gets out and strides to the front bumper. His lips press into a thin line as he appraises the destruction and cost of fixing it. Nothing should hold him back from swearing. But he maintains his composure, anger simmering just beneath the surface. The memory of thirty years of marriage fills my mind. I question whether this man has drugged me. A fleeting thought that he might have crashed the car surfaces, but it seems too much of a stretch. I take a deep breath and try to clear my head. In the rear-view mirror, Jack gets an axe from the trunk. He comes and gazes at me from my window, his eyes looking heavy and weary—like two precious pearls inside their oyster-like shells. I straighten and open the window: “Thank goodness it wasn't worse.” “I'll chop it down.” “That’s a pretty big tree, Jack.” Jack blinks several times. “I do have a chainsaw...” “Yes.” I wonder what stories this tree has witnessed during its lifetime. Will we see the marks of our journey on its rings? There’s always something that gets squeezed in tighter, begging to be unraveled. “I'll drive you to the cabin and grab the chainsaw,” Jack says. “Prepare some coffee while I'm gone.” Our short passage to the cabin around the bend is like shifting through the fog of memory. I'm in the kitchen. My fingers clench around the coffee tin can and spoon. Bewilderment engulfs my brain. I spot Jack with his saw. He slips around the corner, the curve of his bottom visible through his tight work trousers. I feel anxious about the crash. Did I deliberately hit the tree? The measuring spoon slips from my hand. It drops onto the floor along with the tin can. I clean up the mess. Could someone drive into a tree on purpose? Accidents do happen after all. It's fascinating to see him take on this role of being so chivalrous. Far away from his academic duties. As the chainsaw outside whines, I scroll through social media on my phone. People arguing about something or other makes me tired. I pick up a copy of Science magazine from the coffee table and scan through an article titled “Quantum Communication Across Interstellar Space,” authored by Jack. As usual, the details go right over my head. I like to amuse myself with the idea that it speaks about communicating with individuals who have passed away. Billy's message pops up. He asks for money for a fishing trip with his buddies somewhere in Lapland. I am more than happy to support him since he’s enlisting in the army soon in July. My big boy. I tell him about the car crash, and he gives me advice about a car repair store. Jack comes back earlier than expected. He plops into his seat, sweat beading on his forehead and the smell of resin emanating from him. He seems disappointed. I pour coffee to the brim. “Did the saw get stuck?” Jack shakes his head and adds sugar to his mug. “It got shattered under the tree. I stumbled...” Silence descends slowly, like dust. “My helmet cracked.” “Do you want me to buy new parts when I go to the store?” “No need.” “But there's pruning and cutting to do first.” Jack takes a bite out of a cinnamon bun. “I can sharpen the axe.” “Ask the neighbors for help, that's what they're for. You can also mow the lawn while I'm away.” “The grass is already short— it'll die off.” “You don't want ticks taking over! Think about your mother's joint pain. She would roll in her grave if—” “Cremated?’ “Yes!” My answer is like a flyswatter, leaving no room for further discussion or quantum physics. Jack is busy chewing on the bun. His regular coffee breaks, which have become part of his daily routine in his sixties, have honed impressive jowls. We enjoy our coffee and stare at the lake. Calm as a mirror. I have a feeling Jack will soon suggest fishing. As I gather my things to leave, I call to him: “Don't hurt yourself. Should I bring more buns?” “I was thinking of skipping the sugar and wheat...” I simply smile in reply. “Can you refuel the car?” Jack asks. I'm already off. The door slams shut in the middle of his sentence, but Jack knows better than to expect a response. I jump into the driver's seat and immediately notice forgotten potato baskets in the back seat, but my mind drifts away before I can do anything about it. As I pass by our old well, I remember that we need to discuss connecting the cabin to a new water source. No matter what it costs, it needs to be done. Why should I agree to be responsible for our running water anymore? I collide with something hard. Airbags abruptly inflate around me, disorienting me as my vision blurs. Struggling to escape from the tangled mess of seatbelts and inflatable