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avaantares · 2 years

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@doberbutts After writing those three replies to your purple flower post, I walked outside to take pictures of my purple flowers, since I knew I had more than I was remembering!

I love plants, but have a damaged spine and can't bend over to weed or work in the garden, so I pretty much only have low-maintenance perennials in my yard. I also have a large pollinator garden full of native wildflowers, but none of those are blooming yet (our spring has been unseasonably cold), so here's what I currently have on show:

Purple Iris:

Bulbs; smell great; low-maintenance (technically to keep bulbs healthy you're supposed to divide them every few years, buuuut I've never done that to any of mine and they're still growing). They will probably outlive you; the plants in this photo are at least 80 years old, possibly older, and were transplanted from a Victorian neighborhood across town. Bulbs just keep reproducing themselves underground.

Mine (above) are a very light purple, but if you want something more dramatic, they also come in this snazzy shade:

Vinca:

Ground creeper (and walls, and fence, if you let it); comes in multiple varieties, including the two shown here. Green foliage throughout growing season with purple flowers in spring. This will also live a long time; the plants with the smaller, darker green leaves in the lower part of this photo were transplanted from my previous house, and are descended from the original vinca that was planted when that house was built in the 1940s.

Vinca is considered invasive in some regions, so check the local DNR website before planting. Maintenance is just cutting it back when it spreads to someplace you don't want it. (The flowers in the photo are pretty sad, as they got mashed by a hard rain earlier, but usually they're fairly prolific.)

Chives:

(pic is out of focus, sorry!) Little onions, but not stinky. Good to chop up on baked potatoes or soups. Flowers in spring; edible green stalks remain all growing season. Colors range from pinkish to darker purple. These will grow like dandelions and spread anywhere you don't mow. It is nearly impossible to kill them unless you mow them down regularly or use herbicide.

Balloon Flower:

These are at the end of their bloom cycle now, but you can get the idea of what they look like. I got these at a nursery a few years back and have done absolutely nothing to them since sticking them in the ground. They stay in a contained clump, rather than spreading. Many colors available; the purple and magenta flowers here are the same species, different variety.

American Wisteria:

This one's a little harder to find at big box stores, but many nurseries carry it. Unlike its Asian cousin that takes 20+ years to mature, this North American native variety flowers after just 2-3 years and is much less aggressive. It is a VINE and definitely needs a trellis, fence, or arbor to climb on. Mine (above) is just starting to bud now, but here's what it will eventually look like:

Lilac:

(Stock photo, as I was out of town when mine bloomed this year) A bush that blooms on new growth each year; smells amazing; comes in large (up to 10' tall) and dwarf (garden-sized) varieties. Several shades available, from pinkish to light/dark purple to white to bicolor. You do need an appropriate amount of space for whatever variety of bush you get, but there's not much maintenance once you plant it.

Cornflower (Bachelor Button)

I don't have these in my yard, but they're native to my area and grow abundantly along roadsides and corn fields. The wild variety is more blue in tone, but it does come in purple, pink, red, and white strains at nurseries. They are hardy, low-maintenance and prolific. (Anything that can survive Midwest road salt runoff year after year HAS to be unkillable!)

I'm certainly no expert gardener, since my only criteria for choosing plants are 1) low-maintenance, 2) non-invasive, and 3) pretty 😅 but let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help!

#flowers #gardening #i just got back in the country yesterday after a month away and I missed some of my plants blooming #so this was a good opportunity to look around my yard

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wheatonlawns · 2 years

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Ways to Make Your Landscape the Place to be This Year!

The winter is finally over. That means the better weather is here (hopefully)!

After the long, dragged-out winter season, everyone wants to get out and spend quality time outdoors.

In some instances, the spring weather is rainy and often puts a damper on spending time outdoors.

However, to enjoy your landscape once the weather improves, you need to have already completed your hardscaping services! This means now is the time to do that!

What do you mean by hardscaping services?

Hardscaping is defined as man-made features used in landscape architecture. It consists of all the non-living or non-plant life parts of your landscape.

The types of hardscaping services to look for and receive this spring are:

Walkways

Retaining Walls

Patios

Fire Pits

Outdoor Living Space

Why do I need hardscaping services for my property?

Everyone enjoys spending time outdoors. However, you want to utilize your space correctly and ensure you get the best out of it for those with more significant landscapes.

All types of property you own are investments, so you should receive hardscaping services to enhance your investment and get the most out of it.

Hardscaping services also have outstanding benefits that come with them, such as:

The ability to fix a grading issue.

They add privacy to your property.

They expand your outdoor living space.

Enhance your landscape.

They give you the ability to use your yard more efficiently.

They reduce the maintenance required for your property.

They help guide the flow of foot traffic on your landscape.

They provide a boost to your property’s curb appeal and overall value.

With all the fantastic benefits from this kind of service, it must be done right, and the only way to guarantee that is by using professionals!

What can adding a walkway to my landscape do for my property?

Walk This Way!

Walkways in your yard provide a clear path. (No pun intended) It makes your landscape look neater and more organized.

It serves two pivotal purposes. First, it leads people along your landscape, so they are not walking on your grass but walking towards where you ultimately want them to go. Second, it breaks up the space on your property.

A beautifully clean-looking concrete – colored or not – against grass or flower beds creates breaks in your landscape so that it’s not just an area or field of grass.

Imagine never having to tell people to stay off your grass anymore! (Well, maybe you still have to, but it will happen a lot less)

What are the benefits of installing a retaining wall on my property

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are one of the most overlooked hardscaping services.

They give you a level area on your landscape that focuses specifically on your lawn or garden.

The benefits of a retaining wall are:

Prevent soil erosion.

Prevent and manage flooding and water runoff.

Provide a boundary marker on your property.

Give you extra space on your landscape.

Reduce potential damage and require less maintenance.

They are beautiful and come with multiple options, including landscape lighting!

Don’t be the person that overlooks a retaining wall!

Does adding a patio to my landscape help my property?

Patios

Most people have or want a patio on their landscape.

Why?

It is the ultimate outdoor entertainment spot. It’s equivalent to the hottest bar or club in town with only people you like and want to hang out with.

It gives you an alternative to relaxing, eating, or hosting at home, but outdoors! There is nothing to dislike about a patio.

Having one installed by professionals also provides:

An extended living space on your property.

They increase your property value.

Here is a fact about patios most people don’t know. They are one of the best investments when it comes to increasing the value of your home.

Does adding a fire pit do anything for my property?

Having a Lit Landscape!

Fire pits have become the go-to addition for landscapes in recent years.

They provide a great ambiance and atmosphere to any landscape.

Fire pits provide:

An entertainment factor.

A place to relax for yourself.

Sometimes it can be used as a cooking tool (marshmallows)

It tends to be seen as romantic.

Its multi-seasonal!

Being able to use your fire pit all year round allows you to utilize your landscape at any time. This increases your property’s curb appeal and overall value as well!

Are outdoor living spaces worth it?

Outdoor Living Space

Being able to spend quality time outdoors on your landscape is highly beneficial. It helps with both your physical and mental health!

An outdoor living space will help with that. It creates the perfect balance between entertaining and relaxing.

It also provides you the opportunity to:

Be created with your landscape.

Be able to cook outdoors if you add a kitchen.

Reduces your stress level – being outdoors makes you happier!

Family Time – bond with family and friends.

Provides an entertainment space.

If you add a pool, it keeps you healthy as well!

An outdoor living space shows your interpretation of it. You may not want all the additions that involve an outdoor living space but having space on your landscape to entertain and enjoy life is essential for everyone!

With so many hardscaping services, how can I get all this done?

Use the Pros!

The reality is that you don’t have the time to do all this DIY style. In some cases, you may not have the tools or skillset to complete all these tasks, and that is ok.

Hiring professionals to install and provide these hardscaping services on your property is the best choice.

They will provide high-quality services, and the job will be completed to perfection!

You can be less stressed knowing the job is in good hands, and you will be able to appreciate and use your new outdoor space and all its benefits once it’s done!

So, if your property is in Freemont or Arlington, Nebraska, you can receive high-quality hardscaping services from the professionals at Wheaton Lawns!

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choco-glow · 3 years

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Dance With Me Pt. 1

Traveling over the Nibel mountains, past the heartache of five years ago, the death, the destruction wrought so callously…Tifa never wanted to see those mountains again. She was glad they’d met Vincent, found a formidable ally in the dour gunslinger and his hatred for Hojo, for Shin-Ra…But she hated those mountains with a passion. She was glad when they came out of the last tunnel to find that the clouds that had been dogging their journey since Gongaga had finally broken up, sunshine pouring down richly on the northwestern coastline. The scrub-forest that had filled the mountains faded here, leading to rolling grasslands that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Green grasses, a green as bright as any materia, and full of wildflowers, Tifa paused to breathe in the aromas of a thousand blossoms, Aerith doing the same next to her. The grasses mimicked the sea, waves of soft greens and silver rolling gently over the plains under the sunshine, and for a moment, Tifa forgot about Midgar, Shin-Ra, everything… Even Cloud looked a little stunned; small wonder, they hadn’t seen this much…well, life in far, far too long, save for Aerith’s home in Sector Five. This was glorious though, and it was Barret’s voice, soft and full of longing, that brought them all back. Even Red’s eyes were closed, drinking in the aromas, and Tifa imagined that he was remembering Cosmo Canyon.

“…I could stare at this for hours…but we gotta keep goin’, guys. Sorry…” He murmured, and of all people, it was Cloud who patted his shoulder, shaking himself.

“Nah, you’re right…this is just…this is really gorgeous. Rocket Town shouldn’t be too far away; we can restock there, I think. I don’t see a reactor, which is just a plus at this point.”

“We can, I’ve had traders from Rocket Town come through Nibelheim in the past…” Vincent’s voice, dark and quiet, nonetheless carried, and Yuffie gave him a raised eyebrow, one he met with one of his own. It was rare to see him speak up, and Tifa gave him a faint smile, encouraged when he smiled back, just a tiny quirk of his lips, but it was there, nonetheless, and despite his cool demeanor, he was noticeably friendlier now that they were out of the mountains. Small wonder, given the horrors he suffered; I think being down here on the plains is healing for everyone.

“I thought you stuck to the mansion, Spooky.”

“Not as often as you might think, though I did stay there more than I would have liked. I do know this area, for all that it’s been so long; we can cut right across the plains.” He stared her down, clearly unamused by the nickname, and Yuffie threw her hands up with a sigh.

“Fine, fine…I’ll take point, but I doubt anyone or anything will bug us…” She muttered, stomping into the grasses almost as tall as the ninja herself, and the rest of AVALANCHE followed, taking their time and basking in the sunshine. There was a cool breeze off the coast, much to Tifa’s relief, and the grasses were soft and velvety, rather than saw-edged like some of the places they’d visited. The sun wasn’t too hot here, either, and with fluttery white clouds passing over, there were little patches of shade. The path was clearly a walking trail, well kept with gravel that crunched under their boots and kept free of overgrowth.

Lunchtime found them in a small creek hollow with a few willow trees overhead, a welcome bounty of shade after the trek, because even Tifa was feeling warm, and Vincent looked positively exhausted. The only ones who still looked fresh were Red and Cloud, who looked the most content that Tifa had seen him in years. They settled at the base of a gnarled, ancient willow and worked through the jerky and journey bread without a fire, taking time to test the water before everyone refilled their canteens. This close to the mountains, Tifa was glad to see that most of this was glacial runoff, which meant only one purifying tablet was needed to keep them safe.

Tifa was surprised by the quiet; no one really felt like talking, but there again too, they were all exhausted, and so she settled back in the sunshine with Aerith to nap for a little bit while the boys took care of the water. When Yuffie woke them half an hour later, Tifa felt a little more revived, and Aerith looked positively energetic, and so, they continued on. Yuffie found a road soon enough, and that made their trek to Rocket Town even faster. By the time the sun was heading into the west, they had arrived, and to their surprise, the ‘town’ was…well, less a town, more a tiny, bustling market and a sprawling Shin-Ra tourism base.

The tourists looked wealthy but somewhat vapid, and Tifa breathed a sigh of relief, because no one looked askance at them, nor did anyone challenge them for coming off the road. And they weren’t the only travelers by foot, so that helped them blend in…even Barret was keeping his head down, and Cloud had quietly removed his more obvious SOLDIER gear and stowed it in his pack, looking like a true merc with his sunglasses hiding his glowing green-blue eyes.

However, just from what Tifa could see, the base itself was clearly focused on the enormous rocket and launch pad, with technicians and engineers scuttling all over both like busy bees. Cloud was eyeing them curiously, and so the group decided to split up to get intel. Vincent and Cloud headed towards the rocket, while Barret and Aerith hit the market, Yuffie vanished with Red and Cait Sith, and with a sigh of relief, Tifa started towards the main part of town. The town itself wasn’t big, of course, but it was definitely well established, with three large dorms for the Shin-Ra techs, and a group of well-built houses that led to the main square.

There stood the largest house in town, a manor house, by the looks of things, that had clearly seen better days…But it was in good repair, with a sturdy wrought iron fence, soft blue clapboards the color of the sky, and bright white trim, clearly freshly painted. The garden wasn’t in bad shape either, if a little sparse, but the wild dusty pink roses growing over an old trellis were clearly trimmed back, and sea-irises, a trademark of this area, bloomed in bright teal and pink clusters with their long silver-green leaves all around the house, and to Tifa’s surprise, the yard was clover, rather than grass; the hardy coastal groundcover probably never needed mowing.

A sign at the fence read “Mayor’s House”, and since she still hadn’t seen an inn or a hostel anywhere, Tifa steeled her nerves and opened the gate, making her way across the flagstones to the huge wraparound porch, admiring the tall windows with their half-moon transoms and the lovely set of double doors in front, inset with stained glass in every shade of blue to form fantastical birds. With a deep breath, she raised a fist and knocked sharply on the white-painted wood, stepping back and clasping her hands together before her. Please let the Mayor be kind…

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’, hold yer horses…” A loud male voice, raspy and with a heavy drawl, sounded from inside through the propped open transoms above the front windows, and the door swung open, revealing the owner to be a shirtless, tanned, handsome blond man with an unlit cigarette between his lips and goggles holding his shaggy hair back. He froze, blue eyes widening, and Tifa couldn’t help but stare. In admiration; he was taller than her, though not as tall as Vincent, and built like a model, if a little rougher around the edges. His dark brown leather belt hung undone, which let his jeans slip low over his hips, and she blushed furiously, painting a smile on her face even as her cheeks burned because oh that V-line is too delicious to ignore…

He blushed just as scarlet as she felt, having clearly given her a once over in her short skirt and tank top, eyes lingering on her legs and hips and chest, and normally? She got angry about that. With him, though…Well, it’s not like I didn’t just do the same to him, so turnabout is fair play, she thought with a faint smile, and the Mayor of Rocket Town swiftly pulled on the blue tee shirt that had been dangling from his hand, swearing faintly as he tugged the almost too small shirt down over his chest. “Sorry, miss, I uh, I didn’t mean ta stare at ya…”

“No no, you’re fine! I didn’t mean to interrupt your day, but my friends and I just came over the Nibel mountains, and we were wondering where the best place to stay the night might be? We have camping gear, we just need food and supplies. I’m Tifa, Tifa Lockhart, by the way.” She babbled out, and to her surprise, he listened, which, honestly, was a first, and his blue eyes brightened now, lips curving up in an easy smile that made her smile right back in return, eyes crinkling a little in the soft wrinkles from a life lived in the sun. He was even more handsome with that smile, dark blond stubble softening his strong jawline, and though Tifa had always known she’d had a thing for blonds (Case in point: Cloud), this…was new. New and kinda nice.

“Well then, ya came to the right place, Miss Lockhart; name’s Captain Cid Highwind, and I run Rocket Town; we’re mostly the main aeronautics test range for Shin-Ra anymore, so we don’t have an inn since most o’ the tourists head up into Nibelheim at the end of the day, but y’all’re welcome to stay at my place for the night, Gaia knows I got the room. Our market gets a boost ev’ry Thursday mornin’, so if y’all wanna wait till tomorrow, that’s the best time ta get yer gear. Care for a cuppa tea? Ya look a little parched.” In more ways than one… Tifa thought to herself, but she nodded, happy to finally get off her feet, and as Cid welcomed her into his home, he led her to the kitchen on the left. The living room was clearly storage at the moment, though it opened nicely into the kitchen and an office area that had taken the place of his dining room.

Cid motioned to the table for her to sit, and Tifa eased into one of the wooden chairs with a sigh of relief, moreso when he motioned for her to kick off her boots. “Th’ floor can take it, an’ ya said y’all came over the mountain?” She peeled off her socks and settled her bare feet on the cool tile with a faint groan that made him chuckle, and she caught a glimpse of him tugging his jeans up on his hips and buckling his belt, only a little disappointed.

She watched as Cid puttered around his kitchen, barefoot and obviously on a rare day off, but nonetheless, a gracious and kind host. His kitchen was a little beat up, but lovely, marble countertops were clean, if a little scratched up, and the cupboards were well-made and hung right, even if they were just basic plywood. A battered wood-fired stove crouched in the corner, crooked pipe propped up by several long pieces of rebar, and the tile under their feet was faded, but spotless. From what she could see of the rest of the place, it was much the same way; built up from scratch, and pride, even if it wasn’t the prettiest. She liked that; it reminded her of the bar.

“We did, two days of solid hiking. We tried to rent a truck, but there was no hope for it, and we’re…not exactly doing this for pleasure, I’m afraid.” Cid glanced over from his post at the stove, one eyebrow quirked up, and she sighed, giving him a faint smile…and deciding in that moment to trust him. “I’m sure it’ll come out, so I want to give you a head’s up…but how loyal to Shin-Ra are you?” His other eyebrow went up at that, but Cid brought her the tea as promised, in a lovely red mug that was clearly for special occasions, wrapping his own hands around his cracked dark blue mug as he settled across from her.

“…Enough to do what I want in this life, but otherwise, not terribly; I’m sure you’ve noticed there’s no reactor here.”

“…We have…” Blue eyes, hard as steel now, burned into hers, and she swallowed. He knows who we are...but he won’t betray us. They studied one another in that long moment, Cid’s eyes peering into her soul while she did the same to him, and after a time, he nodded, sharp but resigned.

“An’ there won’t be…but I also ain’t gonna get my whole town burned up fer AVALANCHE.” She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat at the realization, and he motioned for her to drink, sighing as he took a long draught off his own mug. “Palmer’s due here tomorrow afternoon; I’d suggest that you lot get out of here before he shows up so that y’all get a headstart. Bastard’s supp’sed to get me clearance on th’ rocket…but I don’t trust ‘im. But I heard about y’all…an’ I ain’t disagreeing with ya. But I ain’t watchin’ my people get hurt fer a cause, or worse, because Palmer sees a quick an’ easy ‘get outta Heidegger’s bad graces’ card.”

“…I promise, Captain, we won’t cause you any trouble. I swear it. Thank you for being so kind, and opening your home to us, but if you’d like, we can camp outside town…?” His eyes softened at that, and Cid shook his head, settling back with a groan as he stretched. Tifa tried not to watch, but it was hard as that tee shirt crept up, showing off the golden dusting of hair on his lower belly, his jeans sliding down just a little farther…she felt a blush touch her cheeks, and busied herself with her tea.

“Nah, yer all welcome here still; Gaia knows I hate th�� bastards as much as th’ next person. Ain’t gonna make a pretty lady camp outside town just ‘cuz I’m a surly fuck.” She blushed again at that, giggling as he winked, and though she felt warm all over…it was a good warmth. A welcome warmth. Certainly, it was much nicer than what she felt from Cloud at the moment…and seizing the courage, she decided that two could play at that little game. She gave him her best flirty smile and batted her eyelashes, playing up her bartender personality a little more.

“Well, I knew when I knocked that I’d find someone here, but I gotta say, meeting a officer and a gentleman is a rare treat.” Cid paused at that, then threw his head back in an honest laugh, blue eyes glittering with delight as he toasted her with his mug.

“Miss Tifa, that’s th’ best thing I heard all week; yer welcome here anytime. Now then, I think some barbecue’ll do the trick for supper if ya wanna call yer friends.”

“Gladly, Captain. Gladly.”

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inactivegaz · 4 years

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rating locations in apex legends

Capital City (s3) 8/10 had a rlly good flow and the two buildings were such a chaotic fun time

Airbase 3/10 i only go here when no one has any ideas on where to go

Skull Town 9/10 i miss her, the loml

Thunderdome 7/10 landing here was fun but fighting here was a shitshow, especially if the game Ended here

Fuel Depot 8/10 the BEST part of the s3 map, but only if u dont include that high ridge by the res beacon. She had one flaw.