bags, it feels like I'm an old person trying to climb out of a bouncy castle. My gaze rests on the scene before me, but my thoughts can't understand it. I have plowed into a tree stump. The tree stretches over the ditch. Nearby the chainsaw lies crushed. The cutting chain is nowhere to be found. I get back in the car. Should I phone Jack for an urgent call? Inhaling slowly helps me stay calm. Why didn’t he mention the tree stump? Someone taps on my window I jump and my neck stiffens up. I reach for the window switch. “I should have told you about...” Jack says. “The stump?” “Didn't you see the tree on the ground?” “I'm sorry. I was daydreaming.” “Great galaxy, Hazel! You're burning through our last savings as if money grew on trees!” Jack is being truly authentic with me. I stare back at him like some big-eyed exotic species from Madagascar that I can't identify in all this chaos. Jack opens the door and starts to put the cushion back in its place. We turn on the engine, giving the accelerator a test ride. “Let's go to a repair shop. I'm sure our insurance will cover this,” Jack suggests. “We can say that we had an accident with a reindeer.” “You're supposed to report it to the police or game warden if you hit an animal,” I reply. Jack pauses for a moment. He then reverses and drives forward again, but when he looks into the rear-view mirror, he slams on the brakes. “I have a better plan.” He retrieves an orange towing strap from the trunk, a burst of determination on his face. He connects the stump and the tow hook. “Get ready. We’re going to take a quantum leap here.” We buckle our seat belts with a single click as we prepare for the inevitable disaster. We had already made so many mistakes together, starting with raising our children—though sometimes failing was just part of parenting. Jack revs up the engine. A sudden lurch forward, then Jack howls in pain as the stump smashes through the rear window, clambering through the seats and lodging itself onto the gearbox, trapping Jack's hand. He veers off toward the ditch. The Milky Way spins around us, potatoes fly in the air and suddenly, all is quiet. We find ourselves upside down—surrounded by earthy potatoes and broken glass. I try to break the silence: “I just remembered: Billy's friend can repair cars at the vocational school much cheaper.” Jack looks so pale, his face almost white. I guess he’s contemplating the next step. Through the cracked windshield, I see the chainsaw chain lying in the ditch. How did it come to be rusting away? Maybe everything will go back to normal if we sit here and wait. It feels almost as if we are flying in outer space, my nerves slowly calming down. But then a sudden stillness strikes that is anything but soothing. “Jack, I’m feeling a bit dizzy…” No answer. “Jack...” I snap open my eyes and the scene in front of me has changed drastically. It’s like I’ve been sucked into some kind of surreal void. I hear a tapping noise on the window. An apology and then a loud thud; a huge rock has been hurled through the glass. A stench of strong aftershave ferments around me. A burly arm reaches across to release the seatbelt. An elderly man growls something crude, nothing like Jack's usual scout-like words. My eyes close as I'm being cradled away, and visions of Jack's mathematics and symbols flicker around in my mind. Is the soul truly free when there is no force of gravity to pull us down? I don't know who my savior is, but I can sense his worry as his face reddens. He is in military garb. I come to as I feel my head thudding against the rubble. Instantly, I yearn to run away, contemplating that perhaps this experience is only a dream, and I'm back in the cabin chamber, tucked securely underneath a cosy blanket. A blanket that grants me the power to perform heroic acts like disappearing in a puff of smoke. “Are you okay?” he speaks in a familiar voice. Fingers brush over my clothes, picking out pieces of glass. My pocket contains an odd bulge—a potato? Suddenly, everything clicks: an aged Billy, wearing a major's rank insignia. How could he have achieved that rank so fast? “Son, what are you doing on this tree ring?” Billy peers at me from across the way, accompanied by a mysterious female figure. “We came to check on how you're doing,” Billy says. “Do you remember what happened?” I raise my head and look around. There's nobody in the driver's seat of the car. “Where is Jack?” I manage. Billy furrows his brows like a detective would when weighing evidence. An image of the classic TV show Columbo flashes through my mind—he could lull suspects into