Epicenter -1/10 not to be straightphobic but can you imagine loading into a worlds edge game and going MMMH EPICENTER IS THE BEST

Bridges 3/10 lol

Cascades 1000/10 the BEST spot on the map, no i will not b taking criticism

Containment 10/10 a TRULY underrated drop, only gets shit on bc ppl miss og kings canyon

Sorting Factory 7/10 i drop here more than I would like but it is kinda fun

Train Yard 5/10 there is ALWAYS a team that sets up there as round 2 starts and i want 2 k*ll them every time! was a truly fun drop when W.E came out until ppl realized that’s where the most accessible vault was

Cage 8/10 tbh i used to not like cage but since i figured out how to maneuver around it successfully it has become my FAVORITE place on K.C

Water Treatment 2/10 i hate it here but the fights are usually pretty fun

Relay 6/10 i miss her everyday

Fragment/Capital City (s4) 6/10 FUCK THE FISSURE, ALL MY HOMIES HATE THAT BITCH. no fr tho,,, its fun but that building on eastside is a Mess n a half

Bunker 5/10 i Will Not land here BUT it is a fun rotation, i love clowning on people with a nice lil 6th party

Dome 3/10 it's a fun design but who tf goes here willingly

Skyhook 9/10 Capital City Lite, its less chaotic until its where the game is ending

Artillery 100/10 has consistently been the most fun location of the game

Thermal Station 7/10 underrated, but I hate lava. The only reason more people dont hotdrop here is bc mirage voyage and the tree (for whatever reason)

The Tree 4/10 i dont care for the layout, although they did kinda pop off with the design of the tree itself

Lava City 2/10 it’s a no from me

Repulsor 6/10 Artillery but add more single room buildings and take away the cool garage/tunnel thing

Salvage 4/10 it's a fun place to go but not a worthy replacement for skull OR thunderdome

Capacitor 5/10 it's fun when u land here for about 20 seconds, then it's just endless third parties for probably the rest of the game

Slum Lakes 7/10 UNDERRATED KING! No one goes here bc they think the loot is gonna b ass but they be missin out on a good time

Runoff 5/10 it’s okay

Survey Camp -100/10 the vibes are HORRENDOUS, who tf is landing here

Geyser 15/10 THE BEST SPOT ON W.E

Drill Site 7/10 underrated in most aspects BUT for some reason it's absolutely poppin off in duos

Wetlands 4/10 was not sad that it got replaced

The Pit 6/10 i dont go here enough!

Harvester 4/10 it's fun when u play as caustic and ppl just keep comin at ur squad in the middle circle up top

The Rig 5/10 i dont go here enough!!! It looks fun tho!!!

Swamps 6/10 it’s kinda uneventful until the game ends there, it does get cool points for that cute lil tunnel/cave thing

Hydro Dam 4/10 lowkey boring

Lava Fissure 3/10 overshadowed but its okay bc it sucks

Refinery 8/10 GOOD ‘OL TOILET BOWL!!! i love it here

Market 7/10 i have a love/hate relationship with this place, dont want 2 talk abt it

Overlook 6/10 for all the opportunities there are for me to get FLUNG off the map, it hasnt happened yet and we’ve had it for 8 months. Disappointed.

Gauntlet 75/10 the BEST town takeover we’ve gotten!!!

Labs 6/10 i HATE the portal, but it is fun to pull a lil cleanup crew during the initial bloodbath

Mirage Voyage 10/10 the vibes are IMMACULATE even tho i cant hear anything

Trials 5/10 has yet to grow on me, it is pleasing to check out tho

#this was a RIde but i fully encourage u to rb w ur own thoughts abt the locations! <3 #apex legends #kali talks alot

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where2next · 4 years

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Hiking the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu

The Salkantay Trail is a popular alternative to the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu. It is roughly a 37 mile long trail which takes about 4 days to arrive at the famous ruins. This trail takes you through the rugged beauty of Peru from the snow capped mountains down through the rainforest below. However, those who want to follow in the footsteps of this ancient path should read on to ensure you are prepared for the challenges and that you don’t miss out on some of the greatest experiences this hike has to offer.

Why choose the Salkantay?

For budget backpackers, there is no better option than the Salkantay to get to Machu Picchu. While the Inca trail is the most famous, it is restricted due to high demand. Not only do you need a permit, but it must be obtained several months in advance and having a guide is required. For the Salkantay, there are no permits required and no fees to use the trail. It is free to set up tents along the trail though if you wish, there are several houses along the way that will let you camp in their yards for a small fee. These places also offer food! You have much more freedom on the Salkantay to choose your own pace, stop at different spots along the way as you wish, and even take slightly different routes depending on your preferences. Perhaps the most important consideration for the Salkantay is that it is raw beauty like you haven’t seen before. You will be able to admire the marvel of the icy “Savage Mountain” and just a day later admire the wild flowers of the rainforest.

Recommended Equipment

You can check out our recommendations on how to pack for a mutli-day hike.

The Trail

The trail itself is well marked and easy to follow. There are a couple of points where you can choose different paths to go down, but either mapping your route beforehand or talking to other travelers should get you going in the right direction. This trail also has several small villages and houses along it, making it easy to make pit stops for food or to camp for the night. All of the locals that we met along the way were extremely friendly people and they made delicious food for cheap. There are also several streams and waterfalls along the trail where you can refill your water bottles. Just make sure you always fill up where the water is running and make sure you have some sort of water treatment system like Aquatabs or a LifeStraw.

Things to remember if you hurt yourself on the trail

A hike is not without risks or challenges, but they are no reason to be discouraged. Our group happened to run into a scenario where one of our members twisted an ankle halfway through the hike, effectively making us progress slower than expected. From the small village of Chaullay (below) we managed to secure travel for our friend to capac nan; a coffee farm and our next destination. Throughout this whole process we trusted the Peruvian locals with the responsibility of our friend and they were more than hospitable, even providing first aid and refreshments! So don’t be afraid to befriend some locals while you are here!

Spots of Interest

Humantay Lagoon

Toward the start of the trip, just above all of the camps lies an offshoot of the trail that leads to the Humantay Lagoon. This is a small lake fed by the mountain runoff and is a beautiful spot for pictures. However, the trail up to it is quite steep and is longer than it looks. For our crew, this small hike was the litmus test for who was going to be affected by the altitude, as this is above 11,000 ft elevation. More on dealing with elevation later on.

Coffee Farms

While hiking the Salkantay, we noticed that several of the locals had huge piles of white beans drying out on tarps beside the trail. It wasn’t until our last full day of hiking that we realized these were coffee beans as they are plentiful in the area. During one of our stops, the owner of the property where we set up our tents also worked on a coffee farm. He invited us to the farm when we got up the next morning, which was on our way up the trail. He showed us their entire process from harvesting the beans from the fruit to grinding the beans to brewing the coffee. We even scored some coffee liqueur at the end. This was a wonderful experience and also a small glimpse into the local lifestyle.

Hot Springs

There had been a silver lining to our friend who was injured earlier in the hike. We had to split up the group which resulted in two entirely different experiences. The first group continued on to Llactapata, a steep mountain, and the second group took a ride to the Aguas Termales de Cocalmayo hot springs in Santa Teresa. You can make a guess as to which group had the injured person in it. The hot springs were unlike anything else we had experienced on the trip. There were natural flowing waters, canopy tops, paved floors, it's as if we arrived at a tropical hideaway. (Photos above courtesy of google as we were too relaxed to lift a finger.)

Llactapata

After a high energy morning hike which brought us up and over another mountain, we arrived at Llactapata. This place has one of the most breathtaking views in the world. Situated in a clearing on the side of a mountain, it gives you a vantage point to see both green and snow capped peaks from miles around, a waterfall below, and with a good eye and a clear day, you can spot the ruins of Machu Picchu in the distance for the first time. Pictures do not do it justice, but it was a great morale booster for our group and a wonderful spot to stop and rest in the middle of the day. Llactapata is also known for its own ruins which you can explore at your leisure or even camp at.

Things to Plan Head

As with any adventure, a little preparation will go a long way in making sure you have the best experience possible with minimal inconvenience. Here are a few things to do ahead of time so that your Salkantay hike is the best it can be.

Purchase Machu Picchu Tickets - You need to purchase tickets ahead of time in order to get access to the famous ruins of Machu Picchu. These can go fast so you will need to do this part several months beforehand. You can choose just exploring the ruins, the ruins and hiking Machu Picchu mountain, or the ruins and Hiking Huayana Picchu mountain (the one that is in all of the pictures). I found the cheapest way to get these tickets when booking as individuals and not a tour group, is directly from the government website. This website is quite dated and in Spanish, so we will soon be posting a step-by-step guide of how to book your tickets. Make sure you give yourself at least 5 days between arriving in Cusco and going up Machu Picchu. You do not want to miss your day at the ruins because you didn’t get through the trail quickly enough!

Route & amount of distance per day - Make sure to plan out your exact route along the Salkantay. This can be done along the way, but is much easier to do before you are on the trail without cell service. There are several maps that can be printed off (we don’t spend money on tourist maps!) and many of them have recommendations of stopping points for each day to keep you on track and make the most of your experience.

Your fitness - Hiking the Salkantay is not an easy feat. Our group consisted of experienced hikers and it was certainly challenging for each of us. You are hiking for roughly 9 hours a day several days in a row all while carrying a 30lb pack. This will test your body. Do practice hikes around your local area in the months leading up to the trip. Preferably with a pack to get used to the extra weight.

Get ready for the altitude - Altitude sickness sucks. In our group, half of us were affected by altitude sickness and half were not. It really varies and there is no way to guarantee that it will not affect you. In fact, with the highest point of the pass at 15,000 ft, it will likely affect you in some way. The best thing you can do is try to acclimatize slowly. Cusco sits just over 11,000 ft and is usually the starting point for people doing the Salkantay Trail. If you can, give yourself a few days in Cusco before you start hiking. It is a beautiful little city to explore and it will give you some time to get used to the thin air before you start doing strenuous activities. There are also medications that can be purchased or prescribed to help avert these affects. Finally, there is mate de coca, or coca tea, which is sold all around the area. For generations, the coca leaves have been used to ward off the effects of altitude sickness and they are still used today. I can personally vouch for this one, as I was hit hard by altitude sickness my first day on the trail. However, each morning I would have my coca tea, then would chew on the leaves as we started our hike for the day and it really did wonders for me.

Test your equipment - So you have made sure you have everything you need for this hike. But how do you know it will hold up during your adventure? You need to test your equipment before taking it on such a journey.

1. Tent - Take out your tent and make sure it is waterproof. We used a sealer for the seams of our tent as well as Kiwi’s waterproof spray for the tent overall. We then tested it using a water hose to simulate a steady rain and the inside stayed perfectly dry. Also, remember to have a tarp underneath your tent. Getting wet from underneath is just as bad!

2. Pack - You should also test out your hiking pack to not only make sure it has good comfort and utility, but most packs also have rain covers that should be tested beforehand. The same thing goes for rain jackets and water repellent hiking pants.

3. Boots - Your boots are probably your most important equipment. You need to make sure they are form fitting. Too small will give you excess blisters and pain, too large let your feet slide around and greatly increase your chance of twisting an ankle. You also need to make sure your boots are broken in. While buying brand new boots for a hike sounds exciting, it is a quick way to destroy your feet. You need boots that have already formed to your foot shape and that are still comfortable and reliable after several wears.

Main things to remember on the trail

Rise with the sun - get up as soon as there is some light so that you can break down camp and get ready to hike. This way you make sure you have the most amount of daylight possible for hiking. Believe me when I tell you that it is vastly more difficult to hike in the dark even with good headlamps. There is a higher likelihood of straying off trail and getting lost. Get up early and this won’t be a concern.

Slow and steady - Like the proverbial tortoise, slow and steady really does win this race. Since you started first thing in the morning, relax and don’t push yourself too hard. Remember, the purpose is to enjoy your hike and take in the beauty around you. Keep a nice, steady pace and the miles will melt away. Keeping this pace will also help protect you from injury. Every single injury I have seen during a hike has come from a fatigued hiker who was trying to push their bodies too much. Make sure to take breaks when needed and drink plenty of water.

Drinking water - For multiple day hikes like the Salkantay, you need water and lots of it. However water is heavy. You can’t carry all that you need with you, so you will need to fill up along the way. The most important things to remember are not to get your water from stagnant pools and to treat the water. The Salkantay has a lot of waterfalls and rivers so finding a source of running water will not be hard. You could also ask to get water from the locals, but there is no guarantee that is any safer than getting it from the streams.

Hidroelectrica

The hike through the Salkantay eventually brings you to Hidroelectrica. This is really a train stop turned small village. Here people can continue to make the trek to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu, or they can opt to take the train the rest of the way. The train is pricey, however, and this is only a half day hike from Aguas Calientes. Besides, you want to be able to say you HIKED all the way to Machu Picchu! We decided to stop in Hidroelectrica for lunch, then trekked the rest of the way. We also knew we would only be at Augas Calientes/Machu Picchu for one day so we decided to leave our hiking packs with the owner of the restaurant where we had lunch and opted to take our day packs the rest of the way. The nice thing about the rest of the hike is that even though it’s about 12km it is almost completely FLAT. That combined with having almost no weight to carry meant a much faster hike.

Where to stay in Aguas Calientes

The town at the base of Machu Picchu is remote and picturesque. However, because this is such a highly trafficked tourist destination, the town has prices to match. As you hike into Aguas Calientes, you come in from the downhill side. The very first hotels you come across are large and ornate, rivaling the fancy hotels of large cities. Here is where you will see the older tourists. Here is where you will be received with a welcome in English. And here is where you will spend several hundreds of dollars per night. However, the farther up the hill you go, or if you go to the buildings behind the main street, the hotels and hostels get significantly cheaper. You may need to brush up on your Spanish a little, but we were able to negotiate a deal for our crew for less than 1 tenth the cost of the hotels at the bottom. Especially after 4 days of hiking and camping, a clean bed and a hot shower was more than enough for us!

When you are at Machu Picchu

The entire trip has built to this moment. You climb the switchbacks to the top of the mountain and there you are...in front of the gates amidst a sea of people with no ruins in sight. There are 3 things that I recommend you do first

Go to the bathroom - This will be your last chance until you come out of the site and it’s actually quite difficult to get back in once you come out. Get it done now and then enjoy Machu Picchu for as long as you can.

Get a Spanish speaking tour guide - This is one area where we splurged. To get the knowledge of someone who truly knows the site was well worth it. We were able to learn a lot of the history of this famous site with our guide and once the tour was done, we still had time to explore for ourselves. She also helped us get through the gate quicker and showed us some of the best spots to take pictures. Also, if you get a Spanish speaking guide, it is cheaper than getting an English speaking guide. Our guide actually spoke both which worked out great for us because she gave us a tour in English but at the lower price!

Get in line - It takes a little while to get through the gates and into the site. Make sure you are ready so you can get right in and enjoy your time at Machu Picchu. Your guide can help expedite this process.

Once you are inside, get as many pictures as you want, explore the ruins, watch the llamas, and marvel at the architecture built into this mountain. One thing that I loved about Machu Picchu is that while it is quite touristic, each group has a set time slot. It gives you plenty of time to explore while also giving you enough space to truly enjoy it and to get beautiful pictures without people constantly blocking your way. On your way out of the site, remember to stop by the stand where they have the special Machu Picchu stamp for your passport! It is a wonderful memento to have.

#travel #worldtravel #budget travel #machupicchu #camping #hiking #peru

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mikeo56 · 4 years

Photo

Florida Department of Health

Months ago, an employee of Weichert Realty located at 601 Del Prado asked me to work on a residential property they manage at 4442 Ruthann Ct. I live on Ruthann Court next to this property. I had to roach-bomb this property for two days and toss the fridge there in the garbage before I could work inside. The severe problems I found at 4442 are, One, there was no air conditioning or heating in the master bedroom or master bathroom. Two, the guest bathroom steel tub was rusted out at the bottom and was sitting in its own leaked dirty water such that this water squirted into the tub if someone used the tub. Three, the septic/field system would back up and flow into the front yard during a rain. I have lived next to this unit, no more than 100’ from its front yard for about ten years and have seen contractors digging out this area several times in the last several years. I have smelled the septic overflow from my home on occasion also. Weichert management has known of this for years. I also sent them a report describing the leak in August of 2019; a copy of my report to Weichert is attached. It is dismaying that any property management company would allow their tenants and their tenant’s children to play in human waste for year after year, family after family, possibly contract after contract.

I would add something to the report of August of 2019 concerning the property at 4442 Ruthann Court. The roof plywood is rotting at the eaves and eventually this decay could weaken the structural integrity of the roof. The fungus causing the plywood decay could affect the trusses where the trusses rest on the exterior walls adjacent to the rotten eaves.

I am aware that recently 4442 has been given a new field system and that the Florida Department of Health was involved. Again, I did send Weichert a report in August of 2019, detailing that there was a very large ejection of septic water into the front yard. And, again I believe that Weichert management had to have already known about the sewage leak for years, considering the number of contractors that dug around in that same spot I identified the sewage source.

Considering the letter I wrote to Fort Myers News Press concerning the corruption of Lee County Code Enforcement (a copy is attached) and that I state unequivocally, that my previous landlord following the printing of my letter claimed a Lee County Code Enforcement Officer threatened him if he did not evict me, I would suggest that a close association between Weichert and Lee County Code Enforcement would indicate that the property 4442 Ruthann Court managed by Weichert Realty might be one of many properties that Weichert is allowing to rot while accepting tenant’s rental payments.

@@@@@

Report to Weichert August 2019

Re:4442 Ruthann Court

To: Weichert Reality and Property Owner

From: Michael H O’Neal

Concerns

1) AC system: The added bedroom and bathroom (where the middle carport was) receive less than adequate air flow. The compressor and air handler are good but the ductwork is the original duct-board and it was installed with little concern for efficiency. Flex duct was added to this old ductwork to supply the added bedroom and bathroom.

I rerouted the bedroom duct and removed the kinks from it, also I spread existing blown insulation over an area about 5’x5’ above the bedroom where the drywall was left bare and uninsulated. It improved the flow somewhat and the bedroom does cool better. However, if the problem still exists A) the bedroom flex should be attached to the end of the main trunk. B) The bathroom flex is too short, taught, kinked and is not connected at the main trunk and should be lengthened, unkinked and reattached. C) If these two things are fixed and the cooling inadequacy still exists, the only other modification I’d suggest is adding a return in the bedroom placed across the room from the supply and near the closet; use 4” flex and connect the flex to the intake side of the plenum. The room would cycle more frequently.

2) Roof shingles, roof plywood, fascia board, soffit and gutter: Gutters would be great for the tenant along the front entry and above the rear lanais and over the living room closet slab projection beyond the footer. During rain the runoff at the rear lanai makes the lanai space almost unusable from dirty spatter created by run off. Gutters, however can’t be installed in the front until the rotted fascia board is replaced. The roof plywood is also rotted in a couple of places above the front eaves along with the soffit below it. I was in the attic repeatedly and saw no indication of any water stain or rot in the roof plywood or trusses. The roof plywood rot, was as far as I could tell only in two places in the front and over the soffit. Often, as shingles begin to fail there is roof rot at this spot as the drip edge is no longer mated securely with the membrane and, water gets under it, leaks develop and rot begins and what you have here is the result. It will get worse. The shingles also are old and brittle and this creates the question as to what is the best way to deal with this, repair or re-roof?

3) Exterior sheathing: The exterior sheathing on this unit is a wood product and is rotted in many places on the north and east sides of the unit and likely elsewhere. Use hardy board (fiberglass and concrete material) when replacing.

4) Septic System: There is a broken septic line from the unit to the septic tank. While I was there working it rained so profusely that both toilets filled to the top when flushed, and almost spilled over. There was a gentle flow coming up from the ground just outside the front door and a few feet beyond the PVC clean out in the sidewalk. The smell of sewage was very apparent. I would guess the line is broken somewhere between the cleanout and the driveway. Within hours after the rain stopped the toilets worked properly.

5) Windows: All of the windows are very close to being past repair and they have annealed glass, which shatters into large shards if broken. I’d suggest finding a distributor who sells the windows stock in the sizes that are already installed in the unit.

6) Cantilevered Slab: At the NE rear corner of the unit the concrete slab, which is the floor of the living room “closet” extends unsupported beyond the footer as most of the soil is washed out from under it. It might possibly snap off. I’d suggest the property needs rain gutters here to avoid the washout.

7) Guest Bath Tub: This heavy gauge steel tub sits in a pool of rusty water. It is rusting out from its underside. The leak could be from a cracked drain pipe or it could be from a very slow pressure leak. There is old water damage to the adjoining bedroom drywall. I say it is old as, it is dry and the unit does not stink. I’d suggest replacing it with a shower/tub combo like the unit in the master bathroom and coming through the adjoining bedroom wall to install it. Do not buy a single piece tub/shower unit. Get a four-piece unit that can be can be carried in the adjoining bedroom, remove drywall and a few studs from the wall between the bedroom and bathroom and one can install the new shower/tub easily. This wall between the guest bed and guest bath is not a structural wall.

@@@@@

Printed: Fort Myers Florida News Press

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 page A2

Code enforcement needs to do their job

Lee County code enforcement is part of the problem, not part of the solution. It is an agency that should be defunded and its head investigated.

There are code enforcement officers that stand in stark contrast to their fellow officers in that no amount of trash or debris might warrant a violation for these officers. These corrupt officers override their fellow officers’ violations and close cases where trash has not been attended and allow their friends who are property owners to ignore the county ordinances and leave this trash lying about in neighborhoods that neither the officer or the property owner live in. Some of these officers even encourage their property owner friends to threaten neighbors who file code complaints. These officers should be jailed. Lee County Code Enforcement is supposed to be a positive influence toward keeping our neighborhoods clean and free of trash, not a criminal enterprise that serves property owners who have rentals in neighborhoods in which they do not reside. Why do these officers abandon the folks who live and make their homes in our neighborhood? Your guess is as good as mine, but usually it’s for money.