a false sense of security before dropping the hammer of his sharp intellect on their inconsistencies. But I'm not hiding anything here. Though why are modern shows so bad? That's another mystery entirely. “Mom, what were you doing out here? The road is an absolute disaster zone, with the car smashed up in the ditch.” My thoughts swim haphazardly as Billy reads something from my expression, then casts his eyes towards his new girlfriend for assistance. I try to get up but it hurts too much. Instead, I reach into my pocket and feel a sandy-sharp potato there. Maybe I can still wash it off. “I’m fine,” I reply. “I need to get back to plowing the field... baking buns for Jack... buying a chainsaw...” The darkness returns and I feel my body shiver. I'm in the car, traveling down bumps I've known for quite some time. Soon, I’m settled inside the cabin's living room on the couch. The coffee maker is gurgling in the corner of the room. Billy is on a call with a doctor about how to deal with grief and coping alone; it seems someone had died while cutting down a tree last year. He gets furious and threatens to take away the keys from the person he's talking to. It might be a good idea; many people have too many keys that they don't use anyway. My head is spinning with thoughts about Jack's absence. Where did he go? Someone runs water over potatoes while a pot clatters on the stovetop. My temper rises as I wait for Jack's return. I won't stay here by myself without an explanation from him. I call out for Jack until there's no sound left but my coughing voice. I crave sausage soup, and I know I must go to the store. As I try to move forward, I am wading through tar. They guide me to the coffee table. According to Jack, time runs faster the more hunched your back becomes. Let it be and let us sit here, motionless, gazing at the tips of our shoes. Surely, time has slowed down in this moment. Billy reaches out and takes my hand. A handsome, greying gentleman. His girlfriend also places her hand on top of the pile. Her name is Ewa. A beautiful name, something familiar about her. But did I hear her calling me mother? In the yard, a squirrel hops with a cone in its mouth. It freezes and stares at me. I avert my gaze. My hands suddenly look wrinkled. I summon the inner strength that I've been striving to find for an eternity: “Do we have to leave now?” Billy exchanges glances with Ewa and then looks outside. “You don't have to walk this path alone, Mother.” We finish our coffee without saying another word. The wind sweeps across the lake. A pair of swans take flight, and a duet of gentle honks echo across the water. A shivering cold envelops me. Billy and Ewa take me to the car. The potatoes can wait. The sun blazes brightly above us as we travel the cabin road; shapeless clouds dot the horizon and suddenly I sense a presence—as if someone is waving to me. I surrender. I believe I will be warmly welcomed.
submitted by BasicSith2 to shortstories [link] [comments]
2023.05.30 19:15 realdrewvigne Smith Peak Trail Report
I just hiked the Smith Peak trail beginning on 5/27 until 5/29.
Day 1 - 15mi distance, 5600ft elevation gain The first 7 miles of the Smith Peak trail, up until Smith Peak itself, was well marked. Smith Meadows was swampy, requiring a bit of finesse to dodge the muddy water. After the meadows we entered a forest that was obviously burned years ago. We followed a stream with plenty of fresh water that we could drink. We entered another swampy region right before approaching Smith Peak itself.
After Smith Peak, the trail continuing to Harden Lake becomes overgrown, wet, and almost invisible going uphill. The brush and the perspective of looking from low to high ground made it almost impossible to see any signs of trail without GPS. From miles 7-15, we were entirely off-trail, basically cross-country hiking. It was a grind.
The grind only got more sufferable - once we got to the 7000ft mark, snow became an issue*. Around 7500ft, the snow was 4-7ft deep. The snow was hard packed and icy so was traversable with regular shoes, but I would recommend snow shoes. Crampons wouldn't help much but would be better than nothing.
We could not quite make it to Harden Lake. The snow was too heavy and we could not keep a fast enough pace to make it before sundown. We found a patch of flat, dry ground surrounded by a wall of snow and made camp. I was getting worried. Temps were dropping, my shoes were wet, and all I could see around me was snow. I scrapped together some damp wood and managed to make a fire. At this point I knew we would be fine.