Code enforcement should serve the people who have homes out here, people who live out here. It is not up to me to clean up my neighbor’s yard. I can try and speak to those neighbors who are somewhat trashy but ultimately and legally it is up to the landlord to regulate their tenant’s trash by cleaning it up themselves, giving an ultimatum to their tenants or evicting their tenants. If the landlord fails in that, then code enforcement must fine the landlord, not overlook the failings of the landlord and leave the trash for me and the others who expect code enforcement to enforce the code, as the law requires. Code enforcement has no right to penalize the entire neighborhood by letting rental owners escape their legal responsibility to keep their businesses cleaned up so that the neighborhood doesn’t decline from the trash. What an abject fail that is.

If I, as a neighbor, allow code enforcement to proceed in trashing our neighborhood, I allow them to paint our entire neighborhood and those in it as undeserving trash.

M H O’Neal

Squalor Is Not Free

#tenant #renter #landlord #squalor

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maze-invader · 5 years

Text

Time Relative

"Hey don't touch that!" cried Anandlok. In the middle of the living room sitting next to the coffee table was what looked like maybe a metal box somewhat like a music case or maybe like in a briefcase. Anandloks dad picked it up wondering what it was and where it came from. Puzzled holding it in front of him in with both hands turns to look Anandlok. Anandlok runs over and grabs the bizarre briefcase and tries to pull it away from his father. Even more puzzled now, his dad doesn't let go of it. They are both tugging at the case trying to take it away from the other. All of a sudden a very low loud frequency sound starts emitting from the box, radiating from it and filling the whole room then the house. They start spinning counter clock wise and then the room lifts itself from the ground and starts spinning counter clock wise. Both of them with a death grip on this machine are struggling to get it away from the other. Anandlok manages to get the box away from his father and he falls to the ground.

Anandlok opens his eyes and sits up from the ground he looks around and doesn't see his dad. He calls out for him and nothing. He stands up and hears some keys at the front door. Anandlok is just standing in the living room which he notices looks very different than before. In fact it seems like he may even be in a different house. He thinks to himself "no, this is definitely my house but none of this is my furniture. " the front door now opens and enters a man with a puffy jacket and some heavy duty boots. The man surprised sees Anandlok standing in his living and says "what are you doing here? What are you doing in my house? How did you get in here?"

Anandloks eyes widen "his house?!" he thinks to himself. He runs to the front door runs outside and what he sees is unbelievable almost impossible! "Am I in the future?!" He thinks. To the left of the house he sees an enormous tree and in the thick branches of the tree is an entire house. He looks back at the house he was just inside of and sees it now from the outside. The house looks really skinny as if it was only one room but it's really tall 5 maybe 6 stories tall. He starts to walk to the left side of the house and there is a small street it looks like it could be a one way street or more like an ally. The middle of the street is indented downwards as If it were made like that for water to runoff. He starts to walk up this thin street, it's a bit steep. looking at all the thin and tall houses. He's just wondering around walking through this neighborhood trying to understand what is going on. Then the strangest feeling comes over him and he feels like he's on autopilot. He walks to a house that has an open gate to the back yard and he hears that there is a party going on. The fence of the backyard is a tall wooden picket fence. He's walking through the grass as he is reaching the main part of the backyard he sees a bunch of round plastic tables and from where he's standing he sees his grandfather sitting there drinking a lemonade all the way in the back.

"Grandpa?! Is that really him" he wonders. He starts to run to him, he's running as fast as he can. A lady wearing a dark blue blazer and dark blue skirt with black leggings underneath sees Anandlok running and she throws her right hand out and smacks his chest. As she does this Anandlok feels frozen in time but nobody seems to even notice he's there. He turns to look at this lady with curly orange brown hair. They lock eyes everything is still and Anandlok is paralyzed mid run he realizes It's his own mother. She tells him "No! Not you, you can't speak to him. You will mess up the timeline if you try." Anandloks mother somehow knows him to be her son even though he hasn't been born yet in her timeline, but then again psychics aren't affected by time changes.

Written by D. R. Mazon

#time #timetraveler #travelingthroughtime #timeisrelative #past #future #realms #realm #shortstory #timerelative #timemachine #time machine #psychic #psychics

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residentanchor · 6 years

Text

In Knots Chapter 9

<<Chapter 8

The Final Chapter

Roman ran out of the apartment at a breakneck speed, surprised he managed to not trip over himself. He spun around, glancing down the sidewalk Patton had walked up from with no luck. The other man was gone. "Where did he go?"

Virgil ran out next with Logan right behind. "Wait!" Virgil looked up at Roman with a hopeful glance. "Can't you follow his string? You can see them!"

"Brilliant, that should work. Should it not?" Logan asked, still glancing down the street.

Roman groaned and huffed. "My string is attached to his, but there's just one problem." He turned to Virgil and grit his teeth. "He doesn't have any! Our strings will react when he is nearby but unless he believes he can give us a shot, our strings will just run off to nowhere. I've tried already."

Virgil huffed and turned the way Roman had originally looked. "Then we find him and convince him!"

"I'm not sure how making him accept our feelings would work out."

"Better than doing nothing! If Patton was like how I was, he will be in complete denial and runoff. Now!" Roman called out, racing down the street. "Come, we have a soulmate to find!"

---

Patton had stopped running but was walking at an incredible pace. Biting his lip, he hunched over a bit and looked down at his feet as he walked. A part of him hoped the others came after him, but a much larger part just screamed at him to go and run and never turn back.

He should have left when Virgil found out like he usually did. He knew he was getting too close when Roman was acting strangely in that bakery. He knew after going to that liar that things were only going to get worse. Everything had been a lie from the beginning. Roman and Logan and even Virgil... There was just no way, that's not how things worked!

Patton slowed a bit and blinked away any tears, wiping the strays with his sleeve as he took a moment to catch his breath. He wasn't even sure where he was going, he had just kind of ran off in the direction he came from before losing track of where he was. He didn't want to head home and any of his comfort zones were places the others visited or knew about. All Patton wanted to do was sit down and try to process everything that had happened.

Patton pulled out his phone and turned down the street with a new destination in mind. It took a bit to get there and he was sure his eyes were still a bit puffy if not still red from earlier. He pushed the door open and walked right in, marching up to the familiar desk and ringing the bell that sat on top before he lost his courage and backed out.

He heard footsteps approaching from the side before the door opened up, the smiling face of the man quickly dropping when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's just you." He crossed his arms and huffed, rolling his eyes. "So, who send you? Roman or Virgil?"

"Well, actually I... Wait, you know Virgil?"

"Of course I do!" The man turned and finally took in Patton for the first time and took in his disheveled appearance. "Oh. Well, I take it you came here because..." He shook his head. "I have no idea, honestly."

"Oh, well, I was hoping if you're not too busy... Uh, what is your name? Roman just called you the deceitful... actually it was a long tangent of things."

"He calls me Deceit?" He huffed and turned around. "Not surprised. Come on in and we can talk."

Patton followed him through the door, entering the same room he had with Logan prior, taking the same seat he had as well. The man shuffled around before falling back into his chair, his whole facade from before gone and broken. "Well, uh... Can I call you Dee instead if you won't give your name?"

"What are you doing here? Patton, was it?" He responded with a timid nod, causing the other man to sigh and slump into his chair more. "Look, I took the appointment because Virgil asked me to and I kind of owed him. Whatever you want now, you better ask so you can leave."

"I don't know." Patton sighed and glanced down at his hands. "Roman went on about how he could see the strings but he has strings and I just... got a bit overwhelmed."

This caused the man to perk up in his seat a bit. "Wait, Roman never told you? Then why did he even send you here?"

"Wait, I thought you just said Virgil made the appointment?" Patton blinked as he grew more confused. "No, you're right. Roman was the one I was in contact with and he sent me here..."

The man huffed and sat up in his chair as he stared Patton down. "Fine, I'll tell you the story, though I don't know all of it." He waved his hand around a bit. "Virgil was in contact with me about doing a session where we go over his string, you know the drill. Except he was a few towns over and would have to make the trip so we never set anything up." Patton stayed still, silently listening to the story with his full attention. "Anyway, he tells me he had found someone that will actually follow your string to your soulmate. It cost a bit more depending on how far you had to go but I hadn't heard from Virgil after that. Not until one day he calls my phone asking to set up an appointment. Apparently, he had been in the city with Roman looking for his soulmate." With a roll of his eyes, he shifted in his seat for a more comfortable position. "Virgil shows up and is practically silent the entire time. No questions or anything. Thought I was getting my leg pulled before he asked to set up a second meeting with some guy as well. Low and behold, next time he shows he has Roman trailing after him." The man spat out Roman's name as he said it. "Came in calling me a fake and a liar. Went on some weird tangent about how Virgil deserved better than someone playing around with him. Then he grew quiet and ran out. No idea what that was about but he left his buddy here. We talked and I apologized. Said I would owe him a favor if he ever needed it." He shifted in his seat and glanced away. "We still talk, much to Roman's dismay."

"Roman stormed out... talking about Virgil?" Instead of a verbal response, Patton earned a half-hearted shrug before looking down at his hands. "That must have been when his string for Virgil showed up, maybe."

"His what? Strings don't just show up."

Patton shook his head. "No, but when you can see strings you can't see your own unless you believe you've met your soulmate. At least that's what Roman said." Patton stood up proud and determined before smiling down at the man. "Thanks, Dee. If you ever want to track your string, let me know." He turned and walked out of the room and out the door.

The man sighed and pulled out his phone before dialing away and pressing it up to his face. "Virgil. Yes, I know you don't wanna hear me but listen. Your little friend was just here."

---

Patton sat down on the bench in the park while glancing around. He was pretty sure it was the same one from when he met Roman, though it had been so long he wasn't quite sure. He washed his face in the public restroom and hadn't looked like as much of a mess as before to his relief.

Patton watched all the strings tangled in the trees or on signs, pretty much anything they could get tangled into. He had always seen it as a cat that played with a lot of yarn for far too long, imagining fate as a giant cat seemed all too likely with how things seemed to have worked out.

Patton took in a slow breath, enjoying the fresh air and gentle breeze before letting it go. He closed his eyes and focused on what Roman had told him earlier. He had to believe that he was their missing piece and the strings would appear. He thought of every joke and smile, every time he managed to cheer them up... any time they did the same for him. Patton sat on that bench until he started to grow uncomfortable and the evening breeze made him shiver. He took a moment before finally peeking out and glancing down at his hand. His shoulders fell, seeing the same blank slate as before.

Patton fell back on the bench, defeated and exhausted. The day had been long and emotionally draining far beyond what he was used to. Perhaps they were wrong? The strings didn't go to him because he didn't have any, it seemed terribly unlikely that it could be true. He wanted it to be true, he had hoped it would be. Perhaps that was his problem. That little bit of hope he always had and could never shake, no matter what.

It was time to move on, he decided. Go to a new city and start fresh. His phone easily replaced and he could vanish as if he were never there. He stood up and stretched, his back a bit sore before he blinked and turned to walk down the path before he froze. A few yards in front of him stood Roman, phone in his hand as he tried not to shout into it, a look of relief on his face. Patton sat back down, too tired to continue running at this point.

Roman raced forward and kneeled down on the ground, looking up at Patton. "We were all so worried! You just vanished, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Patton gave a small smile, not sure how much Roman believed it. "I think I might be. Look, Roman. I think you might have been..." Patton licked his lips as his mouth ran dry. "I think you were wrong about me."

Roman reached up and grabbed Patton's hands, wrapping them with his own. "I don't think I am. You deserve love, Patton, and we want to spend every day with you until you finally believe it yourself."

Patton shook his head as he half-heartedly tried pulling his hands away. "Roman, don't."

Roman gripped his hands a bit tighter and perked up. "No, listen! You make our lives better. We are all better for knowing you, Patton! The least we can do is return the favor." Patton glanced up as he saw Logan and Virgil slow down and stop a few feet away. "Just give us a chance. Believe in us, please."

Patton looked down at his hands as Roman slowly unfurled his own. Patton saw that nothing had changed, they looked the same as always. He glanced back up at Roman before looking over at the other two, noticing they had slowly started to make their way over.

Each one looked at Patton with hope in their eyes, begging to be given a chance in their own ways. Hope that Patton was ready to try and throw away once and for good. He looked down at his hands, wondering what it would be like to not have to leave or live in worry. Talking to Roman who understood all too well how he felt. Helping the other two open up and showing them what Patton had seen in other soulmates his entire life. That spark they shared and the warmth that it made him feel.

A flash of red grabbed both his and Roman's attention. The looked down at Patton's hand as it happened once more. Strings, tied to Patton's left pinky, flashed for a moment before fading out once more. He looked up at the exact time Roman did, a small smile creeping onto his face. He laughed and launched himself at Roman, falling into his arms.

"I knew you could do it." The other two walked up and Roman pulled Patton up. "We'll make you believe in us, Patton."

He pulled away and smiled at the three men before him. "Okay." He whispered, smiling and nodding, ignoring the tears that pooled in his eyes once more. "Alright. I'll try."

Tag list: Taglist: @kirsten-the-freak

#sanders sides #sander sides au #sanders sides fic #sanders sides fanfic #sander sides #soulmate au #red string of fate

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ryanccoleman · 6 years

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“My Very Own House on a Hill” | part VII

“Descending the hill, my only thought: ‘I feel like this was inevitable.’”

I wonder at what point this became something I did. The scene keeps replaying in my mind. The house passing by slowly with unbearable intensity. What it feels like is gravity, which is hard to explain. When I saw the house my reaction was to laugh. A single, sharp exhale, and then nothing at all. It passed by me like a wheel on fire. I dazzled in the blaze, sure I wouldn’t get hurt, but felt a tinge of horror to think where it came from.

Descending the hill, my only thought: “I feel like this was inevitable.”

The rest of the ride is a blur, but I can guess the route I took: I connected with the main north-south drag that flushes into my neighborhood. To get there, more blind turns away from the house. Eventually a liminal sign, something on the border with this neighborhood and everything else. One is Catholic school that lies right on the edge. The main building is white with sky blue doors. The trees out front have bright green leaves. In spring, the leaves turn the color of lemons. Other trees in this neighborhood: cypress, laurel, nectarine, plum. Various kinds of palm. Less lush: gray trees with brittle leaves I don’t know the name for. All sorts of bushes. When there are flowers, for one season they are purple, and another they are white.

The sidewalks even out again. They ride close to the road. The road here is better paved. A train runs through this area and everywhere I crisscross the tracks. I park close enough, almost four blocks away. I don't think while walking. I empty out my mind so I can hear everything. Headphones in so no one will bother me, head lowered, but not enough to convey total absorption — a vulnerability. I don’t convey toughness, either, which is enough to provoke many men. Also because I’m not tough. What I listen to instead — a breeze rushing through the trees. Electricity running through the wires. People up at all hours in this neighborhood. I listen to them, but don’t pry. The fullest sound I hear comes from my feet. Grass, pavement, dirt, gravel. I trace the wall with one finger separating this alley from a carwash, gravel under my feet. Crunching. Two block to my home.

I don’t know if a light was on in the house, but this time I noticed it has shingles. I ascertained the details with vivid clarity. While I walk, I run through the image again and again: intricately grooved, the way the slow drip of runoff creates canyons out of rocks. A record of time passing by the house as texture, in the rest of the neighborhood, runoff. Canyons at the heart of the city. The shingles were thick as banana peels and I imagined just as soft. Like the entire house is just a membrane, thin as a moth’s wing.

There’s a transformer on the ground. It exploded several nights ago and now lies here, untouched. I stop before it. There’s less than a foot between me and its broad, black side. Somehow we haven’t been without electricity. I think maybe the transformer was a dummy that simply fell like a ripe fruit. Electricity coming from somewhere else.

At the moment my rear tires met the road that connects to the house, I clicked out of the disjuncture I felt at the coffee shop. I didn’t click back to how I felt before, but into something else. Not entirely new, and not more deeply disjointed, but a disjuncture still, slightly shifted. I remember feeling this for the first time as a kid. I crouched in the alley made by the east fence of my yard, wood, and the west fence of the huge lot that then stood empty, chain link. A three-house-deep run of land that belonged to no one. I liked to stand stiff with my hands up, back against my fence and facing the gate, through that, the field. I imagined myself as a suspect in a round-up, or suspended in something like amber. The point was that I was somehow trapped, and on view, like a butterfly on a pinboard. I had crouched down to investigate the assortment of crunchy, discarded plant parts and received a sudden shock from my foot. A thorn was embedded in my sole. It was easy to extract but the experience left me exhausted. I remember being in a blank state for what felt like too long. Even at a young age I knew my body’s response was too much for that relatively low amount of trauma, but nothing could be done. I waited for the clouds to pass, and when they did, I felt another way. Not the way I felt before the thorn. This startled me, but again, that feeling soon got sucked into the vacuum that replaced feeling inside me. Somewhere I imagine all these feelings pinned, one on top of another, light filtering through hundreds of pairs of wings, beating, interrupted, creating a color that is muddy, creating a movement that is subtle, explosive.

#ryan coleman #ryan christopher coleman #poem #poetry #literature #gay lit #queer lit #LGBT literature #poets of tumblr #my very own house on a hill #short story

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livingcorner · 3 years

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How to Level a Yard, Lawn or Garden – Steps and Tips | Zacs Garden@|how to level the garden@|https://zacsgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/How-to-Level-a-Lawn-Gardener-removing-lawn-and-digging-a-hole.jpg@|21

It may seem like a lot of work, but leveling your yard isn’t as hard as it seems

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DO YOU GET TIRED OF walking across your lawn watching out for divots that are deep enough to break an ankle? Is the slope in your garden so steep that the water runs downhill before it has a chance to soak in and do any good? If you not sure how to level a yard, follow along as I go through the tools and steps needed to cure this problem once and for all.

Both my front and back yards were a mess when we first moved in. But with a little hard work, the right tools, and a little dedication, you can have a nice smooth lawn and gardens that suffer little in the way of runoff.

The #1 Thing to Remember

The most important thing to remember is the soil needs to be moist before you get started. If your soil is dry and dusty, you need to water it until it is moist to a depth of at least 6 inches.

But at the same time, if your soil is too wet, it will be hard to work with. In this case, you will need to wait until it has enough time to dry out a bit. Wet soil is very heavy and can be hard to work with.

Tools You Will Need to Level Your Yard and Garden

The first step in learning how to level a yard or garden is knowing what tools you will need to get the done and done right the first time. No one wants to have to re-level their lawn once the sod has been laid or the seed has started to grow.

Laying the lawn is the easy part, it’s getting everything level beforehand that takes time, skill and cause frustration.

So, let’s take a good look at the tools you will need:

Alternative tools:

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Remember that a landscaping rake should have a head that is approximately 3 feet wide and has heavy duty tines made for dragging large amounts of dirt.

Leveling Bare Ground

If you are putting in a new garden, laying new sod, or simply planting grass seed on bare land, you must level the ground first. The first step is to mark off the area you plan to work with and then determine how out of level it happens to be. There are two methods of doing this:

Using a larger piece of lumber underneath your level will extend it and can make the job easier

Method #1 – Using a Spirit Level

If you have never used a spirit of carpenter’s level, it is a simple device consisting of a 36-inch long aluminum bar with three different bubble indicators mounted on it. One is for horizontal, one is for vertical level, and one is for measuring a 45-degree angle.

As you can see, ‘the bubble’ on the level has two lines on it and a bubble that floats in the liquid. When the bubble is centered between the lines, the item you are measuring is level.

To use your spirit level on a large patch of dirt, simply add an 8-foot 2 x 4 (or any long, straight piece of material) underneath your level. This way, you can measure over a longer area of your yard. (Look down the length of the 2 x 4 to check it is straight before using)

To start leveling, simply place the 2 x 4 assembly across the ground and check for level. Be sure to check in both directions and allow for one edge to be slightly lower to assist with drainage.

This method works best for freshly tilled soil that is mostly flat and all you are trying to do is determine any slopes. You can use it for lawns and gardens with equal effectiveness.

Method #2 – Using Stakes and a String Line

This method can be used on new ground for lawns or gardens and to help you find low and high spots.

Hammer a stake into the ground at the highest point in your yard

Hammer a stake into the ground at the lowest point in your yard

Tie a string between stakes making sure it is pulled nice and tight

Place a line level on the string line to ensure the string is level. (Not sure what a line level is, here is an example)

Then measure the height of the string on both stakes to help you determine how much of slope you have to deal with

If you are looking for high and low spots there are a few extra steps:

The steps are the same up to the point where the string is level.

Then use a tape measure to help you find the low and high spots along the line (you will need to repeat this at regular intervals all the way across the yard).

The best way to do this is to create a grid search pattern and write down the measurements based on where they were taken on a grid.

It might look something like this:

End of Yard Side of Yard 6 4 4 2 2 5 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3 5 5 3

Red numbers indicate low spots

Green numbers indicate high spots

All measurements are in inches

While this might be a bit time consuming (as in taking a few hours), if you are truly intent on having a nice even lawn to mow or play on, this is the best way. You can also use this method to help you create a perfectly flat garden.