Day 2 - 8mi distance, 300ft elevation gain I woke up to a great view of Rancheria Falls across the valley. Made some coffee and we were on our way. We decided to head the way back that we came, but would break it up into 2 days. We first had to get up a 300ft climb of snow. We had to be careful in some parts because the snow melt creates hollow sections under what looks like 7ft of snow. Step in the wrong place and you can fall through.
The trail was way easier to spot heading downhill. We made great time back to Smith Peak. Took maybe 4 hours. The trails, even though easier to spot, were very overgrown.
We stopped a half mile before Smith Peak. You'll know you're in the right place if you see a patch of flat dry ground with no trees and a creek alongside it. Some fallen trees on the perimeter made for perfect firewood. I made a fire ring there with some granite. The perfect campsite as far as I'm concerned.
Day 3 - 7mi distance, 0ft elevation gain From our camp site, it was all downhill from here. Getting back to the dam only took us 3 hours. I saw more people on this day than I saw the first 2 days combined. In fact, I had only seen 2 people near Smith Peak the days before. I don't think anyone besides me and my partner went beyond Smith Peak. It's treacherous and cross-country in the wilderness beyond.
*I've heard reports that the snow line is 6500ft. Based on my experience, it is more like 7000ft now.
submitted by realdrewvigne to Yosemite [link] [comments]
Day 1 - 15mi distance, 5600ft elevation gain The first 7 miles of the Smith Peak trail, up until Smith Peak itself, was well marked. Smith Meadows was swampy, requiring a bit of finesse to dodge the muddy water. After the meadows we entered a forest that was obviously burned years ago. We followed a stream with plenty of fresh water that we could drink. We entered another swampy region right before approaching Smith Peak itself.
After Smith Peak, the trail continuing to Harden Lake becomes overgrown, wet, and almost invisible going uphill. The brush and the perspective of looking from low to high ground made it almost impossible to see any signs of trail without GPS. From miles 7-15, we were entirely off-trail, basically cross-country hiking. It was a grind.
The grind only got more sufferable - once we got to the 7000ft mark, snow became an issue*. Around 7500ft, the snow was 4-7ft deep. The snow was hard packed and icy so was traversable with regular shoes, but I would recommend snow shoes. Crampons wouldn't help much but would be better than nothing.
We could not quite make it to Harden Lake. The snow was too heavy and we could not keep a fast enough pace to make it before sundown. We found a patch of flat, dry ground surrounded by a wall of snow and made camp. I was getting worried. Temps were dropping, my shoes were wet, and all I could see around me was snow. I scrapped together some damp wood and managed to make a fire. At this point I knew we would be fine.
Day 2 - 8mi distance, 300ft elevation gain I woke up to a great view of Rancheria Falls across the valley. Made some coffee and we were on our way. We decided to head the way back that we came, but would break it up into 2 days. We first had to get up a 300ft climb of snow. We had to be careful in some parts because the snow melt creates hollow sections under what looks like 7ft of snow. Step in the wrong place and you can fall through.
The trail was way easier to spot heading downhill. We made great time back to Smith Peak. Took maybe 4 hours. The trails, even though easier to spot, were very overgrown.
We stopped a half mile before Smith Peak. You'll know you're in the right place if you see a patch of flat dry ground with no trees and a creek alongside it. Some fallen trees on the perimeter made for perfect firewood. I made a fire ring there with some granite. The perfect campsite as far as I'm concerned.
Day 3 - 7mi distance, 0ft elevation gain From our camp site, it was all downhill from here. Getting back to the dam only took us 3 hours. I saw more people on this day than I saw the first 2 days combined. In fact, I had only seen 2 people near Smith Peak the days before. I don't think anyone besides me and my partner went beyond Smith Peak. It's treacherous and cross-country in the wilderness beyond.
*I've heard reports that the snow line is 6500ft. Based on my experience, it is more like 7000ft now.