6 Steps to a Flat Lawn

If you are working on a small patch of your lawn that needs to be leveled up to meet the rest of it, remove the grass by cutting under it with a shovel and removing it like sod. Set the grass aside to replace once you have created a level area. If you are working with bare ground, can skip this step.

Cover the bare ground with a mixture of topsoil, sand, and either compost, manure, or fertilizer. You need the soil to be nutrient rich in order to give your lawn a good start

Using your landscaper’s rake, spread the mixture out until it covers the entire area in what looks to be a uniform layer. You can use the string and measuring tape method above to keep an eye on how level your new soil is

Using a water-filled roller, tamp the soil down (if you are working on a very small area you can use your foot)

Mist the soil with water until it is nice and damp (it does not need to be soaked)

Leave to settle for 48 hours

Measure at multiple spots and correct any low or high spots you find using the same mixture and tamp in place.

How Long Will it Take?

Depending on how fussy you want to be (it took me a week to get my yard where I wanted it to be, but then I’m a bit OCD when it comes to things like this), you may have to make several adjustments using the method above.

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Remember, the more you do at the beginning the fewer problems you are likely to have in the end.

Once you are satisfied that you have finally figured out how to level a yard, you can replace the sod previously removed, install all new sod, or plant with grass seed. All you have to do now is wait for your perfectly flat lawn to grow in green and healthy.

What If You Have a Few Low Spots in an Existing Lawn?

Wait!

You don’t need to learn how to level a yard starting with bare ground. If you are only worried about patching a few low or high spots in your lawn, the whole process is very similar to leveling bare ground. Let’s take a closer look at the whole process.

First, you need to use the stake and string line method above to create your working grid of high and low spots. In most cases, you will have more low spots than high ones.

Low Spots

Cut the sod from these spots carefully and set them aside

Using a mixture of manure/compost, topsoil, and sand, fill in the spot to a point just far enough below the surrounding ground to allow the sod to be replaced

Stamp this area down using your foot and then mist with water to help it settle

Wait 48 hours and check to make sure it hasn’t settled too much (if it has, simply add more soil and repeat the process)

Once the area is level and just below flush, replace the sod and stamp it down

Water the area and let the grass root in place

A fun video that shows how this is done:

High Spots

These have to be treated a little differently as there is already too much soil in place.

Cut the sod from the area and set aside for future use

Using a shovel slowly reduce the height of the soil by removing it one shovelful at a time

Continue doing this until the entire area is level just below the surface, leaving just enough room for you to replace the sod

Water the area and allow it to sit for 48 hours

Recheck your measurements and level

If all is good (by now it should be) replace the sod, tamp down, and water

This guy makes it sound easy:

For both situations, be sure to save a little of that topsoil mix to fill in any gaps where the edges of the sod meet. You should also use your preferred method to check your yard or garden for level once everything has been done.

Important Notes

Be sure that your yard or garden retains a slope to ensure excess water runs off such as rain, ice, and snow.

Watering the area you plan to level a day or two beforehand can make it easier to dig.

Always wear closed-toe shoes when you are working with a shovel or a pickaxe for the safety of your toes.

Always wear gloves to protect your hands.

You can use a string level setup for any distance, it doesn’t matter if its 30 feet or 300 feet.

On the Level

Okay, so you probably started out thinking you had to hire someone to level your yard, right? Now that you see how easy it can be if someone just gives you the right information, you probably can’t wait to get started.

I hope this information and the accompanying videos help make learning how to level a yard a little bit easier for you. The most important thing to remember is that perfection takes time, be patient, work slowly and methodically and your yard will finally be perfectly level.

Thanks for reading this guide on how to level a yard, lawn or garden. You can keep in contact with us here on facebook or pinterest

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source https://livingcorner.com.au/how-to-level-a-yard-lawn-or-garden-steps-and-tips-zacs-gardenhow-to-level-the-gardenhttps-zacsgarden-com-wp-content-uploads-2017-05-how-to-level-a-lawn-gardener-removing-lawn-and-diggi/

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orbemnews · 3 years

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The Lithium Gold Rush: Inside the Race to Power Electric Vehicles Atop a long-dormant volcano in northern Nevada, workers are preparing to start blasting and digging out a giant pit that will serve as the first new large-scale lithium mine in the United States in more than a decade — a new domestic supply of an essential ingredient in electric car batteries and renewable energy. The mine, constructed on leased federal lands, could help address the near total reliance by the United States on foreign sources of lithium. But the project, known as Lithium Americas, has drawn protests from members of a Native American tribe, ranchers and environmental groups because it is expected to use billions of gallons of precious ground water, potentially contaminating some of it for 300 years, while leaving behind a giant mound of waste. “Blowing up a mountain isn’t green, no matter how much marketing spin people put on it,” said Max Wilbert, who has been living in a tent on the proposed mine site while two lawsuits seeking to block the project wend their way through federal courts. The fight over the Nevada mine is emblematic of a fundamental tension surfacing around the world: Electric cars and renewable energy may not be as green as they appear. Production of raw materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel that are essential to these technologies are often ruinous to land, water, wildlife and people. That environmental toll has often been overlooked in part because there is a race underway among the United States, China, Europe and other major powers. Echoing past contests and wars over gold and oil, governments are fighting for supremacy over minerals that could help countries achieve economic and technological dominance for decades to come. Developers and lawmakers see this Nevada project, given final approval in the last days of the Trump administration, as part of the opportunity for the United States to become a leader in producing some of these raw materials as President Biden moves aggressively to fight climate change. In addition to Nevada, businesses have proposed lithium production sites in California, Oregon, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina. But traditional mining is one of the dirtiest businesses out there. That reality is not lost on automakers and renewable-energy businesses. “Our new clean-energy demands could be creating greater harm, even though its intention is to do good,” said Aimee Boulanger, executive director for the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, a group that vets mines for companies like BMW and Ford Motor. “We can’t allow that to happen.” This friction helps explain why a contest of sorts has emerged in recent months across the United States about how best to extract and produce the large amounts of lithium in ways that are much less destructive than how mining has been done for decades. Just in the first three months of 2021, U.S. lithium miners like those in Nevada raised nearly $3.5 billion from Wall Street — seven times the amount raised in the prior 36 months, according to data assembled by Bloomberg, and a hint of the frenzy underway. Some of those investors are backing alternatives including a plan to extract lithium from briny water beneath California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, about 600 miles south of the Lithium Americas site. At the Salton Sea, investors plan to use specially coated beads to extract lithium salt from the hot liquid pumped up from an aquifer more than 4,000 feet below the surface. The self-contained systems will be connected to geothermal power plants generating emission-free electricity. And in the process, they hope to generate the revenue needed to restore the lake, which has been fouled by toxic runoff from area farms for decades. Businesses are also hoping to extract lithium from brine in Arkansas, Nevada, North Dakota and at least one more location in the United States. The United States needs to quickly find new supplies of lithium as automakers ramp up manufacturing of electric vehicles. Lithium is used in electric car batteries because it is lightweight, can store lots of energy and can be repeatedly recharged. Analysts estimate that lithium demand is going to increase tenfold before the end of this decade as Tesla, Volkswagen, General Motors and other automakers introduce dozens of electric models. Other ingredients like cobalt are needed to keep the battery stable. Even though the United States has some of the world’s largest reserves, the country today has only one large-scale lithium mine, Silver Peak in Nevada, which first opened in the 1960s and is producing just 5,000 tons a year — less than 2 percent of the world’s annual supply. Most of the raw lithium used domestically comes from Latin America or Australia, and most of it is processed and turned into battery cells in China and other Asian countries. “China just put out its next five-year plan,” Mr. Biden’s energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said in a recent interview. “They want to be the go-to place for the guts of the batteries, yet we have these minerals in the United States. We have not taken advantage of them, to mine them.” In March, she announced grants to increase production of crucial minerals. “This is a race to the future that America is going to win,” she said. So far, the Biden administration has not moved to help push more environmentally friendly options — like lithium brine extraction, instead of open pit mines. The Interior Department declined to say whether it would shift its stand on the Lithium Americas permit, which it is defending in court. Mining companies and related businesses want to accelerate domestic production of lithium and are pressing the administration and key lawmakers to insert a $10 billion grant program into Mr. Biden’s infrastructure bill, arguing that it is a matter of national security. “Right now, if China decided to cut off the U.S. for a variety of reasons we’re in trouble,” said Ben Steinberg, an Obama administration official turned lobbyist. He was hired in January by Piedmont Lithium, which is working to build an open-pit mine in North Carolina and is one of several companies that have created a trade association for the industry. Investors are rushing to get permits for new mines and begin production to secure contracts with battery companies and automakers. Ultimately, federal and state officials will decide which of the two methods — traditional mining or brine extraction — is approved. Both could take hold. Much will depend on how successful environmentalists, tribes and local groups are in blocking projects. On a hillside, Edward Bartell or his ranch employees are out early every morning making sure that the nearly 500 cows and calves that roam his 50,000 acres in Nevada’s high desert have enough feed. It has been a routine for generations, but the family has never before faced a threat quite like this. A few miles from his ranch, work could soon start on Lithium Americas’ open pit mine that will represent one of the largest lithium production sites in U.S. history, complete with a helicopter landing pad, a chemical processing plant and waste dumps. The mine will reach a depth of about 370 feet. Mr. Bartell’s biggest fear is that the mine will consume the water that keeps his cattle alive. The company has said the mine will consume 3,224 gallons per minute. That could cause the water table to drop on land Mr. Bartell owns by an estimated 12 feet, according to a Lithium Americas consultant. While producing 66,000 tons a year of battery-grade lithium carbonate, the mine may cause groundwater contamination with metals including antimony and arsenic, according to federal documents. The lithium will be extracted by mixing clay dug out from the mountainside with as much as 5,800 tons a day of sulfuric acid. This whole process will also create 354 million cubic yards of mining waste that will be loaded with discharge from the sulfuric acid treatment, and may contain modestly radioactive uranium, permit documents disclose. A December assessment by the Interior Department found that over its 41-year life, the mine would degrade nearly 5,000 acres of winter range used by pronghorn antelope and hurt the habitat of the sage grouse. It would probably also destroy a nesting area for a pair of golden eagles whose feathers are vital to the local tribe’s religious ceremonies. “It is real frustrating that it is being pitched as an environmentally friendly project, when it is really a huge industrial site,” said Mr. Bartell, who filed a lawsuit to try to block the mine. At the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, anger over the project has boiled over, even causing some fights between members as Lithium Americas has offered to hire tribal members in jobs that will pay an average annual wage of $62,675 — twice the county’s per capita income — but that will come with a big trade-off. “Tell me, what water am I going to drink for 300 years?” Deland Hinkey, a member of the tribe, yelled as a federal official arrived at the reservation in March to brief tribal leaders on the mining plan. “Anybody, answer my question. After you contaminate my water, what I am going to drink for 300 years? You are lying!” The reservation is nearly 50 miles from the mine site — and far beyond the area where groundwater may be contaminated — but tribe members fear the pollution could spread. “It is really a David versus Goliath kind of a situation,” said Maxine Redstar, the leader of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, noting that there was limited consultation with the tribe before the Interior Department approved the project. “The mining companies are just major corporations.” Tim Crowley, a vice president at Lithium Americas, said the company would operate responsibly — planning, for example, to use the steam from burning molten sulfur to generate the electricity it needs. “We’re answering President Biden’s call to secure America’s supply chains and tackle the climate crisis,” Mr. Crowley said. A spokesman noted that area ranchers also used a lot of water and that the company had purchased its allocation from another farmer to limit the increase in water use. The company has moved aggressively to secure permits, hiring a lobbying team that includes a former Trump White House aide, Jonathan Slemrod. Lithium Americas, which estimates there is $3.9 billion worth of recoverable lithium at the site, hopes to start mining operations next year. Its largest shareholder is the Chinese company Ganfeng Lithium. A Second Act The desert sands surrounding the Salton Sea have drawn worldwide notice before. They have served as a location for Hollywood productions like the “Star Wars” franchise. Created by flooding from the Colorado River more than a century ago, the lake once thrived. Frank Sinatra performed at its resorts. Over the years, drought and poor management turned it into a source of pollutants. But a new wave of investors is promoting the lake as one of the most promising and environmentally friendly lithium prospects in the United States. Lithium extraction from brine has long been used in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, where the sun is used over nearly two years to evaporate water from sprawling ponds. It is relatively inexpensive, but it uses lots of water in arid areas. The approach planned at the Salton Sea is radically different. The lake sits atop the Salton Buttes, which, as in Nevada, are underground volcanoes. For years, a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, CalEnergy, and another business, Energy Source, have tapped the Buttes’ geothermal heat to produce electricity. The systems use naturally occurring underground steam. This same water is loaded with lithium. Now, Berkshire Hathaway and two other companies — Controlled Thermal Resources and Materials Research — want to install equipment that will extract lithium after the water passes through the geothermal plants, in a process that will take only about two hours. Rod Colwell, a burly Australian, has spent much of the last decade pitching investors and lawmakers on putting the brine to use. In February, a backhoe plowed dirt on a 7,000-acre site being developed by his company, Controlled Thermal Resources. “This is the sweet spot,” Mr. Colwell said. “This is the most sustainable lithium in the world, made in America. Who would have thought it? We’ve got this massive opportunity.” A Berkshire Hathaway executive told state officials recently that the company expected to complete its demonstration plant for lithium extraction by April 2022. The backers of the Salton Sea lithium projects are also working with local groups and hope to offer good jobs in an area that has an unemployment rate of nearly 16 percent. “Our region is very rich in natural resources and mineral resources,” said Luis Olmedo, executive director of Comite Civico del Valle, which represents area farm workers. “However, they’re very poorly distributed. The population has not been afforded a seat at the table.” The state has given millions in grants to lithium extraction companies, and the Legislature is considering requiring carmakers by 2035 to use California sources for some of the lithium in vehicles they sell in the state, the country’s largest electric-car market. But even these projects have raised some questions. Geothermal plants produce energy without emissions, but they can require tens of billions of gallons of water annually for cooling. And lithium extraction from brine dredges up minerals like iron and salt that need to be removed before the brine is injected back into the ground. Similar extraction efforts at the Salton Sea have previously failed. In 2000, CalEnergy proposed spending $200 million to extract zinc and to help restore the Salton Sea. The company gave up on the effort in 2004. But several companies working on the direct lithium extraction technique — including Lilac Solutions, based in California, and Standard Lithium of Vancouver, British Columbia — are confident they have mastered the technology. Both companies have opened demonstration projects using the brine extraction technology, with Standard Lithium tapping into a brine source already being extracted from the ground by an Arkansas chemical plant, meaning it did not need to take additional water from the ground. “This green aspect is incredibly important,” said Robert Mintak, chief executive of Standard Lithium, who hopes the company will produce 21,000 tons a year of lithium in Arkansas within five years if it can raise $440 million in financing. “The Fred Flintstone approach is not the solution to the lithium challenge.” Lilac Solutions, whose clients include Controlled Thermal Resources, is also working on direct lithium extraction in Nevada, North Dakota and at least one other U.S. location that it would not disclose. The company predicts that within five years, these projects could produce about 100,000 tons of lithium annually, or 20 times current domestic production. Executives from companies like Lithium Americans question if these more innovative approaches can deliver all the lithium the world needs. But automakers are keen to pursue approaches that have a much smaller impact on the environment. “Indigenous tribes being pushed out or their water being poisoned or any of those types of issues, we just don’t want to be party to that,” said Sue Slaughter, Ford’s purchasing director for supply chain sustainability. “We really want to force the industries that we’re buying materials from to make sure that they’re doing it in a responsible way. As an industry, we are going to be buying so much of these materials that we do have significant power to leverage that situation very strongly. And we intend to do that.” Gabriella Angotti-Jones contributed reporting. Source link Orbem News #Electric #gold #lithium #power #Race #Rush #Vehicles

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gordonwilliamsweb · 3 years

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Democrats Are Running Hard on Health Care in Georgia’s Senate Runoffs. Republicans? Not So Much.

This story is from a reporting partnership that includes WABE, NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free.

Vice President Mike Pence was the clear celebrity draw at a Nov. 20 campaign event for Georgia’s two incumbent U.S. senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Both Republicans are fighting to keep their seats against two Democratic challengers in the runoff election set for Jan. 5.

People were so eager to see Pence at the rally in Canton, Georgia, that parking spots were scarce and a long line of cars snaked through the parking lot of a community college. Some drivers jumped the curb and parked in the grass.

Hundreds of people, many unmasked, were given temperature checks before boarding large coach buses for a short ride to the rally site. The venue was a large, open space outside the conference center, but few attendees maintained physical distance

The runoff in Georgia was triggered when no candidate in either Senate race won more than 50% of the vote in the general election on Nov. 3.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and with the fate of the Affordable Care Act in question, Republicans hope the two incumbents will win reelection, thus preserving their party’s 50-48 control of the Senate.

But if the two challengers, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, win their runoffs, Democrats will gain narrow control of the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the designated tie-breaker.

Yana De Moraes came to the rally from another Atlanta suburb, Buford. She is uninsured and, after a recent hospital stay, said the high cost of medical care was weighing on her mind.

“We would like our health care costs lowered, so it could be more affordable,” she said, with a rueful laugh. “So you don’t get another heart attack while you’re getting a bill!”

De Moraes added she’d also like to see better price controls on prescription drugs to stop pharmaceutical companies from “robbing American people.”

Others on their way to the rally said they were looking for any kind of change, ideally one that minimizes government involvement in health care.

Barry Brown made the 40-mile drive from his home in Atlanta for the rally. He’s retired but too young to qualify for Medicare, so he has ACA insurance, which he affords with the help of a federal subsidy.

“It sort of works. It’s better than nothing,” Brown said. “I would like to see an improved health care situation. I don’t know what that will be, so maybe they’ll mention that today. I’m hoping so.”

But at the rally, Loeffler only briefly mentioned her health care plan, which focuses on reducing drug prices and giving people access to insurance options that cost less but offer fewer benefits.

When it was his turn to speak, Perdue didn’t talk much about health care either, though he did take a shot at Obamacare, which he’s voted multiple times to overturn.

“Remember a little thing called the Affordable Care Act? You think that was done bipartisan?” Perdue asked the crowd. “No! It was done with a supermajority! Can you imagine what they’re gonna do if they get control of the Senate?”

As the two Republicans have campaigned throughout the state, they have consistently stoked fears about what Democrats will do, and health care policy has not led their messaging.

Their Democratic challengers, however, have been all over health care in their own speeches.

Warnock opened his runoff campaign to unseat Loeffler with a modestly attended Nov. 12 event devoted to health care. That’s also been a focus for Ossoff in his bid to win Perdue’s seat.

“This is why these Senate runoffs are so vital,” Ossoff explained at a small, physically distanced event in the shadow of the Georgia Capitol building in Atlanta on Nov. 10.

Ossoff and Warnock support adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act. They also have emphasized the role Democrats will play in resurrecting key parts of the law if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn it. The justices are set to make a ruling next year.

“If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, it will be up to Congress to decide how to legislate such that preexisting conditions remain covered,” Ossoff said.

Voters like Janel Green, a Democrat, connect with that message. She’s from the nearby suburb of Decatur and is fighting breast cancer — for the second time. Green wondered whether her private health insurance might try to deny her coverage if the protections in the ACA disappear.

“I have to worry about whether or not next year in open enrollment that I won’t be discriminated against, that I won’t have limits that would then potentially end my life,” she said.

More than one-quarter of Georgians have preexisting conditions that could make it hard to get coverage if the ACA is struck down, according to an analysis by KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.)

That possibility also drove Atlanta resident Herschel Jones to support the runoff. On a recent weekday morning, he dropped by an Ossoff campaign office to pick up a yard sign.

Jones, who has diabetes, is insured through the Veterans Health Administration. He said everyone deserves access to health care.

“It’s a main issue, because the Affordable Care Act benefits all those individuals who might have preexisting conditions,” Jones said.

One likely reason Ossoff and Warnock are running so much harder on health care than Perdue and Loeffler is because that strategy paid off for Democrats in the general election, said Ken Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University.

President-elect Joe Biden can thank independent voters for his win in Georgia, Thorpe said, and they were drawn to him because of his promise to uphold Obamacare.

“The threat of potentially losing health insurance in the midst of this pandemic turned out to be probably the major defining issue in the election,” Thorpe said.

Polling in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 election showed Democrats were motivated on the issues of health care and the coronavirus pandemic.

For Democrats to win Georgia’s Senate seats, Thorpe said, they’ll need to stay focused on those issues. That emphasis could help them attract additional moderate voters, as well as entice those in the party base to cast ballots a second time.

“The health care issue is the probably main motivating factor that’s gonna get Democrats and independents to the polls,” he said.

Still, no Democrat has ever won a statewide runoff race in Georgia. That means that even with a strong health care message, it’ll be tough for Ossoff and Warnock to break that trend and unseat the Republicans, Thorpe said.

This story is from a reporting partnership that includes WABE, NPR and KHN.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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Democrats Are Running Hard on Health Care in Georgia’s Senate Runoffs. Republicans? Not So Much.